Chapter 550: Absolute Kill Trap, Repeated Failures

The area around the hexagonal Star Tower suddenly plunged into darkness.

The space seemed to collapse inward, forming swirling vortex-like portals. A pair of purple eyes opened in the dome, revealing the spiritual consciousness of the Prison King Spirit Official himself.

He looked down at Wang Yu, who stood alone, and a silent sneer spread across his gaping mouth in the void.

“No one who has ever offended me has left unscathed. Young man, since you have obtained the core inheritance of the Lunar Sect, you should know its origins with my lineage, the Prison King Spirit Official. Today marks your demise!”

Wang Yu calmly watched the figures emerging from the vortices. Some he recognized, while others he had only heard about from ancient texts or other people.

They were all among the top powerhouses in the Ice Prison Realm!

Unexpectedly, he had suddenly walked into a trap set by the Prison King Spirit Official. According to his own calculations, he shouldn't have become a target of such high alert so quickly.

What had changed the opponent's mind?

At that moment,

A powerful, albeit unstable, cultivator at the early stage of Soul Transformation emerged from a vortex, drawing his attention.

Wang Yu was surprised for a moment, then immediately guessed part of the reason.

“Five-Colored Sacred Master?”

“Hahahahaha, it is I!”

The Five-Colored Sacred Master stared at Wang Yu with a ferocious expression, practically screaming in madness: “The grudge of seizing my path is irreconcilable! Wang Yu, when you schemed against me and stole the Heavenly Human Comprehension Vine back then, did you ever imagine this calamity would befall you today?!”

Seeing that the opponent seemed mentally impaired, Wang Yu immediately gave up on the idea of further communication. He calmly looked at the traitors who had sided with the Prison King Spirit Official, naming them one by one.

“Half-step Soul Transformation realm's Azure Crane Valley Master, the Northern Tower Master Xue Wushuang—a truly fickle servant—and the Underworld Mountain Cult's High Priest Qiuyin.”

These individuals were all at the Half-step Soul Transformation realm and held high positions.

With their strength, even if they couldn't defeat a Soul Transformation cultivator, merely restraining him with their Dharma Idol abilities would consume a lot of Wang Yu's energy, let alone the fact that they weren't the main force meant to kill him.

“The Five-Colored Sacred Master, Soul Transformation Layer One. Heavenly Mother Su, Soul Transformation Layer Seven, a fifth-tier Heavenly Array Master, possesses a complete set of spiritual array artifacts refined from three-colored treasure gourds, with unfathomable strength. And the Island Master of Small Spirit Ruin Isle, Spirit Ruin Zi, Soul Transformation Layer Six, who wields twelve Spirit Ruin Flying Swords and can form the Twelve Spirit Ruin Demon-Slaying Sword Array, capable of fighting late-stage Soul Transformation cultivators... As well as Venerable Longchan of the Ancient Heavenly Sea Sect.”

This old acquaintance was not a minion of the Prison King Spirit Official but had come by invitation, purely for revenge.

These were the core components of the deadly trap set for Wang Yu.

As sets of information flashed through his mind, Wang Yu's expression grew increasingly solemn. No wonder... when he had previously investigated Soul Transformation powerhouses, he felt that the strength of the rogue cultivators overseas was excessively formidable.

Apart from the Sky-Refining Demonic Sect and the Sword Sect, these rogue Soul Transformation cultivators could practically flatten any dominant force, whether righteous or demonic. While their retreat overseas was ostensibly to avoid the two peak Soul Transformation cultivators,

Their deterrent power seemed overly exaggerated.

However, if they were enforcers cultivated by the Prison King Spirit Official, then it was no surprise. Calling them forth at a critical moment would certainly play a crucial role in turning the tide of battle.

Now, they were all revealed before him.

Convinced that he had no chance of survival, the pressure in his heart grew heavier. Wang Yu secretly sensed the stability of the space, and as expected, his teleportation methods had been sealed off.

Only by fighting could he seize a glimmer of hope.

