Chapter 486: Yin-Yang Heavenly Tribulation
Over the capital of the Heavenly Pool Kingdom, dark clouds gathered densely, clumps of Yin Lightning continuously exploding within the thunderclouds, rising and falling like a spectacular fireworks display.
Yin Lightning differed from Yang Lightning. Yang Lightning was lightning—a flash descending from the sky like an inverted tree, striking with extreme speed and a soul-shaking thunderclap.
Yin Lightning, however, formed orbs of electrical plasma that from a distance looked like wheels, rolling back and forth through the thunderclouds with a rumbling roar. The thunder would begin at one end of the sky and the next instant roll to the opposite end, moving at incredible speed.
"All citizens of the Heavenly Pool Kingdom, leave the capital immediately."
Chen Shi's skeletal body emitted a voice like the resonant toll of a great bell, reaching the ears of every ghost clan member.
Within the royal palace, civil and military officials hurried out to restrain the populace. The various clan heads manifested their true forms, towering a thousand zhang tall, and countless ghost clan members scrambled to climb onto their bodies.
One by one, the thousand-zhang ghost-gods took strides, heading out of the Heavenly Pool capital.
Some ghost clan members with weaker strength couldn't maintain their footing and tumbled off, but before hitting the ground, they were caught by the massive hands of the clan heads and quickly scrambled back up along their arms.
Besides the ghost clan, humans also did business in the Heavenly Pool capital. These humans survived in the Heavenly Pool Kingdom by taking on skeletal forms, called the Skeletal Ghost Clan. Hearing Chen Shi's transmission, they too began rushing out of the city.
They were often talisman masters from Red Mountain Hall, each activating their spells and flying through the air, no slower than the ghost clan in travel speed.
Those who didn't know flight techniques would activate talismans like Divine Travel Talismans, moving at no small pace either.
Just then, a muffled thunderclap sounded from the sky. People turned to look and saw a mass of thunder-fire suddenly shoot out from the thick thunderclouds, hurtling straight toward the royal palace!
That thunder-fire mass resembled Wang Lingguan's magical treasure—a fire chariot. Its exterior was flames, and within the flames were wheels formed of lightning. Rolling through the air at terrifying speed, it carried a rumbling thunder with it, and the next instant smashed into the Heavenly Pool Royal Palace!
"Boom!"
The palace trembled once under the thunder's impact, and then surging waves of blood erupted from within, spreading in all directions and submerging the palace in an instant!
Torrential blood seas surged from every direction.
In the sky, wheel-shaped bolts of lightning descended one after another, giant flaming wheels roaming across the blood sea, spinning and cutting, then plunging into the palace one after another.
This type of thunder was the famous Yin Lightning.
Yin Lightning was the most insidious—skilled at ruining one's cultivation, cutting down wisdom, and trimming innate talent. Even someone with peerless aptitude, struck by Yin Lightning, would become dull-witted for three years until the Yin energy within their body was dispelled, only then returning to normal.
If they couldn't dispel it, losing cultivation was the least of their worries. The key issue was that their mental faculties would never be what they once were—they wouldn't remember the Dao techniques they'd learned, wouldn't recall the methods for refining their treasures, would sit around every day in a daze, not knowing how to cultivate. This life would be finished.
So many bolts of Yin Lightning descending from the sky to strike Skeleton Chen Shi made every clan elder's heart sink.
The ruler had always been taciturn and not exactly sharp-looking—could he withstand this?
Before the palace, Chen Shi's skeletal body made no attempt to resist, allowing bolt after bolt of Yin Lightning to pass through him. The Yin Lightning came fiercely, rolling over his form. The wheel-shaped thunder-fire invaded his body, and the moment it passed through, all Yin-natured forces surged into him—Yin Lightning shook his soul, Yin Fire burned his spirit, Yin Wind dissolved his body, and Thunder Sound shattered his spirit!
Skeleton Chen Shi's body rattled violently, all his bones crackling and snapping. Between each bone, it was as if a powerful repulsive force had emerged, trying to separate them from his main body.
But as he circulated the Blood Lake Sutra, the bones forcefully rejoined.
Sh-sh-sh-sh! Yin Lightning masses flew in all directions, sinking one after another into his body, strengthening the repulsive force between his bones!
At the same time, the blood sea expanded further, with towering waves spreading in every direction.
