Chapter 686 Life and Death Crisis, Slaying the Yuanshen
The 9 Netherwyrm Emperor was far too overconfident, actually attempting to pounce upon Magnus the Virtuous Lord with the sheer might of his physical form.
This provided Eldrin with a rare opportunity. With every ounce of his strength, he unleashed the final strike of the Green Abyss Sword, aiming a decisive slash directly at the 9 Nether Demon Dragon Emperor's throat.
The Netherwyrm Emperor instantly felt a chilling cold at its throat. Forced to twist its posture in haste, it narrowly evaded the fatal strike, yet a grievous wound was carved upon it by the slash of the blade.
"Roar—"
The demonic dragon roared in agony, its voice brimming with a murderous intent that erupted like blazing flames.
He soared into the 9 Heavens Above (Time & Distance), his pupils blazing with overwhelming killing intent as he glared at Eldrin (Person Name). That last strike had nearly inflicted devastating injuries upon him.
Though a child wielding a blade poses little threat and can hardly strike a full-grown adult, a blade remains a blade. A single strike to the throat would still inflict a fatal wound.
At this moment, the 9 Nether Demon Dragon Emperor endured the agony of celestial flames scorching his wounds, his gaze brimming with boundless killing intent as he glared at Eldrin (Person Name): "Human, you deserve to die!"
"Roar——"
The humiliation of being wounded by a lower-ranked opponent, the shock and fury after facing a mortal threat—all converged into boundless killing intent and towering flames of rage.
The 9 Netherwyrm Emperor roared between heaven and earth, then opened its maw and spat out a dragon pearl, hurling it directly toward Eldrin.
The inner core of the Primordial Soul Demonic Dragon had transformed into the legendary Dragon Pearl, containing a force akin to a black hole that completely locked onto Eldrin (Person Name), intent on annihilating him upon the earth.
From the moment this sword failed to sever the 9 Nether Demon Dragon Emperor's physical form, Eldrin's heart plunged into a bottomless abyss.
"Eldrin, my friend..."
Facing this strike, Magnus the Virtuous Lord (Person Name), Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name), and even the various Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) experts of the Eastern Barren cultivation realm all stepped forth to lend their aid.
Yet the opponent's power was truly astonishing. With a single halberd sweeping through all foes, the unleashed divine power alone blocked everything.
"Save him, quickly!"
Chen Changxuan roared furiously, spitting mouthful after mouthful of vital essence blood. At a grievous cost, he activated the 10 1000 Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation (Formation), positioning it as a barrier before the dragon pearl.
Yet the power of the dragon pearl was unstoppable, effortlessly shattering the 10 1000 Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation (Formation). The cultivators maintaining the array were severely wounded on the spot, and in an instant, over a million practitioners perished from the backlash.
Lyra, Yan Zi Ji, and Lila stood in close proximity. At this critical moment, they unleashed their full power in a desperate attempt to block the strike. Yet, even before their Natal Spirit Treasures could make contact with the dragon pearl, the treasures were sent flying, each now riddled with countless cracks.
At the brink of life and death, the Sunset Divine Aura around Eldrin flared to life.
In an instant, a fiery red barrier that blotted out the sky and sun shot forth, positioning itself before the dragon pearl.
The treasured talisman obtained from the Longhe Sacred Land finally manifested its power, locking in a stalemate with the Dragon Pearl of the 9 Nether Demon Dragon Emperor.
Finally.
Eldrin let out a sigh of relief, feeling the lethal pressure ease ever so slightly.
Yet in that very instant, the 9 Nether Dragon Emperor roared, "No 1 can protect those I wish to kill!"
"Perish now!"
Boom—
A deafening roar from ancient times resounded as brilliant rays of light erupted 1 after another, forcibly tearing a fissure through the Sundown Divine Radiance.
The dragon pearl tore through this sixth-grade protective talisman and continued its assault, hurtling straight toward Eldrin.
"Eldrin, retreat now!"
At that critical moment between life and death, a golden treasure ship sailed into view.
With a resolute expression, Lior mustered the hundreds of thousands of troops aboard the treasure ship and channeled all his energy into maneuvering the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship to shield Eldrin.
