409: Chapter 400 The Sixth Incarnation: Heavenly Venerable (Eighty-Eight)

At this moment, the faces of Dao Lord Shang Qing and Dao Lord Yuqing were no longer merely pale, but possessed a near-transparent weakness accompanied by the dissipation of Dao Rhyme.

Shang Qing's figure swayed slightly, and the originally brilliant silver-white light of Karma and Heavenly Mandate flickered uncertainly. The phantom of the vast River of Karma also became much more illusory, with fine cracks appearing even at its edges.

Dao blood with a silver-white halo constantly seeped from the corners of his mouth, and his aura was extremely unstable. Clearly, burning the Six Daos to trigger and locate such terrifying Karmic Karma had caused unimaginable backlash and consumption to himself; his Dao Foundation was already damaged.

Dao Lord Yuqing was also faring poorly. Most of the magnificent, shifting halo of Karmic Affinity and Mortal World around her had dimmed, and the phantoms of the myriad phenomena of the Mortal World, love, hatred, and emotions floating within the halo had become blurred and indistinct.

The color had drained from her face, her aura was withered, and her slender frame trembled slightly. Clearly, igniting that majestic Karma and sublimating it into the 'Immeasurable Killing Tribulation' targeted at the Nine Most Ancient Dao Lords was a burden equally too great to bear for her, the Dao Lord who presided over Karmic Affinity and Mortal World. She might have even shared and endured a portion of the killing calamity's backlash.

Using her own cultivation as firewood to ignite the sky-burning fire, how could she herself remain entirely untouched by the sparks?

“Calamity befalling one's own body?” Dao Lord Shang Qing wiped the Dao blood from the corner of his mouth. His voice was weak, yet remained cold and firm. “The Great Dao is before us, and the heavens are the sacrifice... why should I cherish this body?”

“Indeed.” Dao Lord Yuqing struggled to steady herself, her voice ethereal yet filled with resolution. “Calamities arise as affinities are born, and calamities disperse as affinities perish. Since we have inherited the legacy of Fellow Daoist Fate and are performing this Heaven-Defying act, we have long had this realization. This killing calamity, we shall endure it together with you all!”

They were not unscathed.

The price to be paid for triggering and controlling an 'Immeasurable Killing Tribulation' of such scale directed at the Most Ancient Dao Lords was far beyond imagination.

This was not just the consumption of Dao power, but the overdrawing of their own Dao Foundations, the bearing of Karma, and the taking on of the calamity.

At this moment, the auras of the two were decaying and their Dao Rhymes were unstable. They were clearly at the end of their strength, and might have even sustained irreparable Dao injuries.

But they had succeeded!

They had successfully used the price of their own severe injuries to drag the Nine Most Ancient Dao Lords firmly into the quagmire of the 'Immeasurable Killing Tribulation'!

The nine Ancient Venerables were currently unable to look after themselves; their Dao Foundations were shaken, and it would be extremely difficult for them to escape in a short time, let alone intercept the two from ascending the heavenly ladder!

“Go!”

Shang Qing and Jade Clarity glanced at each other, both seeing the resolution and exhaustion in each other's eyes.

They no longer hesitated, nor did they have the strength to use other means. Forcing out their last remaining Dao power, they transformed into two dim but swift streaks of light—one silver and one red. Enduring the intense pain of their damaged Dao Foundations and the calamity's backlash, they strove toward the higher reaches of the heavenly ladder, toward that radiant 'throne of the dao'!

“How dare you!!”

Seeing that Shang Qing and Jade Clarity actually dared to force their remaining strength to rush toward the heavenly ladder while they were entangled by the Immeasurable Killing Tribulation and their Dao Foundations were shaken, the Nine Most Ancient Dao Lords were instantly enraged!

That 'throne of the dao' was the ultimate goal they had plotted for through the ages, for which they had not hesitated to perform a Blood Sacrifice of the heavens. It was their only hope to transcend their current Realm and glimpse higher scenery!

How could they allow two 'juniors' to touch it?!

Even though they were in the midst of a killing calamity with damaged Dao Foundations and shaken minds, how could the dignity and resolve of the Most Ancient Dao Lords be lightly insulted?