Within the blood sea, ghostly souls surfaced one after another. Under the effect of the Yin Lightning, they began growing flesh and blood, as if trying to come back to life from death!
Another few dozen bolts of Yin Lightning howled down and blasted into Chen Shi's body. Skeleton Chen Shi's limbs and skeleton immediately lost control, and bone after bone grew its own wheel of Yin Lightning, spinning away from him!
Skeleton Chen Shi pushed the Blood Lake Sutra to its limit. The blood sea surged sky-high, spinning madly, and between each bone, a connection of blood and Qi was maintained, preventing him from being dismembered.
"Chen Shi!"
Yan Shihai, the former Clan Head of the Yan Family, rapidly recovered his human form and stood on the blood sea, watching his predicament. "You created slaughter and bloodshed, and today your retribution has come!"
The blood sea churned, and from the depths rose an immortal's severed head, now also sprouting flesh and blood. It rumbled, "Every sip and peck is predetermined. You killed me with the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade, and today as you cross the tribulation, the Celestial Way will punish you with Heavenly Thunder—that is the Heavenly Tribulation. The Earthly Way will punish you with Yin Lightning—that is the Earthly Tribulation. As for the Human Way, we shall be your Human Tribulation!"
Within the blood sea, blood-drenched figures emerged one after another.
Countless people had died by Chen Shi's hand or his blade, and now, under the effect of the Yin Lightning, they temporarily revived from death, shouting one after another, "Today, you will face your doom!"
Skeleton Chen Shi's skull was also trapped in a wheel-shaped Yin Lightning, about to split apart. Yet his gaze swept over them, and he sneered, "You weren't my match in life—what can you do to me in death?"
Suddenly, a great sun and a great moon leaped out from the blood sea. Yin and Yang reversed, the sun becoming the moon, the moon turning into the sun, working in inverted order.
In the next instant, all the flesh and blood on the ghost-gods within the Blood Sea Hell dissolved away, transforming into vast, pure cultivation that boosted Chen Shi's magical power by a huge margin and made the blood sea even more expansive!
Those ghost-gods who had died by his hand, who had originally planned to take this chance for revenge, hadn't expected their flesh to be dissolved before it could even fully form. They stood there dumbfounded.
The Yin Lightning surrounding Chen Shi's bones, within the Yin-Yang Dao Field, transformed instantly into Yang Lightning, turning into pure-yang energy. The bones flew back and reassembled into his body.
More Yin Lightning fell from the sky, turning into countless fire chariots rampaging across the blood sea. Under the influence of the Yin Lightning, these ghost-gods were rapidly coming back to life, but in the next moment, Yin and Yang reversed again, leaving them completely bare, flesh and blood gone.
"With Yin-Yang moving as I will, they help me settle Heaven and Earth! A bit more cultivation!"
Chen Shi was quite satisfied. He looked up at the thunderclouds in the sky, a hint of confusion in his heart.
Logically speaking, the Heavenly Tribulation should have sent Yang Lightning falling from the sky to wash away the Yin energy from a cultivator's body, allowing their physical body, Primordial Spirit, and every aspect to improve greatly, achieving a pure yang body. During the tribulation, immortal light would temper them, immortal Qi would empower them, and their Primordial Spirit would first reach the level of an immortal's Primordial Spirit.
But his Heavenly Tribulation had clearly gone wrong.
Yang Lightning had turned into Yin Lightning—how could Yin Lightning possibly refine Yin energy and make the physical body and Primordial Spirit pure yang?
"Could it be because I'm crossing the tribulation in the underworld?"
He carefully sensed the Dao principles of Heaven and Earth.
The so-called Dao of Heaven and Earth was divided into the Celestial Way and the Way of Earthly Spirits. The Celestial Way was the principle governing the operation of all natural things—wind, rain, thunder, lightning; hills, marshes, mountains, rivers; streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and so on—all belonging to the Celestial Way.
The Way of Earthly Spirits was the principle governing the movement of humans and spirits—birth, aging, sickness, death; pregnancy, childbirth, reincarnation, cycles; altars, harvests, shamans, sacrifices, and so on—all belonging to the Way of Earthly Spirits.
—The Dao of the underworld also fell under the category of the Way of Earthly Spirits.
