Chapter 775 Defeating a Formidable Foe

In that instant, the pupils of Daoist Xuri abruptly constricted as he realized who had arrived.

The Canglang Immortal Sword was the life-bound immortal sword of Daoist Canglang, the very reliance with which he roamed the world unchallenged.

Now, nearly 5 100 years had passed since Daoist Canglang achieved his Nascent Soul breakthrough, and the Canglang Immortal Sword in his grasp had long since ascended to the ranks of mid-grade Pure Yang Immortal Swords.

The might of this immortal sword, combined with the Canglang Immortal Sword's peerless killing intent that stood unrivaled in the world, made even Daoist Xuri dare not underestimate it.

The Elder of the Blazing Sun dared not be careless. He immediately summoned the Blazing Solar Flame Sword and swung it directly toward the Canglang Immortal Sword.

"Ding—"

Yet all they heard was a sharp clang—the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss was sent flying backward.

Though the Rising Sun Flowing Fire Sword was extraordinary, it ultimately proved no match for the Dao Lord Canglang's lethal sword intent, and was actually forced into a disadvantageous position.

Having suffered this unexpected setback, he saw the Surging Waves Immortal Sword relentlessly pursuing its strike. Daoist Xuri’s expression turned cold as he promptly summoned the Xuri Divine Furnace to meet the attack head-on.

Facing this strike, even before Daoist Canglang could make a move, the Sacred Lord Dorian (Person Name) standing nearby had already sprung into action.

"The Solar Crest Divine Crucible, I fear it may not suffice!"

With a cold sneer, Dorian flicked his sleeve, summoning a magnificent immortal furnace that soared into the sky, crashing directly toward the Solar Godforge.

This immortal cauldron was forged entirely from Great Empyrean Immortal Gold, its surface carved with divine patterns of mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and mythical beasts, exuding an unfathomable and profound mystery.

Legend has it that before achieving enlightenment, the Void-Refining Immortal once chanced upon a fragment of Primordial Immortal Gold from beyond the Violet Realm and began forging this supreme treasure.

To forge this immortal furnace, the Void-Refining Immortal spent tens of thousands of years gathering the essence of 9 celestial rivers and absorbing the souls of 7 spiritual veins. In the process, he slew 13 Primordial Spirit Demon Ancestors, seeking to refine their essence and souls into this treasure—all to craft a supreme immortal artifact beyond compare.

The mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and even the intricate patterns of mythical beasts upon this Refining Immortal Cauldron were born of this very essence.

Alas, the Violet Realm was later banished by the Violet Immortal Lord into the endless void. The cataclysm wrought by the exile of an entire world was enough to reshape heaven and earth, causing many supreme treasures in the Violet Realm that had only half-completed their ascension to fall short of success.

Thus, the advancement of the Refining Immortal Cauldron was halted, leaving it as a Quasi-Immortal Artifact that immortals found flavorless to keep yet too precious to discard.

Later, before the Void-Refining Immortal ascended, he left it to the Ji Clan as their supreme heirloom, the clan’s ultimate treasure.

However, no matter what, this object was, after all, a near-immortal artifact. Even if Dorian couldn't unleash its full power, it was more than enough to severely injure an ordinary Primordial Spirit mighty figure.

Boom—

A crisp sound rang out as 2 supreme treasure furnaces collided, tearing apart like twin suns.

An endless expanse of light and heat erupted, and an unstoppable shockwave tore a massive rift across the heavens.

Then the Rising Sun Divine Furnace was sent flying, its divine-material body now cracked with several fissures—clearly, it had suffered unprecedented damage.

"Pfft—"

His Natal Spirit Treasure was severely damaged, and Daoist Xuri immediately suffered a backlash, coughing up blood as he was sent flying.

As the Morning Sun Dao Lord was injured, Riverlord Chang (Person Name) remained unmoved, yet Eldrin (Person Name) and the other Chen Clan cultivators reacted with swift urgency.

In the blink of an eye, traces of pure yang spiritual treasures materialized, lunging straight for Dawn Path Sovereign’s throat.