At the moment of life and death, who didn't have a few trump cards or forbidden methods capable of reversing the universe?

“Time... Reverse! For this seat... Freeze!”

The Dao Lord of Time was the first to act ruthlessly. He roared, unexpectedly no longer putting his full effort into resisting the 'Calamity of Time' that was eroding his timeline. Instead, he actively absorbed a portion of the calamity's power into his body, using it as 'fuel' to frantically burn his own Origin of Time!

Hum!

The silver phantom of the River of Time around him suddenly expanded, and then actually began to flow in reverse!

A distorted, violent, and desperate temporal power erupted. It was not aimed at Shang Qing or Jade Clarity, but... acted upon himself!

He wanted to forcibly reverse his own state to the moment before the killing calamity erupted, or even earlier!

Even if it was only for a brief instant, even if he had to bear the temporal backlash and the price of further damage to his Dao Foundation, he would break free from the most violent shackles of this killing calamity to trade for an opportunity to strike!

“Order... Return to Ruins! All Laws... to Emptiness!”

The Dao Lord of Order also acted ruthlessly. A flash of resolution crossed his eyes as he shook violently, and the rusty, nearly broken chains of Order on his body actually shattered inch by inch!

But shattering was not the end. Every fragment of the chains erupted with the final and purest divine light of Order, transforming into an absolute Domain of 'Order' that briefly repelled the 'Calamity of Disordered Collapse' that was eroding him!

His own aura also plummeted significantly as a result. Clearly, self-shattering a portion of his Order dao patterns was extremely harmful to him, but it similarly bought him a moment of 'freedom'!

“death... Descend! All Heavens... Return Together!”

The Dao Lord of Death was even more crazed. He no longer suppressed the 'Calamity Fire of All Living Beings' Nirvanic Extinction' that was burning his body. Instead, he spread his arms as if embracing death itself, absorbing even more of the calamity fire into his body!

His entire body instantly became transparent, as if he had transformed into a collection of the concept of death. His aura became incredibly eerie and deathly silent. The calamity fire burned within him, yet it seemed to be tempering his essence of death.

In a near-suicidal manner, he forced himself to 'coexist' with and even 'command' the calamity fire. Although the price was that his very existence became unstable, as if he could completely return to silent death at any moment, he also gained a sliver of the power to act!

...

The other Ancient Venerables also displayed their respective abilities, either burning their Origins, damaging their own Dao Foundations, or performing forbidden secret techniques. At a heavy price, they forcibly gained a slim chance to strike from within the quagmire of the Immeasurable Killing Tribulation!

“Stay for this seat!”

The Dao Lord of Time was the first to break free. Despite the blood seeping from his mouth and his withered aura, his eyes held a monstrous killing intent. His finger, burning with silver light and flame, pointed fiercely toward the direction of the heavenly ladder!

A blade of time, condensed to the extreme, slashed out. It was not aimed at Shang Qing or Jade Clarity themselves, but at the 'future' and 'possibility' ahead of them, intending to completely sever and exile their 'possibility' of ascending the ladder!

“Exile!”

The Dao Lord of Order followed closely behind. The shattered fragments of the chains of Order reorganized, transforming into a divine light of Order filled with the will of 'negation' and 'repulsion'. It swept toward Shang Qing and Jade Clarity, intending to forcibly exile them beyond the heavens!

“Die!”

The Dao Lord of Death was concise. His figure blurred as he appeared directly near the heavenly ladder. He pointed a finger, its tip gathering the ultimate deathly silence and termination, toward the glabella of Dao Lord Shang Qing, who was rushing at the very front!

This finger contained the true intent of Nirvanic Extinction after he had forcibly commanded a portion of the calamity fire; its power was even greater than before!

The attacks of the other Ancient Venerables arrived almost simultaneously!

Although every one of them was injured and their auras were unstable, the terrifying power of this joint strike, launched in anger and regardless of the cost, was enough to punch through this stabilized chaotic void!

The powers of various Root Great Daos transformed into a destructive torrent, interlacing into a web of death that shrouded Shang Qing and Jade Clarity!

The nine most primal powers of Law briefly joined forces due to their common anger and killing intent. The power that erupted was enough to make any existence of the same rank turn pale!