Success, a Scene of Devastation

On the tenth day, the coordinates of the teleportation array were replicated, and the final step had finally arrived.

With a thought, Li Yunjing precisely embedded the last spatial pattern into the array base.

Buzz.

The entire teleportation array lit up with a dazzling white light.

Within the formation, a blurry figure emerged, through which the black, icy earth could be vaguely seen.

Coordinates successfully locked.

It's done.

Li Yunjing opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

But before he could even get up...

The Five Aggregates Cauldron suddenly trembled slightly.

The figure of the Five Spirits Lord appeared, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"Young master, there is something I must tell you."

Seeing his strange expression, Li Yunjing's heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong?"

"The calamity in Northern Spirit Province did not erupt naturally," Five Spirits Lord said slowly, "It was orchestrated behind the scenes."

"What?!"

Li Yunjing suddenly stood up.

Are you sure?

Five Spirits Lord said, "It's pretty close. I used the Five Aggregates Cauldron to sense the flow of Tribulation Qi throughout the world. In a normal God-Slaying Tribulation, the Tribulation Qi should spread evenly from the depths of the earth, deepening simultaneously in various places."

"But now, the Tribulation Qi is surging from the depths of the Northern Spirit Province's earth veins, as if it has a source that is constantly erupting."

"Moreover, that barrier was definitely not formed naturally; it was an High Antiquity sealing formation, specifically designed to isolate a region."

Li Yunjing's heart sank.

The mastermind?

"Who did this? And why?"

Five Spirits Lord shook his head. "It's hard to say. There are many possibilities. It could be a remnant of High Antiquity Tribulation Spirit, a remnant of an evil god who opposed the Divine Lord back then, or it could be someone who came down from the Upper Realm."

"But one thing is certain." He paused, his tone heavy, "Haoyang's matter is probably also related to him."

Li Yunjing's pupils contracted. "You mean Haoyang was also guided when absorbing the Tribulation Power?"

The Five Spirits Lord said, "There is a very high probability that absorbing Tribulation Power will lead to death. This is High Antiquity consensus. Haoyang has lived for so many years, he couldn't possibly not know this, yet he still did it and firmly believed that he could succeed."

"It's too much of a coincidence, as if someone whispered in his ear, amplifying his obsession and ambition."

A chill ran down Li Yunjing's spine.

What is the mastermind behind this trying to do?

"Why would he do this? What benefit would it bring him to instigate the catastrophe?" Li Yunjing asked in a deep voice.

Five Spirits Lord shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps it's to absorb the Tribulation Power to become stronger, perhaps it wants to destroy this world, or perhaps it's to break through the boundary."

"But one thing is certain: Northern Spirit Province was his first base. He conducted experiments there, testing his Tribulation Power and also testing our reactions."

"If we don't react, his next step will be to let the catastrophe spread to more states."

Li Yunjing remained silent for a long time.

What was initially thought to be God-Slaying Tribulation caused by the laws of heaven and earth turned out to be orchestrated by a mastermind.

This is far more troublesome than a simple natural disaster.

"It seems I have to go to Northern Spirit Province even more." He spoke slowly, his eyes resolute.

"Not only must we save Dao Lord Hanzun, but we must also find the stronghold of the mastermind behind it all."

Even if we can't eliminate him, we must thwart his plans.

He immediately issued an order to summon everyone for a meeting.

Before long, Wangshu, Primordial Lord Bi Shui, Mo Xuan, and others arrived at Heavenly Pivot Platform.

After hearing Five Spirits Lord's account, everyone's expression changed.

"The mastermind behind this?!"

"How so?"

Primordial Lord Bi Shui murmured, "No wonder I always felt that Haoyang was acting strangely during that time, as if he had been bewitched and wouldn't listen to anyone's advice."

"There's no use talking about this now. The most urgent thing is to get to Northern Spirit Province." Li Yunjing waved his hand.

"Wangshu and Primordial Lord Bi Shui, you two come with me."

"Junior Brother Mo, I'm entrusting the sect's affairs to you. Continue carving the ley line runes in various locations, continue building the branch halls of the Gods' Hall, and settle the refugees as needed. The rules must not be broken."

"Understood." Mo Xuan bowed in response.

