Chapter 227

Chapter 227: Dao King’s Immortality Attainment

Boom!

In the heavens above, the Great Dao True Dragon roared. The rules of the Yuan Realm resonated with it. The spiritual energy across a million miles was drained in an instant, merging into the Great Dao True Dragon.

Power capable of destroying heaven and earth gathered endlessly, its terrifying aura making one tremble.

Duobao Daoist’s expression turned grim.

With the Nine Celestial Tribulations descending, killing Dao King had become impossible—the Exterminating Immortal Formation could never withstand such tribulations.

"Then let heaven take you," Duobao Daoist said coldly.

Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!

One after another, Great Dao True Dragons charged toward the Exterminating Immortal Formation. Heavenly authority pressed down. The phantom of the Gate of All Mysteries crumbled visibly, piece by piece.

A crack appeared in the Exterminating Immortal Formation.

The Great Dao True Dragon plunged into the formation. Like a dragon soaring through the world, it shattered the formation outright. Everything within a hundred thousand miles turned into a chaotic area—no void survived, no Great Dao remained.

"The might of the Nine Celestial Tribulations… could it be this terrifying?" Emperor Venerable Four Extremes shuddered.

The Nine Celestial Tribulations consisted of three heavenly calamities.

Yet even this first one was already comparable to a true immortal’s strike—utterly horrifying.

How dreadful, then, would the second and third tribulations be?

"Di Wuyou possesses foundations deeper than mine back then. The power of his Nine Celestial Tribulations is at least twice as fierce," the man in yellow solemnly stated.

Among true immortals, strength varied.

The man in yellow clearly wasn’t among the strongest.

Judging by the intensity of Dao King’s tribulation now, should he survive, his power would undoubtedly surpass—or at least equal—the man in yellow’s.

Meng Changan and Green Robe Drunkard watched in astonishment. They had thought him merely an exceptional talent—never had they imagined Dao King’s foundations ran so profoundly deep.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The nine Great Dao True Dragons crushed the Exterminating Immortal Formation, though their aura had weakened by seventy percent. Still they surged toward Dao King.

Even at thirty percent strength, it rivaled a Creation spiritual embryo’s power.

"Ten Thousand Immortals Bowing!"

Dao King stood unshaken. Three hundred and sixty-five apertures opened within him. Divine spirits merged with the daoforce. An Enlightenment Tree slowly rose behind his head, its emerald leaves swaying.

Dao King and the Enlightenment Tree became one.

Three hundred and sixty-five divine spirits merged into each leaf.

Hum!

The Enlightenment Tree shone with immortal light, an ancient aura spreading outward—as if embodying an ancient Heavenly Emperor. The tree itself became an imperial sword, slashing toward the nine Great Dao True Dragons.

Snap!

With one sweeping strike, the nine Great Dao True Dragons nearly vanished entirely. Heavenly power surged relentlessly forward. Dao King suffered catastrophic damage; his Great Dao nearly extinguished, leaving him half-dead.

Nonetheless, he had overcome the first heavenly tribulation.

Dao King’s mouth overflowed with blood, and he grinned hideously.

"Duobao Daoist, you exerted countless efforts to plot against me, yet you ended up paving the way for me instead," Dao King murmured to himself. "Without your formation, passing the first heavenly tribulation wouldn’t have been so simple."

"Master, thank you for your gift."

Dao King laughed loudly.

Duobao Daoist gazed back coldly. "The first heavenly tribulation is just an appetizer; you’re ensnared in karma, riddled with flaws. Even if you survive the inner demon tribulation, you won’t overcome the merging with the Dao tribulation."

The Nine Celestial Tribulations held three trials.

The heavenly tribulation, the inner demon tribulation, and the merging with the Dao tribulation.

Boom!

The second heavenly tribulation descended promptly.

Heavenly might enveloped everything, and a ray of immortal light slashed down. Dao King instinctively shielded himself, but this wisp of immortal light ignored all defenses and struck into Dao King’s Dao heart.

Instantly, Dao King’s inner demons arose.

He witnessed Withered Wood Daoist, Empress Nuwa Palace, the Holy Sect of Transformation, and all the people who had died by his hand or because of him.

