Chapter 572 - 496: Slaughter Emperor Joins Forces

Buzhou Great Abyss.

Within the silent, pitch-black void.

The Slaughter Emperor’s Divine Thought incarnation had already departed.

Wu Dao found a new area, deactivated his anti-Buzhou Magnetic Field, and used the suppressing Power of Annihilation from Buzhou Mountain to temper himself.

’The Dragon Hunting Tower is hiding an unknown Near-Path Seeker?’

Wu Dao recalled the information the Slaughter Emperor had shared as a warning before he left, and his thoughts grew heavy.

That’s right.

A Near-Path Seeker unknown to All Heavens.

Furthermore, this was a taboo existence who had stepped into the Near-Path Domain back in the Slaughter Emperor’s era, one connected to the origins of the Transverse Refining Dao.

According to the information the Slaughter Emperor revealed.

The ancient and mysterious Dragon Hunting Tower did indeed originate in the distant Second Tribulation. At the end of that tribulation’s great chaotic war, they had seized the Burning Chaos Furnace from the Dao Burning Furnace, a Heaven-Burning Dao Artifact.

However.

There were no records of the Dragon Hunting Tower’s most mysterious Tower Master in any of the later tribulations.

The Dragon Hunting Tower, under his command.

Had been hunting the Celestial Prides of the Body Dao path throughout the All Heavens ever since the Second Tribulation. Many Body Dao giants from various tribulations had been ambushed and attacked by the Dragon Hunting Tower before they could fully mature.

The Slaughter Emperor was one of them!

During the Fifth Tribulation.

The Slaughter Emperor was a peerless genius who swept through the All Heavens undefeated. At that time, his Transverse Cultivation, Divine Cultivation, Soul Cultivation, Taoist Magic and Divine Techniques... all had reached the pinnacle of perfection. He was completely unrivaled.

His Transverse Cultivation path was especially similar to Wu Dao’s.

Both had started from a weak, mortal body, fusing the strengths of countless techniques to forge an invincible foundation.

After entering the grand stage of the All Heavens.

He went even further, collecting Transverse Refining Emperor Scriptures, Divine Techniques, Strongest Divine Techniques, Ultimate Skills, and top-tier Desolate God Bloodlines from across the heavens...

He used them to perfect his Extreme Dao Slaughter World Scripture.

And forged the unprecedented Extreme Dao Body.

At that time, the Slaughter Emperor.

Before ascending to the Absolute Peak, his Transverse Cultivation had reached the limit of the fourteenth Daoist Sect, the Chaos Body. He was the one with the greatest hope of achieving the unprecedented fifteenth Daoist Sect of Transverse Cultivation: the Life Ancestor.

This achievement was incredibly crucial!

Because.

The Slaughter Emperor had revealed that how far one could go in the Near-Path Domain—or rather, how many extra steps one could take—was directly related to the three Extraordinary Basic Powers: Essence, Qi, and Spirit!

All Daoists since the Heaven Opening.

Generally speaking.

Had all entered the Near-Path Domain through their Main Path.

The Immortal Dao is for Refining God, the Martial Dao for Body Refinement, and the Military Dao for Soul Refining. The three Extraordinary Basic Powers of Essence, Qi, and Spirit unite the world’s three extraordinary paths.

Exceptionally talented individuals.

Could, while advancing their Main Path.

Without needing the other two Innate Dantians.

Cultivate the other two basic powers through Taoist Magic and Divine Techniques. These were the so-called monsters who advanced on all three paths simultaneously.

However.

The path of advancing on three paths at once becomes exponentially more difficult!

This is especially true after forging a Taoist Scripture.

And creating one’s own Great Dao civilization.

A nascent civilization.

Generally follows the evolutionary laws of the Great Dao, progressing as a singular path. It is incredibly difficult to incorporate the diversity of other paths from the very beginning.

Therefore.

Ninety-nine percent of these monsters who cultivate three paths simultaneously will make a choice when advancing from a Quasi-Emperor to a Great Emperor. Unsurprisingly, they choose their Main Path to be the foundation of their future civilization.

The remaining one percent.

Are existences that surpass even those monsters.

This culling process repeats when advancing from Great Emperor to All Heavens Emperor, from All Heavens Emperor to Primordial Chaos, and from Primordial Chaos to Near Dao. It becomes progressively harder to maintain the diversity of one’s civilization.

From Quasi-Emperor to Great Emperor.

Only one percent remain.

One can only imagine.

How difficult the path becomes after the Primordial Chaos realm.

Even the most unprecedentedly brilliant and peerless existences must eventually compromise and choose one of the three paths of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

Of course.

This doesn’t mean the one you choose makes the other two disappear. A person is a collection of Essence, Qi, and Spirit and cannot exist if one is missing. It’s just that the other two paths are relegated to a subordinate, supporting role.

Thus.

Most Primordial Giants in the world.

Entered the Primordial Chaos realm with a single-path civilization.

Only a few anomalies.

