Encountering a runaway steed charging headlong towards you on the road, one's limbs might stiffen with fear, only to realize the horse has taken a different path. What sort of feeling might that be?
The changes in the source region of the Boundary River are, in fact, still ongoing, yet to all involved, it feels as though the course of events has abruptly veered off in another direction.
The newcomer who has suddenly joined in, despite the varied gazes of those around him, maintains his posture of resting his chin on one hand, unfazed. It appears he is quite accustomed to this, much like the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave has demonstrated in the past. From Yu Ci's perspective, it's hard to discern the newcomer's facial expressions. However, perhaps it's psychological, but Yu Ci feels that the same posture, when compared between the authentic and the counterfeit, indeed possesses a more genuine grandeur. However, it isn't long before he hears a sigh:
"Be it Shadow Ghost or the great Brahma, whoever it is, has waited far too long!"
"Shadow Ghost? The great Brahma?" On the other side, a certain Cultivator, having just regained composure, finally starts to piece things together, "Who are these eminent beings?"
This person is the last remaining Vacuum Walking Cultivator in this realm, and in terms of Cultivation Level, he is second only to the two currently in confrontation. However, his mind is now completely filled with confusion. He only recognizes Wen Shifei, the Old Daoist, and the young people who seem to belong to the Lichen Sect. As for the others, not one is a well-known figure in the Cultivation World, yet each one seems more formidable than the last. What, what does this all mean?
At this moment, the formidable individual who had been clamoring about the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion sneers, "Qu Wu's Thunderbolt Tribulation?"
"Which Qu Wu... Qu Wu's Thunderbolt Tribulation!"
The Vacuum Walking Cultivator is like a fish out of water, eyes and mouth gaping to the extreme.
Having practiced for hundreds of years, he is neither a fool nor ignorant. Precisely because of this, he understands what he has encountered!
When the seal of the Sword Garden was broken, he thought that as a Vacuum Walking Cultivator entering the Sword Garden at the Golden Elixir level, he would be like a tiger among sheep, taking whatever he pleased. But since entering the Boundary River, many events have struck him like a barrage of slaps, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. Looking again, the figures in his field of vision keep growing larger and taller, becoming towering giants, while he himself shrinks, diminishing into a tiny ant.
What kind of circle had he stumbled into?
Just as regret begins to grow wildly like unchecked weeds, the great tumult of the Crimson Fire Demon Flame surges once more, mingled with a violent killing intent, swiftly engulfing the figure seated within.
Yet, the melody from the twelve jade towers beyond the heavens remains. Even as the roar of the Crimson Fire Demon Flame is deafening, the strand of Clear Tone is never suppressed. It even sheds its ethereal quality, becoming as clear and expansive as the azure sky, lofty and vast. No matter how powerful the Crimson Fire Demon Flame, it always carves out a piece of the sky, untainted.
Faced with this scene, the one who struck first laughs, "A mere shadow dares to deceive me!"
"You're nothing more than a sort of Separate Consciousness and Thoughts, right?"
Yu Ci sneered inwardly, though of course, the explanation of "lingering shadow" seemed most plausible. The figure before him, though of unfathomable strength, still fell far short of the legendary Great Sword Immortal, especially since its appearance relied on the power released when the more than ten artifacts of the Sword Immortal's Legacy were shattered—an unusual method that inevitably invited suspicion.
The figure made no other response, merely rising from the seat that dissolved like wisps of smoke, its gaze seemingly piercing through Yuan Dao's Physical Body to the true master hidden behind. It repeated, "Waited too long... let's finish this!"
"Just my intention!"
Yuan Dao's Physical Body revealed a sinister smile, then raised his right hand high, and with a buzzing vibration, a denser dark red color spread from his body in all directions. When it reached about thirty feet outward, it abruptly divided into five streaks of firelight, writhing like serpents, akin to the ropes of a tent, pulling the dark red area to expand until it locked onto the several points where the "nails" were driven in.
The beastly eyes of deep purple and gold emitted a bewitching light, their main target still the lingering shadow of the Thunderbolt Tribulation, but the peripheral vision scattered widely, sweeping across the faces of everyone present. Yu Ci, Yu Zhou, Wen Shifei, the dazed Incense Slave, the frightened fools... none who could act were missed:
"A blood sacrifice would be best indeed!"
Even if it was just a Separate Consciousness and Thoughts, the consciousness of the Great Brahma Demon King indeed resided within Yuan Dao's Physical Body. As an opponent who had been clashing with the Thunderbolt Tribulation, both openly and covertly, before the Five Thunderbolt Tribulations, it would never underestimate Thunderbolt-Free Sword Immortal's capabilities. The Thunderbolt-Free Sword Immortal was not only endowed with earth-shattering Cultivation Level but also possessed a perspective that had weathered the vicissitudes of time, understanding the hearts of men and the guile of spirits—a truly formidable and fearsome gaze.
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"The worst-case scenario would of course be his true body present here, fully recovered from chronic illness—then all bets are off. But this person is not one to feign mystery and profundity; now that we have a lingering shadow, that's all it is. What he can rely on is none other than the Sword Immortal's Secret domain he opened up himself, and it's essential to cut off his root first!"
With a clear line of thought, the Great Brahma Demon King felt that the original progress was somewhat unsightly. Even now, the erosion of the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion on the source region of the Boundary River was still underway, but this was not enough!
The Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion was a confluence of all the filth in the world, evolving from the gathering of foul qi. Its nature was dark and sinister, inherently possessing the need to seize blood to balance yin and yang. The saying "Sky Demon bewitches the mind, demons and monsters crave blood" could not be more accurate. Given the current situation, to live-sacrifice these few Cultivators might draw more of its own body's power from across the corridor—why not do it?
The rich, dark red region was the projection of the "Black Magic Altar" set up in the Skyless Scorched Purgatory. This altar could be touted as the unique and unparalleled super altar of the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, and it was also one of the crucial elements for its attainment of the Dao. Even through the spatial barriers, being able to exert only one in a billionth of its power was sufficient to become the key to dominating the situation.
"Come all into the fold!"
Flames, like serpentine creatures, burrowed beneath the feet of Yu Ci and the others, exploding with a "bang" and transforming into countless Talisman Pattern Fractals. They branded themselves onto the ground and every possible surface, some fractals even solidifying mid-air to form three-dimensional structures, resembling cages that imprison people.
Draining blood and flesh, devouring Divine Souls! The functions described by the separated Rune Patterns were simple and brutal. Anyone with a slight understanding of talismans could see it. No one wanted these Rune Patterns to take effect. In an instant, powerful shockwaves erupted throughout the various regions of this world.
Yu Ci didn't get the chance to make a move, but a delicate sword chant beside him, like mist and storm, whirled through the air. The Sword Energy it carried twisted the Rune Patterns, and the ground to which they clung instantly turned to sand, their structures completely collapsing.
This was the Dissolution Sword Technique of the Lichen Sect. Although it couldn't aim directly at immortality, its lethality was pure. The Rune Patterns were crushed before they could take effect. However, what was most astonishing was Yu Zhou himself. At this moment, his hair and beard were as dark as ink, each strand penetrating deep into his flesh. His wrinkles may not have diminished much, but his entire being seemed to have rejuvenated by more than fifty years. A vibrant vitality radiated from him, enhancing the Sword Energy that extended over a mile around him, firmly protecting both him and Yu Ci within it.
Yu Ci, both alarmed and delighted, exclaimed, "Could this be the effect of the Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill?"
Before his joy subsided, the surrounding dark red deepened, seemingly transforming into tangible flames. Looking at the world around them, countless fiery lines spread and extended, with millions of Talisman Pattern Fractals dancing wildly, forming a massive Rune Array. New talismans were continuously integrated into it.
Yu Ci, unaware that this was actually the projection of a Black Magic Altar from another world, knew that this immense Rune Array was no longer something that could be destroyed by an individual. The pressure on Yu Zhou surged dramatically.
From a distance came a shrill scream, signaling that someone had already met with misfortune.
Yu Ci pursed his lips and gripped the sword handle, the thought of drawing his sword crossing his mind. A violent reaction immediately came from the dark sheath, and a ferocious intent pierced through his defenses, howling in his mind:
"Kill, kill, kill!"
"Idiot, don't draw it out. What the Great Brahma needs most now is a bloodbath..."
Someone who had not been in contact for a long time roared in Yu Ci's ear. But before the words were finished, the void suddenly constricted, and deep purple, golden-rimmed eyes shifted, locking onto Yu Ci across the several miles' distance.
Yu Zhou, still not grasping the full situation, remained silent. With a step forward, he shielded Yu Ci behind him. Yu Ci could feel that the focus of the gaze was not on any part of his body but instead on the long sword he held in his left hand.
"It really is the Xuan Huang Killing Sword, so it was there all along!"
The Great Brahma Demon King let out a wry chuckle, "To think it would come to me without any effort!"
Within its plans, the Xuan Huang Killing Sword played a crucial role. Having withstood countless Thunderbolt Tribulations, the sword had accumulated a vast amount of Killing Karma, giving rise to a Bloodthirsty Qi that was unparalleled in this realm. For the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, it was a tonic a thousand times more nourishing than the vital essence of Cultivators. Using it as a beacon could even draw the mansion's true form to linger in this realm for a moment. In that instant, the very nature of heaven and earth would undergo a complete transformation, turning into a new territory of the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion.
"Hand it over!"
The focus of the Black Magic Altar's attack shifted in an instant.
However, at the moment of this shift, the Great Brahma Demon King's well-honed demonic instincts were suddenly alarmed, a foreboding sense enveloping his heart like gathering storm clouds.
He realized that the shadow of the Thunderbolt Tribulation, which had claimed to "end things quickly," had been idle for far too long. Moreover, the sense of "running off course" that he had felt when that being first appeared was now clearer than ever.
"Shadow Ghost, are you content?"
Was he speaking to... that fool? As the thought crystallized, an irresistible dizziness swept over him.
The Great Brahma Demon King regretted not expending more effort during the Soul Possession on the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave, opting instead for a forceful Seal. Little did it consider that even in such a state, the Thunderbolt Tribulation's control over its former "shadow" was so profoundly commanding—admittedly, there had been fatal errors in that control, but since they were "errors," the correct instances invariably dominated.
The will of the Great Brahma Demon King was among the most resilient in this realm, capable of reacting promptly even when in a tight spot, and he suppressed the adverse effects. Yet, the contingency plan of the Thunderbolt Tribulation was triggered in that very moment of dizziness.
In the instant when thoughts came to a standstill, an invisible hand reached in and seized the handle of the void's dramatic change.
The Great Brahma Demon King sought to regain control, but in another world millions of miles away, a mocking laugh etched in memory echoed through every corner of the lowest levels of the Skyless Scorched Purgatory:
"Old Brahma, let the battle begin!"
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