Chapter 686 : Dragon's Fury and the Final Strike
This Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor was far too arrogant, actually attempting to pounce upon and crush Vast Righteousness True Lord with its physical might alone.
This provided Eldrin Chen with a rare opportunity. He poured all his remaining strength into unleashing the final strike of the Azure Abyss Sword, aiming directly for the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor's throat.
The Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor instantly felt a chill at its throat. Forced to twist its posture in a desperate evasion, it narrowly avoided the fatal blow, yet the sword still carved a massive, grievous wound into its flesh.
"ROAR—!"
The demonic dragon bellowed in agony, its roar saturated with a murderous intent as explosive as a volcano's eruption.
It soared into the Nine Heavens Above, its pupils blazing with boundless killing intent as it fixed its gaze upon Eldrin Chen. That single strike had nearly inflicted a crippling, potentially fatal wound.
A child wielding a blade posed little threat to a powerful adult, for the child could hardly land a hit. Yet the blade remained a blade. A single, well-placed strike to the throat could still deliver a mortal blow.
Enduring the agony of the Heavenly Flame [a divine fire of immense purity and destructive power] searing its wound, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor now fixed its gaze, brimming with infinite malice, upon Eldrin Chen. "You Human Race," it snarled, "you deserve death!"
"ROAR—!"
The humiliation of being wounded by an inferior foe, the shock and fury following a brush with death—all coalesced into an endless tide of killing intent and towering, infernal rage. Original English translation available at audio . novel . com.
The Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor [a supreme demonic dragon ruler of the deepest abyss] roared, shaking heaven and earth, and actually opened its maw to spit out a Dragon Pearl [the crystallized essence and power of a dragon] which shot towards Eldrin Chen.
The Inner Pill [the core of a cultivator's or demon beast's power] of a Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] demonic dragon had transformed into the legendary Dragon Pearl. It contained power as profound as an abyss, completely locking onto Eldrin Chen with the intent to utterly annihilate him upon the earth.
From the moment that sword strike failed to cleave through the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor's physical form, Eldrin Chen's heart sank completely into a bottomless abyss.
"Brother Eldrin…"
Facing this assault, Vast Righteousness True Lord, Sea-Calmer Path Master, and even the various Half-Step Primordial Spirit [cultivators at the threshold of the Primordial Spirit realm] experts from the Eastern Barrens Cultivation World all moved to lend their aid.
Yet the opponent's power was too overwhelming. A single sweep of its Great Halberd [a massive polearm weapon] repelled all foes, and the Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural technique] it unleashed blocked every avenue of assistance.
"Save him, quickly!"
Eternal Profound Chen roared, spitting out mouthful after mouthful of Vital Essence Blood [lifeblood infused with a cultivator's foundational essence, expended at great cost] to desperately activate the Myriad Immortals Demon-Subduing Grand Formation [a grand formation designed to suppress demonic forces], placing it as a shield before the oncoming Dragon Pearl.
But the power of the Dragon Pearl was unstoppable. It shattered the Myriad Immortals Demon-Subduing Grand Formation with ease, grievously wounding all those presiding over the formation in an instant. In that moment, a million cultivators perished from the backlash.
Exquisite Jiang, Violet Consort Yan, and Lila were positioned close by. They exerted their full strength in a desperate attempt to block the blow, but their Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical artifact bound to its owner's life and soul] were sent flying, riddled with cracks, before they could even make contact with the Dragon Pearl.
At the moment of life-and-death crisis, the Setting Sun God Aura Talisman [a powerful defensive talisman] upon Eldrin Chen's person activated.
In an instant, a fiery-red protective barrier, vast enough to blot out the sky, surged forth, interposing itself before the Dragon Pearl [a condensed sphere of immense draconic power].
This precious talisman, obtained from the Long River Holy Land, finally revealed its power, locking in a stalemate against the Dragon Pearl unleashed by the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor.
"Finally."
Eldrin Chen let out a sigh of relief, feeling the grip of imminent death loosen ever so slightly.
Yet, in that very same moment, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor roared with fury, "No one can protect those I wish to slay!"
"DIE!"
"BOOM—"
A deafening, primordial explosion echoed as dazzling rays of light erupted. The divine aura of the Setting Sun [a supreme defensive technique] was forcibly torn asunder, a crack appearing in its formidable shield.
The Dragon Pearl, having breached this Sixth Rank [a classification denoting immense power] protective talisman, continued its relentless assault, hurtling directly towards Eldrin Chen.
"Eldrin, retreat now!"
At that critical moment between life and death, a golden Treasure Ship [a large, enchanted vessel used for travel and warfare] sailed forth.
Lior Chen's face was etched with absolute resolve. With the hundreds of thousands of troops upon the Treasure Ship, he channeled all his power into the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship [a legendary vessel named for its immense defensive power and horned prow], positioning it as a shield before Eldrin Chen.