Could maintain a two-path stance.

For example, the most powerful contenders for the Dao Fruit of Attainment Dao in All Tribulations.

Within this lies a cruel secret.

Known only to beings who have neared the domain of Attainment Dao across the tribulations: only those who enter the Primordial Chaos realm with two paths possess a ticket to contend for the Dao!

It’s like the potential of a Dantian.

It’s divided into King Grade, Saint Grade, and Emperor Grade.

Emperor Grade itself has three sub-tiers.

Different potentials lead to different future heights.

The potential for Attainment Dao, however.

Is related to the three basic powers.

Those who enter the Primordial Chaos realm with only one path.

Have essentially been handed a ’death sentence.’

They have absolutely no chance of breaking through the Primordial Chaos realm to achieve the Initial Tribulation, because the step from Primordial Chaos to Attainment Dao is a terrifying, super-massive transformation.

Not only does it require the Dao fortune of One Tribulation.

It also requires sacrificing a personal civilization as nourishment for the main civilization.

In other words.

You have to cultivate an extra civilization in advance to serve as spare rations for your main civilization’s Attainment Dao.

Back then, the Slaughter Emperor.

Was truly incredible.

He entered the Primordial Chaos realm with all three paths!

And He brought every single one of them to its limit!

Because His ambition was immense; He wanted to achieve Attainment Dao with all three paths simultaneously and become the strongest One Tribulation Daoist in all of history!

Near Dao.

Is a special domain.

Strictly speaking, it isn’t a realm.

As long as one reaches the Primordial Limit, they can achieve Attainment Dao by devouring the Dao fortune of One Tribulation. Near Dao is merely the body a Daoist leaves behind within the Dao.

The reason the Slaughter Emperor back then.

Didn’t quickly achieve Attainment Dao.

But instead chose to continue advancing within the Dao, breaking through his limits into the Near-Path Domain.

Was actually an act of desperation.

Because when He was about to step into the Thirty-Three Heavens of the Primordial Limit, one of his three paths of Essence, Qi, and Spirit was lost, and his Dao Foundation was no longer flawless.

The culprit behind it all.

Was the Dragon Hunting Tower!

At the critical moment when the Slaughter Emperor was in seclusion, breaking through from the thirty-second layer of Primordial Chaos to the thirty-third and perfecting all three of his paths.

That crafty old fox, the Dragon Hunting Tower.

Suddenly launched a sneak attack on the Slaughter Emperor.

The enraged Slaughter Emperor fought a world-shaking battle against the Dragon Hunting Tower in the Sea of Chaos. He tore apart many of the Tower’s Primordial Giants and nearly ripped the Nine-Layered Black Tower to shreds.

However.

At the final moment.

From within the Dragon Hunting Tower.

A massive hand suddenly reached out. It displayed the incredible power of Near Dao and stripped the Slaughter Emperor of his Transverse Cultivation origin!

If the Slaughter Emperor hadn’t had enough trump cards.

He would have perished in that battle. There would have been no later start to the Fifth Tribulation, and He never would have become one of the Five Tribulation Masters.

His originally perfect three-path foundation.

Was reduced to just two paths.

And it had been stolen from him.

Naturally, the Slaughter Emperor’s heart was filled with boundless resentment and fury.

This was also why.

He didn’t choose to achieve Attainment Dao even after reaching the absolute peak of One Tribulation. Instead, He continued to polish himself within the Dao, even taking two steps into Near Dao.

He did it all to restore his Transverse Cultivation.

And to settle the karmic debt with the Dragon Hunting Tower.

But until the very end of his era, He never found any trace of the Dragon Hunting Tower. It was as if they were deliberately hiding from Him.

The Slaughter Emperor revealed without reservation.

That if He had taken three steps into Near Dao back then.

He wouldn’t have feared even the Great Celestial Venerable’s intervention.

But then again.

If He hadn’t been robbed of his Transverse Cultivation origin by the Dragon Hunting Tower, He wouldn’t have taken that step into Near Dao at all.

Perhaps He would have achieved Attainment Dao earlier.

And the Great Celestial Venerable wouldn’t have been able to act against Him at that time.

One could only say it was a matter of timing and fate.

A single misstep led to a cascade of errors.

In a sense, the Slaughter Emperor’s tragic end was inextricably linked to the Dragon Hunting Tower. The karma between them was far too great.

Even after hundreds of thousands of years.

The Slaughter Emperor was still fixated on the Dragon Hunting Tower, which was why He reacted with such grim ferocity when Wu Dao mentioned it.

He was not the same as He was back then.

Perhaps his remaining two paths had also been worn down over time.

If He could reclaim the origin He had lost from the Dragon Hunting Tower, it wouldn’t be a problem to complete his foundation and achieve three steps in Near Dao.

Therefore...

’This Emperor still has a portion of Dao Essence outside with the power of One Step. When you’re ready to make a move, notify Heaven-Burying, and I will lend you a hand.’

