Recruit demons to become heroes, hunt demons to become gods

Chapter 302 Strategic Moves – Two Peak Tribulation Realm Experts
Under Dou Eqing's inducement and persistent coaxing, the four women, including Liu Shuhuang, agreed to merge into the Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Body to help the other women overcome the tribulation and break through their cultivation realms.

During the two thousand years they cultivated in the Purple Star Immortal Abode, and the past ten years in the outside world (including the time spent refining the Extreme Desire Pill and stabilizing their Tribulation Transcending Realm cultivation), the twelve of them gradually mastered the slightly modified [Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Technique].

Dou Eqing's modifications to the "Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Technique" were intended to accommodate the fact that among the eleven people there were both those at the Mahayana Realm and those at the Tribulation Transcending Realm, thus balancing the impact of the difference in realms.

Only when his own spiritual body transformed and merged into it did he truly understand what the divine soul and heavenly demon body meant.

It turns out that the main body of the Divine Soul Demon Body, that is, the physical body, is composed of the divine souls of twelve people in a special form, while the original physical bodies of the twelve people were fused together by the Soul Refining Evil Armor to become the Evil Armor.

To put it simply, the soul is the body, and the flesh is the clothing.

Even though they had not yet undergone the tribulation, Dou Eqing estimated that the Divine Soul Demon Body composed of the twelve people already possessed the strength of the peak of the mid-stage of the tribulation, and was full of confidence in this tribulation.

Therefore, under Yang Yang's arrangement, a special prey was also arranged for this special lightning tribulation.

Deep within the Abyss, on a forcibly carved-out floating island, the atmosphere was as heavy as a physical presence.

This is a special area on the outskirts of the Ruins of Demons. With guidance, it's not necessary to go through the ancient teleportation array like when entering the center of the Ruins of Demons.

Dou Eqing stood in the center, with a spirit body floating in front of him whose aura was obscure and difficult to understand, yet contained astonishing energy.

This spiritual body was made by using the pseudo-Dao Pill "Extreme Desire Pill" as a base, and incorporating part of Dou Eqing's own origin and the Daoist essence of seven Mahayana female cultivators. Its essence is almost a special living Dao treasure, and its strength is comparable to a mid-stage Tribulation Transcending expert who has cultivated for tens of thousands of years!
Around the spirit body, the spiritual power of the four women, Liu Shuhuang, You Yingyue, Shui Xianrong, and Ye Nashi, surged. Their auras, tempered by the tribulation lightning that broke through their realm and through their secluded cultivation during this period, had all stabilized at the early stage of the tribulation!
Under Dou Eqing's guidance, the four different but originating Tribulation Realm divine soul powers resonated profoundly with the Extreme Desire Pill Spirit Body, and eventually slowly merged into it!
Om-!
The spirit body suddenly burst out with dazzling light, its form expanded, and it transformed into a divine soul demon body that was thousands of feet tall, with a blurred face but exuding a terrifying pressure!
This demonic body merged the desire essence of the Extreme Desire Pill, Dou Eqing's holy yang aura, and the divine soul laws of the four female cultivators undergoing tribulation. Its strength instantly soared, reaching the terrifying peak of the mid-stage of tribulation!
His body was surrounded by flames of lust, imperial dragon energy, extreme cold ice, and the phantom of a celestial demon, chaotic yet powerful.

"Liuli, Meier, Qingyu... everyone, the time has come!"

Dou Eqing shouted in a deep voice.

The primordial spirits of the seven female demon cultivators—Meng Liuli, Yan Meier, Bai Qingyu, Yu Lianxin, Su Miao, Tu Qianqian, and Gu Youli—were already seated in the seven-star arrangement around the Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Body.

Their souls had long since merged with the Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Body; separating their primordial spirits was solely for the purpose of guiding them through the Tribulation Lightning Tribulation.

Their beautiful eyes held both fear of the tribulation and a yearning for a higher realm, as well as trust in Dou Eqing.

As Dou Eqing made a hand seal, the Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Body, at the peak of the mid-stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm, suddenly opened its arms as if embracing heaven and earth. A powerful force of attraction erupted, completely connecting the auras of the seven women with the Divine Soul Heavenly Demon God, forming a perfect whole!

Rumble, rumble—! ! !
The world suddenly changed color!

