Chapter 486 428: Iron Wall Breached, Initial Tribulation Complete

The Five Celestial Passes, Sea of Death.

The losses in the aftermath of the war were immense.

The hardest hit among them...

...was, without a doubt, the Reincarnation Battlefield.

Although Wu Dao and the Seventy-Three Primordial Demons had intercepted the main force of the Mountain and Sea Races at the Great Saint Line, preventing much damage to the rear lines...

...the Saint Lord Line and the Venerable Line...

...which comprised the main force of the Reincarnation Battlefield...

...bore the brunt of the first wave.

They couldn't hold them back at all.

Not only were all the Gatekeepers killed in action, but the Dao Celestial Stele in the Garrison City also shattered. It would take a considerable amount of time to recover.

The Reincarnation Main Gate City...

...wasn't faring much better.

Although the Reincarnation Heavenly King had defended the Dao Celestial Stele of the Main Garrison City, his Venerables and subordinates were almost completely wiped out. In a single battle, he had essentially become a general without an army.

Oh.

That wasn't quite right.

There was still the newly promoted Primordial King, Wu Dao, who was now the last remaining pillar of the Venerable Line and nominally under the Reincarnation Heavenly King's command.

But in reality...

...the Reincarnation Heavenly King knew.

Given Wu Dao's monumental achievements and the Primordial Army's heaven-defying performance in that battle, it was only a matter of time before the military transferred him to the Six Celestial Passes.

However...

...he wouldn't be a general without an army for long, because the Demon Awakening Emperor had received a major promotion.

In that battle, the Demon Awakening Emperor had single-handedly held off an Ancestral King and an Emperor's Weapon. His contribution was so immense that even the Elder Council couldn't suppress it.

It was rumored that the Grand Elder of the Elder Council—the founder of Shanhai Pass, Panwu Emperor, himself—had personally given his approval. Overruling all objections, he conferred upon the Demon Awakening Emperor the title of Guan Lord of the Five Celestial Passes, to be stationed in Fengdu City and command the many Domain Masters within the Five Celestial Passes.

A pass cannot be without a master for even a day.

The Nether Fire Emperor had turned traitor and committed suicide.

Naturally, a new Guan Lord who could command respect was needed. The Demon Awakening Emperor's power, capable of suppressing an Ancestral King of the Mountain and Sea Emperor Clan, was far greater than that of the other Domain Masters—not to mention he had just performed a monumental service.

As for his stance on good and evil?

The ultimate authority in the Elder Council, Martial Ancestor Panwu Emperor, was concerned only with the survival of their civilization; he held no prejudice against the Slaughter Emperor's lineage.

There was a rumor on the grapevine.

It was said that the first choice for Guan Lord of the Five Celestial Passes wasn't actually the Demon Awakening Emperor, but the Heaven-Burying Emperor, who later saved the Celestial Gate with a single slash.

However...

...the Heaven-Burying Emperor was rather special.

He was one who had returned from tribulation, at the Quasi-Emperor Realm with the battle power of an All Heavens Emperor. The Ninth and Ten Celestial Passes were his true battlefield. Stationing him at the Five Celestial Passes felt like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito.

In short...

...after the Demon Awakening Emperor's promotion...

...the attrition problem in his old fief, the Sea of Death, was naturally resolved. Through conscription and troop transfers, the once-empty Garrison Cities were quickly refilled.

Furthermore, the new garrisons were even more impressive.

They were composed of the elite of the elite, to prevent the Mountain and Sea Races from pulling the same trick again. After all, the Reincarnation Battlefield was the area in the Five Celestial Passes where the repulsion of the Great Dao was weakest.

Otherwise...

...a Celestial King would never have been assigned to guard it.

As for Wu Dao...

After the great battle, he exchanged all his battle merits for an equivalent amount of Dao Source, and the Seventy-Three Primordial Demons did the same.

After obtaining a massive amount of Dao Source...

...as expected...

...Wu Dao once again submerged himself in the depths of the Sea of Death, going all out to absorb it and rapidly forging one Initial-Tribulation Dao Vein after another.

The Seventy-Three Primordial Demons...

