A weapon platform spanning kilometers hovered over the heart of a jade-green administrative planet; thick missile trails, like the vast net woven by a venomous spider, sealed off the entire world. Warships belonging to the military and private vessels of ordinary citizens shattered like eggshells under the saturation strike of missiles and high-energy beams.

Many soldiers of the Polaris Empire, clad in fully enclosed combat suits, screamed as they escaped the ruptured warships, helplessly tearing through the dense atmosphere and thick clouds, plummeting straight toward the ground. The ordinary citizens of the Polaris Empire were instantly reduced to ash the moment their ships broke apart. Occasionally, a powerful individual would burst free from a crippled warship using their unique abilities, only to be immediately shredded into a sieve by overwhelming high-energy beams lancing in from every direction.

Du Fengte hovered in the vacuum of space, a pair of massive metallic wings slowly beating behind him. With his arms crossed over his chest, he resembled a metal god of death, transforming the outer space around the planet into his dominion of doom.

Gu Xiechen, Peng Hua, and Han Kui roamed the planet's surface unhurriedly, planting oversized nuclear bombs into the planetary fault lines and weak points calculated by Xiao Xiao. With Gu Xiechen’s current strength, destroying such a vast administrative planet was still beyond his immediate capacity; he would need to strike at full power hundreds of times to obliterate one. Utilizing nuclear warheads was the best way to conserve energy.

Moreover, deploying nuclear bombs would inflict greater terror and deterrence upon the Polaris Empire citizens residing on the planet—precisely what Gu Xiechen sought.

Carrying a ten-billion-ton thermonuclear warhead, he soared into a city inhabited by a million souls. The Polaris Empire citizens below immediately erupted in desperate screams.

In recent days, news reports concerning Gu Xiechen and his companions systematically striking the administrative planets throughout the Wolsom Star Field had proliferated across the local news network. The faces of Gu Xiechen and his allies were already intimately familiar to the populace. Upon recognizing the features of Gu Xiechen, who hovered barely ten meters above the ground, everyone collapsed in terror.

Looking down upon these subjects of the Polaris Empire with an unfeeling gaze, Gu Xiechen flew directly to the city center, smashed the tallest municipal clock tower with a wave of his hand, and buried the thermonuclear warhead miles deep into the earth.

Watching the terrified Polaris Empire citizens trembling in the streets, Gu Xiechen suddenly boomed: “You are all about to die! Go back, eat, drink, and make merry; better to die full than starved.”

The immense sound wave shattered the clouds above, carrying his words clearly to everyone in the city. Desperate cries echoed from all directions, coalescing into a mournful shroud of despair.

About a thousand light-seconds away from the planet, amidst a nebula of stardust, a wholly black, disc-shaped warship glowed with a faint emerald luminescence, spying upon everything transpiring on the planet like a spectral phantom. The disheveled Goloman and the exquisitely beautiful Yanwu Asura clung to each other in the ship’s command cabin. Goloman continuously cursed Gu Xiechen.

“I must step forward and take revenge! I authorize all White Wing warships to unleash their full divine crystal power for a counterattack!”

Goloman shrieked maniacally, “If I don’t eliminate these people, I am finished! Absolutely finished! I must kill them.”

Yanwu Asura, having learned the full story from Goloman’s ravings, laughed coquettishly, kissing his lips as she tenderly soothed him. “Don’t rush, my dear. I will help you kill them; they are my enemies too, aren’t they? But there is no need to expend the divine crystal power. It would be such a waste! My dear Governor, you only need to hand over all the divine crystals allocated to the Wolsom Star Field to me from now on.”

Goloman, dazed by Yanwu’s caresses, mumbled, “They must be killed, or Her Majesty the Empress will annihilate the Datalia family.”

Yanwu quickly sealed Goloman’s lips with a kiss, laughing softly as she kissed him. “That will never happen. As soon as that woman, Meilin, knows we can help her son, Lie Wuguang, ascend to the Imperial Throne, she will certainly reward you. Heh heh, becoming the Emperor of the Empire. How utterly ironic!”

Her slender fingers traced a few delicate, graceful gestures, and Yanwu transmitted her commands through coded language. Inside the command cabin, constructed of strange, pale black crystals faintly flashing red and green light, the only three control personnel simultaneously snorted, sending a green beam from their brows into a crystal sphere two meters in diameter.

A ventral hatch opened on the disc-shaped warship, rapidly ejecting a dozen black metallic spheres the size of human heads and a coffin-shaped metal pod. Like startled rabbits, they blasted out long flames and instantly vanished into subspace, reappearing near the administrative planet seconds later. These metal spheres swiftly encircled the entire world, while the metal pod shot into the planetary atmosphere, falling to a position equidistant from Gu Xiechen, Peng Hua, and Han Kui.

