Chapter 884 : Victory's Spoils and the Coming Storm

With a victory of such magnitude, Eldrin Chen felt an immense surge of joy within his heart.

He surveyed the assembled figures and, after a moment of contemplation, declared, "Since the moment is so auspicious, we should press our advantage and pursue the fleeing foe."

"I must trouble all Fellow Daoist to return and muster your forces, preparing for a counter-offensive against the Outer Realm Demon Race."

"Agreed." Haoyuan the Dao Lord gave a nod, then inquired, "But when should we strike?"

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly in thought. After a brief pause, he stated, "Gathering our forces will require time. Let us act in ten years."

"Very well. It is settled then."

The various Dao Lord nodded in agreement, then each departed to organize their forces for the impending assault to reclaim the Eastern Sea Cultivation World.

As for Eldrin Chen, he did not linger. He immediately returned to the Myriad Ruins Continent, arriving within the territories of the The Vast Sea. There, he sought out Qing the Ancient Ancestor.

Upon seeing his arrival, Qing the Ancient Ancestor could not help but smile and ask, "How were the spoils of your journey?"

"It proceeded smoothly enough." The complete novel can be found at audio . novel . com.

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile and handed the two treasures in his grasp to Qing the Ancient Ancestor.

In this battle, the group had slain several Nascent Soul Dao Lord [powerful cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage who have comprehended a profound Dao path], and the spoils of war were not insignificant. Although most items originated from Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who draw power from demonic or unorthodox sources], among them were a few exceptionally valuable Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [powerful artifacts forged from pure Yang energy, the highest grade below Immortal Treasures].

The Chen Clan had contributed the most to this effort and claimed six or seven Demonic Treasure [artifacts forged with demonic energy or techniques] crafted from Sixth Rank Treasure Metal. If the Treasure Metal [rare spiritual metals used in forging high-grade artifacts] could be extracted and refined, it might be possible to forge two or three more Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure.

Yet, this alone was not the greatest prize. The two most precious Demonic Treasure possessed by the Garuda Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity resembling the mythical Garuda bird]—the Black Dragon Shears and the Demonic Flame Furnace—had both fallen into the hands of Eldrin Chen. This was the true, monumental harvest of the conflict.

The items Eldrin Chen now offered to Qing the Ancient Ancestor were precisely those: the Black Dragon Shears and the Demonic Flame Furnace.

Gazing at the two treasures in his hand, Eldrin Chen said with a smile, "The might of these artifacts is extraordinary. With their aid, Ancient Ancestor, you will surely overcome your impending Millennium Tribulation [a catastrophic heavenly trial that befalls powerful cultivators roughly every thousand years]."

"Excellent, excellent, excellent."

Taking the Treasure Furnace, Qing the Ancient Ancestor could not contain his joy and praised it repeatedly.

He caressed the Treasure Furnace with unfeigned delight and said happily, "My Millennium Tribulation will descend within thirty years. You have rendered me an immense service."

"Ancient Ancestor once aided me in weathering my Nascent Soul External Tribulation [the external, physical calamity faced during the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm]. There is no need for such formality among family."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile before speaking once more. "In a few days' time, I intend to make a move against the Demon Race in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World. When that time comes, I will need to ask the Ancient Ancestor to guard the clan in my stead."

Qing the Ancient Ancestor gave a nod and replied, "With this old man here, none beneath the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the advanced stage of the spiritual core cultivation] should be cause for fear. However, we must still be wary of those few specific individuals."

"That is precisely my thought," Eldrin Chen agreed.

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly, understanding that Qing the Ancient Ancestor was referring to figures like the Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor and the Black Lotus Demon Embryo.

If they were to act against the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, the Blood Demon Ancient Ancestor and his ilk would certainly not stand idly by. Furthermore, even the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor [a progenitor-level demonic beast], for the sake of maintaining the balance between the human and demon races, might not allow the Human Race to succeed.

Yet, reclaiming the Eastern Sea Cultivation World could not be delayed any longer. The longer they waited, the smaller the mortal population there would become, and the deeper the Demon Race's roots would grow.

Contemplating this, he drew a deep breath and declared, "The Eastern Sea Cultivation World must be reclaimed. Yet, we cannot simply ignore the Blood Demon and the Black Lotus [a powerful and malevolent entity] and their followers."

"I will speak with the Demon-Subduing Divine Monk and the Master of the Glazed Palace. For the greater stability of the Purple Realm, I believe they will spare no cost to firmly restrain those two."

"As for that Black Dragon..."

At this point, Eldrin Chen's expression grew solemn. He inhaled deeply and stated, "To restrain *him*, we will likely need to request the intervention of the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Verdant Daoist [a title for a cultivator who follows the path of nature and growth] could not help but furrow his brow with a trace of solemnity, yet he understood the logic in Eldrin Chen's words.

