Chapter 481: Wildly seizing five thousand years of martial fortune, human strength triumphs over heaven; life and death, withering an

The moonlight was like a disc, hanging high in the ten‑thousand‑zhang sky!

The moonlight seemed to have turned blood‑red, caused by being stained with endless, mighty qi and blood.

But slowly, the blood‑red turned into brilliant gold, golden radiance spilling forth, bathing the whole world in brilliant golden light.

Inside Qitian Cheng, outside Qitian Cheng……

Vast and mighty, countless silhouettes gathered, most of them martial artists from all over the world, their qi and blood mighty, they clenched fists and gazed into the distance.

Their eyes held anticipation and sharp brilliance, wanting to properly witness this martial immortal's breakthrough.

For many martial artists, they never had a chance in life to touch the path of pure martial arts; relying on divinity, the godly martial arts akin to a shortcut already required them to exert their utmost effort.

But pure martial arts is a legend, yet also the yearning in every martial artist's heart.

To overcome heaven with human strength!

How magnificent and vast, making hearts surge!

Inside the gate of Qitian Cheng, a surging crowd poured out.

Lü Taibai, Lü Qiankun, Fang Hanshu and others also gathered in the crowd, gazing from afar.

No one knows what impact and trial a pure martial arts sage will face when charging into immortal martial arts, or what terrible calamity heaven and earth will impose.

The Netherworld Ghost Emperor, possibly the only martial artist in the past five thousand years and the next five thousand years to reach the realm of Martial Immortal—will he break free like a butterfly from its cocoon, or fall like a shooting star?

Everyone wants to know.

At this moment, the martial artists from all directions held their breath, nervously staring.

Terrifying qi and blood shot straight up to the heavens, as if breaking a seal.

Everyone's eyes shrank involuntarily upon seeing it, for the ultimate boiling qi and blood essence, scorching like fire, resembled a hundred thousand volcanoes erupting simultaneously; qi and blood like beacon smoke pierced the cloud vault and pierced the firmament!

The Netherworld Ghost Emperor had purple fire coiling above his skull, the golden skull rotating with ultimate radiance, dazzling and eye‑catching, arms outstretched, he stepped step by step out of Qitian Cheng.

One after another, golden qi and blood like a great dragon soaring and dancing wildly shot up to the heavens!

This is merely pure qi and blood, extremely dazzling, utterly shocking to the eyes!

Golden great dragons pierced earth and heaven, dancing with the radiant moon, brilliant and blazing, fully illuminating Qitian Cheng beneath the night, as if becoming a pearl between heaven and earth!

Above the Netherworld Ghost Emperor's head burned a mysterious purple flame; the golden skull's eyes shone with bright golden light, his body crystalline and translucent, flowing with golden divine patterns, beneath his flesh golden blood could be seen flowing and rushing.

He raised his head high, gazing straight at the firmament.

Everyone watched as the Ghost Emperor strode forward; with each step, the earth trembled and mountains shook, as if about to collapse.

His entire body erupted with qi and blood, like a vast, roaming dragon upon the earth, directly sweeping to a point eight hundred li outside Qitian Cheng, upon the surging surface of the Grand Canal.

The strong both inside and outside Qitian Cheng could not sit still; they followed, gazing from afar, as if watching a divine spirit dance.

……

……

Boom—

Li Che walked with hands behind his back, his robes fluttering, he raised his head high, gazing straight at the firmament.

Stepping out of Qitian Cheng, having lost the bewildering haze of the guwu mist, and with his unrestrained release of qi and blood guiding forth martial will, his aura seemed to pierce heaven and earth, stirring the will of heaven and earth into violent turmoil!

The wind howled, blowing, stirring the sand and gravel on the ground, rolling rapidly, as if it wanted to plow furrows into the earth!

In the sky, there were no gathering black clouds as imagined, brewing a terrible thunder tribulation; instead, it was empty for ten thousand li, only a golden moon like a disc hung high in the firmament, bursting with ultimate radiance!

Boom—

A thunderclap vibrated, a flash of lightning appeared in an instant, extraordinarily strange, like geomantic light, colorful, like polar auroras, twisting in form, upon the firmament it complemented the golden moon, slanting, bursting, blindingly bright!

Yet the more beautiful the thing, the deeper the danger signal it gives.

