Ren Xiaoyao trudged through the scorched earth, each step sinking into the burning gravel, his shoes screeching against the ground, the dust he kicked up resembling a crimson mist in the twilight.
Countless tiny wails seemed to float in the mist, seeping into the nostrils with each breath, carrying a heavy smell of rust and rotting flesh.
The gravel was scorching hot, as if it had just been poured from a furnace. With each step, it felt as if countless fire ants were gnawing at my ankles, leaving fine burn marks on my skin. The blood vessels beneath my skin bulged slightly due to the high temperature, turning a terrifying bluish-purple color.
A faint groan emanated from the depths of the scorched earth, as if the land itself was enduring unspeakable pain. From time to time, grotesque lumps bulged up on the surface, bursting open to gush forth scalding magma, which instantly solidified into sharp bone spikes. The surface of the bone spikes gleamed with an eerie, ghostly light, like the fangs of a demon.
The Divine Stone felt slightly warm in his palm, but it couldn't suppress the chill emanating from the dark shadow within him. The chill was like an ice spike piercing his very bones, freezing even his breath into frost, which crystallized into tiny Ice Crystals on his pale lips.
The exhaled white mist traced eerie arcs in the air, freezing into spiderweb-like ice patterns upon landing. Within these patterns, distorted human faces vaguely emerged, their mouths opening and closing silently, as if repeating an eternal Curse. A thin layer of black mist condensed on the surface of the Ice Crystals, like imprisoned, wronged souls struggling.
He dragged his blood-stained Dark Robe Hem, the dried bloodstains on the fabric long since turned into hard, dark purple scales that peeled off with each step, each piece splashing up Deep Blue Sparks as it hit the ground, like the embers of a extinguished life.
The tattered hem of the garment fluttered in the wind, like a broken battle flag, telling tales of past tragedies amidst the bloodshed. The edges of the hem billowed in the wind, revealing torn skin beneath. Black traces of corrosion remained at the gruesome wounds, and the skin around the wounds was visibly carbonizing, emitting a nauseating burnt smell.
The heat wave in the air intertwined with the chill within his body, creating a strange temperature difference that caused his body to tremble uncontrollably. His teeth chattered, making a clattering sound, and even the broken jade pendant at his waist swayed, colliding and producing intermittent sobs, a sound like a lament from the Abyss of Nine Nether.
The broken rocks at the edge of the Rift Valley are covered with gullies eroded by time, and their surfaces glow with an eerie blue fluorescence, like the blood vessels of some ancient creature writhing under the skin.
Thick liquid seeped from the depths of those ravines, instantly condensing into sharp crystals upon contact with air. These crystals gleamed with a cold light in the twilight, and their surfaces were covered with fine black lines, like the veins of a demon.
Ren Xiaoyao closed his eyes and concentrated, his Divine Sense seeping into his flesh and blood like spider silk. The stinging pain from his meridians made the veins on his forehead bulge, and every nerve was protesting against the invasion of the dark shadow.
The black dagger that the shadowy figure had transformed into was coiled around his heart. As the runes flickered, the Black Robed Man's cold laughter was projected deep into his consciousness. The laughter was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, hissing and echoing endlessly in his mind, mixed with the wails of countless wronged souls.
Among those cries were the sobs of children, the sighs of the elderly, and the roars of warriors, all interwoven into a chilling Soul Suppressing Song.
In a daze, Ren Xiaoyao seemed to see countless phantoms flickering before his eyes. They wore tattered armor, were covered in wounds, and had blood and tears flowing from their empty eye sockets. They reached out to grab him, but vanished into Void the moment they touched him.
Even worse, the limbs and dismembered bodies of the phantoms floated in the air, torn apart by Invisible Power, emitting a piercing tearing sound. Black slime was attached to those limbs, dripping down and corroding the ground.
The broken rock beneath him groaned under the weight, threatening to collapse at any moment. The eerie blue glow seemed to flicker with his heartbeat, as if echoing the shadow within him. Each time the glow dimmed, the black dagger tightened its grip on his heart, causing a sweet, metallic taste of blood to rise in his throat. The stench of blood spread through his mouth, mingling with the putrid stench emanating from the shadow, making him want to vomit.
