The soul sublimation and spiritual sense explosion from the shattering of the Ten Thousand Manifestations Heart Demon Tribulation had yet to fully settle when the suffocating pressure of heaven and earth suddenly shifted once more! It was no longer the insidious erosion targeting his soul, nor theviolent energy assault, but transformed into something infinitely more profound, more essential—decay and extinction itself, as if originating from the ultimate destination of the universe!
In the heart of the tribulation clouds spanning ten thousand li, the rotating darkness seemed to become a vortex leading toward the end of all creation. An intangible yet soul-deep terrifying force spread like a silent tide, ignoring all physical and energy defenses, directly striking the very root of Tang Xiaoqi's life force!
The third tribulation: Heavenly Decay! This was a trial at the level of natural laws, directly targeting the foundations of existence itself, testing whether the cultivator could transcend life's inherent cycle, seeking rebirth within extinction and proving immortality within decay!
Xiao Qi hovered mid-air, his exuberant vitality and flawless aura that had just flared after overcoming the heart demon tribulation, suddenly froze as if doused with invisible ice water.
First to manifest was the "Decay of the Physical Body."
He felt his newborn flesh—tempered through countless refinements by the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder and now approaching an indestructible state—suddenly experience millennia of erosion in an instant. His skin lost its luster at visible speed, becoming slack and withered, even developing fine wrinkles like tree rings. His strong muscles began to atrophy, his bones emitted unbearable creaking sounds, as if ready to decay at any moment. An indescribable exhaustion and weakness surged from the depths of his limbs, nearly preventing him from maintaining his flying posture, his form swaying precariously.
Next came "Decay of Spiritual Power."
Within his dantian, the vast sea-like, ever-flowing Nascent Soul peak spiritual power suddenly encountered an invisible dam. Its circulation became extremely sluggish and slow. The spiritual power itself seemed to have lost its vitality, becoming turbid and dim, even beginning to uncontrollably dissipate outward through his pores like a punctured air sack. He tried to mobilize his spiritual power, only to find the response pathetically weak, as if this cultivation was departing from him.
The third decay, "Decay of the Divine Soul," arrived in succession.
His divine soul—which had just swelled after breaking through the heart demon, becoming crystal-clear and flawless—now seemed covered by a thick layer of dust. Thinking became sluggish, memories began to blur, even maintaining his Dao heart felt impossibly difficult. A soul-deep weariness, as if wanting to sink into eternal sleep, never to awaken again. Perception of the outside world also became blurred—Mu Xue's anxious face, the radiance of the sect-protecting great formation, all seemedseparated by a layer of frosted glass, distant and unreal.
The fourth decay, "Decay of Magic Treasures," descended mercilessly.
The Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword—which he had been gripping as an important reliance—let out a mournful cry. The Southern Ming Departing Fire burning fiercely on the blade became like a dying flame in the wind, flickering uncertainly. The nimble dragon and phoenix patterns dimmed, the sword body itself even beginning to show fine rust-like spots—its spiritual nature was rapidly draining! This quasi-immortal artifact connected to him through divine sense seemed destined to meet its end under this decay force.
The final decay: "Decay of Lifespan!"
This was an even more direct, more terrifying feeling. Xiao Qi clearly "heard" the "sound" of his life force rapidly draining, as if an invisible hourglass was frantically pouring out above his head. His hair began to turn gray-white, withered, even falling out. A sense of impending doom—that everything was ending—coiled around his heart like an icy venomous snake.
All five decays arrived simultaneously!
The physical body decayed, spiritual power scattered, divine soul was covered in dust, magic treasures lost their efficacy, lifespan was about to end!
This was more terrifying than any direct attack! It did not destroy you from outside, but caused you—from within, from the very essence of life and existence—to self-destruct!
Everyone guarding outside could clearly see the terrifying changes occurring on Xiao Qi. Watching him transform from a peak powerhouse with grand momentum into an ordinary elderly person on their last legs in just a few breaths! The pervasive aura of decay and death made everyone who sensed it shudder with cold.
"Heavenly Decay! It's actually this tribulation!" Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng's face changed dramatically, his voice carrying a tremor. This tribulation had only scattered records in ancient texts, one of the most dangerous checkpoints in the Spirit Transformation heavenly tribulation. Countless brilliant talents had fallen at this stage—not from external force, but from their own "exhaustion"!
Mu Xue bit her lower lip hard, her ice-blue eyes filled with unconcealable panic and heartache, but she knew that any external interference at this moment would only accelerate Xiaoqi's demise.
Xiaoqi's consciousness—under the erosion of the five decays—fluttered like a candle flame in the wind, on the verge of extinguishing. His cultivation-hardened protective Dao heart seemed pale and powerless against this decay originating from the very root of life.
