Chapter 17

"Boom—" A surging power erupted from the two gears, which trembled and stopped turning. A phantom gateway appeared in the void, embodying a terrifying and sinister will.

Lu Shaoyou was greatly alarmed. This terrifying power was absolutely not something an ordinary cultivator could wield! Lu Shaoyou did not dare to be careless; ancient scriptures thundered throughout his body, and a mysterious force from the unknown world was bestowed upon him. A divine light faintly shone from his forehead, as if a phantom deity was seated within him, chanting hymns of praise, causing the gears to tremble slightly.

Far away, Old Wei was terrified. This mystical combat technique he had discovered in an ancient ruin, though only a fragment, was still earth-shattering. According to the records, it was left by a great being from ancient times. At that time, his cultivation was too low, so he did not dare to delve deep into the ancient ruin and could only linger at the outermost edge. Even so, he almost died, which is why he ended up in his current half-human, half-ghost state.

Usually, whenever Old Wei used this technique—Netherworld Life and Death—anyone below the Foundation Establishment stage would die without fail, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators would suffer severe injuries. Now, seeing that Lu Shaoyou's technique seemed to counter his, Old Wei was almost terrified to death. He turned and glared at Lu Shaoyou, then a demonic wind enveloped his body, lifting the unconscious Yingwen from the ground. He transformed into a black, sky-piercing rainbow and fled.

At this moment, Lu Shaoyou was no longer concerned about the fleeing Old Wei and Yingwen, as he felt a sense of being locked onto. The void gateway seemed to have consciousness. Lu Shaoyou stood still in the void, his demonic essence surging, ready to face the gateway.

"Hum—" The void gateway trembled, and as the door opened a crack, a surging yin energy burst out, emitting a pungent, putrid smell that seemed to corrode everything. Just a whiff made Lu Shaoyou's soul tremble, almost collapsing! Fortunately, the mysterious stone tablet promptly released a faint light, preserving his soul.

"Damn, none of these guys are simple," Lu Shaoyou's thoughts raced, dozens of ideas flashing through his mind, each calculated and then rejected. "The best course of action now is to wait and see. If I can survive this tribulation, I will definitely kill those two bastards and obtain Old Wei's technique; otherwise, it would be too much of a loss!"

"Boom—" A thunderous roar echoed as the door finally opened, and a hundred times more intense yin energy surged out. Anything the gas touched was instantly corroded into dust. Lu Shaoyou's eyes narrowed, and before he could react, a phantom river burst from the gateway, like a celestial river falling from the heavens, at least several thousand feet long! A terrifying wave of energy surged from the river, which, though phantom, felt real to Lu Shaoyou. Earth-colored waves rushed from the gateway like a yellow dragon, heading straight for him.

A terrifying sound wave, carrying a putrid and decaying aura, rushed toward Lu Shaoyou. In an instant, Lu Shaoyou made a decisive decision, stepping the Eight Steps of Heaven, his ancient scriptures reaching their peak, thundering like celestial drums. The yellow gas surrounding him was dispelled, and he retreated hundreds of feet to narrowly avoid the first wave of attack.

Lu Shaoyou was almost terrified to death. If this technique was called Netherworld Life and Death, could this yellow water actually be Netherworld water?! And this was just a phantom version! If real Netherworld water were summoned, how powerful would it be?! Probably a million of him would be instantly killed!

Before Lu Shaoyou could continue his shock, the phantom Netherworld water seemed to lock onto him and rushed at him again.

Lu Shaoyou's hair stood on end, his body as still as a bell, and he activated the "Vajra Immovable Wisdom King Zen" technique, silently chanting, "Vajra Jiedi, Bodhi fruit, Subhuti! Immovable, immovable, the true body without leakage! The Wisdom King is immovable, the Vajra is indestructible!" As the mantras flowed through his mind, Lu Shaoyou felt this technique could calm his mind.

"Who would have thought that a demon would possess this Buddhist technique. There must be something to it." However, this was not the time to ponder. Lu Shaoyou's body emitted a faint golden light, a faint sacred aura and a faint sound of Buddhist chants emanated from behind him, making his shadow slightly more solid. The rolling yellow water rushed toward him, and Lu Shaoyou was highly focused, knowing this was the decisive moment!

Whoosh—waves of water flowed past Lu Shaoyou.

Sinister ghostly howls brushed past his ears, but Lu Shaoyou remained as still as a bell, sitting in the center, allowing the Netherworld water to wash over him. The faint golden light on his body gradually turned to a dark gold. Sweat rolled down his forehead, this was a critical moment! Even with the Buddhist technique, he felt he could barely hold on. A strong desire for survival surged in Lu Shaoyou's heart, to become stronger! To survive this deadly technique, the only feasible method was to break through! Only by breaking through could he further unleash the power of the "Vajra Immovable Wisdom King Zen"!

After a moment.

Lu Shaoyou, drenched in sweat, fell to the ground, lying there heavily. Even with the Buddhist technique, it was not enough, and his cultivation was too low! He could barely save his life, and although it was just a moment, it felt like an eternity. Lu Shaoyou flipped his hands, and various heavenly treasures from his storage ring flew out.

"These spiritual medicines, burn them all, and infuse all their essence into me! Help me break through to the Seventh Stage of Qi Cultivation!" Lu Shaoyou roared inwardly, grabbing a handful of spiritual medicines and swallowing them. "This time, I have to force a breakthrough! Otherwise, I will die!"

"Divine freedom, immovable as a bell! ... Profound and mysterious, the gate of all wonders! Open for me!" Lu Shaoyou saw a mysterious door before him and roared, his essence energy surging with his will, crashing into the door.

"Crack" It sounded like something breaking, and Lu Shaoyou felt a surge of comfort, a mysterious and indescribable sensation. "Is this the feeling of breaking through barriers? Indeed, it is very comfortable. No wonder those Taoists abandon their families and choose to accompany withered trees to old age, all for the sake of cultivation. It is truly beyond the understanding of the secular world!"

Ding—Lu Shaoyou opened his eyes, like a Buddha emerging from meditation. What kind of eyes were they?

Wisdom, courage, decisiveness, extraordinary... Lu Shaoyou's eyes were like a starry sky, endlessly rotating, drawing one in if not careful.

"Immovable, immovable, the true body without leakage! The Wisdom King is immovable, the Vajra is indestructible!" Lu Shaoyou chanted, his body radiating a light of wisdom, as if he had attained enlightenment. The dark golden true body, like a golden glass, stood firmly in the Netherworld water!