Chapter 1676: Sad! Pitiful!

The Witch Clan mark was burning on his hand. Qin Sang's main body was rushing through the mountains, following the sensation, occasionally looking up at the sky.

Although True Immortal Zilei had deliberately flown out of Emperor's Mountain to distance himself from the crowd, the pressure of the heavenly tribulation could still be clearly felt from Emperor's Mountain.

"Yin Fire..."

With the Celestial Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang's vision was clearer. When the invisible Yin Fire rose, the void near the tribulation clouds twisted. Qin Sang even had the illusion of being consumed by flames, instinctively wanting to suppress his aura.

He wanted to stay and carefully observe True Immortal Zilei's tribulation process, but he knew this was not the time. Once True Immortal Zilei successfully passed his tribulation, new complications would arise. Once the Daoist sect fully controlled the ancient dwelling, it would be difficult to leave.

Using his Celestial Eye ability, Qin Sang faintly saw the figure at the center of the tribulation clouds. Although he couldn't clearly discern True Immortal Zilei's expression, he inexplicably felt a powerful sense of confidence. Even with the Three Calamities upon him, he still stood tall and unyielding. Instead of hoping for True Immortal Zilei's tribulation to fail, it was better to find a retreat first.

The barrier was broken, and the wind array was suppressed, but the pervasive wind blight that affected almost the entire mountain had not fully subsided. Wind gusts were everywhere, and with the array restrictions previously activated by the wind blight's impact, Emperor's Mountain remained full of dangers. Qin Sang took a winding path to avoid them.

As he moved, the location indicated by the mark became increasingly clear. Gradually, Qin Sang was surprised to find that the Nascent Soul cultivator's remains seemed not to be on the mountain, but inside it.

Rumble...Boom!

Accompanied by deafening roars, Emperor's Mountain experienced an even stronger tremor, making people wonder if it would collapse.

Qin Sang paused slightly, his expression grave. He looked down at the rocks beneath his feet, then his gaze was drawn to the violently changing clouds.

At this moment, the severely damaged barrier of Emperor's Mountain was merely a superficial manifestation of the seal's instability. As time passed, the Five Elements Divine Restriction, the core of the seal, finally triggered new anomalies. The earth shook and mountains swayed.

The five-colored clouds surrounding Emperor's Mountain now emitted dazzling rays, momentarily seeming to echo the tribulation clouds above, creating a strange beauty.

Qin Sang didn't find the clouds beautiful at all. This sight indicated the instability of the Five Elements Divine Restriction, even their mutual compression and impact. If this continued, the resulting aftermath would be even more dangerous than the divine restrictions themselves.

The changes in the seal would not stop because of Qin Sang's will; instead, they intensified.

Whoosh!

The clouds rose, or rather, expanded outwards, destroying large areas of buildings in their path, leaving Emperor's Mountain in ruins.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Accompanied by a series of loud bangs, five-colored light beams shot into the sky from multiple points on Emperor's Mountain, directly out of the mountain. Their source was clearly within the mountain's belly, erupting from various caves.

Qin Sang's figure flickered repeatedly, finally stopping beside one of the caves.

The cave was filled with luminous mist. The dazzling light mist dyed the cave in various colors, pouring out from its interior. A rumbling sound could be heard from inside, indicating its unknown depth. He could feel that the fluctuations emitted by the mist were of the same origin as the Five Elements Divine Restriction.

Qin Sang used his Celestial Eye ability, unable to see the true interior of the cave, but he made a new discovery: various profound runes were carved on the cave's stone walls.

The mark indicated that the Nascent Soul cultivator's remains were deep within the light mist. The more critical the moment, the less he could act rashly. Qin Sang swiftly scanned all the runes, pondered for a moment, and deciphered some clues. These runes formed a kind of restriction, designed to guide the power of the Five Elements Divine Restriction into the mountain's core, seemingly forming...

A seal!