He was far too weak, merely a Mortal Path True Lord [a title for a cultivator who has reached the Infant Soul realm] who had just entered the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul forms] realm. He lacked even the qualification to directly aid Eldrin Chen. His only recourse was to use the formidable defensive power of the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship to block this blow for him.
"BOOM—"
Eldrin Chen watched, helpless, as the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship shattered. An inferno of unimaginable heat and explosive force hurled him backward through the air. Continue your cultivation journey at audio . novel . com.
In that final instant, he saw countless figures—one after another—their bodies and bones turning to ash within the conflagration.
"ARRGH—!"
Eldrin Chen roared, a tempest of fury, frustration, and profound helplessness coalescing within him, only to be swallowed once more by a heavy, wordless silence.
His gaze remained locked, unblinking, upon the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor [a supreme ruler among demonic dragons from the deepest nether realms], etching its visage irrevocably into the core of his memory.
"Still dreaming of revenge?"
The Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon coiled through the heavens and earth. A strange chill ran down the spine of Eldrin Chen at the sight, prompting a cold sneer from the dragon. "Today, you die. No one can save you!"
Killing intent from the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor filled the sky. Once more, he channeled his power and hurled the Dragon Pearl [a condensed orb of a dragon's essence and power] forward.
At this moment, the hearts of all onlookers sank completely. Their forces were nearly decimated. Who could possibly save him now?
"Alas..."
In that life-or-death instant, a sigh echoed down from the Heavenly Vault.
A treasure bracelet [an enchanted artifact], vast enough to blot out the sky, descended. It locked onto the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon's Dragon Pearl, holding it fast. Despite the dragon's frantic struggles, the pearl remained trapped.
Only then did the crowd notice the figure standing upon the Heavenly Vault. A majestic, black-robed silhouette had appeared upon the battlefield, unnoticed until now.
"Longgu Old Demon!"
The Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor's expression shifted dramatically as he recognized the newcomer's identity.
The Longgu Path Master, standing alongside the Kaya Heavenly Demon and the Blood God Patriarch, was one of the three Demonic Path Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] cultivators within the Eastern Sea Cultivation World.
This demon was once a Human Race Path Lord who shook the world with his might. Even in those early years, he was already a great power at the Primordial Spirit Mid Stage. Yet, for reasons unknown, a single thought turned him to the demonic path. In a single night, he became a rare and fearsome patriarch of the Demonic Path.
His sudden intervention now took the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [demons from realms beyond this world] completely by surprise.
The Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor [a supreme dragon emperor from the deepest hells] flashed a look of deep apprehension in its pupils and could not help but speak out, "You are one of us, a Demonic Cultivator. Why do you aid these Human Race whelps?"
"Demonic Cultivator... falling into demonhood..."
The Longgu Path Master shook his head with a faint, enigmatic smile. "Do you know," he began, "that I embraced the demonic path solely to obtain greater power? Power to protect the myriad lives of my Human Race!"
With those words, the truth behind his actions became clear to all present.
The Longgu Path Master let out a sigh. "This old man never wished to reveal himself so soon," he continued. "Yet, in the end, I could not stand idly by and watch one Primordial Spirit Seed [a cultivator with the potential to reach the Primordial Spirit realm] after another fall in battle."
"Enough. If I can slay you here today, this journey will not have been in vain."
As his words faded, the Longgu Path Master flicked his sleeve. From within, he summoned a bolt of dazzling heavenly thunder and hurled it directly at the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor.
As Longgu Path Master [a powerful demonic cultivator] launched his attack, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor [a mighty dragon ruler from the deepest abyss] could not help but change his expression drastically.
Even before his descent into demonic cultivation, Longgu Path Master had already reached the Primordial Spirit 4th Tier [the fourth level of the Primordial Spirit stage]. After embracing the demonic path, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and he had now attained the Primordial Spirit 6th Tier [the sixth level of the Primordial Spirit stage]. Furthermore, he now wielded several Demonic Treasure [powerful artifacts forged with demonic energy] of formidable power.
He himself was merely at the Primordial Spirit 1st Tier [the first level of the Primordial Spirit stage]. Even with the Demonic Dragon Defying World Halberd [a halberd of the sixth rank mid-grade, capable of defying the heavens], he stood no chance against Longgu Path Master.
With this thought, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor immediately disengaged, transforming into a streak of light that shot towards the distance.
"You cannot escape."
As Longgu Path Master uttered these words, he raised his hand and unleashed a blood-red, net-like magical treasure.
This treasure was named the Blood Cloud Net [a net forged from blood clouds]. It was a vile artifact Longgu Path Master had refined through the cruel sacrifice of millions of Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of the demonic path]. Its viciousness surpassed even the darkest arts of the Demonic Path [the cultivation path that embraces demonic energy]. Read the full novel exclusively on *audio-novel.com*.