Mùnè Daoren was scorched black all over — he had nearly been reduced to ashes just moments ago!
Purple lightning, each bolt as thick as a water barrel, hooked across the nine heavens and crashed down from the vault of the sky. The thunder-light was terrifying, scorching the earth and stone to char.
Mùnè Daoren’s expression changed drastically. This was the Purple Empyrean lightning, specifically designed to counter him — it could destroy his Nine Tribulation Body. Unless his Heavenly Art reached the realm of perfection, he could not withstand it.
The thunder-light was terrifying. He was like a tender sapling in a storm, liable to snap at any moment. His daoist robe had already turned to flying ash, and his body was covered in ghastly burn scars.
“It’s you again, you wretched dead dog — your nose is truly keen! I haven’t settled the score from last time with you yet!” Mùnè Daoren bellowed. He and Duan De were one and the same — there was no distinction between them.
“Old cow-nose! I had some regrets last time for not taking you as my pet. Today I’ve come especially to collect you!” the Great Black Dog taunted. It manipulated the lightning, striking heaven and earth into trembling, the thunder-light fearsome.
A great dog openly declaring it would make him its pet — for Daoist Duan, who had never suffered such an indignity, the humiliation was beyond words. His fingers shook with rage. He wanted nothing more than to flay it alive on the spot, immediately braise a pot of black dog meat, and swallow it down, broth and flesh together.
“You dog-demon — this poor Daoist will certainly suppress you!”
“My little pet, do not be disrespectful to me. Be careful or I’ll slowly put you through your paces later.” The Great Black Dog was like a pompous wolf, enormously arrogant.
“Boundless… Heavenly Venerate!” Duan De softly chanted his Daoist title, and waves of treasured radiance emanated from his body.
“It’s no use. I know you’ve cultivated the Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Art — all of this has been arranged for you.” The Great Black Dog smiled with crafty cunning.
The mountaintop was covered in Dao-patterns everywhere, completely sealed off. It manipulated the Purple Empyrean lightning, one thunderclap after another, transforming this place into a sea of thunder.
Although Duan De’s cultivation was profound, he could not break out of this forbidden zone. He was trapped on the mountain, struck by one bolt of Purple Empyrean lightning after another, his whole body shuddering, scorched black and miserable, his form on the verge of annihilation.
Far away, many cultivators could not make out what was happening here — they could only see lightning shaking the nine heavens.
The Dao-patterns the Black Emperor had inscribed were mysterious, completely isolating the mountain peak from the outside world. Only the lightning crashing down from the sky could be seen.
“Dog-demon, you and I have no old enmity and no recent grievance. Why are you doing this — what exactly do you want?” Mùnè Daoren demanded.
“Hand over all your source stones, and I’ll take you as my pet.” The Great Black Dog replied, sticking its bald tail high in the air.
“Damn it!” Mùnè Daoren — Duan De — flew into a rage. “Boundless Heavenly Venerate! You dog-thing are far too underhanded. Today this poor Daoist will damage his own cultivation if he must, but he will take you, you wretched beast!”
Nearby, Ye Fan chuckled slyly. A radiance flickered in his hand — he had already prepared the Profound Jade Platform. This operation was about to reach a successful conclusion.
Tu Fei egged things on from the side. “That dog — if you can actually make him your pet, then I’ll truly admire you.”
“Woof!”
“Boom!”
A bolt of purple lightning struck down, nearly landing on Tu Fei’s head. He hurriedly shut his mouth and dared not say another word. In this forbidden zone, the Great Black Dog reigned supreme.
“Nine heavens, nine earths… temper the undying body!” Mùnè Daoren — Duan De — called out lightly.
But his voice was swiftly cut off as the Great Black Dog directly roared: “Heavenly Tribulation!”
Ten-thousand-zhang bolts of lightning descended from the sky. All the purple radiance merged into one. Purple mist filled the air, brilliance dazzling — this was a world that belonged to lightning!
Purple Empyrean everywhere, thunderstorms everywhere — every single inch of space was filled with terrifying radiance capable of destroying all things.
“The Heavenly Tribulation within the Nine Tribulation Dao-patterns — is that the Heavenly Tribulation?!” Mùnè Daoren cried out in shock.
“Boom!”
This was no longer a single bolt of lightning — it could rightly be called a sea of thunder. Endless purple radiance gathered together and crashed down, striking the unscrupulous Daoist’s body until it cracked apart, on the verge of shattering. Though he was formed of divine power and was not a body of flesh and blood, he still felt a bone-piercing, heart-stabbing pain, and he cried out: “You actually command this kind of ancient method?!”
“There’s plenty more I know, this Emperor knows. Quickly become my pet!” the Great Black Dog cried.
