Chapter 144: Ancient Tribulation Period

"No, there's something wrong with the rules here." Yunzhi frowned, realizing something was amiss the moment she made a move.

Her palm strike should have shattered the rules of this place, but instead, while the forms dispersed, their essence remained. Even with restrained force, this shouldn't have happened.

"There are two sets of rules here," Yunzhi realized the anomaly. The first set, written with clouds, was the original rule. Later, a change occurred, and a second set of rules emerged, written in blood.

The clash between these two rule sets had plunged the entire Grotto-Heaven into chaos!

Someone had deliberately thrown the Grotto-Heaven into disarray, creating a trap where one could enter but not leave!

Furthermore, for the second rule set, as an external imposition, to contend with the original rules, it indicates that the one who established the second set is more powerful than the Grotto-Heaven's master!

And True Immortal Sanli was at the peak of the Integration stage.

"Heh heh, who dares disturb this Venerable One's slumber?"

The sound of ice crystals cracking filled the air, followed by an overbearing aura erupting from the destination, like a king from the Nine Heavens, cold, ruthless, and disdainful of all.

A brilliant light shot through the sky, and the aura was truly heart-pounding.

The aura grew increasingly potent, poised to sweep everything before it.

"Early Tribulation Transcension stage," Immortal Bubai quickly assessed the opponent's cultivation level.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's expressions changed drastically. Early Tribulation Transcension! This was the strongest enemy they had ever encountered. Why would a mighty Tribulation Transcension expert be dormant in a Grotto-Heaven designed for the Integration stage?!

Being well-informed, Immortal Bubai quickly grasped the reason.

"It's quite simple," she explained. "A Grotto-Heaven is an excellent place to hide. Waking up within one allows gradual recovery of strength. The drawback is the inability to detect external changes in a timely manner. For instance, True Immortal Sanli sensed the shifting spiritual energy and thus awoke. But if this Tribulation Transcension stage expert were to rely solely on that, they might not awaken even after the Great Era War ended."

"So, he devised a very clever strategy. True Immortal Sanli would eventually awaken. Once he did, he would inevitably return to the Grotto-Heaven. Upon discovering the altered rules, True Immortal Sanli would undoubtedly take action. At that point, this Tribulation Transcension expert would be roused by True Immortal Sanli's actions."

"This Tribulation Transcension expert had established new rules within the Grotto-Heaven, specifically designed to cause the demise of any who stumbled in, thereby ensuring his slumber remained undisturbed."

Cold sweat trickled down Lu Yang's back; he hadn't anticipated such complex factors at play.

"Hey, what are you scared of? With this Immortal here, a mere early Tribulation Transcension stage cultivator—I could kick them to death," Huang Dou Dou boasted shamelessly, knowing full well that with Yunzhi present, she wouldn't need to lift a finger.

"This Venerable One is Blood Fiend Venerable. Who are you? State your name." Blood Fiend Venerable stared indifferently at the Senior Sister. To so effortlessly shatter the rules, the opponent had to be at least at the early Tribulation Transcension stage.

But what did that matter? He was confident he could hold his own even against a mid-Tribulation Transcension stage cultivator.

"Blood Fiend Venerable?!" Meng Jingzhou gasped in a low voice.

"You know him?" Lu Yang asked.

"Yes," Meng Jingzhou replied. Tribulation Transcension cultivators were few in number, and each was significant enough to be extensively recorded in historical texts. Therefore, Meng Jingzhou had heard of Blood Fiend Venerable. As a child, when he couldn't sleep, his mother often used Blood Fiend Venerable's name to scare him.

"Blood Fiend Venerable is a demonic cultivator who has killed countless people. Legend says he would write down the names of all cities, crumple them into paper balls, and then pick one at random. The people of that chosen city would then be used for his cultivation. His cultivation path was paved with dried bones!"

"He also supported a former Emperor Yu, becoming a Grand Tutor and wielding immense power in the Great Yu Dynasty. He later disappeared mysteriously. Some claimed he had committed too many atrocities and perished under a lightning tribulation. But now, it seemed he had been hiding here all along!"

"Dao Seeking Sect, Yunzhi."

Seeing Yunzhi unmoved, Blood Fiend was perplexed. Had his name not been passed down to this era?

