Immortals of the End Times

The blood of the Heavenly Dao, purified by the power of the Heavenly Venerable, fell like golden pearls onto a jade plate.

The Dao mark that dripped into Zhao Wuji's brow instantly stirred up ripples of golden light.

The sharp, blade-like mark between his brows now appeared as if it had been repeatedly refined by the divine hand of creation, its sharpness completely concealed, yet it seemed even more profound.

The supreme Dao essence contained within the blood of the Heavenly Dao is like a precious elixir washing a sword, smoothing out every minute crack in the Dao marks into perfectly formed Dao patterns.

"Heavenly Net Locks Immortals, Earthly Net Imprisons Demons, Heavenly Prison, Eye of the Heavenly Dao"

Zhao Wuji's mind suddenly shone brightly.

Countless true meanings of the Heavenly Dao surged forth like a galaxy bursting its banks.

Those ancient and timeless authorities of Heaven.

The Heavenly Eye oversees the solemnity of the Three Realms, the Heavenly Prison suppresses all laws with its majesty, and the Heavenly Net covers all the heavens with an impenetrable tightness.

At this moment, they all transformed into flowing Daoist script, greedily devoured by the Daoist essence of the Intercepting Dao.

"cut!"

His eyes gleamed, and the golden light between his brows surged three inches, actually condensing into a tangible Dao pattern in the void.

The sharpness of intercepting the Dao is not simply about cutting off, but rather about moving through the patterns of the Dao like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox.

Each wisp of Daoist essence extracted manifests a corresponding profound understanding of the Great Dao within the sea of ​​consciousness.

The wonder of the "Sky Eye" surveillance lies in its ability to "see the big picture from small details".

The key to suppressing criminals in the Heavenly Prison lies in 'appropriate severity'.

The mysterious workings of the Heavenly Net subtly align with the principle of "sparse yet leak-proof".
"The Dao is profound, and my understanding is deep. It seems that I can break through to the Nascent Soul stage today!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes suddenly shone with a blood-red moon, and he abruptly flew out of the Gate of Mysterious Female, then stepped out of the Pot Heaven Space.

The raging fire outside made his robes flutter in the wind.

He spread his arms, and the True Meaning of Intercepting the Dao between his brows was like a heavenly sword unsheathed, bursting forth with dazzling golden light, fiercely slashing at the shackles of the realm in the darkness.

"Crack!"

The sound of shattering glass came from inside my body.

The nascent soul disintegrated inch by inch amidst the dazzling light, and the pure origin of the nascent soul transformed into a rain of light that completely disappeared into the nascent form of the Dao Seal.

The primordial spirit, like a candle burning to ashes, poured all its pure primordial spirit power into the nascent Dao seal that resembled a sword but was not, transforming it into the fuel for forging the Dao seal.

Nascent Soul Transformation into Dao Foundation!
The primordial spirit serves as firewood!
"clang!"

It seemed as if an ancient bell was resounding in the void.

The nascent soul disintegrated like snow meeting the blazing sun, each feather imprinted with the true meaning of the Dao of Interception.

The primordial spirit burns like firewood thrown into a furnace, with the light of enlightenment flickering in each cluster of flames.

The two were fused and tempered in the Daoist furnace, eventually condensing into a tangible Daoist seal that resembled a sword but was not quite a sword, which appeared between Zhao Wuji's eyebrows.

The patterns resemble swords but are not swords; their sharp edges flow with the sharpness to sever the secrets of heaven, while their ridges contain the profound weight of the ocean.

Upon closer inspection, one can see countless tiny talismans appearing and disappearing within the patterns.

Each one is a crystallization of Daoist essence refined from the essence of the Heavenly Dao.

This is the true essence of the transformation into a divine being.

Shedding the physical body, one achieves the formless Dao seal.

Using the Great Dao as its bones and magical power as its blood, it constructs its own Great Dao Laws.

"What...this is?! A Dao Seal?"

Not far away, Cang Yunzi flew out from the ruins and lava, staring incredulously at the scene opposite him.

But then they saw Zhao Wuji's crystal-clear body in the air opposite them, reflecting the rainbow light of the Great Dao inch by inch.

