Chapter 567 - 491: [Dragon Hunting Tower Master, Six-Month Peak]

Nine Heavens Pass.

An unknown land.

A Nine-Layered Black Tower floated in a forbidden zone.

Within the tower was a boundless, all-encompassing space and time.

It was clearly another Supreme Treasure.

Inside a Daoist Palace belonging to a Dragon Hunter of the Quasi-Emperor rank.

King Bao Tong and the others had returned.

As expected, they were interrogated by the upper echelons of the Dragon Hunting Tower. Their disappearance and fortunate encounter were simply too bizarre.

However...

Wu Dao’s methods had been flawless, completely erasing all information about himself from the Divine Souls of King Bao Tong and the others.

King Bao Tong’s heart pounded in his chest, but the interrogation concluded without any real danger. The only thing they discovered was that he and his group were remnants from the Divine Wilderness.

"Serve the Dragon Hunting Tower well. Once the Tower Master successfully emerges from seclusion, your deep-seated blood feud can be easily avenged."

The Great Emperor conducting the interrogation...

...cast a deep look at King Bao Tong and the others.

After offering this empty promise, he left, showing no particular hostility or discrimination just because they were from the Divine Wilderness.

Ultimately...

...the Dragon Hunting Tower, a purely dark faction...

...held no deep-seated grudge against the Divine Wilderness. Their only conflict was probably that they had once hunted the Slaughter Emperor.

They had hidden away afterward.

This prevented the Slaughter Emperor from severing that great karmic tie. Although the final outcome wouldn’t have changed, it still affected the Slaughter Emperor’s Attainment Dao back then.

But a karmic tie of that magnitude...

...was something small fries like King Bao Tong and his group were not qualified to repay. Not to mention, later generations of Divine Desolate Cultivators mostly felt only hatred for the Slaughter Emperor.

One man’s sin, to be repaid over Ten Tribulations.

What was once a Celestial Domain...

...had been tormented into a small world through this debt repayment. Generation after generation of living beings were born with tainted blood, destined to face purges and bloodbaths.

Under such circumstances...

...it would be strange if later generations felt any gratitude or reverence for the Slaughter Emperor.

’Tower Master...’

King Bao Tong watched the departing back of the Dragon Hunting Tower’s Great Emperor, his expression stiffening. It was the first time he had ever heard that the Dragon Hunting Tower had a Tower Master.

Before this...

...he had always believed...

...that the core of power in the Dragon Hunting Tower was the group of Primordial Old Monsters on the First Layer.

’Wait...’

Suddenly...

...King Bao Tong realized an extremely terrifying problem.

’If even the Primordial Old Monsters aren’t the Tower Master...’

’Then the Dragon Hunting Tower’s Tower Master is...’

HISS!

At that thought...

...a chill ran down King Bao Tong’s spine.

The once-familiar Nine-Layered Black Tower now seemed like the lair of an abyssal beast. An overwhelming dark aura of immense, unknown dread enveloped him from all sides.

"Oh, right."

The Dragon Hunting Tower’s Great Emperor, who had been leaving...

...suddenly stopped and turned back.

He startled King Bao Tong, who hastily bowed, trembling. "Your instructions, Elder?"

Now that he knew the great terror hidden within the Dragon Hunting Tower...

...his mind was filled with nothing but fear. Unless he could escape the Dragon Hunting Tower completely, he wouldn’t dare to entertain a single rebellious thought.

"To have obtained such a great creation is your good fortune. Don’t be complacent."

The Dragon Hunting Tower’s Great Emperor reminded him sternly,

"Break through to the Great Emperor realm as soon as possible. There will be a major operation soon, and every Dragon Hunter might be involved."

With that...

...the Dragon Hunting Tower’s Great Emperor revealed no more.

He vanished directly from the Daoist Palace.

’A major operation?’

King Bao Tong straightened up, his brow furrowed.

’The "major operation" the Great Emperor mentioned definitely isn’t about hunting Desolate Gods, because the Dragon Hunters of the Dragon Hunting Tower do that desperately every single day.’

