Chapter 397 - 366: Dharma Aspect

Chapter 397: Chapter 366: Dharma Aspect

In the study.

As he refined the Inner Qi transferred from Qin Yirong, Chen Li could clearly see countless tiny, golden runes flickering in and out of existence above the Inner Qi in his Dantian.

That which I overcome is my wealth; that which overcomes me is my master.

This was the rule he had comprehended.

He now had one foot through the gateway to the Dharma Aspect Realm. All he lacked was enough Primordial Qi to manifest the rule.

However, he didn’t even have a moment to rejoice.

An indescribable terror, born from the very instinct of his soul, pierced deep into Chen Li’s Heart Spirit.

Heaven’s Killing Intent!

The thought exploded in his mind like a flash of lightning.

The hairs on Chen Li’s body stood on end as his Primordial Spirit sounded an alarm in his sea of consciousness.

It was the premonition of being targeted by a supreme existence, of an impending cataclysm.

’Danger! Extreme danger!’

He could no longer afford to think about anything else; his body reacted on pure instinct, moving before his mind could catch up.

His figure shot up from the meditation cushion, crashing through the study’s sealed window lattice.

The window frame shattered on impact. Chen Li’s figure became a blurry green streak in the air, streaking away from Lingxi Village.

He knew he had to get away from populated areas.

This heavenly might was far beyond what any mortal could withstand!

The wind howled in his ears. Within a few breaths, Chen Li had already plunged deep into the bamboo forest outside the village.

He had just steadied himself when he looked up at the sky.

What had been a clear, bright day just moments ago was now completely transformed.

Boundless, ink-black clouds surged from an unknown source, roiling and converging, swallowing the sky at a visible pace.

The clouds hung low, so thick and oppressive that not a single ray of light could penetrate them.

Though it was midday, the sky was as dark as midnight—so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

A heart-pounding, oppressive feeling enveloped the landscape, and the bamboo forest fell deathly silent.

’This is... a heavenly tribulation aimed at me?!’

A chill ran through Chen Li’s heart.

He knew very well that even though he had reached the Guiyuan Pass and possessed a powerful physical body, he was still as insignificant as dust before the vast might of heaven and earth.

If it were just ordinary lightning strikes, he might have been able to withstand a few blows and barely survive, thanks to his superhuman physique and recovery abilities.

But if this was the kind of tribulation depicted in the novels of his past life—a heavenly punishment where a Cultivator was bombarded by thousands of lightning bolts...

He would have no chance of survival. He would likely be turned to ash in an instant, his body and soul utterly obliterated.

’If I’d known comprehending a rule would attract this thing, I would have set up a lightning rod in advance...’

A bitter smile touched Chen Li’s lips, but his heart was filled with confusion.

’Why would comprehending a rule trigger a heavenly tribulation?’

’I’ve never heard of anyone needing to undergo a lightning tribulation to manifest a Dharma Aspect. If everyone had to go through this, how many experts at or above the Dharma Aspect Realm would even exist in this world?’

He couldn’t help but think of the Seven Kills Ancestor.

That old demon had clearly mastered the Seven Kills Rule as well. How did he avoid this heavenly punishment?

’Was it some Secret Technique, or an issue with his Cultivation Technique?’

But he had no time to ponder it now.

’I can’t face this head-on!’

Facing the heavenly tribulation, Chen Li made an instant decision.

’The Primordial Spirit is the foundation. I must first protect it from the brunt of the attack. Even if my physical body is destroyed, as long as my Primordial Spirit remains, there’s still a sliver of hope.’

Seeing the destructive light faintly flashing within the dark clouds and feeling the pressure locking onto him grow heavier, Chen Li no longer hesitated.

His Primordial Spirit shot out of his body and instantly entered the Tuo Dragon Pearl he wore against his skin.

Meanwhile, his physical body was taken over by a second Divine Sense refined from the Blank Deity. Its eyes stared grimly at the heavens, muscles tensed, ready to dodge the expected lightning strikes at any moment.

However, at the very moment Chen Li’s Primordial Spirit fled into the Tuo Dragon Pearl...

The immense, dark clouds that had been brewing a terrifying thunderstorm abruptly stopped roiling.

Instead of unleashing the expected lightning, they began to slowly and silently descend.

At the same time, a thick, gray-white fog that couldn’t be dispersed materialized out of thin air in Lingxi and the surrounding areas, plunging the world into chaos.

"What’s going on?"

"Why did the sky turn dark?"

"It’s the Heavenly Dog eating the sun! Quick! Bang the gongs and beat the drums to scare it away!"

In the village, the people were startled by the sudden darkness and strange fog. Panic spread as they poured into the streets, banging on pots, pans, and other metal objects.

Inside the study at the Chen Mansion, Qin Yirong, who’d had all her Inner Qi abruptly drained, lay collapsed on the floor, her face as pale as paper.

She weakly lifted her head and stared at the bizarre celestial phenomenon and the encroaching fog outside the window, her beautiful eyes filled with endless shock and horror.

’This world-altering phenomenon... did the Master cause this?’

She couldn’t imagine what Realm of Cultivation one would need to possess to trigger such terrifying heavenly might.

Just then, with a BANG, the study door was thrown open.

Song Ying rushed in, panicked. She had heard from the servants about the sky changing and the strange noises coming from Chen Li’s study, and she was worried.

She immediately saw Qin Yirong lying weak and breathless on the floor and the broken-open window. Her heart sank, and she asked, "Miss Linglong, where is the Master?"

Qin Yirong gave a bitter smile. "Something seemed to happen to the Master just now. He went out through the window. Madam, you should hurry and find him."

Song Ying had no time for detailed questions. She immediately said to the maid who followed her, "Help Miss Qin rest."

Then she took the house servants and hurried out of the Chen Mansion to search for Chen Li.

...

Inside the Tuo Dragon Pearl, within the dilapidated Little World.

Chen Li’s Primordial Spirit had just entered when a destructive pressure, in no way inferior to the one outside—and in fact, even more direct—descended from the heavens of this Little World with a deafening roar.

Looking up, he saw that the once gray and silent sky had now undergone a dramatic change.

Ink-black tribulation clouds gathered frantically, and twisted serpents of lightning slithered through them, emitting a low rumble like the roar of a colossal beast.

’It even followed me in here?!’

Chen Li smiled bitterly.

Even this dilapidated Little World couldn’t escape the shroud of heavenly might?