Ducat, who had been monitoring everything in space, immediately issued a warning to Gu Xiechen and the others. The four weapon platforms under his control rapidly pivoted all their firing arrays, locking onto the black metal spheres. However, before Ducat could destroy them, the spheres rapidly extended dozens of hair-thin, incredibly long crystal-like probes and launched extremely powerful, high-frequency special radio waves into the planet’s interior.

Xiao Xiao intercepted a short burst of the waves and quickly analyzed the results: it was a type of high-frequency wave similar in nature to human brainwaves, capable of influencing the mind.

All the weapon platforms fired simultaneously, blasting the dozen metal spheres into dust. But a bizarre transformation had already begun on the planet.

Nearly two hundred million Polaris Empire citizens, their legs too weak from fear to continue fleeing, simultaneously halted their escape. They stared blankly at the sky, the blood vessels in their eyes growing increasingly dense. Suddenly, everyone looked up and emitted a single, piercing, hysterical howl. Blood vessels burst in their eyes, and streams of bloody tears streamed down their faces. The brain activity of every single person simultaneously accelerated to more than ten times their normal state.

Countless illusions flashed before their eyes. They saw their families slaughtered by Gu Xiechen and his group; they saw their children wantonly defiled by them; they saw themselves carved apart inch by inch with blades, spears, halberds, and swords. A palpable aura of malice erupted from these bodies. Their souls and bodies ignited simultaneously, fueling this surging resentment until it became world-shaking. Finally, it coalesced into a stream of blood-red neon light dancing across the sky.

The bodies of over two hundred million Polaris Empire citizens burned from the inside out. Over two hundred million human torches burned silently, gradually dissipating into thin smoke.

This smoke merged with the neon light dancing in the air, causing the blood-colored firmament to churn like the waves of a vast ocean.

“The Six Desires Heavenly Demon’s Myriad Illusions of Enchantment technique, combined with the advanced brainwave controller of the Polaris Empire—a staggering effect!” Yanwu Asura sighed proudly. “This was my stroke of genius. What do you think of the result? Normally, only a super-being at the mid-Heavenly Immortal grade could simultaneously control the brainwaves of over two hundred million people and dispatch them with magic. But with the aid of technology, only a few fist-sized divine crystals can perfectly simulate this effect.” Goloman watched the slow incineration of over two hundred million bodies into smoke with feverish eyes. His body trembled, and he felt as if the delicate beauty in his arms was not a stunning enchantress but a venomous serpent. Yet, he was already entwined by this serpent, with no hope of turning back. Gu Xiechen and his group would not allow him to turn back either.

The metal pod plunged deep into the planet’s surface, after which several metallic arms extended and pulled the pod out of the ground. An extremely long crystal spike shot out from the pod’s head, emitting powerful electromagnetic waves. The blood-red neon light suffusing the planet’s surface surged toward the metal pod like a swarm of bees, rapidly converging around it. Gradually, centered on this pod, a massive vortex about a thousand miles in diameter, composed entirely of viscous, blood-like red clouds, began to form.

Winds howled mournfully, the clouds hung heavy with sorrow, and the red cloud frantically sucked the life force from every living thing on the ground. Plants withered, rivers and lakes saw all fish and shrimp turn into dried husks, and the birds in the sky, the beasts on the ground, and the insects in the grass all spewed out thick clouds of blood mist, rapidly turning to dust themselves.

In less than fifteen minutes, the administrative planet became a thorough dead world. Intense resentment shot skyward, and violent energy waves swept the surroundings, interfering with both Ducat and Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiao, in particular, had his clone nearly shattered by the energy wave, forcing him to hastily retreat into Ducat’s storage ring.

Gu Xiechen, Peng Hua, and Han Kui rushed almost simultaneously toward the source of the anomaly. Gu Xiechen, possessing the fastest movement technique, crossed tens of thousands of miles in just a few flashes, arriving at the metal pod. Han Kui followed closely, using her earth-escape technique to reach the site in almost no time. Peng Hua was the slowest; no matter how fast he flapped his wings, he could not keep up with the high speeds of Gu Xiechen and Han Kui.

The three of them encircled the metal pod in a triangular formation. It was already enveloped in a mass of viscous blood plasma. Countless twisted faces writhed and contorted within the plasma, and occasionally, a few ferocious visages would shoot out, roaring madly at Gu Xiechen. The simultaneous shrieks of over two hundred million dead souls were enough to drive an ordinary person insane.

