Chapter 444: Karma That Even Immortals Cannot Bend, At Least An Immortal Emperor

The battlefield had become a living hell.

Countless beings perished beneath the overwhelming pressure descending from the heavens, their bodies and souls disintegrating before they could even comprehend what had happened.

The Lower Realm’s ancient powerhouses fell one after another.

The Guardian Deity of Dragon King Temple, the Supreme Bodhisattva, the Silver Stream Sword Immortal, and many others, these were beings who had survived countless calamities, witnessed the rise and fall of innumerable generations, and stood at the pinnacle of the Lower Realm for millions of years.

Yet now, they had perished just like that.

Their deaths were so sudden that countless cultivators could hardly believe what they had witnessed.

Some stared blankly at the heavens, others trembled uncontrollably, and some could no longer muster even the slightest trace of fighting spirit.

What meaning did resistance have when even Vagrant Immortals could be killed so effortlessly?

What meaning did protecting their sects, families, and descendants have when the entire world could be destroyed with a single thought from an existence above them?

The Lightning Tribulation Divine Deity had not even made a move, and the entire Second Great Mortal World was already on the verge of collapse.

Was this the difference between a Heaven Immortal and a Vagrant Immortal?

No, it was far more than just that.

Even among Heaven Immortals, the difference between an ordinary cultivator and the head disciple of the Thunder God Palace was enormous.

His foundation was too profound, his Dao was too terrifying, and his understanding of the worldly laws had reached an incomprehensible level.

And behind him stood one of the supreme Dao lineages of the Upper Realm.

How could the Lower Realm possibly resist such a force?

Zhu Dong stood silently in the void, his gaze sweeping across the devastated battlefield.

Another ancient Vagrant Immortal had fallen.

Every death caused the corners of his eyes to twitch slightly.

He was once called the Myriad Paths Divine King, an Immortal Sovereign who had stood above countless beings, whose name had once shaken the heavens and whose Divine Powers were sufficient to suppress entire realms.

He had witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, fought against supreme enemies, and experienced countless life or death situations.

But even he had never imagined that the Lower Realm would face such a catastrophe.

The Lightning Tribulation Divine Deity was simply too powerful for his current self, and this was merely one of the beings participating in the Cleansing.

What about the others?

What about the supreme Dao lineages that he said were behind the Cleansing?

Zhu Dong slowly closed his eyes, a decision emerging within his heart.

It seems that I have no choice.

He had originally intended to preserve his remaining trump cards.

After all, it had only been around a thousand years since his reincarnation, and his current cultivation base was too weak to mobilize his trump cards, carrying immense danger.

But now, the entire Lower Realm was being destroyed, and he happened to be a Lower Realm being right now.

Although he had only been here for a thousand years, he still knew many people who were supposed to go much further fighting, dying, and the world he reincarnated into, his world, was collapsing.

How could that immensely prideful Myriad Paths Divine King accept this?

He dared to call himself a King while being a mere Sovereign, so how could he bow down to just a Cleansing?

Zhu Dong slowly opened his eyes, a trace of determination appearing within them.

Since it has already come to this...

Then let’s do it.

His consciousness sank into the depths of his Essence Soul.

Within that vast, damaged soul, countless fragments of his former existence remained hidden.

Among them was a single drop of bright blood, like a primordial star flickering in the solitary night sky.

It was tiny, no larger than a grain of sand, yet its surface shimmered with countless Dao rhymes and Dharma charms, each one containing profound mysteries that ordinary Immortals could not comprehend.

Even in its dormant state, it possessed a terrifying aura.

This was his Essence Soul Blood, a remnant of his former peak, and the final trump card that he had preserved even through reincarnation.

As long as he could activate it, he could temporarily recover his peak former strength.

The power of the Immortal Sovereign contained within that single drop should be enough to change the current situation and break the deadlock.

Zhu Dong’s consciousness approached the drop of blood, drilling into it as he attempted to activate it.

However, the next moment, his expression froze.

The Essence Soul Blood still shimmered with that bright aura, yet nothing happened.

He tried again, but the result was the same as before.

The drop of Essence Soul Blood remained motionless, its countless Dao rhymes and Dharma charms shining faintly as if nothing had happened.

Zhu Dong’s pupils contracted sharply.

What?

He had personally refined this drop, and it belonged to him on the deepest level of existence, connected to his Essence Soul.

Even if his current cultivation was far weaker than before, there should have been no reason for him to be unable to mobilize it.

Unless something far beyond him was preventing him from doing so.

Zhu Dong’s consciousness surged, attempting to forcefully activate the drop of blood.

Yet the moment his will approached it, an invisible fluctuation swept through his Essence Soul.

*Buzz!*

His consciousness was instantly repelled, causing Zhu Dong’s to expression change drastically.

For the first time since he awakened in the body of this young man named Zhu Dong, genuine horror appeared within the eyes of the Myriad Paths Divine King.

"Impossible..."

He whispered softly, his voice shaking.

He had never encountered such a situation before.

Even when he had been severely injured in his previous life, he could still activate his Essence Soul Blood.

Even when his physical body was destroyed and Essence Soul damaged, he could still use it and draw upon its power.

Yet now, he could not even awaken a single drop.

It was as if an invisible hand had reached into the depths of his existence and forbidden him from accessing his own power.

Zhu Dong slowly raised his head, his gaze falling upon the Lightning Tribulation Divine Deity.

