Heavenly Tribulation Against the Curse

Sequel: The Demonic Curse Devours Souls, The Heavenly Tribulation Breaks Through Calamity

The deathly silence of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall, as still as solidified ink, was shattered by the dissipating senses of the Black Incarnation —the destructive feeling originating from thirty percent of his Demonic Power was not a gentle transmission, but rather like a red-hot steel needle, carrying the unique venom of the Demon Realm, piercing deeply into the Ninth Ancestor's sea of consciousness, already riddled with holes by demonic Devil Cultivation Method. The demonic incantations that had been flying from his fingertips suddenly stagnated, the previously smooth flow of Demonic Power instantly ceased, and the demonic aura around him surged and crashed within the hall like an out-of-control raging torrent, causing the Demonic Runes patterns on the pillars to scorch. Even the nine Blood Red Demon Lamp hanging from the dome were violently shaken by this chaotic demonic aura, and the howls of the wronged souls within the lamps suddenly rose, as if trying to break through the lamp walls and escape their restraints.

The dozens of black Demonic Crystal embedded in the Demon Throne, already gleaming with an eerie light due to the rapid flow of Demonic Power, were now being squeezed by the violent magical pressure. More than half of them had cracked from the inside, and fine crystal fragments slid down the cracks in the Ancient Demonic Rhino skull, striking the Mysterious Iron floor tiles below with a crisp "clink-clang" sound. This sound mingled with the roars of the demonic lamps and the clashes of demonic energy, echoing repeatedly in the empty Ten Thousand Demon Hall, adding an even more chilling and eerie atmosphere to the already gloomy hall.

"A mere early-stage Earth Immortal dares to destroy Incarnation formed from thirty percent of my power!" The Ninth Ancestor's voice was like sandpaper rubbing against Mysterious Iron, carrying Bone Erosion rage. His withered, skeletal hand slammed down on the top of the Demon Throne —the hardest part of the Ancient Demonic Rhino skull, indestructible even after ten thousand years of erosion. Yet, the Ninth Ancestor's fingertips, imbued with the power of a thousand years of Devil Cultivation Method, forcefully embedded themselves into the bone crevices, leaving five deep black finger marks. With a low shout, thousands of twisted black threads were forcibly pulled from the bone crevices. Each thread was as thin as a hair, yet it contained the extreme pain and resentment of a cultivator before death. As they swirled and roared in the air, one could vaguely see the distorted faces of the remnant souls: some with wide-open eyes, as if accusing; some spitting out Black Blood, as if wailing; and others stretching out withered arms, as if trying to grab everything around them.

As soon as these black threads appeared, the nine Blood Red Demon Lamp hanging in the hall began to stir. The frequency of their wicks gradually synchronized with the spiraling rhythm of the black threads, and the howls of the wronged souls within the lamps grew increasingly shrill, as if echoing the remnants of the souls within the black threads, trying to break free of their confinement and wreak havoc within the hall. The Ninth Ancestor raised his head and let out a Demonic Roar that shook the entire hall. The Demonic Roar carried a world-destroying ferocity, causing debris to fall from the demonic iron dome on the ceiling. The High Antiquity cultivator skeletons piled up in the corners were also shaken and scattered. Some skeletons collided and shattered into smaller pieces, revealing the Black Demonic Qi remaining in the marrow.

The Demonic Incantation he uttered grew increasingly obscure, its syllables as sticky and chilling as a venomous snake's tongue. With each word he uttered, a black thread, like a swarm of bees returning to their nest, precisely merged into his brow. As the black threads continued to flow in, the black light in his eyes intensified, gradually becoming as thick as ink, almost completely filling his eye sockets. The demonic pressure surrounding him also surged like a tidal wave, initially only causing the air to stagnate, but later forming visible black waves that spread outwards from the hall.

The shockwave was incredibly powerful, causing spiderweb-like cracks to spread outwards from the Ninth Ancestor's feet onto the Mysterious Iron floor tiles, which were as hard as steel and capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a Nascent Soul cultivator. The Black Demonic Qi seeping from the cracks, originally the purest energy of the Demon Realm, was instantly crushed into wisps of smoke and dissipated into the air like ants trying to shake a tree when it encountered the incoming demonic pressure. The Demonic Incense that had been burning inside the hall was also swept away without a trace by this demonic pressure, leaving only a dense aura of malevolence and resentment that choked people and felt as if it could burn their skin, even though it had no physical form.

