Chapter 899 : Sacrifice of the Blood Sea

Yet, even so, the demons complied without hesitation, swiftly retrieving the Blood Sea Gourd.

The Netherdeep Demon Venerable took the Blood Sea Gourd, his face contorting into a maniacal grin as he declared, "Let us see just how formidable your physical body truly is. Can it withstand the boundless, defiling power of this endless Blood Sea [a vast ocean of corrupted blood and spiritual energy]?"

As his words faded, the Netherdeep Demon Venerable placed the Blood Sea Gourd directly into the Treasure Furnace [a mystical furnace used for refining or destroying magical treasures].

To slay Eldrin Chen, this Netherdeep Demon Venerable was willing to go to extreme lengths. He did not hesitate to sacrifice a top-grade Pure Yin Demonic Treasure [a powerful artifact forged from concentrated Yin and demonic energies], all to unleash the power of the Blood Sea to its absolute, terrifying zenith.

The moment the Blood Sea Gourd entered the Treasure Furnace, a cataclysmic surge of Blood Sea power erupted, a tide so vast it blotted out the heavens and drowned everything in its path.

Eldrin Chen felt as if an ocean of blood capable of drowning entire starfields was crashing towards him. An overwhelming stench of decay and the countless, wailing souls of the damned rode upon that crimson tide.

Compared to this Blood Sea, the Demonic Fiend Qi [corrupted demonic energy] that Kael Chen had once fused into his body, or the lingering grudges absorbed into his Nascent Soul [the spiritual embryo formed by a Golden Core cultivator], were mere candle flames before the full moon—the gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth.

"Such a ruthless method," he murmured, a cold fury settling in his heart.

Witnessing the tormented souls churning within that sky-obscuring Blood Sea, Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow, unable to suppress a flicker of profound rage.

The methods of the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use cruel and bloody techniques to gain power] were too savage, too cruel. The killing intent within him became a tempest he could barely contain. If he could break free from the Demon-Slaying Crucible [a magical vessel designed to trap and refine demons] at this very moment, he would undoubtedly seize and annihilate that Netherdeep Demon Venerable on the spot. Read, share, and discuss at audio~novel.com.

"Let me grant you release."

Eldrin Chen let out a sigh, then unleashed a cataclysmic surge of Pure Yang Fire [a divine flame of pure, untainted solar essence], sending it sweeping across the boundless expanse of the Blood Sea.

Whether they were vengeful spirits or the foul waters of the Blood Sea, all were transformed into a vast crimson mist, dissipating into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

Occasionally, some of the blood-tainted filth would invade Eldrin Chen's body, yet under the circulation of his Primordial Chaos Mana [a supreme, foundational energy of creation and dissolution], it would be refined and utterly eradicated in moments.

Eldrin Chen's Primordial Unity [a state of perfect, undifferentiated oneness with the primordial source] was uniquely suited to counter all manner of foreign energies, making it nearly impossible for him to be harmed by them.

In the past, when Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion was struck by the Violet Blood Immortal-Severing Curse [a vile curse that severs one's connection to immortality, manifesting as violet-hued blood], the curse's power tormented him day and night, inflicting immense suffering and causing his vitality to wane.

Yet, had that same Violet Blood Immortal-Severing Curse entered Eldrin Chen's body, it would likely have been completely refined and consumed by his Primordial Chaos Mana in a very short time.

Of course, Eldrin Chen's Primordial Chaos Mana was also ill-suited for expelling foreign energies from others, for this mana was overwhelmingly tyrannical; to another, it would itself be a foreign and invasive energy.

If he had attempted to use his Primordial Chaos Mana to heal Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion, it would likely have corroded and destroyed the man's physical form long before the Violet Blood Immortal-Severing Curse could run its course.

Returning to the matter at hand, Eldrin Chen stood deep within the cataclysmic Blood Sea, using his Primordial Chaos Mana to guide the souls of the departed to their rest.

In the blink of an eye, thirty years passed. By the time Eldrin Chen had completely refined the Blood Sea, he discovered his own physical body had become utterly flawless and seamless.

Having reached this stage, he had fully refined the flesh and blood essence of the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor, seizing the opportunity to cultivate the Eastern Sovereign Scripture to its grand completion.

At this moment, Eldrin Chen's physical form was flawless and seamless. Relying on his bodily strength alone, he could contend with a powerhouse of the Ninth Layer Nascent Soul realm, a match even for Netherdeep Demon Venerable.

This represented the absolute pinnacle attainable by mortals. The next step forward for him was to begin Forging Immortal Physique.

However, cultivating an Immortal Physique was profoundly difficult. Apart from those born with heaven-defying bloodlines, members of the Human Race had to seize the profound mysteries of Heaven and Earth's Creation, accumulating a Deep-Seated Foundation [a foundational cultivation base of such immense depth and quality it could move heaven and earth] so profound it could shake the heavens and make ghosts weep, to have even a sliver of hope for success.

Regardless, by utilizing the power of the Demon-Slaying Crucible and the grand Demon Race formation to temper his body, Eldrin Chen had managed to completely cultivate the Eastern Sovereign Scripture to perfection in one fell swoop. This was an unprecedented harvest in itself.

This had saved him at least three Millennium of arduous cultivation time and had greatly enhanced his combat prowess.

Yet, while Eldrin Chen rejoiced, the Netherdeep Demon Venerable outside could no longer remain seated calmly.

Witnessing that Eldrin Chen had been refined for an entire Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle] without suffering the slightest injury, but instead growing even stronger, the Venerable One trembled with fury. "Damnation!" he roared. "Is this whelp truly unkillable?"

"Gather our forces swiftly. This Sovereign is determined to refine him into nothingness!"

