pertwk Chapter 239 Star Moon's Dignity, 4th-Order Demon Core
Chapter 239 Star Moon's Dignity, 4th-Order Demon Core
Chapter 239 Star Moon's Dignity, Fourth-Order Demon Core
"Hahaha! What nonsense is Fairy Yuelan spouting in her sleep!"
Standing atop the broad back of the Golden Eagle Demon King, the Golden Eagle True Lord burst into loud laughter, his laughter filled with mockery.
"When my Eagle Ridge Mountain was expelled from the spiritual vein cave, the Green Mountain Ancestor didn't say a word of justice. Now that I'm no longer a Nascent Soul cultivator belonging to the Azure Cloud Cave Heaven, why should I abide by your so-called rules?"
He changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the three people on the handkerchief, his eyes turning sinister:
"Besides, with your aged female cultivator body, Fairy Yuelan, I can subdue you in a matter of moments. Even if Qingyun Cave Heaven's perception is fast, by the time they arrive, your Star Moon Sect's Nascent Soul will have already turned to ashes!"
"Your Star Moon Sect has been so weak for so many years, how come you can still occupy a fourth-order spiritual vein!"
"With my Eagle Ridge Mountain sect gone, your Star Moon Sect won't have an easy time either!"
At this point, Golden Eagle True Monarch suddenly revealed a lewd smile, his gaze lingering on Yue Qingqiu.
"Unless... hehe, I don't fancy you, old man, unless the Fairy Qingyue behind you is willing to be my concubine."
As for that young man surnamed Chen beside you, if you know what's good for you, come work as a spirit chef at my Eagle Ridge Mountain, and maybe I might spare the Star Moon Sect's legacy!
Golden Eagle True Lord stopped less than five miles away from the square cloth, hovering in the air, and stared at the three people on the square cloth with a cold smile.
This distance was already within Chen Yi's attack range.
His physical skills, the explosive strike of the Thunder Crystal Marrow, and even the Thunder Soul Whip could reach his opponent.
However, he did not act rashly, firstly because he was not entirely confident that he could kill Golden Eagle True Monarch on the spot;
Secondly, the opponent is, after all, a human and an eagle, both at the Nascent Soul level. If he were to reveal his biggest trump card, he might be put on the defensive for a long time afterward, which would be a loss.
What made Chen Yi's heart sink even more was that he sensed two more Core Formation stage cultivators rushing towards them from hundreds of miles behind the Golden Eagle Demon King.
He was familiar with the aura of the escaping light; it belonged to Elder Kumamoto, a peak Core Formation cultivator from Eagle Ridge Mountain, and Elder Red Eagle, a mid-Core Formation cultivator.
Clearly, Eagle Ridge Mountain is aiming for absolute certainty this time, not only by using their superior strength against a weaker opponent, but also by assuming a six-on-three formation.
The two Core Formation cultivators who arrived each brought with them a spirit pet of the same level.
The faces of Yue Lan Zhenjun and Yue Qingqiu on the handkerchief grew increasingly grim, and even their breathing became somewhat rapid;
Even Chen Yi, who had remained calm throughout, felt that the situation was somewhat troublesome and secretly considered how to deal with it.
Chen Yi pondered to himself, "I wonder if True Monarch Yuelan can create an opportunity to severely injure that True Monarch Golden Eagle?"
Given the current situation, if they don't deal with the two Nascent Soul level beings on the other side, the three members of the Star Moon Sect will have virtually no chance of survival.
To break this deadlock, Chen Yi no longer hesitated and quietly activated his Insightful Eye.
He discreetly observed the magical power status of both Nascent Soul cultivators out of the corner of his eye, and what he saw stirred something within him.
[Huh? True Monarch Yuelan's magical power has actually been secretly increasing, which is not at all like the weak person she appears to be on the surface.]
A thought suddenly flashed through Chen Yi's mind, his expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously wanted to take a few steps back to increase the distance between himself and True Monarch Yuelan.