This is the forbidden Secret Method of the Demon Realm, "Soul Devouring Curse Killing Technique," which has been sealed away for thousands of years. The danger of this technique far exceeds that of ordinary Devil Cultivation Method —not only does it require the thousands of remnant souls devoured by the caster throughout their life as a catalyst, but it also requires forcibly overdrawing Hundred Years Cultivation to cross the barrier between the Demon Realm and the Mortal World through the weak and unstable passage between the Three Realms and precisely lock onto the target's soul imprint. Once the remnant soul imprint has entangled the target's soul, the caster then uses their own Devil Cultivation Method to activate the power of the remnant soul, tearing apart the Soul Origin from within the target's sea of consciousness bit by bit, like termites gnawing at wood, silent yet deadly.

This technique is extremely insidious. Even if the target is thousands of miles away, and even if they possess a high-level protective Law Treasure, they cannot escape the fate of having their soul scattered. In Ancient Times, there was a mid-stage Earth Immortal cultivator who had been famous for three hundred years, and he died under this Secret Method. It is said that at the time, the cultivator was in seclusion in his sect, and without any defense, his sea of consciousness was invaded by the remnant soul mark. In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his soul was completely torn apart. After his death, not even a trace of his soul was left behind, as it was all devoured by the remnant soul mark. Even the chance of reincarnation was completely cut off. His sect also gradually declined due to the loss of its pillar, and eventually became a small sect that no one knew.

At this moment, at the foot of the Black Miasma Mountain Range, Ren Xiaoyao had just completely purified the remains of his Black Incarnation into ashes. As the remains were enveloped by the azure light of the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet, they continued to writhe and struggle, emitting a sizzling sound. The black demonic energy was gradually stripped away by the Purifying Power, turning into wisps of black smoke that dissipated. When the azure light faded, only the fragrance of grass and trees remained, and even the soil previously contaminated by the demonic energy gradually returned to its original color.

Before Ren Xiaoyao could retract the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet his palm, a tearing pain suddenly shot through his mind. The pain was far worse than being pierced by the demonic sword. It felt as if countless icy daggers were stabbing out from the depths of his soul. Each throbbing brought a bone-chilling cold and agony, causing his vision to blur and all his strength to be instantly drained away. Even standing still became difficult.

Ren Xiaoyao groaned, staggering back two steps, his heels slamming heavily against the rock behind him with a dull thud before he could barely regain his balance. He pressed his right hand tightly against his temple, his knuckles turning white from the force, his nails almost digging into his scalp, but even this could not alleviate the excruciating pain in his sea of consciousness. The cyan -Golden Shield that had surrounded him, which he had woven together with the Earth Immortal Power and the Emperor Power, was originally indestructible, but now it instantly dimmed like dusty Glazed Ice, and the sun and moon patterns flowing on the shield became blurred, as if it would completely dissipate at any moment.

Worse still, the Earth Immortal Power within his body began to violently disrupt itself. The Spiritual Qi that had flowed smoothly like a mountain stream was now raging like a wild horse, causing his meridians to tingle. Several wisps of Spiritual Qi uncontrollably escaped from his meridians, landing on the ground and burning small pits into the hard soil. A faint smell of burning lingered in the pits, and even the surrounding grass was slightly yellowed by the escaping Spiritual Qi.

"This is... the Curse Killing Power?" Ren Xiaoyao's pupils shrank sharply, and alarm bells rang in his heart. He endured the excruciating pain and focused his mind to probe his sea of consciousness. The scene before him made his heart sink - his sea of consciousness, which was originally as clear as a mirror and could clearly reflect the appearance of his Soul Origin, was now covered by dense black marks. These marks were the remnant soul marks activated by the Ninth Ancestor, each one carrying a strong resentment and venom.