"I must get rid of you!" Ren Xiaoyao bit his tongue, the sweet and pungent taste of blood spreading in his mouth, mixed with the putrid smell brought by the shadowy figure, making him almost vomit.
He channeled his Chaos Spiritual Energy to create a vortex in his meridians, attempting to draw the shadow into his dantian and forcibly refine it.
Suddenly, the black dagger emitted a ghostly light, within which Ancient Demons runes flowed. These Demonic Runes writhed like living things, transforming into countless wisps of black mist that flowed upstream along the bloodline.
Wherever the black mist passed, the meridians were like Corroded Metal, covered with layers of black spots, from which Black Slime constantly seeped out, emitting a nauseating stench, as if it were the filth of the Nine Netherworlds Yellow Springs.
The viscous fluid dripped onto the walls of his meridians, making a sizzling, corrosive sound, like the whispers of a demon, each sound eroding his will.
The excruciating pain spread from the depths of his bone marrow, and blood seeped from Ren Xiaoyao's seven orifices once more. The blood dripped onto the scorched earth, corroding tiny holes from which wisps of black smoke rose, as if the land itself feared the power of the shadowy figure.
His Divine Sense was like a candle flickering in the wind, almost extinguished by the impact of the shadows. His vision was blurred, and his first attempt ended in utter defeat.
In a daze, he seemed to see his meridians shattering inch by inch in the black mist, turning into countless tiny black snakes that slithered and tore through his body, while his heart was being gouged out bit by bit by a black dagger, each strike accompanied by excruciating pain.
Even more terrifying, black veins began to appear on his internal organs, as if he were being gradually assimilated by the shadow. His heartbeat became erratic, each beat accompanied by a sharp, stabbing pain, accompanied by a teeth-grinding grinding sound from his chest, as if sandpaper was repeatedly grinding against his ribs. His consciousness struggled in the excruciating pain, yet a stronger fighting spirit ignited within him, vowing to drive away this evil shadow.
The direction Star Chart Guidance sent tremors through the earth's veins. In the distance, mountains were shrouded in Purple Mist, and strange patterns on their surfaces rose and fell with each breath, like the skin of a sleeping behemoth. Each rise and fall was accompanied by a deep rumble, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble slightly.
The roar was interspersed with faint hissing sounds, seemingly coming from the depths of the earth, sending chills down one's spine.
The roar contained some ancient and evil power, each sound seemed to strike Ren Xiaoyao's soul, making his heartbeat disordered, and he could even feel his soul trembling inside his body, as if an invisible hand was kneading his soul through his chest.
Ren Xiaoyao slowly stood up, supported by the broken rock. The jade pendant at his waist jingled, but it was drowned out by the deep rumble coming from afar.
The Auspicious Beast pattern carved on the jade pendant was now oozing wisps of black mist, as if it too were being eroded by the shadows.
The Auspicious Beast's eyes gleamed with an eerie green light, and its once majestic face became twisted and ferocious, as if it might break free from the jade pendant at any moment.
Furthermore, black mist spread along the patterns on the jade pendant to Ren Xiaoyao's waist, leaving black marks on his skin, like a chain binding him. The skin around the marks began to ulcerate, emitting a foul odor, and black pus kept oozing from the ulcers, winding down his trouser legs and scalding the scorched earth into meandering trenches. Bubbles rose from the trenches from time to time, making gurgling sounds, as if the earth was breathing in pain.
He suddenly recalled a passage from an ancient book, " Heavenly Thunder Body Tempering, capable of vanquishing all evil."
He looked up at the sky, which was covered with Lead Clouds — the Thunder Marsh Great Canyon in the northwest was the Forbidden Land on the continent that was closest to the source of the Heavenly Tribulation.
At this moment, although his body was extremely weak, his eyes became even more determined, as if he had already seen the hope of defeating the shadow. Even though this hope was like a candle flickering in the wind, it still burned stubbornly, supporting him as he stepped into the unknown danger.
Legend has it that this is where the Ancient Thunder God fell, and every bolt of lightning contains the power of destruction and rebirth. The rocks in the canyon are covered with the battle scars of the Thunder God, and every ravine tells the story of the fierce battles of ancient times.