A terrible suspicion emerged within his heart.

Two figures appeared beside him simultaneously.

They were Tian Yun and Su Yanlan, both having noticed the sudden change in his expression.

Tian Yun furrowed his brows slightly.

"What happened?"

Zhu Dong did not answer immediately, his expression extremely complicated.

He had already tried several times, but every attempt had ended in failure.

There was no mistake; something was restricting him.

Su Yanlan also looked at him with her cold, crimson eyes.

"What did you discover?"

Zhu Dong took a deep breath before speaking with difficulty.

"I cannot mobilize my Essence Soul Blood."

The instant those words fell, Tian Yun’s expression shifted as Su Yanlan’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

Neither of them questioned him further, understanding the significance of those words.

Essence Blood was condensed from the deepest foundation of a living being’s physical body.

It was also known as lifeblood, and every drop contained an enormous amount of vitality and power, making it extraordinarily precious to all living beings.

However, Essence Blood and Essence Soul Blood were fundamentally different.

For Immortals who had reached the Immortal Sovereign Realm or above, it was possible to refine their Essence Blood within their Essence Souls.

Through countless years of cultivation and nourishment, the Essence Blood would gradually undergo a transformation, becoming something far more profound.

It was the Essence Soul Blood, and it contained the power of one’s former peak.

Its quantity varied from person to person, but most beings could refine a maximum of nine drops at once. Each drop was extraordinarily precious.

Once activated, an Immortal could temporarily recover their former strength, allowing them to unleash power far beyond their current cultivation.

It was a trump card capable of changing the outcome of battles involving the highest levels of existence in the Great World.

However, it also carried a price.

Essence Soul Blood contained not only power, it also contained karma, fate, and the traces of one’s former existence.

Using it meant reconnecting with the countless causal relationships associated with that power.

For a reincarnated being who wished to conceal their identity, this could be extremely dangerous.

If they used the Essence Soul Blood, their former enemies might discover them, their old karma might awaken, and even supreme existences who had long since forgotten their names might once again turn their attention towards them.

Nevertheless, in a situation such as the current Cleansing, Essence Soul Blood was invaluable.

But now, Zhu Dong could not use it.

Tian Yun stared at him for several breaths of time before asking.

"Have you tried again?"

Zhu Dong nodded, his expression becoming increasingly grim.

"More than once, but there is no response whatsoever. It is as if something has forbidden me from activating it."

Tian Yun fell silent.

Su Yanlan closed her eyes, her consciousness descending into the depths of her own Essence Soul as she carefully inspected her foundation.

A few instances later, her eyes opened, becoming a few shades colder

"I cannot use mine either."

For a moment, Zhu Dong almost thought he had misheard her.

He turned his head abruptly.

"What did you say?"

Su Yanlan’s voice remained calm as she responded.

"My Essence Soul Blood is also restricted."

Zhu Dong’s expression fell completely.

Two beings, two former supreme existences, both of whom had once stood at the summit of the Great World.

And now, both were unable to activate their Essence Soul Blood.

Tian Yun remained silent.

He had no Essence Soul Blood remaining from his previous life, so there was nothing for him to test, but that did not make the situation any less serious.

In fact, it made it even more mysterious.

Why would the Essence Soul Blood of two supreme reincarnators be restricted simultaneously?

Was it the Lightning Tribulation Divine Deity?

No, that was impossible.

Even if he possessed extraordinary Divine Powers, he was still merely a Heaven Immortal.

He could not possibly suppress the trump cards left behind by two beings who had once reached the summit of the Great World.

Then... who was responsible?

Zhu Dong’s expression gradually became grave.

An idea emerged within his mind, an idea so terrifying that even he hesitated to voice it.

Finally, he slowly spoke.

"Unless... this is related to the Cleansing itself."

Tian Yun’s eyes narrowed and Su Yanlan’s crimson eyes flickered, clearly having guessed what he was about to say next.

Zhu Dong looked towards the devastated Mortal World.

"The power of karma."

His voice was extremely low, but it was not because he was afraid the others would listen in.

Most people wouldn’t even know what they were discussing about, and he genuinely did not care if the Lightning Tribulation Divine Deity knew.

"The Cleansing is an event with karma that has already become intertwined with countless lives, countless worlds, and even the greater Heavenly Karmic Cycle."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"And if my deduction is correct, the being responsible for this Cleansing has connected their own karma to the entire event."

The surrounding void seemed to grow colder at his words, but Zhu Dong continued anyways.

"My Essence Soul Blood contains the power of my former peak. If I activate it, I will temporarily regain that strength, but that power comes with its own karma and fate."

He clenched his fists.

"If the Cleansing’s karma is sufficiently profound, then anyone whose status falls beneath that of the being who established this connection might be unable to interfere through their former power."

Tian Yun’s eyes stirred with ripples while Su Yanlan remained silent.

Zhu Dong’s voice became increasingly grave as he looked up towards the heavens.

"In other words, the moment we attempt to use our former strength against the Cleansing, something prevents us from doing so because our power is being restricted by karma."

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then, Zhu Dong slowly exhaled.

"Do you understand what this means?"

Tian Yun’s gaze became profound.

Su Yanlan’s blood colored spear trembled faintly.

Zhu Dong finally uttered the conclusion.

"This is not something that can be accomplished by just a King."

His expression turned incomparably grave as he uttered the last sentence.

"Whoever is behind the Cleansing...is at least an Immortal Emperor!"