"The Way of the Earth is the result of the operation of the Way of Heaven. The underworld and the mortal world appear to be completely different worlds, but they are actually the same world, operating under the same Dao principles. The underworld is the projection of the mortal world. The Dao of Heaven and Earth in both the Yin and Yang realms is identical."
Chen Shi had a moment of understanding. "So whether crossing the tribulation in the underworld or in the mortal world, the Heavenly Tribulation is the same, with no difference. Then, could it be that because I've killed too many people, Heaven is striking me with Yin Lightning?"
Thinking this, he looked at the souls on the blood sea. "That's not that many, either."
Within the Blood Sea Hell, the souls numbered in the tens of thousands. Though not all had died by his hand, most had been killed by the ghost clan army of the Heavenly Pool Kingdom under his command, which could also be counted against him.
"And even if I've killed countless beings, it still shouldn't warrant Yin Lightning. Being killed by Yang Lightning would be even more gruesome."
Chen Shi speculated, "Could it be that the Yin Lightning mixed into the Heavenly Tribulation is caused by the righteous energy of heaven and earth being mixed with demonic energy?"
He gradually understood clearly. "No wonder the old method is no longer feasible. When cultivators of the True King's Era practicing the old method crossed the tribulation, they were harassed by the Yin Lightning within it. Even if they succeeded, their cultivation would be reduced by the Yin Lightning. As their cultivation declined, demonic energy invaded—one rising, the other falling. So the demonic transformation of half-immortals in the Tribulation Crossing and Ascension stages is no surprise."
He operated Yin and Yang, bathing under the Heavenly Tribulation, his cultivation growing stronger and stronger.
Suddenly, a pure yang bolt of Heavenly Thunder descended from the sky, striking Skeleton Chen Shi and knocking him off balance.
Chen Shi steadied himself. Looking up, he saw Yin Lightning and Yang Lightning mixed in the sky—Yin Lightning falling into the blood sea and striking from its surface, Yang Lightning descending from the air—both arriving simultaneously!
"Boom!"
The two different kinds of lightning landed on him, their power skyrocketing. At the same time, within the blood sea, the sun and moon revolved around Chen Shi. The yin-yang purgation ground the Yin and Yang Lightning into dust, transforming them into yin and yang Qi, which Skeleton Chen Shi refined into his body.
In the air and on the blood sea, Yang and Yin Lightning struck continuously, but the moment they got close to him, they were refined by the yin-yang purgation into yin and yang Qi.
Chen Shi's cultivation rose step by step. For this tribulation crossing, he hadn't even used the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade or any other magical treasure, and he could already handle the Heavenly Tribulation.
For others, the most dangerous part of the Heavenly Tribulation was demonic transformation. But for him, demonic transformation had no effect at all.
The ghost clans of the Heavenly Pool Kingdom had already reached the edge of the Heavenly Pool, watching the churning blood sea from afar. They saw wheel-shaped Yin Lightning moving like electricity, and the Yang Lightning in the sky falling in dense slashes, making their hearts pound.
A few Skeletal Ghost Clan members floated in the air, watching intently as Chen Shi used the yin-yang purgation to refine away the Yin and Yang Lightning.
"Since the True King's Era, no one has crossed the tribulation for over six thousand years."
A skeletal ghost clan member's mouth produced Du Yiran's voice. "The last one to cross the tribulation was probably Jue Yangzi."
Another skeletal ghost clan member's mouth produced Granny Sha's voice. "Jue Yangzi was also a genius to have succeeded in crossing the tribulation. But unfortunately, he was first executed by the immortal realm after crossing, and then demonized later. He didn't truly complete the tribulation. Little Ten saved him, but he could only achieve Dao Unification within Little Ten's temple, with limited results."
A goat-headed skeleton added, "Little Ten's skeletal body successfully crossing the tribulation is already certain. Once he crosses, the Realm of Emptiness will expand enough to allow Jue Yangzi, Little Duan Immortal, and others to achieve Dao Unification, greatly increasing their power."
"That is not the righteous path."
A little yaksha skeleton shook its head. "The righteous path is to comprehend the Yin-Yang Dao Field oneself, cultivate independently, and cross the tribulation to become an immortal. Relying on others only limits oneself."
This little yaksha's voice was exactly the same as Chen Yindu's.
They were indeed Chen Yindu and his group, who had also come to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to explore the secrets buried during the Great Shang period. They had happened upon Chen Shi's skeletal body crossing the tribulation here and had come to watch.