"These wandering souls are merely my vanquished enemies; they’re unworthy to become my inner demons," Dao King asserted, his Dao heart resolute and unwavering.

Eventually, he beheld a shattered world.

This world appeared strikingly similar to the Immortal Realm that Emperor Venerable Yama, Emperor Venerable Mi Luo, and others had observed.

The heavens perished.

Dao King’s resolve faltered. He had long heard of grave problems in the Immortal Realm; once the scars of the heavens emerged, even after attaining immortality, one could stay in the mortal realm.

Therefore, he had held some curiosity, respect, and fear toward the Immortal Realm.

Over time, this turned into inner demons.

Especially when the scars of the heavens arrived, Dao King’s Dao heart wavered; as the inner demon tribulation hit, it instantly provoked the explosion of inner demons.

He plunged into the ruined Immortal Realm.

The Great Dao lay extinguished, chaos surged, creating a total scene of apocalypse where only deathly stillness and desolation could be felt.

"If the Immortal Realm has withered, can the mortal realm still exist?" Dao King’s dread escalated. "Is it because the universe is collapsing?"

"If the universe shatters, even immortals will perish; how can I survive?"

Dao King became terrified.

He feared death.

This spectacle made him sense the horror of death.

Images flowed through his mind, and Dao King’s emotions approached despair.

Wisps of death aura billowed from his body.

"Dao King is ensnared by inner demons!" Su Miao Zhen’s lovely eyes sharpened slightly. If he couldn’t pass the inner demon tribulation, death was the only outcome.

"No!"

Dao King abruptly widened his eyes. "I haven’t attained immortality yet, I haven’t realized my ambitions; I cannot die!"

"Even if the Heavens perish and multitudes of immortals fall, I must survive to see the next epoch!"

The Dao King rose again.

An immense surge of immortal spirit energy descended from the heavens, instantly restoring his vitality. Not only that, his cultivation solidified completely within the True Immortal Realm. A true immortal’s Dao fruit, containing three hundred and sixty-five great Daos, hovered above his Purple Palace, exuding an aura of immortality.

That Dao Palace Heavenly Court continued to refine itself further; immortal music resounded while the sound of the Dao resonated in harmony.

The Dao King smiled with deep satisfaction.

The True Immortal Realm—it was the realm he had dreamed of for so long.

The Duobao Daoist also smiled.

This was the critical step, the tribulation of merging with the Dao.

"Something’s strange about the Dao King’s situation," the white-bearded old man frowned. "The might of the Dao is still present, proving the Nine Celestial Tribulations haven’t yet passed. The Dao King is still facing his tribulation."

"But his strength has already reached the True Immortal Realm," the middle-aged Daoist nun stated with great confusion, "and judging by his aura, it’s no weaker than those three mysterious true immortals."

"This is the merging with the Dao tribulation," Lin Qianmo explained to Nangong Zhandao, Lan Youruo, and the others.

"So that’s it."

Yan Duxing suddenly understood, the realization dawning on him.

"Master! This is the merging with the Dao tribulation!"

He flew towards the area engulfed by the heavenly might, shouting loudly, "Master! Don’t be deceived! You are merging with the Dao!"

He charged into the zone permeated by the power of the Dao. His own laws rapidly dissolved, and his physical body began to age and wither.

Yan Duxing abruptly realized his mistake.

This was a place of great Dao extinction. Though he’d only reached the periphery, how could his cultivation level possibly withstand such heavenly Dao power?

Whether due to Yan Duxing’s desperate cry or some other reason,

the Dao King abruptly awakened to the truth.

The situation he was experiencing—wasn’t this exactly like the merging with the Dao trap he’d faced during his past Saint tribulation and Great Emperor tribulation?

But those past heavenly tribulations seemed so distant; that’s why he hadn’t recognized it immediately.

He turned his senses inward. His Dao fruit was on the verge of collapse, his Heavenly Court was disintegrating—everything was hurtling towards its end.

"You vicious Heavens! You almost succeeded," the Dao King roared with maniacal laughter. He channeled his magic power. His Dao fruit reformed, his Heavenly Court stabilized, and he immediately broke free from the state of merging with the Dao.

"My good disciple, master shall send you out."

The Dao King gently flicked a finger. A strand of immortal light entered Yan Duxing’s body, instantly halting his degeneration speed and expelling him from the domain of the Nine Celestial Tribulations.

