Chapter 529: The Divine Cataclysm
Within the bamboo grove, Lu Heng shook his head, yet he didn't stay to cultivate or refine the peach fruits, despite the fact that refining them here would yield twice the result with half the effort.
For him at this moment, the decisive battle is imminent, even if the speed of refining the peach fruits here far exceeds that of the outside world, it is still too late.
A blazing white lightning flashed out of the bamboo grove, heading straight towards the outskirts of the small world.
Plunged into the void chaos of the Eternal Pure Land.
What appeared before Lu Heng's eyes were vast and resplendent celestial stars.
Among those celestial stars, each sparkling star represents a vast miniature world. Within each miniature world, resides a top-tier cultivator of the seven realms.
The expansive sea of stars, how many top-tier cultivators of the seven realms are truly hidden within it… Just contemplating this fact, even in the slightest, fills his heart with despair.
In comparison to the incessantly annihilating Celestial Desolation Realm, the power and foundation accumulated by cultivators of the seven realms in these endless ages is truly formidable.
To a degree so mighty that it induces a feeling of powerless despair.
Within the boundless expanse of the starry sea, Lu Heng, dressed in white robes, let out a faint sigh.
Later, he swiftly composed himself and transformed into an ethereal streak of fleeing light, soaring deep into the starry sea.
With Lu Heng's unique mastery of the Way of Heavenly Thunder and his profound attainments in the art of concealing his aura, he now travels seamlessly within the enigmatic core of the Eternal Pure Land, traversing through the seven realms unnoticed by any.
The purpose of Lu Heng's visit to the Eternal Pure Land this time is not to cause destruction or assassinate cultivators within the seven realms.
Although with his heavenly thunder, he can effortlessly dissolve the external barriers of these countless small worlds, causing the world barriers that keep outsiders at bay to open up before him, enabling him to silently and effortlessly eliminate numerous cultivators from the seven realms.
However, there is no necessity to engage in such actions.
Because this starry sea is simply too vast, even if Lu Heng were to continue incessantly assassinating cultivators from the seven realms, it would not alter the overall situation. Furthermore, such actions would only serve to alert the enemy.
In front of Lu Heng, there lies a more definite objective.
Blazing white lightning swiftly shuttles through the starry sea, evading one suspended star after another. With the aid of stealth techniques, it constantly moves and roams within this vast expanse of the starry sea.
The span of thirty years swiftly passes by.
In the realm of the Eternal Pure Land, Lu Heng dared not traverse the vast expanse with ostentatious aerial maneuvering, but rather embarked upon a celestial odyssey in the most primitive manner of flight.
Eventually, it led him to discover the true core region of this pristine world.
There, lies a colossal landmass suspended in the center of the starry sea. Its surface area, although not significantly smaller compared to the Celestial Desolation Realm, is still immense.
Upon this vast expanse of land, slumber numerous awe-inspiring and grave auras.
Each existence represented by those auras far surpasses the current state of Lu Heng, causing a slight unease to settle in his heart.
Meanwhile, at the center of the land, a massive golden bell hangs high in the heavens.
The resplendent divine light, akin to a blazing sun rising in the starry sea, illuminated the entire area.
The indescribable and overwhelming pressure, even the current Lu Heng couldn't help but feel a trace of fear.
This bell is not only the most terrifying artifact in the Eternal Pure Land, but also the most sinister object in all the realms-the Celestial Emperor's Bell!
According to Chi You's words, this bell originates from the Heaven beyond Heaven and was left by the supreme cultivators of Heaven beyond Heaven. Now, surrounding the Celestial Emperor's Bell, there are seven enormous bronze cauldrons suspended in the air.
These seven cauldrons continuously overflow with an immense vitality, nourishing and refining the mighty Celestial Emperor's Bell. When viewed from afar, the aura in that area has transcended the mundane realm. Even a cultivator of Lu Heng's caliber, daring to intrude, would likely evaporate instantly.
And here, is Lu Heng's ultimate objective.