Like this moment's tribulation lightning, seven colors surging, like heavenly auspicious clouds, yet filled with danger.

Even now, Li Che felt a shudder in his flesh, his thirty‑six thousand pores, while spurting qi and blood, were all stimulated to constrict.

As if a thunderbolt fell, it could blast a penetrating great hole in his body!

As if it could strangulate his vitality!

Not only Li Che felt this terror; it was the manifestation of heaven and earth's might, far more terrifying than ordinary divine tribulation!

It even reached the level of a Two‑Calamity Divine Tribulation Venerable!

Boom—

A violent explosion, like the detonation of a nuclear bomb, like a roar erupting from endless black clouds above the vast sea, terrifying blast sounds rolling through the ten‑thousand‑zhang heights.

Soul‑shaking, spirit‑deterring, all martial artists fell silent like cicadas in winter.

They trembled, their blood seemingly frozen, unable even to reflexively resist, as if heaven and earth's will had become a sickle hanging over each qi‑blood martial artist's neck, ready to behead them, blood flowing.

This is a… calamity specifically targeting martial artists!

It seems to give martial artists no hope; for those who wish to break shackles and oppose heaven with human strength, it brings a terrible calamity to directly exterminate them, leaving no vitality!

Boom—!!

Li Che also felt this oppression, different from the pressure of a Dao tribulation, but a calamity born of heaven and earth, coming to extinguish his flesh and blood and shatter his martial will.

As if the barrier of heaven and earth suddenly pressed down upon him.

That is the calamity imposed upon resistance, needing to exterminate any restless element, whether present, past, or future; any variable that could affect the balance of heaven and earth's will must be exterminated, struck down by tribulation lightning!

Even just the leaked pressure is utterly terrifying, practically leaving only darkness in one's eyes.

"How terrifying this heavenly might calamity; in this era of surging divinity, for pure martial arts to enter the Martial Immortal realm is truly heaven‑defying..."

"The more heaven‑defying, the more it is forbidden; the Netherworld Ghost Emperor… might truly be slain by heavenly tribulation!"

Yet such terrifying pressure is still not the limit of heaven and earth's will imposing calamity.

Like compressed anger reaching a bottleneck, it will suddenly erupt and blast forth, destroying heaven and earth!

Li Che thus released his qi and blood, standing still on the surface of the Grand Canal eight hundred li outside Qitian Cheng; the water, rarely so, became utterly calm, without the slightest ripple or wave.

He raised his head high, his qi and blood like countless great dragons dancing wildly, shooting up to the heavens.

Boom—

Li Che's gaze was clear and bright.

Martial Dao will rose steadily.

In the next moment, a golden heavenly gate was drawn forth!

As the immense golden heavenly gate appeared, it utterly captured everyone's gaze.

The martial artists who had rushed from all directions felt their blood surge like tides, uncontrollable, filled with excitement, anticipation, and reverence.

Many powerhouses who had stepped into the Martial God realm wore expressions of respect mixed with shock.

And the sect leader of the True Martial God Sect, Shi Jian, his face full of complex emotions—moved, stirred, reverent, and more—interwoven without cease, impossible to restrain.

"Truly amazing, truly amazing… It's really using pure martial Dao to charge toward Martial Immortal—what a Netherworld, what a Netherworld!"

Shi Jian kept sighing.

Meanwhile,

Qitian Nei Cheng.

On the city tower.

The old monkey gripped the golden hooped staff, his golden eyes slightly narrowed, gazing at the huge golden heavenly gate rising eight hundred li away, and he couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

The boss wore white that outshone snow, leading Xixi, while the big black dog stood beside them, also atop the inner city's city tower, merely positioned at the edge of the wall.

Xixi blinked her big eyes, overwhelmed with joy; for the Netherworld heroes, she naturally felt delight from the heart, because they were her kin.

Because her father belonged to the Netherworld, and Master Niu Niu also belonged to the Netherworld, so Xixi belonged to the Netherworld as well.

Naturally, the Netherworld heroes were all Xixi's elders.

Xixi would also worry about them.

The old monkey slowly lifted the golden hooped staff, narrowed his eyes, and in the next moment hurled the staff toward the heavens……

With a whoosh, the golden hooped staff turned into a golden bolt, spinning as it shot into the cloud heavens, as if tearing the clouds apart!

