Chapter 498: Locking the Three Lives, Seeking the Tribulation of Fate

Ten thousand years ago, upon the Demon Domain.

Within the newly established Heaven and Earth under seal, the Emperor stood like the sun, shining eternally, and at this moment, he was lost in deep thought.

The correction of principles, the foundation of Heaven and Earth, beneath the Dao, bearing...

By interfering in the affairs of the future, he encountered the Heaven and Earth baseline that should have been dead and vanished, buried at the bottom; the oscillating shadows of that tribulation and punishment, though actually a backlash of his own Dao, were just like walking on a road when the ground beneath one's feet suddenly bulges and erupts, knocking the traveler flying and leaving them severely wounded.

However, what kind of existence was the Emperor?

Even separated by the membrane of the Dao, he could still notice various profound convergences, and that was exactly what he longed for, what all cultivators now and in the future dreamed of—the beginning of the transition and departure between the Great Vehicle and the Human Immortal, the Tribulation Transcendence stage's...

The Emperor's train of thought always broke off at the critical moment, as if the correction were still ongoing, as if Heaven and Earth did not permit his further contemplation, exploration, and realization...

No! That's not right!

This is the entanglement of cause and effect and destiny, this is?! The Emperor suddenly looked up, only to see that in the empty Heaven and Earth, a crack had appeared from the east, and following that, a young Daoist appeared there.

At a glance, in a trance, he seemed to already possess the frailty of old age, his spine slightly hunched!

It is, Supreme Luoyu!

What kind of figure was the Emperor, yet when facing this Supreme, he was merely Emperor Jinwu; unknowingly, all agitation and all undulations were smoothed out, all suppressed.

Only the trace of Heaven, beginning to spread in those eyes, remained.

"Jinwu, you have been too noisy lately."

Supreme Luoyu spoke at this moment, the frailty of old age instantly vanishing; what remained in its place was a youthful state that was both restrained and flamboyant, silent yet fanatical, filled with various discordant contradictions, as if wanting to spread wings and fly high, yet ultimately having broken wings and fallen feathers.

"Arrogant! Daring to usurp the title of Supreme, you dare to mock me?"

Facing Emperor Jinwu's stern words, the one opposite did not say anything.

A Supreme never needs to explain to anyone.

He merely raised his hand, and the trace of Heaven suddenly accelerated, spreading outward.

"Cause and effect, cause and effect; the cause is in the future, the effect is in the present!"

"Therefore, you should die, Jinwu."

Supreme Luoyu's gaze rippled with the same indifference as in the future, his words naturally being the ultimate truth of Heaven and Earth.

Emperor Jinwu realized something at this moment and looked up abruptly, only to see that above the dark and empty void, an indescribable figure had locked the shackles of the present and the future.

"Good, good, good, truly a magnificent move; cause and effect and destiny are fixed and changed, past, present, and future, all locked tight... Is this my tribulation? Tribulation! Luoyu, I am ultimately one step ahead of you!"

The arrogant sun did not fear, nor did it retreat, for there was no path left to retreat.

The Dao of the Immortal is like sailing against the current; if one does not advance, one retreats!

Thus, in this moment of the past, the fall of the Emperor, a long-determined cause and effect.

Thus, everything was within the scope of control fabricated by the Supreme; causal logic and the like were perfectly locked.

Those ten thousand demons only saw the death of the sun, facing the shattering of their dreams of hegemony.

History is just like this; it was already destined.

The great tide swept down, crushing all sorts of things.

Flowing ceaselessly all the way, until the present moment.

A low mountain, a small, old temple, a silent person.

That Supreme Luoyu no longer spoke to his head disciple, but fell back into silence; an indescribable depth boiled within the small room.

What exactly is this "person," this "he," this "cultivator" who does not claim divinity and does not adorn himself, currently surging with, contemplating, and delving into? Just as the True Monarch lowered his gaze, then silently cupped his hands and respectfully exited this place.

Within the small temple, there was only one person.

Within the formless, there seemed to be a clamor.

Shadows and flickers, infinite cause and effect, various Daos, circled his slightly hunched, sitting figure that revealed a hint of old age.

The ultimate footnotes were in the clamor, speaking the same words.

"Luoyu, you will eventually encounter it too, that fated tribulation!"

"Tribulation, karma and sin, resentment and affection... I really want to encounter it; I have waited for so, so long. So, will you be that tribulation? 'Zhu Jun,' who was discarded just after being born..."

At this very moment.

Du En, who was being muttered about, his severely wounded and powerless primordial spirit, had already appeared in another celestial domain, another star realm, drifting in the void, his gaze carrying deep concentration and a lingering trace of shock.

It was not that he was surprised by the sneak attack of True Monarch Huiqing, but that he could not help but think of the scene he saw at the end, the one locked and shackled.

Was everything within the plan?

