Tribulation Domain Seals the Mountain Gate, Four Elders Left Shaken
Three days later, four cultivators arrived at the Qingfeng Temple gate. The leader, an elder of the Tianyan Sect, used a pretext to provoke them, falsely claiming that Qingfeng Temple disciples had infiltrated the sect to steal a treasure, and forcibly demanded entry for a thorough investigation.
[The entire story is fabricated, a pretext for entering the trap. The newcomer possesses a rare treasure called the "Void-Hiding Pouch," which can house and conceal a person's presence. Once inside the temple, they will release their hidden agents from the pouch, using the terrain to their advantage to surround and instantly kill them.]
[The leading elder was at the Early Stage of the Twelfth Realm, and the three hidden soldiers within the Void-Hiding Pouch were also at the Early Stage of the Twelfth Realm. The four cultivated the secret path of combined attack, their qi were unified, and their array was closed. Their combined combat power was comparable to that of Stellar Threefold Transformation expert.]
[Recommendation: Strictly guard the mountain gate, do not yield an inch, defeat them on the spot, and prohibit a single person from entering the temple.]
After reviewing all the deduction information, Chen Du remained calm and composed.
The real killing move wasn't from the elder who came to visit, but from the Void-Hiding Pouch.
The four of them combined their attack formation, their combat power comparable to Stellar Threefold Transformation, while he himself had only completed the first transformation of his Self Star.
However, in terms of conventional foundation, laws and divine powers, and pure physical combat, he would definitely be able to suppress the combined power of the array Dao of Stellar Threefold Transformations.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At noon that day, an old-fashioned black-canopied carriage drove up from the end of the mountain road and came to a steady stop below the gate of Qingfeng Temple.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and only one person stepped out.
Leading the group was a middle-aged cultivator in black robes with an arrogant expression. The hem of his robes was embroidered with intricate cloud patterns, and a jet-black jade pendant hung at his waist, engraved with the ancient seal characters "Tianyan". He exuded a domineering aura and carried the imposing presence of a sect elder.
He stood alone before the mountain gate, with only the aura of the Early Stage Twelfth Realm emanating from his body, and no other cultivator's aura leaking out.
The three beings at the Twelfth Realm did not get off the carriage with him.
They were all sealed inside the Void-Hiding Pouch, which contained all blood energy, spiritual energy, and Dao Resonance, making it seem like just an ordinary storage magic artifact.
Even with Divine Thought sweeping over it, only faint fluctuations of spiritual energy could be detected, with absolutely no trace of a living person.
The three inside the pouch held their breath, suppressing their heartbeats, waiting for the right moment. They were just waiting for the elder to trick them into opening the mountain gate and entering the temple, so they could immediately break out of the pouch, join the elder outside, set up a combined attack formation, and surround and kill their target in one fell swoop.
The elder in black robes raised his eyes to look at the ancient mountain gate, his voice rough and forceful, penetrating the entire gate:
"Listen Qingfeng Temple! Your disciples have trespassed into the secret realm of my Tianyan Sect and stolen the sect's most treasured artifact! Quickly hand over the disciple and return the treasure, and we may settle this matter peacefully! If you dare to shirk responsibility or cover it up, don't blame my Tianyan Sect for coming to your door to demand justice and razing this dilapidated temple to the ground!"
His voice was arrogant and domineering, full of condescending coercion.
Inside the mountain gate, the bamboo shadows swayed slightly.
Chen Du walked out slowly, stopping within the threshold. He was slender and dressed in a simple blue robe, looking like an ordinary young man, yet he calmly suppressed all the noise at the mountain gate simply by standing there.
Without uttering a single unnecessary word, he glanced indifferently at the inconspicuous gray pouch hanging at the black-robed elder's waist, and then flicked his right hand in the air.
Buzz!
The Twelfth Tier Dark-Gold Tribulation Sword of the Sea of Consciousness pierced through the air and landed in the palm. The sword body was dark and deep, with ancient calamity patterns crisscrossing. Nine heavenly tribulation lightning marks were hidden on the blade. Dark gold cold light flowed. Before the sword tip was even drawn, the power of annihilation had already pressed down on the earth.
The next moment, the Ninefold Tribulation-Transcending Law and the Ninefold Tribulation Armor Law were completely injected into the sword.
Nine thin, dark gold swords, as thin as cicada wings, flew out from their blades, circling around him and slowly spiraling around him. The Calamity Qi was heavy, and the world gradually fell silent.
Upon seeing this, the black-robed elder of the Tianyan Sect outside the door frowned sharply, his heart tightening inexplicably, and he rebuked him sternly:
"You scoundrel! What do you want? We are here to demand justice and punish those who have wronged us, and you dare to point a knife at us—"
Before he could finish speaking...
Chen Du raised his eyes and brought his sword down with a simple, even strike.
The Sixth Sword of the Heavenly Tribulation Nine Swords – Tribulation Domain! Perfected!
In an instant, the world changed color.
The clear sky suddenly darkened, the vast expanse of light was instantly obscured, and endless dark golden tribulation clouds forcibly gathered from the void, surging and crashing down layer upon layer on the sky above Qingfeng Temple. Deep within the clouds, billions of tribulation lightning Lie Dormant lay dormant and rolled, as if the entire sky had been torn open with a desolate rift.
The power of the Tribulation Domain is indiscriminate, neither real nor external. Any living being that hides within the area covered by this Tribulation Domain will be locked onto by the origin of the Tribulation Dao!
The Void-Hiding Pouch at the black-robed elder's waist suddenly began to tremble violently!