"Shedding his physical form, transforming into an infant spirit and then into a divine being, forging the Dao Seal... He's actually going to break through to the Divine Transformation Realm at this very moment?!"

Cang Yunzi couldn't help but smile wryly upon seeing this. After just one great battle, this Fellow Daoist Zhao was about to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

That's incredibly fast.

"Boom!"

A muffled thunderclap suddenly came from beyond the ninth heaven.

The murky, single eye hanging high in the sky seemed to be forcibly awakened once more, as if it were reluctantly forced open a crack in its eye.

The viscous gold liquid flowed slowly between the crevices of his pupils, revealing a hint of weariness.

The lofty gaze of Heaven swept over the people undergoing tribulation below.

Unaware of the familiar, overwhelming karmic force, he casually unleashed three bolts of azure lightning.

The lightning bolts struck down crookedly, intertwining in mid-air and making a booming sound, like a drunkard staggering, completely lacking the majestic power of the heavenly tribulations of the past.

There was a hint of perfunctoriness in it.

"Heavenly tribulation, well done!"

Amidst Zhao Wuji's laughter, the true meaning of the Intercepting Dao surged, shattering all the scattered sparks around him into dust.

With a wave of his sleeve, the Qingzhou Cauldron rose up in response, its body adorned with dragon patterns that moved like lightning, transforming into a hundred-foot-long dragon shadow soaring into the sky.

As the dragon's mouth opened wide, wind and thunder surged, swallowing the crooked blue lightning whole.

"Gudong!!"

Zhao Wuji made a hand seal with his fingers together, lifted the cauldron and drank the thunderous liquid, as if he were practicing meditation while drinking.

The Dao patterns of the Ingestion Technique instantly lit up in his throat. The Thunder Essence entered his stomach like sweet dew to quench a drought, refining the essence of thunder into pure mana, which in turn nourished the Dao Seal of Intercepting the Dao that was gradually taking shape.

However, following the Heavenly Tribulation, the Dao Tribulation also suddenly descended.

Zhao Wuji had only digested a portion of the lightning power when he suddenly felt a line of blue marks appear in his mind, like the first sword strike of an ancient sword immortal cleaving through chaos.

The mark between his eyebrows suddenly dimmed.

"This is."

Cang Yunzi exclaimed in astonishment, "A Dao Tribulation!!"

Suddenly, a rumbling sound, as if gears were meshing, seemed to come from the depths of Zhao Wuji's sea of ​​consciousness.

The Three Thousand Great Daos manifest as chains that shimmer with Daoist spiritual light, with stars formed from Daoist essence hanging at the end of each chain.

Where the chains intertwine.

A weapon resembling neither a cauldron nor a sword is forming, its entire body radiating a chilling, clear light capable of severing all laws.

Intercept the path and question the heart!

The weapon suddenly trembled, and Zhao Wuji groaned as the Dao seal that had just formed between his brows cracked open.

The Daoist essence transformed into countless Daoist seal characters, which flew out like a swarm of locusts, each one interpreting the true meaning of the Dao.

It possesses the sharpness of a sword cleaving through the stars, the mystery of a butcher carving up an ox, and the timeless vastness of a finger severing the river of time.

These Daoist insights, like a torrent, washed over his primordial spirit, threatening to erase all his lifelong understanding into a blank foundation of Dao.

"Intercepting the heavens? Intercepting the earth? Intercepting people?"

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, it seemed as if the Great Dao was questioning him, each word causing his mind to tremble.

Zhao Wuji's face suddenly glowed with a clear, glassy light, and his skin and bones shone with a jade-like luster.

Beneath every inch of skin, the Daoist script appeared, like thousands of star trails flowing beneath the skin.

This is the Dao Erosion, the most cruel test that the Dao Tribulation imposes on those who seek the Dao.

Where his flesh and blood transformed, crystalline fragments fluttered like snowflakes, revealing the surging golden light of the Dao within his body, as if his entire physical body had been transformed into a crystal vessel that could bear the Dao.

"The path to enlightenment is arduous, like walking on thin ice."

