Chapter 849 : The Black Dragon's Defiance

It was utterly impossible for Rong the Daoist not to be enraged. This time, they had originally invited over thirty Nascent Soul Dao Lord [powerhouses at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage] from the three races—Demonic Monsters [a collective term for demons, monsters, and other malevolent beings]—who were remaining behind to garrison their lands, to come and provide support. However, because this Black Dragon Demon Progenitor [an ancient and immensely powerful black dragon] refused to join the battle, it caused many among the other two Demonic Monsters races to lose their nerve and back out. In the end, only seventeen came, a development that left everyone present seething with fury.

Thinking of this, Dorian Ji's eyes turned icy, his voice laced with a killing intent as he said, "At this moment, it seems there is no one left who can restrain that Black Dragon!"

Upon hearing his words, the expressions of everyone present grew even more somber...

Currently, the Human Race Demi-Immortal Ancient Ancestor [a near-immortal powerhouse of the human race] was trapped within the Eight Trigrams Immortal Formation [a powerful immortal-grade defensive array]. The Lord of the Separated Flame Hall had his physical body destroyed. Fellow Daoists Taiyuan and Taixuan had both fallen in this battle. And Lin Tianqi had suffered unprecedented, grievous wounds and vanished without a trace.

Among those who could still take action, the mightiest Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest stage of a cultivator's being] powerhouse was now only the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion [the leader of the Horizon Sea Pavilion]. They truly could no longer pose a significant threat to that Ancestor Black Dragon.

With this realization, a profound sense of helplessness settled over the assembly once more.

Eldrin Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the murderous intent in his heart, before speaking. "In our current struggle against the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [demonic invaders from beyond this realm], we cannot afford to make another powerful enemy, not for the foreseeable future."

"Although that Black Dragon Demon Progenitor wishes to stand idly by, having cultivated to such a realm, it is no fool. It is unlikely to add insult to injury or sit back and watch the Purple Realm [this world or continent] fall into the hands of the Demonic Monsters."

"Let us wait until we have regained some measure of our strength in the future before turning our attention to dealing with the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon."

Hearing this, all the Dao Lord [titles for powerful cultivators] present nodded in agreement. Official source: *audio-novel.com*. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Setting that aside for the moment, the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion spoke again: "The Fang Clan of the Rising Sun Ancient Domain claims that Rising Sun Dao Lord is in secluded meditation for a life-or-death breakthrough [a state of deep, closed-door cultivation where failure often means death] and cannot participate in this battle."

"How dare he?"

The expressions of everyone present shifted dramatically. Violet Firmament Daoist's face darkened with a profound chill as he said, "The Demonic Monsters are not of our kind; it's one thing if they refuse to fight. But that Rising Sun Dao Lord is, after all, a mighty figure of the Human Race. How can he also refuse to join this war!"

The faces of all the Dao Lord present turned icy cold. If they were to fight desperately on the front lines while others in the rear contributed nothing, yet still enjoyed the fruits of their life-and-death struggle, how could such a situation be tolerated?

With this thought, the expressions of the many Nascent Soul Dao Lord present grew frigid. Some even began to harbor thoughts of retreat, unwilling to throw their lives away for the benefit of others.

"Calm your wrath, esteemed ones."

Seeing the tempers of the assembly flare, the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion also wore a grim expression. "This Fang Immortal Clan's refusal to fight now is something this old man will not tolerate."

"After this battle concludes, I will personally apprehend that Rising Sun Dao Lord and give you all a proper accounting."

Hearing the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion's words, the killing intent among the group subsided, and their resolve to fight solidified somewhat.

Seeing this, the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion let out a slight sigh of relief. Remembering the state of the war, he then spoke: "Not long ago, I received the latest intelligence."

"After a brief period of consolidation, the Extraterrestrial Demonic Fiend [demonic beings from beyond this world] are preparing to mobilize their forces to conquer the Eastern Sea."

"For this campaign, the Extraterrestrial Demonic Fiend have mustered virtually all their combat-capable strength. We estimate over sixty Nascent Soul Dao Lord [powerful cultivators who have formed their Nascent Soul and comprehended a Great Dao] will descend upon us."

"Although we are slightly outnumbered, we will be fighting from within the defensive Formation [a complex array of energy channels and nodes used for defense, attack, or cultivation] of the Horizon Sea Pavilion. This should give us a fighting chance."

Upon hearing this, deep furrows appeared on the brows of everyone present.

They understood all too well the stakes. Should this battle be lost, the entire Eastern Sea Cultivation World and likely the Eastern Wastelands beyond would fall beyond their ability to defend.

Only by holding the Horizon Sea Pavilion and inflicting a grievous wound upon the Extraterrestrial Demonic Fiend could they buy the precious centuries needed to recover their strength and mount a counter-offensive.

Contemplating this, the Lord of the Southern Sea Glazed Palace spoke, his voice grave. "Defeating the Extraterrestrial Demonic Fiend in battle is one thing. But to truly slay the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [the most powerful commanders among the demonic invaders] and cripple their forces... that is a far more difficult task."

"To achieve such a decisive kill, we would require a Spatial Spiritual Treasure [a rare and powerful artifact capable of manipulating or sealing space itself]."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with a subtle light of understanding.

A Nascent Soul Dao Lord is notoriously difficult to kill. Such beings possess the power to tear through the fabric of space at will, fleeing into the boundless cosmos beyond. Pinning them down for a final blow is a feat of immense difficulty.

The reason why so many Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing a high stage of cultivation] cultivators perished earlier within the Star Archipelago was primarily due to the 'Grand Cosmos Vase' [a legendary spatial treasure] serving as the Formation Eye [the core anchor of a grand formation], enabling the Zhou Heavenly Stars Grand Formation [a grand stellar defensive array] to stabilize and suppress the void.