Among the 2 innate spiritual treasures of the Morning Sun Dao Lord, the Divine Morning Sun Furnace was severely damaged, while the Morning Sun Flowing Fire Sword was instead suppressed by Caelum the Wavestrider (Person Name).

Faced with the encirclement of the crowd, relying solely on 2 Pure Yang divine arts and the Zhenxu Bottle to counter the enemies, he finally found himself struggling to hold his ground.

In the blink of an eye, the master of Feiyu Pavilion intercepted the Zhenxu Bottle, while Lyra summoned the Green Abyss Sword. Together with Qingji’s Azure Dragon Sea-Quelling Blade, they slashed through the air in a concerted strike.

Both had already reached the state of Heaven-Man Resonance, and in terms of soul power and combat perception, neither was inferior to the Pure Yang Dao Lord.

At this moment, Daoist Xuri was actually forced into such disarray that he couldn't fully suppress the backlash within his body.

"Slash!"

Kael stood his ground against the foe, the Heavenly Demon's Immortal-Slaying Sword weaving through the air with unstoppable force. A blade radiance of unparalleled sharpness aimed directly at his head, driving him relentlessly into a dead end.

At such a critical moment, Daoist Xuri nearly couldn't resist tearing through the void to flee for his life.

However, he was, after all, a Pure Yang Dao Lord of the Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm). If he were to flee from a few Nascent Soul cultivators, he would surely lose all face before his fellow practitioners in the future.

Swallowing his pride, he suppressed the urge to flee and forcefully activated several divine abilities to confront the formidable foe.

In that same fleeting moment, Eldrin seized the opportunity to strike. Instantly merging his being with his sword, he transformed into a blinding arc of brilliance—like the Milky Way crashing down from the heavens—descending upon Daoist Xuri with overwhelming momentum.

At this critical juncture, Daoist Lord Xuri dared not delay any longer. He immediately tore through the void and soared into the heavens.

But it was still half a step too late. With a sharp clang, the River of Heaven Ren Water Sword came slashing down, actually severing half of his wrist.

"Ah—"

The Dao Lord of the Rising Sun clutched his severed arm, his gaze fixed venomously on Eldrin before he finally tore through the void and vanished.

However, Saint Lord Dorian seized the opportunity and, harnessing the power of the Immortal Refining Furnace, managed to suppress the Bottle of Void Quelling, obtaining this exceedingly rare Pure Yang Spirit Treasure.

At the same time, seeing this, Daoist Xuan Yang instantly tore through the void and soared into the boundless depths of the cosmos.

"Do not pursue them."

Eldrin wished to pursue further, but Dorian shook his head and said, "Without a Pure Yang-grade spatial spiritual treasure to stabilize the void, even a Primordial Spirit, Late Stage powerhouse would find it difficult to eliminate them."

Eldrin nodded slightly, acknowledging the soundness in Dorian's words.

Unless dealt a fatal blow in a single strike, beings at the Nascent Soul level are nearly impossible to completely eradicate.

Within the Violet Realm, only a few Demigod Ancestors (Cultivation Realm) and beings like Lin Tianqi could accomplish such a feat.

The Demigod Ancestor (Cultivation Realm) goes without saying, while Lin Tianqi stood as the foremost sword cultivator in the Violet Realm. It was said his cultivation had already reached the Eighth Level of Nascent Soul over a century ago. In terms of pure offensive prowess, even a consummate Nascent Soul grandmaster at the pinnacle of power would likely prove no match for him.

At this thought, Eldrin took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward Riverlord Chang and the Canglang Sword Immortal. He promptly cupped his hands in salute and said, “My sincere gratitude for your assistance today, Seniors. This kindness, Eldrin shall forever bear in mind.”

"There is no need for formalities."

Riverlord Chang (Person Name) smiled faintly, his gaze carefully sweeping over Eldrin (Person Name) before he remarked with a light chuckle, "5 100 years have passed, yet your cultivation has grown ever more profound."

"It seems that after a 1000 years, our Eastern Wastelands shall gain several more fellow cultivators."

"You flatter me, Senior."

Eldrin said humbly, offering another solemn bow.