The commotion this time caused was far more terrifying than any before!
It wasn't a sea of ​​lightning, but seven thick, boundless tribulation clouds that covered thousands of miles simultaneously condensed high in the sky!

Each cloud of tribulation corresponds to a female cultivator about to undergo tribulation; they are all different colors and have different attributes.
There are illusory thunderclouds like dreamlike bubbles, blazing thunderclouds that burn the sky and boil the sea, extremely cold thunderclouds that freeze souls, ghostly thunderclouds that make ten thousand souls wail, eerie poison thunderclouds filled with poisonous miasma, war demon thunderclouds that soar with bloodlust, and even more desolate white bone thunderclouds!

The seven tribulations of heavenly punishment, with their interdependent energy and overlapping effects, are far more powerful than simply one plus one equals two; rather, they increase exponentially!
The entire Guixu Demon Abyss was wailing, the void was shattered, and the laws were in chaos, as if the end of the world had arrived!

Even Yang Yang himself, who was watching the battle from thousands of miles away, had an extremely solemn expression.

For this mission, they did not leave the Ruins of Demons.

This could expose the headquarters of the Sea Demon Sect, but Dou Eqing couldn't care less about that now.

"Dou Eqing...you've gone too far this time..."

Yang Yang's clone muttered to herself, but a strange light flashed in her eyes. She understood that Dou Eqing's actions were not merely to help the seven women overcome their tribulations.

Such a spectacular lightning tribulation, coupled with prior planning, naturally attracted onlookers!
Just as the tribulation was halfway over, a somewhat hurried streak of light, though vast in scale, faintly revealed a hint of fragility, tore through the void from the far distance.

The light dissipated, revealing an old man wearing a wide gray robe, with a withered face and eyes that gleamed with greed.

It was Yang Yang who, following Dou Eqing's plan, deliberately selected and spread rumors to attract the target—the rogue cultivator Gu Renzhai, who had barely reached the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage through chance and time, but whose combat power was at the bottom among his peers.

His most prominent characteristic is that he is both afraid of death and extremely greedy, especially coveting all kinds of treasures that can enhance cultivation and prolong life.

He immediately spotted the powerful divine soul demon body at the core of the tribulation, as well as the seven pure Mahayana female cultivators under its protection who were about to undergo tribulation. He also sensed the subtle fluctuations of the treasure he had been dreaming of on Dou Eqing's body—the Immeasurable Merit Pearl!
In fact, the seven female cultivators of the Mahayana path were puppets in disguise, used to deceive Gu Renzhai.

The seven peak eighth-tier puppets formed a concealment array, serving no purpose other than to deceive him.

"Hahaha! Heaven is on my side! So many high-quality cauldrons, and that treasure of merit! It is only right that I have such good fortune today!"

Gu Renzhai's eyes burned with the fire of greed, and he was blinded by desire, thinking that this was a golden opportunity, completely unaware that it might be a carefully laid trap.

He was confident in his peak Tribulation Transcending cultivation (although it was largely exaggerated), thinking that even if the lightning tribulation was fierce, it was just the lightning tribulation for a Mahayana cultivator breaking through to the Tribulation Transcending realm, and he could still profit from the situation.

He let out a long roar, summoned an ancient bronze shield to protect himself, and then transformed into a streak of gray light, rushing straight to the edge of the tribulation, attempting to interfere with the tribulation and take the opportunity to kidnap people and seize treasures!

"coming!"

A cold glint flashed in Dou Eqing's eyes. "Proceed according to plan!"

The divine soul demon body suddenly turned its massive body and took the initiative to meet Gu Renzhai, seemingly to prevent him from getting close, but in fact to lead him into the intersection area where the power of the lightning tribulation was strongest!

Meng Liuli and the other seven women immediately activated their cultivation techniques. The seven tribulations of lightning they had triggered seemed to be provoked, becoming even more violent. Countless bolts of lightning seemed to have gained sentience, turning their spears and bombarding the intruder Gu Renzhai with overwhelming force!

Gu Renzhai's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected the lightning tribulation to react so intensely and with such focus!

The bronze shield flashed wildly under the bombardment of the seven layers of lightning, and cracks appeared instantly!
"No! I fell into a trap!"

He then realized what was happening and tried to back away.

But it was too late! Yang Yang's clone struck first.