...were also in seclusion.

They had all reached the limit of the Saint Realm and it was time for them to break through to the Great Saint Realm, as the Primordial Army might soon be transferred to the Six Celestial Passes.

The Saint Realm was not nearly enough to be effective in the Six Celestial Passes.

With everyone in seclusion...

...the Primordial Pass was left completely deserted, becoming a unique spectacle on the Venerable Line.

However...

...no one dared to say a word about it.

After all, the Reincarnation Heavenly King himself had given his silent consent.

Besides...

...the Mountain and Sea Races had just suffered a major defeat. There wouldn't be any large-scale battles in the Reincarnation Battlefield anytime soon, and the other Garrison Cities were more than enough to handle the situation.

Amidst the calm, however...

...there was another matter worth mentioning.

The issue of the traitor in the Five Celestial Passes.

This was a huge deal.

It led to the reopening of some old, unresolved cases, and the Law Enforcement Team seemed intent on investigating the matter to the very bottom.

They suspected...

...that the mastermind behind the scenes had likely infiltrated the very center of power in Shanhai Pass—the Elder Council. This person held a very high position and would rather sacrifice a Great Emperor than be exposed.

If this person could not be rooted out...

...the consequences would be catastrophic!

Wu Dao was also keeping an eye on the situation's progress. After all, he was one of the main reasons for the Mountain and Sea Races' recent defeat, which likely put him on that scheming bastard's kill list.

'The sooner they're rooted out, the better.'

'An enemy in the light is always easier to deal with than one in the shadows.'

Unfortunately...

...the mastermind was buried far too deep.

The Law Enforcement Team investigated for a month.

Aside from catching some small fry and realizing just how deeply Hongyuan had been corrupted, they made no significant progress.

Meanwhile, on the fronts beyond the Five Celestial Passes...

...from the Six Celestial Passes to the Ten Celestial Passes...

...the offensive from the Mountain and Sea Races grew ever more ferocious.

It was said that on the absolute front line, at the Chaos Abyss of the Tenth Celestial Pass, the Mountain and Sea Races had even established a foothold. They had split the Tenth Celestial Pass in two, securing stable war fortresses.

They could almost completely ignore the repulsion of the Primordial Path.

The Ninth, Eighth, Seventh, and Sixth.

The four Celestial Passes behind it were also affected to varying degrees, with war fortresses garrisoned by Mountain and Sea troops appearing in different numbers.

This meant...

...that the structure of Shanhai Pass was no longer that of Hongyuan's former iron bastion, which kept all enemies at bay!

Instead, in the truest sense...

...they had begun to lose territory.

Some might think this change wasn't a big deal—just a few fortresses, the fighting would still be the same as before.

But in reality...

...the impact was devastating!

With the Mountain and Sea Races having established garrison fortresses in the various Celestial Passes, they no longer needed to transport resources and troops while enduring the repulsive force of the Great Dao. Instead, they now possessed stable, two-way channels!

Their rear echelon...

...just like Shanhai Pass, which was backed by Hongyuan...

...would now be the entire Mountain and Sea Realm!

The elders of the Commander Elder Council were at their wits' end. The Mountain and Sea Races, after passing their Five Tribulations, were far more terrifying than the version they knew from the time of the Four Tribulations.

They had grown from a force that could barely contend...

...into a juggernaut that could now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Hongyuan, its great Taotie maw gaping open, constantly threatening the entire Hongyuan Civilization.

With Shanhai Pass's current military strength...

...if this continued...

...even more territory would be lost!

And so...

「Three years later.」

A new round of conscription orders once again swept across the entire Nine Heavens of Primordial Chaos, affecting everyone from the Common Lord Powers at the top to the common Holy Lands at the bottom.

To be fair...

...Hongyuan had existed for five whole Hongyuan Tribulations across the Nine Heavens.

In terms of sheer foundation, not even considering battle power, the Mountain and Sea Races couldn't possibly compare. But war was a drain on destiny, and many of the juggernaut Emperor's Lineages wouldn't commit their true strength unless the enemy's blade was at their throat.

This included the current All Heavens Lord of Hongyuan.