During the previous Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a great calamity involving the eruption of demonic forces from an abyssal realm], the Immortal-Refining Furnace [a legendary artifact capable of refining and purifying essence to an immortal level] had suffered severe depletion of its vital essence. It required at least Ten Sixty-Year Cycles [a period of six hundred years] of recuperation to fully revive. Furthermore, given Dorian Ji's current cultivation level, he was unable to unleash the artifact's full might.

Not long ago, when they launched a surprise assault and slew the Garuda Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity resembling the mythical Garuda bird], the Black Dragon [a formidable ancient dragon of dark alignment] was caught off guard. It was only through Dorian Ji's activation of the Immortal-Refining Furnace, combined with the intervention of the Frost Glaze Demon Progenitor [an ancient progenitor of ice-aligned demons], that its advance was blocked.

That Black Dragon Demon Progenitor [the primordial ancestor of the Black Dragon lineage], feeling unprepared and uncertain of a successful rescue, had thus held its forces back and refrained from intervening.

The coming battle, however, was different. The Human Race aimed to drive the Demon Race [the collective race of demons] back to the Cosmic Star Archipelago [a constellation of islands floating amidst the stars]. This plan no longer aligned with the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor's desire to sit back and reap the spoils of others' conflict. It was unlikely the progenitor would be willing to act.

Yet, should the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor indeed take action, the only one within the Human Race capable of standing against it would be the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion [a title for a supreme master who commands the distant seas and horizons]. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio-novel.com (official site).

At this thought, Eldrin Chen drew a deep breath, a thread of unease coiling in his heart. "Although the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion's power approaches the realm of Creation [the primordial act of bringing things into being], he has only just managed to suppress the Blood Curse [a malignant curse that feeds on and corrupts lifeblood] festering within him," he voiced his concern.

"Should he be forced to fight at full strength against a Primordial Spirit [the highest spiritual core of a cultivator] at the Ninth Layer Nascent Soul [the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul stage, just below Primordial Spirit], I fear even if he can hold the line, it would grievously worsen his internal injuries."

"Yet, it remains our only recourse."

Verdant Abyss Daoist [a title combining themes of verdant life and profound abyss] let out a sigh, then offered a bitter smile. "Our only hope now is to pray that the Black Dragon will consider the greater situation of the Purple Realm [a major realm within the cultivation world, often associated with nobility and profound mysteries]."

"Or perhaps they also feared mutual destruction and were unwilling to engage Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion in battle."

"It seems that is the only way."

Eldrin Chen sighed inwardly and immediately departed from The Vast Sea, heading towards the Eastern Sea Cultivation World.

After traversing the Boundless Void, Eldrin Chen soon arrived within the Eastern Sea Cultivation World and found the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion, who was in secluded meditation to heal his wounds.

Upon seeing him, the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion could not help but ask, "How did the battle fare?"

"It proceeded smoothly enough."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile and recounted the outcome of the conflict to the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion.

After listening, the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion's eyes brightened with profound joy. "Excellent, excellent," he declared with fervor. "Following this victory, our Human Race shall surely rise to prominence."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

No sooner had the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion spoken than he was seized by a violent fit of coughing, expelling a mouthful of dark, tainted blood.

"Senior."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly. He could not help but steady Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion [the master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion, a powerful cultivator], his face etched with urgent concern as he asked, "Your injuries..."

"It is nothing serious."

Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion shook his head, then smiled and said, "During that battle, several Heaven-Demon [powerful demons from beyond this realm] saw the situation turning against them and tried to intervene. I intercepted them and fought for a time, which slightly agitated the old wounds within me."

"They are merely old injuries. You need not worry."

"Senior..."

A tremor passed through Eldrin Chen's heart, and a flicker of anguish appeared in his eyes.

Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion spoke lightly, but Eldrin understood the true gravity of the situation.

However lacking those Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [demons originating from beyond the mortal world] might have been, among them were still two supreme powerhouses at the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the late stage of the Primordial Spirit realm, a high level of cultivation]. The fact that his senior had managed to hold them firmly at bay proved that the confrontation could not have been an easy one.

Thinking of this, his heart filled with reluctance. He was unwilling to let Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion go and face the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor [a progenitor-level demon in the form of a mighty black dragon] once more.

"I understand your thoughts."

Having lived for nearly twenty thousand years, Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion possessed an experience that was naturally vast and profound.

With a single glance, he grasped the intent behind Eldrin Chen's words. Shaking his head, he said, "In the eighteen thousand years since I embarked upon the Dao [the path of cultivation], many have been able to wound me, but those capable of ending my life can be counted on one hand."

"A mere Black Dragon is no match for this old man. You need not worry overmuch."

A pang of sorrow twisted in Eldrin Chen's heart. He knew the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion was offering comfort, yet his expression remained heavy with grief. "Senior," he said, his voice thick, "Perhaps we could wait a few more years." Read, share, and discuss at audio-novel.com (official site).