The Slaughter Emperor’s Divine Thought incarnation had generously left him with these words before departing.

He said he would lend Wu Dao a hand.

But Wu Dao knew that if the target wasn’t the Dragon Hunting Tower, the Slaughter Emperor wouldn’t bother to lift a finger, let alone play a hidden trump card.

Dao Essence with the power of One Step in the Initial Tribulation!

Holy crap.

That madman had really given Wu Dao a huge surprise.

If that Dao Essence.

Were used on the front lines in the struggle against Mountain and Sea.

Perhaps...

Hmm, it seemed like it wouldn’t be of much use after all.

A temporary card.

In the end, only provided temporary power.

If not for the matter of the Dragon Hunting Tower, that portion of the Slaughter Emperor’s Dao Essence that had never returned.

The reason He kept it was...

Mountain and Sea!

At this thought, much of the gloom in Wu Dao’s heart dissipated. It was because Mountain and Sea’s plan to swiftly initiate the tribulation was likely not so simple.

Giants like the Slaughter Emperor.

Before they believed the Great Tribulation should begin, regardless of their alignment—be it good or evil, black or white—would surely take action to prevent Mountain and Sea from advancing unimpeded!

In that case.

He would have a little more time.

Phew...

Wu Dao’s mind gradually calmed, and he opened his attribute panel—

[Physique: Primordial Magnetism Path]

[Extraordinary: Essence Devouring: All Things, Three Tribulations (517600/517600)+]

[Transverse Cultivation: Infinite Primordial Scripture·Chaos Body One Step Twenty-Eight Layers+]

[Divine Cultivation: Juntian Creation Scripture·Twenty-eighth Layer of Great Emperor+]

[Soul Cultivation: All Phenomena Divine Luo Scripture·Twenty-eighth Layer of Great Emperor+]

[Divine Origin: Upper-Rank God Emperor]

[Celestial Treasure: Bitter Dust Robe (Emperor’s Artifact 100%)

...

[Teleportation Points: ...]

’To fully unleash the One Tribulation origin of the Extreme Dao Bell, I need power that surpasses an All Heavens Emperor. The only safe way is to achieve complete perfection.’

Wu Dao’s thoughts focused on the Apocalypse Artifact, the Extreme Dao Bell, which floated silently within his body.

With his current strength.

He still wasn’t powerful enough to press the ’button’ to activate this Five Tribulations First Fierce Weapon. However, he estimated it shouldn’t be a problem after he reached Three Tribulations Perfection.

Because.

At that time, his true combat power.

Would surpass the Fifth Heaven, the limit of an All Heavens Emperor!

His original plan.

Had been to use this time.

To set up elaborate preparations at Nine Heavens Pass with the Extreme Dao Bell at the core, to deal with that taboo existence from the Dragon Hunting Tower. The risk factor was enormous.

Because.

The Dragon Hunting Tower could also deploy the Burning Chaos Furnace!

It would be more than just punching above his weight; a single misstep would lead to eternal damnation.

But with the Slaughter Emperor wanting a piece of the action.

The situation was completely different.

When the time came, he would only need to focus all his efforts on suppressing the Burning Chaos Furnace.

But as always.

Wu Dao only ever trusted himself.

The necessary preparations still had to be made.

Therefore, in his subsequent cultivation, every time Wu Dao’s power increased, he would also dispatch more Incarnations to Nine Heavens Pass.

Of course.

He hadn’t forgotten about the area below Nine Heavens Pass either.

Time passed quickly.

Indeed, there was very little fighting at Nine Heavens Pass.

In the month since Wu Dao took command of Nine Heavens Pass, only one major battle had broken out.

He didn’t know if he had jinxed it.

His only two subordinates, both All Heavens Emperors, had actually fallen in that battle, instantly turning Wu Dao into a lone commander.

The kind who guards an entire pass alone.

As for reinforcements.

Peak Heavenly Emperors were extremely rare in both realms.

The current situation was that every death was a permanent loss. In some sections of the Mountain and Sea Great Wall, a single Peak Heavenly Emperor was even responsible for guarding several dam sectors.

For a month.

Wu Dao kept a low profile, not accepting any missions that would take him away from Mountain and Sea City.

This was because he had so many Incarnations.

That even with the scarcity of battles at Nine Heavens Pass, he had more than enough resources to keep up with his cultivation needs.

This strange situation.

Made the big tigers in the Elder Council, who were waiting for an opportunity to strike, a little anxious. They were afraid Wu Dao had changed his ways and would just keep his head down forever.

Fortunately.

After only a month.

Wu Dao, who had been lying low and keeping to himself.

Became active once more.

He began accepting increasingly dangerous missions, periodically venturing deep into the Mountain and Sea Territory to hunt High-level Celestial Ancestral Kings of Mountain and Sea.

"The opportunity has finally come!"

The Dragon Hunting Tower and the Mountain and Sea Realm, who had been waiting bitterly.

Both saw their eyes light up at the same time!