Chapter 692 : A Sudden Curse Upon the Sea

"Very well."

The two of them immediately flew out beyond the Heavenly Demon Sea Region, continuing for over ten days until they finally left the Heavenly Demon Sea Region behind.

On this day, just as Eldrin Chen had departed the Heavenly Demon Sea Region, he suddenly noticed the jade pendant given to him by Dorian Ji erupting with a brilliant radiance that enveloped him.

In the next instant, he sensed a wave of intensely malevolent blood-flame, coalescing into a crimson serpent of gore, streaking directly towards the crown of his head.

"Disaster! It's a Demonic Path Curse Technique [a sinister magical attack that directly targets a victim's soul or life force]!"

Reacting by pure instinct, the Star Observation Tower [a mystical artifact for celestial divination and defense] within Eldrin Chen's body flared to life. Beams of resplendent light from the Celestial Mechanism Spiritual Treasure [a treasure embodying the profound principles of heavenly mechanics] instantly formed a protective barrier around his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator].

Simultaneously, his physical body was sheathed in a layer of dazzling starlight, as both the Celestial Mechanism Body Protection Great God Ability [a supreme defensive technique derived from celestial mechanics] and the Stellar Glazed Body [a body-refining art that renders the flesh as hard and radiant as glazed stars] were triggered in that very instant.

"BOOM—"

Guarded by layers of Celestial Mechanism [the fundamental laws governing the heavens and celestial bodies] Divine Ability [supernatural powers attained through cultivation] and the power of the Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact], the crimson serpent of blood was ultimately overwhelmed. It dissipated into a wisp of smoke, vanquished.

"Are you unharmed?" This chapter appears courtesy of audi0-n0vel.c0m.

Seeing Eldrin Chen's face turn pale, Exquisite Jiang asked with deep concern etched across her features.

"I am fine."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, yet a trace of lingering fear colored his expression. The peril he had just faced was truly immense.

That blood serpent had been utterly terrifying, possessing the power to devour one's soul essence. Even a great power at the Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator whose spiritual core is halfway to becoming a Primordial Spirit] would likely have lost their life to such a creature. Had he not been protected by his various Spiritual Treasure [enchanted artifacts of significant power] and Divine Ability [supernatural techniques mastered through cultivation], he doubted he would have emerged unscathed.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen could not help but say, "To unleash such a vicious curse without possessing my birth characters or essence blood... it is most likely the work of that Garuda the Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity of the Garuda lineage]."

"What?! Useless! How could it have failed?"

At that very moment, far within the depths of the Demonic Abyss [a chasm suffused with demonic energy], a figure clad in black armor spoke with a face contorted by fury.

This was none other than the infamous Garuda the Heavenly Demon. His cultivation had reached the Primordial Spirit Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Primordial Spirit realm], making him an exceedingly powerful figure even among other Primordial Spirit Heavenly Demon [demonic beings who have attained the Primordial Spirit realm].

Before Garuda the Heavenly Demon stood a Blood Robe Elder [an elder known for his crimson robes and blood-based arts]. The old man held a dead, scarlet blood serpent in his hand, his expression equally grim.

His face was cold, his gaze severe as he spoke, "My Blood Serpent Soul-Snatching Curse [a sinister curse that uses a spectral serpent to steal souls] requires the sacrifice of an exceedingly precious Sixth Rank Soul-Devouring Blood Serpent [a rare, sixth-tier spectral serpent capable of consuming souls] to perform."

"If one could obtain the Vital Essence Blood [the concentrated lifeblood of a cultivator, containing their unique spiritual signature] and the precise time of birth [the eight characters representing the year, month, day, and hour of birth, used in fate calculation and potent curses], even a Primordial Spirit Great Power [a cultivator who has ascended to the Primordial Spirit Realm, a master of profound power] could be severely wounded or even slain by such a curse. For this person, merely at the Infant Soul Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Infant Soul Realm], to have preserved his life, he most likely possesses an exceptionally rare and powerful protective treasure."