The rock surfaces were covered with charred lines, as if they were solidified veins from Thunder God, occasionally flashing with faint electric light. A pale purple liquid seeped from the cracks in the rocks, emitting a pungent sulfur smell.
The moment he stepped into the Thunder Marsh, the air was ionized into a pungent, rusty smell. Ren Xiaoyao's hair stood on end slightly due to static electricity, and a fine, stinging sensation spread across his skin, as if countless tiny electric currents were coursing through it.
The wind, carrying sand and gravel, lashed my face like a knife, and the air was thick with the stench of blood, as if a brutal battle had just taken place here.
Huge skeletons, the remains of some kind of behemoth, hang from the rock walls on both sides of the canyon. Their surfaces are covered with marks from lightning strikes, making them appear particularly sinister in the dim light. Black chains are wrapped around the joints of the skeletons, and the chains are engraved with Ancient Curse Runes. The runes flicker in the lightning, as if they are repeating some forbidden incantation.
With each step he took, he could feel the ground trembling beneath him, as if some powerful being was awakening from its slumber. What he was about to face was not only the dark shadow within his body, but also countless dangers hidden in this Forbidden Land. Even the rocks beneath his feet groaned under the weight, seemingly warning him of the perilous path ahead.
The massive skeletons on the rock face suddenly began to crack and pop, as if trying to break free from their hanging position, giving off a sense of oppression that one could be swallowed up at any moment.
Purple Lightning snaked across the canyon walls like a giant python, carving deep, bottomless ravines that shimmered with an eerie purple light, as if the blood of Thunder God were flowing within them.
Each bolt of lightning blasted a deep, smoking crater into the ground, from which Purple Flames continuously rose, scorching the surrounding air. Within the flames, a hideous face vaguely appeared, emitting a shrill scream.
Some of those faces were distorted and deformed, while others wore expressions of terror, as if recounting the suffering they endured in life.
Some faces appeared and disappeared in the flames, uttering desperate cries for help; others were unrecognizable, with only empty eye sockets and open mouths remaining, roaring silently.
Even more flames coalesced into a gigantic arm, reaching out from the deep pit, attempting to seize Ren Xiaoyao. Each finger burned with purple Flame Sect, and black molten lava dripped from its tip. Wherever it went, rocks instantly turned to dust.
The lightning in the canyon seemed to have a will of its own, with bolts occasionally veering off course and grazing his body, leaving charred marks on the ground. The air was thick with the stench of ozone mixed with the smell of blood, making it hard to breathe.
Once, when lightning struck, he even saw his own shadow cast on the rock face, the outline of which sprouted twisted horns and claws, as if foreshadowing the transformation or downfall he was about to face.
When he looked closely, the shadows began to wriggle on their own, as if trying to break free from the rock wall and turn into solid objects to pounce on him.
Ren Xiaoyao untied his blood-stained belt and tied it up with his long hair. The edges of the belt were already badly damaged, and black scabs of blood had formed on it. Every crack recorded his pain.
He suddenly crushed the Lightning Gathering Bead in his Storage Bag; the moment the bead shattered, it was as if Pandora's Box had been opened.
Amidst the roar, Thunder Clouds suddenly converged across the entire canyon, forming Pitch-Black Vortex hundreds of feet in diameter. Purple lightning flashed intermittently at the center of the vortex, like a giant eye staring at him, its gaze filled with majesty and killing intent.
Dark purple clouds churned around the edge of the vortex, resembling the fangs of a giant beast, ready to devour him at any moment.
Roars echoed from the clouds, making his eardrums ache, and cracks began to appear in the ground beneath his feet, as if the whole world was trembling under this force.
Black Liquid seeped from the cracks, emitting a suffocating stench. Upon contact with air, the liquid rapidly corroded the surrounding rocks, making a sizzling sound. The Black Liquid also gathered on the ground to form eerie patterns, like some kind of ancient summoning circle.
As the vortex spun, the surrounding space began to distort, and time seemed to slow down. Ren Xiaoyao could clearly see his every breath condensing into white mist in the air, only to be quickly evaporated by lightning.