The staff seemed to transform into a coiling golden dragon, bursting forth a heaven‑shaking, earth‑shaking roar that echoed across the land.

Spanning eight hundred li, it appeared above the head of the Netherworld Ghost Emperor.

In the next moment, a divine spirit aura seemed to burst from the staff, and then, under everyone's astonished gaze, the surrounding heaven and earth wrinkled like cloth, being struck by an invisible force and continually churning.

"The Qitian Temple God has taken action!"

"He said he would protect the Netherworld Ghost Emperor and aid his breakthrough to Martial Immortal—turns out he meant it!"

"This is no easy feat; breaking through to Martial Immortal requires an overwhelming amount of heaven‑earth essence, but in the mortal world that essence is already mingled with divinity. To suppress the divinity within the heaven‑earth essence and obtain pure essence is an extremely troublesome, energy‑draining task!"

Powerhouse after powerhouse shone with bright eyes, some gazing with envy.

To have a divine spirit accomplish this is truly rare.

But they could only envy, after all, the Qitian Temple God's rebirth is inseparably tied to the Netherworld Ghost Emperor, and helping a temple deity revive ahead of time is something they could never do.

In Qitian Nei Cheng, the formerly hunched old monkey slowly straightened his spine.

Light burst from his brilliant golden eyes; he tapped his toes, flipped a somersault, and his body seemed to shatter space, plunging into the endless void.

Rumble—

However, only a few breaths' time.

Everyone felt the whole world tremble slightly, then the rolling, surging heaven‑earth essence rushed forth like a tide.

A hundred li, a thousand li, two thousand li, three thousand li!

Within a three‑thousand‑li radius of Qitian Cheng, all heaven‑earth essence was drawn by the mighty force, racing hither in a rush, the roaring sound rising in clamor!

Li Che naturally sensed it—this was the Qitian Temple God's promise to him, that it would aid his breakthrough to Martial Immortal in this era.

Li Che, while fighting the Black Bull Evil God Venerable in Qitian Nei Cheng, forcibly stepped into the heavenly gate, drawing the Martial Immortal Dao essence onto himself—but at that time he was not a true Martial Immortal, unable to fully fuse the essence into his body, and he had not received heaven‑earth acknowledgment.

And the most important point.

If Li Che wished to fully fuse the Martial Immortal Dao essence with his flesh, he needed… a sufficient amount of heaven‑earth essence!

Li Che's cultivation of the Pure Martial Dao had actually progressed enormously; most of it stemmed from the unparalleled horizontal tempering brought by the Dragon Elephant Golden Body Dao fruit, while the rest came from the enhancement gained by consuming martial pills.

And consuming martial pills is actually the process of drawing in the essence of heaven and earth.

In the present age, divine essence surges, and the heaven-and-earth essence is mixed with immense divine power; to separate the divine essence and draw only the pure essence is no easy task, yet martial pills precisely accomplish the separation of divine essence and the extraction of heaven-and-earth essence.

The amount of heaven-and-earth essence required to break through to Martial Sovereign is truly too immense.

A single Four-Quarters Martial Pill is far from enough; perhaps only the heaven-and-earth essence contained in hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of martial pills could barely suffice.

Now, the deity of the Qi Tian Temple personally intervenes, gathering the heaven-and-earth essence within a three-thousand-li radius to supply Li Che's assault on Martial Sovereign, completing the fusion of his fleshly body with the Martial Sovereign Dao's essence!

This is a tremendous opportunity!

Boom——!!!

Within Li Che's chest, the Dragon Elephant Golden Body Dao fruit throbbed wildly, as if a heavenly deity were beating a drum in the high heavens, the war-drum sound rolling like thunder!

The Dao fruit is also undergoing the baptism of tribulation lightning!

It, like Li Che, is undergoing tribulation and transformation!

Hum—bang——

Li Che's clothes instantly exploded, and waves of qi and blood surged outward in a ring, blasting outward in all directions.

Purple flames roiled, and a golden skull radiated unrestrained light.

His fleshly body continually grew taller and stronger, reaching nearly three meters in height, his entire form piled with block-like muscles, like a god and a demon!

His spine trembled incessantly, and a colossal furnace instantly appeared, forged purely from intertwined qi and blood, the Dragon Elephant roaring, as if it sought to span the heavens and surge upward!