Within the void, he cautiously flew around this vast continent for several rounds, spending a whole half year exploring the conditions within the land.
Ultimately, by means of his spiritual perception, he was able to discern that on this land lay dormant thirteen ancient beings of formidable and terrifying power.
These thirteen ancient entities should be the most powerful forces within the entire World of Eight Desolations today.
Although he has never witnessed the full power of the Di Tian Devil Lord during its prime, it is evident that the cultivation of these thirteen ancient entities surpasses that of the Di Tian Devil Lord!
Lu Heng's figure became increasingly ethereal.
Under the watchful gaze of these thirteen ancient beings, concealing himself proved to be a tremendous challenge for Lu Heng. If it weren't for the unique nature of the Heavenly Thunder, Lu Heng would have been discovered long ago.
However, even so, on a few cautious probes, Lu Heng still sensed divine consciousness sweeping across the land, as if that terrifying entity had detected something, and the divine consciousness lingered for a long time without dispersing.
In the end, when Lu Heng cautiously confirmed the positions of these thirteen ancient entities, he found an absolutely secure location within this vast sea of stars.
Here, he carefully set up a formation that isolated the internal and external breaths. Afterward, he summoned the Heavenly Thunder Sword and commanded it to fly into the formation.
Lu Heng, who accomplished all of this, carefully disappeared without a trace, without any disturbance or attracting anyone's attention. Even those thirteen mighty and terrifying ancient beings failed to perceive that a sword, which should not exist in this world, remained here.
Within the sea of stars, Lu Heng swiftly fled.
When he traversed the vast sea of stars and once again returned to the small world that already belonged to him, he then let out a slight sigh of relief.
Subsequently, with a flicker of thought, Lu Heng cast his gaze towards the distant horizon.
In the depths of the distant starry sky, there suddenly burst forth a blood-red light.
In the moment when the garish crimson light appeared in this world, the once serene and soundless entirety of the Eternal Pure Land was stirred.
Amidst the flickering of countless stars, numerous cultivators were awakened from their deep cultivation.
"The God Slaying Heavenly Thunder?!"
All cultivators were astonished and bewildered, unable to comprehend why this terrifying heavenly thunder had descended upon this place.
They gazed towards the direction where the dazzling red light was emanating, only to catch a glimpse of a fleeting blood-red radiance in the depths of the starry sea.
Immediately afterwards, there came a tremendous roar of thunderous explosions.
Boom!!!
The terrifying deafening sound shook the entire world of the starry sea.
In an instant, the Heavenly Thunder Sword, unsheathed, descended directly with a single stroke. The fully charged God Slaying Heavenly Thunder, reaching its utmost limit, tore through the starry sky and struck directly upon the Celestial Emperor's Bell, suspended above the land.
The God Slaying Heavenly Thunder, similar to celestial lightning, consists of a total of nine manifestations, each more powerful than the previous one. Once it descends, its might surpasses that of any other thunderous force.
However, Lu Heng, having accumulated and refined the God Slaying Heavenly Thunder to its utmost limit, unleashed a manifestation that could be likened to the ultimate and most terrifying ninth God Slaying Heavenly Thunder!
The resplendent Celestial Emperor's Bell, adorned with divine radiance, was struck by a momentary crimson lightning, unleashing an unimaginable surge of immense energy.
The vast continent below, in a state of frenzied collapse, beneath the Celestial Emperor's Bell.
Thirteen terrifying figures materialized instantaneously from the void, joining forces to intercept the horrifying shockwaves and restore the shattered continent.
However, the Celestial Emperor's Bell, amidst the void, remains irreparable.
Upon the resounding sound of the immense golden bell, a miniature crack appeared.
Although this crack may seem negligible compared to the entirety of the Celestial Emperor's Bell, it still astonishes all the cultivators from the seven realms who witness such a formidable artifact exhibiting such a flaw.
Those thirteen ancient, terrifying figures promptly descended upon the surroundings of the Celestial Emperor's Bell, anxiously inspecting the condition of the Celestial Emperor's Bell as well as the stellar expanse around it.