Like hungry wolves, they stared at Ren Xiaoyao's Soul Origin, pouncing menacingly. Wherever they passed, the barriers of his sea of consciousness were forcibly torn open, black cracks spreading continuously, as if to rip the entire sea of consciousness apart. The pain emanating from his soul grew increasingly intense, making it difficult for him to even breathe. His chest felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on it, suffocating him. The Carefree Sword in his hand seemed to sense its master's predicament, beginning to tremble slightly. The azure light on the sword grew dimmer, from its initial brilliance to a faint glow, until finally only a wisp of light remained, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

Ren Xiaoyao dared not hesitate for a moment and immediately circulated the Ancient Emperor Power within his dantian—that Emperor Power was an inheritance he obtained from the Secret Realm, extremely righteous and powerful, inherently capable of suppressing Sinister Power. At the same time, he activated the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet in his palm, which instantly emitted a soft blue light, flowing into his sea of consciousness along his meridians, intertwining with the Emperor Power to form a barrier of gold and blue, attempting to expel the remnant soul imprint.

However, these remnant soul imprints had already entwined his soul like vines, their roots deeply embedded in the Soul Origin. The moment the Purifying Power and Emperor Power touched the imprints, they were neutralized by the extreme resentment contained within them. The golden and azure barriers were gradually eroded by the black imprints, revealing tiny holes. Even more terrifying, several imprints followed the trajectory of the Purifying Power, spreading towards his dantian like venomous snakes. Wherever they passed, his meridians were stained with a faint black, emanating a bone-chilling cold.

Ren Xiaoyao's heart tightened. He knew better than anyone that the dantian was the foundation of a cultivator, and the core of his Earth Immortal Realm. Once these marks invaded his dantian, the spiritual power nourishing his Nascent Soul would be instantly polluted, Nascent Soul would be corroded. His years of hard-earned cultivation would collapse, and he would eventually become a useless person without any cultivation, unable to protect the remaining disciples of Qingfeng Valley, and unable to fulfill his vow to protect the Mortal World.

Ten Thousand Demon Hall, the Ninth Ancestor sat on the dark Demon Throne. Through the connection between his remnant soul imprint and Ren Xiaoyao's divine soul, he clearly sensed Ren's predicament—from the excruciating pain in his sea of consciousness to the disordered spiritual energy, from the breached barrier to the spread of the imprint, every detail was imperceptible to him. A ferocious smile curled at the corner of the Ninth Ancestor's mouth, his eyes filled with the pleasure of revenge. That smile spread along his twisted wrinkles, making his already ferocious face even more terrifying.

He accelerated the incantation with his fingertips, and the black threads between his brows grew thicker, with several even spilling out and swirling around him. "Ren Xiaoyao, what did you rely on to escape three hundred years ago? Nothing more than the protection of the Kunlun Spirit Veins and the life-risking protection of your fellow disciples! Three hundred years later, you are all alone, without the Emperor Power of the Secret Realm. Let's see how you withstand this Soul-Devouring Curse!"

"Today, I will Soul Annihilation for my Incarnation's death, and let you taste the bitterness of your actions when you destroyed my plan to seize the Kunlun Spirit Veins and killed my Demon General! I will show you that offending the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm never ends well!" The Ninth Ancestor ' voice, filled with Bone Erosion hatred, echoed in the empty Ten Thousand Demon Hall, intertwining with the howls of the wronged souls within the lamps, growing ever more sinister.

As the final demonic incantation was cast, the remnant soul imprint in Ren Xiaoyao's sea of consciousness suddenly surged, countless black threads intertwining to form a massive black net that firmly trapped his Soul Origin. Immediately afterward, the black net transformed into a thick black pillar of light, shooting skyward from between his brows. The pillar of light was over ten feet in diameter, carrying a dense venom and resentment, soaring straight into the heavens.

Within the pillar of light, countless remnant souls could be vaguely seen howling madly. Their faces were twisted and terrifying; some had empty eye sockets, some had Black Blood flowing from the corners of their mouths, and others stretched out withered arms, as if trying to drag everything around them into darkness. This pillar of light was extremely powerful, forcibly drawing in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. The originally clear Spiritual Qi was polluted by the black pillar of light, becoming turbid and murky. The demonic aura permeating the air grew increasingly dense, and even a single breath felt like it could burn one's lungs.

The evil power from the direction of the Nether Abyss in the distance seemed to be attracted by the resentful power in the pillar of light, and began to converge at the foot of the mountain. The black Evil Mist surged in like a tide, wanting to erode Ren Xiaoyao's soul along with the pillar of light, and drag him into an abyss of no return.