With a cold snort, Gu Xiechen struck the mass of blood plasma violently with his sleeve. Countless blood droplets the size of fists were flung dozens of miles away by the sweep of his sleeve, revealing the dark metal hatch beneath. Gu Xiechen sneered, “Who is playing these tricks? Get out here!” As he spoke, he fiercely swung the Five Water Dragon Beard Fan, unleashing five streams of cyan-green spectral shadows that swept through the void. The soul-searching technique from the Great Desolation Scripture was deployed at full power; this single sweep nearly ripped the middle-aged man’s soul from his body.

“Speak, speak! I will speak immediately!” The middle-aged man flattered and bowed low, chuckling deferentially toward Gu Xiechen. “My Holy Maiden intends to invite you seniors to join our Holy Sect as envoys under the Holy Maiden. If you seniors agree, profound Taoist arts, miraculous elixirs, all manner of marvelous treasures, and peerless beauties will be yours in abundance. If you seniors prefer men, whether strong, delicate, handsome, or refined, they will also be provided in plenty!”

The middle-aged man giggled, “In short, whatever our seniors desire, our Holy Maiden can grant it to you!”

“You can die now!” Gu Xiechen glared at the man. He snapped the Five Water Dragon Beard Fan shut against the water surface, poised to strike and kill him.

The middle-aged man’s expression darkened, and an aura of suicidal resolve spread from his body. He laughed harshly, “Then, let us die together!”

With a few pa-pa sounds, the top of the middle-aged man’s head, his brow, his abdomen, and several other vital points exploded simultaneously. A surge of magical power, peaking at the Void Realm, erupted from within him, followed by a continuous, soaring increase in this energy fluctuation. In the blink of an eye, it rose to a level nearing the peak of the Void Realm. The next instant, the man’s primordial spirit rushed out of his body. He laughed wildly as he detonated his primordial spirit and his body. Coinciding with the self-detonation, the metal pod also emitted a bizarre energy fluctuation.

A beam of blood-red light shot into the sky, rapidly merging with the energy surge from the metal pod. This fluctuation instantly reached the maximum tolerance limit of this cosmic space. In cultivation terms, this meant the middle-aged man, utilizing the power of his self-detonated primordial spirit enhanced by the metal pod’s amplification, elevated his energy signature to the level of a Tribulation Stage cultivator!

The blood-red clouds spanning a thousand miles in the sky spun violently. Streaks of blood-colored lightning twisted and rolled within the dense cloud mass. Lightning bolts several meters thick spanned tens of thousands of miles, tearing apart the entire sky. A despair-inducing pressure slowly descended from the high altitude. Then, over two hundred million twisted, ferocious faces simultaneously materialized within the blood clouds. All their cloudy, death-filled eyes locked onto Gu Xiechen and his group.

“Damn it!” Gu Xiechen cursed furiously. “This fellow has triggered a Heavenly Tribulation of the Tribulation Stage and then used a demonic secret technique to lock the resentment of every living being on this planet onto us, mutating the Heavenly Immortal Tribulation into the Thirty-Three Heavens Demon Slaying Thunder Tribulation!”

Han Kui stamped her foot in anger, roaring, “This auntie hasn’t done anything today! Who dares bring a Heavenly Tribulation down on this auntie’s hair?”

Peng Hua screamed frantically, “Junior Brother, it’s all up to you!”

Gu Xiechen’s eyes widened, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up fiercely. The Heavenly Immortal Tribulation was already a troublesome ordeal, but combined with the blood-fiend resentment formed from all life on an entire planet being drawn toward the three of them, this vengeful energy was potent enough to push the Heavenly Immortal Tribulation to a level approaching the Golden Immortal Tribulation. A Golden Immortal Tribulation!

The Fire Crow, which had been squatting on Gu Xiechen’s shoulder pretending to be an idiot bird, could no longer stay put. It suddenly lifted its head and emitted a piercing shriek toward the sky. Its feathers stood rigidly erect, and fine Golden Crow Heavenly Fire erupted from every single feather. The Fire Crow’s eyes flashed with predatory light as it prepared to charge into the sky, intending to use all its strength to shatter the forming tribulation cloud before it fully materialized.

Gu Xiechen restrained the Fire Crow, sneering, “No need for you to act. It’s too late anyway. Keep playing the fool.”

The Fire Crow rolled its eyes, obediently settled back into Gu Xiechen’s long hair, cocked its neck, and assumed a petrified posture.

Gu Xiechen took a deep breath and nodded to Peng Hua and Han Kui. “It’s up to me.”