On the pouch, the originally stable hidden Dao patterns crumbled inch by inch under the pressure of the Tribulation Domain! The three Twelfth Realm cultivators inside the pouch, who had been holding their breath and hiding, thinking they were completely unaware, felt a vast and destructive force pierce through the pouch, locking their souls and spiritual power.
It can't be hidden anymore!
Unable to remain hidden any longer, the three figures Void-Hiding Pouch forced open by the power of the Tribulation Domain with a muffled thud. They were thrown out of the pouch and landed heavily beside the black-robed elder!
The three had planned to launch a surprise attack after entering the temple, catching Chen Du off guard. They were full of plans to ambush him successfully and never expected that their opponent, from a great distance, would pull them out of the treasure with just a single sword Tribulation Domain!
The four of them gathered instantly, without a moment's hesitation. Instinctively, their energy intertwined, and they wanted to immediately activate the combined attack formation that they had honed over many years.
A tremendous storm raged within them.
This young man actually knew there was someone in the Void-Hiding Pouch all along?!
Their trump cards—concealment techniques and hidden treasures—are utterly useless in the face of this Tribulation Domain!
The black-robed elder was greatly shocked: He had lived for hundreds of years and had seen countless secret techniques and treasures that were good at concealment and hiding. Even cultivators of the same realm would need to conduct a close and careful search to find a living person Void-Hiding Pouch.
But the young man before them unleashed a single sword Tribulation Domain, piercing through the hidden treasure and forcing the three ambushers out.
The three cultivators inside the bag were terrified. They had been hiding inside, believing themselves to be perfectly concealed, waiting only for a command to launch a lightning attack. But now, their location, aura, and all their arrangements were completely exposed to their opponent.
The Tribulation Domain was like an all-encompassing net, and no matter how they concealed their aura, they could not escape the lock of the lightning. The spiritual power in their bodies began to stagnate and tremble uncontrollably, and even their Dao foundations trembled slightly under the suppression of the Tribulation Domain.
Not daring to hold back in the slightest, the four of them simultaneously unleashed their life's cultivation!
With a deafening roar, the four individuals' auras completely merged, their bloodlines, spiritual power, Dao patterns, and array principles instantly closing the loop. A massive, dark shield materialized above their heads, its array principles gleaming brilliantly... This was their strongest combined defensive attack, capable of withstanding the fierce attacks of Stellar Threefold Transformation expert!
But the next second, snap!
The crisp, shattering sound was ear-piercing.
That combined shield, strong enough to defend a region and withstand the most powerful attacks, was as fragile as thin ice and glass in the face of the Heavenly Thunder of the Tribulation Domain.
In the blink of an eye, the shield shattered completely, turning into countless specks of light!
Nine cataclysmic lightning bolts crashed down upon him!
Bang! Bang!
The four powerful figures at the Twelfth Realm were simultaneously blasted away by the lightning, crashing heavily onto the rocky mountain path like kites with broken strings.
The middle-aged elder in black robes slammed violently against the stone pillar of the mountain gate, his ribs shattered, and he spat out a mouthful of scalding blood.
The three ambushers who had just fallen out of the Void-Hiding Pouch were caught off guard. They had already rushed out of the pouch and activated the array hastily. Now, they were struck hard by the tribulation lightning, rolled several times, and felt a burning pain in their meridians. Their cultivation was in disarray.
The four lay sprawled among the rubble and dust, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, the shock in their hearts almost shattering their resolve.
All their plans were based on the premise that "the ambush would not be detected in advance."
Luring the mountain gate open, launching a surprise attack, and encircling and killing the culprit—every step was meticulously planned.
But the other party could see it clearly from beginning to end.
This sword strike not only shattered their combined attack, but also completely destroyed their calculations and confidence.
All four of them were at the Early Stage of the Twelfth Realm, and their combined strength was comparable to the Stellar Threefold Transformation. They were a force that could dominate this region, but they were defeated by this young man in green robes with a single sword strike.
If the other party had intended to kill them, the four of them would have already been annihilated.
A chilling fear spread throughout my body, reaching my very soul.
Within the threshold, Chen Du sheathed his sword and channeled it into his sea of consciousness, all the tribulation power around him dissipating, returning him to a state of tranquility.
He gazed at the four disheveled and shaken individuals, his voice calm yet each word carrying the weight of thunder:
"Go back and tell the people behind you."
"Qingfeng Mountain is not a place you may set foot in at will."
"If he wants to provoke us, if he wants to ambush us, if he wants to get involved, let him come in person."
"If you harass me again, I will strike you down without mercy."
The black-robed elder lay on the ground, blood and foam continuously gushing from his mouth. A chill ran through him, and he didn't even have the courage to look Chen Du in the eye.
The three cultivators who had just been forced out of the Void-Hiding Pouch were ashen-faced, and no longer showed any of the ruthlessness they had displayed during the ambush.
The four dared not linger, and fled in a panic, stumbling and scrambling onto the carriage.
The wheels rolled on, speeding away and kicking up dust in a chaotic rush. Inside the carriage, the four people were still in turmoil, their minds clouded by the ominous clouds of impending doom.
The thunderous power that pierced through the Void-Hiding Pouch remained vivid in their minds; this scene would become an indelible nightmare on their path of cultivation.
Before the mountain gate, tranquility returned.
Only the scattered stone dust on the ground, and the Void-Hiding Pouch whose spiritual light had been mostly destroyed by the calamity and could no longer conceal living beings, silently witnessed the unparalleled sharpness of the sword that had just suppressed four cultivators.