Taking a deep breath, the Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow appeared in his palm, and powerful demonic energy began to accumulate.

Seeing this, Venerable Longchan burst into rampant laughter.

“Ji Fa, you have met your match today. When you destroyed my sect back then, you should have realized that there are always stronger people out there. Even if your strength is formidable, you are not invincible. I ask Heavenly Mother Su to make a move and sever this person's vital lifelines.”

Heavenly Mother Su, a white-haired old woman who had been silently observing, glanced at the purple eyes in the dome. Receiving a signal, she then stepped forward in front of everyone.

She said,

“Fellow Daoist Ji Fa, everyone has their own way of living. Without my lord, I would not be where I am today. Your defiance of heaven is indeed commendable, but in the face of absolute power, struggling... is futile.”

It was unclear if she was giving herself a justification or kindly explaining the situation to Wang Yu.

With a gentle wave of her dragon-headed staff,

The seven treasure gourds hanging from it immediately burst into brilliant light. An array diagram, centered on her, rapidly expanded, completely encompassing Wang Yu.

This was not the first time he had seen the methods of a Heavenly Array Master.

However, it was definitely his first time fighting against one. Leveraging the advantage of specially refined array artifacts, their ability to instantly form arrays allowed Heavenly Array Masters to inherently command the opportune timing and geographical advantage.

From the very start, he was at a disadvantage and even facing a cultivation suppression. How could Wang Yu accept this? Surrendering was impossible; he could only brace himself and push forward.

At this point, he had also come to a realization.

The entanglement between the Lunar Sect and the Prison King Spirit Official was more complicated than he had imagined. Furthermore, his previous maneuvers against the official were not without traces.

Especially during the Crane Return Valley incident,

His act of notifying numerous peak powerhouses had caused the Prison King Spirit Official to suffer significant losses, even losing two Soul Transformation realm decoys who were meant to die, allowing the Sky-Refining Demonic Venerable to return victorious.

When deducing the reasons afterward, they naturally discovered Wang Yu, this meddling stick, leading to this long-planned ambush.

This reaction was actually quite reasonable. One shouldn't treat all opponents as fools; when you scheme against others, they will also harbor designs against you.

Moreover, Wang Yu's past experiences were no secret.

His performance in the Eastern Capital was evident to all, making the Western Capital an excellent place for an ambush, especially with the arrangements made by the local Azure Crane Valley Master.

The Star Tower was the burial ground chosen for him by the Prison King Spirit Official.

Unbeknownst to him, Wang Yu had already become a thorn in the Prison King Spirit Official's side. To allow him to continue growing would mean a second Sky-Refining Demonic Venerable.

For such a hidden danger, eradication became the best option.

The fifth-tier Heavenly Array Master commanded countless array mysteries, aided by array artifacts. Even with Wang Yu unleashing his Lunar Demonic Dragon Dharma Idol, amplifying the power of high-grade spiritual treasures,

He was still helpless against this Heavenly Array.

Although Heavenly Mother Su's background was not prominent, backed by the Prison King Spirit Official, her array arts and divine abilities were no less formidable than Wang Yu's, leaving him completely helpless.

Seeing Wang Yu trapped and unable to break free,

The cultivators who held grudges against Wang Yu, such as the Five-Colored Sacred Master and Venerable Longchan, all revealed overjoyed smiles. The Sacred Master even spoke up.

“With the help of Senior Heavenly Mother Su's Heavenly Array, subduing this fiend will be effortless. May I request permission to enter the array and personally avenge myself?”

Heavenly Mother Su looked towards the Prison King Spirit Official.

The latter narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly.

“You've become arrogant and complacent. It seems breaking through with the Spirit-Damaging Method has utterly depleted your potential, and even your mind has been harmed. You no longer possess the patience of a thousand years. Heavenly Mother Su, quickly eliminate Wang Yu. Delays may lead to complications.”

“Understood!”

The so-called Spirit-Damaging Method was a secret legendary art from the True Spirit Realm, specifically used to cultivate Soul Transformation death warriors, often applied to cultivators who had sold themselves or were at the end of their lifespans.

