Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 583 Twelve Tribulations Temper the Daoist Bones, The Cunning Scorpion Breaks the Law in the Netherworld (Seeking Rewards and Subscriptions!)

After a long pause, the Old Man of the Underworld finally spoke, his voice hoarse, like sand rubbing against a coffin:
"Youngsters... their sharp tongues and clever words are ultimately meaningless."

"The Daoist immortality? I'll see today how many times your 'immortality' can withstand the lifespan reduction in the Netherworld!"

Before he finished speaking, his withered, chicken-claw-like right hand suddenly stretched forward, palm facing upward.

In an instant, the cries of ghosts echoed throughout the canyon, and countless pale, gray, and dark soul shadows wailed and surged out from his sleeves, gathering in his palm.

The deathly aura, calamity aura, and resentment aura, so dense as to be almost tangible, frantically condensed and solidified in the black light in an instant, forming a strange illusory wheel!
The wheel was no bigger than an ordinary dharma wheel, and its entire body was neither gold nor jade. It was a chaotic grayish-white color, yet it exuded a terrifying aura that made the entire canyon space tremble.

The moment this item appeared, even Daoist Lu Cheng's expression changed.

Given Lu Cheng's current level of knowledge and experience, even ordinary ninth-grade high-quality magic treasures and Mahayana artifacts would not surprise him.

One half of the roulette wheel is engraved with twisted and writhing ghostly runes, as if wailing and struggling, representing the end of "death"; the other half flows with faint but tenacious milky white life-giving runes, symbolizing the beginning of "life".

The two are not clearly distinct, but rather intertwined and endlessly rotate in a strange way, forming a law fluctuation that transcends life and death—the cycle of life and death!
This is one of the Nine Nether Ghost Saint Clan's most treasured artifacts, a tenth-order pseudo-immortal artifact refined and nurtured by generations of Ghost Clan Mahayana cultivators using their own life essence: the Longevity Tribulation Wheel!
When such magical treasures are revealed, the world loses its color!

In this world, all colors have faded, leaving behind a gray and white landscape.

Above the Heavenly Canyon, the thick, blood-red demonic aura that had shrouded the area for years seemed to have met its nemesis, forcibly pushed aside by an invisible force, revealing a sliver of gray sky.

Below, everything—from the jagged rocks and the few tenacious, yin-attribute spiritual plants to the dust in the air—instantly lost all vitality and fell into an absolute state of "deathly silence."

Time and space seemed to become viscous and stagnant at this moment, with only the slowly turning Dharma wheel becoming the sole ruler of the world.

Such weather is truly terrifying.

"Reincarnation!"

The Old Man of the Underworld let out a fierce roar, his ghostly claws forming ancient and complex hand seals, and he suddenly activated the Wheel of Life and Death!

Om-!
The gray-white roulette wheel suddenly accelerated its rotation, and an invisible chain condensed from the pure law of "death" ignored spatial distance and the Taoist protective aura flowing around Lu Cheng, directly imprinting itself on his essence, energy, and spirit.

This is not a physical attack, but a direct severing of the very foundation of a living being's existence: lifespan!

In theory, cultivators who reach the Nascent Soul realm and ascend to the Earthly Immortal Realm will have endless lifespans. However, in reality, this is because the Earthly Immortal Realm is rich in spiritual energy, and the lifespan a cultivator gains is equal to the lifespan they consume. Therefore, Nascent Soul cultivators in the Earthly Immortal Realm can live for tens of thousands of years until they can no longer withstand the tribulations of the Earthly Immortal Realm.

In the mortal realm, cultivators with the primordial spirit stage will perish once their three thousand years of lifespan are exhausted.

This principle also applies to cultivators who have reached the Void Returning stage, the Body Integration stage, and even the Mahayana stage. It's not that their lifespan is infinite, as long as heaven and earth, or as bright as the sun and moon, but rather that the vitality within their bodies is higher, or at least equal to the death energy.

