Chapter 26: Outer Heavenly Demon Tribulation
By: Gu Zhenren
Author: Gu Zhenren
Date: 2013-02-09
“Roar!” With a shrill scream, a mutated Iron Claw Scorpion, as large as an ox, finally fell under the barrage of attacks. It then turned into a Starry Colored Demon Crystal. The soldiers of Dunhuang wiped sweat from their brows and let out a sigh of relief.
“The inner city is indeed much more dangerous than the outer city. This Iron Claw Scorpion had a cultivation of four thousand years as a Spirit Monster. As a mutated demonic beast, its combat power was at least two levels higher than an ordinary Iron Claw Scorpion!”
“Fortunately, we blew it up. This street should be clear for passage now.”
“Be careful, Iron Claw Scorpions are gregarious demonic beasts, don’t let your guard down.” Three days had passed since the discovery of the Golden Sand Palace.
After emptying the Golden Sand Palace, the group, following Chu Yun’s suggestion, ventured into the inner city. The inner city was more dangerous than the outer city, teeming with countless demonic creatures. Among them were numerous Great Demons, many Spirit Monsters, and various tribes of demonic beasts.
The advance became increasingly difficult, but the group’s fighting spirit remained undimmed. This was because the通行令牌 (Tongxing Token) had lived up to expectations and could activate the protective palace array. In these past few days, Chu Yun and his companions had reaped immense rewards: various heavenly treasures, well-preserved rare demonic beast eggs, demonic plant seeds, and sealed Demon Soldiers. Most abundant were the Dao cultivation Jade Slips; this place was practically an ocean of Dao cultivation.
Chu Yun once suspected if the inhabitants here had collected all the Dao cultivation methods in Xingzhou. While the Dao cultivation methods collected at the Golden Sand Palace were mostly of the Gold and Sand elements, in the palaces of the inner city, there were different focuses. Besides the basic five elements and their derivative attributes, there were also Sword Techniques, Saber Techniques, Fist Techniques, Claw Techniques, and so on. There were even rare and precious spatial and temporal element Dao cultivation methods. If the Golden Sand Palace was just an appetizer, then the palaces in the inner city were undoubtedly a sumptuous feast.
The more they obtained, the more curious everyone became about what had happened here. Did the mysterious City Lord, who referred to himself as “朕,” possess arrogant pride, or was he truly one of the Four Emperors in history? What calamity befell this place, turning it into a dead city? Did the Huadao Heavenly Wall, constructed by the Golden Sand Hall Master after being summoned, get completed? Why did the Golden Sand Hall Master never return to the Golden Sand Hall afterward? Did he die, or did he escape? Whose hand penned the Huadao ** that circulated in the outside world, and what was its purpose? All these questions gnawed at Chu Yun’s mind, igniting an urge to rush to the central High Tower and uncover the truth.
The Ancient City Ruins were vast, divided into three parts: the center, the inner city, and the outer city. At the center stood a High Tower, magnificent and imposing, like a pillar supporting the heavens. The inner city comprised 36 palaces, and the outer city had 72 halls, forming a pattern of heavenly and earthly constellations, showcasing the builder’s brilliant strategy and an overbearing power that encompassed Heaven and Earth.
The deeper they ventured towards the center, the more arduous the journey became, making each step a struggle. The demonic beasts and demonic plants in the inner city had cultivation levels several tiers higher than those in the outer city. Spirit Monsters at two thousand or three thousand years were common, and Spirit Monsters at five or six thousand years were not scarce. Chu Yun and his group had even slain three Peak Spirit Monsters.
The demonic creatures in the Ancient City were all severely mutated. The Demonic Crystals they formed after defeat were unusable. Fortunately, the Tongxing Token could activate the protective palace array, making Chu Yun and his group’s journey worthwhile. For anyone else, there would be no gains, only a depletion of combat strength. No fool would choose to seek opportunities in the inner city. Thus, despite the Dunhuang Sand Eye opening many times, the inner city saw few visitors.