’If it’s not about hunting Desolate Gods...’

’Then it must be...’

King Bao Tong suddenly recalled the Dragon Hunting Tower’s other purpose for coming to Shanhai Pass: to hunt a target they had been watching for a very long time.

That would be the same person who, a few years ago...

...detonated the Burial Realm in the Daluo World and let the Dragon Hunting Tower take the blame—that Burial Realm Demon King.

’Could it be...?’

’The Dragon Hunting Tower has already identified its target?’

King Bao Tong knew very well that the Dragon Hunting Tower possessed the Body Dao Supreme Treasure, the Burning Chaos Furnace, which could lock onto anyone in the world with an outstanding physique.

After arriving at Shanhai Pass...

...although the manifestation of the Great Dao had suppressed the Burning Chaos Furnace’s abilities to some extent, the Dragon Hunting Tower had never given up its search.

’Most likely, that Burial Realm Demon King...’

’...is of some great use to the Dragon Hunting Tower.’

’The Burial Realm Demon King...’

King Bao Tong’s frown deepened.

An inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up in his mind, but the feeling only appeared in his mental magnetic field for an instant.

Then he naturally dismissed it.

’If the Burial Realm Demon King has been hiding in Shanhai Pass all this time, he must be extraordinary by now. For the Dragon Hunting Tower to want to mobilize its full force against him, they must have realized the price would be immense.’

King Bao Tong’s thoughts churned.

He thought of the Demon King who had challenged the All Heavens Primordial Chaos from the Burial Realm a few years ago.

’A figure like that...’

’...simply can’t be measured by common sense.’

’Once the two sides clash...’

’A mere Quasi-Emperor...’

’...probably wouldn’t even qualify as cannon fodder!’

’No wonder he told us to break through to Great Emperor as soon as possible. He probably doesn’t want to lose a group of Celestial Treasure Masters who are as rare as a phoenix’s feather even in Hongyuan.’

...

「Eight Celestial Passes, Chixiao Dam Area.」

’Such immense malice!’

Deep within the Realm Sea.

Wu Dao was jolted awake as the karma of the Great Dao trembled.

He vaguely sensed a dark, fundamental malice enveloping him. It was intensely dangerous, and it felt as if the moment it closed in...

...he would be doomed beyond redemption!

This kind of fundamental malice...

...he had felt it many times before.

The Dragon Hunting Tower, Luotian Sword Master, the Book of Death, and back when he was undergoing his Dao Tribulation, the Great Celestial Venerable had targeted him through the hand of the Great Dao.

’Who could it be this time?’

The familiar pressure emanating from the Bitter Dust Robe...

...gave Wu Dao the answer—

The Dragon Hunting Tower!

’This bunch of damn scumbags I’ve been using as scapegoats...’

’...seems like they’re planning to make a move on me.’

Not long ago, when he met King Bao Tong and the others...

...King Bao Tong had revealed that besides hunting Desolate Gods, the Dragon Hunting Tower’s main purpose in coming to Shanhai Pass was to find him.

The Burning Chaos Furnace monitored the Body Dao.

His Primordial Magnetic Great Body was an unparalleled delicacy to the Dragon Hunting Tower!

’Once they make a move...’

’...they’ll probably mobilize their entire force.’

’The kind of attack that leaves me no chance at all!’

However...

...Hongyuan had not yet been completely defeated.

Even though the Eighth and Ninth Celestial Passes had lost vast territories, the suppression of the Great Dao was still in effect.

The upper limit in the Eight Celestial Passes was a Peak All Heavens Emperor.

It would be all too easy for Wu Dao to escape.

Therefore, if the Dragon Hunting Tower wanted to make a move, they would definitely do it in the Nine Heavens Pass, where Primordial Chaos experts were allowed to act!

Now that the malice had arrived...

...it proved that the Dragon Hunting Tower had already roughly locked onto his coordinates. The moment he appeared in the Nine Heavens Pass, the Dragon Hunting Tower would surely find an opportunity to strike!

But...

...knowing that the Dragon Hunting Tower was determined to capture him at all costs...

...Wu Dao was no longer worried.

