487: Chapter 503 The Three Elements Path Breaks Through the Tribulation!

Just then, a golden pillar of light soared into the sky, like a bridge connecting heaven and earth; the power of the Heavenly Dao poured into the Secret Realm through that rift.

Above the firmament, the wind and clouds suddenly shifted.

The torn rift no longer healed; instead, it grew larger and deeper, as if being ripped apart by an invisible giant hand.

Within the rift, endless thunder surged; purple thunders rolled and roared like Dragons in the clouds, emitting a suffocating and terrifying pressure.

However, these thunders were merely the prelude; the main event was yet to come.

Deep within the rift, something was awakening.

It wasn't a living being, but an existence of a higher level.

It was the Law itself, and even more so, the will of heaven and earth.

It emerged from the endless Chaos, like a great sun rising from the abyss.

That was... the eye of the heavenly dao!

The eye was so massive it obscured half the sky.

There was no pupil within it, only a deep expanse of Chaos.

Within that Chaos, it seemed to contain endless Laws and order.

It manifested the rotation of the sun, moon, and stars, the rise and fall of mountains and rivers, and the birth and death of all living creatures.

It quietly looked down upon the Secret Realm below, gazing at every person within it.

Its gaze held no emotion, no feeling, only pure indifference.

Like a god looking down on ants, like the firmament looking down on the earth.

That sense of being high above and transcending everything caused a feeling of helplessness to surge from the depths of the Souls of everyone being watched.

Before it, the cultivation, Magic Treasures, and Divine Abilities that Cultivators took pride in were like child's play.

The so-called Golden Core Perfection and Dao Realm Experts were all just ants.

Naturally, this also included a certain handsome fellow.

The moment the eye of the heavenly dao appeared, Lu Ming felt his whole body stiffen.

An indescribable chill rushed from his spine straight to his crown.

This was the instinctive fear of being watched by a higher-level existence.

Lu Ming immediately lowered his head, avoiding that gaze.

Yet that feeling of horror lingered in his heart, impossible to shake off!

"It's looking at me!!"

It wasn't an illusion; Lu Ming was certain the eye of the heavenly dao was looking at him!

"I'm really done for, how could I have forgotten this!"

He was currently a 'quasi-dishonest person,' and what he feared most was facing the Heavenly Dao.

He had originally planned to hide in the Secret Realm, taking advantage of the fact that the Heavenly Dao hadn't yet discovered he had refined the fortune and developed malice, to quickly increase his strength.

This way, even after leaving, he could face the Heavenly Dao with more composure.

However, despite all his calculations, he hadn't expected that dog, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, to actually provoke the Heavenly Dao like this.

But Lu Ming also understood in his heart that even if he had known in advance, he would have been powerless to stop it.

Forcibly intervening would not only expose him early but also make him a target for everyone.

Moreover, he was still trapped within the Restriction, like an incompetent husband who could only watch helplessly as the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord did as he pleased!

"It's over, it's over, I'm going to die!"

This scene came too suddenly, leaving him with no psychological preparation.

What made him even more terrified was that under that gaze, his body seemed to stop obeying him, leaving him at the mercy of its scrutiny.

Lu Ming inexplicably felt as if he had been stripped naked, with everything about him laid bare under that gaze.

Fortunately, the feeling came quickly and left just as fast.

It was as if the eye of the heavenly dao only lingered on him for a moment before shifting its gaze.

However, Lu Ming knew this wasn't because the Heavenly Dao hadn't noticed him, but because it didn't care.

More accurately, compared to what the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord was doing, the Heavenly Dao clearly prioritized the guy who had a chance to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul True Monarch over a disobedient ant like him.

This allowed Lu Ming to breathe a sigh of relief, but a complex emotion soon welled up.

Being ignored by the Heavenly Dao—he didn't know whether to feel lucky or pathetic.

"Sigh, whatever, this is fine too. With that dog drawing the fire for me, it buys some time, so I don't have to face the Heavenly Dao so early."

Lu Ming took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and continued to focus on the scene.

Now that the Heavenly Dao had appeared, the final step for the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's Breakthrough to Nascent Soul had been reached.

As long as he survived the Heavenly Tribulation, he would be a genuine Nascent Soul True Monarch.

This process was very valuable as a reference, serving as a bit of experience for his own future Breakthrough to Nascent Soul True Monarch.

But Lu Ming also knew that while gaining experience was one thing, he couldn't actually let this guy Breakthrough, or else it would be even more troublesome!

However, as for the degree of interference, it would depend on how Lu Ming handled it!

...

