The seventy-two demon god stone pillars towered into the clouds, emanating overwhelming demonic might, with each statue striking fear into the heart.
The yellow stone ancient well bore crack after crack, mottled and ancient.
Above the well, the Udumbara flower released a nose-assailing fragrance, its petals crystalline and heart-refreshing, illuminating the world shrouded in demonic qi and containing surging vital energy.
…
Zhang Ruochen and Gu She Huan stood by the well, sharing much, their gazes frequently turning towards the distant, peerlessly independent red-robed white-haired woman, their eyes growing ever more shocked and reverent.
It was now certain that everything before them was no illusion.
Zhang Ruochen stepped forward, steadying his turbulent emotions, bowed deeply, and said, “Greetings, Senior Tian Mu.”
The figure before him was a true legendary being, missing for endless ages and vanished from the Hell Realm for hundreds of thousands of years. Without her presence here, how could Gu She Huan possibly have reached this place?
Even the master of the Rakshasa clan’s foremost perilous ground, Luo Zu Yun Shan Realm, the Earth Matron, was merely her successor.
Luo Zu Yun Shan Realm dared claim the title of the Rakshasa clan’s first perilous ground, and for so many years, no one had dared provoke it, precisely because of this existence. As long as she lived, none dared easily set foot in Luo Zu Yun Shan Realm.
Tian Mu stood beneath the seventy-second demon god stone pillar, her countenance still youthful, yet her white hair fluttered in the wind. She turned back to glance at Zhang Ruochen.
Her eyes were bright.
Her gaze, however, was as vast as the sea, having long witnessed life’s myriad states, the world’s joys and sorrows.
She stared at Zhang Ruochen for a long while, as if recalling distant past events, and said, “The Udumbara flower is not yet mature; I will not allow you to take it away.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “I came to the Abyss of Darkness not for the Udumbara flower. I only wish to find the Mani Pearl or Yin Xue Tian to break the curse upon me. This junior begs Senior to point the way through the maze!”
Gu She Huan joined in the plea, her voice sweetly obedient. “Old ancestor, you possess great divine abilities and are the guardian of the Ancient Desolate Ruins City; you can surely help him, right?”
The secrets upon Zhang Ruochen had evidently been seen through by Tian Mu long ago.
Tian Mu’s voice carried endless desolation. “Yin Xue Tian went to Great Nether Mountain many years ago; she is not in the Ancient Desolate Ruins City. As for the Mani Pearl, it involves deeper entanglements; even I cannot help.”
Gu She Huan hurriedly said, “Old ancestor, is there a way to break the curse on him? Please, look how pitiable he is.”
Zhang Ruochen showed an embarrassed expression.
Where was he pitiable?
“There is no way.”
Tian Mu shook her head and said, “He bears the auras of multiple powerhouses. If Yin Xue Tian’s Dao Severing Curse were so easily broken, he would not have come to the Abyss of Darkness.”
Gu She Huan’s face dimmed considerably. Even Tian Mu spoke such words, confirming that the “Divine Store Scroll” was without error: Zhang Ruochen was indeed fated never to achieve godhood.
It was all destiny!
“If going to Great Nether Mountain is the only chance to break the curse, then I shall go.” Zhang Ruochen said.
Tian Mu’s tone grew somewhat colder, admonishing, “Do you know what sort of place Great Nether Mountain is? Since ancient times, countless heaven-grade figures have gone there and never returned. With your cultivation, you would die on the road long before arriving.”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze was profound and restrained, without fear or desire to retreat. He said, “If I cannot step into the divine realm, there are many things I cannot accomplish, I will fail many people’s expectations, and I will draw the revenge of past powerful enemies. In that case, what difference is there from death?”
Tian Mu paced forward, walking dozens of steps before suddenly saying, “You and I share some faint connection. I can grant you a divine decree. After leaving the Abyss of Darkness, simply unfurl it, and the gods of Heavenly Court and Hell will naturally receive my will. At that time, no one will trouble you again.”
This was not mere protection; it was a decree.
Such boldness, such will, was like Hao Tian to the Heavenly Court, Emperor Luo Yan to the Rakshasa clan, or the Fallen God Island Master to the Kunlun Realm. But her will targeted all the divine spirits of both Heavenly Court and Hell.
Zhang Ruochen believed Tian Mu possessed such strength.
After all, no divine spirit in the Hell Realm wished to provoke her. If the Heavenly Court learned she still lived, they too would surely not wish to draw her back into the world; that would only add frost to snow.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Does Tian Mu hope I live an ordinary life, no longer pursuing the great path?”
“Struck by the Dao Severing Curse, that is your only choice.” Tian Mu said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled self-mockingly yet firmly. “And if I wish to strive once more?”
“To strive means you may die.” Tian Mu said.
“People must die in the end.”
Zhang Ruochen added, “In truth, I once thought of no longer pursuing the divine path, no longer involving myself in worldly strife, only wishing to spend a leisurely life with the one I love and my companions, joyful and at ease. But I realised this is all a luxury. When heaven and earth overturn, the entire universe becomes a battlefield; where is there room for leisure?”
“Without powerful cultivation, one lacks even the right to choose. How to protect oneself, how to protect those beside one, how to live joyfully and at ease?”
“I must cultivate, must grow strong, must become stronger than all others.”
Tian Mu said, “Very well! Since you refuse my goodwill, then the trials and slaughters ahead must be faced by you alone. The divine decree is now impossible.”
With those words, Tian Mu walked forward and onward.