Zhao Wuji felt a heavy weight in his heart.

This is the tribulation of the Dao forcing him to reveal his truest Dao heart.

If one cannot overcome the tribulation, the consequence will be the shattering of the Dao Seal.

If the breakthrough fails, or worse, the body may even suffer from Dao erosion, risking being swallowed and assimilated by the Great Dao.

At this moment, each of those disappearing fragments of flesh and blood carries a fragment of his past cultivation memories.

The sudden enlightenment while observing the star-studded chessboard atop Sword Immortal Mountain, the resolute act of seizing the power of heaven and earth on the banks of the Huaihai River, and the perilous duel with the Ancestral Demon deep within the Nine Netherworlds.
"The Great Dao is fifty, Tianyan is forty-nine."

Zhao Wuji suddenly burst into laughter.

"What I intercepted was neither heaven nor earth."

His fingertips traced across his left arm, which was undergoing transformation, and the disintegrating flesh and blood condensed into a dazzling spiritual light.

Each stroke pierces the air, like a master butcher skillfully carving up an ox, moving freely among the patterns of the heavens, writing Daoist characters with iron strokes and silver hooks in the void:

"I'll only intercept the one that escaped!"

Suddenly, a clear sound of jade chimes rang out in his mind, and the calamity weapon collapsed into a rain of light.

Each raindrop reflects the image of Zhao Wuji's past slaying of the Dao.

The moment of 'intercepting the spirit' is to seize the mysterious essence of heaven and earth.

When 'intercepting the momentum', the method of leveraging the great power of heaven and earth is explained.

The moment of 'intercepting the plane' reveals the true meaning of the vicissitudes of fate in the long river of time.

As the light rain fell, a Dao seal, resembling a sword yet not quite, slowly took shape in Zhao Wuji's sea of ​​consciousness.

The spine of the seal is engraved with the Daoist script of "Escape to Oneness," and the sharp edge no longer flows with a cold, piercing light, but rather with the aura of the Great Dao that encompasses heaven and earth.

"boom!"

The moment the Dao Seal took shape, Zhao Wuji's body erupted with divine power.

Spiderweb-like cracks suddenly appeared in the entire void.

Caught off guard, Cang Yunzi was forced back three steps. Only when the Dao Seal of Bearing Heaven and Carrying Things was activated on its own and the Nine Mountains Dharma Form was unleashed with a roar was he able to stabilize himself.

When he looked up, he saw Zhao Wuji not far away, his robes fluttering without wind, his three thousand strands of black hair turning into dazzling golden light, each ray of light flowing from the ends of his hair containing the true meaning of the Dao of Interception.

Unable to withstand this pressure, the void itself formed a distorted Daoist energy field three zhang around him, causing even light rays to refract strangely as they passed through it.

Just like when he comprehended the 'Intercepting the Dao' back then, after the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, at the end of that rainbow bridge that cut off heaven and earth, the gentlest place often concealed the sharpest edge.

"Such power even in its initial formation."

Cangyunzi stroked his beard and sighed with relief, feeling much more at ease.

As the rosy light descended, the Dao seal between Zhao Wuji's brows suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light.

Cang Yunzi narrowed his eyes. When his vision returned, the familiar figure was already standing with his hands behind his back on the cloud. As his clothes fluttered, he flew down, his divine power as deep as the ocean.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Zhao, on achieving the Nascent Soul stage today!"

Cangyunzi smiled and bowed in congratulations.

"Sect Master Cangyunzi, you're too kind. I should be thanking you!"

Zhao Wuji smiled and shook his head, his gaze falling on the last remaining hundred-zhang-tall Jianmu root not far away. He solemnly said to Cang Yunzi, "This time, thanks to the sect leader's help, we were able to preserve this last piece of Jianmu root."

Although he looked tired, he couldn't hide his joy: "Although we paid a considerable price, we finally managed to completely eliminate that strange Daoist aura, and the life force of the Jianmu tree was preserved."