Then Dou Eqing appeared like a ghost behind Gu Renzhai, his White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade unleashing a terrifying blade light, not aimed at him, but at his retreat route!
At the same time, the four giant palms of the Divine Soul Demon Body struck out, containing the divine soul power of the four female cultivators undergoing tribulation and the original desire of the Extreme Desire Pill, transforming into an invisible cage that imprisoned the void!

Ahead, there was a barrage of overlapping lightning strikes; behind, blades blocked the retreat; and to the side, demonic bodies imprisoned them!

Gu Renzhai was instantly plunged into a desperate situation!

Although his cultivation level was at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, his combat strength was truly worrisome. He usually relied on his strength to bully the weak, and had never experienced such a dangerous situation before.
He was immediately thrown into a panic, and his demonic powers became sluggish.

"puff!"

A bolt of annihilating lightning pierced through the shield's defenses and struck his primordial spirit directly, causing his soul to tremble violently.

Immediately afterwards, a bolt of extremely cold lightning froze half of his body.

The poisonous miasma and lightning fog eroded his protective demonic energy...

The screams were endless.

Gu Renzhai struggled desperately, burning his source energy and unleashing his ultimate escape technique. He actually managed to break through part of the confinement, dragging his tattered body and injured primordial spirit, transforming into a streak of bloody light, and narrowly escaped the core lightning tribulation area. He fled for his life without looking back, not even having time to leave a harsh word.

Although they failed to kill him, the meticulously planned hunt left this peak Tribulation Transcending cultivator fleeing in disgrace, humiliated, and seriously injured.

Dou Eqing looked in the direction where the other person had disappeared, frowned slightly, seemingly regretting that he hadn't been able to keep him there, but then relaxed.

Being able to force back a peak Tribulation Transcending expert is already considered to have achieved the basic goal.

Moreover, he had already made multiple preparations.

However, what they didn't know was that during his escape, Gu Renzhai had already secretly passed on the news through secret channels that Dou Eqing possessed a strange demonic body that could help people overcome tribulations and that he was suspected of possessing the Immeasurable Merit Pearl to some truly terrifying peak Tribulation Realm experts who had been secretly coveting this treasure.

An even greater storm, fueled by greed, is about to break.

Dou Eqing's move to use the lightning tribulation as a trap, though it resulted in a narrow victory, completely ignited the powder keg.

The pathetic blood-red light that Gu Renzhai transformed into was like a stray dog, desperately tearing through the void, wanting only to get away from the Guixu Demon Abyss, that place of right and wrong that terrified him, as soon as possible.

His physical body was broken, his primordial spirit was injured, and his aura was extremely weak. His heart was filled with resentment and fear towards Dou Eqing and that terrifying lightning tribulation.

However, he was unaware that a shadow far darker and deeper than the void had already silently clung to the shadows of his escape route, like a malignant sore.

It was Yang Yang herself!

How could she easily let go of this prey, who had been severely injured and weakened by Dou Eqing's scheme?

If they could keep him, they would not only eliminate a threat, but also gain access to the entire accumulated wealth of a peak Tribulation Transcending cultivator, which would greatly benefit both the Sea Demon Sect and Dou Eqing.

She was extremely patient, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Just as Gu Renzhai traversed a relatively stable zone of spatial turbulence, and his mind relaxed slightly due to the temporary escape from danger—"Netherworld Imprisonment!"

Yang Yang's icy voice, like a chilling wind from the depths of hell, suddenly rang in Gu Renzhai's ears!

At the same time, the space around him instantly solidified, as if it had turned into the hardest ice. Countless dark, nether chains emerged from the void, wrapping around his limbs and bones. Runes that devoured light flickered on the chains, frantically drawing out his demonic energy and life force!
This sneak attack came too fast and too ruthlessly! Yang Yang's first move was a killing blow, without holding back!

"Yang Yang! You, the leader of a sect, have actually resorted to such a sneak attack!"

Gu Renzhai was terrified, feeling the deadly binding and devouring power, and was so frightened that his soul almost left his body.

He frantically burned his already dwindling life force, his withered body swelling like an inflating balloon, trying to break free from this netherworld confinement.

"Why bother with morality when dealing with a despicable person like you!"

Yang Yang's figure emerged from the shadows, her black robes fluttering, her face as cold as frost.