Therefore, the Netherworld Ghost Saint Clan's clan-protecting pseudo-immortal artifact, the Longevity Tribulation Wheel, is still an extremely terrifying weapon. Combined with the Ghost Clan's special techniques, it can reduce the lifespan of other cultivators of the same realm at a relatively high rate, at the cost of its own lifespan.

If one is willing to sacrifice, one can even reduce the lifespan of a cultivator whose realm is one whole realm higher than one's own, but the loss ratio will be relatively unfavorable.

When the Old Man of the Yellow Springs killed Lu Cheng, he was killing a Nascent Soul cultivator while only at the Mahayana realm, making the attrition ratio even more worthwhile.

A flash of gray light, and the world went dark. Lu Cheng's body trembled slightly, as if he had been pierced by ancient ice.

Before they could even process what was happening, their bodies withered away at a visible speed, their skin lost its luster, wrinkles instantly spread like ravines, and their once black hair turned dry and gray in an instant.

A thick, decaying aura, reminiscent of death, emanated from Lu Cheng.

The Taoist priest's body slumped down.

However, just as the old man from the underworld was about to curl a cold smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Buzz!"

A faint, almost imperceptible Daoist chant resounded in the void.

A point of pure Qi, containing infinite potential for birth and death, suddenly emerged from Lu Cheng's fallen body.

This initial "qi" was like a speck of dust, but in an instant it burst forth with boundless radiance!

The radiance flowed, the sounds of the Great Dao resonated, and the Tai Chi Daoist rhythm permeated and intertwined. A Daoist body, identical to the previous one but with an even clearer and more refined aura, was instantly reforged in the boundless radiance!
Lu Cheng Daozun opened his eyes, clear and bright as ever, as if the life-severing "life-cutting slash" just now was nothing but a mirage.

"How is this possible? Even the Life-Slaying Wheel couldn't break his immortality!?"

At this moment, the old man of the Yellow Springs felt extremely terrified. Ordinary methods of resurrection through substitution were extremely restrained by the Life-Severing Wheel, because once a cultivator's lifespan was exhausted, any Taoist technique or secret method would be greatly reduced in power, or even unable to be activated at all.

However, the old man of the Yellow Springs was unaware that Lu Cheng's Taoist Transformation Ascension Technique had already reached the forty-fourth transformation realm. It had integrated the blood of many gods and demons, which mutually restrained and honed each other, transforming into an incomparably profound foundation. Its underlying rules were no longer covered or restrained by any laws comprehended by any cultivator in the Earthly Immortal Realm.

Back then, when the Demon Ancestor of Nightmare, who was at the Mahayana realm, killed Lu Cheng, who was at the Void Return realm, the difference between the two was two major realms. Even so, the Demon Ancestor of Nightmare could not affect the operation of the underlying rules of the Daoist Transformation Ascension Technique. Even now, he can't do it, even with the pseudo-immortal artifact Longevity Tribulation Wheel in his hand.

"Hmph! Let's see how many times you can be resurrected!" The old man of the Yellow Springs' ghostly eyes shone brightly with a fierce aura, and he activated the Wheel of Life Calamity again without hesitation.

The second kill!

The invisible chains of death fell once more.

This time, Lu Cheng could see clearly that the gray energy came from the Dharma Wheel in the hands of the Old Man of the Yellow Springs, but his vigorous blood and energy suddenly weakened, like a blazing bonfire being extinguished.

His face turned deathly pale, his breath plummeted, his Taoist robe gradually became covered in filth, sweat poured from his armpits, and his body emitted a foul stench!
The calamity of life's end, the five signs of decay for gods and humans!
The third time, the fourth time, the fifth time...

The old man of the underworld's face gradually became ferocious, and his ghostly claws swung like the wind, pushing the life-severing power of the Life-Killing Wheel to its limit!

Each flash of grayish-white light signified the end of Lu Cheng's lifespan.