“Damn it! Boundless Heavenly Venerate!” Duan De was nearly crooked with rage, but the situation was stronger than the man — he truly had no recourse.
“Boom!”
Endless lightning struck down, beating Duan De’s form into translucency. A good deal of his divine power had dispersed — he had come close to having his form obliterated.
“Let my pet submit! I shall grant you supreme honor!” The Great Black Dog was incomparably spirited — just like Duan De had been not long ago, his violet robes billowing as he cursed at the sacred grounds.
“Boundless, your mother’s Heavenly Venerate! Dead dog, don’t get too pleased with yourself!” Duan De gritted his teeth and persisted, thinking of a way to break free.
“Boom!”
The sea of thunder crashed down. Duan De was driven into the soil layer, his mouth full of grit and earth.
“Let my pet tremble in awe! Your master’s fury has arrived — his wrath shall stir the nine heavens!” The Great Black Dog was incomparably solemn, sacred and dignified — surpassing even Duan De of a short while ago.
Tu Fei stared dumbfounded. “What the — has this dead dog also entered the zone? Does it not want Duan De to have all the limelight, and wants to look down upon the world itself?”
“Boom!”
A thousand bolts of lightning interweaved and fell. The dazzling brilliance struck Duan De until his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Let my pet repent! Kneel before me — this Emperor forgives your transgressions!” The Great Black Dog grew more and more elevated, its enormous head held high, like an inviolable deity.
Even Ye Fan was rendered speechless. This dead dog had truly gotten into character, casting itself as a god — even more Duan De-like than Duan De himself.
“Let my pet who has strayed find the way home! This Emperor is omnipresent, walking beside you, guiding you back to my side!” The Great Black Dog’s divine authority was awe-inspiring, its posture one of complete and utter condescension, its treasured form majestic and solemn.
“Boom!”
Layer upon layer of lightning shattered both of Duan De’s arms. Although his divine power could reconstitute them, the pain still made him curse incessantly.
“Damn it all!” Mùnè Daoren Duan De’s face had gone completely green. He had never suffered such a monumental loss in his life — a dog with its head held high looking down at him, clamoring to take him as a pet. It gave him the urge to vomit blood.
“Dead dog — what exactly do you want to make this stop?” Duan De was barely holding on. This incarnation that had grown out of the Divine Palace absolutely could not be lost, for he still needed this avatar to rescue his true body.
“Black Emperor, make him hand over the source stones!” Ye Fan shouted. This dead dog was so busy enjoying itself that it had nearly forgotten the real business at hand.
“Let my pet prostrate in worship! This Emperor absolves you of your transgressions — grovel at my feet and I shall guide your path forward!” The Great Black Dog was growing ever more absorbed in the role.
“Boom!”
Lightning crashed down, and Duan De leapt and danced about to avoid the strikes.
“Damn it all, will this ever end?!” Duan De’s whole body shook with fury.
“Quickly hand over all the source stones and I’ll make it stop,” Ye Fan transmitted through the thunder.
“You two are utterly without humanity! This poor Daoist risked life and limb to obtain these — how can you do this to me?!” Duan De called out indignantly.
“Isn’t this precisely how you’ve always conducted yourself, Daoist?” Ye Fan teased.
“This poor Daoist always left room to maneuver — but you two…” Mùnè Daoren Duan De’s hair was disheveled, his state utterly wretched.
“Let my pet bow their head! This Emperor forgives your ignorance!” The Black Emperor assumed the pose of a religious charlatan, unleashing Purple Empyrean lightning that cut off his words.
“Let my pet pray! This Emperor…”
“Let my pet kowtow! This Emperor…”
The Great Black Dog had truly become addicted. Its solemn proclamations continued without end, and the lightning rained down furiously, making Duan De want to vomit blood.
“Dead dog, quickly collect the source stones!” Ye Fan truly could not bear to watch any longer. This creature was tormenting people beyond all limits.
“My pet, from this day forth take refuge in me — I shall be with you always. Glory shall be with you always. I shall guide you along the path of immortal life undying. My pet — kneel down before me!” The Great Black Dog finally exhaled its last proclamation.
It had truly been tormenting — even Ye Fan and Tu Fei could not endure it, to say nothing of the wretched Duan De.
Duan De had been struck by lightning until white smoke rose from all over his body. He was more dead than alive, only the lower half of him remaining, lying there motionless like a dead dog — yet his mouth still muttered curses.
“Dead dog… damn it… black dog meat… I’ll braise you alive…”
“My pet — do you submit or not?” The Black Emperor raised his head and demanded.
“I’ll give you the source stones — quickly lift the sealing array on this place.” Mùnè Daoren gave his hand a shake, and a great pile of source stones in five colors of radiance appeared on the ground.