Above the firmament, the hazy essence drifted like mist.

The intertwined seven-colored lightning suddenly burst forth!

The mighty mountaintop, in an instant, violently tore open the sky, unleashing terrifying thunderbolts, blindingly bright, as if seven suns of different colors exploded!

Everyone's breath stalled.

And that thunder and lightning, under the watchful eyes of all, fiercely slammed into the burly figure standing on the eight-hundred-li Grand Canal!

Bang——!!!

Waves exploded, instantly creating enormous rolling, as if the entire Grand Canal had been smashed to pieces!

The river water exploded to a height of a thousand zhang!

The Netherworld Ghost Emperor's whole body trembled; its immensely powerful flesh seemed to be pierced by this terrifying lightning, leaving blood holes and spraying blood and mist!

But everyone also saw the Netherworld Ghost Emperor's terrifying and powerful flesh.

A drop of golden blood fell, and the river water was instantly evaporated in large amounts, white mist rolling!

Beneath the shattered flesh, golden bones and golden meridians were revealed, practically the most perfect artwork between heaven and earth, filled with terrifying impact!

However…

Can even such a powerful flesh withstand this tribulation?!

The sect master of the True Martial God Sect, Shi Jian, let out a light sigh.

"This is a pure martial heavenly tribulation; the will of heaven and earth does not allow human strength to overcome heaven, and the Martial Immortal walks the path of using one's own power to transcend the mundane and contend with heaven and earth… How could heaven and earth allow it?"

"This is more terrifying than the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations crossed by any divine tribulation cultivator!"

The patriarch of the True Martial God Sect spoke, an unparalleled Martial God.

Li Che rose to stand upon the long river, blood spraying, an unprecedented pain, almost making Li Che faint.

However, the shattered flesh was rapidly healing, tempering the flesh.

Heaven and Earth's vital qi surged wildly, continuously pouring into his body, the vital qi of a three-thousand-li area raging, Li Che showed no restraint.

He knew that becoming stronger was the key; politeness was unnecessary!

Purple fire roiled, the dragon-elephant seeming dissatisfied with the oppression of heaven and earth's will, letting out a long roar to the heavens.

Li Che endured the intense pain, enduring the lashing of the tribulation lightning; every inch of his skin seemed to split open, golden blood spraying, many places struck by lightning into bright cracks, as if he were about to be beaten into dismemberment!

Too terrifying…

Such a tribulation is practically a nightmare, making one dare not face it directly.

"Pa——!!!"

A burst of explosion sounded.

The water of the entire Grand Canal directly sank and evaporated by one meter!

Rolling mist billowed between heaven and earth!

Li Che spread his arms, clenched his fists, and thrust out a punch, the myriad transformations of the dragon-elephant!

However, facing the descending crimson peak, his chest was shattered, as if exposing a golden and powerful heart, the heart showing seven apertures, spewing forth vast blood, the golden bones also slightly shattered, revealing golden marrow.

Even Li Che's expression turned grim, feeling the terror of this heavenly tribulation.

Of course, although Li Che suffered the pain of being struck by lightning, the Dao fruit of the 【Thunder-Magnetic Orbital】 in his chest was immensely excited, as if reveling in it!

Strike! Strike quickly!

Awesome! The Thunder-Magnetic Orbital Dao fruit is thrilled, but Li Che is miserable.

Li Che never imagined the Martial Immortal tribulation would be this terrifying!

Compared to the tribulation when he previously broke through the extreme realm, this is far stronger; back then it was at most a minor skirmish, but now… it's truly a fight for life!

Rumble——

Heaven and Earth's vital qi surged wildly, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven still exerting force, seemingly aware of how terrifying the tribulation faced when breaking into the Martial Immortal realm is, and how much vital qi supplementation is needed.

Moreover, no divinity may be mixed into the Heaven and Earth's vital qi, otherwise it would not be supplementation but poison.

Boom boom boom boom boom——!!!

The seven-colored lightning was extremely ferocious, storm flashes succeeding one another, various colors bursting forth, like polar light ravaging and intertwining, immensely gorgeous and beautiful, yet filled with danger!

Li Che was struck again and flung sideways, the Martial Immortal golden body trembling, yet at this moment there was a sense of frailty when facing heavenly might.