Without exchanging any words with the other party, she formed a hand seal, and the primal power of the Guixu Demon Abyss was remotely activated, transforming into a chaotic demonic claw that blotted out the sky. Its five fingers were as large as mountains, carrying the terrifying power to crush stars, and it fiercely grabbed down at Gu Renzhai, who was temporarily imprisoned!
If that claw strike lands firmly, given Gu Renzhai's current condition, he will undoubtedly die!

"I will fight with you!"

A desperate madness flashed in Gu Renzhai's eyes. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of his life essence blood, which splashed onto the bronze shield in front of him, which was already covered with cracks.

The shield let out its final lament, radiating brilliant light as it forcefully erected a protective shield to meet the chaotic claws.

boom--! ! !
A deafening roar resounded, and the bronze shield could no longer hold on, shattering into countless fragments!

The Chaos Claw was momentarily slowed by this desperate attack, its power diminished considerably, but it still slammed down with undiminished force!
"Pfft!"

Gu Renzhai was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. Countless bones in his body were broken, blood gushed out, and his life force plummeted to rock bottom. He was already critically injured and on the verge of death!

Yang Yang's eyes flashed with a fierce light. She would strike while the iron was hot and kill him!

His figure moved like lightning, and a point of extreme darkness gathered at his fingertips, about to pierce through Gu Renzhai's brow and completely end his primordial spirit!
However, at this critical moment, a strange and venomous smile appeared on the face of the dying Gu Renzhai.

He didn't know when, but he had already grasped an ancient jade talisman in his hand, which emitted a faint spatial fluctuation.

The jade talisman may seem inconspicuous, but the runes engraved on it are extremely profound, subtly invoking the deepest spatial laws.

"Yang Yang! Dou Eqing! You just wait! I swear I will not rest until I avenge this!"

With his last breath, Gu Renzhai roared and crushed the jade talisman!
"Oh no! It's a high-grade eighth-tier Void-Breaking Talisman!"

Yang Yang's pupils contracted sharply as she recognized the thing.

This grade of space-breaking talisman is extremely rare, and the method of refining it has long been lost. It can instantly break through most spatial blockades and perform random teleportation over extremely long distances, making it a life-saving treasure!
She never expected that Gu Renzhai had such a trump card up his sleeve!
hum!
A soft yet irresistible silver-white light instantly enveloped Gu Renzhai's battered body.

Yang Yang's deadly finger strike landed on the light, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea; all the power was dissolved and transferred by the spatial force.

The next moment, a flash of silver light appeared, and Gu Renzhai, along with the spatial fluctuations, vanished from the spot without a trace, leaving not even a trace of his aura!

Yang Yang's attack missed, and she stood there, her face terribly gloomy.

She scanned the surrounding tens of thousands of miles of void with all her might, but could no longer detect any trace of Gu Renzhai. The effect of that eighth-order Void-Breaking Talisman far exceeded her expectations.

"He got away again..."

Yang Yang snorted coldly, feeling unwilling but helpless.

Cultivators at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending Realm, especially ancient monsters who have lived for countless years, indeed possess a multitude of life-saving methods. Although this sneak attack did not achieve complete success, it severely injured Gu Renzhai, who would find it extremely difficult to recover without thousands of years or even longer of recuperation.

Moreover, after this scare, he probably won't dare to show his face easily again for a while.

However, if you don't kill the snake, you will suffer the consequences.

In Yang Yang's view, Gu Renzhai's escape has undoubtedly created another hidden danger for the Sea Demon Sect.

Yang Yang turned around, her gaze fixed on the direction of the Demon Abyss, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

The storms to come will likely be even fiercer.

Dou Eqing must be strengthened as soon as possible to meet the greater challenges to come.

Yang Yang was unaware that Dou Eqing had other plans after arranging for her to ambush Gu Renzhai.

The light of the eighth-grade superior Void-Breaking Talisman enveloped Gu Renzhai's damaged physical body and injured primordial spirit, frantically traversing through the chaotic spatial turbulence, undergoing random teleportation without any pattern.

Gu Renzhai was in a daze, with only the instinct to survive and an overwhelming hatred for Dou Eqing and Yang Yang remaining.

After an unknown amount of time, the spatial fluctuations finally subsided. He was thrown violently away and crashed onto a hard, cold surface.

The biting cold and the pervasive deathly aura barely restored a sliver of his clarity.

He struggled to open his eyes and found himself in a completely unfamiliar place—a vast, desolate land devoid of any life, only jagged rocks and an eternally gray sky.