Cang Yunzi stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes gleaming with anticipation: "After this incident, I am even more convinced that Fellow Daoist Zhao will definitely be able to change the pattern of this world." His gaze swept over the floating Nine Cauldrons and the Dao imprint between Zhao Wuji's eyebrows, "With the roots of the Jianmu tree as a foundation, the Nine Cauldrons as a support, and the Sword Grass's approval, one day Fellow Daoist will surely be able to lead me and Sword Lord Wentian to fight our way up to the Ninth Heaven and break the calamity of the end of Dharma."

As he spoke, he looked up at the sky, his white eyebrows twitching slightly: "The power of the Heavenly Dao just now was truly awe-inspiring."

However, having faced that heavenly order in this battle, dealing with it in the future will actually be easier.

Zhao Wuji chuckled upon hearing this, and with a flick of his wrist, his medical skills emitted a blue light, healing Cang Yunzi's injuries.

After finishing the incantation, he gazed at the roots of the Jianmu tree and the central cauldron and said, "Next, I will try to cultivate the Jianmu seedlings. When the time comes, I believe the Sect Master of Wentian Sect should have broken through to the Nascent Soul stage."

Then the three of us will join forces and conquer the Nine Heavens together once more!

Before the words were even finished, the demon tree clone had already transformed into a giant tree thousands of feet tall and flew away into the air.

Countless branches, like dragons exploring the sea, entwine around the roots that are hundreds of feet long.

The wood grain patterns on the branches gradually brightened.

"This is."

Cang Yunzi's eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at the strange appearance of the demon tree clone. In a short while, he understood its origin and stroked his beard in praise, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhao's ability to cultivate such a divine tree clone has truly broadened this old Daoist's horizons."

"It was also due to some chance encounters in the past."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the boiling magma: "This place is where the ancient Jianmu tree grew, and the spiritual energy it contains is extraordinary."

I intend to stay here for some time; perhaps I can find an opportunity to cultivate the Jianmu tree.

"good."

Cang Yunzi understood, raised his snow-white eyebrows slightly, and solemnly performed a Taoist kowtow. "Then this old Taoist will take his leave first. I wish you success here, and await your good news."

Having said that, he swept his sleeves and disappeared into the distance as a streak of light.

Watching Cang Yunzi leave, Zhao Wuji looked around.

The battlefield was in complete disarray, and the lava dragon beast that had been controlled earlier had long since disappeared into the depths of the lava.

With a slight thought, the demon tree clone instantly unfurled its thousand-foot true form, its gnarled roots plunging into the scorching lava like dragons entering the sea, splashing up towering waves of fire.

"boom!!"

A deep rumble came from the depths of the earth, and the sea of ​​magma boiled and surged.

The Jianmu Dao patterns on the demon tree clone suddenly lit up with a dazzling blue light, flowing across the bark as if they were alive.

Each line resembles an ancient celestial talisman, becoming even more vivid under the scorching heat of the lava.

The roots spread wildly like thirsty pythons, not only greedily absorbing the fire elemental power from the magma, but also probing into the deepest part of the earth's core.

Those thick roots twisted and grew in the lava, gradually creating a mysterious resonance with the remaining roots of the Jianmu tree.

The moment the two came into contact, they merged naturally, like severed limbs being reattached, with the azure and gold Daoist essences blending seamlessly at the point of contact.

"Chi chi chi!!"

A blinding burst of spiritual light erupted from the point of fusion, and the trunk of the demon tree clone grew at a visible speed.

Its original thousand-foot-tall body grew taller and taller, reaching a height of over 1,500 feet in the blink of an eye.

The ethereal mist hanging from the tree canopy condenses into a substantial nectar, each drop containing the boundless vitality of the ancient Jianmu tree.

However, at that moment, the clone suddenly groaned, and a look of pain appeared between its brows.

Within his clone, the previously dormant will of Xiang Yu suddenly erupted in rebellion.

The refined body of the overlord god trembled violently deep within the tree's heart, with streaks of dark gold patterns colliding fiercely with the Daoist aura of the Jianmu tree, exploding into golden rays inside the trunk.

"Roar!"

In a daze, it seemed as if a tyrant's roar resounded throughout his mind.