Around that moment, a rapid yet steady voice suddenly rang in Yue Qingqiu's mind as she stood in front of Chen Yi. The voice carried an undeniable resolve:
【Qingqiu, listen carefully! The moment I activate Moon Escape, don't worry about anything, don't ask anything, you must immediately retreat to within ten miles of me!】
No matter what you see, do not look back!
Yue Qingqiu's heart sank. The resolute words of her master struck her like a heavy hammer, and she instantly guessed the worst possible outcome.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, but she forced herself to suppress her surging emotions, secretly forming hand seals to concentrate all her magic power on her escape technique, ready to break through the air and flee at any moment.
Five miles away, the Golden Eagle True Lord stood on the broad back of the Golden Eagle Demon King, his hawk-like gaze fixed on the Fangpa Magic Treasure, but he did not rashly approach.
He simply continued to manipulate streaks of golden spiritual light, together with the Eagle King.
Like a torrential downpour, the handkerchief that was bombarding Lord Yuelan from afar...
Those flashes of light carried a sharp, tearing sound as they ripped through the air, each one capable of creating spiderweb-like cracks on the protective shield.
At this moment, Fangpa's defensive shield was already riddled with holes, teetering on the brink of collapse like a candle in the wind, yet it was still slowly moving forward.
It seemed to be struggling to escape, yet it also seemed to be gradually approaching the direction of the Golden Eagle True Lord, its posture so strange that it was hard to fathom.
With his sharp, piercing gaze, how could Golden Eagle True Lord not see through the trickery?
A mocking sneer curled at the corner of his lips, his voice carrying undisguised contempt that echoed through the air:
"Yuelan, you're practically half-buried in the ground, do you really think you can drag me down with you by self-destructing your body? Heh, don't even dream about it!"
I won't give you that chance to die together!
However, his words had not yet completely dissipated in the wind—
At that very moment, the magical power around True Monarch Yuelan suddenly surged violently, even flaming with faint white flames!
The flames were no ordinary fire, but rather spiritual light produced by burning the nascent soul spirit as fuel. The scorching heat spread instantly, even turning the surrounding gale silver-white.
As a burst of spiritual light rose, her originally pale hair turned black at a visible speed, and the deep wrinkles on her face faded rapidly as if smoothed out by the tide.
In an instant, she regained her youthful appearance, transforming into a beautiful young woman with a cool and aloof air about her.
The aura emanating from his body was several times greater than before, and even the air seemed to be stagnant under the pressure of this power.
Upon seeing this, Golden Eagle True Monarch's pupils suddenly contracted, and the mockery on his face instantly froze. He subconsciously tried to urge Golden Eagle Demon King to retreat, while simultaneously forming hand seals to gather defense.
But we were still a step too late!
The figure of True Monarch Yuelan had transformed into a beam of moonlight as bright as frost, vanishing into thin air from the handkerchief without leaving a trace of magical power.
In the next instant, the moonlight appeared five miles away as if by teleportation. The flawless face of True Monarch Yuelan was almost touching True Monarch Jinying's hooked nose, less than a foot away!
A chilling aura swept over me, and I could even see the tiny glimmers of light clinging to her eyelashes.
Golden Eagle True Monarch's face instantly turned ashen, and his startled shout ripped through the sky:
"Burn your nascent soul! You don't want to be reincarnated as an intelligent being again? Are you insane?!"
Furthermore, what kind of supernatural power is this, capable of teleporting five miles away?!
There was not a trace of madness on Yuelan Zhenjun's face, only an extremely cold smile. Her voice was clear but carried a chilling coldness as it entered his ears:
"Having lived among beasts for so long, you've probably long forgotten..."
My Star Moon Sect possesses a unique Moon Escape Technique that allows one to burn their nascent soul, and it is not limited by space!
If I, the true master, want to guide you on your journey, why should I feign a slow and insincere approach?
As long as you're within a hundred miles, hmph!
Today, I, the True Lord, will set the record straight for the Star Moon Sect and restore its dignity!
Die!
The next moment, an incredibly violent energy suddenly erupted, sweeping out from both the physical space and the soul level. The blinding spiritual light was like the blazing sun exploding in front of one's eyes, making it impossible to look directly at it.