The air was filled with pure yet destructive chaotic demonic energy, suggesting that this place was either the ruins of a broken world or a forbidden zone in the universe.

"Cough cough...Finally...we escaped..."

A sense of relief at surviving a disaster had just risen in Gu Renzhai's heart, but the next moment, that relief turned into a deeper fear!

A terrifying aura, vast, ferocious, and filled with an endless desire to devour, instantly locked onto him, like a slumbering ancient beast awakening!

"Roar--!"

A deep roar shook the ground. Not far ahead, a massive "hill" slowly began to move!
That wasn't a hill at all; it was clearly a gigantic beast of unimaginable size!
Resembling a giant tortoise, its carapace is covered with ferocious bone spikes, and nine grotesque dragon heads protrude from the edge—this is the form of the Taotie Dragon Tortoise Beast!
However, the aura it exuded was far more ancient and violent than the Taotie Dragon Turtle Beast that Gu Renzhai knew. It had reached the peak of the late stage of the ninth rank (late stage of tribulation), and even faintly touched the threshold of the peak!

And atop the largest head of that colossal beast stood a figure.

The man was clad in ancient bone armor, his face shrouded in a distorted halo, making it impossible to see clearly. However, the aura emanating from him was that of a true peak Tribulation Transcending expert!

Moreover, this oppressive aura carried a primordial, domineering, and self-centered aura, completely different from the demonic cultivators encountered before.

"The Holy... Holy Turtle Demon Emperor?!"

Gu Renzhai was terrified. He recognized the unique aura as belonging to a demon emperor who was a sect in himself and had long since disappeared, as recorded in ancient books!
Why is he here?

He also rides a mutated Taotie Dragon Turtle?

"Tsk tsk tsk, it's like finding a needle in a haystack, only to have it come to you effortlessly."

The figure known as the "Holy Turtle Demon Emperor" let out a hoarse and greedy laugh, "A severely injured and dying peak Tribulation Transcending Primordial Spirit and physical body is the best supplement for my new body!"

"By devouring you, I might be able to recover to my peak condition in one fell swoop, or even advance further!"

The Holy Turtle Demon Emperor (in reality, an ancient being who possessed the body of the Gluttonous Demon) revealed a fierce glint in his eyes. The nine dragon heads of the Gluttonous Dragon Turtle Beast under his mount opened their huge mouths at the same time, and a terrifying devouring power erupted, forming a huge black hole vortex that was about to swallow up Gu Renzhai, who had no power to resist!

Gu Renzhai closed his eyes in despair, his heart filled with endless regret and resentment.

However, just as the vortex was about to touch Gu Renzhai, a sudden change occurred!
The "Holy Turtle Demon Emperor" sitting atop the dragon's head suddenly stiffened, his movements instantly halting!

The greedy, ferocious expression on his face froze, then transformed into extreme shock, anger, and... a hint of unbelievable fear!

"No! This is impossible! Get out of here!"

He let out a roar of alarm and anger, as if resisting some unseen force.

Gu Renzhai, who had been resigned to his fate and awaiting death, was astonished to find that the deadly devouring power had vanished.

He opened his eyes in a daze and saw a scene he would never forget.

On the forehead of the "Holy Turtle Demon Emperor," a complex and profound dark golden mark, radiating absolute dominance, was flashing with an undeniable light!
And the aura of that brand... Gu Renzhai vaguely felt that it was somewhat familiar, and it was even somewhat similar to that of Dou Eqing!

"A demon... a demon slave mark?!"

Gu Renzhai gasped in shock.

A demon emperor, the leader of a ninth-tier power at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, was actually implanted with a demon slave mark.

What terrified him even more was that a faint yet supremely majestic phantom of will slowly emerged from the Demon Slave Seal. Although it was blurry, its outline was clearly that of Dou Eqing!

“The Holy Tortoise, or rather… Jiamo,”

Dou Eqing's illusory will spoke, its voice resounding deep within the Holy Turtle Demon Emperor's soul, "Do you really think that with your peak Tribulation Transcending cultivation, you can completely seize the Taotie Jiamo that I have carefully nurtured and break free from the supreme demon slave contract that I have already planted?"

"You...you foresaw my purpose in cultivating the Gluttonous Demon?! You deliberately allowed me to possess your body last time?!"

The voice of the Holy Turtle Demon Emperor (Taotie Jiamo) was filled with horror.

