Chapter 70: The Three Lives Stone and a Glimpse of Catastrophe

The Bi Fang’s nest was even more unassuming and plain than anyone had imagined.

It was simply a colossal cave, nestled on a small island in the heart of a lava lake. A few charred, coal-black stalactites hung from its entrance, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of sulfur mingled with the smell of burnt meat.

Inside, the cave was utterly devoid of furnishings, with nothing but bare walls. Aside from scattered, scorched bones and some glittering but utterly useless minerals, not a single valuable item could be found.

“Is this it?” Shen Zhaoqing kicked aside a skull, unsure what creature it belonged to, her face etched with disdain. “This Soul Transformation Realm great demon has truly fallen so low, hasn’t she? Not even a decent piece of furniture. Terrible reviews!”

Gu Chang’an, who was walking ahead, turned to glare at her, though a faint twitch played at the corner of her lips. Her chest wound had been hastily treated, temporarily sealed with spiritual energy, but her complexion remained as pale as parchment.

Ling Shuangjue, in contrast, surveyed her surroundings with the relaxed air of someone strolling through their own garden. She offered no comment on the harsh environment, yet her gaze occasionally lingered on Shen Zhaoqing, a hint of inquiry in her eyes.

During the previous battle, the performance of this ‘little waste’ had far exceeded her expectations.

Such precise foresight of the battlefield was even more astonishing than that of the Heavenly Derivation Pavilion’s most skilled diviners. Could this, then, be another ability of the ‘Dao Source Body’?

The three of them walked in silence to the deepest part of the cave.

According to the map’s guidance, the so-called “Three Lives Stone fragment” was supposed to be located here.

Yet, the sight before them left everyone stunned.

At the cave’s end, there was no ancient treasure radiating brilliant light.

Instead, a plain, half-human-tall black stone stood silently, its surface covered in irregular cracks. This was the only object present.

Such a thing, if tossed by the roadside, would likely go unnoticed.

“This is it? The Three Lives Stone?” Shen Zhaoqing was dumbfounded. “Are those charlatans from the Heavenly Derivation Pavilion blind? They consider *this* a treasure?”

She instinctively took two steps forward, intending to get a closer look at what mysteries this ‘broken stone’ might hold.

However, the instant her foot crossed the three-foot threshold in front of the stone—

*Buzz!*

A soft hum, as if echoing from primordial antiquity, resounded through the cave without warning!

The unremarkable black stone seemed to spring to life. Ten thousand soft white lights abruptly illuminated the cracks on its surface.

The radiance was not dazzling, yet it possessed a power that seemed to penetrate the very soul.

Immediately after, a colossal light screen projected from above the stone, slowly unfurling in mid-air to form an incredibly clear, dynamic image.

The scene depicted an endless, dark void.

A figure, dressed in white robes as pristine as snow and exuding unparalleled grace, sat cross-legged within the void. Around her, demonic energy and spiritual energy intertwined, forming a magnificent sea of blood-red roses.

It was Ling Shuangjue!

However, the Ling Shuangjue in the image appeared sharper, and more… complete, than she was now.

This was her at her peak, before her tribulation.

“This is…” Gu Chang’an’s pupils constricted.

Shen Zhaoqing was utterly captivated. It was the first time she had witnessed Ling Shuangjue wielding her full power in such a manner. That aura of ruling the world, of looking down upon all beings, was truly soul-stirring.

Just then, at the edge of the void, the heavens and earth changed color.

A gigantic, indescribably vast tribulation cloud began to furiously gather. The cloud was as black as ink, yet within it pulsed violet-blue lightning. Each bolt of lightning contained terrifying power capable of tearing space apart and annihilating all creation.

Heavenly Tribulation! It was the ascension tribulation that made all cultivators tremble with fear!

“Boom—!!!”

The first divine lightning bolt, like a purple celestial dragon, roared as it ripped through the darkness and struck down.

The Ling Shuangjue in the image abruptly opened her eyes.

“Excellent!” There was no fear in those blood-red pupils, only boundless battle intent and pride.

She let out a long cry, her figure soaring skyward. The Abyssal Slaughter Sword in her hand transformed into a blood-red rainbow that pierced through heaven and earth, actively meeting the divine lightning.

The clash of sword and lightning caused the entire void to tremble violently.

The second, third, fourth… Each divine lightning bolt was stronger than the last, descending one after another. Yet, Ling Shuangjue’s figure remained like a reef amidst a raging sea; no matter how turbulent the waves, she stood firm.

Her white robes were scorched and tattered by the lightning, and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes grew increasingly bright, increasingly frenzied.

As long as she overcame this nine-layered heavenly tribulation, she would break free from this celestial cage and become the first true ascendant in ten thousand years of the Xuanwei Era.

However, just as the crucial ninth divine lightning bolt was about to fully condense, an exceedingly faint and concealed starlight, its origin unknown, merged into the surging tribulation cloud like a phantom.

That wisp of starlight was so minuscule; compared to the world-destroying heavenly tribulation, it was but a drop in the ocean.

Had this projection stone not reproduced the scene with absolute clarity, down to the minutest detail, even the person undergoing the tribulation might not have noticed this anomaly.

Yet, this seemingly insignificant wisp of starlight brought about a catastrophic change.

*Buzz—*

The ninth layer of tribulation cloud, which had been gathering its power, suddenly paused.

The next moment, the entire tribulation cloud seemed to have been injected with a catalyst, expanding, compressing, and re-expanding at a supernaturally rapid pace.

The color of the tribulation cloud swiftly changed from its original violet-blue to a lifeless, deathly gray.

A “slaughter” intent, devoid of any life, emanated from the tribulation cloud, sending a shiver through the very souls of Shen Zhaoqing and Gu Chang’an as they watched the projection!

Ling Shuangjue watched the image of her past self in silence, her face so grim it looked as if water might drip from it.

“Hmph,” she scoffed softly.

“This… the power of the heavenly tribulation…” Gu Chang’an exclaimed in shock. “How could it have increased so much?!”

“More than ‘so much’!” Although Shen Zhaoqing’s cultivation was low, her eyesight was sharp. The energy contained within that tribulation cloud was more than ten times stronger than before!

This was no longer a test; it was pure annihilation. The Heavenly Dao had clearly no intention of letting anyone survive.

In the image, Ling Shuangjue’s expression changed for the first time. She had clearly sensed that something was amiss, but with the arrow already nocked, she had no choice but to release it.

“Break—!!!”

She burned all her vital blood and demonic energy, pouring her lifelong cultivation into the Abyssal Slaughter Sword, unleashing her strongest and most resolute strike.

The blood-red sword light collided with that deathly gray, annihilating divine lightning.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a deadly silent annihilation.

The blood-light shattered inch by inch.

Ling Shuangjue’s figure plummeted from high in the sky like a kite with its string cut. Her demonic body was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and her divine soul was almost shattered on the spot by that single blow.

She had failed.

She had fallen short at the cusp of success, just one step away from victory.

As for the culprit starlight, having completed its mission, the image revealed its ultimate source: an ancient bronze disc, intricately engraved with the trajectories of stars.

The Heavenly Derivation Pavilion’s supreme treasure, the Heavenly Mechanism Plate.

The projection ended there.

The light screen slowly dissipated, and the cave once again returned to its dim state.