Chapter 41: Something Amiss, the Killing Calamity Erupts

"According to the sect's records, a single Spirit Treasure can bear no fewer than nine Spirit Restrictions, and at most thirty-six."

"The more Spirit Restrictions, the more powerful the Spirit Treasure."

"It's just that, in my perception, the Innate Gourd can condense a full forty-nine Innate Spirit Restrictions."

"Is this the special quality of an Innate Object?"

Thinking of the mysterious information perceived after refining that one Innate Spirit Restriction, which elevated the Innate Gourd into an Innate True Treasure.

Chen Daoxuan was lost in thought.

After a long while, he gathered his thoughts and sensed the wisp of Innate Calamity-Destroying Immortal Thunder born within his right eye and within the Innate Gourd respectively.

With a single thought from Chen Daoxuan, the Innate Gourd transformed into a wisp of Gourd Spiritual Light and merged with his right eye.

At once, the strange phenomenon of the grey double pupils in his right eye was completely concealed.

On the surface, it once again became the same as his left eye.

……

He sat in stillness for a long while.

Chen Daoxuan activated the Concealment True Restriction contained within the True Treasure Dharma Robe on his body.

His presence vanished without a trace.

He then communicated with the Kunlun Mirror, left the Great Universe, and arrived at the Tianling Great Realm.

……

Concealing himself, he stood outside True Strange Prefecture.

Although Chen Daoxuan had not released his divine sense, relying solely on his pair of Primordial Spirit Dharma Eyes, he could see that the entire True Strange Prefecture was dark and gloomy, with sun and moon bereft of light.

The originally lively Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi had fallen utterly silent, and the once-boiling mortal-world atmosphere was as still as water.

All living beings in True Strange Prefecture below Core Formation had, at some unknown time, fallen into slumber.

Even the Nation's Fate Heavenly Pillar of True Strange Nation, and the Zhenqi Fate Spirit that coiled around the Nation's Fate Heavenly Pillar, appeared dim.

……

When Heaven sends forth killing intent, the stars shift and the constellations change.

When Earth sends forth killing intent, dragons and snakes rise from the land.

When Man sends forth killing intent, heaven and earth are overturned.

Through the Innate Gourd, Chen Daoxuan could see that the vast killing intent of Heaven, Earth, and Man—the Three Powers—throughout True Strange Prefecture was entangled boundlessly, spreading without end.

A full major tier stronger than when he had left three days ago.

In Chen Daoxuan's eyes, this was a killing calamity in which even a Returning to Void (Soul Separation) cultivator would enter the fray.

About to erupt.

Before even stepping into True Strange Prefecture, merely drawing close, Chen Daoxuan sensed that the two Merit Dharma Realms—one gold, one cyan—hovering three chi above his head had all fallen silent in the unseen realm.

This signified that the merit he possessed was being subjected to some form of unseen suppression.

"Those who bear fate, when ill fortune reaches its extreme, fortune turns; when meeting with calamity, they become auspicious."

"Those who bear merit, free from disaster and difficulty, with blessings and longevity without end."

"My Merit Dharma Realms being suppressed means that the merit I possess is still insufficient to grant me merit-protection when participating in this killing calamity."

As his thoughts flowed, Chen Daoxuan halted the step he was about to take into True Strange Prefecture.

"Heh, why do I feel there's something off about this killing calamity?"

"Could merely the True Strange King performing his Longevity Secret Art give rise to such a killing calamity?"

"Could there be some inside story I don't know about, beyond the Zhenqi Prince's seizure of the throne, the Seven Sects' plundering of fate, and the Demon Gate's attempt to break the nation?"

In his thoughts, Chen Daoxuan concealed himself and sat cross-legged at the border of True Strange Prefecture, quietly awaiting the eruption of this killing calamity.

……

As time passed drop by drop.

The entire True Strange Nation slowly fell into silence.

Only the Spiritual Light spreading from one great formation after another, fully activated.

As well as the Nascent Soul, and even Divine Transformation cultivators arriving at True Strange Prefecture from all directions.

Several hours later.

When only two quarter-hours remained before the True Strange King's Longevity Secret Art reached its most critical moment.

In the center of True Strange Prefecture, the True Strange Nation's Capital.

Deep within the Nation's Fate Heavenly Pillar, within a Fate True Realm.