Peng Hua and Han Kui quickly moved to Gu Xiechen’s side. Gu Xiechen then furiously shouted into his communicator. Yanwu Asura’s grasp on their movements was so precise; she must be monitoring them nearby. He ordered Ducat to destroy all spacecraft in the nearby star sectors and to coordinate with Xiao Xiao to interfere with all nearby surveillance and scanning equipment. If Yanwu Asura’s warship could be located, it must be destroyed at all costs.

Ducat sprang into action. He retrieved Xiao Xiao’s clone from the storage ring, and their consciousnesses linked, immediately taking control of the Wolsom Star Field’s active defense system, which they already commanded completely. The super-large quantum space scanners installed on nearly a hundred satellites scanned the surrounding space at full power. In the blink of an eye, Ducat discovered the location of the bizarre disc-shaped warship.

All firing arrays on the dozen armed satellites nearest the warship opened fire simultaneously. The fire control radar did not lock onto the warship itself but the space surrounding it. Under Xiao Xiao’s precise calculations, a firepower net capable of annihilating anything was woven. Before Yanwu Asura and Goloman’s vessel registered any abnormality, the anti-air colossal cannons of several hundred defense turrets on a dozen primary defense satellites roared in unison. The bombardment swept across the hundred-kilometer diameter of space centered on the warship.

Following this, all armed satellites rapidly locked their fire control radar onto the warship’s core. As the massive anti-air guns fired furiously, tens of thousands of ultra-high-speed missiles and torpedoes, trailing long plumes of flame, hurtled toward the disc-shaped warship.

A piercing alarm sounded on the vessel. High-energy MeV beams skimming past the ship bathed the command cabin in blinding white light. Then, a cold, emotionless electronic voice announced the precise number and calculated impact time of the tens of thousands of high-speed missiles and torpedoes bearing down on them.

Yanwu Asura gritted her teeth in anger. She slapped Goloman hard across the face and scolded him loudly. As the Governor of Wolsom, how could he be unaware that the enemy had seized control of the entire Wolsom Star Field’s active defense system? Yanwu Asura desperately wanted to choke Goloman to death.

The closest wave of missiles and torpedoes was forty-five seconds from impact. Yanwu Asura and the dozens of crew members aboard the vessel, clad in black Taoist robes and wearing demonic masks, hurriedly abandoned the warship, escaping through an emergency airlock. They rapidly activated their movement techniques and fled toward the void. Less than a hundred kilometers after they left the ship, the vessel was pulverized by dozens of high-speed missiles. An unending barrage of missiles and torpedoes hammered the massive fireball, turning that region of space into chaos.

Not long after escaping, a streak of silver light flashed ahead. Ducat had intercepted them.

The silver light shone, and his emotionless eyes stared intently at Yanwu Asura. Ducat photographed her face and transmitted the image to Xiao Xiao, who was waiting behind. Ducat spoke in a deep voice, “Yanwu Asura? And Goloman. You don’t need to run anymore.”

Yanwu Asura paused, then reacted. Her eyes, greedy with appraisal, swept over Ducat’s imposing physique before comparing it to the withered Goloman beside her. She sighed with noticeable resentment, “Truly... I chose the wrong person. But, he is the Governor, after all.”

Complaining lightly, Yanwu Asura chuckled, mocking, “With this little bit of power, you think you can stop me? Kill him.”

With a cold laugh, Yanwu Asura, holding Goloman, turned into a streak of blood-red light and rapidly fled. The other figures in black also transformed into streaks of light and sped away. Ducat was about to intercept them when four men wearing white bone skull masks surrounded him from four directions. Simultaneously, they drew long whips woven from human bones and slowly advanced toward Ducat.

“Then, let’s begin,” Ducat’s eyes flared. Clenching his fists, he poured all his strength into striking the black-robed figure directly in front of him.

The man in black gave a mocking laugh, carelessly tossing his Bone Whip, swinging it lightly to intercept Dukat’s fist. This man possessed the cultivation of the Deity Transformation stage, while Dukat’s True Essence fluctuated only at the Nascent Soul level. Four Deity Transformation cultivators surrounding and attacking one Nascent Soul cultivator like Dukat felt like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

But the expression on the man in black’s face changed instantly. He let out a scream of pure terror and scrambled backward in disarray. Dukat’s punch carried the weight of Mount Tai. With a clean, decisive blow, this punch shattered the Bone Whip in the black-clad man’s hand and pulverized his right fist. The intense pain brought tears to the man’s eyes as he cried out in disbelief. Yet, Dukat’s movements were like a tempest; he rapidly closed the distance, gripping the man’s neck and crushing it with sheer brute force.

