In an instant, in two different worlds, the same chanting echoed!
The yellow-faced demon king conjured a spell.
Ji Xiang, in the human realm, also conjured the same spell.
The demonic tribulation guided by the chanting responded, and every sound Ji Xiang heard was echoed back precisely.
"Born in the lower yuan, imbued with true unity, form and qi complete, thirty-six thousand, believing in the邪道 (xie dao), not following the dao source..."
"All gods mixed in the body, Yin demons and evil spirits, disturbing the heart and being fierce, killing all living beings..."
The demonic tribulation operated, transforming into five paths of murderous intent and calamitous suffering. With the words "disloyal and unfilial," "unrighteous and unkind" spoken by the yellow-faced demon king, they immediately manifested outwardly upon the flesh, born from the heart!
...
The yellow-faced demon king, while performing the demonic tribulation, discovered that the Silver Bottle Maiden before him showed no change whatsoever!
Whether in body or mind, the opponent remained pure and courageous, without any sign of decay or retreat, unaffected by the calamity. The yellow-faced demon king was greatly astonished:
"What kind of divine power can evade the five paths of demonic tribulation? You girl, your magical power is not to be underestimated!"
The Silver Bottle Maiden could only guess that the Great Emperor Zhenwu had helped her dispel the demonic tribulation, but she was not to be outdone verbally, muttering, "You're too kind, too kind. Just a small divine ability. It seems your skills are not that great either."
The yellow-faced demon king was naturally enraged. Since the demonic tribulation was useless...
He would actively "bestow tribulation"!
With that, countless wronged souls surged out from his temple, wailing and howling. Their sheer numbers made the Silver Bottle Maiden gasp in amazement.
These wronged souls were not "fresh"!
There had not been so many deaths near Qiantang.
"Since ancient times, who knows how many people have died in this land? In the war of the previous dynasty, when Song was destroyed at Yishan, a hundred thousand wronged souls did not enter the underworld, did not enter reincarnation, and did not return to the abode of Yin spirits. The realms of the heavens and demons use this as sustenance, and demons often appear in times of chaos, sustained by the dead."
"Do these mere few wronged souls surprise you?"
The yellow-faced demon king then threw a punch!
The entire temple and the black mountain trembled with this punch. The Silver Bottle Maiden naturally also manifested the form of the Fire Virtue Star Lord to fight, but the gap in strength between the two sides was significant. Moreover, the Silver Bottle Maiden was already somewhat weak. After only three punches from the yellow-faced demon king, she could no longer resist, and the golden spear in her hand snapped!
Divine power dissipated, incense and offerings scattered, leaving no trace, all devoured by those wronged souls.
"We demons feed on divine spells and incense."
"If it weren't for the fact that we cannot kill you, you would have already..."
As he was speaking, he suddenly stiffened all over!
In the depths of the void, from a desolate world, five paths of demonic tribulation descended, immediately causing him to emit a terrified howl!
"What is going on!"
The demonic tribulation killed life and corrupted the mind. His demonic energy declined, as if five demons were clinging to him and gnawing at him. His eyes suddenly saw all sorts of illusions, his seven emotions out of control, sorrow, anger, and hatred surging forth from that black demonic heart!
The five demons seemed poised to tear it apart and be resurrected from the demonic tribulation!
"Why is the demonic tribulation descending upon me!"
"This must be someone interfering!"
The yellow-faced demon king was encountering an unprecedented disaster, but he quickly found a solution. Instantly, the thousand-odd wronged souls coiled around him, enveloping him. The yellow-faced demon king's form and spirit gradually disappeared, his flesh and soul gathering within his form and spirit, transforming into an unseen "power" in the void.
"We are demons! Demons of trial!"
"We will never be harmed by our own demonic tribulation!"
"I will find out who is interfering, and I will transform into a demonic tribulation myself, gathering the resentment of all demons, making my own spiritual resentment eternal. I will trace back through all realms, from heaven to earth, to see who dares to obstruct our 'trial' as demons!"
"To dare to defy heaven! Although he can restrain the five tribulations, the demonic tribulation I transform into after death is of the Demon King level. I don't believe he can still stop it!"
The yellow-faced demon king let out a sound that shook heaven and earth, looking at the Silver Bottle Maiden before him: "I'll let you off for now!"
