Chapter 774 : Clash of Righteousness and Sun

The newcomer was none other than Vast Righteousness True Lord [a powerful cultivator known for his unwavering moral principles]. Without hesitation, he summoned forth the Vast Righteousness Heaven Sword [a divine blade embodying supreme righteousness] and unleashed a strike of unparalleled might directly at the Rising Sun Path Lord [a formidable master of the Path of the Ascendant Sun].

"Troublesome," he muttered.

The Rising Sun Path Lord, with the Rising Sun God Furnace [a legendary cauldron forged from the essence of the dawn] hovering above his head, deflected the relentless barrage of attacks from the assembled experts. Yet, a chilling glint appeared in his eyes.

His gaze locked fiercely onto Eldrin Chen. He conjured a blazing, ascending solar disc and hurled it with devastating force towards him.

"Solar Cataclysm Path!"

The faces of everyone present paled dramatically. Engaged in fending off the Rising Sun Path Lord's successive assaults, they found themselves unable to spare a hand to aid Eldrin Chen.

This Solar Cataclysm Path [a supreme technique that unleashes the annihilating power of a dying star] was the Rising Sun Path Lord's Innate Divine Ability [a supreme technique born from one's deepest spiritual nature]. Unleashed with his level of cultivation, even a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a master who has condensed their spiritual essence into a Primordial Spirit] would hesitate to face it head-on, let alone Eldrin Chen.

Fortunately, the quality of Eldrin Chen's spiritual energy [the refined power cultivated by adepts] now rivaled that of a True Lord [an exalted rank among cultivators]. The Rising Sun Path Lord's power alone could no longer completely lock him down.

At the critical moment, Eldrin Chen activated the Polarity Void Mirror [a mystical artifact capable of manipulating the fabric of space]. In an instant, he vanished into the void, reappearing tens of thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] away, narrowly evading that lethal strike.

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Though this strike did not find its mark, it transformed tens of thousands of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of mountains and rivers into scorched earth, leaving behind a smoldering wasteland of molten rock as if the sun itself had crashed down upon the land.

The moment he sensed Eldrin Chen's Polarity Void Mirror, the Rising Sun Path Lord's brow furrowed slightly. Without hesitation, he unleashed a Primordial Solar Divine Ability [a supreme technique harnessing the power of the primordial sun] to counter the formidable foe, then drew his Rising Sun Flowing Fire Sword and slashed towards him.

Simultaneously, in that fleeting instant, he activated a superior-grade Spatial Spiritual Treasure [a magical artifact capable of manipulating space], immediately sealing the surrounding void.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen possessed the Heaven Trigram Golden Wing Slash. This treasure was forged from the wings of a Golden-Winged Great Roc [a mythical bird of immense power and speed] and the Heaven Trigram Cloud [a formation based on the eight trigrams of the heavens], making it one of the most exceptional life-preserving artifacts.

In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a streak of Dao Gold [a radiant, metallic spiritual essence symbolizing the pinnacle of the Dao] light and shot forth, managing—just barely—to evade the attack of the Rising Sun Flowing Fire Sword, though the maneuver was fraught with peril.

"You truly have some skill,"

"A pity. Had you focused solely on fleeing, you might indeed have had a chance to escape with your life."

The Rising Sun Path Lord's gaze turned icy as he spoke in a calm, measured tone.

For a cultivator like Eldrin Chen, who possessed both a Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [a treasure imbued with the essence of the primordial sun] and a Void Spiritual Treasure [a treasure attuned to the power of the void], it would indeed be exceedingly difficult to slay them if they were unencumbered and determined to flee.

Fortunately, a great battle was currently raging. Eldrin Chen would never abandon his comrades to save himself. This, the Path Lord was certain, gave him the perfect opportunity to capture his quarry.

In that instant, Rising Sun Path Lord struck, unleashing a brilliant stream of light that descended upon Eldrin Chen.

Immediately, Eldrin Chen felt as if a great mountain were crushing him. The flow of spiritual energy [the vital power cultivated by immortals] within his body became agonizingly sluggish, and the speed of his Heaven Trigram Golden Wing Slash slowed dramatically.

"Disaster!"

And in that same moment, the Rising Sun Flowing Fire Sword came cleaving down.

Seeing the peril, Eldrin Chen frantically activated his defensive treasures—the Heavenly River Positive Water Sword, the Bulwark Earth Sovereign Bell, the Primordial Verdant Lotus Throne, and others—while simultaneously channeling the Two Polarities Divine Aegis to block the incoming strike.

Yet, his cultivation base [the foundational power level of a cultivator] was ultimately far inferior to a Primordial Spirit Mid Stage expert's. Despite his myriad protective measures, he was likely to suffer a grievous blow.

But at this moment, none of his companions could spare a hand to aid him. Though the Rising Sun Path Lord was only at the Primordial Spirit 4th Tier, it would require at least two or three Primordial Spirit Early Stage cultivators working in concert to barely hold him at bay.

Though their techniques were Extraordinary, under the relentless assault of the Rising Sun Path Lord's Spiritual Treasure and Divine Ability [powerful supernatural techniques], they too found it impossible to disengage.

It was clear: even if he managed to block this sword strike, he would pay a heavy price.

"Alas—"

At that very moment, a life-and-death juncture, a sigh echoed from the void.

From the boundless emptiness, an ethereal ancient painting soared into the sky, its overwhelming might grinding everything to nothingness.