Only now did he fully realize that his so-called "luck" escape from death was a trap from beginning to end!
Dou Eqing had long realized that he had cultivated Taotie Jiamo so that when he had no hope of becoming an immortal, he could change his path. He even deliberately guided and allowed Taotie Jiamo to possess and merge with him, all for the purpose of obtaining a more powerful and perfect body, but whose life and death would still be completely under his control.
"It's not too late to understand now."

Dou Eqing's illusory will coldly said, "Taotie Jiamo's devouring talent is quite good, and you have hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation experience, so you are qualified to be my demon slave. It's just right for you to 'raise' this Fellow Daoist Gu. Without my order, you must not harm his life, and keep a good 'guardian' over him."

"As for you," Dou Eqing's will turned to the terrified Gu Renzhai, "I'll spare your dog's life for now, you'll have your uses in the future."

After he finished speaking, the illusory image of his will slowly dissipated, but the Demon Slave Seal shone brightly, completely suppressing all thoughts of resistance from the Holy Turtle Demon Emperor (Taotie Jiamo).

While Gu Ren was still in shock, the demon slave seal formed by light and shadow silently landed between his eyebrows.

The Holy Turtle Demon Emperor (Taotie Jiamo) stood frozen in place, his huge body trembling slightly, and his nine dragon heads lowered unwillingly.

He felt the inescapable mark deep within his soul and finally recognized reality—not only had he failed to gain freedom, but he had also been transformed from a latent ancient consciousness into Dou Eqing's most loyal demon slave!
Life or death is not up to you!
What chilled him to the bone even more was that Dou Eqing's will could be directly manifested through the Demon Slave Seal!
This indicates that the other party's mastery of the Demon Slave Contract has reached a state of perfection, and their main soul consciousness may even have transformed into a higher level of 'soul consciousness'!
This means that even if Dou Eqing's physical body perishes, as long as this wisp of soul remains, he can be reborn in any demon slave by relying on the Demon Slave Imprint!
This is almost a kind of "immortality"!
Dou Eqing... what kind of monster is he exactly?

Gu Renzhai was completely dumbfounded by the dramatic scene before him.

He thought he had just escaped one wolf's den only to fall into another, but he never expected that the master of this "tiger's den" was also the servant of that terrifying young man.
Dou Eqing, without making a sound, has secretly taken control of two terrifying beings at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage (Taotie Jiamo in the form of the Holy Turtle Demon Emperor, and the captured Gu Renzhai)!

This scheming, this tactic, filled Gu Renzhai with a chilling despair from the depths of his soul.

Only now did he truly understand what a terrifying being he had provoked.

"Perhaps he will turn the entire demonic path upside down! If he can unify the demonic path, becoming his demon slave might actually be a stroke of luck..."

Gu Renzhai suddenly tried to comfort himself.

In the desolate and silent land, only the heavy breathing of the Holy Turtle Demon Emperor (Taotie Jiamo) and the ashen-faced despair of Gu Renzhai remained.

Meanwhile, Dou Eqing, far away in the Demon Abyss, curled his lips into a smile that suggested he had everything under control.

Two more heavyweight pieces have appeared on his chessboard.

Now, we can proceed to the next step.

With the protection of Yang Yang's true form and her clone, the Divine Soul Demon Body finally survived this special tribulation of breaking through realms safely.

Furthermore, having gained experience from refining the Extreme Desire Pill through lightning tribulation, Dou Eqing actually "courted death" during the lightning tribulation—operating the [Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Technique] at its most intense intensity, using the lightning tribulation as nourishment to boost the operation of the technique.

By the time Liu Shuhuang and the other women realized what was happening, it was too late.

Among them, the spirit of the Soul Refining Evil Armor naturally assisted in providing cover for Dou Eqing.

Above the sky, the thunderstorm was no longer an ordinary calamity, but had transformed into a raging sea of ​​lightning.

Dou Eqing showed no fear. His main body charged into the sky full of thunder, while his spiritual body activated the [Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Technique] to its fullest extent.

Just as the lightning tore through the sky, he unleashed a forbidden technique—the "Soul Demon Devouring Technique"—to assist the split soul within the Divine Soul Heavenly Demon's body.

The fragmented soul within the spirit body transformed into a greedy demonic shadow, forcibly enveloping the souls of Liu Shuhuang and the other eleven women.

It was no longer a simple suppression, but a complete absorption and fusion.