Its sole benefit was allowing cultivators to gain breakthrough potential without consuming resources.

Of course, this came at the cost of damaging one's own soul and significantly reducing intelligence. The Five-Colored Sacred Master's Five-Colored Five-Virtue Divine Light had ensured his breakthrough's success rate.

However, he had ultimately transformed from a potential chess piece into a mere enforcer, with only mediocre strength.

Upon receiving the command, Heavenly Mother Su shook her dragon-headed staff, and the treasure gourds hanging from it immediately unleashed their true power.

Invisible sword qi filled the Heavenly Array, soul-corroding red smoke permeated it, purple flames blazed fiercely, and ten thousand streaks of heavenly lightning descended.

Spirit-shaking astral winds, space blades that tore through all defenses, eerie black smoke that blinded the five senses... A total of seven types of gourd array artifacts, each with a different effect.

The moment they took effect, the power of the Heavenly Array simultaneously assailed Wang Yu from all angles. Instantly, an immortal spiritual light flared.

The immortal body of a body cultivator withstood some of the attacks.

However, some techniques still pierced his physical defenses and began to infiltrate Wang Yu's body, causing the vast amount of vital energy contained within his Golden Blood Divine Marrow to rapidly deplete.

Meanwhile, the Lunar Demonic Dragon Dharma Idol, which should have been one of a Soul Transformation cultivator's most powerful abilities, seemed to have lost its effect, offering no resistance at all... or rather, its connection to him had been severed by some means.

The moment Wang Yu realized this, he had a sudden epiphany.

Having read extensively from various ancient texts, he immediately understood the origins of this Heavenly Array.

“So it's the Heaven-Sealing, Earth-Locking, God-Slaying Array…”

This array specialized in killing Soul Transformation cultivators and was extremely effective against Dharma Idol techniques. Its origin was untraceable, but Wang Yu was proficient in Feng Shui arts. Although he still only had a superficial understanding of array formations,

Heavenly Arrays often connected with celestial phenomena.

And altering celestial phenomena was precisely what Feng Shui masters excelled at.

“—Fiendish Demonic Dragon Armor!”

With a mental call, his native true artifact, thick as a mountain, instantly covered his body, minimizing external influences. Simultaneously, a Feng Shui compass appeared in his hand.

The Heavenly Star Ritual quickly unfolded. Wang Yu forced out the kidney essence blood, representing pure yin, from his body and smeared it onto the Ancestral Water Token. Instantly, the weather changed dramatically.

A towering pillar of light shot straight into the sky.

The Heavenly Star Water Virtue manifested in broad daylight, connecting with stellar meridians. The moment the celestial phenomena changed, the Heavenly Array was downgraded to an Earth Array, and its heaven-sealing effect developed a flaw.

Wang Yu seized the opportunity and directly detonated his Dharma Idol body.

A terrifying tidal wave, sweeping across heaven and earth like a surging river, instantly shattered the array diagram. Heavenly Mother Su's expression changed, and she instantly stepped forward.

Her dragon-headed staff transformed into the form of a five-clawed golden dragon.

It struck Wang Yu's ascending form, knocking him down. The low-temperature cold tide had no effect on her at all. Finally, Wang Yu witnessed the might of a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator.

His hoped-for escape route was cut off.

The other observing cultivators were not mere spectators either. Three half-step Soul Transformation cultivators immediately summoned their Dharma Idols, forming a Three Talents array to encircle him.

Replacing the shattered Heavenly Array, they used the undying Dharma Idols as a foundation to once again form an array. Heavenly Mother Su seized the chance to use her clone divine ability.

She dispatched a spiritual clone to reside within the array.

She unleashed dense spiritual array seals. The celestial phenomena were shielded, the Earth Array was upgraded to a Heavenly Array, and three half-step Soul Transformation cultivators channeled an almost endless supply of worldly spiritual energy.

Wang Yu's chances of breaking the array again became minuscule.