The old man of the Yellow Springs had his white hair dancing wildly, and his withered body trembled slightly. With each push of the Dharma wheel in front of him, his own aura weakened a little. His ghostly body seemed to be suffering a huge backlash, becoming more and more illusory and transparent, but the stubbornness and anger in his eyes became more and more intense.

The cultivation paths of the various races in the Immortal Realm differ. Human cultivators mostly emphasize a pure and desireless mind, experiencing the vicissitudes of life before attaining the highest level of cultivation.

The ghost race cultivates obsession, and when their obsession dissipates, their lifespan ends.

The Old Man of the Yellow Springs paid a huge price to take control of the clan's treasured artifact, the Longevity-Slaying Wheel, but this artifact did indeed help him dominate the world, and few could control it.

Even those Mahayana cultivators whose magical power and supernatural abilities surpassed his had to be wary and fearful of him.

However, if he did not wield the Life-Severing Wheel and did not expend his boundless vital energy to sustain it, perhaps the Old Man of the Yellow Springs would have already advanced to the late stage and pursued the path of ascension.

Now, the old man of the Yellow Springs, who originally sought a quick victory, was astonished to find that the Life-Slaying Wheel could not kill the Nascent Soul cultivator in front of him. This realization had an extremely great impact on his mind.

On the other side, Daoist Lu Cheng was also in great pain. Through repeated resurrection, he began to try various methods to fight against the Life-Severing Wheel.

But it was all useless. Whether it was the unparalleled Five Elements Heavenly Escape Step, the domineering Golden-Winged Roc Escape Technique with its explosive magic power, or the Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation Technique with the strongest overall performance, they were all meaningless in front of the spiritual treasure that was definitely superior to a normal ninth-order magic treasure.

As long as the Yellow Springs Elder activates his magic power and the Life-Severing Wheel rotates, he will surely die. This kind of powerful spiritual treasure of the law type makes most sword techniques and escape methods in the world almost useless.

"So you're the only one with a magic weapon, right?"

The ability to reduce another's lifespan by one's own is truly despicable. Lu Cheng exhausted all means, except for the Four-Nine Escape Technique which combines three escape methods, he used all other supernatural abilities, but he still could not escape the Life-Severing Wheel.

Therefore, he hardened his heart and, as he transformed into golden light and fled, he passed through a shadowy area. With a flick of his sleeve, golden light flashed, and then a purplish-black scorpion appeared, which quickly merged into the shadow.

Under normal circumstances, with the spiritual cultivation of the Old Man of the Yellow Springs, it would not have been difficult for him to discover this. However, when activating the Life-Severing Wheel, especially when activating it continuously, even the Old Man of the Yellow Springs had no strength left.

Due to the characteristics of the Ghost Clan's cultivation and their excessive obsession, the Old Man of the Yellow Springs risked greatly damaging his own vital energy to activate the Life-Severing Wheel twelve times.

Lu Cheng Daoist was also killed twelve times by this terrifyingly powerful spiritual treasure.

Both sides were exhausted by the end of the fight.

However, at this moment.

puff!

"Ugh!"

With a muffled thud so faint it was almost inaudible, the Old Man of the Underworld suddenly let out a shrill, distorted scream!
That was the stinger of the Netherworld Scorpion, which had already deeply pierced the vital spot in the back of his ghostly body!
At the tip of the needle, the Netherworld Poison, like a maggot clinging to a bone, was injected frantically! To the ghost's body, this poison was no less than a scalding iron being plunged into ice, instantly triggering a violent reaction!

"You beast!" The old man of the Yellow Springs' face was twisted like a demon, and the ghostly aura around him exploded like boiling water, trying to shake off the ghost scorpion.

However, the scorpion's stinger pierced firmly, and its venom glands squeezed wildly, unleashing a torrent of deadly poison.

Back then, this Netherworld Scorpion could severely injure the Nightmare Demon Ancestor; today, it can do the same to seriously harm the Old Man of the Yellow Springs.