Qin Sang's gaze narrowed slightly. Was that Witch Clan Nascent Soul cultivator treated as an enemy by the Boundless Immortal Sect and sealed within Emperor's Mountain? The fact that it could now be sensed was due to the seal's instability, which had created a flaw. That Witch Clan Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't possibly be alive now, but Qin Sang, recalling his past experiences, the cause of the Boundless Immortal Sect's downfall, the sudden changes on the mountain, and True Immortal Zilei's impromptu tribulation, couldn't help but overthink.

Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then, with increased caution, flickered and entered the cave.

Upon entering the cave, he immediately felt resistance. Qin Sang promptly activated his protective aura shield and wielded his Golden Sinking Sword, cutting out streaks of sword qi to clear a path.

The cave was much deeper than anticipated. The further he went, the more complex and clearer the patterns of the restrictions on the cave walls became, corroborating Qin Sang's earlier judgment.

Enduring immense pressure, Qin Sang finally reached the bottom of the cave. As expected, he saw the convergence of the Five Elements Divine Restriction's power.

The mountain's interior was hollow. Qin Sang, bathed in the five-colored mist, could only see endless clouds, his perception restricted.

Solar Flare Sky Fire, Nine Earth Magnetic Divine Light, Seven Constellations Sword Array, and two other divine restrictions Qin Sang had not encountered before, all converged within the mountain's core, collectively forming the seal.

He didn't know how vast the mountain's interior was. It seemed there was a giant disk formed of clouds, into which the power of the Five Elements Divine Restriction converged and continuously rotated. Qin Sang had not yet entered the core of the seal. The Five Elements Divine Restriction had not fully merged; it was clear that the outer perimeter of the cloud disk remained distinct, yet a trend of fusion was apparent.

Seeing this, Qin Sang marveled, truly wondering how the Boundless Immortal Sect managed to perfectly merge these utterly distinct powers.

He had no interest in delving deeper. Immersing his mind in the mark, he finally sensed a clear direction: the Nascent Soul cultivator's remains were indeed inside the cloud disk, but not at its center. This indicated that the Witch Clan Nascent Soul cultivator was not the primary target of the seal. Qin Sang felt a slight relief. Something had clearly gone wrong with the seal's core. Fortunately, the Nascent Soul cultivator's remains were not there; otherwise, he would have to seriously reconsider.

However, the cloud disk was not easy to traverse. The power of the Five Elements Divine Restriction reached its peak here, even stronger than outside.

Qin Sang's gaze locked onto the area of the Metal Element Divine Restriction. He flipped his hand and took out an item: the small golden sword he had previously acquired. After obtaining this sword, Qin Sang realized its function was similar to a jade slip. He fumbled to break the restrictions on the sword, but with continuous changes occurring, he hadn't had time to examine it closely.

The golden sword contained records of several sword arrays, most of which were incomplete, but their origins were clearly extraordinary. That female cultivator was evidently highly skilled in this path, comprehending these sword arrays to verify her own understanding. The most crucial among them was precisely the "Seven Constellations Sword Array"!

While Qin Sang was naturally pleased to obtain this sword array, he didn't think it would offer much help within the Boundless Immortal Sect. It was impossible to fully comprehend it in such a short time, and the Five Elements Divine Restriction had limited scope, making it unusable. At most, it would make descending the mountain smoother. Unexpectedly, he was using it now.

Qin Sang immersed his mind into the golden sword. The sword array's patterns projected into his mind. Though he couldn't directly comprehend it fully, a simple understanding of its operational principles would greatly ease his subsequent actions.

When the Metal Element Divine Restriction's area rotated into position, Qin Sang leaped forward. The familiar scene returned: he was surrounded by sword stars, yet there was a difference. It was as if the outside Western Seven Constellations celestial domain had been projected into this confined area, with the sword stars denser, leading to new variables. He could distinctly feel the omnipresent sharpness of the sword intent. His experience breaking arrays outside could also be applied here, but it would take some effort. Qin Sang didn't need such trouble; he quickly sorted out the sword array's structure.

After traveling through the cloud disk for an unknown duration, Qin Sang finally entered the inner layer of the seal, perceiving that the Nascent Soul cultivator's remains were also rotating and drifting with the giant disk.

