Chapter 254: Why Is It You Again!

"So it's an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon..."

The Void Whale Master immediately understood what this meant.

These Outer Domain Heavenly Demons traveled between great worlds, spawned from endless emotions and thoughts.

Outer Domain Heavenly Demons had no lifespan limit and could exist indefinitely. They liked to split off demonic thoughts whenever living beings within a great world underwent tribulation, invading through the Heart Demon Tribulation and Annihilation Tribulation. Once they successfully made the tribulation-crosser sink into the illusion, they could take over everything that person had, reaping immense benefits.

During the ancient era, the Human Realm was at its peak. Outer Domain Heavenly Demons would often gather outside it, spying on those undergoing tribulation within and sending demonic thoughts to interfere.

In the modern era, however, the Human Realm's status had plummeted, and its attraction to Outer Domain Heavenly Demons had decreased in tandem.

Furthermore, Outer Domain Heavenly Demons had a great interest in true cultivation geniuses. The soul auras, emotions, and desires of those geniuses provided quite a nourishing effect.

Such cultivation geniuses were plentiful in the ancient era, but incredibly rare in recent times.

This was why the Outer Domain Heavenly Demons had gradually abandoned the Human Realm.

...

However, the Heavenly Demon Stone was similarly condensed from endless desires and could attract heavenly demons.

Outer Domain Heavenly Demons close to the Human Realm could naturally sense True Monarch Golden Face undergoing his tribulation. Given his talent as a legendary Great Cultivator who had shattered the limits of his physical body, soul, and magic power, he would be unique even in the ancient era. As long as an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon noticed him, it would inevitably be unable to resist making a move.

Whether it was the Heart Demon Tribulation or the Annihilation Tribulation, once an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon intervened, the tribulation-crosser's chances of success plummeted drastically.

Moreover, the Heavenly Demon Stone in the green-faced figure's hand was of exceptionally high quality. The Outer Domain Heavenly Demon it attracted would likely be an extremely powerful entity.

Without any prior preparation, True Monarch Golden Face's hopes of passing the tribulation were far too slim.

In the ancient era, there were Heavenly Monarchs above the Deity Transformation Middle Stage who could take precautions against the invasion of Outer Domain Heavenly Demons.

But now? Even Heavenly Sword Peak had no means to defend against them.

Furthermore, in the past hundred thousand years, there had never been a case of an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon interfering with a cultivator's breakthrough. When a Nascent Soul Stage True Monarch attempted to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage, they almost never considered the threat of an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon.

...

Heavenly Sword Peak, Origin Cave Dwelling.

You sat cross-legged, swallowed the Primordial Spirit Pill, and directly began breaking through to the Deity Transformation Stage.

Boom—

The Deity Transformation phenomenon immediately appeared. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of ten thousand miles, and then a hundred thousand miles, began to converge, forming a massive spiritual energy funnel above your cave dwelling. Heavenly Sword Peak's fifth-tier spiritual vein also began operating at full capacity to supply your advancement to the Deity Transformation Stage.

Your Nascent Soul spirit body began to transform the moment you initiated the breakthrough.

...

The Deity Transformation phenomenon alarmed the Human Realm, and the various Sword Cultivator disciples of Heavenly Sword Peak noticed it at once.

"Is... True Monarch Qingyuan breaking through to Deity Transformation?"

"True Monarch Qingyuan's Deity Transformation phenomenon is far too stable. It enveloped a hundred-thousand-mile radius in the span of a breath. What kind of terrifying foundation does this require..."

The disciples of Heavenly Sword Peak couldn't help but feel shocked.

When a normal Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator attempted Deity Transformation, it was already considered excellent if their phenomenon covered a few thousand to ten thousand miles in a short time.

You had only just begun your breakthrough, yet your phenomenon covered a hundred thousand miles. Just what kind of foundation and capacity for spiritual energy was needed to achieve this?

Every Nascent Soul True Monarch had a limit to the spiritual energy they could withstand, and this limit would be reflected in their breakthrough phenomenon.

Your Deity Transformation phenomenon was ten times larger than that of other Great Cultivators from the very beginning. This was a tenfold increase in diameter—the difference between a ten-thousand-mile radius and a hundred-thousand-mile radius meant your actual capacity and endurance for spiritual energy was far more than just ten times greater.

"The first trial of Deity Transformation... transforming the Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit. That shouldn't be an issue." Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword was also observing the phenomenon. Although he didn't know the exact status of your breakthrough, he could deduce from its scale and stability that passing the first trial would not be difficult for you.

The process of transforming the Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit primarily relied on one's personal foundation, and a cultivator's capacity to bear spiritual energy reflected this foundation to a certain extent.

'As for the subsequent Annihilation Tribulation and Five Elements Thunder Tribulation...'

Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword pondered. 'With a physical body that has broken the Tier 4 limits, his chances of surviving the Five Elements Thunder Tribulation are very high. The only uncertainty is the Annihilation Tribulation...'

A legendary Great Cultivator whose soul had broken past its limits would receive extra benefits during the Annihilation Tribulation, but having an advantage was one thing; surviving it was another.

Even with the isolation provided by Heavenly Sword Peak's Origin Cave Dwelling, Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword did not dare guarantee you would smoothly pass the Annihilation Tribulation.

...

Heavenly Talisman Sect.

"In the direction of Heavenly Sword Peak... Elder Qingyuan is breaking through to Deity Transformation..."

Great Cultivator Sanfu immediately gazed toward Heavenly Sword Peak. "Elder Qingyuan, you must become a Heavenly Monarch..."

Great Cultivator Sanfu knew his own hopes of entering the Deity Transformation Stage were incredibly slim, and he had no intention of attempting a breakthrough after Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passed away in meditation.

If the breakthrough failed, the resulting backlash could very well cause him to pass away in meditation on the spot. Therefore, Great Cultivator Sanfu genuinely hoped you would successfully step into the Deity Transformation Stage.

Given your past residence in the Heavenly Talisman Sect, once you became a Heavenly Monarch, the sect would benefit for the next two thousand years even if you did absolutely nothing.

As for the other two Great Cultivators in the sect attempting Deity Transformation? Great Cultivator Sanfu knew their chances were equally bleak.

...

"True Monarch Golden Face is attempting Deity Transformation..."

In the Extreme Dao Pavilion, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang was also looking toward Heavenly Sword Peak.

"Even if he successfully transforms his Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit, whether he can survive the subsequent Annihilation Tribulation and Five Elements Thunder Tribulation remains to be seen."

Heavenly Monarch Qingcang naturally harbored deep resentment toward you. If not for you, how could he have suffered a slash from Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword? The Extreme Dao Pavilion would never have been punished by Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword to the point of being forbidden from producing a Rank 5 Heavenly Monarch for the next ten thousand years.

One had to understand that a top-tier faction with a Heavenly Monarch standing guard was vastly different from one without.

If the Extreme Dao Pavilion truly failed to produce a Heavenly Monarch in the next ten thousand years, they would likely degrade to the level of the Four Chambers or the Five Side Sects. The Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands they currently controlled would gradually be snatched away.

'The Three Trials of Deity Transformation are absurdly difficult. So what if he is a legendary True Monarch?'

Heavenly Monarch Qingcang thought. With Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's protection, he didn't dare attack you, nor could he, since you had remained within Heavenly Sword Peak all these years.

However, if your breakthrough failed and your body died and the Dao perished, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang would be very happy to see it.

...

In the Western Desert, within a sprawling, majestic Buddhist temple.

A Golden Body Buddha was also looking toward the Central Continent and Heavenly Sword Peak.

"True Monarch Qingyuan... how exactly did he shatter the limits of his physical body, soul, and magic power? For Heavenly Sword Peak to willingly let him take charge, is it related to the Sword Lord?"

This Golden Body Buddha was the Heavenly Monarch located in the Western Desert, one of the four current Heavenly Monarchs in the Human Realm.

"The Sword Lord? At the end of the ancient era, he shattered the void and ascended. Did he leave other contingency plans in the Human Realm?"

"Interesting, very interesting."

The Golden Body Buddha chuckled softly. His voice echoed within the temple but never leaked outside.

The Western Desert's Mituo Hall was a Buddhist inheritance, completely different from traditional dharma cultivation and body cultivation.

In the ancient era, the Buddhist path had also flourished, but for some unknown reason, it mysteriously died out. In recent times, the Mituo Hall representing the Buddhist path rose in the Western Desert, but they never dared to meddle in the Central Continent.

...

Inside the Origin Cave Dwelling.

You sat cross-legged, constantly breathing in the spiritual energy gathering from all directions.

Your Nascent Soul spirit body continuously transformed, slowly growing larger.

Having the experience from your fifth simulation, you were very familiar with this step.

During the fifth simulation, the stage of transforming your Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit was exceptionally difficult, and you ultimately failed on the verge of success.

But this time? Between the foundation of your Nascent Soul spirit body, your soul's foundation, and the assistance of the Primordial Yin Qi and the Primordial Spirit Pill...

You navigated this stage with ease, feeling absolutely no pressure at all.

More than ten days later.

Your Nascent Soul spirit body had already ballooned to dozens of times its original size.

Right at that moment, tiny fissures surfaced across the Nascent Soul spirit body.

'Transforming the Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit!' Your state of mind grew slightly solemn.