His chest was split open, ribs protruding one by one, some even broken, flowing out brilliant golden marrow.

And Li Che's martial will surged skyward, greedily and madly devouring Heaven and Earth's vital qi; the vital qi within a three-thousand-li range instantly enveloped his body, aiding in repairing his flesh and transforming his blood and qi!

Zizzle——

The Martial Immortal tribulation lightning has no intention of stopping!

It seemed to want to strangle Li Che to death, while Li Che exhausted all means, deploying various immortal martial arts to resist the tribulation.

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Of course, he could also choose to shift into Mo City Fengdu……

By using a minor cave heaven to evade the lock of heaven and earth's will, but that would mean the effort was wasted.

He would forever be unable to leave Mo City Fengdu, unable to set foot in the mortal world.

"He is going to die; the Netherworld Ghost Emperor may not be able to withstand it, dying under the tribulation lightning."

"However, his flesh has been tempered to an incredible terror, actually able to face the seven-colored tribulation lightning and withstand so many strikes!"

"This is truly the tribulation lightning of heaven and earth's will, surpassing the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, an unfathomable heavenly punishment!"

A strong person spoke, deep in contemplation.

"But…… not enough!"

"He must die!"

The strong warriors from all factions rushing over spoke coldly, with continual sneers.

Hum——!!!

In an instant, a golden light appeared, as if a great Buddha's phantom materialized out of thin air, fingers forming a seal, kind eyes and benevolent gaze, pouring down radiance, countless Buddhist chants echoing like thunder!

The Buddhist chants began like a gentle breeze and fine rain, then transformed into terrifying golden spears and iron horses!

Killing aura emerged from the Buddhist sound!

But this killing aura was not aimed directly at the Netherworld Ghost Emperor; instead, it mobilized the divinity between heaven and earth, and the originally tide-like three-thousand-li heaven-and-earth spirit qi, at this moment, seemed to have been affected by strong divinity, about to dissipate.

Lü Taibai, Lü Qiankun, and others gasped.

"This... a strong expert secretly made a move, intending to sabotage the Netherworld Ghost Emperor's breakthrough to Martial Immortal!"

"Drawing upon such vast divinity, they intend to use divinity to contaminate the purity of pure martial!"

"They truly deserve to die! So despicable!"

……

Lü Taibai gritted his teeth, silver hair flying, the Taibai Sword hidden in his sleeve rang out!

Lü Qiankun shook his head: "The person who made a move is extraordinary, hiding in a minor cave heaven, isolating the will of heaven and earth, but the move is not to interfere with the calamity, merely stirring the divinity between heaven and earth..."

"But for a pure martial practitioner, divinity is a deadly poison... if even a bit is absorbed, all effort is lost!"

Boom——!!!

Between heaven and earth, fierce gales intertwined, rolling demonic qi surged, a golden vortex appeared; within the vortex, it was as if an ocean surged, like a golden-winged Peng bird with wings spread, its body forged of gold, feathers like blades, sweeping in coldly.

This is the move of a powerful expert from the hundred-thousand great rivers of the worldly demon race!

Moreover, many faces slightly changed color, for the one who made a move is a Three Disasters Supreme!

This supreme being dare not appear in the world, yet was transported here while hiding in a minor cave heaven, and now secretly strikes from within that minor cave heaven!

Even with the divine deterrence of the Equal Heaven Temple, experts from all sides still made a move!

The Netherworld has provoked too many forces; naturally, some do not wish for the Netherworld to give birth to another peerless Martial Immortal!

Rumble——

Divinity surged; all divinity within a three-thousand-li radius gathered, forming a vortex that collided with the heaven-and-earth spirit qi vortex!

Li Che's flesh, under the lashing of thunder and lightning, continually shed golden blood, yet his eyes were incomparably cold.

Those who secretly made a move did not directly come to kill him, for he is undergoing tribulation; if they struck, the heavenly tribulation would lock onto them and redirect its wrath.

But they chose to usher in divinity, their intentions utterly malicious, seeking to make his breakthrough to pure martial immortal fail!

Terrifying temptation frenetically assaulted Li Che's martial will, as if a tempting voice echoed deep in his soul.

"Give up, spread your arms, absorb divinity, you will be able to soar to the heavens and become a supreme divine spirit; do not walk the bitter and arduous pure martial path, for fleshly sanctity exists only in legend, and the present heaven and earth cannot achieve it!"

