The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2336: Descent (2)

"Even if he were a Formation Demon, in the end, he's merely at the Foundation Establishment stage. A mere brat who's only lived for twenty-odd years."

"Such apprehension feels like an overestimation of his capabilities..."

Mr. Tu scoffed, subsequently dismissing all his worries.

He had walked the earth for over a millennium. Throughout these countless years, he had donned a human guise, mingled with countless cultivators, and encountered every imaginable type of individual.

These individuals, whether deceived, exploited, or eliminated by him, ultimately served as mere "stepping stones" for his grand machinations.

Humans are instruments to be "utilized."

Once their utility wanes, they are cast aside or dispatched, fading into the annals of time, leaving no karmic residue behind.

This young scion named "Mo Hua" was no exception to this rule.

His "purpose" fulfilled, hence his "predestined end" had arrived.

A crimson light flared within Mr. Tu's gaze, blazing with unbridled ambition.

"It is time to prepare... for the 'God Invitation'..."

...

Qianxue State Boundary.

The fated day arrived with an unnerving inevitability, as it was always bound to.

True Man Situ's foresight proved remarkably accurate. From the moment he employed the Beidou Seven Stars Formation to divine the secrets of the heavens, to the unfolding of these present events, precisely fourteen days had elapsed.

During the initial seven days, the blood sacrifice ritual progressed at a glacial pace, even slower than before. Yet, in the ensuing seven days, it experienced a sudden, manifold acceleration, as if an unseen force was covertly hastening its course.

True Man Situ's expression remained as placid as a still lake.

He apprehended that the elusive, shadowy "puppeteer" orchestrating this intricate game might be more numerous than his initial estimations suggested.

Furthermore, from the blood-hued expanse overhead, he truly discerned that terrifying aura.

This was his...

"Death Tribulation."

True Man Situ released a profound, drawn-out sigh.

Those who delve into the arts of heavenly secrets, having glimpsed the profound truths of the world invisible to the common eye, understand the methods to seek fortune and evade misfortune, turning peril into safety. However, in doing so, they invariably expose heavenly secrets and disrupt the delicate tapestry of karmic causality.

With the passage of time, they invariably face the "retribution" of heavenly secrets, encountering "divine judgment" and a multitude of karmic trials.

Among all these tribulations, the most arduous to surmount is the "Death Tribulation," a trial concerning existence itself along the Great Dao.

Throughout his extended existence, True Man Situ had navigated numerous trials, yet most were successfully transmuted into safe passages. He even endured an encounter with Gui Tao's adherents without forfeiting his life or his Dao Heart, a testament to his extraordinary fortune.

And now, the Death Tribulation had finally materialized.

Prior to this moment, True Man Situ had also pondered the potential nature of his "Death Tribulation."

He harbored a spectrum of peculiar and unconventional conjectures.

Yet, he had never once foreseen that his Death Tribulation would manifest as an ascendant "Evil God."

He, a practitioner of Heavenly Mechanisms, compelled to confront an Evil God?

Under typical circumstances, True Man Situ would opt for self-annihilation, to meet his end by his own hand.

He had lived a life, now frail and aged, yearning only for a peaceful existence and a tranquil demise.

Should he fall into the clutches of an Evil God, all existence transforms into "unfathomable horror."

He might genuinely experience a state where existence is rendered infinitely worse than death itself.

But there was no alternative; the genesis of the Evil God lay within the Fifth Grade Qianxue State Boundary, jeopardizing the lives of millions of cultivators. The stakes were simply too immense.

Since this grave matter had fallen upon his shoulders, True Man Situ recognized the necessity of steeling himself and confronting the challenge.

He had meticulously woven the threads of karma, and by leveraging his insight into heavenly secrets, his lifelong practice of transforming peril into fortune had yielded significant advantages. Now that heavenly secrets imposed a "crushing burden" upon him, he possessed no recourse to refuse.

Even if it meant the forfeiture of his life, that would represent the most honorable conclusion.

To act selfishly and cowardly, defying the will of heavenly secrets by shirking this responsibility, would undoubtedly lead to a fate far more dreadful than mere "death."

The Heavenly Dao bestows its gifts, yet it also demands its due. Every boon carries an inherent cost.

This is the immutable law of heavenly secrets, the inescapable nature of karma.

True Man Situ commenced preparations for the impending "Great Dream Heavenly Lead" ceremony and conferred with a council of Heaven Void Ancestors, stating:

"At precisely 10 p.m. tonight, I shall utilize the Mystic Sky Beidou Seven Stars Formation to imbue and activate the treasured artifact of Mystery Valley, thereby forging a celestial connection between mother and son, and plunging into the Evil God's nightmare."

"Those selected for the perilous task of entering the dream to 'slay the god' have also been duly appointed."

"However, this is far from sufficient. When the primary 'God Invitation' ritual commences and we are plunged into the dreamscape, the minions of the Evil God will inevitably attempt to obstruct us. Therefore, at 10 p.m., I implore all the Heaven Void Ancestors to command the Sect's cultivators to launch an all-out assault on the Blood Sacrifice Array."

"This offensive will not only exert pressure on the Evil Demon but also maximize the destruction of the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Formation, thereby delaying the Evil God's descent."

"The outcome of this entire endeavor hinges on this very moment..."

True Man Situ declared, his voice resonating with gravity.

There was an additional, unspoken thought lingering in his mind:

"Our very lives, the fate of the entire Qianxue State Boundary, and perhaps even the whole of Qian State, rests upon this battle."

Should this 'God-slaying' confrontation end in defeat, the future for countless cultivators across the entirety of Qian State would be plunged into dire uncertainty.

True Man Situ's visage was etched with grim determination.

The assembled Heaven Void Ancestors mirrored his solemnity, their gazes heavy with the weight of the situation.

They had begun to grasp the intricacies of Young Master Tu’s strategy. It was akin to a general’s calculated gambit on a chessboard, and they, the Ancestors of the Fifth Grade Heaven Void, found themselves powerless to evade or abstain from their roles.

Their aristocratic lineages and Sect foundations were inextricably bound to this conflict.

These very foundations were the culmination of generations of ancestral sacrifices, spanning hundreds, thousands, and even tens of thousands of years.

To abandon them was an unthinkable betrayal, an impossibility they could not entertain.

Furthermore, the vast majority of Heaven Void's cultivation practices demanded substantial forces to sustain their deep-rooted inheritance, along with the essential resources and Spirit Stones for their progression.

To forsake their foundations was tantamount to severing their own path on the Dao.

Young Master Tu’s Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Formation represented an 'open scheme,' a trap laid bare.

These Heaven Void Ancestors were left with no alternative but to confront Young Master Tu’s 'stratagem' head-on.