Above the firmament, the eye of the heavenly dao slowly turned, its gaze falling back onto the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

Indifferent, as if viewing all things as straw dogs.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord looked up to meet its gaze, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Want to kill me? Unfortunately, you are ultimately a dead thing, only able to act according to established rules."

When it came to the love-hate relationship with the Heavenly Dao, these Nascent Soul True Monarchs had the most to say.

Having dealt with it for tens of thousands of years, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord naturally knew that the Heavenly Dao had certain limitations.

It clearly despised them, but as long as they didn't cross the Heavenly Dao's red lines, it could only act according to the rules.

However, whether it would slip in some personal spite was something only those involved would know.

At this moment, within the eye of the heavenly dao, endless thunder surged, and Dragons of purple lightning manifested within, emitting a suffocating and terrifying pressure.

But soon, these anomalies vanished, replaced by three beams of light of different colors.

The first was golden, brilliant as a great sun, containing endless majesty.

The second was silver, cold as a frigid moon, containing endless killing intent.

The third was blood-red, crimson as the morning clouds, containing endless karmic fire.

The three beams of light intertwined and slowly took shape within the eye of the heavenly dao.

With every bit they formed, the tremors in the Void Realm became more violent, and the pressure between heaven and earth became heavier.

The entire Core Secret Land was shaking, the runes on the stone walls flashing frantically and emitting an overwhelmed humming sound.

The faces of everyone within the Restriction were pale; some even had weak legs and could barely stand.

"Is this... the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation?"

Hua Nongying's voice trembled; her usual charming posture could no longer be maintained, and her face was now filled with panic.

"It's not an ordinary Heavenly Tribulation."

Yue Qingyao's voice was cold, and her expression remained calm.

But upon closer inspection, one could find an ill-concealed gravity within it.

"For an ordinary Nascent Soul Undergoing Tribulation, one only needs to survive the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation for the Nascent Soul to transform."

"But there is another saying, the Tribulation of Heaven's Condemnation, for those abandoned by heaven who are not tolerated by heaven and earth.

Once such a person tries to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul, it will trigger the Three-Yuan Dao-Breaking Tribulation."

"What is the Three-Yuan Dao-Breaking Tribulation?"

Xuan Zhenzi frowned and asked.

In saying this, he wasn't intentionally acting as a foil for Yue Qingyao.

Regarding the secrets of the Breakthrough to Nascent Soul, even as a true disciple of the Qingwei Dao Sect, he could not know them in great detail.

Such matters concerned one's own path, so Nascent Soul True Monarchs wouldn't speak of them lightly, and no one dared to ask.

Over time, only some vague rumors had circulated.

But among them, Yue Qingyao's status was very different!

She was not only the Saintess of the Taixuan Immortal Sect but also a descendant of a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor; the secrets she knew were naturally more numerous and detailed.

Asking her was out of genuine curiosity!

And Yue Qingyao didn't hide anything; although this matter was secret, it wasn't a forbidden secret, so there was no harm in speaking of it.

Thus, she explained to everyone:

"The 'Sanyuan' in this tribulation refers to Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, and Xiayuan, which correspond to the Heavenly Official's Blessing, the Earthly Official's Absolution, and the Water Official's Deliverance; breaking through the constraints of these three officials is 'Breaking the Dao'."

"Simply put, they are the three tribulations of fortune, Prosperity, and Lifespan."

"The first Heavenly Tribulation severs fortune, the second severs Luck, and the third severs Lifespan. This is the most dangerous type of Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation, encountered barely once in ten thousand years."

"Severing fortune? Severing Luck? Severing Lifespan?"

Hearing the explanation, Hua Nongying's voice was full of disbelief.

"This... how can one block this? I'm afraid no one can survive it!"

However, no one could answer her question.

Yue Qingyao also remained silent; this kind of Heavenly Tribulation was simply not something a Golden Core Cultivator could withstand.

At least as far as she knew, in the history of the Profound Spirit Domain, no Cultivator had ever escaped this Heavenly Tribulation; all had died and their Dao vanished!

So in everyone's eyes, the Black-robed Man triggering this Heavenly Tribulation was almost equivalent to a death sentence.

As for why this person would attract such a disaster, everyone had their guesses.

It was likely that this person was the first to undergo a tribulation within a Secret Realm, thus touching upon the invisible will of the Heavenly Dao, leading to the current situation.

"I knew it, this Heavenly Dao definitely slipped in some personal spite!"

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord looked at the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation above the sky, which had already transcended the ordinary, and his expression was also a bit grim!

Obviously, what Yue Qingyao knew, he naturally knew as well with his experience.

However, he was not afraid.

As the saying goes, the Great Dao has fifty paths, heaven's numbers are forty-nine, and one escapes.