The faction acknowledged by All Heavens as the number one power—

The Celestial Court.

The attitude of that Great Celestial Venerable was rather ambiguous. To this day, only the faction of the Supreme Emperor Celestial Venerable had joined the war. The other seven Heavens were merely going through the motions, content to watch from the sidelines.

There were, of course, voices of dissent.

But the Celestial Court's might had dominated Hongyuan for several Hongyuan Tribulations.

Even with their discontent, no one dared to step forward and openly condemn them.

This time, however, the situation was dire.

Shanhai Pass, long hailed as Hongyuan's iron bastion, was now losing territory!

The Emperor's Lineages and the Common Lord of All Heavens...

...could no longer sit still in the face of this situation.

This was a war for their civilization's Great Dao.

It wasn't a conflict where you could just flee if you couldn't win, thinking there were plenty of other places to hide in the vast Sea of Chaos.

If Hongyuan's Great Dao were to be extinguished...

...the Mountain and Sea Realm would take its place.

When that happened, the very source of Extraordinary Power would be shattered and cut off.

Aside from the transcendent Daoists, Hongyuan would enter a true End of the Dharma. Everything and everyone would be sacrificed and buried along with it!

Yes.

A fitting example...

...would be everything that once happened to the Divine Desolate World. The same fate would befall Hongyuan, only in an accelerated version!

Such a consequence—the extinction of their Great Dao and their people.

Naturally, no one wanted to see that happen.

Thus, the response to this round of conscription was overwhelming. The Emperor's Lineages and the Common Lord all sent forth their true pillars of strength.

For a time...

...Shanhai Pass entered a period of rapid troop buildup.

Even the Sea of Death, a territory in the Fifth Celestial Pass that had long been subject to prejudice and discrimination, welcomed numerous new recruits from the Nine Heavens Righteous Path.

「Another month passed.」

Unsurprisingly, the newly promoted Primordial King, Wu Dao, received a transfer order from Red Heaven Red Emperor City in the Sixth Celestial Pass.

The Primordial Army.

They had shone brilliantly in the war two months ago, and Red Emperor, the Guan Lord of Red Emperor City in the Sixth Celestial Pass, had taken notice long ago. He believed that keeping them in the Fifth Celestial Pass was a waste.

The military command of the Sixth Celestial Pass...

...was superior to that of Fengdu City in the Fifth Celestial Pass.

Therefore, an order issued by Red Emperor City could not be defied or negotiated.

Of course.

It wasn't as if Wu Dao was unwilling.

The more dangerous the Celestial Pass...

...the faster he could acquire Five Tribulations Dao Source. If his strength were sufficient, he would have wanted to try his luck in the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Celestial Passes.

SPLASH—

The Sea of Death surged, vast and boundless.

Although the great battle two months ago had caused much of the Sea of Death to evaporate, an ample supply of Deadly Evil Qi from the Fifth Celestial Pass converged here, allowing it to quickly replenish its waters.

The Primordial Pass was empty.

Occasionally, soldiers from the surrounding Garrison Cities would gaze toward this deathly silent pass, only to quickly retract their Divine Thought. They felt as if a Demon Cave was hidden beneath it, a feeling that made their hearts pound in their chests.

"What a monster!"

In the Reincarnation Main Gate City.

The Reincarnation Heavenly King sat cross-legged atop the Dao Celestial Stele, having recovered his former power and vitality. As he gazed toward the Primordial Pass, he couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

In the Sea of Death beneath Primordial Pass...

...he vaguely sensed a powerful aura flash and disappear. It completely surpassed the Venerable Realm. 'The Primordial King must have broken through,' he thought.

'How long has it been?'

'Two months!'

'The Primordial King has already absorbed the Dao Source he exchanged for his battle merits, leaping from the Venerable Realm to the Great Venerable Realm. Such speed is truly unbelievable.'

"If he goes to the Sixth Celestial Pass, becoming a Celestial King probably won't be difficult for him either."

The Reincarnation Heavenly King sighed with emotion and retracted his gaze, deeply feeling the truth in the saying that comparisons are the thief of joy.

He was the inheritor of the Reincarnation Lineage.