A streak of black light fled hastily from the black-clad man’s body. Within the light, a figure barely a foot tall was enveloped. The black light bolted away at extreme speed, vanishing over ten li in the blink of an eye; Dukat could not intercept it in time. But if Dukat could not, Xiao could. Over a dozen nearby armed satellites unleashed a torrent of indiscriminate fire upon the airspace near the black light. A piercing, unwilling roar erupted from within the light, and it was violently torn to shreds by the barrage.

The remaining three men in black watched, their faces shifting in alarm. Dukat had felled one of their Deity Transformation peers purely through brute force. That single punch had even smashed a high-grade spirit artifact—the Bone Whip. That whip had been refined using the bones of thousands, carefully selecting thirty-six relics with the most potent spiritual energy, further tempered by the sacrifice of tens of thousands of souls and vital blood. Yet Dukat had demolished such a powerful spirit artifact with his bare fist!

The men in black exchanged glances, then simultaneously lunged toward Dukat. As they swung their Bone Whips, countless strands of chilling wind spontaneously surged out, and innumerable ghostly figures shrieked as they rushed in from all directions, a wave of soul-shaking, sinister energy directed straight at Dukat’s Sea of Consciousness.

Any ordinary cultivator would have had their nascent soul destabilized by this malevolent force, but in Dukat’s case, his spirit was eternally linked with Xiao’s. His nascent soul had effectively become a cold, indifferent machine, devoid of normal human emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure. All the demonic arts of the Demonic Cult might assail a Daoist’s nascent soul, but they could not attack a computer!

The three Bone Whips, carrying heaven-assaulting evil power, barreled toward Dukat. Unmoved, Dukat raised his fists, unleashing hundreds of blows in that split second with lightning speed. Such rapid striking velocity caused his fists to vibrate the surrounding space. The void around him shimmered indistinctly, and his punches tore through the emptiness, carving out trajectories that resembled a series of magnificent, streaking meteors.

The Bone Whips and the bodies of the men in black disintegrated amidst the brilliant light of the meteors. The three nascent souls, wrapped in the dying black aura, attempted to flee but were melted by the high-temperature red light blasting from Dukat’s eyes. A dozen shattered Bone Artifacts, too late to be utilized, tumbled from the broken storage bags of the men in black, which Dukat casually swept away into ash with a wave of crimson flame.

The Nine Yang True Gang, merged with the innate holy blood of pure Yang, coupled with the fire-attribute cultivation technique of the Innate Star Lord that he practiced, made Dukat’s pure Yang magical power the ultimate bane of these heretical demonic paths.

On the planet’s surface, Gu Xichen raised his head, gazing at the increasingly dense blood-colored cloud overhead. …A black tribulation cloud was gradually forming within the blood cloud. Due to the resentment generated by the tragic deaths of two hundred million Fire Crow disciples and billions of other living beings across the entire planet, combined with the Celestial Tribulation triggered by a Void Realm master burning his soul and physical body, the mere pressure emanating from this black tribulation cloud nearly drove Gu Xichen to his knees. The Fire Crows stared blankly up at the black cloud, an instinctive fear surfacing even in their stunned gazes.

Even Han Kui felt a flicker of uncertainty about whether Gu Xichen could withstand an attack of this magnitude. She urgently cried out, “If it’s too much, let’s flee!”

Gu Xichen merely offered a cold laugh. He commanded in a low voice, “Flee? Where to? Hmph! This vast expanse of resentment has already identified us as their murderers. All the resentment is locked onto us. This Celestial Tribulation arises from resentment and grows stronger because of it. Where can we possibly flee?”

Looking up at the tribulation cloud, Gu Xichen slowly exhaled a plume of white mist. A fist-sized, greyish-white pearl faintly spun within the mist. The chilling energy of heaven and earth suddenly surged, and vast sheets of ice erupted from beneath Gu Xichen’s feet, rapidly expanding outward. In a short time, half the planet’s surface was frozen into a world of ice and snow.

Focusing all his divine sense onto the Grand Yin Profound Pearl, Gu Xichen narrowed his eyes, silently making other plans. The Grand Yin Profound Pearl and the Vast Heaven Pagoda were the two most supreme treasures in Gu Xichen’s possession, yet he was unable to actively command them, only passively reaping benefits from them. Since that black-clad middle-aged man had drawn down such a terrifying Celestial Tribulation, Gu Xichen might as well attempt a certain secret technique recorded in the Great Wilderness Scripture.