The most crucial part of his plan was predicated on the Dragon Hunting Tower being willing to hunt him down by any means necessary.

If they considered him optional...

...he couldn’t be sure they would deploy the Burning Chaos Furnace against him.

’According to the information from King Bao Tong, the strongest in the Dragon Hunting Tower are a group of Primordial Old Monsters from the First Layer, but...’

Wu Dao sorted through the information on the Dragon Hunting Tower.

’This repeated fundamental malice...’

’...couldn’t have been from a Dao Artifact.’

’The cost and impact of truly activating a Dao Artifact are too great. Even with the Dragon Hunting Tower’s deep foundations, they wouldn’t be so extravagant and reckless.’

’In other words...’

’...there’s an unknown taboo hidden within the Dragon Hunting Tower!’

Although the Nine Heavens Pass only allowed Primordial Chaos experts to act, there was no guarantee the Dragon Hunting Tower wouldn’t go mad. Therefore, he had to have a way to deal with it.

’The Slaughter Emperor seemed to have been hunted by the Dragon Hunting Tower before he reached his peak. There’s a great, unresolved karmic tie between them...’

Wu Dao thought of the Slaughter Emperor.

The number one of the Five Tribulations.

The Tribulation Master who broke the Primordial Limit.

’If he could take action, it would be enough to handle the Dragon Hunting Tower’s trump card.’

After their last showdown, mediated by the Heaven-Burying Emperor...

...for now...

...the two of them were more or less grasshoppers on the same rope.

But Wu Dao suspected...

...with the Slaughter Emperor’s fundamental Dao Source trapped within the number one Dao Artifact, it was uncertain whether he could even act again.

And also...

...although the Slaughter Emperor was arrogant and tyrannical...

...he was self-serving, just like Wu Dao. He could clearly distinguish between gains and losses and would never sacrifice his own interests to be Wu Dao’s lackey.

Aside from all that...

...whether he had left some scheme to use against Wu Dao inside the Third Extreme Dao Bell...

...was also an unknown.

Wu Dao never trusted anyone.

Especially not a character like the Slaughter Emperor.

Everything...

...would only have an answer after he reached the Buzhou Abyss.

’When you lack strength and have to gamble with high stakes...’

’...you can’t help but be cautious at every step, always looking ahead and behind.’

For some time after.

Because Chixiao Pass was guarded by a Peak All Heavens Emperor, Mountain and Sea did not launch any more large-scale campaigns.

It was as if they had forgotten this dam area entirely.

They probably wouldn’t make a major move until they could dispatch Peak All Heavens Ancestor Kings to deal with him.

This didn’t affect Wu Dao much.

If Mountain and Sea didn’t attack...

...his Wushi Incarnation could secretly travel to the Mountain and Sea Territory to ambush and hunt some low-level All Heavens Ancestor Kings and Peak Ancestor Kings.

After stepping into the All Heavens Emperor realm...

...he had finally gained some capital to stand his ground and maneuver within the Eight Celestial Passes. He was no longer like before, when he didn’t even dare to leave the dam area.

Besides the Wushi Incarnation...

...his other incarnations of the Wu Race...

...plundered even faster after being updated to the All Heavens Emperor’s Battle Power. They were doing their utmost to gather civilizational nourishment and Dao Source for Wu Dao.

「Half a month later.」

His Three-Tribulation Dao Vein was complete.

His basic combat power...

...reached the Tenth Heaven of an All Heavens Emperor, silently surpassing the Guan Lord of Chixiao Pass.

Eleventh Heaven...

Fifteenth Heaven...

Twentieth Heaven...

Time flew by.

The Essence of the Great Dao in Wu Dao grew higher and higher.

His incarnations were constantly updated.

The Primordial Dao Wheel was frequently replaced.

A massive amount of Dao Source was consumed daily.

The demand for the Spirit of Living Creatures and the Tao Realm also grew larger and larger. The Primordial Sect launched frenzied and bloody riots across the Hongyuan Heavenly Realms.

In a short period of time...

...the Main Altars were nearly all wiped out!