Gu She Huan stamped her foot in frustration and grumbled, “He is already almost without a foothold in the Hell Realm; why be so stubborn about face? With the old ancestor’s one divine decree, even the Temple of Destiny and Dark Temple would no longer target you. Even if you must save face, should you not secure the decree first?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “With the divine decree in hand, can the Nether Hall lift the curse?”
“The Nether Hall may not even have the power to lift the curse! Besides, does the Nether Hall have no face? You must understand: intimidating them with the decree not to act is entirely different from commanding them to follow Tian Mu’s will.” Gu She Huan said.
From afar, Tian Mu’s voice came: “Indeed, no one in the world can break the Dao Severing Curse. But if the Dao Severing Curse cannot sever you, have you not already achieved godhood?”
Gu She Huan said, “But he only achieved godhood in mental power.”
“To achieve godhood in mental power means one can achieve godhood in martial arts, so long as your will is strong enough. Of course, if you can cultivate to absolute corporeal Dao transformation, you can mobilise more power to resist the Dao Severing Curse. In that, I can indeed assist you!”
Zhang Ruochen understood at once: Tian Mu had been testing him earlier, probing his resolve.
If he had not been firm enough, let alone aiding his cultivation of absolute corporeal Dao transformation, even the divine decree would not have been granted.
For an existence of Tian Mu’s level, those she deemed worthy would receive her full aid. Those unworthy, she would not spare a second glance.
The so-called “supreme realm” referred to a cultivator’s body and saintly Dao rules merging, forging a supreme physical form.
One saintly Dao rule fused with one corporeal particle.
A person consisted of roughly sixty trillion particles, some perhaps fifty-five trillion or fewer, others sixty-five trillion or more.
Absolute corporeal Dao transformation meant every particle in the body fused with a saintly Dao rule: the most ideal state of the supreme realm, yet an impossible one to attain.
Thus, absolute corporeal Dao transformation lacked an absolute number of saintly Dao rules.
But once achieved, the body’s strength could even surpass a lower true god’s divine form.
With such a body, coupled with firm mental will to face the tribulation, even under the Dao Severing Curse, there was a chance to pass the divine tribulation.
Zhang Ruochen was already very close to absolute corporeal Dao transformation, but multiple attempts had ended in failure.
Among the three great demonic sources, the Demon Ancestor lineage was renowned through the ages for cultivating demonic body and flesh.
If there was only one person in the current world who could aid Zhang Ruochen in reaching absolute corporeal Dao transformation, that person could only be Tian Mu.
Sadly, after leaving that remark, Tian Mu vanished, without saying how she would assist Zhang Ruochen in cultivating absolute corporeal Dao transformation.
They waited half a day.
Zhang Ruochen finally could not hold back and asked, “Where has Senior Tian Mu gone?”
Gu She Huan shook her head. “I only arrived shortly ago myself; who knows if this old ancestor has already forgotten to help you?”
Then, gazing at the seventy-two demon god stone pillars, she clenched her粉拳 and guessed, “Do you think the old ancestor wants you to comprehend it yourself? She once told me these seventy-two demon god stone pillars are no trifles and bade me study their mysteries. Perhaps the secret to cultivating absolute corporeal Dao transformation lies within them.”
“Is that so? Why do I feel you want me to help you comprehend them?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Suddenly, Gu She Huan’s face chilled, and she gave a cold hum. “My aptitude is no less than yours; why would I need your help?”
With those words, she flicked her sleeve and left, sitting cross-legged beneath one demon god stone pillar, ignoring Zhang Ruochen no further.
Zhang Ruochen paused for a moment, then muttered to himself, “How did she suddenly change people again?”
…
Beneath the Witch Hall, Yan Wushen’s height reached nine zhang six chi, golden light radiant, divine might surging to the heavens, circles of divine power rolling like waves beneath his feet.
“Boom!”
He struck out with one fist, sending Wu Jiang in the Dark Domain Tianluo flying with divine blood spewing from his mouth, chest caved in, most of his divine bones shattered, hurtling sideways.
The plight and humiliation suffered by the six Yanluo clan divine spirits had thoroughly enraged Yan Wushen. No longer dwelling on cultivating absolute corporeal Dao transformation, he broke through the realm heedlessly and stepped into the divine realm.
“You all must die!”
Though Yan Wushen manifested a Buddhist golden body, his eyes were blood-red like a netherworld asura, his voice low and hoarse.
Gui Si struck from ambush, launching a silver shuttle-shaped war weapon.
With his upper god cultivation, this blow was extraordinary in both speed and power. The shuttle-shaped weapon flew, igniting the air, its sound like thunderous divine roar.
Yan Wushen reached out and grasped, catching the incoming shuttle-shaped weapon in his hand, glaring furiously at Gui Si.
“Bang!”
The shuttle-shaped weapon, at the level of a six-yuan monarch saint artifact, was crushed to bits in Yan Wushen’s single hand. The metal fragments ignited, melting into golden liquid droplets.
“How is this possible?”
Gui Si’s eyes filled with utter disbelief.
…
Note one: It is Tian Mu (mother), not Tian Lao (old).
Note two: The seventy-two pillar demon gods are not original, sourced from the demonology text “The Key of Solomon”, Solomon’s seventy-two pillar demon gods.
Note three: The three great demonic sources: Demon Ancestor, Great Demon God, Heavenly Demon. Chapter 2460 “Demonic Source” mentioned it; the three great demonic sources differ from one another.