The reason for testing this secret technique with the Grand Yin Profound Pearl was Gu Xichen’s lack of confidence in the Pagoda. The Vast Heaven Pagoda had suffered severe damage and was currently absorbing the innate energy from Gu Xichen’s body to gradually heal itself; he dared not risk it. The Grand Yin Profound Pearl, however, was completely intact. Moreover, Gu Xichen cultivated the Grand Yin True Scripture, which shared the same origin as the Pearl, giving him a degree of certainty that the secret art could succeed.

The sky tribulation cloud gradually descended, pressing closer. The blood-colored canopy formed by countless resentments had been absorbed by the cloud, adding to its power.

The entire sky turned black. In the pitch-dark void, only the single black tribulation cloud stood out distinctly. Streaks of blinding black lightning crisscrossed within it. Although they were also black, Gu Xichen could sense their presence without using his eyes.

A warning from Xiao suddenly crackled through the communicator tightly gripped on his wrist: Yanwu Asura and her party had broken through Xiao’s interception and plunged into the planet’s atmosphere, rapidly closing in on Gu Xichen’s location. Gu Xichen smiled dismissively. Facing such a horrific Celestial Tribulation, any cultivator with a clear mind would avoid approaching, unless they wished to magnify the tribulation’s power to an unmanageable degree.

Just as Gu Xichen was smiling faintly, his heart suddenly clenched, and his expression shifted dramatically. He suddenly realized: if Yanwu Asura could deploy one suicide operative to provoke a Celestial Tribulation against him, why couldn’t she deploy several more to trigger a chain of tribulations, multiplying the tribulation’s power several times over? If it were Gu Xichen, he would not hesitate to use such a tactic. Did the contingent under the Ground Hidden Temple and Yu An possess enough suicide operatives to call upon?

The moment this thought formed, twelve black silhouettes were seen rushing toward him from the distance.

The auras surging off these figures were all those of peak Void Realm powerhouses. They roared in unison, “Planetary-level power cannot exist in this world! You must be destroyed!”

Twelve formidable auras shot up from these black-robed Daoists. They each began burning their nascent souls and physical bodies, instantly releasing the vast energy they had accumulated over untold years of arduous cultivation without reservation. They used a secret method to catalyze their magic power, drawing down yet another Celestial Tribulation.

With a colossal sound, twelve more tribulation clouds materialized in the sky. The original black cloud rapidly devoured and absorbed these twelve additions. The black cloud expanded to a radius of one hundred li, and the terrifying energy contained within shook the ground. The continent beneath Gu Xichen began to tremble, and areas with slightly weaker geology cracked open, spewing forth rolling magma.

“Come then!” Gu Xichen chuckled lowly. He bit the tips of his fingers, forcing out drops of blood to draw bizarre talismans in the void. He continuously imprinted these talismans onto the Grand Yin Profound Pearl. The Pearl’s smooth, hard surface was originally spotless, but Gu Xichen’s blood carried the same fundamental Yin energy as the Pearl, allowing the talismans to adhere smoothly, writhing and coiling on the surface like living, bloody earthworms.

The Great Wilderness Scripture’s Life Source Barrier-Breaking Art!

This was a marvelous barrier-breaking method recorded in the Great Wilderness Scripture. When one is powerless against the restrictions of a magical artifact or formation, the barrier-breaker can use their vital essence as a guide, inscribing ninety-nine unique Life Source Barrier-Breaking Curses onto the target object. Then, an external force a thousand or ten thousand times greater than one’s own energy is used to forcibly bombard the target, driving the curses deep inside. This is akin to using one’s life essence to refine a magical artifact, forcibly breaking the target’s restrictions and gaining control via the essence.

A treasure of the Grand Yin Profound Pearl’s caliber should not be subject to an ordinary Celestial Tribulation’s Life Source Barrier-Breaking Art. However, Gu Xichen possessed magical power of the same origin, and crucially, he held all the memories of the Grand Yin Profound Pearl’s original owner, mastering every control incantation—it was only his insufficient personal strength that prevented him from wielding it freely. Furthermore, the current calamity, drawn down by the black-robed Daoists, was a Grand Celestial Tribulation coalesced from the resentment of billions of dying beings, significantly increasing the chance of success for the barrier-breaking art.

In the blink of an eye, Gu Xichen had inscribed the ninety-nine Life Source Barrier-Breaking Curses onto the Grand Yin Profound Pearl, costing him half of his vital essence.

The Grand Yin Profound Pearl blazed with intense blood-red light, transforming into a dazzling beam that shot high into the sky, meeting the black tribulation cloud in the void.

The first streak of black lightning tribulation descended. The pillar, thick as a li, made Penghua tremble, hiding his head deep in Han Kui’s high, soft bosom like a child afraid of ghosts.

Han Kui furiously pinched Penghua’s ears, her face flushed crimson with anger.

