Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment

At the critical moment, Shen Yi felt a powerful fluctuation surge from his ring.

The King Beast Egg unexpectedly appeared before him, radiating waves of light as it blocked the attack for him.

"Little Black!"

Shen Yi cried out in alarm, only to see runes flickering across the eggshell as cracks slowly spread.

"Yiya!"

The eggshell shattered. Little Black poked out its head and eagerly greeted Shen Yi, then sprang free with its whole body and stood before him.

"Awooo!"

A sudden roar resounded through heaven and earth. The Earthly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator bore the brunt of it, blasted away by the roar with blood splattering across his body.

The tiny black cat before him let out a tiger-like roar. Shen Yi found it rather absurd, but in the eyes of those opposite him, it was a sight of utter terror, as though they were facing a demon god.

Little Black raised its head and glanced at the treasure cauldron in the air, then slapped the eggshell beside it with a paw. The shell immediately transformed into a stream of pure spiritual energy that flowed into the sky.

Seeing this, Shen Yi understood Little Black's intent. The second-layer technique of the Indestructible Scripture, Indestructible Meridian, began to circulate rapidly.

Shen Yi's body turned transparent, and the meridians within him could faintly be seen, slowly turning golden after countless washes from the spirit sea within his body.

As that stream of spiritual energy rushed into the sky, the ninth treasure cauldron abruptly appeared.

A beastly shadow emerged, its body pitch-black as a pair of golden wings flapped, stirring wave after wave of spiritual energy.

"Finished! The ninth treasure cauldron!"

At this sight, the crowd lost all will to fight. Fear even rose in their hearts, and they could only hope to leave as soon as possible, terrified that Shen Yi would settle the score with them.

"Clang—"

Two cauldron chimes rang out across heaven and earth at once. Everyone in the secret realm was shaken, each wearing a different expression.

The person deep within the snow mountains suddenly soared into the air. Two beams of brilliance shot from his eyes and met Shen Yi's gaze. He actually smiled and nodded at Shen Yi, then let out a long howl and vanished.

A strange look appeared on Shen Yi's face, but he did not dwell on it. The nine treasure cauldrons above his head were now spinning at high speed, casting down nine beams of light that drew him into the air. The nine cauldrons gradually solidified and shrank, circling around him, while nine spirit cauldrons likewise revolved within his spirit sea.

With a flash of light, the nine cauldrons entered Shen Yi's body and fused with the spirit cauldrons, finally turning into a small golden cauldron that sank into his spirit sea.

"Earthly Dao Foundation Establishment, peak!"

Shen Yi could not help but let out a long howl. Sound waves rolled outward, shattering distant mountain peaks.

The emergence of two peak Earthly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivators absorbed the spiritual energy of this region. Amid the thinning spiritual energy, Shen Yi keenly sensed a strange trace of aura in the air, faint and elusive, different from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Little Black seemed to sense it as well. It leaped into his arms, babbling as it waved its paws about wildly.

"Heavenly Dao aura!"

A sacred aura descended, filling everyone with an irresistible urge to worship. Unlike any other aura in the world, it contained the laws of the Heavenly Dao and carried the imposing might of one who looked down upon all living beings.

Everyone present was stirred with excitement. The legendary aura of the Heavenly Dao had actually descended today.

"Foundation Establishment!"

Seeing that golden aura in the vault of the sky, many people went mad once more, wanting to rush into the air and seize it in one stroke.

"That's mine!"

Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment stood above all else in the world. Everyone fell into a frenzy—it was a peerless opportunity to ascend to heaven in a single step.

"Get lost!"

Shen Yi's eyes turned crimson. With an enraged shout, he manifested a giant hand in the air and seized that aura. The cultivators below attacked one after another to stop him, but he sent them crashing down with a single palm strike.

"Little Black!"

Shen Yi called out. Little Black immediately understood, leaping beside the aura and opening its mouth to swallow half of it. The remaining half of the Heavenly Dao aura slipped from Shen Yi's grasp and shot into the distance.