Suddenly, the spot where True Monarch Yuelan stood transformed into an energy black hole. Immediately afterwards, two terrifying energy ripples spread out from the black hole from both the physical and spiritual spaces.
The physical ripples carried a sharp, tearing whistle, shredding the air into dust wherever they passed.
The fluctuations at the soul level are like an invisible hammer, which can cause a stinging pain in one's sea of consciousness even from miles away.
"No--!"
The Golden Eagle True Monarch's roar tore through the sky. He instinctively realized that this was the power generated by the simultaneous self-destruction of his Nascent Soul Spirit Body and his physical body, and that he had no chance of blocking it!
Only then did he suddenly remember that the Star Moon Sect had been able to continue for tens of thousands of years without being destroyed, not only because of its special dual cultivation techniques, but also because of this ultimate killing technique that sacrificed the entire self, self-destructed nascent soul, and then self-destructed after an extreme flash, taking the enemy with it!
Extreme fear gripped his mind, and without thinking, he violently shoved the fourth-tier Golden Eagle Demon King in front of him away.
With a terrified shriek, the Golden Eagle Demon King's massive body stood firmly in front of the energy burst.
However, this can only barely withstand the physical self-destruction of spiritual energy.
The Golden Eagle Demon King had no way to avoid the soul-level impact emanating from the Nascent Soul spirit.
The massive body froze on the spot the moment the soul ripples swept over it, and the light in its eyes quickly dimmed, clearly indicating that its soul had been shattered.
Simultaneously,
In dire straits, True Monarch Golden Eagle decisively abandoned his physical body.
A three-inch-long nascent soul suddenly flew out from above his head, its body glowing with a faint golden spiritual light, and fled wildly into the distance at a speed far exceeding that of an early-stage nascent soul.
This is a life-saving method that cultivators only use when facing life and death. Although abandoning the physical body will cause a great drop in cultivation, it can bring a glimmer of hope for survival.
Even so, the fluctuations in the divine soul level emanating from the explosion's epicenter still affected his escaped nascent soul.
"what!"
A shrill scream came from the air. Blood flowed from the mouth and eyes of the palm-sized nascent soul, and the spiritual light around it dimmed by more than half in an instant. Its originally solid form even became somewhat transparent.
But he dared not linger for even a moment, and could only risk his severely injured body to continue using his remaining magic power to escape as if fleeing for his life.
It should be noted that once a Nascent Soul cultivator loses the protection of their physical body, their Nascent Soul spirit is extremely fragile and can only use a few minor spells to protect themselves.
At this moment, Golden Eagle True Monarch's nascent soul was still seriously injured. Not to mention a Core Formation cultivator, even a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, as long as they have a means to restrain the soul, would have a chance to completely kill his seriously injured nascent soul.
On the other side, five miles away from Golden Eagle True Lord, Yue Qingqiu had already fully activated the Fangpa Magic Treasure to escape backwards when Yue Lan True Lord activated the Moon Escape Flash Divine Power of the Spiritual Body Dual Body.
While she suppressed her grief, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She instinctively turned back, wanting to remind Chen Yi to follow her and escape together.
After all, Chen Yi was only a Core Formation cultivator. Under the aftershocks of such a Nascent Soul self-destruction, he could easily die if he was not careful.
But the moment she turned around, Yue Qingqiu was stunned!
Chen Yi's figure had already disappeared on the handkerchief. Only a streak of light interwoven with starlight and lightning remained in the distance. In the blink of an eye, he had escaped more than ten miles away. His speed was several times faster than the handkerchief magic weapon she was activating!
When did he sense the danger? Did his master secretly warn him?
Yue Qingqiu was filled with doubts and stared blankly at the rapidly disappearing light.
Startled, Yue Qingqiu dared not hesitate for a moment and used all her strength to activate the Fangpao magic treasure to flee backward.
When she had fled more than ten miles away, a deafening roar suddenly came from behind her.
Two energy ripples swept across her handkerchief magic artifact one after the other, like invisible giant waves.