He even felt his thinking become sluggish, each thought struggling to move forward in viscous asphalt, only the hatred for the shadow in his heart, like burning embers, supported him to face this terrifying scene.
Deep within that vortex, faint chanting could be heard, like countless demons calling out in unison, their voices carrying a chilling Demonic Power that sought to disrupt his mind.
The first bolt of purple lightning, as thick as a bucket, crashed down. Ren Xiaoyao spread his arms to meet it. The instant the lightning pierced through his body, dark blue blood vessels burst forth beneath his charred flesh. Electric currents seemed to surge within the blood vessels, making crackling sounds, and the surface of the blood vessels flickered with an eerie purple light.
The dark shadow inside his body emitted a sharp shriek, the sound so loud it made Ren Xiaoyao's eardrums ache. The dark shadow transformed into black mist and wandered wildly through his meridians, but was condensed into a cage by the Silver Light bursting from the Divine Stone.
The Silver Light and black mist collided, erupting into Dazzling Light within Ren Xiaoyao's body. The light was also mixed with countless tiny bolts of lightning, stinging every inch of his skin.
He endured the excruciating pain of his bones breaking and guided the Thunder Force to form Thunder Pool in his dantian. Lightning flashed within the Thunder Pool, forcing the dark shadow toward his throat.
The Thunder Force within the Thunder Pool roared like a living creature, engaging in a fierce battle with the dark figure. Each collision stirred up turbulent waves within his body.
His bones cracked and splintered under the impact of the lightning, as if they were about to break at any moment. His skin was charred black by the electric light, emitting a pungent, burnt smell.
Furthermore, the Thunder Force surged through his meridians, causing tiny cracks to appear on the meridian walls wherever it went. Blood seeped from these cracks, mixing with the Thunder Force to form an eerie Blood Light. Ancient runes faintly appeared within this Blood Light, as if telling the story of his destiny.
In this excruciating pain, he seemed to see his past, his former beliefs and perseverance, which strengthened his resolve to defeat the shadow. Even if his body was torn to pieces by lightning, he would destroy the shadow completely.
Deep within his consciousness, the Black Robed Man's cold laughter grew clearer, seemingly mocking his overestimation of his abilities. This laughter intertwined with the roar of thunder, forming a maddening melody.
Nine Heavenly Tribulation descended in succession. Ren Xiaoyao's clothes had long since turned to ashes, and his bronze skin was covered with cracked lightning patterns. These patterns spread all over his body like a spider web, and each one emitted a faint purple light, as if they were medals for his battle against the Heavenly Tribulation.
His hair gradually turned white in the thunder, each strand wrapped with tiny arcs of electricity, as if a testament to the passage of time and the power of his strength.
As the last bolt of Purple Thunder struck, the dark figure finally succumbed to the scorching heat and transformed into a wisp of black smoke that escaped from his mouth.
The black smoke twisted and turned in the air, trying to return to Ren Xiaoyao's body, but was struck by stray lightning in the air and instantly exploded into burnt powder. The powder drifted in the air, forming a strange black smoke.
The angry roar of the dark figure still echoed in the smoke, as if Curse Ren Xiaoyao's victory; the roar made the surrounding air tremble.
Black Liquid began to gush from the cracks in the ground, emitting a foul stench, and corroded the rocks in its path, leaving them riddled with holes.
The Black Liquid converged into a river, meandering across the land. Wherever it passed, vegetation withered rapidly, and the land became barren. A layer of black oil film floated on the surface of the river, occasionally bubbling up with eerie bubbles.
As the shadow dissipated, Ren Xiaoyao felt a long-lost sense of ease within him. However, he knew that this was only the beginning. The Altar ahead concealed even greater secrets and dangers. The oppressive aura emanating from the depths of the Altar was like an invisible giant hand, pressing down on his heart, reminding him that the battle was far from over.
Within the black smoke, the blurry figure of Black Robed Man faintly appeared, extending a withered finger in a provocative gesture towards him.
Ren Xiaoyao staggered and crashed into the rock wall. The blood seeping from between his fingers was crackling with electricity. The blood dripped onto the rock wall, scalding small pits in the rock. Purple light flickered in the pits, as if the Thunder Force contained in the blood was burning. The rocks around the pits began to crystallize, showing a strange purple crystalline structure.