Yan Duxing slumped to the ground, wrinkled and aged like an octogenarian.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

With the passing of the Nine Celestial Tribulations, the heavenly might dissipated and the thunderous tempest faded away. What remained was a scar stretched across multiple worlds—a blood-red, bizarre, and utterly mysterious scar of the heavens.

Immortal lights descended one after another, immense immortal power surged into Dao King’s body.

Dao King greedily absorbed the immortal lights, frantically refining them to steadily enhance his cultivation.

Duobao Daoist furrowed his brows.

This merging with the Dao tribulation, in his estimation, should have been sufficient to eradicate Dao King.

"Fortune…" After much thought, Duobao Daoist concluded this was likely the only explanation.

Dao King had devoured the fortune of the Spirit Realm and Mysterious Realm, his accumulated fortune was vast, enabling him to effortlessly withstand the Nine Celestial Tribulations.

"Seems I underestimated him."

Duobao Daoist sighed inwardly, "Di Wuyou still has fate clinging to him now."

His face filled with disappointment, he quietly vanished.

"The Sect Master succeeded!"

The two elders of the Taihao Heavenly Sect were overwhelmed with joy.

Dao King attaining immortality meant the Taihao Heavenly Sect now had a true immortal safeguarding it, destined to become an unstoppable behemoth among all realms.

"Not quite right."

The second elder’s expression changed abruptly, "If the Sect Master attains immortality, wouldn’t he ascend to the Immortal Realm? Leaving us behind, how could we possibly uphold such a vast legacy as the Taihao Heavenly Sect?"

However.

An hour passed, yet Dao King remained seated cross-legged in the void, showing no sign of ascending.

The legendary Guiding Immortal Light showed no indication of appearing either.

"Can even Dao King remain in the mortal realm?"

"What exactly is happening?"

An Emperor Venerable voiced his confusion, "Why, after facing the tribulation and attaining immortality, can he not ascend to the Immortal Realm?"

"Has something happened to the Immortal Realm?"

Doubt arose in countless minds.

Whoosh!

A streak of immortal light shot towards the Epoch Golden Book; it was the Creation spiritual embryo.

With the Nine Celestial Tribulations dissipated, Nangong Zhandao intended to reclaim what belonged to him.

"Young friend Nangong, this item isn’t one only you can master." Dao King opened his eyes, his gaze profound and meaningful. "Your strength is feeble, it’s beyond your grasp to wield it."

He slowly rose to his feet, his might pressing down upon heaven and earth, his aura even surpassing that of the World Master of the Xuankong World and the man in yellow.

"Dao King is wildly ambitious. Now that he’s a true immortal, the mortal realm likely won’t know peace." The white-bearded old man and the middle-aged Daoist nun exchanged a glance, both recognizing the other’s apprehension.

"Master, he seeks to seize the Epoch Golden Book." Ji Tianjue said solemnly, "Could it be he’s unafraid of that senior stepping in to punish him?"

"Watch and wait," the man in yellow said solemnly.

Dao King’s strength was not inferior to his own; at this point, he could only watch from the sidelines, biding his time for the right moment.

Shoom!

Dao King flicked his sleeve, causing the void to crumble layer upon layer, pressing down upon the Creation spiritual embryo.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Creation spiritual embryo withstood Dao King’s divine technique by brute force, unable to advance a single inch.

"Seal!"

With a thought from Dao King, his magical power surged. He refined the scattered shards of void into a cage, entrapping the Creation spiritual embryo within it, cutting off all escape.

If the man in yellow could subdue the Creation spiritual embryo with a single punch, Dao King certainly possessed the capability to do the same.

Presently, Dao King’s eyes brimmed with disdain. "The child of fortune, merely so."

"Were it not for this Creation spiritual embryo, you would be long dead."

"Even now, killing you and seizing the fortune upon you isn’t too late."

Dao King’s mouth split open into a ghastly, sinister grin.

Shoom!

Suddenly, the eastern sky blazed with light, majestic immortal qi filling it.

The sound of the Dao reverberated, majestic like tolling great bells and bronze chimes.

"Heaven’s Secret Pavilion!"

Dao King’s pupils instantly contracted to pinpoints.