Ye Fan did not step forward. “That’s barely ten thousand jin of source stones — nowhere near enough.”
“One must not be too greedy!” Duan De said gravely.
“Then there’s nothing to negotiate. Black Emperor, keep up the lightning.” Ye Fan laughed coldly.
“Do you truly think you can kill me?” Mùnè Daoren’s body suddenly grew translucent. He actually began to dissolve in place, dispersing into nothingness.
“The Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Art — a deity undying, present everywhere, difficult to extinguish.” A gleam flickered in the Great Black Dog’s eyes. “However, to encounter me is simply his misfortune. Did he truly think dissolving would allow him to escape this tribulation?”
“Boom!”
Lightning interweaved, filling every inch of space. Electric light like a sea flooded the mountain peak.
“These are the Nine Tribulation Dao-patterns — no matter what form you take, as long as you still live, you must cross this tribulation!”
“You…” Duan De wailed in agony, his voice transmitting from the void.
“Hand over the source stones. We don’t want to waste more words. If you don’t produce sixty thousand jin of source stones, today you can look forward to being reduced to flying ash.” Tu Fei shouted.
“My pet, if you continue to refuse this magnanimity, don’t blame this Emperor for being merciless.” The Great Black Dog threatened.
“Fine — you are truly ruthless. I will give you all the source stones I carry.” Duan De was anxious, afraid that his true body outside would be destroyed.
Crystal radiance sparkled across the sky as numerous chunks of source stones rained down from above, tumbling down. The mountain summit blazed in resplendent, five-colored brilliance, dazzling the eye.
So many source stones piled together, their spiritual energy dense and swirling — it gave one a feeling of being lost. These glittering things were truly seductive to the heart.
“Black Emperor, keep him pinned — I’ll go collect the source stones!” Ye Fan had no desire to be ambushed by Duan De.
Everything proceeded smoothly. Ye Fan swept his wide sleeves and gathered up all the source stones on the ground — a full fifty-some thousand jin. This was an enormous fortune.
Added to the twenty-five thousand jin he already had, plus that one grain of divine source — he could almost break through to the Fourth Level of the Divine Palace.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, heaven and earth shook. The mountain summit shattered. All the Dao-patterns cracked apart. The ten-thousand-zhang lightning vanished without a trace.
“What’s happening?!” Tu Fei was greatly alarmed.
“Terrible — someone with absolute power has destroyed everything!” The Great Black Dog’s heart lurched.
Without a word, Ye Fan brought out the Profound Jade Platform and threw it on the ground. He and Tu Fei leapt atop it, then tucked the Black Emperor inside his sleeve to avoid exposure.
“Boom!”
At the same moment, a second violent tremor came. All the Dao-patterns shattered entirely. Heaven and earth were restored to clarity — everything was laid bare.
The true body of Duan De proper appeared in a wretched state, covered in blood, his hair disheveled. He had fled here, rousing many cultivators to act and jointly bombarding open this mountain.
“Thud!”
In the sky, Mùnè Daoren, swept up by the last of the Purple Empyrean lightning, was scorched all over and fell from the sky.
Duan De and Mùnè Daoren felt each other’s sensation through their connection — he instantly understood everything. He nearly coughed up his heart in rage.
“Damn you two…” He pointed at the two people standing on the Profound Jade Platform. His entire body convulsed. He had worked so hard, nearly been killed in the process, and yet someone had taken every single one of his source stones.
The many cultivators all around had no idea what had happened. Just a moment ago, the violet-robed youth “Ye Fan” had been hunted by them to the point of vomiting blood — yet even then he hadn’t been this agitated. What was going on now?
“Something’s wrong!” In the distance, Ji Haoyue’s expression changed. As someone born with the Godly King Physique, he had a peculiar resonance with the Sacred Physique and sensed something.
Ye Fan, with his back to the crowd, gave a wave of his hand — comparable to Duan De’s earlier flourish, though the results were worlds apart.
At the last moment, Duan De had plummeted from heaven to hell. Ye Fan, however, had succeeded in beginning his traversal through the void.
In that instant, Duan De’s gut twisted in agony — his stomach ached, his liver ached, his lungs ached, his teeth ached… his entire body ached.
A flash of light — formation patterns blazed. In an instant, the figures of Ye Fan and Tu Fei vanished into the opened rift in the void.
“Stop them — don’t let them traverse the void!” Ji Haoyue roared.
For some unknown reason, Xia Jiuyou had already begun moving even before Ji Haoyue’s shout. Beneath her feet, nine streams of dragon energy transformed into colored silken ribbons stretching across the sky, flying forward.