In your last simulation, you never reached this step. But in this simulation, thanks to the vast array of Nascent Soul to Deity Transformation breakthrough experiences and insights you found within the Mountain of Books, you knew how crucial this step was.

Without hesitation, you refined the wisp of Primordial Yin Qi inside your dantian.

This wisp of Primordial Yin Qi had been nurtured by Li Yan for hundreds of years. It was her very first wisp, possessing an unimaginable breakthrough effect.

Crackle—

As the Primordial Yin Qi was refined, the tiny cracks on the surface of your Nascent Soul spirit body rapidly spread, expanded, and split.

Finally.

Your Nascent Soul spirit body disintegrated, and a brand-new aura was born from within.

This aura quickly dispersed, forming a blurred, hazy figure.

Unlike the infant form of the Nascent Soul spirit body, this figure was almost identical to your own body shape and facial features.

Time flowed on.

This figure rapidly stabilized and solidified. Although it was still in an illusory spirit body state, both its aura and the feeling it gave off were significantly different from the Nascent Soul spirit body. 'Is this the Primordial Spirit? The Primordial Spirit of a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch?'

You examined it closely. The greatest difference between a Primordial Spirit and a Nascent Soul spirit body was that the Primordial Spirit was virtually indistinguishable from a physical entity. It could shrink or expand at will. Therefore, the Primordial Spirit was also known as a Dharma Idol. A Primordial Spirit Dharma Idol could be as massive as a mountain, holding up the heavens and standing upon the earth.

The moment your Primordial Spirit took shape, the heavenly and earthly qi shifted, and the Deity Transformation phenomenon blanketing the hundred-thousand-mile radius gradually dissipated.

Since the Primordial Spirit had formed, spiritual energy was no longer needed.

Your Primordial Spirit stretched within your dantian. A brand-new spiritual pressure, as vast as the heavens and earth, emerged and shrouded all directions.

...

"His Primordial Spirit has formed. He has passed the first trial of Deity Transformation."

Although Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword wasn't surprised, he still let out a faint sigh of relief.

"Condensing his Primordial Spirit in just over ten days... remarkable."

A smile surfaced on Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's face. When a normal Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator broke through to the Deity Transformation Stage, it would take them at least a month to pass this trial.

Your Deity Transformation phenomenon far exceeded that of other Great Cultivators. Logically speaking, you should have needed even more time to condense your Primordial Spirit, yet in the end, it only took you just over ten days.

...

"It's time for the Annihilation Tribulation."

At the end of the Deep Sea, the green-faced figure and the Void Whale Master were also keeping a close watch on your Deity Transformation breakthrough.

Although they couldn't see you directly, they could still roughly sense which step you had reached through the ripples and changes between heaven and earth.

'Next is the Annihilation Tribulation stage. He will finally experience the Outer Domain Heavenly Demons that made countless ancient Human Realm geniuses tremble in fear...'

Heavenly Monarch Qingmian thought. 'It isn't just the Human Realm's ancient era. Even in the Demon Abyss Realm, Outer Domain Heavenly Demons strike fear into the hearts of many Third-Order Late Stage and Fourth-Order Late Stage demon races.'

Without specialized countermeasures, facing an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon during the Heart Demon Tribulation or Annihilation Tribulation was almost a guaranteed failure.

...

Buzz—

Inside Heavenly Sword Peak's Origin Cave Dwelling.

You sat cross-legged, faintly sensing wisps of black aura coiling around your body.

Beneath the sky, black smoke permeated the air, forming a demonic black pupil that peered downward.

'The Annihilation Tribulation.' Your mind remained calm as your consciousness rapidly plunged into the world of annihilation.

The world of annihilation was a realm formed by the Annihilation Tribulation, similar to a heart demon world.

Unlike a heart demon world, the world of annihilation was far more realistic, and the illusions it conjured were even harder to break free from.

Layer after layer of illusions washed over you, but none could truly shake your state of mind or force you to fully sink in.

'So this is how it is. Having a soul that shattered its limits allows me to slightly maintain my true self within the world of annihilation, preventing me from getting completely lost...'

You thought to yourself as you tore through illusion after illusion.

Aside from that, your Indomitable Will also played a part, and the state of mind you had tempered through numerous simulations was taking effect as well.

'Annihilation illusions?'

Your state of mind and will were as unshakeable as a mountain, relentlessly tearing apart the layers of annihilation illusions.

These illusions were extremely lethal to an ordinary Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator. The slightest misstep would lead to sinking into depravity, but you were different.

The flow of time in the annihilation heart demon illusion world was different from the outside world.

You didn't know exactly how much time had passed on the outside; you only knew that you had been endlessly ripping through layers of annihilation illusions. Then, at a certain moment...