The Longevity Wheel, having lost the control of its master's divine sense and magical power, and with its continuous use causing its light to flash rapidly, emitted a series of buzzing sounds, hovering precariously in mid-air.

At the same time, from the depths of the canyon came a deafening demonic roar, filled with resentment and rage!
"Young Taiqing! Grandpa Wugu will remember you! One day, he will surely wash away the Taiqing Mountain Gate with blood!"

Boom!

A massive figure, shrouded in surging demonic blood and malevolent energy, crashed through several stone peaks like a meteor, fleeing madly towards the outside of the canyon in a disheveled state. It was none other than Wugu Can, the Mahayana elder of the Chi Demon Clan, who had attempted to destroy the array's core!

Behind him, a huge, cold and austere phantom composed of countless sharp sword lights was slowly dissipating.

Amidst the sword light, stood the three Great Vehicle Dao Lords of the Taiqing Sect: Mingque, Minghe, and Tongzhen, their auras imposing and their killing intent soaring to the heavens!
Behind them were dozens of Taiqing Sect cultivators at the Integration and Returning Void levels, who formed the core of the "Taiyi Demon-Slaying Sword Formation"!
Although Wugu Can was a veteran of countless battles and extremely powerful, he was still able to fight against three opponents, plus a sword formation composed of high-level cultivators from the Taiqing Sect, within the Nine Turns Yellow Springs Immortal Forbidden Zone. If he could win in this way, then the Chi Demon Clan could completely compete with the Sea King Clan, and there would be no need for them to migrate south.

The combined might of the Mahayana cultivators, with their sword formation as majestic as the heavens, severely wounded the powerful Wugu, forcing him to flee in defeat!
"kill him!"

Tongzhen Daojun, holding the precious mirror, spoke sternly.

"No, we shouldn't pursue a desperate enemy. Killing Wugu Can would force the Chimo Clan to become irreconcilable enemies with Taiqing. Severely injuring him is enough. The Eastern Pole Creation Heavenly Palace and Taiqing stand together in the East. It's a good thing for us to have some pressure on them."

"Let's go and protect the Sect Leader first. It's far too risky for him to fight a single Grandmaster-level Ghost Clan cultivator for our sake."

Even the most profound spiritual communication from a high-level cultivator lasts only a moment.

The three Dao Lords, leading the sword formation cultivators, and carrying the might of repelling powerful enemies, were like three peerless divine swords drawn from their sheaths, and they charged towards the Yellow Spring Elder in the direction of the Stone Forest without hesitation!

The immense and powerful sword pressure and the vast and mighty fluctuations of magical power collided violently with the deathly laws emanating from the Longevity Tribulation Wheel, unleashing a devastating storm of heaven and earth energy in the Stone Forest area!

The Old Man of the Underworld was beset by internal and external troubles. The deadly venom of the Ghost Scorpion was frantically eroding his soul and body, causing him unbearable pain and making his magical power sluggish.

After being repeatedly activated, the pseudo-immortal artifact, the Longevity Tribulation Wheel, was now being interfered with and immobilized by the divine light of the Eight Desolations Fixed Yuan Mirror, making it difficult to retract for the time being.

Even more deadly is the combined attack of three Mahayana Dao Lords who are almost at their peak and full of killing intent, as well as the "Taiyi Demon-Slaying Sword Formation" which is enough to threaten Mahayana cultivators!
An unprecedented sense of crisis gripped the mind of the old man from the underworld.

"Taiqing Sect, good! Very good!" The old monster roared with extreme resentment, a hint of heartache and determination flashing in his eyes.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of ghostly blue blood containing the essence of the source, which instantly burst into flames!
"Netherworld Blood Escape, activate!"

boom!
Centered on the Old Man of the Underworld, an intense, dense aura of death suddenly erupted, forming a massive black vortex, as if opening a gateway to the depths of the Netherworld!
Countless mournful wails and howls emanated from within, interfering with divine sense and eroding the Dao heart. The Netherworld Scorpion that was firmly pinned to his back was also forcibly shaken away by this burst of power, letting out a sharp screech before transforming into a beam of light and disappearing into Lu Cheng's sleeve.