Li Yunjing nodded. "Let's rest for a day and set off tomorrow."

The crowd dispersed to prepare for their own events.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

On the Heavenly Pivot Platform, everyone had assembled.

Li Yunjing, dressed in a blue robe, stood at the front of the formation, with Wangshu and Primordial Lord Bi Shui standing on his left and right respectively.

Li Yunjing's gaze swept over the two deities. "Enter the formation."

Li Yunjing and the two deities entered the teleportation array one after the other.

Li Yunjing was the last to step in, standing at the core of the formation.

"Start up."

With a thought, he activated the array patterns.

Buzz.

The ten array patterns lit up simultaneously.

The power of space enveloped his entire body, distorting the scene before him.

Transmission initiated.

At first it was smooth, but the further Northern Spirit Province, the more violent the turbulence became.

Like a small boat sailing in a raging storm, it bobbed up and down.

A black Tribulation Qi continuously impacted the teleportation channel, emitting a hissing sound.

"It's the barrier interfering." Wangshu's face paled slightly. "Space is being distorted."

"Stay calm."

Li Yunjing raised his hand, Five Aggregates Cauldron flew out, its five-colored spiritual light expanding the protective barrier.

The space stabilized considerably instantly.

But just as we were about to arrive...

Bang.

A muffled thud.

The teleportation channel vibrated violently.

Everyone felt a tremendous force coming from them, and their bodies swayed in unison.

The next moment, the world spun around.

Everyone fell heavily to the ground.

"Cough cough."

Primordial Lord Bi Shui coughed twice and quickly got up. "Sect Leader, are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Li Yunjing stood up, patted the frost off his body, and looked around.

Everywhere you look, there is black.

The sky was a deep, dark black, without sun or clouds, oppressively so.

The ground was covered with a thin layer of black ice crystals, which crunched underfoot.

The distant mountains and trees retain their outlines, yet appear dark and rigid, like a giant sculpture.

The air was icy cold, and when inhaled, it caused a slight stinging sensation in the lungs.

The concentration of Tribulation Qi there is more than five times that of the outside environment.

"Is this the Northern Spirit Province?" Primordial Lord Bi Shui murmured, "It's worse than I imagined."

Wangshu frowned deeply. "The Tribulation Qi is even stronger than that of the Divine Court Ruins! If this continues, it won't be long before Northern Spirit Province becomes a wasteland."

Li Yunjing remained silent, his divine sense spreading out.

However, as soon as his divine sense extended a hundred feet, it was interfered with by the Tribulation Qi and became blurry.

"Your divine sense is suppressed. Be careful not to get separated from others," he said in a deep voice.

"Let's head towards the Cold Abyss first."

After determining their direction, the group headed north.

As we traveled along, the sights we saw were shocking.

I passed through a small town, which was completely deserted.

Every household had its doors wide open, and people remained in their final moments, sitting or standing, all transformed into black stone statues.

The street stalls were still displaying goods, and the tables and chairs in the restaurant were neatly arranged.

But there was absolutely no sign of life in it.

It was as if time had been frozen at a certain moment.

"That's terrible," Wangshu whispered.

Wangshu crouched down and examined the stone statue. "It was petrified by the Tribulation Qi, its soul was devoured by the Tribulation Power, and its body was mineralized by the Tribulation Qi. It died a very painful death."

Li Yunjing remained silent, but continued walking.

The further north you go, the stronger the Tribulation Qi becomes.

Occasionally, one might encounter berserk cultivators on the road, their eyes pitch black, who attack anyone they see.

Li Yunjing didn't even need to lift a finger; the two deities dealt with the cultivators on their own.

The more they fought, the heavier the two gods' hearts became.

Because more and more people are going berserk.

After walking for about two hours, a group of people appeared ahead.

There were about a dozen people, all wounded, surrounded by seven or eight berserk wild beasts, struggling to hold on.

"They're from Cold Abyss!" Li Yunjing's eyes sharpened. "Rescue!"

The group rushed forward and quickly dispatched the beast.

Leading the group was Du'e, who had accompanied Li Yunjing to the Divine Court Ruins. Upon seeing Li Yunjing, he was first taken aback, then his voice trembled with excitement. "Dao Lord Li?! How did you get in?"