Sixth Rank Spatial Gem [a rare mineral essential for creating high-grade spatial treasures] are exceedingly rare. Previously, within the Purple Realm [a vast cultivation world], there were only three Spatial Spiritual Treasure [treasures capable of manipulating space]: the 'Violet Cosmos Void-Traversing Mirror' [a mirror that allows travel through the void], the 'Grand Cosmos Vase' [a legendary spatial treasure], and the supreme treasure of the Western Pole Tranquil Spirit Temple [a major Buddhist temple], the 'Eternal Sand Tranquil Spirit Realm' [a realm contained within grains of sand].

All three of these treasures are of the exalted Sixth Rank High Grade [the pinnacle grade for artifacts in this realm], each an unparalleled supreme treasure of the Purple Realm [a vast cultivation world]. Possessing any one of them grants the means to suppress and slay even a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a supreme expert who has formed their Nascent Soul and comprehended a Dao].

Now, with the Zhou Heavenly Stars Grand Formation [a grand stellar defensive array] shattered, the 'Grand Cosmos Vase' [a legendary spatial treasure] has vanished amidst the chaos of battle, its whereabouts unknown.

The 'Violet Cosmos Void-Traversing Mirror' [a mirror that allows travel through the void] was the very treasure through which the Violet Cosmos Dao Lord [a powerful Dao Lord] achieved his Dao in ages past. That Violet Cosmos Dao Lord [a powerful Dao Lord] was the eldest senior brother of Lyra Jiang's Father [the father of Lyra Jiang], the Demon-Slaying Dao Lord [a title for a supreme demon-slaying expert] Jiang the Demon-Slayer [a legendary demon-slaying expert].

His cultivation had reached the Ninth Layer Nascent Soul [the ninth and penultimate stage of the Nascent Soul realm]. Three Millennium [a period of one thousand years] ago, he set off to follow the trail of Jiang the Sovereign Emperor [a legendary sovereign emperor], and like the dozens of other Dao Lord [supreme experts who have comprehended a Dao] who pursued that same path, he never returned. Thus, the 'Violet Cosmos Void-Traversing Mirror' [a mirror that allows travel through the void] was lost. Find this and other novels at audi novel.com.

Now, the only remaining Pure Yang Spatial Spiritual Treasure [a spatial treasure imbued with pure Yang energy] is the supreme treasure known as the 'Western Pole Sands Realm' [a realm contained within western sands].

At this thought, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned towards a certain monk standing nearby.

This man possessed handsome features, was clad in violet-gold kasaya robes, and his brow held an air of resolute determination. He was none other than the 'Demon-Subduing Divine Monk' [a title for a supreme Buddhist expert who subdues demons] from the Western Pole Tranquil Spirit Temple [a major Buddhist temple].

The Demon-Subduing Divine Monk [a title for a supreme Buddhist expert who subdues demons] served as the Chief Seat of the Arhat Hall [the hall of Arhats, enlightened Buddhist disciples] within the Western Pole Tranquil Spirit Temple [a major Buddhist temple]. His cultivation had reached the seventh layer of the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm. It was said he had cultivated the supreme Buddhist Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique], the 'Arhat Golden Body' [an indestructible golden body of an Arhat], to the Great Perfection Realm [the state of flawless mastery].

During the previous great battle, this Demon-Subduing Divine Monk [a monk who has attained great power through subduing demons], relying on his 'Arhat Golden Body' [an indestructible body cultivated through supreme Buddhist enlightenment], fought alone against a host of foes. He single-handedly contended with two Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the late stage of the Primordial Spirit realm, representing immense spiritual power] Heaven-Demon [powerful demons from celestial realms] and emerged with scarcely any serious injuries, a testament to the formidable power of this Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural power or technique].

Noticing the gazes of the assembly, the Demon-Subduing Divine Monk clasped his hands together and said, "As you all wish, this humble monk has indeed summoned the supreme treasure of my Western Pole Tranquil Spirit Temple [a sacred Buddhist temple], the 'Eternal Sand Tranquil Spirit Realm' [a magical realm contained within flowing sands that pacifies the spirit]."

"Then, that shall suffice!"

The Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion [the leader of the Horizon Sea Pavilion, a major cultivation organization] nodded, then spoke, "All of you, return and make your preparations. We must ready ourselves for the final battle."

After the others had departed, the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion asked Eldrin Chen to remain.

He looked at Eldrin Chen, took a deep breath, and said, "Now that the Horizon Sea Pavilion [a major cultivation sect and gathering place] is filled with gathered heroes, will you seize this opportunity to attempt your breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit [the Nascent Soul realm, the spiritual core of a cultivator] here?"

"Breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit?"

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly, but after a moment, he still shook his head.

In all honesty, the proposal from the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion stirred his heart considerably. Yet, he understood clearly that this was not the optimal moment for such a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit.

This was because he had forged the Five Elements Primordial Foundation [a supreme foundational cultivation art based on the harmony of the five elemental forces], and the tribulation accompanying his advancement to the Primordial Spirit would undoubtedly be unprecedented in its severity.

A tribulation of this magnitude is already an event of rare antiquity. If I were to undergo my breakthrough within the confines of the Horizon Sea Pavilion, and with the assault of the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity from beyond this realm] imminent, it would inevitably escalate into a cataclysm of even more terrifying proportions.

At that moment, the calamity brought by the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, combined with myself own tribulation, would likely intertwine, causing the battle to spiral into even greater and more unpredictable chaos.

Moreover, he harbored a deep-seated intuition: should he successfully ascend to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing a profound advancement] realm, the Extraterrestrial Demon God [a supreme demonic deity from the outer void] would certainly not remain a passive observer. This content originates from audio-novel.com (official site). Please respect copyright.