The tribulation was like a whirlpool, constantly pulling in surrounding powerhouses, growing larger and larger until it finally enveloped and dragged in the entire Five Phoenix Continent.
At the Origin Lake, on the central island,
Lu leaned back in his Thousand-Blade Chair, watching everything with calm composure.
He was like an outsider, quietly observing the myriad events unfolding across the Five Phoenix Continent.
The world was a chessboard, and Lu Ping’an was the one moving the pieces.
If the game was dull and ordinary, it would be boring. Only when the waves surged and climaxes piled upon one another did it become truly interesting.
Moreover, Lu’s goal was to make the cultivators of the Five Phoenix Continent stronger—to push them to the threshold of the Immortal-Martial realm.
Therefore, there were many things he would not interfere with.
On the Conferred God Stele, one departed soul after another drifted over and merged into it, each leaving behind a name.
Lu’s palm gently tapped the armrest, his gaze falling upon the stele.
A new name slowly emerged.
“Tang Guo.”
Seeing this name, Lu let out a soft sigh.
This name was tied to Lu Jiulian.
Though Lu Jiulian had originally been created from Lu’s clone fruit, he had long since ceased to be merely a clone.
Even Lu no longer regarded him as such.
Instead, he treated him as a living person—a genius cultivator with monstrous talent.
With Golden Immortals now entering the fray, this tribulation was approaching its end.
Lu withdrew his gaze.
With a thought, he looked toward the skies beyond the Five Phoenix Continent.
He could sense that, outside the Five Phoenix world, a terrifying aura was faintly rising and falling—as though some horrifying existence was crossing time and space to descend.
Lu raised an eyebrow slightly.
Was this the work of those ancient Great Emperors in the void rifts?
Lu narrowed his eyes.
But he wasn’t too concerned. The Five Phoenix tribulation was nearing its conclusion.
If possible, the beings stirred up by those ancient Great Emperors would make excellent sparring partners for the living creatures of the Five Phoenix Continent.
…
BOOM!
The Heavenly Gate swung open.
Radiant light burst forth in all directions. High above the sky, a green lotus suddenly bloomed.
Nine petals unfurled, each one ringing with metallic clarity.
Terrifying Golden Immortal aura instantly flooded the world. In that moment, the entire battlefield fell into dead silence.
Lu Jiulian appeared in the Five Phoenix Continent as though teleporting through the Heavenly Gate.
His gaze fell upon Tang Guo, lying in Tang Yimo’s arms. A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes, only to turn ice-cold and ruthless.
Far away, the Golden Crow Demon Saint—who was battling the eleven Witch Kings—suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure.
“Azure Lotus Golden Immortal!”
The Golden Crow Demon Saint drew a deep breath. The incomparable force felt as though it could crush him in an instant.
A Golden Immortal—a being on the level of a Demon Emperor!
How could they have provoked Lu Jiulian into entering the fray?
Weren’t Golden Immortals supposed to avoid involvement in the conflict between witches and demons?
Lu Jiulian stepped down from the sky, one step at a time.
His expression was cold and merciless.
Tang Yimo’s face had already gone numb. Tang Guo was his sister—his closest kin.
The little girl who used to wipe snot on him.
The little girl who would break a steamed bun in half, give him the bigger piece even though she herself was starving.
Tang Yimo felt as though his heart was splitting apart.
Tang Guo’s body, having overexerted her God King Physique, was slowly dissolving into specks of dissipating energy.
Lu Jiulian descended from the sky and gently took Tang Guo from Tang Yimo’s arms.
He sighed softly.
He had never wanted to get involved in this great tribulation, yet in the end, he was pulled in because of this girl.
After all, she was his only disciple.
His only remaining family.
He gently patted Tang Guo’s head.
Gradually, her body turned into glowing embers, scattering into the heavens and earth like fireflies.
“It’s alright. Master will take you home.”
Lu Jiulian smiled.
Then he straightened up.
Around him, more than a dozen Demon Kings stiffened. They seemed to realize they had provoked an existence far too terrifying.
Azure Lotus Golden Immortal… this was a Golden Immortal powerhouse.
Lu Jiulian swept his gaze over them.
An eye for an eye, a grudge for a grudge.
By killing Tang Guo, they had entangled themselves in karma.
He raised his hand. In his palm, a lotus flower quietly bloomed. Then the petals scattered, carrying a clear stream that swept across the bodies of those Demon Kings.
They too dissolved into energy and vanished without pain.
BOOM!
High above, terrifying currents of destiny intertwined. Lu Jiulian looked up and seemed to see even his own Golden Immortal destiny being drawn into the vortex.
But he did not care.
Every powerhouse present feared him deeply.