The surface of the demon tree clone's trunk sometimes showed many dark gold battle patterns, and sometimes it was suppressed by cyan gold Dao patterns.

Under this tug-of-war, a semi-illusory, semi-real Dao seal gradually condensed between the brows of the clone, interwoven with two completely different Daoist charms: Jianmu and Bayi.

"This is."

Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted slightly. He saw that the earth spirit energy absorbed by his clone had transformed into a tangible crimson stream, surging upwards along the dragon-like roots and continuously flowing into the nascent Dao seal between his brows.

"boom!"

As the Dao Seal absorbed a portion of spiritual power, it solidified further, and the oppressive aura it emitted caused the magma sea within a thousand miles to freeze.

The surface of the scalding lava was covered with mysterious, spiderweb-like patterns, resembling ancient talismans.

Even more astonishingly, as the roots of the Jianmu tree continued to merge, fragments of ancient memories surfaced within the clone's sea of ​​consciousness.

The magnificent sight of the towering Jianmu tree piercing through the three realms, the ethereal figures of the celestial gods moving among its branches, and the terrifying moment when the colossal hand that blots out the sky shatters the firmament.
At the same time, another memory suddenly exploded.

Blood-red waves surged on the banks of the Wujiang River.

The Overlord, wielding his halberd, fought alone against the soulless beings who descended from the Ninth Heaven and were entangled in the chains of calamity.

With a swing of the halberd, the heads of immortals and gods were severed, and the black horse trampled the golden armor of the heavenly generals.

In the end, that resolute figure who committed suicide transformed into an undying battle spirit amidst the raging flames.
"Boom!"

Two completely different torrents of memories collided fiercely in the sea of ​​consciousness.

The spirit of Jianmu is upright and peaceful, like the earth bearing all things.

Xiang Yu's ambition for dominance was as fierce as a beacon fire, seemingly intent on burning the entire world to ashes.

The nascent Dao seal between the avatar's brows trembled violently during the conflict, and the Daoist aura of the Jianmu tree, like a boundless ocean, gradually absorbed and digested the fierce battle intent.

Just then, Zhao Wuji's expression suddenly changed.

The eighth Yang Pearl within the sea of ​​consciousness trembled violently, and the Dao patterns on its surface lit up one after another, revealing another set of Earthly Fiend Techniques.

Corpse disintegration!

In an instant, countless profound and obscure messages flooded into Zhao Wuji's mind like a torrent.

The art of corpse dissolution is a supreme and wondrous method for faking death and escaping. When mastered, one can shed their mortal body to attain immortality and ascend to heaven, or dissolve into an object to become an immortal.

Whether by entrusting a wisp of one's primordial spirit to a cenotaph or concealing one's true spirit within a magical weapon or sword, one can achieve self-destruction and thus deceive the heavens and escape unscathed.

This method was a life-saving secret technique used by some cultivators who had undergone tribulation in the past.

Even if one fails to transcend the tribulation, one can still use this to cultivate the path of a wandering immortal and continue one's cultivation journey.

"I see."

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed like lightning, and he instantly understood Xiang Yu's plan from back then.

This overlord must be trying to use the art of corpse dissolution to deceive the heavens and break free from the shackles of karma and destiny.

Unexpectedly, his body was torn apart and taken over by five villains, causing his magic to fail completely.

Although the mission was not fully accomplished, the battle spirit remained intact and only dissipated after thousands of years.

At this moment, within his sea of ​​consciousness, the seventh Yin Pearl and the eighth Yang Pearl shone brightly.

As the Daoist patterns flowed across the surface of the bead, several Earthly Fiend Techniques that had already been deciphered surfaced in his mind.

Open the wall, spray the chemical, copy the paper, and drink water.

As Zhao's consciousness drew closer to the past, all sorts of magical techniques and wondrous uses came into play.

But the first thing that appeared in my mind's eye was the ancient seal script characters "开壁" (open the wall), and as the Taoist charm flowed, it manifested the magnificent momentum of splitting mountains and cracking rocks.

This method is not an ordinary technique for escaping underground; rather, it uses magical power as a chisel to forcefully open a passage through an area where restrictive formations have been set up.