After Netherdeep the Sacred Venerable [a title for a supreme demonic sovereign] finished speaking, he summoned the return of several more Nascent Soul Dao Lords [cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul stage and command great authority].

During the great war over two hundred years ago, the number of Nascent Soul [a high cultivation stage where one forms a spiritual infant, representing immense power] cultivators among the Demonic Cultivators [practitioners who use unorthodox, often malevolent methods to gain power] who were fit for battle had dwindled to just over a dozen.

Yet now, after all these years, the Demonic Cultivators have seen their Nascent Soul experts recover from their injuries one after another. Some have even managed to reconstruct their physical bodies ahead of schedule and return. Consequently, the number of Nascent Soul Demonic Cultivators [demonic cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul stage] has now reached nearly forty.

In his determination to slay Eldrin Chen, that Netherdeep the Sacred Venerable actually gathered thirty-six of them in one breath and deployed the Six-Six Heavenly Demon Immortal-Refining Grand Formation [a grand formation that harnesses the power of thirty-six demonic entities to refine and destroy immortal beings].

The power of such a grand formation had indeed surged explosively, exerting a pressure that even Eldrin Chen could feel.

Yet, beneath this immense pressure, Eldrin Chen felt the Mana [the spiritual energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners] within his body grow increasingly refined and condensed. It faintly seemed on the verge of knocking upon the threshold of the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul [the middle stage of the Nascent Soul cultivation realm]. For uninterrupted reading, go to www . audio-novel.com.

It turned out that under the relentless tempering of the endless Immortal-Refining True Flame [a divine flame capable of refining even immortal beings], Eldrin Chen's Mana had also grown increasingly pure. In the short span of a single Jiazi-time [a cycle of sixty years], it was as if his Mana had been polished for Ten Sixty-Year Cycles [a metaphorical period representing six hundred years of dedicated effort].

The degree of condensation of Eldrin Chen's Mana was now astonishingly profound. He had a premonition that with but a slight circulation of his Mana, he might very well breach the barrier to the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul, advancing to the fourth layer of the Nascent Soul realm.

"No, I cannot break through again now."

Thoughts flashed through Eldrin Chen's mind, and a flicker of killing intent flashed in his eyes.

Now, after being refined for one Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle], he emerged not only unscathed but with his physical body's strength greatly advanced. If his cultivation were to break through to the Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage [the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm], it was likely that Netherdeep Demon Venerable [a title for a powerful demonic cultivator] would no longer be able to sit idle.

This peerless powerhouse, who cultivated both his physical body and his Mana [the refined spiritual energy used by cultivators] to the Ninth Layer Nascent Soul [the peak of the Nascent Soul realm], if he were to abandon the Star Archipelago and hide within the Purple Realm to wreak havoc, would likely become a colossal calamity instead.

"To avoid alerting the enemy, I must not rashly attempt a breakthrough."

"I must wait for the moment of my breakthrough to decide the fate of the world in a single battle, ensuring this demonic fiend is suppressed for good."

In the blink of an Eldrin's eye, Eldrin Chen had already formed a plan in his heart.

Then, Eldrin Chen withdrew the greater part of his Mana [the refined spiritual energy used by cultivators] into the Creation Azure Lotus Platform [a powerful enchanted artifact], creating the illusion that his Mana was gradually being depleted, giving a faint impression of being on the verge of exhaustion.

"Hahaha!"

Witnessing Eldrin Chen's Mana [the refined spiritual energy used by cultivators] gradually weaken, the Netherdeep Demon Venerable [a title for a powerful demonic cultivator] revealed a look of wild joy. "This Venerable One [a formal and arrogant self-referential term used by powerful beings] always said there is no such thing as invincible Mana [the refined spiritual energy used by cultivators] in this world."

"Although the Primordial Chaos Mana [a legendary and supremely powerful type of spiritual energy] of Eldrin, the Abyss is hailed as the foremost under heaven, it is not inexhaustible. No matter how potent its regenerative power, it must have its limits."

"Once his Primordial Chaos Mana [a legendary and supremely powerful type of spiritual energy] is completely depleted, what use will his profound Mana [the refined spiritual energy used by cultivators] or his formidable physical body be?"

"Once his Mana [the spiritual energy used to power spells and techniques] is exhausted, even a body tempered to the pinnacle of the Ninth Layer Nascent Soul [the ninth and final stage of the Nascent Soul cultivation realm] will be refined into ashes of calamity by the Demon-Slaying Crucible."

Having excitedly finished speaking, Netherdeep Demon Venerable immediately declared in a loud voice, "Summon everyone to strike together! We must press our advantage and refine this whelp, Eldrin, the Abyss, completely into ashes of calamity."

Following the command of Netherdeep Demon Venerable, the assembled demons began to exert themselves with even greater fervor. The billowing Immortal Refining Flame [a mystical flame capable of refining even immortal beings] grew increasingly dense and potent.

Simultaneously, sensing the intensifying power of the Immortal Refining Flame, Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with a subtle light.

"To cultivate the Primordial Chaos True Qi [a supreme form of primal energy] to its Great Perfection Realm [the state of flawless mastery] requires a crucial catalyst: the Primordial Chaos Genesis Qi [the primordial breath that gave birth to creation]. Yet, the Purple Realm lacks the capacity to nurture such a thing. Perhaps the only sliver of possibility lies in artificial refinement."

"Now that I am trapped within this Demon-Slaying Crucible, can I harness the overwhelming Immortal Refining Flame of this Treasure Furnace [a specialized furnace for refining treasures] to refine a portion of Primordial Chaos Genesis Qi, thereby aiding my Primordial Chaos True Qi in reaching the Great Perfection Realm?" This chapter appears courtesy of audio–novel.com.