Ren Xiaoyao's body trembled violently. The pain from his soul had exceeded his limit. Every breath was accompanied by a tearing pain. His vision began to blur. He could only vaguely see a black pillar of light shooting into the sky and hear the roar of the remnant soul echoing in his ears. He could no longer hold on. His knees slammed heavily onto the ground with a dull thud, sending pebbles flying. Several pieces of pebbles were even bounced half a meter high before falling heavily back down, striking the scabbard of the Carefree Sword with a clanging sound.

He could no longer hold the Carefree Sword in his hand, and it slipped down his limp hand, falling to the ground with a clatter. The blue light on the sword was completely extinguished, leaving only the cloud pattern carved by the Qingfeng Valley Patriarch on the hilt, which still retained a faint warmth, as if silently comforting him on the verge of collapse.

Just as the remnant soul imprint was about to break through the final barrier of his sea of consciousness and invade his dantian, Ren Xiaoyao suddenly looked up, his pain and despair replaced by a resolute determination. In his mind, scenes from three hundred years ago surged like a tide: when Qingfeng Valley was destroyed by the Demon General, the corpses of his fellow disciples lay in pools of blood, some still in a posture of resistance, their hands tightly gripping the sect's iron sword; the Medicinal Field were burned to scorched earth by demonic flames, and the spiritual herbs painstakingly cultivated by the patriarch were all reduced to ashes; the Scripture Library collapsed with a crash, and the Classics and inheritance left by the patriarch were corrupted by demonic energy and could never be repaired.

He recalled how his fellow disciple, before dying, placed a small cyan jade pendant—the heirloom of Qingfeng Valley —in his hand, using his last ounce of strength to urge him, "Live on, you must live on, protect Qingfeng Valley, protect the Mortal World." He remembered how, when he ventured into the Ancient Secret Realm Secret Realm, he had survived countless near-death experiences, dodging traps and evading attacks from Ancient Demonic Beast, and finally, when he received the Emperor Power at the core of the Secret Realm, he swore to heaven and earth, "With my body, Protect All Living Beings beings and Demon Realm."

"I bear the Carry Emperor Power, Protecting All Living Beings. How dare you Devil Cultivator so presumptuously!" Ren Xiaoyao roared with all his might, his voice echoing through the valley. This roar carried three hundred years of resentment, his determination to protect, and his disdain for Devil Cultivator. As soon as he finished speaking, he unhesitatingly detonated all the remaining Emperor Power in his dantian—the golden Emperor Power surged like a flood, flowing through his meridians into his sea of consciousness, colliding fiercely with the remnant soul imprint.

Golden Emperor Power and black marks intertwined and sizzled in his sea of consciousness. The golden light continuously dispelled the black marks, but the black marks also relentlessly eroded the Emperor Power. The two forces were evenly matched, forming a clear boundary in his sea of consciousness. Although the Emperor Power temporarily blocked the spread of the marks, its excessive violence tore his already Damaged Meridians, creating numerous small wounds. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, dripping onto the ground and mixing with the soil to bloom into dark red flowers, like the unquenchable belief in his heart.

The intense collision between the Emperor Power and the Curse Power unexpectedly triggered the Heaven and Earth Laws. The Earth Immortal Realm is a crucial realm for cultivators to transcend the mortal world and touch the Heavenly Dao. When advancing, one must undergo the test of Heavenly Tribulation, using Heavenly Thunder to temper the body and soul, cleansing impurities from the body, in order to stabilize the realm and truly control the Earth Immortal Power. Ren Xiaoyao's advancement in the Secret Realm was rushed, and he was delayed in searching for the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet immediately after breaking through. The Heavenly Tribulation never descended, which caused his realm to remain somewhat unstable, even though he had reached the early stage of Earth Immortal.

Now, the supremely righteous Emperor Power, imbued with the Emperor's Will, and the sinister Curse Power, carrying countless grievances, have intertwined. These two extreme forces have broken the balance between heaven and earth, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples and finally triggering this long-awaited Heavenly Tribulation.

The Central Plains the sky were instantly covered by pitch-black clouds. The clouds rolled and churned like boiling black water, rapidly converging at the foot of the Black Miasma Mountain Range. In less than half an incense stick's time, they enveloped the entire mountain range, plunging the world into darkness. Only the occasional roars of Demon Beast from afar broke the deathly silence.