No matter how much the Heavenly Dao targeted him, it was impossible not to leave a sliver of hope.

And as a genuine Nascent Soul True Monarch who had been immersed in the Nascent Soul Realm for tens of thousands of years, his understanding of Heavenly Tribulations far exceeded everyone present, and he was extremely confident in dealing with all of this.

He would be that "one" who escapes!

Amidst this heavy atmosphere, the first Heavenly Tribulation finished brewing.

The next moment, it descended!

Golden light shot out from the Heavenly Eye like a blazing sun falling to the human world.

It was a beam of pure light—the Tribulation of Fortune!

It severed the Karma connection between the Cultivator and heaven and earth, causing the Cultivator to lose the favor of the world.

Wherever the light passed, the Void Realm burned, like the judgment of heaven and earth.

Everyone in the Restriction only felt an indescribable majesty pressing down on them, making it almost impossible to breathe.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord looked up at the golden light; there was no fear in his eyes, only calmness.

He raised his hand and pressed his five fingers into the air.

"Zero Realm."

An ice-blue light surged from his palm, spreading in all directions.

Wherever that light passed, everything froze.

The Void Realm froze, the Spiritual Qi froze, and even the light itself froze.

With him as the center, the surrounding ten miles turned into an ice-blue world, the temperature plummeting to absolute zero.

In that ice-blue world, time seemed to stand still, and even Laws could not function normally.

The golden light charged into the ice-blue world, its speed suddenly slowing down as if it had fallen into a mire.

It pushed forward with difficulty; every inch it advanced consumed a massive amount of energy.

The ice-blue world vibrated violently, with countless fine cracks appearing on its surface, but it remained standing.

This continued for a moment.

Finally, the golden light came to a halt, less than three feet away from the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

It just suspended there in mid-air, unable to advance a single inch, nor able to retreat.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord raised his hand and gently clenched it.

"Shatter!"

The ice-blue world shattered with a bang, along with the golden light.

Countless ice crystals scattered in all directions, each containing extreme cold, causing a cold mist to rise all around.

Within the Restriction, there was first a dead silence, which then turned into exclamations.

"This... it's broken just like that?"

Yin Leici's eyes widened, his tone full of disbelief.

"That was the Tribulation of Fortune! Didn't they say no one could do it? How did he break it so easily?"

"This..."

Yue Qingyao was also somewhat uncertain, her face showing a hint of disbelief.

She couldn't figure out what was going on either.

Seeing the Black-robed Man handle the supposedly fatal Tribulation of Fortune so easily and elegantly made her doubt the rumors she had seen and heard.

Could it be that the records in the ancient books were all false?

No, impossible!

This was something the Old Ancestor had said personally; it certainly wasn't groundless!

But if it were true, how could this scene be explained?

Although she was not within the Heavenly Tribulation, when the Tribulation of Fortune descended, that sense of horror still left her heart uneasy.

This was absolutely real!

So it wasn't that the Heavenly Tribulation wasn't strong, but that this Black-robed Man... was too strong!

"His comprehension of the Law of Ice has already surpassed the scope of a Golden Core.

That control over absolute zero is not something a Golden Core Cultivator should be able to achieve."

Hearing Yue Qingyao's words, which seemed to be trying to save face, everyone fell silent.

They didn't know whether to believe it or not, but they couldn't deny the strength of the Black-robed Man.

Then, a new question surfaced in their minds.

Where on earth did this guy from the Yujing Dao Court come from?

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord ignored their thoughts.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, his eyes full of confidence.

Everything was within his expectations.

The three tribulations, though dangerous, would not stump him.

As long as he proceeded steadily according to plan, this descended body would soon step into the Nascent Soul Realm.

He took a deep breath and once again activated the Law of Ice, preparing to meet the second Heavenly Tribulation.

Silver light shot out from the Heavenly Eye like a cold moon falling to the human world.

That was the Tribulation of Prosperity, severing the Culter's Luck and causing them to lose the protection of heaven and earth.

Wherever the silver light passed, the Void Realm withered.

Like autumn leaves, it lost its vitality.

Everyone in the Restriction only felt an indescribable sorrow welling up in their hearts, as if they too had lost something important.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord formed seals with both hands, and the ice-blue light around him surged once more.

"Dao Condensation: A Single Grain"

This time, it wasn't spreading, but condensing.

The ice-blue light collapsed and condensed into a grain of dust in his palm.

Like turning three thousand worlds into a single grain, or containing Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed.

Within it, one could vaguely see countless intricate tadpole-like scripts flowing.

Then, he pointed a finger!

"Break!"