The celestial fox was currently attached to a fox skeleton, Creation Little Five attached to an ox-head skeleton. Only Qiao Zhuo, being an underworld marshal, retained his human form.
Just then, a surprised voice rang out: "Crossing the tribulation? Someone is still cultivating the old method in this day and age?"
Everyone followed the sound and saw that the speaker looked like a child but had white hair, possessing both the appearance of an old man and a child, yet with an adult's body.
"Feng Ruotong, the Celestial Way Immortal!"
Several skeletons exchanged glances. "Wasn't he hunting down the Grand Sacrificial Officer of the Demon Capital? What's he doing here?"
In recent days, Chen Yindu and the others had encountered the Calamity and Catastrophe of the Demon Capital a few times and had heard that Feng Ruotong was hunting down the Demon Capital's Grand Sacrificial Officer. They just hadn't expected to run into Feng Ruotong here.
Beside Feng Ruotong were seven experts with deep auras, Celestial Way Walkers from Despair Slope.
Suddenly, an excited voice came from nearby: "Grand Sacrificial Officer, do you mean the one crossing the tribulation is His Majesty?"
Chen Yindu and the others exchanged glances, looking toward the skeleton who had spoken.
That skeleton was also from the Skeletal Ghost Clan, with more than a dozen skeletons gathered together. Among them, one skeleton youth was quite tall, with shamanic ritual markings flowing faintly on his body.
"The Grand Sacrificial Officer is here too!" Chen Yindu subtly signaled to Creation Little Five.
Creation Little Five understood immediately and came to his side.
With their wisdom linked, Chen Yindu immediately began to contemplate how to handle the current situation.
"Of course it's His Majesty, the Divine Emperor."
The skeleton youth with cyan shamanic ritual markings said, "His Majesty has comprehended divine skills, reached Great Completion, and crossing the tribulation to ascend is no issue."
Not far away, Feng Ruotong seemed to sense something, looked in their direction, and then strode over.
The Six Great Villains each quietly raised their cultivation. The Grand Sacrificial Officer's group also prepared themselves, all on alert.
Feng Ruotong wore a smile, his gaze occasionally falling on Chen Yindu's group and occasionally on the Grand Sacrificial Officer's group. Both groups were in skeletal forms, making it impossible to see their true faces.
He was about to speak when suddenly a commotion arose around them, filled with panic. Chen Yindu and the others looked over and saw white fog surging up along Boundless Cliff, growing denser and denser, unsettling the ghost clan of the Heavenly Pool Kingdom.
Some ghost-god shouted loudly, "Today is not Fog Moon day! Why is the Fog Moon appearing?"
Lei Qu, the chieftain of the Thunder Ape Tribe, said loudly, "Everyone, don't panic! Stay close to your clan heads—they are enough to protect you!"
The fog swept in at incredible speed, swallowing them all within moments. In the fog, one couldn't even see their hand in front of their face.
"On guard!"
Blue Goat roared, taking the lead and pushing his cultivation to the limit. In an instant, he transformed into a thousand-zhang-tall goat-headed humanoid giant skeleton, blazing demonic flames burning all around him.
At the same time, the celestial fox revealed her thousand-zhang fox skeleton form. Granny Sha transformed into the Imperial Maiden skeleton, with the Former Heaven Eight Trigrams appearing beneath her feet. Du Yiran gripped a long spear, his surroundings changing with Heaven and Earth variations. A Zhuo's Realm of Emptiness emerged above his head, countless bee creatures buzzing within it, ready to strike at any moment!
Feng Ruotong's expression shifted drastically as he also sensed the presence of experts. He urgently shouted, "On guard!"
On the other side, the Grand Sacrificial Officer also detected the nearby experts. His face changed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "On guard!"
All three groups bristled with murderous intent, each pushing their cultivation to the extreme, on high alert against any attack from within the fog.
Then, the sky grew bright. A colossal moon drifted slowly overhead, the Fog Moon of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
Everyone looked up at the sky.
That Fog Moon was a strange eye, spewing mist outward. The mist was thick with demonic energy, infecting everything around, reviving the dead, and making the beings sealed and suppressed within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains suddenly extremely active!
That strange eye of the Fog Moon hurtled straight toward Chen Shi.