Was it all just practicing his Dao?... Forget it, now that his strength is weak and his Dao is feeble, it is natural for things to be this way.

Du En quickly and calmly accepted that fact.

Then he cast all his attention onto the present moment.

True Monarch Huiqing had brewed this for a long time, so naturally, it would not just be that one move; after all, being within her own sect, it would be very easy to be intercepted, and in the best-case scenario, she would only have the power of one strike.

In fact, that was exactly the case.

Therefore, she naturally kept a backup plan.

It was just that.

Space-time had ripples; did I come a little early? As Du En thought this within the prepared trap, the heavy killing moves finally came crashing down! Two giant hands appeared first, like swatting a fly, intending to swat him to death.

The broken primordial spirit immediately curled into a ball, circulating its remaining strength, and stepped through space.

Although there were arrangements here long ago, layers upon layers of spatial nets wrapped around the star-filled celestial domain in all directions, covering every part of the star realm, but compared to the fusion and isolation created by the Supreme on the Qingxuan Star Realm side, it appeared very loose.

Du En had experienced the perspective of cross-realm strengthening many times; although he could not directly break through these blockages right now, slipping through gaps and drilling through holes was not difficult at all.

Boom! The giant hands clapped together, exploding with sound in the void; it was non-substantial, like ocean waves, targeting the primordial spirit.

A cluster of light points suddenly appeared in the distance.

Although he could slip through gaps and drill through space, it was clear that the enemy was also well-prepared.

Du En had just been forced out and immediately fell into a new killing move.

Only to see, with a *teng-teng-teng-teng*, four swords brimming with killing intent appeared out of thin air, immediately forming a sword array.

No life, no fate, no self, no end!

Four-None Great Killing Sword Array!

Sword cultivators are known for their killing power, and what Du En faced at this moment was a great killing array that gathered four ruthless and unjust profound scriptures of the killing Dao, and was extremely terrifying and grim! Moreover, it had been brewed to the extreme from the very start, without the slightest bit of hesitation, erupting with maximum killing power.

One could see the four sword souls gather and then disintegrate, releasing sword intent, sword heart, sword ambition, and sword obsession to converge in one place. Furthermore, the four sword-Dao treasures anchoring the array self-destructed, pouring their surging essence into it. Immediately, a terrifying array sword that kills the tangible and slaughters the intangible appeared, carrying a terrifying sharpness that caused space to annihilate, and charged directly toward Du En. Facing such a scene, Du En did not panic or waver; he simply spat out an object from his ball of light.

A talisman.

"Return-to-Self Reappearance Treasure Talisman!" Suddenly, another him appeared in the original spot.

Then, a brilliant explosion erupted, like a sun rising into the sky, and then the sun collapsed into nothingness. A terrifying black hole appeared in its place, erupting with an unstoppable pulling force that dragged that array sword inside. Amidst the sharp, creaking sounds of twisting and crushing, the two sides fell into a stalemate, and then seemed to solidify.

"Hmm?" The person behind the scenes presiding over the ambush had already been somewhat hasty in triggering the trap, and seeing this, they were momentarily surprised. Thus, before they could react and do anything, the two stalemated and solidified entities exploded with a roar, turning into an even wider-ranging impact that annihilated the surrounding void.

Du En's true form, the ball of light, also disappeared under this annihilation, as if he had been caught in the aftermath and fallen. The traps and methods heavily laid out here were also directly destroyed for the most part, and those that remained appeared fragmented.

The person hiding in the dark could finally no longer conceal themselves and appeared with an ugly expression. They channeled Dao techniques to eliminate the aftermath and then triggered the remaining arrangements, determined to kill Du En for real!

Even if he had already been killed just now, they had to find the scraps, otherwise they could not report back, and they themselves would also be uneasy.

—Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, Du En's normal posture was actually so formidable, capable of exceeding the barriers of a major realm. He truly is a peerless genius who cannot be underestimated or ignored, otherwise there is a danger of falling! Void Refinement stage, indeed...

Du En naturally was not killed by his own move. At this moment, with the help of another Flowing Light Treasure Talisman, he used light to converge within light, quietly flowing out from the gaps in the ruined trap dam.

Although he did not look back, and his divine sense was already as tattered as his primordial spirit, he still sensed the signs of that person's appearance and knew the level of the other party's cultivation.

It was naturally the Void Refinement stage!

And it was likely not just the early or middle stage, but at the very least the late stage. It was a level that even in his prime, he would need to use two great divine abilities simultaneously to fight. Considering the various trump cards and methods that True Monarch Huiqing had given the other party, it was even more impossible to fight head-on, and he should be regarded as a Void Refinement stage expert of the peerless genius level.

They all say that external forces do not make a peerless genius, but looking at this, that doesn't seem quite right.

Du En muttered to himself, moving in harmony with the light, freezing himself, and quietly running away.

In fact, he could not run very far, because his state was too terrible, and there was a big thunderclap stirring in the shadows.