A Golden Immortal—on the same level as the witch of Mount Buzhou. How could they not fear him?
Whichever side Lu Jiulian stood on would almost certainly win this tribulation.
Lu Mudui and Mo Tianyu’s expressions were complicated.
Things had escalated after all.
Even a Golden Immortal had been drawn in.
Mo Tianyu, however, breathed a sigh of relief. He understood that Lu Jiulian’s appearance gave the Witch Race a chance to catch their breath.
The Demon Saints would not dare ignore the might of a Golden Immortal at this moment.
After dealing with the Demon Kings,
Lu Jiulian paid no further attention to the Demon Race—whether it was the royal court or the Witch Race, he had not chosen a side.
He had only entered this storm because of his disciple.
Now, he simply wanted to bring her back.
“Where do the dead go?”
“To the Netherworld, walking the Yellow Springs path…”
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“That path is a little cold.”
Lu Jiulian murmured.
In the next instant, he stepped forward and vanished like a blur.
When he reappeared, he was already inside the Nine Hells Secret Realm.
This was the entrance to the Netherworld.
Tang Yimo had also abandoned the Witch Race and rushed after him. He too realized that if there was any chance to save Tang Guo, it would be in the Netherworld.
As Lu Jiulian and Tang Yimo departed,
everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
The fighting resumed, but the eleven Witch Kings seized the moment to escape while wounded.
Though the Witch Race had suffered a crushing defeat, they still retained their core strength and swiftly retreated toward the Western Continent.
The Golden Crow Demon Saint and the other Demon Saints would not let the eleven Witch Kings escape so easily.
They unleashed their full speed and gave chase, determined to seize the chance to kill them.
If the Witch Kings were allowed to recover and reform the Heavenly Witch’s True Form, the Demon Race would have no way to resist.
On the other side,
the Hegemon was still being suppressed by Li Sansui’s Ten Thousand Immortals Grand Array.
Li Sansui understood the Hegemon’s unyielding dao intent, so he did not launch any offensive attacks—only a sealing formation to bind him.
As long as the Hegemon could not break free, the Witch Race would lose its most powerful ally.
However, although the Hegemon had never allowed the forces of Xijun to join this conflict,
Luo Mingsang and the Hegemon’s subordinates—such as Xu Chu, Zhao Zixu, and others—had been closely watching the Calamity of Witches and Demons.
When they learned that the Hegemon was being suppressed in the Northern Domain,
Luo Mingsang’s face turned deathly pale.
After much thought, she sent Zhao Zixu to the Eastern Sea ancient tomb to seek Luo Mingyue.
Luo Mingsang didn’t care about the grand scheme of the tribulation. She only knew that the Hegemon was her husband, and she had to save him.
After receiving the message, Zhao Zixu personally rushed to the Eastern Sea and found the ancient tomb.
He met Luo Mingyue.
With a complicated expression, Luo Mingyue slung her pipa over her back and left the tomb.
Mo Liqi, Jiang Li, and Ximen Xianzhi watched her depart but did not stop her.
Luo Mingyue and Zhao Zixu hurried to Mount Buzhou.
Luo Mingyue sat cross-legged on the spot and began to play her pipa.
The melody was graceful, yet each note transformed into razor-sharp blades that clashed against Li Sansui’s array.
The music and array runes collided, sending terrifying shockwaves in all directions.
But Li Sansui was, after all, at the Profound Immortal level.
Luo Mingyue had not yet reached Profound Immortal and could not shake the array in the slightest.
After three full days and nights of failed attempts,
her ten fingers were already stained with blood.
At that moment, three figures came walking across the vast sea.
Ximen Xianzhi unleashed a sword that split the heavens. Sword light shook the world, raising a thousand drifts of snow and chilling the Nine Netherworlds.
Having inherited the Sword King’s legacy, Ximen Xianzhi now carried the demeanor of the Sword King himself.
Jiang Li led the Hegemon’s Xiang Family Army, forming a military formation. A blood-colored War God strode forth, launching an assault on the array.
In this moment, the four inheritors of the King legacies erupted with astonishing coordination.
Li Sansui’s Ten Thousand Immortals Grand Array actually showed signs of cracking.
…
Lu Jiulian and Tang Yimo arrived at the Nine Hells Secret Realm.
During this time, Tang Yimo’s injuries had gradually recovered. His unique physique, tainted by demonic qi, allowed him to heal at an astonishing speed.
Lu Jiulian walked with his hands behind his back, green lotus phantoms blooming around him as he advanced step by step toward the Netherworld.
His aura alone was enough to force open the gates of the Netherworld prison.
However, to Lu Jiulian’s surprise, he was unable to blast open the final gate.
“Why can’t it open?”