He even possessed an Emperor's Weapon.

Across all the All Heavens and Myriad Realms, his talent and status were comparable to any Son of Revival from a Common Lord Power at the Great Venerable Realm.

But even so...

...it had taken him seven or eight years to advance to the Great Venerable Realm and earn the title of Celestial King!

But what the Reincarnation Heavenly King didn't know was...

...that two months ago...

...Wu Dao had merely possessed the battle power of a Venerable!

He wasn't even a true Venerable.

If he had known this, who knows how he would have reacted.

BUZZ—

Beneath Primordial Pass, deep within the Sea of Death.

In an endless trench.

The oppressive force of the Death Killing Qi Domain reached the Grand Venerable Level. An ordinary Great Venerable who came to this area would be instantly crushed into dust.

In the pure darkness...

...the even more sacred and fantastical Primordial Magnetic Tribulation Pathway Particle Creator Profound Daoist Essence converged, coalescing into Wu Dao's towering physique. The various phenomena that had unfolded in the domain also subsided into tranquility.

"The Dragon-slaying Battlefield, huh?"

After checking the new deployment zone on his Battle Merit Order, Wu Dao's expression remained impassive as he opened his attribute panel—

[Physique: Primordial Magnetism Path]

[Extraordinary: Essence Devouring: All Things, Initial Tribulation (129600/129600) +]

[Transverse Cultivation: Infinite Primordial Scripture - Holy Body Perfection First Step +]

[Divine Cultivation: Juntian Creation Scripture·Supreme Third Heaven +]

[Soul Cultivation: All Phenomena Divine Luo Scripture·Supreme Three Realms +]

[Divine Format: Primordial Lower-Rank Supreme God]

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

...

[Teleportation Points: ...]

Five thousand units of Great Venerable Dao Source!

It took him two months!

He had consumed less than a thousand!

All one hundred twenty-nine thousand, six hundred All Things Dao Veins of the Initial Tribulation had been forged, and his combat power data had jumped an entire major realm!

The attribute panel assessed him at the Venerable Realm.

But according to the Star Mother's comprehensive data assessment, Wu Dao's base combat power, in his sealed state, had already reached the Third Heaven of the Great Venerable Realm!

If he were to use his unleashed state...

...the Divine No Evil Lotus, the strongest power beneath the Divine Image Heaven...

Wu Dao's foundation reached a thousand grades!

The amplification from the Divine No Evil Lotus could boost this to a total of three thousand grades, and it acted directly on his Primordial Magnetism Dao Source!

In that state...

...his combat power would definitely surpass the Tenth Heaven of the Great Venerable Realm!

As for the Divine Image Heaven...

...Wu Dao had yet to test the current self-destruction threshold for his Initial Tribulation Yuan Magnetic Path particles, but he knew it would be even more monstrously powerful than the Divine No Evil Lotus.

'The Primordial Tribulation Path is complete. Next is the simple matter of cultivating it to perfection.'

Wu Dao's consciousness gazed at the Tree Diagram, at the densely packed one hundred twenty-nine thousand, six hundred Dao Veins beneath the three fundamental Extraordinary Dao Sources. From the perspective of a Creator, these Dao Veins were still mere children.

True perfection of the Initial Tribulation...

...would mean his realms on the attribute panel for the three fundamental Extraordinary Powers reached Venerable Perfection, which would translate to a combat power of Great Venerable Perfection.

Elsewhere...

...this might take a very long time.

But here in the Hongyuan Emperor's Road Shanhai Pass, with an ample supply of Five Tribulations Dao Source, his progress would advance by leaps and bounds.

BUZZ—

At this thought...

...Wu Dao's consciousness entered the Star Mother Origin Space located even deeper than the trench, where he allocated the remaining four thousand units of Great Venerable Dao Source.

He left only one thousand as an emergency reserve.

Then...

...he invested three thousand units of Five-Tribulation Hongyun Dao Source into the 3.0 Dao Wheel worlds, which were constantly exploiting and absorbing the Primordial Chaos Tribulation Path to accelerate the growth of the Primordial Magnetic Tribulation civilization.