"Hmph." The Garuda the Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity of the Garuda lineage] wore a frosty expression, his features darkening as he spoke, "Do you have any other means to curse this man to death?"

"My power is spent." The Blood Robe Elder [an elder known for his crimson robes and mastery of blood arts] shook his head. After a long moment of contemplation, he said, "Without the time of birth and the vital essence blood, ordinary Demonic Path Curse Technique [malignant arts that inflict harm from a distance through esoteric connections] will likely prove insufficient to slay him."

"If you are truly determined to kill him, perhaps you should seek out the Nightmare Heavenly Demon [a demonic being that feeds on and manipulates dreams and subconscious fears]."

"Nightmare…"

The Garuda Heavenly Demon [the Garuda lineage demon] paled slightly, a flicker of clear apprehension crossing his features at the mention of the Nightmare Heavenly Demon.

After another lengthy silence, his expression hardened with resolve. "So be it. If it ensures that brat's demise, paying a certain price is acceptable."

"…"

Meanwhile, having successfully withstood the Blood Serpent Soul-Snatching Curse [a vicious curse that manifests as a spectral serpent to devour the victim's soul], Eldrin Chen allowed himself a moment of profound relief.

A faint smile touched his lips as he turned to Exquisite Jiang. "Our foe does not know our times of birth, nor does he possess our Vital Essence Blood. To unleash a curse of such magnitude, he must have paid a price severe enough to cripple even a Primordial Spirit Heavenly Demon [a Heavenly Demon who has reached the Primordial Spirit Realm]."

"Since they failed to slay me this time, I should be considered safe from now on."

Exquisite Jiang also let out a sigh of relief, yet still voiced her concern: "We must remain cautious. From now on, you must not part with the Star Observation Tower [a defensive tower artifact that observes celestial phenomena] easily."

"Understood."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod and continued towards the location of the Treasure Ship fleet.

Not long after, they rendezvoused with the Treasure Ship fleet and began the journey back towards the Eastern Region Great Wasteland.

Time flowed like a river, and several years passed in the blink of an eye. Eldrin Chen led the great army back to Ji Continent, finally allowing himself to release a deep, heartfelt sigh of relief. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel[dot]com.

Aboard the Treasure Ship, the members of the Chen Clan, Violet Consort Yan, Recluse of Verdant Verse, and the others all wore rare, genuine smiles.

The Verdant Lotus Isle was now a scene of controlled chaos. Thousands upon thousands of cultivators disembarked in succession, met by a throng of waiting comrades who frantically searched the crowd for their loved ones.

Upon that vast plaza, emotions ran raw. Some wept bitter tears, others were overcome with wild joy, and many more choked back silent sobs.

A separation of over two decades meant little to the high-ranking cultivators at the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation] realm and above. But for the low-level survivors who had cheated death, the world they returned to was irrevocably changed, a place where familiar faces were gone and the landscape of their lives had shifted beyond recognition.

During this period, some perished in battle, some passed away in meditation, and the clans of others had completely declined into obscurity.

Yet many also achieved illustrious military merits, receiving Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm] and successfully advancing to the Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation, where one builds a solid foundation for their path] realm. Some even broke through to Violet Sanctum [the third major stage, where one opens a mystical palace within their dantian] and Golden Core Realm [the fourth major stage, where one condenses a golden core of immense power], their radiance and prestige shining brightly for a time.

This was no empty boast. In this war, the Chen Clan alone distributed over twenty thousand Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm] as rewards for military achievements.

Aboard the Treasure Ship [a large, enchanted vessel used for transport and warfare by cultivators], Eldrin Chen gazed at the reunited assembly, a complex mix of emotions flickering across his countenance.

His eyes swept over the group, settling on Silas Chen, who had been waiting for some time. He inquired, "In recent years, have any significant events occurred in Ji Continent or the Vast Sea?"