Tang Yimo’s eyes were filled with madness.
“The Nether Emperor has sealed the Netherworld. Outsiders cannot enter—only departed souls may be guided in.”
Lu Jiulian said calmly.
“Sealed the Netherworld… why?”
Tang Yimo’s eyes flashed with unwillingness. He still wanted to enter the Netherworld to find Tang Guo’s soul, but now he didn’t even have the right to step inside.
“No particular reason—just to avoid the tribulation… The Nether Emperor is also a Golden Immortal. How could he not sense the great tribulation?”
“If not for Tang Guo, I too would have stayed out of this tribulation.”
Lu Jiulian said.
“But since I’m already here… today, I will enter the Netherworld.”
“Every time someone dies, a rebirth flower blooms on the banks of the Yellow Springs. As long as I don’t allow Tang Guo’s rebirth flower to bloom, it will not bloom.”
Lu Jiulian’s voice was firm.
The next moment, his aura soared into the sky, as though it could change the colors of heaven and earth.
“Nether Emperor, open the gates of the Netherworld!”
BOOM!
The terrifying shockwave shook the entire Netherworld.
The Yellow Springs surged, the Sea of Bitterness rippled.
Countless departed souls let out terrified cries.
The nine city lords of the cities of the dead appeared, their expressions grave.
“It’s the Azure Lotus Golden Immortal…”
“He wants to force his way into the Netherworld?”
The city lords’ faces were solemn.
Tantai Xuan naturally sensed it as well. Holding his Life-and-Death Register, his gaze was heavy.
“The tribulation… has finally reached the Netherworld after all.”
Tantai Xuan sighed softly.
Receiving no response, Lu Jiulian said no more.
He flicked his finger.
A five-colored Wrath Lotus slowly drifted out.
It tore through space and fell into the Netherworld.
The Hell Hound guarding the gate sensed the five-colored Wrath Lotus and immediately fled in terror.
BOOM!
The Wrath Lotus erupted.
Brilliant light illuminated the pitch-black Netherworld as though it were daylight.
Tantai Xuan held his Life-and-Death Register and smiled.
He had hoped to avoid the tribulation by sealing the Netherworld, but it seemed impossible now.
Since he could not avoid it, he would face it head-on.
What had he not experienced?
“Jiulian, I’ve long wanted to exchange blows with you.”
As his words fell,
two streaks of light tore through space and vanished into the outer-sky battlefield, where they began to fight.
The clash between Lu Jiulian and Tantai Xuan—two Golden Immortals—naturally stirred the destiny of the Five Phoenix Continent.
But neither fought to the death.
At the Golden Immortal level, a friendly spar was enough. After all, both were supreme combat powers of the Five Phoenix.
On the other side, Tang Yimo charged into the Netherworld, searching for Tang Guo’s soul.
The nine city lords moved to stop him. Tang Yimo showed no fear and fought back.
He only wanted to bring back Tang Guo’s soul.
“The Netherworld has its own rules. This is the land of the dead’s rebirth. If every person dissatisfied with a loved one’s death came to the Netherworld to retrieve them, the Six Paths of Reincarnation would fall into chaos.”
The nine city lords spoke.
A great battle erupted.
But there were too many powerhouses in the Netherworld. In the end, Tang Yimo collapsed exhausted on the banks of the Yellow Springs, surrounded by a sea of rebirth flowers.
In the outer-sky battlefield,
the battle between Lu Jiulian and Tantai Xuan also came to an end.
Countless dead and silent continents shattered. Void itself crumbled inch by inch.
Tantai Xuan and Lu Jiulian hovered in space. Their auras surged, neither weaker than the other.
“Tang Guo is not dead. Her name did not appear in the Life-and-Death Register I forged.”
Tantai Xuan said.
These words stunned Lu Jiulian.
“In other words, Tang Guo did die—because a rebirth flower bloomed on the banks of the Yellow Springs—but her soul did not enter the Netherworld.”
Tantai Xuan continued.
“This is a heavenly secret and should not be revealed.”
“But… who told you to be so likable?”
Tantai Xuan smiled.
Hearing this, Lu Jiulian’s stern face softened slightly.
He looked earnestly at Tantai Xuan.
Tantai Xuan tossed the Life-and-Death Register to him.
“Do you think I’d lie to you?”
Lu Jiulian caught it but did not flip through it. He merely glanced curiously at the register.
So this Life-and-Death Register was the Emperor Weapon—the Innate Spiritual Treasure—Tantai Xuan had forged?
“If Tang Guo’s soul didn’t enter the Netherworld, where did it go?”
Lu Jiulian asked.
“That, I don’t know.”
Tantai Xuan shook his head. After retrieving the register, he prepared to leave.