After ripping apart an annihilation heart demon illusion where you had already become a supreme immortal patriarch, you didn't enter a new illusion. Instead, you arrived in a hazy gray space.

In the distance stood a gloomy shadow with its back to you. Wisps of an eerie, palpitating aura intertwined with numerous negative energies.

"The last time this seat visited this great world was over a hundred thousand years ago, according to your flow of time..."

The shadow emitted a bizarre, twisted Outer Domain demonic voice that reached your ears.

"Your talent isn't bad. Your physical body, soul, and magic power have all reached their limits. Even among all the living beings this seat has devoured, you easily rank in the top ten."

The demonic voice emanating from the shadow seemed capable of prying open the desires hidden in a living being's heart.

"You are... an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon?"

Your expression turned grave. Having browsed the vast, ocean-like collection of ancient texts in the Mountain of Books, you were naturally aware of entities like the Outer Domain Heavenly Demons.

However, Outer Domain Heavenly Demons were rather picky eaters. Logically speaking, the modern Human Realm shouldn't be able to attract them. They hungered for powerful worlds.

"Not bad. You have some insight."

Dark gray mist cascaded from the shadow's body. "Restricted by the laws of this great world, you must completely defeat me to pass this tribulation... However, this seat has now completely replicated everything about you. Your divine abilities, your methods, your secret arts—whatever you know, this seat knows."

"Yet, this seat possesses life-and-death combat experience and techniques that you lack."

"It is impossible for you to defeat me."

The shadow slowly turned around, its facial features and physique gradually solidifying. Astonishingly, it looked exactly like you.

Not only were its appearance, body, and aura identical, but even its radiating vitality and soul fluctuations were completely indistinguishable from your own.

"To be precise, you must defeat this seat within a hundred breaths. Otherwise, the Five Elements Thunder Tribulation will descend in the outside world. Without your consciousness guiding your physical body, you will definitely fail to block it. Once your physical body is destroyed, your mind and will shall also wither, and then you will be devoured by this seat..."

"Your emotions and desires, your endless unwillingness—they will all become my nourishment..."

The Outer Domain Heavenly Demon cackled wildly, but before he could finish speaking...

Your figure vanished and reappeared right beside him, immediately raising a hand and pressing it down.

"It's useless. I possess all your methods..."

Boundless vitality surged around the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon. His soul and magic power converged, thoroughly breaking the limits of the Nascent Soul Stage as he also unleashed a palm strike.

However, against your incoming palm strike, the palm strike the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon unleashed suffered a total and complete collapse.

Bang—

The Outer Domain Heavenly Demon was swatted away by your palm. His aura fell into chaos, clearly suffering a heavy blow.

"How is this possible?"

The Outer Domain Heavenly Demon was in disbelief. You threw a full-power palm strike, and he also threw a full-power palm strike. How could there be such a massive gap?

'As I expected, he cannot replicate my talents...'

Seeing the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon completely outmatched by you, your heart settled.

After hearing him claim he could replicate all your methods, you had harbored suspicions, uncertain whether the talents settled at the end of each simulation could also be replicated.

Currently, the five great talents you had secured were Pill Toxin Bane, Indomitable Will, Natural Enemy of Demonic Cultivators, Legend of a Generation, and Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move.

Through this probe, you confirmed that the other party could not replicate your talents. With Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move, for instance, your true combat strength was a minor realm higher.

'No, it's not just Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move...'

Your mind stirred. Even with a combat strength one minor realm higher, the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon shouldn't have collapsed so miserably.

Moreover, you didn't feel any pressure at all facing this Outer Domain Heavenly Demon's counterattack. It was as if his attacks had been severely weakened. 'Are Outer Domain Heavenly Demons also demonic cultivators? Are they suppressed by my talent?'

You reached a conclusion.

Though your mind was constantly racing, your hands never stopped.

You endlessly bombarded the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon. During this onslaught, the heavenly demon tried to fight back, but under the suppression of Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move and Natural Enemy of Demonic Cultivators, the gap was no less than a Mid Nascent Soul Stage fighting a Late Nascent Soul Stage. In the face of absolute power, no amount of combat experience or technique held any meaning.

If the other party hadn't replicated your various body cultivation divine abilities and possessed extremely strong life-preserving capabilities, he wouldn't have lasted even a breath or two.

However, even with the reinforcement of your body cultivation divine abilities, after enduring dozens and then hundreds of your strikes, the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon was on the verge of collapse. It was struggling to even maintain its physical form.

Just before his body and soul ultimately shattered, a dreadful memory abruptly flashed through the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon's mind. It was an unbearable scene from over a hundred thousand years ago, during an invasion into another tribulation-crosser's Annihilation Tribulation in this very same great world...

Right before your final punch blasted him to pieces, the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon let out a twisted shriek—

"Why is it you again!"