First came the physical fluctuations of spiritual energy, which, with overwhelming force, instantly annihilated the already damaged outer layer of the handkerchief's magical shield, and the pale blue spiritual light shattered and dissipated like bubbles.
Fortunately, the location was far from the explosion's epicenter, and the aftershocks of the spiritual energy had weakened considerably.
Yue Qingqiu gritted her teeth and circulated her peak Golden Core power, condensing a light golden shield around her body, barely managing to stabilize herself and avoid being blown away by the ripples.
However, the subsequent explosion of ripples on the soul level left her with no way to avoid it.
The fluctuation was like an invisible hammer, slamming hard into her sea of consciousness. Yue Qingqiu felt a "buzz" in her head, her vision went black, and she almost fainted.
She bit her lower lip hard, barely managing to stay upright with sheer willpower, but her mind was already reeling from the shock.
Unable to concentrate on controlling the escape technique for a short period of time, the speed of the Fangpa magic weapon also suddenly slowed down.
Even from a distance of fifteen miles, her soul was still injured by the aftershocks of the self-destruction of the Moon Orchid True Monarch's nascent soul, demonstrating just how terrifying the power of that self-destruction was.
Meanwhile, Chen Yi had already fled more than fifty miles away.
To him, the physical fluctuations of the magical explosion were like a gentle breeze, only causing his robes to flutter slightly.
Even the aftershocks of the explosion at the level of the soul were no more than the intensity of the ripples from the divine sense array at the bottom of the lake that I first sensed back then in the Lake and Sea Market.
The moment the shockwave arrived, the gray divine sense shield between Chen Yi's brows suddenly lit up, blocking the initial soul impact like thin ice.
Immediately afterwards, a system notification quietly appeared in his mind, slowly devouring and digesting the divine soul power that followed. The whole process was effortless, and even his escape speed did not stop for a moment.
When Chen Yi looked at the center of the explosion with his Insightful Eye, his expression turned serious.
The once majestic fourth-tier Golden Eagle King was reduced to dust by the shockwave of the explosion, leaving only its massive core skeleton scattered in mid-air.
A dimly lit elixir of essence floated in the center of the skeleton, its surface covered with several cracks, clearly having suffered a great impact, and it was unknown how much essence remained.
As for the physical body that Golden Eagle True Monarch abandoned, it was even inferior to the remains of a demon king.
Not only were there no intact bones, but not even a single bone fragment remained; the entire body turned into a cloud of blood mist the instant of the explosion.
It was then completely evaporated by the subsequent burst of spiritual power, leaving not even a trace.
The storage bag that Golden Eagle True Monarch might have possessed, along with the spiritual items inside, were almost entirely blasted into dust of various spiritual colors.
Only one magical artifact remained, with a few fragments scattered and flying out in all directions.
Chen Yi secretly compared himself to the others. He was now at the late stage of the third level of Body Refinement, and his physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary Core Formation cultivators.
It could even withstand a couple of spells from a Nascent Soul cultivator, but it was definitely still somewhat inferior to this fourth-tier Golden Eagle King.
Even the Golden Eagle King couldn't withstand the double explosion of the Moon Orchid True Monarch's spirit and body when he got close. If I were in that situation, I would probably end up with my body destroyed as well.
His gaze fell on the Golden Eagle King's dim essence pill, and he understood:
This elixir of essence has lost its former brilliance. Clearly, the essence within, which carried the life source of the demon king, has been destroyed by the impact of the self-destruction of the nascent soul.
It should be understood that the Demon King's essence core is equivalent to a human cultivator's nascent soul. It is both the core of power and the place where the origin of life resides, containing the dual energy of magic power and divine soul. Now that its origin has been destroyed, this Golden Eagle King has completely perished.
"The cultivation world is still too dangerous!"
As Chen Yi gazed at the lingering energy waves in the distance, a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection) welled up within him.
He had always thought that he was already at the late stage of the third level of Body Refinement, with physical strength comparable to the peak of the third level of Body Refinement, enough to make him stand out among Core Formation cultivators.
The idea that they could even hold their own against early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators seems overly optimistic now.