Silas Chen's expression turned pensive. After a moment's hesitation, he lowered his voice and said, "The Xu Clan's Path-Field [a spiritual field used for cultivating rare herbs and resources]... has been annihilated."

"This..."

Eldrin Chen's face shifted slightly, a shadow of understanding passing over his features. He now grasped the grim reality unfolding within the Eastern Region Great Wasteland.

Within the Eastern Region Great Wasteland, it was a recurring pattern. Before each eruption of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a periodic, catastrophic surge of demonic energy from a great abyss], many Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use dark, often sacrificial methods to gain power] would go into hiding. They would bide their time, only to emerge during the cataclysm itself to launch large-scale blood sacrifices of the Human Race to fuel their own breakthroughs in cultivation.

While Infant Soul Immortal Clan [powerful clans with cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage or higher] received patrols and protection from the Eastern Barrens Immortal Alliance, lower-tier Immortal Clan [families with a tradition of cultivation] often found themselves with little safeguard against such predations.

In the mere two decades since their departure, the entire Ji Continent had seen the emergence of numerous Demonic Cultivators [practitioners of dark arts who cultivate through malevolent means]. From high-ranking Golden Core Immortal Clans [powerful cultivation families led by Golden Core realm experts] down to Qi Refinement [the foundational stage of cultivation where one refines their vital energy] Immortal Clans [families dedicated to the path of immortality], countless Immortal Clans had perished in the calamity.

Silas Chen spoke with a pained expression, taking a long moment before continuing, "In these past two decades, thirteen of the more than fifty Golden Core Immortal Clans on the Ji Continent have been destroyed. As for Immortal Clans below the Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one builds a stable spiritual foundation] realm, a staggering four or five out of every ten have been utterly wiped out."

"Those Demonic Cultivators specifically target lower-tier Immortal Clans. There are even Golden Core [the third major realm, where one condenses a golden spiritual core] demonic fiends who, casting aside all dignity, perform blood sacrifices on Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement Immortal Clans. One Golden Core fiend alone is said to have sacrificed over a hundred Foundation Establishment Violet Sanctum Immortal Clans [families whose strongest members have reached the Violet Sanctum realm, the fourth major cultivation stage]."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang grew even colder.

And this was after they had preemptively struck, completely eradicating the Demonic Cultivators Forbidden Lands [places of great danger and corruption, often lairs of evil beings] in the vicinity of the Ji Continent and the Vast Sea.

Had they not purged Forbidden Lands like the Demonic Fiendish Energy Ridge [a mountain ridge saturated with demonic energy] and the Demon Cave [a cavern infested with demons], the entire Ji Continent and likely the Vast Sea region would have been left with scarcely a soul alive.

Only now did Eldrin Chen truly understand why the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a great calamity where demonic forces surge from the abyss] was called a Great Calamity.

This cataclysm was a tribulation for all cultivators under heaven. Erupting once every thousand years, it essentially ensured that Qi Refinement Immortal Clans were almost completely annihilated.

This was also the reason why one almost never encountered a Qi Refinement or Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan with a thousand-year legacy in the world—they simply could not survive the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm.

Only Immortal Clans at the Violet Sanctum [the fourth major realm, where one opens a mystical palace within their dantian] realm or above possessed a sliver of hope to endure such a terrifying Tribulation [a heavenly trial or calamity that tests a cultivator], thereby preserving their clan's legacy for a millennium and seizing a fleeting chance to ascend to a higher-tier Immortal Clan.

Contemplating the immense terror lurking behind these events, Eldrin Chen inquired, "What is the current situation?"

Silas Chen shook his head and replied, "During this Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, five demonic cultivators [practitioners who use malevolent and often sacrificial methods to gain power] from Ji Continent have successively ascended to the Infant Soul Realm through bloody sacrificial rites."

"There are also four more from the Vast Sea region. They have now seized the former Demonblight Ridge and the Demon's Cavern areas. It appears they intend to use these demonic strongholds to establish their tyrannical rule." Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio-novel dot com.