Chapter 673 : Victory of the Twin Principles

The Demonic Ship [a type of vessel powered by demonic energy] possessed limited speed and had suffered severe damage during the siege battle. Apart from five that were captured, the rest were all destroyed in the combat.

This resounding, earth-shaking victory arrived with both suddenness and delightful surprise, causing everyone's faces to light up with ecstatic joy.

After the battlefield was thoroughly cleared, Eldrin Chen led the forces back to Star Sun Island.

Along the journey, many offered their compliments to Eldrin Chen. The Heavenly Reed Sect Master [the leader of the Heavenly Reed Sect] in particular clasped his hands towards Eldrin Chen and said, "This great victory rests entirely on Elder Brother Returning Abyss's strategic planning."

"Had it not been for Elder Brother's prior deployment of the Two Principles Earthfire Sword Formation [a powerful sword formation harnessing the opposing forces of earth and fire], we would likely have been plunged into a bitter and protracted struggle."

Eldrin Chen shook his head slightly, a faint smile on his lips. "Brother Tianlu [Heavenly Reed] flatters me. Without your Earthfire Profound Crystal Sword [a sword forged from a rare crystal that channels earthfire energy], I would have been unable to establish this formation."

"You are too modest, Brother Eldrin," another voice chimed in.

The Desolate Heaven Sect Master [the leader of the Desolate Heaven Sect] also smiled and added his praise. "It is Fellow Daoist's Heavenly Flame Magical Power [a formidable divine ability that conjures heavenly flames] that is truly astonishing. The defensive prowess of a Fifth Rank Treasure Ship [a high-grade enchanted vessel] is well-known to us all, and the Six-Winged Demon Sovereign [a title for a powerful six-winged demon] was a Great Perfection of Infant Soul [the peak stage of the Infant Soul cultivation realm] expert of the Fiend Race [a race of malevolent beings]. Yet, even he could not withstand a single strike from your sword."

"Such fearsome power is likely beyond even a Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator who has half-achieved the next major realm] Patriarch [a venerable elder or founder of a clan or sect]."

Amidst this chorus of acclaim and admiration, the group finally returned to the shores of Star Sun Island. This content originates from (audio-novel.com). Please respect copyright.

Upon arriving at Star Sun Island, Eldrin Chen found numerous cultivators collapsed upon the ground. Their faces were deathly pale, and many resembled withered trees, having perished after exhausting their spiritual power.

Witnessing this scene, Eldrin Chen's heart clenched. These were the cultivators who had been channeling their power into the Two Principles Earthfire Sword Formation. Moments ago, in order to swiftly defeat the powerful foe, Eldrin Chen had forcibly drained their spiritual energy to activate the Sword Formation.

The result was devastating. The millions of cultivators who had supplied their power suffered severe damage to their vital essence. Over thirty percent of the Vital Essence Refinement cultivators had their foundational life force critically depleted, likely forever severing their chance to break through to Foundation Establishment. Many more had perished on the spot.

Yet, had he not forcibly drawn upon that power, he would not have been able to unleash the nine sword strikes in succession, likely missing the crucial moment to slay the demonic foe.

If the Two Principles Earthfire Sword Formation had not shattered the Fiend Race forces then, utterly crushing their will to fight, they would have preserved most of their strength. The ensuing battle would have descended into a far more brutal and protracted slaughter.

Nevertheless, the fact that these people had perished because of his actions weighed heavily on Eldrin Chen's heart.

Exquisite Jiang noticed the look on Eldrin Chen's face and offered words of comfort. "In great battles throughout history, casualties are inevitable. Given the scale of this victory, our losses are among the lightest possible."

"In this battle, even you and I could not guarantee we would survive. For most of these low-level cultivators, merely being alive is a stroke of fortune."

"I understand," Eldrin Chen replied.

He nodded, his gaze hardening with renewed resolve.

Though a thread of compassion and mercy resided within his heart, he was by no means a rigid or foolish man. He understood the principle of decisive action when necessary, which was precisely why he had unhesitatingly unleashed those nine sword strikes.

Pushing aside these fleeting thoughts, Eldrin Chen instructed Ethan Chen, "For the cultivators who managed the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and flows used for defense, attack, or cultivation] in this battle, ensure their military merit rewards are fully supplemented first. Healing resources should also be prioritized for them."

"I will arrange it immediately."

With those words, Ethan Chen set off to handle the matter.

After these matters were delegated, the various True Lord [a title for cultivators who have reached the Primordial Spirit realm, signifying mastery over their spiritual core] returned to the Great Hall.

After a brief calculation, the Desolate Heaven Sect Master exclaimed with wild joy, "In this battle, we have slain over thirty True Lord from the Six-Winged Demon Clan. Their Demonic Ship [a vessel powered by demonic energy] and lower-ranked cultivators have also been completely annihilated. We should report this to all domains to bolster morale."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions brightened with delight. Slaying over thirty True Lord and crushing an army of ten million Fiend Race Army was no small victory for the Vermilion Bird Star Archipelago.

Once the news was dispatched, they immediately began a preliminary tally of the spoils, discovering the battle had yielded a considerable amount of resources.