"Spread your arms, possess divinity, become a divine spirit!"

That is the voice of another desire within the soul.

Thump thump thump——

The Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart trembled; Li Che's eyes instantly cleared, his will becoming unprecedentedly steadfast!

Boom——

Li Che's flesh and blood rang out; though his body was pierced, he frenetically absorbed heaven-and-earth spirit qi, continually restoring his flesh wounds, his aura unmatched, climbing steadily!

He did not, because of experts blocking his breakthrough, show any self-abandonment.

On the contrary, he lifted his head, boiling with fighting spirit, striving desperately!

Li Che stepped forward, the air seeming compressed to the extreme, his whole body shooting into the heaven-and-earth spirit qi vortex!

The three-thousand-li spirit qi vortex, as if swallowed by a whale, rapidly shrank!

Boom——!!!

A bolt of lightning struck down; Li Che's skin split and flesh tore, golden blood spattered, his bones cracked as if marrow flew.

Everyone went numb, shocked to the point of despair; this Martial Immortal... the Netherworld Ghost Emperor deservedly achieves.

How could ordinary people withstand such heavenly tribulation lightning!

Did ancient Martial Immortals break through like this?

The sect master of the True Martial Divine Sect, Shi Jian, and the patriarch were shocked; according to the sect's records, a Martial Immortal's breakthrough need not be so terrifying.

"Perhaps... because this Martial Immortal is, in the present world, pushing forward and backward five thousand years each, can be called the sole Martial Immortal! This can also be understood as... the heaven and earth have changed!"

Divinity surged, covering the sky; demonic qi sprawled, likewise wrapped in immense divinity, seeking to affect the Netherworld Ghost Emperor's breakthrough!

"This era... does not need a pure martial Martial Immortal; even if one breaks through, what then? The era has changed; entering as a Martial Immortal, one will find it hard to take a single step!"

"Better not to enter!"

A cold voice echoed.

"Go! usher in the divine tribulation!"

An expert hidden in the void spoke coldly; suddenly, space shattered, and a Divine Tribulation Grand Master actually shot out from the broken space at high speed.

That is a eunuch!

Indeed, wearing a purple-intent Grand Secretary robe, with dragon embroidery, it is obviously a highly esteemed Grand Secretary.

Extremely old, yet his face was white and smooth.

This old eunuch, upon appearing, fearlessly shot toward Li Che, who was being struck by the heavenly tribulation; then, a divine impact struck, and the will of heaven and earth seemed to enrage, a bolt of lightning suddenly striking down!

Ah——!!!

This One-Disaster Divine Tribulation old eunuch merely screamed, and under the lightning was utterly erased, turned to ash!

He had interfered in the Martial Immortal tribulation calamity, dying too thoroughly; a single bolt of lightning could not be blocked.

However, the Martial Immortal tribulation lightning, because of this interference, had its might forcibly increased.

Bang——!!!

The thunderous roar nearly pierced eardrums, as if the Milky Way of the nine heavens poured down, like stars striking the earth!

Pfft!

Li Che coughed up a mouthful of blood mist; the heavenly tribulation grew more terrifying, his eyes cold as he stared into a corner of the void.

"Dàjǐng Emperor, could it be you?!"

Vicious and despicable.

Your name is in the Underworld's Register of Life and Death; sooner or later I will take you!

The Underworld Ghost Emperor's voice rang out, without the slightest weakness, full of confidence!

Hmph—

The expert hidden in the void merely let out a cold snort.

Meanwhile, the various minor cave-heavens appeared one after another, with supreme experts projecting their gazes from within.

Within each minor cave-heaven, cultivators who had just survived a single disaster-god tribulation rushed out fearlessly, having just broken through that realm, and upon appearing they forcibly detonated the Three Disasters Nine Tribulations.

However, in an instant they were split into flying ash, leaving no corpses!

But they paid with their lives, yet managed to greatly increase the power of the tribulation!

The Three Disasters Nine Tribulations mingled with the Martial Immortal tribulation!

Even as mighty as Li Che, with his Martial Immortal golden body ringing, was also split into a tattered state!

The purple flames turned dim and lusterless, as if about to be extinguished, but that shadowy Martial Immortal Dao essence outside his body was at this moment almost completely overlapping with it.