"Everyone, help me! I've encountered a trouble that cannot be underestimated. Someone has reversed our demonic tribulation! This is astonishing!"
As he spoke, the hundreds and thousands of black demonic mountains behind him vibrated in unison, as if puzzled and confused by his words. But soon, resentful demonic energy flew out from the demonic mountains, and illusory sounds of demonic roars came from the void. Several large temples also actively collapsed, with black figures moving within, seemingly observing the yellow-faced demon king's every move.
The Silver Bottle Maiden watched him disappear before her eyes. Although her expression was somewhat puzzled, inferring from his previous words, she guessed he was going to find the Great Emperor Zhenwu. This made her softly mutter:
"I didn't expect the Great Emperor to have this kind of power, to reverse the demonic tribulation. As expected of the Lord of Demon Subjugation."
"However... this is just the right opportunity for me to catch my breath."
The mud temple of the yellow-faced demon king had not yet collapsed, but no more demonic energy appeared. The Silver Bottle Maiden exhaled a breath. Although she didn't know why this situation had occurred, she guessed that perhaps that fellow, carrying the anger of a horde of demons, had transformed into some kind of calamity... determined to compete with the Great Emperor Zhenwu...
Because the resentment still existed, the temple did not collapse.
"The Great Emperor will win."
The Silver Bottle Maiden had no doubts whatsoever.
She had already concluded the outcome of this battle.
After all, even the gods of the thirty heavens had to show some respect to that white-faced Zhenwu. The thunder roared like drums, sending him off with grandeur. How could a mere trial demon compare to this?
...
The resentment of the yellow-faced demon king transcended the barriers of the world. His residual consciousness existed within the calamity, becoming an unfathomable and strange phenomenon in the metaphysical realm.
When he saw the statue of Zhenwu, he roared, filled with the rage of his demise, shouting that he would make the one who defied heaven pay a heavy and painful price!
Resentment surged forth with a malevolent aura. He had to see who had the ability to dare to obstruct the formation of the demonic tribulation! He, the "Demon King of Trial," was actually entangled by the demonic tribulation!
The demons roared and pounced towards the statue of Zhenwu. At this time, demonic energy grew within the Silver Bottle Maiden's temple, and all things darkened. The small red dog hidden within the temple, transformed from worldly divine malevolence, was also frightened by the resentment of hundreds of demons and appeared, yelping with its tail tucked.
It also barked furiously towards the direction from which the demonic tribulation appeared.
The yellow-faced demon king saw the small red dog, but he was not here for this minor divine malevolence.
"Although it is a divine malevolence spirit, killing it will bring ill fortune. But I have now become a demonic tribulation, an unknowable and unfathomable entity in the world. You, a mere divine malevolence, dare to bark at me!"
A demonic thought descended from the darkness, about to ensnare the small red dog and kill this divinely born and earth-nurtured spirit. But suddenly, that demonic thought changed direction and was directly swallowed by the statue of Zhenwu.
The small red dog's tucked tail also perked up, its tongue sticking out. This enraged the yellow-faced demon king!
At this moment, the statue of Zhenwu blocked his path and let out a grand voice:
"Little demon of the mortal realm, you dare to find your way to my presence?"
"To kill a dog, one must first consider its master."
The statue of Zhenwu spoke with mockery and disdain!
Although these worldly divine malevolences had no combat power, at most bringing omens of good or bad fortune, casually killing divine malevolences before my temple would bring ill fortune to my temple!
Although this temple is called the Silver Bottle Maiden Temple.
In reality, the most flourishing incense was for the Great Emperor Zhenwu.
Therefore... it could also be called Zhenwu Temple, right!
"It's you, it's you! You dare to defy heaven!"
"Your karma of life and death shall fall into the cycle of all worlds, with no end in sight. This long, dark night shall leave you no means of liberation, suffering endlessly without respite!"
"Enter the great demonic tribulation I have transformed into, and your dao heart shall decay day by day! Your good heart shall be perverted and vanish! Your compassionate heart shall surely fall into the dust and filth, forever abandoned in the demonic heaven's burial ground, causing you to have supreme dao methods but be unable to practice them, ultimately indulging in music and pleasures, giving rise to ten evil thoughts, and ruining your thousands of years of arduous cultivation, causing it to be lost in an instant!"
