Chapter 402: Cause and Effect Killing Move

Inside Meng Chuan's sea of consciousness was a massive star, his Essence Soul.

After nearly a month of receiving the Canghai Sect's teachings, he had diligently studied and practiced the "Essence Soul Star" technique. This was the highest inheritance he had obtained; Elder Fei Yu was an eighth-tribulation Essence Soul, and this legacy was even restricted by the rules of the River of Spacetime. While Ancestor Cangyuan's legacy was reputed as the human race's foremost inheritance, comprehensive in all aspects, it wasn't subject to the River of Spacetime's restrictions. Furthermore, given Meng Chuan's top ranking in Essence Soul talent and potential at the 'Heart Sea Palace,' he naturally devoted considerable effort to this area.

He had now partially cultivated the second diagram of "Essence Soul Star," making the massive star appear even more substantial.

This inheritance wasn't particularly strong in terms of offense; in its early stages, it didn't even match some fifth or sixth-tribulation Essence Soul secret arts. Meng Chuan also concurrently practiced the "Demon Cone Forbidden Art."

Its strength lay in two aspects.

First, the Essence Soul could cultivate independently, a growing advantage over time, though it offered little help to Meng Chuan in the early stages.

Second, its stable defensive capabilities. After cultivation, the Essence Soul became extremely stable, providing more than tenfold defense.

These two points alone were enough to make it superior across the endless River of Spacetime.

"Boom."

Meng Chuan's Essence Soul star was hit by a mysterious attack, attempting to disintegrate and destroy his Essence Soul from within.

This destructive force caused Meng Chuan's consciousness to buzz, but the Essence Soul star continued to rotate slowly, naturally crushing the internal destructive power.

"Hmm?" Meng Chuan instantly regained clarity; his Essence Soul was completely unharmed.

"My physical body."

Meng Chuan also sensed a mysterious destructive force ravaging his physical body from within.

However, Meng Chuan's physical body was monstrously powerful! His Undifferentiated Realm body was arguably among the most formidable at the King-level Divine Demon tier in the entire River of Spacetime, even stronger than those of Creation Realm human bodies. Although this mysterious destructive force was sinister and terrifying, it only caused cracks in many of his internal organs, muscles, and bones. It looked bloody, but in reality, his body hadn't truly shattered.

Even if it did shatter, as long as the 'particle space' wasn't destroyed, an Undifferentiated Realm body was effectively immortal.

"Heal!" Meng Chuan thought.

He accelerated his body's recovery, resisting the internal destructive force.

The destructive force was like water without a source; as it dwindled, Meng Chuan's body rapidly recovered.

"Bang." The door to the quiet room was directly smashed open, and Liu Qiyue, holding a bow and arrow, rushed in, her face filled with worry: "A'Chuan."

Having just suffered an attack that blurred his consciousness, Meng Chuan naturally couldn't perfectly conceal his aura.

The collision between his body's self-resistance and the curse power caused his aura to leak, alarming Liu Qiyue.

"It should be a karmic strike," Meng Chuan said, as the blood on his body vanished and his clothes became clean again.

Given the circumstances, he could only think of a 'karmic strike' as the sole possibility. His Undifferentiated Domain, Thunder Magnetic Wave Domain, and various other abilities detected nothing, and the attack was so bizarre that he still couldn't locate the perpetrator. It seemed like a move descending from nothingness, and with Meng Chuan's knowledge, he could only attribute it to a 'karmic technique.'

In the Demon Realm.

Emperor Xinghe knelt before a black disk, prostrating nine times, writing out a complete curse incantation, and unleashing a terrifying curse. This entire process cost him a full century of his lifespan.

"Did it succeed?" Empress Xuanyue and Peng Huang stood by, watching nervously. If it succeeded, things would naturally proceed most smoothly.

"Hmm?"

Emperor Xinghe's face instantly turned red.

A terrifying force, following the karmic link, rebounded into his body.

"Pfft." A mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth as the terrifying backlash ravaged his body.

Curses were double-edged swords.

If the enemy was successfully cursed, that was ideal.

But if it failed... the caster would suffer a backlash.

"Impossible." Emperor Xinghe felt the backlash destroying his body and Essence Soul, yet he remained calm. No matter how severe the injuries, he was in the Demon Realm's lair and could slowly recover.

