Chapter 988: All Go to My Domain to Feed the Fish

With a whoosh, the surrounding water was pushed aside by his water ability.

Xie Kongtong had finally escaped the electrocuted state, but his mind was still grumbling.

It was definitely intentional!

Senior Water Ghost was full of mischief. He had merely said a few words to him, and then he made him endure three consecutive aftershocks of the lightning tribulation! It was outrageously unfair!

However, with urgent matters at hand, Xie Kongtong couldn't be bothered to quibble and changed the subject:

"Senior, if there are no surprises, the person undergoing the Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulation should be directly above us. We can't stay here any longer. If he truly intends to pass all nine tribulations in one go, what we've just experienced were merely appetizers. Once the climax arrives, even your water abilities will likely be completely suppressed."

Directly above us, then...

Xu Xiaoshou looked up but couldn't see the figure of the person undergoing the tribulation. His thoughts momentarily drifted.

If it's diagonally above, then Shouye should be in that position.

Is he dead now, planning to undergo the tribulation, or is he currently undergoing it?

Regardless, this first person to attempt the tribulation, whether successful or not, will likely bring hope to many Dao Slayers.

—Rather than dying in agony, it's better to fight for a chance!

Xu Xiaoshou collected his thoughts and stopped pondering.

At the center of the lightning tribulation, even if it truly was Shouye, he couldn't go back to offer any support at this moment.

Because the Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulation concerns only the individual; any outsider attempting to help would be targeted as a primary focus by the tribulation.

Xu Xiaoshou was merely a Grandmaster; how could he dare to suffer such an ordeal?

"Head diagonally downwards! Finding someone isn't the priority now. It's likely there will be other lightning tribulations soon. If we encounter one, we must immediately avoid it and not be affected."

As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, he swiftly moved, dashing diagonally downwards.

"Senior's words are wise!"

Xie Kongtong nodded in agreement, quickly followed, and asked with doubt, "But why did you drag so many people down here? If you have control over the Law-Forbidden Barrier, you could have actively opened it to weaken the power of the Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulation to its extreme."

The problem is, I'm not the true Water Ghost; I don't control the Law-Forbidden Barrier... Xu Xiaoshou retorted silently.

However, Xie Kongtong's words also sparked a thought.

That's right!

The true Water Ghost dragged so many people into the water, including so many Dao Slayers. With his intelligence, wouldn't he have considered that some might attempt tribulation deep beneath the sea?

The answer must be yes!

So, why would the Water Ghost still do this? What's his motive?

Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts immediately turned to the water spheres.

Beneath the deep sea, every water sphere encasing a spirit cultivator both ensured everyone's life and continuously drew out their spiritual essence.

And what his 'Perception' had previously observed was that the spiritual essence drawn from the water spheres of every spirit cultivator who hadn't yet died converged into a line, connecting to an unknown point at the bottom of the deep sea.

"Drawing out spiritual essence?"

"To obtain this 'energy'?"

Xu Xiaoshou vaguely reached this conclusion and suddenly realized.

If the Water Ghost truly sought energy, what energy in the deep sea could be stronger than spiritual essence?

The power of lightning tribulation!

And because of the Law-Forbidden Barrier, any Dao Slayer wishing to undergo tribulation would inevitably need to pass all nine Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulations in one go.

This was like providing help in dire need, instantly pouring a large amount of energy into that unknown location at the bottom of the deep sea!

Rumble—

As he pondered, another thunderous roar erupted nearby, accompanied by the surging of nine-colored lightning, which vanished in an instant.

Xu Xiaoshou's 'Perception' fully opened, immediately capturing the final destination of this tribulation power. He finally discovered that the tribulation power transmitted to the surroundings was already residual energy.

Every time a lightning tribulation struck from the heavens, as soon as it entered the deep sea, ninety percent of its power was siphoned off, transformed into pure spiritual essence, and injected into that unknown place below.

These very obvious spiritual essence transmission lines were completely invisible to spirit cultivators once they lost their spiritual sense, but Xu Xiaoshou's 'Perception' could easily detect them.

"He's truly stealing the power of the lightning tribulation! The Water Ghost wants all forms of energy. This is the fundamental reason he's cultivated so many Dao Lords, Dao Slayers, and Supreme Voids. He wants these people to continuously transmit energy to the bottom of the deep sea, and Dao Slayers breaking through before death suits him even more. Because this way, he can extract even more! It's terrifying!"

Xu Xiaoshou secretly clicked his tongue, startled by the Water Ghost's grand scheme.

He had initially thought the Water Ghost's act of siphoning everyone's spiritual essence with water spheres was already utterly excessive, but he hadn't imagined this fellow had no bottom line whatsoever.

He even wanted to fleece the power of the Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulation!

Yet, it seemed every scenario unfolding beneath the deep sea had been anticipated by him.

Xu Xiaoshou had witnessed plenty of 'scheming' from various powerful figures, and he was tired of complaining about it.

However, the Water Ghost used the seemingly inconceivable method of stealing tribulation power as if it were commonplace.