But just as he was about to depart, both of them—now calm—seemed to sense something at the same time. They exchanged a glance, grave expressions flashing in their eyes.
“Emperor Realm aura.”
It was faint and sometimes weakened, but it was unmistakably an Emperor Realm aura.
Whoosh!
The two shifted and appeared in the void starry sky beyond the Five Phoenix Continent.
Life stars floated in the void, each one dazzlingly beautiful.
Every star burst with vigorous life force, enveloped in destiny.
The saint ancestors seated on those life stars sensed the two Emperor Realm powerhouses and respectfully bowed.
Tantai Xuan held the Life-and-Death Register; Lu Jiulian sat cross-legged on his green lotus. Together they crossed the void.
Soon they reached the Abyss of Nothingness.
The abyss was like a deep chasm separating the void starry sky from the Ninth Heaven.
Lu Jiulian and Tantai Xuan’s expressions grew solemn. They could sense an extremely terrifying aura surging within the abyss.
The two exchanged a glance.
Then, without hesitation, they transformed into streaks of light and plunged into the abyss.
They delved deeper and deeper.
Finally, terrifying, distorting tearing forces erupted.
Deep within the abyss, array runes floated, tearing open a twisted spatial passage.
At the entrance of the passage, a ferocious, enormous figure was squeezing half its body through.
It had four pairs of fleshy wings covered in scales—utterly terrifying. It seemed to embody the rules of the Great Dao, distorting and annihilating everything around it.
“Emperor Realm being!”
Tantai Xuan’s expression changed slightly.
Lu Jiulian also looked grave. Neither had expected that, in such a hidden corner deep within the Abyss of Nothingness, there would be a terrifying Emperor Realm being attempting to sneak through.
It was trying to cross into the void starry sky—into the Five Phoenix world!
“This aura… it feels somewhat similar to the being that fused with the Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor after his coffin was opened!”
Tantai Xuan said.
They had witnessed that battle with their own eyes and recognized the similarity.
“What lies beyond that passage? Why is such a powerful existence crossing over?”
Tantai Xuan drew a deep breath, his eyes blazing.
“If it dares invade the Five Phoenix, kill it!”
“We’ve encountered it now. Naturally, we must destroy it!”
Tantai Xuan declared.
Taking advantage of the fact that the Emperor Realm being was trapped at the passage and could not move freely, Tantai Xuan and Lu Jiulian unleashed their most powerful Golden Immortal attacks without hesitation.
BOOM!
Brilliant light illuminated the pitch-black abyss.
The Emperor Realm being stuck in the passage was speechless. In the next moment, it was engulfed by the attacks, its upper body exploding.
Terrifying flesh and blood contained powerful rule auras.
Tantai Xuan struck again and again without pause.
Lu Jiulian flicked one Wrath Lotus after another.
The Emperor Realm being’s flesh was blasted apart.
The falling chunks of flesh transformed into new beings, each still radiating immense power.
In the end, all the spawned creatures were ground to dust by Tantai Xuan and Lu Jiulian.
“Jiulian, I’ll stay here and suppress these mysterious, unknown Emperor Realm beings. You go back and help the Five Phoenix finish the tribulation. Also, find Young Master Lu and ask him about these Emperor Realm beings.”
“I have a bad feeling. This passage might be something those ancient Great Emperors in the void rifts created… What lies beyond it could be a world as terrifying as the Ninth Heaven.”
Tantai Xuan said to Lu Jiulian.
“I should stay here instead.”
Lu Jiulian replied.
But Tantai Xuan burst into laughter and waved the Life-and-Death Register like he was showing off a treasure.
“Do you have a handy Innate Spiritual Treasure?”
“You don’t. I do.”
Lu Jiulian: “…”
“Go on. While you’re at it, look for your precious disciple’s soul. Since it didn’t enter the Netherworld, it must be somewhere else.”
“Perhaps this tribulation is both disaster and opportunity. Otherwise, Young Master Lu wouldn’t just sit and watch.”
Tantai Xuan waved his hand.
Then he sat cross-legged deep in the abyss, his body erupting with terrifying light.
He blocked the passage filled with distorting power.
“Go back and tell those guys: the tribulation may be a tribulation, but no matter how much we fight internally, when a great enemy appears, everyone had better damn well pull themselves together and face outward!”
Tantai Xuan’s voice echoed behind him.
Lu Jiulian was silent for a long time. Finally, he nodded. The green lotus beneath his feet spun, and he transformed into a streak of light as he shot out of the abyss.
As he left the abyss,
he seemed to hear Tantai Xuan’s rough cursing from deep inside.
“No matter where the hell you bastards come from.”
“If one dares come, I’ll kill one!”