If this technique had existed in the ancient Sword Domain, Zhao Wuji might have been able to enter Mirror Lake or climb Sword Immortal Mountain more easily.

When this technique is cultivated to its highest level, it can even assist in expanding the space of the Pot Heaven Secret Realm. At that time, opening up the world with a flick of the finger will be nothing more than a trivial matter.

It can be described as an unparalleled and wonderful method for opening up cave dwellings.

Immediately afterwards, the message of the Spraying Technique also appeared in his mind, transforming into the image of rising clouds and mist.

This technique allows one to exhale air, altering the shape of objects or immobilizing enemies.

A single breath of spiritual energy can transform stubborn rocks into dragons and bring rotten wood back to life.

In comparison, this technique is somewhat similar to the "Finger Transformation Technique," but the method of casting is different.

In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong could transform Tang Sanzang into other people by blowing on him, and the transformation would be incredibly lifelike.

It can also condense into invisible shackles to imprison gods and immortals.

If one cultivates to the extreme, even a Nascent Soul Dao Lord will be blown away by this breath, becoming emaciated, as if the words themselves become law.

Soon, the information about the copying technique flowed like a gentle breeze and swirling snowflakes, revealing the mystery of shrinking the earth to an inch, and appeared in his mind.

This technique subtly embodies the wonder of "a world within a short distance." Initially, it merely involves climbing high and moving quickly, but as one's skill deepens, a single step can transform into the ability of Hu Gong to shrink the earth, as if teleporting.

The final message about the 'drinking water technique' surged through his mind like a whale inhaling water, creating a massive upheaval.

It may seem like an ordinary way of drinking water, but it has the power to swallow rivers and seas, and can even swallow lava and fire.

This technique allows one to drink up all the floodwaters of the eight directions simply by opening their mouth.

What's even more wonderful is that it can use water as a metaphor for the Tao, gathering the essence of heaven and earth into a fine elixir, which perfectly matches the supreme realm of "the highest good is like water".

Information about the four techniques circulated in Zhao Wuji's mind.

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he looked at the demon tree clone beside him, and then at the surging lava below.

Suddenly, he made a hand seal with his fingers together, and a dazzling golden light burst forth from his fingertips.

"Refining!"

As he opened his mouth, the patterns on his throat moved like dragons and snakes, bringing the profound mystery of his water-drinking technique to its extreme.

The entire sea of ​​magma suddenly boiled, and the towering red waves, as if under command, transformed into nine fire dragons that pierced through the seven orifices.

The scalding dragon breath surged through his meridians, but was cleaved down by the Dao-Intercepting True Intent like a heavenly blade, forcefully stopping its violent fiery nature.

Hundreds of pure earth and fire spiritual energies flowed like rivers into the sea, condensing into a viscous, crimson-gold spiritual elixir in the dantian.

"Spray!"

He suddenly turned around, his Taoist robe billowing like clouds, and spat out a mouthful of crimson-gold spiritual elixir at the demon tree clone.

The instant the spiritual elixir left the body, the Dao patterns of the Spraying Technique stretched out in the void, like a celestial silk spread out for three thousand feet.

The spiritual elixir swelled with the wind, transforming into a torrent of spiritual energy that swept across the heavens and earth, within which floated countless brilliant Dao inscriptions.

Sensing the arrival of the sweet rain, the branches of the Jianmu tree immediately burst forth with vibrant green light.

Each leaf involuntarily revealed crimson veins, and the ethereal mist hanging from the branches condensed into garlands.

Where the raindrops fall, the withered bark curls up like dragon scales, revealing the newly grown jade-green wood inside.

Ordinary trees catch fire when exposed to fire, and it is common sense that fire can destroy wood.

However, the Jianmu tree can take root directly in magma, and even use the heat of magma as nutrients to help it grow.

"Good magic!"

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly.

The Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Techniques are indeed mysterious and boundless, with not a single technique rendered useless.

With these two skills plus his mouth, it's like watering a tree with a nutrient sprayer.

It seems that the demon tree clone will soon break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
(End of this chapter)