Compared to this, the human lives and the agony between life and death involved seemed like mere dust in that person's eyes, utterly insignificant.

—He truly was a ruthless grand schemer!

Xu Xiaoshou exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself. He then adopted the Water Ghost's disdainful tone toward life and replied, "If this Seat needed to suppress the Dao Slayers' tribulation power, why would I let them down here? Why not simply kill them directly?"

Xie Kongtong was choked by this answer, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

The water spheres extracting spiritual essence...

Senior Water Ghost didn't deliberately suppress the power of the lightning tribulation...

From these observations, it was clear that Senior Water Ghost had anticipated everything!

So, in his eyes, even the power of these lightning tribulations could be utilized?

For what purpose?

Xie Kongtong couldn't hold back his question. Thinking their relationship was now quite good, he asked, "Senior, what exactly do you want to achieve?"

I also want to know the answer to that question... Xu Xiaoshou turned his head expressionlessly and said indifferently, "Don't ask what you shouldn't."

"Uh!" Xie Kongtong was immediately stunned.

Just a moment ago, they were discussing everything freely, but in the blink of an eye, he became so cold?

Hmph! Such an unpredictable man!

Rumble!

Lightning struck from the heavens, piercing through the deep sea.

The moment the Law-Forbidden Barrier was activated, it directly struck Shouye.

Pfft...

Within the deep sea, a crimson mist diffused.

Shouye was on his last breath, struggling to breathe, relying on the faint sliver of restorative power mercifully granted by the Heavenly Dao after the lightning tribulation.

"Crimson Rule Divine Lightning, Orange Sky Divine Lightning, Golden Roar Divine Lightning... Indeed, only by fully activating the Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulation, undergoing all nine tribulations simultaneously, can one barely break through the Law-Forbidden Barrier's suppression and linger between life and death..."

Shouye's cracked and broken body hung crookedly, as if every part of him no longer belonged to himself.

The comforting fact was that after fully mobilizing the tribulation's power, he could slightly draw upon a trace of spiritual essence from his qi sea within the Law-Forbidden Barrier.

This was a gift from the lightning tribulation, not punishing those unable to resist.

But the cruel reality was that after the water spheres' frenzied extraction, Shouye's qi sea was now utterly depleted.

Each time he withstood a lightning tribulation, he did so at the cost of his lifespan, stimulating his own potential to squeeze out even a tiny bit of spiritual essence for use.

Shouye's face showed self-mockery, helplessness, and an unconcealable agony.

"Each of the Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulations has 108 bolts. An ordinary Dao Slayer undergoing tribulation, even if they survive these 108 bolts, would be severely wounded if not dead. As time progresses and the tribulation's level increases, the power of its calamity inflicts greater damage on Dao Slayers! And I, under the suppression of this deep sea, am in a completely debilitated state, yet I must, in one go, endure 972 bolts of lightning tribulation..."

Shouye heavily closed his eyes.

Up to this point, he had only endured three lightning tribulations, and already he felt his entire body's strength had been emptied.

In this state, how could he possibly withstand the next 969 even more terrifying bolts of lightning tribulation?

"My fate is such... I fear this deep sea truly will be Shouye's burial ground!"

Shouye painfully swallowed another mouthful of seawater, regaining his fading consciousness amidst the paralyzing stabs of pain throughout his muscles and bones, and continued to look up at the sky.

"Damn you, heavens! Bring it on!"

Boom—

As if in response to his wish, another bolt of lightning struck from the heavens.

With a 'bang,' Shouye was blasted downwards again, flesh and blood erupting from his body.

This time, it took him a long time to open his heavy eyelids.

"Heh, heh-heh... I'm still not dead? I truly am creating a miracle. Has any Dao Slayer, no matter how weak, ever been blasted into this ghostly state by the fourth bolt of lightning tribulation?"

The restorative power from the lightning tribulation slightly tightened his almost fractured body. Shouye swallowed, and amidst the numbness, his mind found a glimmer of its usual clarity.

"Something's not right. Logically, if one were to pass all nine Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulations in one go, even the very first bolt of lightning would be stronger than an ordinary one. In my current state, it's impossible to withstand even the first bolt of lightning of such intensity. I should have clearly died long ago, so why am I still alive after the fourth bolt?"

Shouye seemed to have found a turning point, and his mind became active.

"The intensity of this lightning tribulation is wrong; it has been weakened! Although I don't know who is helping me, even this fourth bolt of lightning is several times weaker than the very first bolt of an ordinary Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulation! This is my hope!"

Shouye's eyes suddenly lit up.

He wondered if, with the weakened lightning tribulation, he could use the restorative power granted after each tribulation to endure until the end?

But soon, his eyes dimmed again.

Even if the tribulation was weakened, in his current state, how many more bolts could he withstand?

One bolt he could endure with sheer will...

Ten bolts he could grit his teeth and get through...

A hundred bolts! With a gamble, perhaps he could even protect half his head...

But there were still 968 bolts of lightning tribulation awaiting him! This was simply not something a weakened Dao Slayer could forcefully withstand!