But a failed curse?

"My curse targeted both the Essence Soul and the physical body simultaneously. How could it fail?"

"Even a fifth-level Essence Soul would need an extremely strong will to withstand it. Even if they did, their Essence Soul should be severely damaged, and their power greatly diminished."

"Human Divine Demons generally have weaker bodies, far weaker than our demon race. The bodies of King-level Divine Demons absolutely couldn't withstand such a curse. Only a Creation Realm venerable's body might stand a chance."

"If the Essence Soul couldn't withstand it, death was certain."

"If the Essence Soul withstood it, but the physical body collapsed and was annihilated, the Essence Soul, without its foundation, would become much weaker and would surely be annihilated by the curse as well," Emperor Xinghe mused. "My curse targets both aspects; how could it possibly fail?"

Logically, every cultivation path had its weaknesses.

It was extremely difficult to have no weaknesses in both skill realm and Essence Soul. Emperor Xinghe's curse, cast from across a world and costing him a century of his lifespan, was something few King-level Divine Demons of the human race could withstand.

However...

Meng Chuan precisely had no weaknesses!

Meng Chuan's Essence Soul talent was exceptional, and he had the "Essence Soul Star" inheritance from an eighth-tribulation Essence Soul, making his Essence Soul terrifyingly stable. Only his consciousness blurred for an instant when the curse struck; his Essence Soul itself was completely unharmed.

He also cultivated the Starry Sky lineage's inheritance, making his 'Undifferentiated Realm' body far more formidable than even the Fifth-tier Demon Kings of the demon race.

His body and Essence Soul were both exceptionally powerful!

"How was it?" Empress Xuanyue and Peng Huang both approached, asking.

"It failed," Emperor Xinghe said, shaking his head. "His body and Essence Soul are both very strong. I even suspect this Meng Chuan might be a Creation Realm venerable who reincarnated through body snatching. How could someone so young be without any flaws?"

"It failed?" Empress Xuanyue and Peng Huang exchanged glances.

"Proceed with the assassination plan," Empress Xuanyue stated directly.

Peng Huang nodded slightly and vanished into thin air.

Emperor Xinghe's face was pale, and he sank weakly to the ground, sighing, "Even cursing a King-level Divine Demon failed. The final assassination plan must succeed, or we'll be in serious trouble."

"It will succeed," Empress Xuanyue said, her expression turning cold.

In the quiet room.

The quiet room's door was already shattered. Liu Qiyue quickly said, "A'Chuan, you've been hit by a karmic attack; you must immediately report this to Yuanchu Mountain."

"I've already requested aid," Meng Chuan calmly replied. "I've looked into intelligence on Demon Saints. 'Karmic attacks' are extremely difficult even for them. Among the many Demon Saints in the Demon Realm, only 'Thousand Worm Demon Saint' has extremely high attainments in karmic arts. Other Demon Saints are quite ordinary. Could it be that Thousand Worm Demon Saint has come to the human world and recovered to Demon Saint strength?"

The curse's power was so strong.

If Thousand Worm Demon Saint had only recovered to a Fifth-tier Demon King, such a curse would merely tickle Meng Chuan, posing no threat at all.

"It should take a long time to recover to Demon Saint level," Liu Qiyue said. "And currently, there's no news of Thousand Worm Demon Saint arriving in the human world."

"Apart from Thousand Worm Demon Saint, there are only the three Demon Emperors," Meng Chuan stated.

Those at the Emperor level generally understood karmic attacks.

"One of the Demon Emperors, from across a world, launched a karmic attack on me?" Meng Chuan murmured. "This is the most likely possibility. It seems the demon race is truly desperate because of me."

"Their attack on you means your identity has been exposed, A'Chuan," Liu Qiyue said worriedly. "The demon race might also know your location. Shouldn't you take cover?"

"Let's discuss what to do when the Yuanchu Mountain venerable arrives," Meng Chuan replied. "I can't leave now. If I flee and the demon race truly attacks... how would you and the over twenty million people in Jiangzhou City resist them?"

Liu Qiyue looked at her husband.

"Don't worry," Meng Chuan said. "In a direct fight, none of the Demon Kings in the human world, including Nine Abysses Demon Saint, can make me fear them."

"Hmm?"

Both Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue sensed a terrifying fluctuation appearing above Jiangzhou City.