It not only blocked the Rising Sun Flowing Fire Sword but also extinguished the various Divine Ability [supernatural powers derived from profound cultivation arts] unleashed by Rising Sun Path Lord.

"The Long River Setting Sun Painting!"

Rising Sun Path Lord's expression shifted, his gaze turning intensely grave as he peered into the depths of the void.

The Long River Setting Sun Painting was the very treasure through which Long River Path Lord had achieved his Path [a cultivator's unique and profound understanding of the laws of existence]. Since this treasure had arrived, it was clear Long River Path Lord himself was present. This realization made his expression turn profoundly solemn as he stared into the distant void. Read, share, and discuss at audio-novel . com.

"Brother Long River, must you truly intervene?"

"Elder Brother Rising Sun, for one of your stature to bully a few juniors at the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed] realm... is that not going too far?"

Long River Path Lord had appeared within the boundless void at some unknown moment. Seated cross-legged upon the Heavenly Vault [the celestial dome, a conceptual representation of the highest heavens], he regarded Rising Sun Path Lord with a calm, level gaze as he spoke.

Rising Sun Path Lord did not reply, his gaze only growing more and more severe.

Since attaining his Path Lord [a title for a supreme expert who has mastered a profound cultivation path] status, Long River Path Lord has walked the earth for approximately eight thousand years. By the reckoning of time, Rising Sun Path Lord achieved this same pinnacle three centuries before him.

They could be considered figures of the same era, yet the chasm that now separates them has grown vast, almost imperceptibly so.

Now, Rising Sun Path Lord has only recently broken through to the Primordial Spirit 4th Tier [the fourth level of the Primordial Spirit realm, where one's spiritual core gains immense power], with merely a few millennia of lifespan remaining. His chances of a Future breakthrough into the Primordial Spirit Late Stage [the final, most profound phase of the Primordial Spirit realm] are far from certain.

In stark contrast, Long River Path Lord's cultivation has already reached the zenith of the Primordial Spirit 6th Tier [the sixth and penultimate level of the Primordial Spirit realm] for over a thousand years. Moreover, his Future prospects of advancing to the Primordial Spirit Late Stage are exceedingly high. With the Superior Spiritual Treasure [a top-tier enchanted artifact of immense power] known as the Long River Setting Sun Painting in his possession, the disparity between the two is profound.

This caused Rising Sun Path Lord's gaze to grow increasingly grave. His eyes turned cold as he spoke, "These individuals have a vendetta with this venerable one. Elder Brother Long River, are you truly determined to act against me on their behalf?"

In response to Rising Sun Path Lord's grim expression, Long River Path Lord remained utterly composed. His eyes were pools of tranquility as he stated calmly, "These individuals are promising seeds of talent from our Eastern Barrens [a vast, untamed region in the east], destined to shoulder the great responsibility of resisting the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [powerful demonic beings from realms beyond this world]."

"If you were to slay them, I fear even our fellow cultivators in the Central Ancestral Domain [the central, most prosperous and powerful region of the cultivation world] would be unwilling to condone it."

Upon hearing this, Rising Sun Path Lord erupted in fury. "Then what of my Fang Clan's Primordial Spirit Seed [a prodigy with the potential to reach the Primordial Spirit realm]? Has he fallen for nothing?"

"You speak of Mystery Heir Fang?" Long River Path Lord interjected, his gaze suddenly turning icy. "Your Fang Clan branch has committed countless evils. Over the past five hundred years, they have eradicated six meritorious Infant Soul Immortal Clan [a clan whose patriarch has reached the Infant Soul cultivation realm]."

"The assets they have seized through coercion and plunder are beyond counting. In recent years, multiple True Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who has reached the True Lord realm] have come to the Long River Holy Land [a sacred land of cultivation] to lodge complaints. Were it not for my regard for you, Elder Brother Rising Sun, I would have long ago executed that scoundrel myself!"

Upon hearing this, Rising Sun Path Lord's expression shifted subtly, finally understanding where Mystery Heir Fang had obtained the funds to purchase the Primordial Spirit Pill [a supreme elixir for nurturing the Primordial Spirit].

In that moment, he realized he could not delve any deeper into the affairs of Mystery Heir Fang. He could only turn his gaze towards Kael Chen and declare, "This scion of the Chen Clan has forged the Heavenly Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword [a blade of immense demonic power], marking him as a truly irredeemable sinner."

"To prevent this youth from descending fully into demonhood, this old man shall execute him today, ridding the Human Race of a future calamity."

"Unnecessary." Long River Path Lord refused outright, his tone deceptively mild yet carrying undeniable weight. "He is a son of the Eastern Barrens. His fate shall be decided by this old man."

"After this matter is concluded, I shall personally escort him back to the Path-Field [the ancestral cultivation grounds] and seal him within the depths of the Eastern Barrens Ancestral River. There, the Long River Waters [the purifying spiritual waters of the ancestral river] shall cleanse the demonic taint from his very soul."

"You—"

Rising Sun Path Lord's eyes narrowed, yet he found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

Witnessing this, Long River Path Lord's eyes flickered with a hidden light as he spoke with deliberate calm, "Brother Rising Sun, you linger still. Do you have another pretext to offer?"

"Since you have come all this way, why be in such haste to depart?"

Yet at that very moment, another voice echoed forth from the depths of the void.

At the far reaches of the boundless void, two figures tore through the fabric of space and arrived. The one at the forefront, without a word of greeting, unleashed a sword strike directly at Rising Sun Path Lord.

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