Golden lightning flashed through the clouds, initially just tiny specks of light, gradually growing thicker and stronger, like a lurking dragon weaving through the clouds. The occasional glimpses of its claws and scales carried a devastating pressure, causing the entire Black Miasma Mountain Range to tremble violently. Rocks tumbled down the slopes, forming small stone streams that crashed into trees below, snapping thick trunks with a cracking sound.

The evil forces in the direction of the Nether Abyss, sensing the pressure of the Heavenly Tribulation, instantly became listless. The originally surging black Evil Mist, like ice and snow encountering raging fire, quickly retreated and shrank back to the Bottom of the Abyss, as if afraid of being burned by the lightning, and dared not leak out even a trace of demonic energy.

Ten Thousand Demon Hall, the Ninth Ancestor, through the collision of his remnant soul imprint and the Heavenly Tribulation Power, clearly sensed the supremely righteous Heavenly Dao Power. His expression drastically changed; the pleasure in his eyes instantly froze, replaced by disbelief, shock, and a hint of fear. He abruptly stood up from the dark Demon Throne, his withered finger pointing into the void, his body trembling slightly with fear, and his voice, once majestic, becoming hoarse. "Impossible! How could the Heavenly Tribulation descend at this moment? Ren Xiaoyao, you are merely a cultivator who has just entered the Earth Immortal, your foundation unstable, yet you can summon the Heavenly Tribulation Power! This is impossible!"

Unwilling to believe the reality before him, he hastily Curse Killing Power, his fingertips flashing with even faster magic spells, and the black threads between his brows surging forth wildly, attempting to completely tear Ren Xiaoyao's soul apart and complete the curse before the Heavenly Tribulation descended. However, the Heavenly Tribulation Power was far stronger than he had imagined—the moment the black pillar of light touched the lightning in the clouds, it sizzled like ice meeting fire, instantly shattering into countless tiny black threads that drifted into the air.

The remnant soul mark was also enveloped by lightning. The remnant soul within the mark felt the pressure of the Heavenly Dao Power, and its roars became increasingly shrill, but it had no strength to resist. It could only struggle in the lightning, and was eventually burned away bit by bit by the lightning, leaving not even a trace.

Ren Xiaoyao looked up at the lightning in the sky, feeling the supremely righteous Heavenly Dao Power. A flash of understanding crossed his eyes— the Heavenly Tribulation Power was the Heavenly Dao Dao's test for cultivators, and also the purest power, perfectly suited to counter the sinister and evil spells like demonic Technique Method. He no longer resisted the Heavenly Tribulation, but instead slowly loosened the barrier of his sea of consciousness, allowing the lightning in the clouds to flow into his sea of consciousness through his brow, wanting to use the Heavenly Tribulation Power to completely erase the remnant soul imprint and repair his damaged divine soul.

As the golden lightning entered the sea of consciousness, it swept away the remaining black marks like Pure and Holy torrent. Those marks, which had been arrogant and domineering before the Emperor Power and the Purifying Power, were utterly powerless before the lightning, instantly burned away without leaving even a trace of resentment. The torn barrier in the sea of consciousness healed at a visible speed under the nourishment of the lightning, the black cracks gradually disappeared, and the sea of consciousness became clear as a mirror once more.

Not only that, his Soul Origin also became more condensed under the tempering of the lightning. His originally somewhat floating divine soul became solid at this moment, and he could even clearly perceive the flow of Spiritual Qi within Fang Yuan miles, and even the aura of the Demon Beast hidden in the mountains and forests. This leap in perception was something he had never experienced before. It was as if the vitality and movement of the entire Black Miasma Mountain Range were all under his control.

The lightning in the clouds gradually subsided, no longer as violent as before, but becoming gentler. The last golden lightning bolt slowly descended, not striking the earth as expected, but transforming into a warm golden current, like the Warm Sun of spring, flowing into Ren Xiaoyao's dantian along his meridians. This current carried pure Heavenly Dao Power, nourishing his damaged Nascent Soul and meridians—the nascent Nascent Soul in his dantian, which had been somewhat weakened by the explosion of Emperor Power, instantly became vibrant upon contact with the current, and the golden light around it grew even more intense; the small wounds torn in his meridians healed at a visible speed, and the previously sluggish flow of spiritual energy became smooth again, even more rapid than before.