The same method could certainly not work a second time, and the Heavenly Array Master's methods were far more potent than his Feng Shui arts. Therefore... he was directly overwhelmed.

His Feng Shui compass automatically dropped, reverting to its original form.

Wang Yu's face turned ashen.

He realized that Heavenly Mother Su's techniques almost completely countered him. Forget about Spirit Ruin Zi, Venerable Longchan, and the others still observing; just this one experienced late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator alone,

He found it hard to deal with. Moreover, her intent realm had not been unleashed, nor had her innate spiritual treasure been revealed. It seemed she hadn't even used half of her power to forcefully suppress him.

Compared to this, the power possessed by early-to-mid stage Soul Transformation cultivators versus late-stage cultivators was like the difference between a Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation—a chasm-like disparity!

“Damn it…”

The backlash from detonating his Dharma Idol was continuously eroding his physical body, making his aura inevitably weaker. Furthermore, it would be difficult for him to use the Art of Heavenly Embodiment again in the short term.

He truly realized that to escape this deadly situation,

He had to find a way to restrict Heavenly Mother Su. Various divine abilities and secret arts flashed through his mind.

The Heart Glaze: Boundless Mortal Dust appeared in his thoughts.

The Mortal Dust Boat could not only assist his mental cultivation but also help him trap enemies. Heavenly Mother Su's earlier words were still in his mind; she seemed quite bothered by her identity as a realm traitor.

Her need to explain herself before acting meant there was a flaw in her Dao Heart.

Having understood the crucial point,

The Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow, which Wang Yu had been charging, suddenly shot out. The Lunar Frost Arrow, condensed with all his power and amplified by the spiritual treasure's inherent destructive force,

Felt like a true sun-piercing arrow. The space, solidified by secret arts, was forcibly torn open as the arrow, appearing to shoot through stars, burst forth.

“What terrifying power.”

Heavenly Mother Su narrowed her eyes. Although she spoke with awe, the transformations of the array seals in her hands never stopped. Suddenly, she shouted,

“To treat others as they treat you. Star Shift—Heavenly Star Edict!”

A twisting vortex appeared in the sky, and the Lunar Frost Arrow itself was directly warped, transforming into a spiral-like shape. After a few rotations, it astonishingly shot back towards Wang Yu himself.

This kind of eye-for-an-eye reflective divine ability,

Was naturally better the more powerful the enemy's technique. Wang Yu almost couldn't stop himself from cursing, but the spatial crack that appeared before him made his eyes light up. Without a second thought, he transformed into a streak of aurora and fled towards it.

However, with a flash of purple light,

Spirit Ruin Zi suddenly appeared before him.

He brought down a whisk directly, and Wang Yu was immediately knocked out of his escape state like a rolling gourd, forced to take his own Lunar Frost Arrow with his back.

A circular ripple of ice rapidly spread out.

An ice lotus bloomed in mid-air, but unlike before, this time it was Wang Yu himself who was hit by his own technique. The arrow pierced through his right shoulder blade.

What seemed like a severe injury would heal in an instant.

The ensuing extreme cold power did not cause him much harm. After all, it was his own innate divine ability; if it could kill him,

What would be the point of his cultivation?

His mastery, having reached the perfect realm, was no joke.

However, the repeated setbacks made Wang Yu realize how terrifying his enemies were. His recent string of overly smooth operations had somewhat made him overconfident.

Taking a deep breath,

He waved his hand, reclaiming a large amount of overflowing frozen demonic energy, and sneered: “Bullying the few with many, typical of you. A bunch of petty thieves, incapable of achieving anything great.”

“—Heh heh.”

The Five-Colored Sacred Master retorted,

“Wang Yu, all you can do is talk big. We are indeed taking advantage of your numerical disadvantage. What are you going to do about it?”

“What am I going to do about it... Naturally—kill!”

Intense killing intent erupted from Wang Yu's body, instantly dyeing the heavens and earth blood-red. The perfected Asura Dharma Intent was far from ordinary. Amidst the endless crimson light, a hint of pink shot towards Heavenly Mother Su.