The Moon Orchid True Lord, whom he had always thought was old and frail and might die at any moment, was able to unleash such a terrifying attack.
Golden Eagle True Monarch barely managed to escape with his Nascent Soul by abandoning his physical body, while the fourth-tier Golden Eagle King was left with only a broken skeleton. Moon Orchid True Monarch single-handedly took away "one and a half" Nascent Soul level beings of the same tier.
It should be noted that both Golden Eagle True Monarch and Golden Eagle King are in their prime. Golden Eagle True Monarch's beast-taming abilities are among the best of early Nascent Soul cultivators.
The Golden Eagle King is renowned for its defense among fourth-tier demon kings. Its only weakness is that cultivators of the Beast Taming lineage must nurture a demon beast of the same tier, as the energy expenditure is too great.
Most of them lacked resources and defensive trump cards such as magic weapons and talismans, which is why they lost so completely when Moon Orchid True Monarch self-destructed.
Moon Orchid True Monarch's desperate attack completely impressed Chen Yi, and also made him more vigilant, prompting him to reflect on his actions.
"Unless you break through to the fourth level of body refinement, you must not easily engage in a death battle with a Nascent Soul cultivator!"
The destructive power unleashed when a Nascent Soul cultivator is driven to the brink of despair is truly terrifying!
His gaze fell on the direction in which the Golden Eagle True Monarch's Nascent Soul had fled, using his Insightful Spiritual Eye combined with his own experience to deduce:
After suffering the impact of the self-destruction and extreme shock, the Golden Eagle True Monarch's nascent soul was severely damaged, and the probability of him recovering in a short period of time was less than 10%.
Although a severely injured Nascent Soul cultivator can still cast spells and has a natural suppressive effect on Core Formation cultivators, the Nascent Soul's spiritual body, having lost the protection of its physical body, has extremely low defensive capabilities.
If they encounter an ambush by a late-stage Core Formation cultivator or are coveted by demonic beasts along the way, they may "crash and fall."
Not to mention that if other Nascent Soul cultivators harbored malicious intentions and sensed the aura of this heavily injured Nascent Soul, they would probably not hesitate to try and seize it.
After all, a ready-made nascent soul body is of great value for studying the soul and refining elixirs.
Even though the probability of returning was less than 10%, Chen Yi did not relax in the slightest.
If a nascent soul that has lost its physical body wants to survive for a long time, it must find a suitable body to possess within a short period of time.
Otherwise, exposed to the elements without a physical body to shield them from external risks, even the strong winds and turbulent spiritual energy could slowly erode their nascent soul.
He and Yue Qingqiu, one a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator and the other a peak Golden Core female cultivator, both possessed excellent physical attributes, making them ideal targets for possession.
Of course, Chen Yi wasn't too afraid.
He had already prepared the Thunder Soul Whip in his sea of consciousness. As long as the Golden Eagle True Monarch's Nascent Soul dared to come, he was confident that a few lashes would make the severely injured Nascent Soul cry out for its parents, making the other party completely doubt its "infant life".
The scene remains shocking.
A massive mushroom cloud of spiritual energy enveloped an area spanning dozens of miles, with milky-white spiritual light mixed with black energy turbulence, churning and surging in the air for a long time.
Chen Yi estimated that such a violent Nascent Soul self-destruction fluctuation could be sensed by other cultivators even from a distance of 100,000 miles.
If one encounters a cultivator with exceptional perception skills, or a force that has set up a spiritual energy perception array, this unusual fluctuation can be detected even from a greater distance.
After all, the terrifying energy released by a Nascent Soul cultivator's self-destruction is a once-in-a-century event, even in the vast Central Continent cultivation world, enough to alarm all surrounding forces.
Nearby, although Yue Qingqiu's soul was injured and her mind was still somewhat dizzy, she was still able to barely maintain her balance and slowly escape by controlling the Fangpao magic weapon.
The pale golden protective shield around her had long since shattered, her hair was disheveled by the remaining turbulent spiritual energy, and her face was as pale as paper, yet she gritted her teeth and refused to collapse.