Give up? Sink into oblivion, return to eternal extinction?
No!
At the edge of that abyss of despair, a tiny spark re-lit from the deepest depths of his nearly exhausted dantian.
It was the World-Cleansing Azure Lotus Origin—long since deeply integrated with his Dao path and life!
It did not emit grand energy, but flowed with a warm, peaceful intention containing endless vitality that transcended life and death, that ran through all things—the meaning of endless rebirth!
"Destruction... is not the end... Within extinction lies newborn life..." An enlightenment like lightning struck his sluggish thoughts.
He recalled the Southern Frontier rainforest—how after thunderstorms ravaged the land, all things did not completely perish, but under the nourishment of rain, burst forth with even more vigorous life!
He recalled his own multiple near-death experiences—how each time he faced the brink of despair, as long as his Dao heart did not extinguish, he always broke through and became stronger!
Birth, death, withering, flourishing—these are part of the universe's cycle! Heavenly Decay is a law, a process, but absolutely not an absolute end that cannot be transcended!
"My Dao is protection! What I protect is all the 'vitality' of this world! How can I bow before this law of extinction!"
An unyielding will—mixed with the endless vitality Dao resonance of the Azure Lotus Origin—began to ignite like sparks from a prairie fire within his decaying body and divine soul!
He no longer tried to resist the omnipresent decay force, because resistance itself meant acknowledging its absoluteness. He chose to integrate, guide, transform!
Using the Azure Lotus Origin as the core, he treated the decay force eroding his physical body as an ultimate "precipitation," guiding it to refine the deepest impurities of his flesh. He treated the scattered spiritual power as a return to primordial "chaos," using the lotus as a guide, attempting to reconstruct a purer form closer to the origin. He treated the dust-covered divine soul as a rare "silence"—in extreme stillness, perceiving the true meaning of life beyond appearances. He even treated the decay of treasures and lifespan as a chance for "returning to simplicity and truth"!
This was an extremely dangerous process, like walking a tightrope over an abyss. A moment's carelessness would result in complete assimilation by decay, absolute destruction beyond redemption.
But his protective Dao heart played a crucial role at this moment. That flawless, truth-seeing will became the lighthouse guiding this "dying to live" process, firmly anchoring that point of undying vitality!
To outsiders, Xiaoqi's body became even more withered, his aura so faint it could barely be sensed, as if he would turn to dust the next moment. The radiance on the Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword also completely extinguished, like mortal iron.
However, Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng, Mu Xue, and others of profound cultivation—keenlysensed—within that extreme death and decay, a force even purer, more restrained, as if containing the first spark of life from the beginning of heaven and earth, was quietly gestating!
Time passed—perhaps an instant, perhaps eternity.
When the decay force reached a certain critical point—
"hum..."
A barely audible—yet seeming to resound through the soul—light chime rang out from within Xiaoqi's body, like withered wood.
On his withered skin, a point of jade-like warmth, containing infinite vitality and the Dao resonance of purification, suddenly lit up! Like igniting the first lamp in boundless darkness!
Then, the second point, third point... countless points of azure light lit up in succession, eventually connecting into one expanse!
His decayed physical body—under the flow of this azure light—like withered wood meeting spring, regained fullness and luster once more, radiating a purer luster, closer to the innate Dao body than before!
The scattered spiritual power was recondensed, transforming into even purer liquid energy with a hint of chaotic hue, surging through brand-new meridians!
The dust-covered divine soul was cleansed anew, becoming unprecedentedly transparent and powerful—spiritual sense range and precision surged!
The Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword let out a joyful clear cry, the "rust spots" on the blade flaking away, the Southern Ming Departing Fire rekindled, and within the flames, a touch of endless rebirth Nirvana True Meaning was added—its quality seemed to have improved once more!
The drained lifespan—as if forcibly reversed—gray-white hair turning black and lustrous once more,overwhelming vitality like a tide returning!
Heavenly Decay—OVERCOME!
Not by resisting with force, but by supreme Dao heart and Azure Lotus Origin, performing the act of "dying to live," at the extremity of extinction and decay, penetrating the cycle of life and death, restoring infinite vitality!
Xiao Qi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seeming to have azure lotuses blooming within, life and death revolving. His aura had completely transcended the realm of Nascent Soul, stepping into a mysterious and unprecedented new realm!
The third tribulation—SHATTERED!
Yet, the tribulation clouds in the sky had not dispersed, but instead began to emanate an even grander pressure, closer to the very origin of "the Dao."
The final trial of the heart—the Dao inquiry—was about to descend!