As Chu Yun and his group explored the inner city, a squad trailed them from afar. “Did you get the result of the detection?”
“Detected. It’s indeed that Little Tyrant and the Dunhuang Royal Family group. They have already ventured deep into the inner city.”
“Hmph! It must be them! Yihong was their doing!” The Grand Elder of the Heavenly Fiend snorted, his face ashen with anger and hatred. “No wonder that Little Tyrant was so accommodating at Qingyang Palace and chose the Heavenly Crystal Pill. He had long planned to steal all the pills back. What a scheme, what a mind!”
“Elder, what do we do now? That Tongxing Token was obtained with great effort by us. Now, not only has the Little Tyrant stolen the token, but they have also plundered the secret treasures in the palaces along the way, essentially stealing our spoils!”
“We absolutely cannot let them get away with this!” “Although he is the Little Tyrant, this isn’t the Archipelago. Do they really think our Heavenly Fiend is a pushover that can be bullied and squeezed at will?” The elites of the Heavenly Fiend all cried out in anger.
“Silence!” the Grand Elder roared, and everyone immediately shut their mouths. He knitted his brows, gritted his teeth, and said, “Revenge is inevitable. However, the strength of these villains should not be underestimated. To deal with them, we must form alliances. Go and contact Iron Mountain Prime Minister, as well as Yan King Sword Mansion, Ku Tuo Temple, and the people of Nine Nether City. Release the news about the Tongxing Token, and they will surely come!”
To deal with Chu Yun, the Grand Elder was willing to go all out. The Tongxing Token originally belonged to them. They had been meticulously keeping it secret since they obtained it, hiding it until the Dunhuang Sand Eye opened. After a small test, it activated Qingyang Palace. At that moment, the Grand Elder was overjoyed, almost moved to tears. As long as they explored further, the Heavenly Fiend could escape their current predicament and rise to become a first-class sect. But who would have thought! This Chu Yun today!! He actually stole the Tongxing Token. Pitifully, the token had barely warmed in his hands before it fell into the hands of villains and rascals. The Grand Elder’s anger and hatred were like a vast ocean that could never be washed away!
One day later, which was the fifth day since the Dunhuang Sand Eye opened, Chu Yun and his group, after a difficult journey, finally arrived at the central area of the Ancient City. Their exploration made new progress. They reached the Fire Li Hall, a place dedicated to researching Fire element Dao cultivation. Its scale was several times larger than the Golden Sand Palace. Previously, they had searched many palaces, but not all of their Hall Masters had kept good records. In the Fire Li Palace, Chu Yun once again discovered a research record. Unlike the Golden Sand Hall Master’s worried state, this record was filled with fervent enthusiasm.
“The Huadao Heavenly Wall has been constructed, what a perfect masterpiece! It’s like a dome, covering the entire Night Emperor City. Ancient people said the sky is round and the earth is square. You could say we’ve created a firmament!”
“……Magnificent! The heavenly tribulations that kept harassing us are completely ineffective against the Huadao Heavenly Wall. Tribulations like the Green Wave Jade Phoenix Tribulation, the Inverted Six Spirits Tribulation, and the Diamond World-Ending Tribulation, which once made me uneasy, are now merely a joke when they strike the Heavenly Wall…”
“……These days, the heavenly tribulations are becoming more frequent, almost raging throughout the day, and Heaven and Earth are roaring. Although Night Emperor City remains unharmed, its foundation cannot bear it. The entire city is sinking every moment, being smashed into the surface by the endless heavenly tribulations. But what does it matter? Haha, in the face of the Huadao Heavenly Wall, even Heaven and Earth seem so powerless…”
“……How could this be?! What kind of heavenly tribulation is this! Outer Heavenly Demons, tens of thousands of Outer Heavenly Demons, are smashing down from the other end of the firmament. The Huadao Heavenly Wall has been broken! Fight, only fight. We must follow Lord Night Emperor, and defy Heaven and Earth!”
“……”