Phoenix Remnant Hatred!

Under normal circumstances, it would naturally be suppressed by him.

But now, heavily injured to this extent, its residual strength was perhaps only at the very low level of Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment. This Remnant Hatred of the Divine Venerable, which does not distinguish between friend and foe, naturally began to stir up trouble.

It was thanks to the various previous involvements being so exaggerated that even a level like the Divine Venerable's Remnant Hatred had no chance to appear, and it was suppressed back into the depths of the principles early on; otherwise, it would already be impatient to run out now.

But now that he had arrived at another star field of the universe, the influence of Zhu Jun, Mo Ju, and various other venerables and evils was fading away at high speed.

It was already reviving, accelerating its rise! Faintly, the clamor on the outer edge seemed to reveal a kind of excitement and agitation.

He could only find a place to attempt suppression, although that would be very difficult...

Du En's situation was actually still terrible, and a slight carelessness would lead to a miserable death, but his emotions remained calm throughout. At the same time, his gaze naturally turned toward the star not far away.

It was shrouded in gray, ominous clouds; it was clearly not a place of goodness to the naked eye!

True Monarch Huiqing had clearly considered various factors, and the star field chosen for the ambush would naturally not leave any room for maneuver here. Perhaps running inside was just jumping into another trap.

But now there was no other choice; after all, there were various blockades in the vast void outside, and the sun of the nearest star field had long since dimmed, leaving only a deathly red color.

Therefore, he could only fall toward the main body of that star field, which was the only place still emitting a glimmer of living light.

Not long after he fell in, that Void Refinement True Person found this place. There was a compass in their palm; at this moment, the magnetic spoon on it was spinning in place, unable to point out a specific direction anymore.

"Damn it, are there still backup plans?"

Such a situation was unexpected, making them mutter with hatred.

The longer it dragged on, the more variables there were! Just at this moment, a stream of light appeared abruptly.

It was an emergency transmission from the Immortal Gate! They did not dare to be negligent, took it and read it, and their expression became even gloomier.

"Summoning True Decree... Heh!"

They sneered abruptly, crushed the transmission carrier, and continued to cast spells to urge their power.

The Heaven-Ensnaring Net further away in the void merged with the tattered inner net, turning into a brand-new, denser cover that directly wrapped around the entire star.

It is worth noting that they appeared cautious, not letting the edges of their various methods touch the high-altitude cloud currents of that star, appearing exceptionally wary.

"Du En, oh Du En, this Grudge Demon Realm will surely be your burial ground!"

On the main peak mountain path.

True Monarch Chengru was pacing.

This operation had gone quite smoothly; that Ten Thousand Star Evil Fetus had returned to the sealed fetal palace once again and would not come out to wreak havoc for a short time. The best situation he had preset had already been achieved.

That's right, this was the best situation he had preset.

From the very beginning, he did not think he could kill or destroy that Great Dao, that evil fetus.

This operation was essentially still about buying time.

The timing was not yet ripe, still...

Suddenly, True Monarch Chengru's expression changed violently.

Because at this very moment, his third junior sister, Huiqing, had brazenly made a move!

He hurriedly intervened, but the other side did not stop.

"Sigh!"

He did not expect that the backyard would catch fire at this time and place. True Monarch Chengru suddenly realized many things, sighed, flashed over, and forcibly broke into the Third Peak, crushing the various protective barriers directly.

Drip-drop~

True Monarch Huiqing stood in place, her complexion appearing pale, her beautiful face covered in cracks. The hand she had used to attack had also disappeared, and drops of scarlet Dao blood spilled from the severed end.

There was only a split second of opportunity to attack, and then she would inevitably be detected and intervened by True Monarch Chengru. She did not retreat or hesitate because of this, so it was only natural that she was instantly beaten into a serious injury.

True Monarch Chengru sighed, his gaze somewhat dejected and emotional: "Junior sister, in the end, you still chose to walk the old path of Master?"

"I have always only been walking my own path!"

True Monarch Huiqing's gaze was cold and stern, without any wavering or hesitation.

However, the Senior Brother opposite merely shook his head, wanting to speak but stopping, appearing somewhat regretful.

Regret-Love, Regret-Love; regret for the old love.

This love is not that love; this love is a turning point.

Why is it that among the five disciples of the Falling Feather Supreme, she is the only female, appearing starkly different from those before and after her?

Of course, it cannot be for any mundane reason of weight or circumstance; it is simply that True Monarch Regret-Love happens to be situated at this critical juncture, and being able to be at this critical juncture, in other words, implies a variable and a change, not just hers, but also the Supreme's in the past.

And now, True Monarch Regret-Love has already made her choice.

Therefore, in the eyes of the True Monarch, the Dao she originally stood upon and walked had already connected into that old path, causing his expression, after the sigh, to begin to reveal coldness and indifference, genuinely manifesting hostility.

(End of this chapter)