Chapter 849 : The Black Dragon's Defiance

It was truly impossible for Path Master Rong not to be enraged. This time, they had originally invited over thirty Primordial Spirit Path Lord [cultivators who have reached the Primordial Spirit realm and comprehended a Path] from the Human, Demon, and Monster races who remained behind to come and reinforce them.

Yet, because this Black Dragon Demon Ancestor [an ancient and powerful demonic beast in the form of a black dragon] refused to join the battle, many from the Demon and Monster races backed out, resulting in only seventeen individuals arriving. This had provoked immense fury among the assembly.

Thinking of this, Dorian Ji's eyes turned slightly cold, carrying a hint of killing intent as he said, "Now, it seems there is no one left who can restrain that Black Dragon!"

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

Currently, the Human Race's Demigod Patriarch [a patriarch who has reached the half-step to divinity] was trapped within the Eight Trigrams Immortal Formation [a powerful defensive formation based on the eight trigrams]. The Master of Solar Fire Hall's physical body had been destroyed. Fellow Daoists Great Abyss and Great Mystery had fallen in this very battle. Heaven Abandoned Lin had suffered unprecedented, grievous wounds and his whereabouts were unknown.

The only Primordial Spirit Supreme Power [a supreme expert at the Primordial Spirit realm] still capable of taking action was merely the Master of the Horizon Pavilion alone. It was indeed already difficult to pose a threat to that Black Dragon Patriarch.

With this realization, a sense of helpless frustration settled over the group once more.

Eldrin Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the murderous thoughts in his heart, before speaking. "For now, as we face the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [demonic beings from realms beyond this world], we cannot afford to make another powerful enemy in the short term."

"Although that Black Dragon Demon Ancestor 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 Seal Realm fall into the hands of demons and monsters."

The assembled Path Lord [a title for cultivators who have comprehended and begun to walk their own unique Dao Path] all nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

Setting that matter aside for the moment, the Master of Horizon Pavilion spoke again, "The Fang Clan from the Rising Sun Ancient Domain claims that the Rising Sun Path Lord is currently in a life-or-death seclusion and thus cannot participate in this battle."

"How dare he?"

The faces of the assembly darkened drastically. The Violet Firmament Path Master spoke with a face of profound gloom, "The demonic and monstrous races are not of our kin; it's one thing if they refuse to fight. But that Rising Sun Path Lord is, at the very least, a great power of the Human Race. How can he also refuse to join this war?"

The expressions of the seated Path Lord turned icy. If they were to fight desperately on the front lines while others in the rear contributed nothing, yet still enjoyed the fruits of their bloody defense, how could such a situation be tolerated?

With this thought, the many Primordial Spirit Path Lord [Path Lords who have cultivated their Primordial Spirit, the spiritual core of a cultivator] present wore faces of frost. 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 group's tempers flare, the Master of Horizon Pavilion also wore a grim expression. "I will not tolerate the Fang Immortal Clan's refusal to fight at this critical juncture."

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

Hearing the Master of Horizon Pavilion's pledge, the assembly's killing intent subsided, and their resolve for the coming conflict solidified.

Seeing this, the Master of the Horizon Pavilion let out a slight sigh of relief. Recalling the details of the impending battle, he spoke, "Not long ago, I received the latest intelligence."

"After a brief period of rest and reorganization, the Extraterrestrial Evil Demons [demonic invaders from beyond this world] are preparing to launch their campaign against the Eastern Sea."

"For this assault, the Extraterrestrial Evil Demons have mustered virtually all their combat-ready forces. We estimate more than sixty Primordial Spirit Path Lord [cultivators who have mastered their Primordial Spirit and advanced to a high realm] will descend upon us."

"Although we are slightly outnumbered, we will be fighting from within the defenses of the Horizon Pavilion. Relying on its Formation [a powerful array of defensive and offensive energy patterns], we should still have a fighting chance."

Upon hearing this, everyone present furrowed their brows deeply.

They understood all too well that if this battle were lost, the entire Eastern Sea Cultivation World and likely the Eastern Region Great Wasteland would fall beyond their ability to hold.

Only by holding the Horizon Pavilion and inflicting a severe blow upon the Extraterrestrial Evil Demons could they buy precious time—centuries to recuperate and rebuild their strength for a counteroffensive.

Contemplating this, the Master of Southern Sea Glazed Palace spoke, "Victory in this battle is possible, but to truly cripple the Extraterrestrial Evil Demons by slaying the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [a supreme commander among the demonic invaders]... that will be far more difficult."

"To achieve such a kill, we would require a Spatial Spiritual Treasure [a legendary artifact capable of manipulating space itself to trap or sever an enemy's escape]."

Eldrin Chen listened, a subtle gleam flickering in his eyes.

It is exceedingly difficult to slay a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a master cultivator whose spiritual essence has transcended mortality and forged their own unique Dao], for such beings can tear open the void at will and flee into the endless Cosmos [the boundless expanse of reality beyond the mortal realms], making them incredibly hard to track down and eliminate.