The yellow-faced demon king, transformed into a demon king tribulation, coiled towards the statue of Zhenwu!
In an instant, the temple became pitch black. Hatred and resentment influenced living beings, even the small red dog shivered and barked erratically.
And in the "ears" of the statue of Zhenwu, many mind-corrupting demonic sounds were heard.
Insults, slander, mockery, seduction, misleading words... all sorts of sounds transmitted from the ten directions and myriad realms. Everything that descended within the demonic tribulation came from the thoughts of all sentient beings.
The Dao was pure and arduous, how could it compare to the pleasures of the mortal world?
Thus, the dao heart decayed.
Good and evil were originally non-existent, only the strong were eternal, as it had been since ancient times!
Thus, the good heart vanished.
Mortals were useless; after receiving thirteen hundred good deeds, they could be discarded.
Thus, the compassionate heart forever fell into the mire.
Harm the mind, then merge with the flesh, causing the life and death within the body to be inverted, the mind to rot and decay, and the flesh to approach death. With insufficient magical power and the inability to raise one's dao intent, one sinks into greed, and the ten evil thoughts naturally take shape!
Thousands of years of cultivation, lost in an instant!
"Disperse!"
With a soft hum, the ferocity of the demonic tribulation was greatly reduced. At this moment, the yellow-faced demon king suddenly felt something abnormal. The demonic tribulation and suffering he had roared, descended, and coiled, should have been realized upon the person before him, but at this moment, those demonic tribulation sufferings vanished without a trace, like mud entering the sea!
Why was the dao heart incorruptible?
Why was the good heart inextinguishable?
Why did the compassionate heart still remain and not fall!
Why, why was this so!
"You thing, defying heaven and obstructing us, the demons of trial, why are you not harmed by the demonic tribulation!"
"Heaven's will is also on our side! We are not harming people, but punishing you!"
"We act in accordance with heaven, and you dare to defy heaven's will. Why, why do your dao heart, good heart, and compassionate heart still remain!"
"Why do your ten evil thoughts not arise, why are you not disturbed by the evil thoughts of the mortal world, why are you not influenced by greed and slander!"
"Why is your cultivation still so powerful!"
"Once a demonic tribulation arises, it immediately evolves. In a mere instant, it becomes a hundred or a thousand years of illusion, and one becomes lost and unable to extricate themselves!"
The yellow-faced demon king had many questions.
He did not believe it was due to his own lack of strength.
Because what he brought was the resentment of many demons from Phoenix Mountain!
So many demons had transformed into a single demonic tribulation...
Immortal Chen had said.
Even if someone in the Ascension Realm came here, even if an immortal from the mortal realm came here, and was entangled by a demonic tribulation of this level...
They would inevitably encounter difficulties! Although not necessarily fatal, their cultivation would definitely be greatly reduced!
The more demons killed, the more profound the demonic tribulation would become!
Hundreds and thousands of demons, all emitting resentment...
Could they not kill this strange sculpted deity before them!
"I don't believe it..."
"There truly is Zhenwu in the mortal world!"
"You don't believe?"
Whoosh—!
As the purple cloud flames rose, accompanied by the howling sound of the fire, the face of the Zhenwu statue suddenly changed!
The white-faced Zhenwu opened his eyes. With a slight wave of his hand, in an instant, the formless demonic tribulation gained a crude form and was snatched out from the Zhenwu statue!
The "Middle Volume Jade Book," the art of shaping!
The yellow-faced demon king saw the image of the white-faced Zhenwu, and in his ears and heart, he heard a sound like thunder, like heavenly beings, like dragon roars and tiger cries, like the angry reprimand of an emperor, like the thunder of heaven and earth!
"You lowly, turbid spirits of the lower realm, look carefully, who am I!"
The yellow-faced demon king and all the demonic resentments suddenly sensed the vast demonic energy that filled heaven and earth!
Like mountains floating!
Like oceans boiling!
Demon, a true great demon... The surging demonic energy, the immense demonic energy, the fierce demonic energy, the ferocious demonic energy, almost made their artificially created demonic energy melt away instantly!
The yellow-faced demon king knew he was wrong...
Terribly wrong.
This sculpture was not a god.
It was a demon far more powerful than them...!
"Great Demon... You! Who ordered you!"