He activated his Fiery Aura Shield, forced his way in, and finally arrived. It was a black stone house floating within the seal.

"Strange, the innermost layer is actually a Witch Clan restriction." Qin Sang reached out to touch the stone house door, feeling somewhat surprised.

Tribulation thunder rolled. Thunder echoed throughout the Boundless Immortal Sect.

Countless people looked up in horror at the center of the tribulation clouds, until the heavenly thunder reached its peak and began to wane, its might diminishing. They suddenly realized: the Three Calamities were about to end!

"The figure is still there!""He passed the Three Calamities so quickly!""There's still the Inner Demon Tribulation..."

A commotion broke out within the ancient dwelling.

The survivors of the Boundless Immortal Sect felt the most complex emotions. News from the cultivators at the forefront indicated that the person undergoing tribulation was suspected to be True Immortal Zilei, the Master of Eight Scenery Temple. With another Nascent Soul cultivator emerging from the Daoist sect, what would become of them?

They had just been immersed in the joy of opening the Boundless Immortal Sect's ancient dwelling, but unexpectedly, upon entering, they witnessed such a scene, instantly plunging them into despair. To this day, there was still no news of their own masters, including Zhu Wudao. Panic spread among their ranks.

Meanwhile, the Daoist sect's morale soared.

A valley located between Emperor's Mountain and Golden Aspect Hall. Only the old nun from Concealing Moon Convent and a female lay practitioner were here; the other nuns had entered Golden Aspect Hall. They looked up at the sky, a posture they had maintained for an unknown duration.

Until they saw the tribulation thunder begin to wane.

The old nun's expression subtly changed. "Has Liuli not returned yet?"

The female lay practitioner said with a heavy tone, "Junior Sister Liuli went to search for the immortal palace passages and explore those areas. We don't know if she's found them. However, Convent Master, you needn't worry. Junior Sister Liuli embraced cultivation midway through life, and her Dao foundation is different from ours. She has no connection to the Boundless Immortal Sect, so the Daoist sect shouldn't target her."

As she spoke, the female lay practitioner glanced towards Golden Aspect Hall. "I've already asked Junior Sister Shan to gather the other junior sisters. I didn't expect True Immortal Zilei to dare attempt a Nascent Soul breakthrough here. If other factions don't dare to contend with the Daoist sect, we'll have no choice but to reluctantly withdraw. I wonder what kind of gains our junior sisters had in Golden Aspect Hall, and if they obtained the true inheritance of the Golden Aspect lineage."

Such a variable was unforeseeable by anyone.

The old nun nodded. "Let's also retreat a bit and wait for Liuli."

"Alright."

As they spoke, the tribulation thunder rapidly weakened, and the tribulation clouds contracted. A figure could be faintly seen hovering high in the sky, having indeed successfully passed the Three Calamities!

Whoosh!

True Immortal Zilei's retinue transformed back into three streaks of purple lightning, reuniting with his Imperial Crown and returning.

True Immortal Zilei sat cross-legged in mid-air, eyes tightly shut. Although his aura was chaotic at this moment, it was distinctly stronger than before. During the process of enduring the Three Calamities, he gradually approached the Great Dao, flashes of inspiration frequently appearing, and his comprehension of the Dao deepened.

Without time to sort through these insights, True Immortal Zilei stood ready, awaiting the final Inner Demon Tribulation. How could he have known that as his cultivation level ascended, the Demonic Sound of the Heavenly Dao awaited him!

Suddenly, an extremely piercing shriek, like a sharp knife, stabbed into True Immortal Zilei's primordial spirit. It was as if someone was constantly letting out frenzied shrieks and roars beside his ear, seemingly accompanied by eerie whispers, but none of these were true sounds. Instead, they were demonic sounds pouring directly into his mind, echoing in his heart, causing a terrifying impact on his spirit.

True Immortal Zilei's mind was struck as if by a heavy hammer. Caught off guard, he instantly spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered across the sky.