The reason so many Primordial Spirit [cultivators who have formed their core spiritual essence] beings perished earlier within the Stellar Archipelago was primarily due to the 'Great Cosmos Vase' [a legendary vessel capable of containing and manipulating cosmic forces] serving as the Formation Eye [the central anchor and power source of a mystical array]. This allowed the Cosmic Stellar Formation [an array that harnesses the power of stars to seal space] to suppress the void itself.

Sixth Rank [a tier denoting immense power and rarity] Spatial Gemstone [a rare mineral attuned to the fabric of space] are incredibly rare. Previously, within the Purple Seal Realm, there were only three Spatial Spiritual Treasure [artifacts of immense power capable of manipulating space]: the 'Violet Cosmos Void Escape Mirror' [a mirror that allows instantaneous travel through the cosmos], the 'Great Cosmos Vase', and the supreme treasure of the Western Pole Serene Spirit Temple, the 'Ganges Sand Tranquil Spirit Realm' [a realm contained within grains of sacred sand].

These three treasures are all of the Sixth Rank Superior Grade [the pinnacle of the sixth rank], making them peerless supreme treasures of the Purple Seal Realm. Possessing any one of them grants the means to suppress and slay a Primordial Spirit Path Lord.

Now, with the Cosmic Stellar Formation shattered, the 'Great Cosmos Vase' has vanished amidst the chaos of battle, its whereabouts unknown.

The 'Violet Cosmos Void Escape Mirror' was the Path Establishment Treasure [the artifact with which a cultivator forges their unique Dao and ascends to the Path Lord realm] of the former Violet Cosmos Path Lord. That Violet Cosmos Path Lord was the father of Exquisite Jiang and the senior apprentice-brother of the Demon-Slayer Path Lord, Demon-Slayer Jiang. This chapter appears courtesy of audio-novel-dot-com.

His cultivation had reached the Primordial Spirit 9th Tier [the ninth and highest stage of the Primordial Spirit realm]. Three thousand years ago, he followed in the footsteps of Imperial Sovereign Jiang and departed. Like the dozens of other Path Lord [masters of their own unique Dao] who followed Imperial Sovereign Jiang, he never returned. Thus, the 'Violet Cosmos Void Escape Mirror' was lost.

Now, the only remaining Primordial Solar [a realm of pure yang energy] Spatial Spiritual Treasure is the supreme treasure known as the 'Western Pole Sands Realm'.

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

This man possessed handsome features and wore a Purple Gold Kasaya [a monk's robe woven with threads of purple and gold, imbued with protective enchantments]. His brow and eyes held a resolute firmness. He was none other than the 'Demon-Subduing Divine Monk' from the Western Pole Serene Spirit Temple.

This Demon-Subduing Divine Monk is the Chief Seat of the Arhat Hall within the Western Pole Serene Spirit Temple, his cultivation having reached the Primordial Spirit 7th Tier realm. It is said he has cultivated the supreme Buddhist Sect Divine Ability known as the 'Arhat Golden Body' to the Great Perfection Realm. [the highest level of mastery for a technique]

In the previous great battle, this Demon-Subduing Divine Monk, relying on his 'Arhat Golden Body', single-handedly fought a host of enemies. He alone contended against two Primordial Spirit Late Stage Heavenly Demons [powerful demonic beings] and emerged with scarcely any serious injuries, a testament to the formidable power of this Divine Ability.

Noticing the gazes of the assembly, the Demon-Subduing Divine Monk pressed his palms together and said, "As you benefactors wish, this humble monk has indeed requested the use of our Western Pole Serene Spirit Temple's supreme treasure, the 'Ganges Sand Tranquil Spirit Realm'."

"In that case, it shall suffice!"

The Master of the Horizon Pavilion gave a nod, then spoke, "All of you, return and make your preparations. Ready yourselves for the final battle."

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

He looked at Eldrin Chen and could not help but take a deep breath. "Now that the Horizon Pavilion gathers heroes from all corners," he said, "would you not seize this opportunity to attempt your breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm here?" [the spiritual core of a cultivator]

"Breakthrough to Primordial Spirit?"

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

In all honesty, the Master of the Horizon Pavilion's proposal stirred his heart considerably. Yet, he understood clearly that this was not the optimal moment to attempt a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm.

Because he had forged the Five Elements Primordial One Foundation [a legendary, supremely balanced spiritual foundation], the Tribulation [a heavenly trial of thunder and calamity] he would face upon breaking through to the Primordial Spirit [the realm of the spiritual core] would undoubtedly be unprecedented.

Such a Tribulation was already a calamity rarely seen since antiquity. If he were to undergo his breakthrough here within the Horizon Pavilion [a legendary sect or sanctuary], and with the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [demonic entities from beyond this world] launching their assault, it would inevitably escalate into an even more terrifying cataclysm.

At that moment, the tribulation brought by the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon, combined with his own personal Tribulation, would likely cause even greater and more unpredictable upheavals in the ensuing battle.

Moreover, he had a vague premonition. Once he broke through to Primordial Spirit, the Outer Realm Demon God [a supreme demonic sovereign from the outer realms] would certainly not stand idly by. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel dot com.