He weakly gripped the Divine Stone, and saw the Star Map on it shining brightly, clearly outlining the contours of a hundred miles away—an ancient Altar suspended above the Poisonous Miasma Abyss.
The Altar was constructed from massive black stones, their surfaces covered in Green Moss and cracks. Among the ruins, Totems of Giant Turtle, Phoenix, and Qilin could be faintly seen. These Totems seemed almost alive, appearing and disappearing in the light and shadow, exuding a mysterious and powerful aura.
The Giant Turtle's scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, the Phoenix's feathers flowed with flame-like patterns, the Qilin's horns were wrapped with lightning, and the Totems's eyes flickered with an eerie light from time to time, as if watching his every move.
Countless glowing fragments floated around the Altar, like the remnants of some Ancient Civilization, flickering in and out of the poisonous miasma, as if telling tales of past glory and fall.
Even more broken Stone Tablet lay scattered around the Altar, covered with ancient runes. The runes had become blurred by the poisonous miasma, but one could still sense the powerful energy they contained. The runes were still glowing faintly, as if they were resonating with the Divine Stone.
He could feel the Divine Stone vibrating more and more intensely in his hand, as if urging him to go to the Altar as soon as possible to uncover the hidden truth. The black mist seeping from the newly appeared cracks on the surface of the Divine Stone made him feel uneasy, as if a greater conspiracy was hidden behind the truth.
At this moment, a strange buzzing sound came from the direction of the Altar, the runes shone brightly, and the glowing fragments began to arrange themselves in a regular pattern, as if forming some kind of array.
The oppressive aura emanating from the depths of the Altar caused fine cracks to appear on the surface of the Divine Stone, from which black mist could be faintly seen, as if telling of the Altar's mystery and danger.
From the distant poisonous miasma, low roars and eerie lights could be heard from time to time, as if countless unknown and terrifying creatures were waiting for Ren Xiaoyao's arrival.
Among those roars were the furious howls of giant beasts, the shrieks of Devil Creature, and the whispers of some ancient being, sending chills down one's spine.
A ghostly green light flickered within the poisonous miasma, like countless eyes peering into the darkness. As Ren Xiaoyao drew closer, the light intensified, as if sending out a provocative signal.
Suddenly, a tremendous roar came from the poisonous miasma, and a huge black shadow emerged from the miasma. Its body blotted out the sky, and black venom dripped from its enormous claws. Wherever it went, the ground was corroded and huge pits were created.
Ren Xiaoyao gripped the Divine Stone tightly, his eyes resolute, ready to face the upcoming challenge.
The enormous black shadow exuded a strong aura of death, and each breath it took stirred up a storm of poisonous miasma. Its eyes, like two Blood Moon, coldly stared at Ren Xiaoyao, as if admiring its prey that was about to be captured.
Black mist swirled around the shadowy figure, from which distorted faces occasionally surfaced, emitting shrill, ear-piercing laughs as if mocking Ren Xiaoyao's overestimation of his abilities.
Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath and mobilized the remaining power within his body. He knew that this battle would determine his fate and also uncover the long-hidden secrets of this continent.
At this moment, the massive body of the black shadow was reflected in his pupils, but he did not flinch. Instead, his fighting spirit ignited, and the Divine Stone in his hand shone brightly, forming a stark contrast with the black mist on the shadow's body. The black shadow let out a deafening roar, and the sound waves swept over like a tangible force. The ground beneath Ren Xiaoyao's feet instantly cracked, and eerie purple flames shot out from the cracks, illuminating the surroundings in a flickering light.
The cracks on the surface of the Divine Stone spread at a visible speed, and the seeping black mist echoed the aura emanating from the shadowy figure. Ren Xiaoyao suddenly realized that the pressure emanating from the depths of the Altar did not simply come from the shadowy figure; the array of glowing fragments, Totems carvings, and even the entire Poisonous Miasma Abyss were continuously supplying power to the shadowy figure. He clenched his fist, his nails digging deep into his palm, and where the blood dripped, wisps of white steam rose, crackling as they collided with the flames on the ground.