Unfortunately, most of the Demonic Cultivator's supplies consisted of items aligned with the Demonic Path [a cultivation methodology that often harnesses destructive, chaotic, or blood-based energies], such as Blood Crystal [crystals condensed from blood essence and demonic energy], Nether Stones, and Demonic Treasure [artifacts forged with and channeling demonic power]. The majority were useless to the Human Race.

The few useful items, like that Fifth Rank [the fifth tier in a grading system for artifacts, materials, and pills] Demonic Ship and some Fifth Rank Demonic Treasure, could only be melted down for use as raw materials.

After taking charge of incinerating the useless demonic creatures and restoring the Formation [a complex arrangement of energy channels and nodes used for defense, attack, or cultivation] on Star Sun Island, Eldrin Chen convened a meeting of the True Lord [a high-ranking cultivator who has mastered their Primordial Spirit] three days later.

At the assembly, Eldrin Chen addressed the gathering, "Now that the Six-Winged Demon Clan has been routed by us, it is time to dispatch people to reoccupy the subsidiary Spirit Island [islands rich in spiritual energy, often used for cultivation or resource gathering]."

"It is indeed fitting," came the agreement.

Kael Chen nodded and added, "The Six-Winged Demon Clan now has only seven Infant Soul Heavenly Demon [powerful demons who have condensed their demonic essence into a nascent demonic soul] left. They are likely utterly terrified, and without the aid of a Fifth Rank [a classification for powerful artifacts or treasures] Demonic Ship [a vessel powered by demonic energy], they are no longer a significant threat."

Upon hearing this, everyone present nodded in unison, accepting the proposal to reclaim the Formation Eye [the core node or energy source of a defensive or offensive formation] islands.

Just as Eldrin Chen was about to speak, a faint smile on his lips, a violent tremor suddenly shook Star Sun Island, and the radiance of the entire grand Formation dimmed dramatically. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio-novel dot com.

In the distant northern horizon, where the Black Tortoise Star Palace stood, the spiritual light of its entire Formation had also faded into darkness.

"Impossible!"

The Heavenly Reed Sect Master [the leader of the Heavenly Reed Sect] paled, his face contorting with disbelief and profound shock.

The destruction of the distant Black Tortoise Star Palace's Formation could mean only one thing: the entire archipelago of Formation Eye islands supporting it had been extinguished.

Yet, within the Black Tortoise Star Palace archipelago, seven major astral Spirit Island and sixty-seven Fifth Rank primary star Spirit Island—so many Formation Eye [the core nodes of a defensive array]—had all fallen in such a short span of time. Such a catastrophic collapse was exceedingly rare, even over the course of millennia.

The Desolate Heaven Sect Master [the leader of the Desolate Heaven Sect], his face pale with panic, spoke in a voice trembling with fear: "The Black Tortoise Star Palace archipelago is governed by the Wang Clan of the Primordial Spirit Immortal Clan from the Far North Icy Plains. It is garrisoned by hundreds of True Lord [a high-level cultivator rank]. How could it have been overrun so swiftly?"

Eldrin Chen also felt his expression shift dramatically. He glanced at the assembled True Lord around him and saw most had turned ashen, their faces etched with terror and the unmistakable glint of retreat.

Their fear was not unfounded. If the formidable Black Tortoise Star Palace archipelago could be shattered, how could their own Vermilion Bird Archipelago, lacking even a single Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a supreme expert at the Primordial Spirit stage] to anchor its defenses, possibly withstand the onslaught?

In this critical moment, Eldrin Chen steadied his own spirit and spoke urgently, "Do not panic! Our immediate priority is to ascertain what has truly transpired at the Black Tortoise Star Palace."

"Yes, yes, of course," came the hurried replies.

The Desolate Heaven Path Master [a senior cultivator from the Desolate Heaven Sect], taking a deep breath to compose himself, suggested, "The White Tiger Star Palace Archipelago is also guarded by a Nine Abyss Path Lord [a powerful cultivator with the title 'Path Lord of Nine Abysses']. Let us send a message to inquire about their situation."

"Right, right! Send word immediately!" the others chorused in agreement.

Acting on this consensus, they swiftly established communication with the White Tiger Star Palace Archipelago.

Before long, a reply from the White Tiger Star Palace Archipelago arrived, delivered directly into the hands of Eldrin Chen.

After reading it, Eldrin Chen quickly grasped the full sequence of events. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Esteemed colleagues, Path Lord Wang of the Far North Icy Plains was ambushed by four Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [demonic beings from beyond this world]. They destroyed his physical body."

"His Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] managed to flee the Black Tortoise Star Palace. It was only after his escape that the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon were able to breach and overrun the Black Tortoise Star Palace archipelago."

Upon hearing this, the others hurriedly scanned the letter. One by one, their faces darkened with dismay and grave concern.

The Third Elder of the Heavenly Reed Sect flushed with anger, his temper flaring. He could not hold back his outburst. "How could Path Lord Wang be so reckless? To charge into battle without first ascertaining the enemy's strength!" Your portal to cultivation novels: audio-novel . com.