The female cultivators' souls and consciousness melted away like ice and snow, and they were forcibly dragged into the depths of the ever-expanding divine soul demon body, where they could no longer control themselves and were almost forever inseparable.

While enduring the frenzied bombardment of the lightning tribulation, Dou Eqing soothed the remaining fluctuations of consciousness within the soul shadow in a hoarse voice:

"Only by becoming one with me and using the Soul Refining Evil Armor to rebuild your immortal souls can you find the only path to transcendence..."

However, his act of forcibly absorbing the power of the lightning tribulation and refining it for his own use finally angered the laws of heaven in the dark.

The thunderclouds that had been gradually dissipating suddenly gathered again, their color changing from purple to black, and an aura of destruction a hundred times more terrifying than before enveloped the surrounding area.

That was not a tribulation of lightning, but a divine punishment—a pitch-black lightning spear containing the wrath of the heavens crashed down from the highest heavens!

Just as the pitch-black lightning spear, imbued with the ultimate wrath of the Heavenly Dao, was about to devour Dou Eqing's true form, the Divine Soul Demon Body floating in front of him moved.

This demonic body, forcibly forged from countless divine souls, roared silently under the absolute control of the spiritual body. Instead of retreating, it expanded to its limit, its demonic flames raging, like a gigantic shield, fiercely confronting the heavenly punishment that represented destruction!
"boom--!!!"

The pitch-black lightning collided violently with the filthy demonic energy, and time seemed to freeze at that moment. The core power of the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning was mostly withstood by the Divine Soul Demon Body.

Within the demonic body, Dou Eqing's spiritual face was distorted by extreme pain, yet he still frantically activated the [Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Technique], elevating his devouring and dissolving power to an unprecedented level, attempting to erode this power that should not exist in the world at all.

On the demonic body, countless faces of pain and wailing flickered in the lightning. These were the lingering souls and consciousness of Liu Shuhuang's eleven daughters, which had not yet been completely extinguished. At this moment, they had become both a barrier and a sacrifice to resist the heavenly punishment.

The surface of the demon's body cracked inch by inch, charred and peeling away. Its enormous form, under the baptism of lightning, was like ice and snow under the scorching sun, rapidly melting and disintegrating.

However, the might of divine punishment must not be desecrated.
Despite the Heavenly Demon Body of the Divine Soul exerting all its strength to barely deflect some of the lightning punishment, the remaining destructive energy still pierced through like a torrent, heavily bombarding Dou Eqing's true form behind it.

"puff--!"

The body coughed up blood, its physical body almost disintegrated, and its aura instantly weakened to the extreme, falling from the sky like a kite with a broken string.

The divine soul and demonic body, which were the first to be affected, suffered an even more devastating price.

After withstanding the divine punishment, its once towering and enormous demonic body became broken and tattered, like shattered black glass. Only less than one-tenth of its charred core remained, faintly flickering with dim demonic light. The spiritual consciousness contained within it was like a candle flickering in the wind, on the verge of death.

The thunderclouds finally dispersed, leaving the world in a deathly silence. Although Dou Eqing was fortunate enough to survive without being completely destroyed, his original body was severely injured and on the verge of death. His most relied-upon divine soul, the Heavenly Demon Body, was almost completely destroyed, with only a wisp of remnant soul remaining to sustain him. The price he paid was extremely high.

Despite risking his life to forcibly elevate his Divine Soul Demon Body cultivation to the late-stage peak of the Tribulation Transcending Realm, he still faced a near-death experience under the Heavenly Tribulation of Thunder Punishment.

Ultimately, after the divine tribulation, the Divine Soul Demon Body was severely injured and on the verge of death.

Dou Eqing's true form hurriedly gave a top-grade eighth-rank Spirit Nourishing Pill, which had been fused with eighth-rank Heavenly Origin Liquid, to the Divine Soul Demon Body.

Then, he hurriedly performed a soul-binding incantation, pointing a finger at the location of the Divine Soul Heavenly Demon Body Protective Mirror, attempting to communicate with the original spirit of the Soul Refining Evil Armor:
Is there a quickest and most effective way to treat this?

The Divine Soul Demon Body and the Soul Refining Evil Armor are closely related, with the former depending on the latter for its existence.

Therefore, the original spirit of the artifact is more aware of the current situation of the divine soul and the demonic body.

(End of this chapter)