"No matter," he decided. "Then I shall embark on a massacre and let the world know this Venerable One's name."

Unlike Integration stage cultivators, Tribulation Transcension stage experts can rapidly return to their peak state upon awakening.

A colossal crimson giant, reaching from heaven to earth, roared. The Blood Fiend Giant transformed rules into axes, which it swung with a light motion, causing space to tremor as if the entire Grotto-Heaven could not withstand its power!

Yunzhi held one hand vertically before her chest, radiating immeasurable golden light. She resembled a Buddha of salvation stepping out of a mural—sacred, supreme, and inviolable.

She pushed out a palm, and myriad golden lights pierced through the netherworld, striking towards the crimson giant.

The crimson giant blocked with its two axes. The axes, formed from rules, gradually melted away within the myriad golden lights, along with the giant's hardened outer shell.

Blood Fiend Venerable was greatly alarmed: "No, you are not an early Tribulation Transcension cultivator!"

He tore open space and turned to flee. Engaging a mid-Tribulation Transcension stage cultivator would not yield a quick victory, and it wasn't worth provoking such an enemy out of mere pride.

After tearing space, one would be randomly teleported to any location in the world; the opponent would definitely not be able to find him.

Just as Blood Fiend Venerable was about to let out a few laughs and utter some final threats, he saw an infinitely dazzling golden light before him. Within the golden light, a graceful figure approached.

The figure's steps appeared unhurried, yet she moved with extreme swiftness, appearing before Blood Fiend Venerable in the blink of an eye.

"No, you're not even mid-Tribulation Transcension. Late Tribulation Transcension cultivators don't possess such methods either. You're at the peak of Tribulation Transcension, or even further..."

"You know too much," Yunzhi replied coldly. She brought her hands together and twisted, extracting Blood Fiend Venerable's soul.

A Tribulation Transcension stage body was prime material for artifact refining and should not be easily destroyed.

Yunzhi took out a jade purification bottle, sealed Blood Fiend Venerable's soul within, and prepared to return to the sect for a thorough interrogation.

The entire process was effortless and serene. The Grotto-Heaven remained calm, as if nothing had happened.

Lions and antelopes danced together in harmony, eagerly demonstrating they were good demonic beasts. Elephants lay on the ground, four legs in the air, playing dead.

"It seems ancient Tribulation Transcension stage cultivators might be hiding in Grotto-Heavens," Yunzhi mused. This was something she hadn't considered previously. After leaving the Grotto-Heaven, she would inform the other four Immortal Sects and the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Let's go," Yunzhi said lightly, then took graceful steps towards the destination.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou exchanged glances, then quickly jogged to follow her.

There were no dangers along the way — at least, that's how it seemed to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

However, to the demonic beasts, it was a completely different scene: a terrifying demon lord exuding a chilling, heart-stopping aura, leading her two attendants as she roamed freely through the Grotto-Heaven, an extreme danger.

The three reached the destination, where several massive golden treasure chests were placed, along with piles of spirit stones. The quantity of supreme-grade spirit stones even surpassed that of high-grade ones, a truly covetable sight.

Here lay not only True Immortal Sanli's treasures but also some of Blood Fiend Venerable's belongings.

Yunzhi opened a golden treasure chest, revealing various rare spiritual herbs and treasures, along with cultivation techniques and secret manuals. Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were dazzled. Even with Meng Jingzhou's extensive knowledge, he found it difficult to discern the origins of these natural treasures at first glance.

Yunzhi, however, could easily identify the name and purpose of each item: "Dragon Transformation Grass. If a flood dragon consumes and refines it, its chances of transforming into a true dragon increase by thirty percent."

Transforming into a dragon was the dream of all flood dragons, making this item undeniably valuable.

"Bodhi Fruit. Consuming it enhances one's wisdom, but at the cost of permanent hair loss."

"Crimson Sun Adamantite Sand. An essential material for refining high-grade fire-attributed magical artifacts."

"Lapis Lazuli Heavenly Purifying Water. Applied to the entire body, it can preserve one's physical form for one hundred thousand years."

"Integration stage demonic beast inner core..."

"Integration stage dragon sinew..."

"Joyful Union Powder..."

There were quite a few treasures whose names began with 'He' (合), signifying 'union' or 'integration'.