If there truly was such a resilient individual under heaven, they would have long been famous throughout the world!

"Is this me, Shouye?"

Just as his consciousness began to wane again, a bolt of lightning from the heavens descended once more, without warning.

With a boom, Shouye's limbs were torn off and sent flying. His entire body was tossed away like a dead dog, his consciousness instantly plunged into darkness, and the uncontrollable trace of spiritual essence from his qi sea could no longer push away the surrounding water pressure.

Snap!

A powerful, crushing pain came from all directions...

"Live!"

Suddenly, from the depths of his soul, a familiar, shapeless voice burst in.

Startled by the shout, Shouye opened his eyes and immediately drew upon the trace of spiritual essence from his qi sea, granted by the Heavenly Dao, to push away the surrounding water pressure.

The lightning tribulation could be endured for a while with sheer willpower.

But if the deep-sea pressure truly engulfed him, it would give no chance, and he would certainly die on the spot!

"It hurts like hell!"

Having done all this, Shouye looked down, watching the stump of his left arm subtly twitch and grow under the tribulation's restorative power, only for the movement to finally cease due to his depleted qi sea.

He smiled.

"Xu Xiaoshou..."

Shouye raised his head, gazing at the hazy depths of the sea above, silent for a long time.

At this moment, he didn't even know which direction was up, which was down, or where left and right were.

"This old man, I'm afraid I'll soon turn into a spirit in heaven, silently blessing you, hahahaha, cough, cough..." Deep beneath the sea, Shouye laughed until he coughed uncontrollably.

For the first time, he found Xu Xiaoshou's way of speaking so amusing.

At this moment, a dull boom echoed from afar.

Shouye was stunned, his gaze flickering. He immediately sensed that a precursor to tribulation power, alien to this deep sea, had also appeared in that direction.

"A fellow cultivator?"

There were still Dao Slayers in the deep sea. This must mean one of the trial officers had also begun their attempt.

Shouye smiled, as if encouraged. A painful expression stretched across his bloodied face, and then he suddenly darted to the left, heading towards another bolt of lightning tribulation thundering from that direction.

"Good brother, let's die together!"

On Lonely Echo Cliff.

The Water Ghost, wearing a golden beast mask, still held a smile at the corner of his lips as he silently looked up at the five or six tribulation clouds gathered above the Yunlun Mountain Range.

"What a magnificent sight. It's been a long time since I've seen so many Dao Slayers undergoing tribulation simultaneously, and all attempting the Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulation in one go, tsk tsk! Indeed, people never take the greatest risks or gamble on the slimmest possibilities until they face their death limit. What a pity. The path of spirit cultivation, from the very beginning, is destined to confront death in the end. Without the greatest courage to challenge death, how could one take that final step? You don't even have the qualifications to see the truth!"

The Water Ghost's gaze retracted from the tribulation clouds and fell to the space before him.

Before him floated a dozen or so water spheres, each imprisoning a Dao Slayer or Supreme Void.

"Senior, have mercy! If you let me go, I can owe you a favor, and I'll surely repay you in the future..." A muffled voice came from within a water sphere.

Without a word, the Water Ghost flicked his finger, and that water sphere plummeted into the cloud sea below the cliff.

"Mercy!"

Seeing this, the people in the other water spheres panicked.

Below Lonely Echo Cliff, several great Dao Slayers were undergoing tribulation simultaneously, and it was the Nine Deaths Tribulation. Even thinking with their knees, they knew there was a huge problem down there.

Who would want to be thrown down there?

However, the one controlling the situation here was the man sitting on a large rock, holding a great halberd, and standing on a water-attribute profound-meaning formation diagram.

The Dao Slayers and Supreme Voids present had only heard rumors that a spirit cultivator's profound-meaning power allowed them to easily fight above their rank even within the three King stages.

Everyone was half-skeptical.

But now, having personally experienced it, they realized the rumors hadn't been exaggerated; on the contrary, they had understated the truth!

Once a spirit cultivator mastering profound meaning advanced to the Supreme Void stage, it was likely that no spirit cultivator below the Saint level, except for actual Saints, could last three rounds against the person before them!

The Water Ghost lightly tapped his finger, sweeping it across the dozen or so water spheres before him one by one.

"Heaven and Earth Gate, Three Incense Sticks, Eagle Faction, Three Incense Sticks, Three Incense Sticks, Three Incense Sticks... So many assassins came? And all of them from the Eastern Region? No matter how you put it, Xu Xiaoshou is also from the Eastern Region. Is he hated that much? Do they all want his head? Is his head really that appealing?"

The Water Ghost shook his head with a chuckle, "With all this, even I'm tempted..."

"Senior, have mercy!" The wails from the water spheres emerged again, followed by many offers to trade their lives for a price.

The Water Ghost, however, found it amusing.

"Since you're already here, how could I spare your lives? Whether you can survive and find opportunities depends on your own abilities, but for now..."

The Water Ghost paused, then flicked his finger, throwing all the water spheres before him into the cloud sea below the cliff.

"Now go feed the fish in my domain!"