Countless streams of fate converged, transforming into Fate Lock Chains that bound an old man—skin stretched over bone, his entire body reeking of twilight, clad in the True Strange King's robe, his head wearing the Nine-Flow Crown.

The lord of True Strange Nation, the True Strange King, opened a pair of dim, turbid eyes, filled with madness and longing.

"If one does not become an immortal, all living things have their lifespan. The Fate Dharma Realm has a lifespan of Three Kalpas; the Fate True Realm has a lifespan of Three Yuan Kalpas."

"Now the Fate True Realm, from Life Exhaustion and death, has only thirty thousand years left.

Follow me, and together we shall defy the heavens and change our fate—break through, then stand anew!"

"Haha, this king shall not only extend his own lifespan by ten thousand eight hundred years, completing one kalpa, but also extend the Fate True Realm's lifespan by one yuan kalpa!"

And amid his mad, great laughter, the entire Fate True Realm resonated with him in the unseen realm.

The Fate True Realm's remaining thirty thousand years of lifespan rapidly dwindled.

When living beings' lifespan is exhausted, naturally they die.

And when all things' lifespan is exhausted, calamity arrives.

One quarter-hour later, as the lifespan of this Fate True Realm—representing True Strange Nation's fate—dwindled to exactly the same as the old man's.

At this moment, it also happened to be the final, most critical quarter-hour of the Longevity Secret Art he had performed on the surface.

And the True Strange King, who had originally been skin and bones, shrouded in deathly aura, aged beyond compare, in that very instant underwent a tremendous change in appearance.

As if time had reversed, he transformed into the appearance of a dashing youth of sixteen or seventeen.

Only a pair of eyes appeared dim.

"To use your lives and fate to extend the lifespan of me, of my True Strange Nation — that should be your honor."

His dim eyes gazed beyond the Nation's Fortune Great Barrier, high in the heavens, at those dozen-plus Return to Void Wills, filled with madness and greed.

……

As the final quarter-hour of the calculated time arrived.

In an instant, Chen Daoxuan opened his eyes.

He clearly sensed it.

The originally silent True Strange Prefecture — in that very instant, the still Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged and boiled.

The killing tribulation erupted.

……

Over ten strands of Divine Transformation Aura interwoven with demonic resonance, and over ten demonic-soul battle formations displaying the power of Divine Transformation, erupted violently all at once.

"True Strange Nation's fate has run out — kill!"

Life Gate Sect, Plague God Sect, Joy Spirit Sect.

The three great Demon Gates, going all out, charged toward the region where the Nation's Fate Heavenly Pillar stood.

At the same time, throughout True Strange Prefecture, one after another Divine Transformation Aura erupted, one after another battle formation manifested.

Some intercepted and attacked the three great Demon Gates.

Others headed toward where the Nation's Fate Heavenly Pillar stood.

In an instant, centered on the region where the Nation's Fate Heavenly Pillar stood.

An intense chaotic battle began to erupt.

……

And this, like a signal, beyond True Strange Prefecture.

Apart from those Northern Seven Prefectures, including Guqi Prefecture which Chen Daoxuan had already swept clean, the other Eleven Prefectures all began to erupt with demonic disasters great and small.

Among them, the lesser demonic disasters were some Zombies and Evil Ghosts emerging from mountains and wilds everywhere, assaulting villages and towns.

Various plagues broke out.

The greater demonic disasters — certain ancient seals were broken, and some who had perished with their Dao gone but whose remnant spirits had not perished, transformed into Demon Scourges, manifesting into the world.

The True Strange Nation's Fortune, already in decline, began to grow even more turbulent and unstable.

……

Crown Prince's Mansion.

The True Strange Crown Prince, fully armed, with himself as the core, three thousand Core Formation Cultivators formed a vast grand formation.

But at this moment, the True Strange Crown Prince, who had long been prepared and should have set out at the very first moment, instead had not moved a step.

Watching that chaotic battle erupting from one after another Divine Transformation Aura and Divine Transformation battle formation.

Instead, his face was filled with disbelief, filled with ashen despair.

Because at that very instant, he sensed that the Nation's Fate Heavenly Pillar had not yet collapsed, but that Fate True Realm, for some unknown reason, had fallen into collapse and ruin.

"Impossible — even a Combined Body Heavenly Lord could not silently destroy the Fate True Realm."

……