The Seventy-Two Primordial Demons...

...also died in battle many times.

As for the Priest Divine Envoys under them, countless had perished.

However...

...with a Great Daoist Venerable like Wu Dao around, their residual value was always plentiful. It was a situation where dying was difficult; they were immediately resurrected to continue their work.

This massive construction project...

...continued without a single day’s rest.

Finally...

...six months later.

The number of Three Tribulation Magnetic Crystal Particles reached—

(∞^∞)^28!

Each Three Tribulation Magnetic Crystal Particle could spin with the Primordial Magnetic Power of infinite universes.

Wu Dao’s Primordial Magnetism Path stepped into the Twenty-Eighth Heaven of Great Emperor Essence. His basic combat power was at the Twenty-Eighth Layer of an All Heavens Emperor, and with the six-layer amplification from full liberation, he surpassed a Peak All Heavens Emperor!

Compared to a Primordial Chaos expert, he was still as insignificant as zero.

Within the Dao, Primordial Chaos was the limit.

This step represented a truly massive qualitative leap.

If described in mathematical terms, it was like moving from a Super-Triple Exponential Operation to Iterative Exponentiation, or a power tower operation.

This was because the power of the First Layer of Primordial Chaos was the third tier of the infinite sequence—

∞^∞^∞ with right associativity!

Parentheses were no longer needed.

The increase was simply monstrous.

Even replacing it with a slightly larger finite single-digit number would result in an absolutely enormous figure.

However, in the vast Extraordinary Realm of Hongyuan...

...which defied the logic of mortal thought...

...the Infinite Domain was divided into different tiers of magnitude. Infinity could be used as a base and an exponent, and simple mathematical operations could describe the process of growth and enhancement.

In conclusion...

...while Wu Dao would still be humiliating himself by comparing himself to those above...

...within the All Heavens Emperor realm...

...he would have no rivals.

Even his incarnations, which were one layer weaker, would have no rivals!

However...

...as Wu Dao grew stronger...

...the situation at Shanhai Pass had also reached a precarious point.

Chixiao Pass...

...had fallen in the fourth month.

It was ambushed by two Peak All Heavens Ancestor Kings. The Peak All Heavens Emperor from the Law Enforcement Team was nearly crippled just to secure a chance to retreat.

It wasn’t just Chixiao Pass.

In the Eight Celestial Passes...

...the already minuscule territory had shrunk to its last five percent after five months.

The situation had changed drastically once again.

The All Heavens Lord had lost his arrogance.

He had completely allied with the Elder Council’s military.

All remaining forces gathered around the Space-Time Node leading to the Seven Days Pass, forming the New Hongyuan Alliance to make a final, desperate stand.

The current Wu Shi...

...was serving as a Guan Lord in one of the New Hongyuan Alliance’s dam areas in the Eight Celestial Passes.

As for the Nine Heavens Pass...

...it didn’t even have five percent of its territory left!

The Ten Celestial Passes...

’After that last flash of brilliance, the irreversible "death" has finally begun.’

Wu Dao sensed the decaying, corrupt, and wailing martial fate of Hongyuan in the space-time of the Great Dao.

Even if he couldn’t observe the battlefield...

...he knew in his heart...

...that the Martial Ancestor, who had held Shanhai Pass for two tribulations’ worth of years, was approaching the critical point of dissipating his Dao.

’One year...’

’I originally thought the Slaughter Emperor had underestimated it.’

’But looking at it now...’

WHOOSH...

Suppressing the gloom in his heart...

...Wu Dao calmly extended his consciousness into the Battle Merit Order. He had received his transfer orders right after his Wushi Incarnation was updated to the Twenty-Fifth Heaven.

However...

...since he hadn’t reached his peak...

...he had not yet gone to assume his post. The Elder Council also knew of the dangers in the Nine Heavens Pass and had not rushed him.

Now...

...the Martial Ancestor was about to dissipate his Dao.

Shanhai Pass could collapse at any moment.

It was time to head to the Buzhou Abyss in the Nine Heavens Pass and make formal contact with the Slaughter Emperor.