"Ordered?"
The white-faced Zhenwu's voice carried a hint of playfulness: "If you must say."
"Then I am acting under the instruction of the Primordial Heavenly Venerate to exterminate you impure beings who should not exist in the mortal realm!"
"You call yourself a demon of trial? Yet you were entangled by five paths of demonic tribulation and failed, instead coming to kill me."
"You failed your own demonic tribulation."
"Trial?"
"You are not worthy!"
Demonic energy shook the heavens, even the void and the desolate world where the demonic tribulation descended were shaken. Although the mortal realm remained unmoved, it seemed that what these demonic energies could influence was precisely the void world from which the demonic tribulation descended.
The yellow-faced demon king, at this moment, sensed even clearer demonic energy.
It was different from theirs, which carried resentment...
The opponent's demonic energy possessed a vastness and grandeur, like the heavy, thunderous power of mountains and seas, upright and ferocious, purely devoid of any resentment or hatred.
Trial-goers... demonic energy... unworthy!
"Five... Heavens... Eight Emperors...?!"
The "wrong answer" that the yellow-faced demon king could think of was one that filled him with extreme dread.
He dared not be certain, but could it be that what appeared before him was a cultivator who had indeed received the guidance of the Five Heavens and Eight Emperors?
But... were those not the positions of the Tenth Heavenly Department, the Lord of Ten Thousand Gods!
"Demonic trial not passed."
"Yet you dare to attempt to assassinate living beings, and furthermore, falsely claim to act in accordance with heaven."
"You call yourselves demons of trial... naturally, you are unqualified. Since you are unqualified, you must be dealt with."
"Unfortunately, the heavenly laws do not contain provisions for restraining demons, but according to the old precedents of the Primordial Heavenly Venerate, if demons are to be punished, their own demonic tribulations shall be returned to them."
The white-faced Zhenwu's voice suddenly became lofty and vast, as if his words now constituted heavenly law and judgment!
The yellow-faced demon king seemed to hear a great thunderous sound suddenly appear in the desolate world from which the demonic tribulation arrived!
"According to the Primordial Heavenly Venerate!"
"All demons and ghosts below the four heavens, who cause people to die unjustly, diseases to arise, lives to be cut short, congenital夭逝 (yao shi - premature death), and minds to be disturbed."
"For a time, you shall suffer the tribulations you yourself have brought, experiencing ten thousand deaths and a thousand lives, crying out in pain!"
But after thinking for a moment, the white-faced Zhenwu added another sentence.
"If any cannot bear it."
"They may enter my palm and go to the Avici Hell, to escape one calamity."
With that, a crimson divine banner rose, propping up the heavens and causing all demons to wail!
And on a blank divine tablet, dots of text appeared.
[Number of Primordial Spirits and above demons killed: Four.]
[Ju Liu Bu: A demon king and ghost from Jin Dynasty legends, under whom there were eight hundred thousand demons and ghosts, spreading one thousand six hundred types of diseases. Those who died unjustly and suffered calamities in the world were all captured by him.]
The descriptions that followed were about transforming into demonic tribulations, carrying resentment, and bringing all sorts of calamities. All of it was as the yellow-faced demon king himself had said, not a single word was inaccurate.
"Well, not bragging."
.........
At the Jade Dragon Dao Academy, Chen Taichu, who was waiting for Xu Fu to bring him medicine, was immediately startled.
The matter of good and bad fortune was already in Taiyi Sanshu's heart.
He had just learned that a demon king tribulation had arisen and was very powerful in Phoenix Mountain. He expected that the immortal behind Miss Yue had fallen into a trap within the mountain, and subsequently, given the intensity of the demon king tribulation, he should have been trapped and died within it.
But...
"Why, damn it, why did the demonic tribulation not work!"
The demons under his command were all trial-goers who acted in accordance with heaven. How could they kill a demon king's tribulation, remain unaffected, and have all traces erased so casually!
No matter how far he traced back, he could only see that patch of blue sky!
"Impossible! Damn it, if all the demons are killed, how will the immortal officials of the Longevity Palace transform into the demonic path and re-enter the world! You are forcing my hand. I will see which of those three immortals you are, forcing me to act at this crucial moment of alchemy. This time, I will tear you to pieces to quell my hatred!"