Chapter 371 - 196: The Moment of Crisis

The sky was dim, the clouds thick and black as ink. Arcs of fiery lightning flashed intermittently as the wind tore through the clouds. The entire world trembled violently, as if shuddering in terror, filling all with an invisible sense of dread.

’Blood Nether Celestial’s’ robes billowed, his blood-red hair dancing wildly. His incredibly profound gaze seemed to hold the weight of countless eons, piercing through the very fabric of reality. He raised a hand in the air and extended a single finger. A dim yet dazzling, cross-shaped light glowed at his fingertip, condensing an overwhelmingly majestic power that seemed to surpass Harmonization itself, as if it were one of the taboos of the desolate ancient era.

’What in the world is he?’ At that moment, Du Yuan, who was suspended in the Void Celestial, felt his pupils constrict. His heart, weathered by the long ages, began to pound frantically, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably with fear.

At his side, Qin Xiao’s slender frame trembled uncontrollably, his pupils dilated. The immense pressure instilled a sliver of terror in him.

It was like being crushed by a higher form of life, an overwhelming sense of oppression. ’But how is this possible?’

He was a Tongxuan Realm Late Stage Cultivator, after all; even an ordinary Harmonization Giant couldn’t exert this much psychological pressure on him.

Finally, he stammered, "This person... How can he be so terrifying!"

"Perish," ’Blood Nether Celestial’ said calmly, as if stating the most ordinary of facts. In the next instant, the terrifying, dark power condensed at his fingertip erupted, transforming into a colossal, heaven-reaching beam of dark-red light. It tore through space, pierced the world, and surged overwhelmingly toward Gu Yun and the others, intent on slaughter!

"What?!"

Gu Yun’s pupils contracted sharply, and his body began to tremble violently. He watched as the massive, dark beam that pierced the heavens rushed up to annihilate him. The immense worldly qi it commanded locked him in place, making it impossible to dodge. An extreme sense of crisis flooded his mind.

"Great Dream Star Soul Refining Technique!"

At this moment of crisis, the Great Dream Star Soul Refining Technique activated. His Divine Soul instantly shot out of his Mud Ball Palace, drawing upon the vast and endless Star Power from beyond the heavens.

This power, radiating a dazzling starlight and containing a majestic, boundless Star Power, instantly traversed the endless void. Like a river of stars, it surged into Gu Yun’s spiritual sea of consciousness and poured into his body in the same instant.

His entire body felt as if it were being tempered by the vast Star Force. His Physique instantly grew incomparably strong, and the Magical Power within him swelled by several dozen times, becoming vigorous and immense. His overall strength skyrocketed in a flash.

At the same time, at the very instant ’Blood Nether Celestial’ launched his attack, a white streak of light was flying at extreme speed several hundred thousand miles away. It tore through space like a falling star, emitting sonic booms of Powerful Qi.

Then, the white streak of light came to a sudden halt. A figure now hung in the sky, his robes fluttering. He was handsome, with sharp brows and eyes like stars. His Divine Sense seemed to have detected something, and his gaze, as profound as starlight, swept toward the distant horizon, a look of utter disbelief in his eyes.

"A Tribulation Cosmos aura!!"

"How is this possible?!" An expression of unconcealable shock appeared on Ye Xuantian’s face.

Just a moment ago, he had actually sensed a trace of a Tribulation Cosmos aura in the Southern Wilderness!

’There’s no mistaking it. That incredibly vast power, one that feels capable of annihilating an entire world, is definitely the aura of a Tribulation Cosmos Venerable.’

’But how could the Celestial Essence Realm possibly have an expert at the Tribulation Cosmos Venerable Realm? Not one has been born in ten thousand years!’

’In that case, this Tribulation Cosmos Realm expert must have come from the outside world.’

’And for him to descend upon the Celestial Essence Realm, there are only two possibilities. Either he broke through the Celestial Dao’s external seal, risking a massive drop in his Cultivation and an extreme weakening of his power. Or, he used some special technique to cross the vastness of spacetime and descend via Divine Soul possession from within the realm itself.’

Ye Xuantian leaned toward the second theory. No Tribulation Cosmos expert would casually risk death just to break through a world’s restrictions.

Moreover, regardless of how he descended, his strength would be a far cry from its peak. Within the Celestial Essence Realm, the most he could bring to bear would be power at the Unity Realm.

Suddenly, Ye Xuantian’s fingers moved, performing a divination. A moment later, his pupils shrank.

"Oh no! Junior Brother!!"

His divination showed that Gu Yun was in mortal danger. ’That, combined with the Tribulation Cosmos Realm aura I sensed... Is there even a need to think about it? How could such a coincidence exist in this world?’

"If my junior brother falls, then no matter which Venerable is responsible, I will hunt them down! I’ll search to the highest heavens and the depths of the Yellow Springs, across the Cangwu Immortal Continent and tens of thousands of worlds! I will kill them!"

A flash of killing intent sparked in Ye Xuantian’s profound eyes. ’My junior brother has exceptionally high aptitude, not to mention he possesses the Celestial Thunder Dao Body. His talent is top-tier! In the future, he could even step beyond the Tribulation Cosmos Realm and become a supreme giant, roaming freely across the many Immortal Continents.’

’Besides, since he descended into the Southern Wilderness Territory, the most he can exert is the battle power of the Unity Realm.’

"Just the Unity Realm. Not unkillable!" A cold, murderous light flashed in Ye Xuantian’s eyes. Without a moment’s hesitation, he transformed into a celestial meteor, his speed so immense he crossed thousands of miles in an instant, as if teleporting through space. He was unbelievably fast!!

...

Back in the Qiu Long Mountain Range, the sky was dim. Suspended in the void, Gu Yun’s expression was icy, his eyes indifferent as he watched the dark, divine light that pierced the heavens rush up to annihilate him. Its leaking aura alone was enough to make the world tremble and the Void Celestial collapse, driving any observer to fear and despair!

But Gu Yun remained expressionless, his mind a bastion of pure logic. Empowered by the supreme Star Power, his thoughts raced at dozens of times their normal speed.

His expression was cold, and a frosty glint flickered in his eyes.