The ghostly form of the Old Man of the Underworld became blurred in an instant within the vortex, and the Wheel of Life Calamity also transformed into a gray-white stream of light, about to disappear into the void.

"You think you can just leave? Not so easy."

Lu Cheng, who had been observing from the sidelines, was waiting for the moment when his opponent would flee with all his might and his mental and magical defenses would be at their lowest.

Having been repeatedly killed before, Lu Cheng had already discerned the only way to break the Ghostly Path Dharma Wheel before him:

While enduring the attack with his own Taoist transformation and ascension techniques, he unleashed the Profound Sword Technique to see whether the opponent would kill him forty-four times first, or whether his own Profound Sword Technique would reach the killing level first.

However, as Ming Que, Ming He, and Tong Zhen flew over, Lu Cheng realized that the Old Man of the Yellow Springs would inevitably choose to retreat. Obsession clouding one's mind is not the same as falling into madness.

Lu Cheng Daoist's eyes were sharp. He took a step forward, as if traversing the distance of space, and instantly stood in front of the raging vortex of ghostly energy.

Without using the Five Elements Heavenly Escape Flying Sword or the Boundless Blood Sea Flying Sword, Lu Cheng's left hand seemed to be covered with a layer of light, which was actually the sword light flashing!

Sword Palm! The sword itself was unadorned, yet it exuded an extreme sharpness that seemed to sever cause and effect and shatter the cycle of reincarnation!

There was no earth-shattering display, no flashy or complicated sword moves. Lu Cheng simply thrust forward in a plain and unremarkable manner!
The Profound Sword!
At this moment, the sword light was no longer a dazzling sword rainbow, but a "line" that was condensed to the extreme and almost invisible!
This line ignored the erupting death energy of the underworld, ignored the distance in space, ignored the layers of ghostly defense hastily set up by the Old Man of the Underworld, and directly struck the already fragile connection between the Old Man of the Underworld and the Wheel of Life Calamity!

scoff!

As if the sound of tearing cloth rang out, the connection was severed!

"Ahhhhh!!"

The old man of the Yellow Springs suddenly let out a muffled groan even more miserable than when he was stung by the ghost scorpion. His illusory ghost body trembled violently, and his left arm, which was made of primordial ghost energy, was actually severed by that ethereal sword line!
His escape speed suddenly stopped, and the Wheel of Life Calamity let out a mournful cry before its light completely dimmed.

"Lu Cheng! This is an irreconcilable enmity!" The Yellow Springs Elder's venomous roar echoed in the rapidly shrinking Netherworld vortex, filled with endless hatred and a trace of barely concealed fear.

He once valued the cycle of life and death more than his own life, but today, faced with true life and death, the Old Man of the Yellow Springs made the right choice.

Although he was severely weakened and the clan's treasure was lost, which would punish him greatly, he was at least still alive.

As long as you're alive, there's still a chance to turn things around!
Finally, the vortex closed completely, leaving behind only a broken stone forest corroded by death energy and with disordered space, the chilling aura left by the severed ghost arm, and a Dharma wheel slowly rotating in the void.

Without needing to spread the word, the news that an old man from the Yellow Springs, who was considered quite powerful even among Mahayana cultivators, had returned defeated while wielding a pseudo-immortal artifact was enough to shake the entire Earthly Immortal Realm.

The formidable power of the "Taoist immortality" resounded throughout the world like a thunderclap from a clear sky!

This Daoist Lu Cheng is no longer a rising star, but has truly joined the ranks of the top giants in the Earthly Immortal Realm.

Whether friend or foe, everyone has to re-examine the status and potential of this young leader of the Taiqing Sect.

(End of this chapter)