Dozens of miles away, the two Core Formation stage cultivators were already stunned by the terrifying power of the Nascent Soul self-destruction and stopped in mid-air, not daring to approach.
Those were Elder Kumamoto and Elder Red Eagle from Eagle Ridge Mountain. They saw from afar that the physical body of True Monarch Golden Eagle had been completely annihilated, and only a broken skeleton remained of the fourth-tier Golden Eagle King.
A great terror arose in his heart, and he stood frozen in place, hesitant to move forward.
Golden Eagle True Lord was their backbone. Now that their backbone has fallen, Eagle Ridge Mountain is completely leaderless. They are completely dumbfounded and do not know what to do.
At this moment, it was a brief lull in the process of other Nascent Soul cultivators sensing the self-destruction fluctuations and not yet arriving, and it was also a time when everyone present was momentarily stunned.
Chen Yi naturally wouldn't miss such a rare opportunity.
Without a word, his body suddenly blazed with starlight, the azure lightning intertwining with the silver starlight to form an unstoppable beam of light.
They rushed from a safe area dozens of miles away toward the epicenter of the explosion, which was shrouded in a mushroom cloud of spiritual energy.
His goal was clear—the skeleton of the Golden Eagle Demon King floating in mid-air.
The fact that it could withstand the combined power of a Nascent Soul's double explosion without falling apart shows that this skeleton is definitely a top-quality material among fourth-tier materials.
Whether it's for refining the main frame of a near-fourth-tier puppet in the future, or for absorbing the metallic energy within it to later cultivate the Vajra Technique and condense the Golden Crystal Marrow, it has extremely high value.
More importantly, a complete skeleton of this caliber is simply unavailable on the market.
Especially the Golden Eagle Demon King, a fourth-tier avian demon beast extremely skilled in speed; if it weren't for the Golden Eagle True Monarch's overconfidence,
Being caught in the self-destruction blast along with it, given its speed, even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to capture, let alone kill it and extract its bones.
In addition, Chen Yi also had no intention of letting go of the dimly lit Essence Pill that floated in the center of the skeleton.
For demonic beasts, this item is comparable to the Nascent Soul Pill for human cultivators; it is the core ingredient for breaking through to the fourth-tier Demon King level and is extremely valuable.
Unfortunately, it is purely metal-attribute, which is not compatible with Chen Yi's two spirit pets (one with earth and lightning attributes, and the other with fire and soul attributes), so it cannot be used directly to train spirit pets.
However, Chen Yi decided to accept it for now, thinking that it would be a good option to trade it to the Beast Taming Sect or exchange it for other resources when the right opportunity came.
So, just when Yue Qingqiu was feeling dizzy and desperately needed someone to help her control the flying magic weapon to relieve the pressure, and even secretly hoped to have a shoulder to lean on,
She suddenly sensed a bolt of lightning hurtling toward her from behind.
Yue Qingqiu was not surprised that Chen Yi could use lightning techniques.
After all, the [Azure Thunder Brew] that can help cultivators comprehend thunder-attribute divine abilities was made by Chen Yi. He had consumed a bottle of Thunder Brew, so it was reasonable for him to be able to use the Thunder Escape Technique.
Yue Qingqiu felt a warmth in her heart and thought to herself: "In the end, Chen Gongfeng still cares about me. He knows that I am in a difficult situation. He did not abandon me to escape alone. Instead, he specially came back to take care of me."
The moment this thought crossed her mind, she subconsciously slowed down her escape technique, preparing to meet Chen Yi's approach.
As a result, the next moment, a dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly swept past Yue Qingqiu from a hundred feet away, accompanied by a sharp sound that tore through the air.
It flew straight toward the explosion's epicenter, ten miles away, without even stopping for a moment.
Yue Qingqiu stared wide-eyed, her face filled with astonishment, her gaze still fixed on the direction where the lightning had passed.
She watched helplessly as Chen Yi rode the escape light, like a streak of azure lightning, through the rolling mushroom cloud of spiritual energy, and arrived directly at the location of the golden eagle bone.
(End of this chapter)