The entire place was filled with shock!

At this moment, True Immortal Zilei suddenly realized something. The path to the immortal palace was broken. Nascent Soul cultivators vanished without a trace.

So...It was the Demonic Sound of the Heavenly Dao!

True Immortal Zilei's face turned ashen, but he immediately fell into an endless illusion. The Inner Demon Tribulation had arrived!

"Ah!"

A bloodcurdling roar suddenly echoed from high in the sky.

Qin Sang's main body, who was breaking the stone house's seal, looked up.

The old nun stopped retreating.

All onlookers were stunned by the roar, gazing blankly at the sky. They saw bloodstains, a torn thunder robe, and a fallen imperial crown. And the person spitting blood!

Boom!

The Eight Scenery Palace Lamp erupted with a hundred-zhang-tall pillar of fire. Its wick instantly burned out, overdrawing all its power. This was practically equivalent to self-detonating a vital magical artifact.

True Immortal Zilei's hair was disheveled, his body covered in blood, and he looked like a madman. His eyes were a mixture of confusion and madness, with all seven emotions and six desires appearing in turn, thoroughly infected by the Inner Demon Tribulation and the Demonic Sound of the Heavenly Dao.

Before completely succumbing, a trace of clarity forcibly struggled forth in his eyes. The moment he was struck by the Demonic Sound of the Heavenly Dao, True Immortal Zilei knew he couldn't pass this tribulation.

But he couldn't simply succumb. There was no time for self-pity, no time to curse the heavens, and no time to entertain thoughts of regret or sorrow. He had to warn his junior brothers. He had to warn the younger generation of the Daoist sect.

Not to break through blindly and follow in his footsteps!

He didn't hesitate to destroy his vital magical artifact, using the shock brought by the pain to gain just a fleeting moment, only to desperately send out this message.

"Beware the Heavenly Dao..."

True Immortal Zilei managed to utter some words, but he was blocked by another invisible force—a very familiar force: it was... the Buddhist sect!

True Immortal Zilei's eyes were bloodshot with fury!

A sigh was heard.

"Fellow Daoist Danyun has ascended to the upper realms with the immortal palace, and the Heavenly Dao has changed as a result... This poor monk will give Eight Scenery Temple an explanation."

The speaker was precisely Saint Huiguang, who had just arrived. He remained hidden within a formation of spiritual swords, not revealing himself. With his palms pressed together, his expression was compassionate, and his eyes showed regret.

A hoarse gasp.

True Immortal Zilei wanted to say more, but the Heavenly Dao would not allow it. In his final moments, True Immortal Zilei saw his Junior Brother Hegao flying out of Emperor's Mountain, rushing over with an anxious expression, seemingly calling out—"Senior Brother."

Then his consciousness completely succumbed.

Everyone stared blankly at the sky, watching the Daoist True Immortal who commanded thunder and had successively passed the Three Calamities. His posture was grotesque, his features twisted, and he had fallen into madness, at times shrieking, at times laughing wildly, at times roaring, his aura rapidly dwindling.

The same thought arose in everyone's minds. How could this be! The Xuanmen (Mystic Dao) was no less skilled than the Buddhist sect in refining the mind, and Eight Scenery Temple could certainly not lack secret arts for tempering one's state of mind. The Master of Eight Scenery Temple, the head of the Xuanmen, with a flawed Dao Heart—it was simply preposterous!

Yet, the truth was before them, and they had no choice but to believe. On this day, a great change occurred in the Southern Barrens: True Immortal Zilei perished in the Inner Demon Tribulation! The entire ancient dwelling fell silent.

There was sorrow, regret, fear, joy, schadenfreude, and empathy...

Everyone recalled the major events that had occurred in the Central Plains over the years, and could only seek the cause here. It was widely rumored that something had happened to the Nascent Soul cultivators in the Central Plains; now it could be confirmed. Otherwise, why would True Immortal Zilei have been so hasty, attempting the tribulation with an unstable mind?

Someone sighed. "Too rushed! Tragic! Lamentable!"