The Golden Heavenly Gate also rumbled and trembled!

Little brother, you really can suck, truly aiming for fleshly sanctity? Old Sun will lend you another hand! Hehe!

In the void.

Suddenly, an old monkey's loud laughter rang out.

The next moment.

Originally, the heavenly and earthly essence within a three-thousand-li radius surged wildly; in an instant it expanded to a five-thousand-li radius, the essence rolling like waves, continually pushed in from the edges of heaven and earth.

In an instant, it suppressed the divine surge stirred by the many experts who had brought the minor cave-heavens.

Boom——!!!

Suddenly.

Just as the experts of the major forces were about to make another move… a golden radiant staff became immeasurably huge, pressing down across the void!

That golden radiant giant Buddha instantly shattered upon impact, turning into countless fragments of Buddha light that scattered.

And the golden-winged roc hidden within the minor cave-heaven also let out a piercing cry!

Qi Tian! Qi Tian, have you gone mad?!

How dare a deity set foot in the mortal realm! You will surely be split into flying ash and annihilated!

Is it worth it for just a half-step Martial Immortal?!

However.

The golden staff was grasped by a furry palm, accompanied by a 'hehe', and thrust fiercely into the minor cave-heaven, like striking the yellow dragon, smashing that immensely powerful golden-winged roc, its flesh and blood exploding, leaving only feathers flying.

And within the minor cave-heaven, the old monkey donned golden armor again, the phoenix-feather purple-gold crown sweeping across the sky, though this time without the great red cape; the old monkey hoisted the golden hooped staff and laughed hehe.

He took a step forward, exiting the cave-heaven.

A Xuanhuang great banner was planted on the old monkey's golden armor back, fluttering loudly.

It was indeed the Gather Immortal Yellow Banner!

I, Old Sun, have come out; I, Old Sun, have come back in!

Hehe……

One minor cave-heaven after another floated in the void, many experts' eyes nearly bursting, the Gather Immortal Banner! This monkey actually has the Gather Immortal Banner!

With the Gather Immortal Banner, although only one side, its brief appearance in the mortal realm is still capable of achieving this!

This is the supreme treasure of the Divine Camp of the Dark Heavenly Court; how could it fall into the hands of this dead monkey?!

Some experts could no longer stay seated, having people lift the minor cave-heavens and begin to retreat far away.

And behind the Qi Tian Temple deity, a banner was planted; facing those retreating minor cave-heavens, it went in and out.

Miserable cries echoed continuously, even more tragic than the Underworld Ghost Emperor struck by lightning.

Boom——!!!

Between heaven and earth, a thunderbolt as thick as a huge dragon suddenly appeared!

It tore through everyone's sight!

And that five-thousand-li span of heavenly and earthly essence was at this moment completely drained dry!

Everyone's gaze fell upon the dried-up riverbed of the Grand Canal, its water evaporated.

On the riverbed appeared a huge pit.

It hissed, steaming with heat.

Within that pit stood a figure, pitch-black all over, like charcoal, no human features discernible.

The purple flames that had been burning all along now seemed extinguished, as if all vitality had been wiped away.

Suddenly.

A terrifying heartbeat like thunder boomed.

Crack—crack—

The figure, charred by the terrifying thunder, slowly moved; life and death, withering and flourishing, immortal and indestructible; ash fell, and his eyes suddenly opened, a piercing golden light bursting forth from the scorched black that had shed.

Li Che's eyes shone golden; at this moment the tribulation vanished, and the winds and clouds stilled.

In his mind, like a rolling great bell, he finally understood his own realm.

Martial Immortal…

What is a Martial Immortal?

Bearing heavenly thunder, facing death to live, human power conquers heaven!

This is the Martial Dao Human Immortal!

Billions of rays of light illuminate heaven and earth!

It seems to seize the martial fortune of the past and future five thousand years of the mortal world, proving the Dao as the sole martial path immortal; at this moment, it radiates brilliance to the utmost.

Even if it emerges from the small cave heaven, brandishing a blood‑stained staff, Qi Tian cannot help but cast its gaze.

How long ago has it become so difficult to give birth to a martial immortal…

In the pupil's light, a hint of desolation and sorrow inevitably appears.

The era of all immortals—has it truly already passed?!

(End of chapter)