The Grand Yin Profound Pearl was struck by the lightning, resulting in a deafening boom as all the lightning energy was absorbed by the Life Source Barrier-Breaking Curses. A flash of lightning pulsed over the ninety-nine blood curses, and faint traces of blood seemed to permeate the body of the Pearl.

Gu Xichen secretly rejoiced. He suddenly realized that a sense of spiritual connection had formed between himself and the Grand Yin Profound Pearl.

Immediately following, thirty-five consecutive bolts of black lightning rained down, each slightly thinner than the last, yet carrying slightly greater energy. By the time the final bolt struck, the energy it contained was more than ten times that of the first heavenly thunder.

The blood light, lightning, and cold light of the Grand Yin Profound Pearl flashed together. The ninety-nine barrier-breaking curses continuously seeped into the Pearl, and the spiritual unity between Gu Xichen and the Pearl grew ever stronger.

Then came the second round: sixteen bolts of lightning, followed by the third, fourth, and fifth rounds...

A normal Celestial Tribulation for a Heavenly Immortal comprised only nine rounds of thirty-six lightning bolts. However, after the initial tribulation condensed, twelve Void Realm cultivators detonated their nascent souls and flesh beneath the cloud, drawing down new calamities. The power of these tribulations layered upon each other. Perhaps even the Divine Firmament Nine Vibrations Emperor, who once managed the heavenly thunder tribulations, could not calculate the extent of what was about to fall.

In any case, after a total of fifteen rounds, each with thirty-six bolts of tribulation lightning, the continent where Gu Xichen stood was blasted into dust. The few large-yield nuclear missiles he had placed were also melted by the tribulation lightning, ultimately turning into fine ash that scattered away. Nearly one-thirtieth of the planet’s volume had been shattered by the lightning. Massive quantities of magma and dense smoke boiled upward from underground, but they were instantly pulverized by wave after wave of tribulation lightning, unable to approach Gu Xichen’s body.

Yanwu Asura, holding Goloman, floated hundreds of li away, the entire party staring blankly at Gu Xichen, who appeared serene, not even a single strand of hair singed.

The Grand Yin Profound Pearl’s radiance remained brilliant. The previously dense blood-red and lightning glows had gradually merged into a piercing cold light. The surrounding void seemed on the verge of freezing over. All ninety-nine barrier-breaking curses had fully integrated into the Grand Yin Profound Pearl, and Gu Xichen had vaguely touched upon certain mysteries within it.

With a roar of thunder, another round of thirty-six black lightning bolts descended from the sky. Dozens of cold lights shot out from the Grand Yin Profound Pearl, each one targeting a lightning bolt, freezing all the thunder into solid, dark-blue masses that subsequently dissolved into countless ice crystals scattered by the wind.

The immense energy of the tribulation cloud was ejected from the Grand Yin Profound Pearl and pierced into Gu Xichen’s body. It was continuously absorbed by the Solar Blazing Flame within him, gradually transforming into black flames that mingled with the white Grand Yin Blazing Flame. Black and white flames encircled Gu Xichen’s body, burning inch by inch, gradually enhancing his physical functions.

A black and a white beam of intense light shot out from his crimson eyes. Gu Xichen let out a sharp cry toward the heavens, and the Grand Yin Profound Pearl transformed into a white beam, charging into the tribulation cloud and instantly absorbing it completely.

The tribulation cloud, along with the vast power derived from the resentment of billions of lives, was converted by the Grand Yin Profound Pearl into pure Grand Yin Qi, injecting it into Gu Xichen’s body where it was rapidly digested by the Grand Yin Blazing Flame. Some residual impurities were swallowed by the Solar Blazing Flame, transforming into powerful Solar Blazing Flame that circulated around Gu Xichen.

This entire tribulation cloud provided Gu Xichen with power equivalent to over a decade of his painstaking cultivation.

Potent magical power surged within his body. Wisps of golden light erupted from his pores, causing the fractured surface beneath his feet to vibrate violently. It seemed the planet was on the verge of disintegration.

The Life Source Barrier-Breaking Curses had merged with the Grand Yin Profound Pearl, and Gu Xichen had finally touched the interior of the Pearl, grasping its first miraculous function beyond merely aiding cultivation!

Inside the Grand Yin Profound Pearl was an immeasurably vast Grand Yin Space, which continuously generated dense Grand Yin Qi. This could not only assist cultivation but also store various items. Because the Grand Yin Qi was supremely Yin and cold, any object stored inside would remain unchanged regardless of the passage of time.