He was far too weak, merely a newly-advanced Nascent Soul Realm True Monarch. He didn't even possess the qualification to intervene and save Eldrin. His only recourse was to utilize the formidable defensive capabilities of the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship to block this strike on his behalf.
Boom—
Eldrin watched helplessly as the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship exploded, the intensely scorching flames and blast force hurling him backward through the air.
In that final instant, he saw only skeleton after skeleton turning into calamitous ash amidst the flames.
"Ah—"
Eldrin roared, his resentment, fury, and helplessness coalescing into a single entity that ultimately dissolved back into wordless silence.
He simply stared fixedly at the 9 Abyssal Dragon Emperor, engraving its image deeply into his memory.
"Still dreaming of revenge?"
The 9 Netherworld Demon Dragon coiled between heaven and earth. Something in Eldrin's expression sent an inexplicable chill down his spine, yet he sneered coldly and declared, "I shall slay you today, and none can save you!"
The 9 Netherwyrm Emperor's killing intent flooded the heavens as he once again channeled the Dragon Pearl to strike.
This time, the hearts of everyone present sank completely. With their forces nearly decimated, who could possibly come to his rescue now?
"Alas!"
At this critical moment of life and death, a sigh echoed from the heavens above.
A treasure bracelet that blotted out the skies descended, unexpectedly locking down the Netherworld Demonic Dragon’s dragon pearl in a single move. No matter how fiercely it struggled, it could not break free.
Upon learning of this, the crowd turned their gaze skyward and finally noticed a majestic figure clad in black robes that had appeared on the battlefield unnoticed.
Lon Gumo the Ancient Fiend!
The 9 Serenities Demon Dragon Emperor's expression shifted sharply as he recognized this individual's origins.
Longgu Daoist stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiayu Heavenly Demon and Blood God Patriarch as 1 of the 3 demonic path Primordial Spirits in the Eastern Sea cultivation realm,
This demon was once a Dao Lord of the human race who shook the world with his might. Even back then, he had already reached the Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm), a truly formidable power. Yet, for reasons unknown, a single thought led him to demonic conversion, and in 1 night, he became a rare Patriarch of the Demonic Path in all the lands.
At this moment, Ancient Fiend Long's sudden strike took the Outer Realm Demons completely by surprise.
The 9 Netherwyrm Emperor's pupils were filled with apprehension as he couldn't refrain from speaking, "You are 1 of us demonic cultivators—why would you aid this mere human whelp?"
"Demonic cultivator, fallen into demonic ways..."
Longgu Daoist shook his head with a bitter laugh and said, "Do you not know that I fell into demonic cultivation solely to obtain greater power, all to protect our human race and all living beings!"
At these words, the crowd finally understood why Daoist Longgu had made his move.
Elder Longgu let out a sigh before continuing, "I had never intended to reveal myself so soon. Yet I could no longer stand idly by, watching 1 nascent soul candidate after another fall in battle."
"Enough. If I can slay you, boy, this old man's journey will not have been in vain."
Elder Longgu’s voice faded as he flicked his sleeve, summoning a brilliant heavenly thunderbolt that shot straight toward the 9 Nether Demon Dragon Emperor.
Seeing Longgu Daoist strike, the 9 Nether Demon Dragon Emperor’s face drastically changed.
Long ago, before his descent into demonic cultivation, the Ancient Daoist of Longgu had already reached the Fourth Layer of the Nascent Soul. After embracing demonic arts, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and he had now attained the Sixth Layer of the Nascent Soul. Moreover, he possessed several formidable demonic treasures of immense power.
He was merely at the first layer of the Nascent Soul realm. Even with the sixth-tier, mid-grade Demon Dragon's Reverse World Halberd (Magic Treasure), he stood no chance against Daoist Longgu (Person Name).
At that thought, the 9 Serenities Demon Dragon Emperor immediately disengaged, transforming into a streak of light that shot toward the horizon.
"There is no escape."
With a single command from Daoist Longgu, he raised his hand and summoned a blood-red Demon Gourd, sending it soaring through the air.
This treasure is called the Blood Cloud Pouch, crafted by Daoist Longgu through the brutal sacrifice of over 10 million demons. Its viciousness surpasses even the methods of the demonic path itself.