"Where do you think you're going!"

His gaze blazing like torches, Shen Yi howled again. Spirit Wings burst forth in an instant as he gave chase after the Heavenly Dao aura. Behind him, several Foundation Establishment cultivators stood atop magical artifacts and pursued it desperately as well.

Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, one could already ride swords through the air. Upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, one could fly through the void itself.

"Stop him!"

Everyone attacked together. Spiritual energy behind Shen Yi churned chaotically as countless fierce winds, wrapped in spiritual power, came howling toward him.

Shen Yi turned back and swept his sleeve. Two phantoms appeared behind him: a giant elephant trumpeted, and a soaring dragon coiled, instantly tearing the fierce winds apart. His realm had now stabilized, and he erupted with his full strength.

Explosions instantly shook heaven and earth. The pursuing Foundation Establishment cultivators were all knocked to the ground, vomiting blood with their auras greatly weakened.

That stream of aura suddenly changed direction and plunged toward the ground, where it was seized by a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was about to refine it.

"Hahaha, Shen Yi, this Heavenly Dao aura is fated to have nothing to do with you!"

A murderous gleam flashed through Shen Yi's eyes, and his body trembled slightly. Whoever dared compete with him for the Heavenly Dao aura today would have to pay the price.

His figure flickered, and he appeared before that person in an instant. The Coiled Dragon Halberd emerged at his call. A black gleam flashed, and the man fell with astonishment still in his eyes. Shen Yi seized the opportunity to grab that aura, then imitated Little Black and swallowed it in one gulp.

The small golden cauldron rushed out of his spirit sea and wrapped around that aura. His spirit sea churned like an undying blaze burning beneath the small cauldron.

"Take one more step closer, and die!"

Shen Yi spoke in a deep voice that rang like a great bell. The Coiled Dragon Halberd stood before him, releasing a deathly aura that made hearts tremble.

The aura of the Heavenly Dao surged into the sky, sacred and immense. In the blink of an eye, it spread throughout the entire land. Every remaining disciple wore an expression of horror as they looked toward Shen Yi, restless and eager to act.

"Rumble!"

Just as Shen Yi was about to successfully achieve Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, the sky suddenly darkened as countless thunderclouds gathered.

"Lightning tribulation!"

Seeing lightning flashing across the rolling clouds overhead, all the disciples stopped lingering and retreated.

"Damn it!"

Shen Yi cursed inwardly. He had only just refined the Heavenly Dao aura, and his foundation was still unstable. Yet a lightning tribulation had appeared, catching him completely off guard.

"Crack!"

Thunder roared as a bolt of lightning as thick as an iron chain struck down upon Shen Yi. Golden light shone all over his body as he resisted the lightning.

Before one wave had settled, another rose. A second bolt descended, even more powerful. Even with his tough skin and solid flesh, his hair now stood on end and his entire body was scorched black.

"This isn't a Foundation Establishment lightning tribulation, but... a Golden Core lightning tribulation!"

Shen Yi looked at Little Black in his arms, its entire body giving off an incomparably powerful aura, and finally understood. This lightning tribulation was not aimed at him—it was Little Black's Golden Core lightning tribulation!

With a helpless, bitter smile, he shook his head and placed Little Black on his shoulder. This was its lightning tribulation; he was merely being caught in the blast.

However, it was already too late to dodge. Black tribulation clouds spread out, filling the entire sky above the secret realm as the third lightning tribulation descended.

Little Black suddenly inhaled and actually devoured the lightning bolt. Shen Yi, however, was not so fortunate. Struck by the residual lightning, he let out a miserable cry.

The fourth lightning tribulation had already built up its force before crashing down fiercely. Little Black still opened its mouth and inhaled it, followed by Shen Yi's scream.

"Is there any justice in this?"

Shen Yi grumbled inwardly. Why was Little Black perfectly fine after swallowing it in one bite, while I was scared out of my wits just from the residual lightning?

Before he could recover, the fifth lightning tribulation had already descended.