This Grand Yin Space required the absorption of external energy to convert into Grand Yin Qi. When the Grand Yin Qi condensed to its extreme, it would form Grand Yin Stones imbued with Innate Grand Yin Qi. These are top-tier refining materials and cultivation aids throughout the Three Realms and Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, possessing countless miraculous effects. In the past, the Grand Yin True Lord dominated one side and amassed wealth across the Three Realms purely by trading and dispensing Grand Yin Stones.

Not only was it beneficial for Grand Yin cultivation, but Grand Yin Stones also greatly aided all Yin-attributed techniques. Even cultivators and immortals from the heretical, demonic, monstrous, or ghostly paths needed Grand Yin Stones to refine flying swords and magical artifacts or to aid their practice. Some marvelous alchemy techniques even utilized Grand Yin Stones for pill refinement, offering infinite marvels.

The exceedingly high cultivation level of the Grand Yin True Lord was also greatly related to the Grand Yin Space. With this space, he never needed to painstakingly gather ambient spiritual energy; he could cultivate entirely on the vast, pure Grand Yin Qi within. As long as one could control the Grand Yin Profound Pearl to open the Grand Yin Space, one’s cultivation speed could be increased a hundredfold or more!

Gu Xichen let out a triumphant, long laugh. With a flick of his finger, he wiped the Green Lotus Rings, storing all their contents within the Grand Yin Space. A stream of extremely pure Grand Yin Qi sprayed out from the Grand Yin Profound Pearl, precisely onto those Green Lotus Rings, forcibly fusing them into one. Gu Xichen also channeled a portion of the Grand Yin Qi from within the Pearl into this reforged Green Lotus Ring, lending its strikes an added layer of biting cold.

Swallowing the Grand Yin Profound Pearl into his abdomen, Gu Xichen coldly surveyed Yanwu Asura and Goloman’s group in the distance.

“Just now, were you the ones who ambushed me?” Gu Xichen smiled. “Little Demoness, are you seeking revenge?”

Yanwu Asura shrieked, then violently ripped off one of Goloman’s arms, tossing the limb away to detonate into a spray of blood mist. Using the blood light from the arm’s explosion as cover, Yanwu Asura and Goloman transformed into an extremely thin beam of blood light and instantly shot far away.

Just as Gu Xichen prepared to attack the blood light that was Yanwu, Dukat happened to fly past from that direction. He was also moving at an extremely high speed. The distance between Yanwu and Dukat was less than a hundred meters. If Gu Xichen unleashed a devastating spell, he would undoubtedly blast Dukat to pieces as well.

Helplessly, Gu Xichen could only watch as Yanwu and Goloman escaped once more. In his fury, he roared toward the heavens, “If Goluo does not stop me, the Wolsom Starfield is finished! Your territory will be utterly destroyed, and you will be ruined too! Does your family not share in this calamity?”

Looking at the men in black brought by Yanwu, the Green Lotus Ring on Gu Xichen’s finger suddenly flew off and transformed into a circle of green light that enveloped them. The spatial power within the Green Lotus Ring erupted fiercely, instantly trapping all dozens of black-clad men, who were attempting to flee, into a single mass.

Immense pressure spewed forth from the Green Lotus Ring. Except for the single peak Void Realm black-clad man with the highest cultivation, the others had their bodies shredded, and even their nascent souls were pulverized into dust.

Snatching the remaining man in black, Gu Xichen thrust a finger into his brow, unleashing the Soul Searching and Spirit Extraction technique, meticulously searching for any intelligence regarding Yanwu Asura.

However, Gu Xichen found no valuable information. These subordinates had absolutely no knowledge of Yanwu Asura’s background. They only knew they were subordinates of a Holy Sect, and Yanwu Asura was the Saintess their faction supported in her struggle for authority within the sect against other Saintesses.

Such strict methods of control over subordinates, Gu Xichen could only marvel. No wonder Yanwu Asura fled so swiftly and cleanly; she had no concern that her subordinates might leak any secrets.

“Next time, you won’t escape!” Gu Xichen said with a tight smile.

A fist-sized black crystal ball suddenly pierced the void and flew before Gu Xichen.

The crystal ball gradually disintegrated, breaking down into countless fine particles that gradually coalesced into the image of Daoist Mu.

“Gu Xichen, there are matters we need to discuss!”

Daoist Mu came straight to the point, requesting a meeting with Gu Xichen.

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Xichen nodded. “Very well!”

He directly designated a natural satellite of Wolsom as the meeting place, then crushed Daoist Mu’s image in his hand.

Turning around, Gu Xichen smiled at Penghua. “This time, I am going to kill Daoist Mu!”

Instantly, a surge of wild, restless killing intent erupted from within Penghua’s body.