Seeing this, Riverlord Chang (Person Name) stroked his long beard and chuckled, then turned his gaze to Kael (Person Name) and said, "As I mentioned earlier, I intend to bring you back to the Ancestral River of the Eastern Wastelands, where the mighty torrential waters shall cleanse every trace of demonic taint from your being."

"These words are no empty threat. You will come with me."

Kael’s brow furrowed slightly. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded and cupped his hands in a salute toward Riverlord Chang before moving to stand behind him.

Seeing this, Riverlord Chang (Person Name) said no more. With a nod to the assembly, he vanished without a trace.

Chapter 1 The biting northern wind swept across the mountain ridge, carrying with it the scent of frost and decay. Lin Yan tightened his worn deerskin robe, his gaze fixed on the distant peak shrouded in swirling spiritual mist. 1 100 years had passed since he first set foot on this path of cultivation, yet he remained stranded at the third layer of Qi Refinement. "Brother Lin, still contemplating the heavens?" A mocking voice came from behind. Without turning, Lin Yan recognized the speaker—Eldrin, the most talented disciple of their generation, already at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement. Countless disciples whispered that Eldrin would surely break through to Foundation Establishment before reaching 30. "The heavens are vast, Brother Eldrin," Lin Yan replied calmly, his voice barely louder than the rustling leaves. "Some observe it from mountain peaks, others from valleys." Eldrin chuckled, the sound crisp in the thin mountain air. "Philosophy won't help you break through your bottleneck. The sect competition approaches in 3 months. At your current pace..." He left the sentence hanging like an unsheathed sword. After Eldrin departed in a swirl of embroidered robes, Lin Yan finally unclenched his fist. A faint, mysterious smile touched his lips. He reached into his sleeve, fingers brushing against the cool, jade-like surface of an object hidden within. For 20-some years, he had guarded this secret—a legacy from the ancient Immortal Emperor that allowed him to restart his cultivation every decade, accumulating foundations deeper than any could imagine. While others celebrated rapid advancement, he patiently built his path, layer upon layer. Tonight would mark his tenth restart. As twilight deepened, Lin Yan retreated to his simple cave abode. Waving his hand, he activated the basic isolation barrier, then carefully arranged 1,200 spirit stones in the Ancient Stellar Convergence Formation. The air hummed with gathering energy, causing dust motes to dance in the dim light. He sat in the lotus position, the mysterious artifact now glowing softly in his palm. "Begin," he whispered to the silence. Pain, familiar yet always shocking, ripped through his meridians as his cultivated power dissolved back to its primordial state. His third layer of Qi Refinement crumbled away, then the second, until only the barest spark of Qi remained within his dantian. Yet this time felt different. As his cultivation receded to its nadir, the artifact in his hand flared with blinding light. Ancient runes spiraled up his arm, searing themselves into his flesh and bone. A thunderous voice, aged beyond reckoning, echoed through his consciousness: "9 returns to 1, 10 completes the Dao. The Primordial Beginnings Scripture awakens." New knowledge flooded his mind—profound cultivation methods lost to the world for millennia. He watched, awestruck, as the spark of Qi in his dantian began to rotate, forming a miniature cosmos of swirling starlight. When Lin Yan opened his eyes again, dawn's first light filtered through the cave's entrance. He examined his internal state and drew a sharp breath. Though his cultivation appeared to remain at the first layer of Qi Refinement, the quality of his Qi had transformed completely. It now carried the primordial breath of creation itself, pure and potent beyond measure. A commotion outside his cave broke his reverie. Pushing aside the stone door, he found a dozen or so outer sect disciples gathered nearby, their attention fixed on the sky where a radiant figure stood atop a glowing longsword—the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss. "Eldest Senior Brother Zhao is back from the secret realm!" someone exclaimed. "They say he obtained a fragment of the Sunfire Dao Scripture!" Lin Yan watched the spectacle, no longer with envy, but with quiet anticipation. He gently rubbed the now-faded mark on his palm. The world of cultivation believed talent determined 1's destiny. They were about to learn how wrong they had been.