Fortunately, after the emergence of the God Slaying Heavenly Thunder, there were no more calamitous clouds within the expanse of the starry sea.
Although the terrifying aura of calamity lingered in the void, it seems that this sudden heavenly punishment has come to an end.
The thirteen ancient and terrifying figures were all perplexed.
"Why has the God Slaying Heavenly Thunder suddenly appeared?"
"Could it be that the Celestial Emperor's Bell is nearing completion, for its tremendous divine power renders it incompatible with this world, thus precipitating heavenly retribution for its annihilation?"
"But the Eternal Pure Land exists beyond time and space, and the heavenly thunder of other celestial realms should not manifest here…"
"The heavenly retribution has always been enigmatic, even for you and me it is difficult to fathom, let alone the even more mysterious and unfathomable God Slaying Heavenly Thunder… Who can truly assert that lightning tribulations will not occur within the Eternal Pure Land?"
The thirteen figures engaged in a lively discussion, continuously surveying this void, yet never finding any anomalies.
Evidently, the celestial thunder that just occurred appeared out of thin air.
In the end, they could only sigh, joining forces to lay a concealed celestial mechanism, safeguarding the immense Celestial Emperor's Bell within its confines.
The previous heavenly thunder directly shattered the Celestial Emperor's Bell, causing the spiritual energy of this soon-to-be successful divine artifact to dissipate greatly, which can be described as a complete waste of previous cultivation bases, and significantly impeded the progress of the impending destruction of the Celestial Desolation Realm.
If it weren't for this God Slaying Heavenly Thunder, they would only need to wait a few decades more to initiate the final battle of annihilation.
However, it appears now that the mere restoration of this Celestial Emperor's Bell would require no less than a millennium, not to mention the subsequent re-dedication and nurturing after the repair… A rough estimation suggests that they will have to wait at least another twenty thousand years.
"Alas… the heavens are unpredictable, indeed…"
Beyond the Celestial Emperor's Bell, resounded the lamentations of the ancestors.
Originally awakened by the God Slaying Heavenly Thunder, the cultivators from the Seven Realms, upon seeing the situation resolved, gradually returned to their respective small worlds to continue their secluded cultivation.
The ancestors commenced the mending of the Celestial Emperor's Bell and prudently shielded the Heavenly Mechanism, so as to prevent another celestial catastrophe upon the bell's next glorious completion.
Meanwhile, amidst the distant seas of stars, Lu Heng sensed everything that was unfolding and let out a gentle sigh of relief.
The dark blue Heavenly Thunder Sword, still suspended in the starry sky that is close to the Celestial Emperor's Bell. After expending considerable divine artifacts to set up a magic array, he finally managed to remain undetected by these thirteen formidable creatures.
Then, in addition, he will be able to activate the Heavenly Thunder Sword again at the very least - just as the completion of the Celestial Emperor's Bell is imminent.
He hopes that such disruptions can slightly delay the progress of the final battle's culmination.
Lu Heng, within the small world, let out a sigh in his heart, cross-legged and closed his eyes, commencing the alchemy of the peach fruits he carried with him.
The thirteen progenitors deep within the Pure Land bestowed upon him immense pressure.
Originally, he thought that the Di Tian Devil Lord at his peak power constituted the strongest force in the celestial realms. However, it now appears that beyond the Di Tian Devil Lord, there exists an even more terrifying presence in the form of the thirteen progenitors.
The cultivation of these thirteen old monsters, Lu Heng wonders, has reached what degree of power.
Lu Heng, currently in the enemy camp, is indeed under considerable pressure. He must swiftly refine the peach fruits he carries, enhancing his own cultivation.
To ensure the ability to retaliate, he must seize the opportunity to sabotage the Celestial Emperor's Bell in the next instance.
Lu Heng estimates that the next time he attempts to wield the Heavenly Thunder Sword for malicious purposes, he will undoubtedly be detected by these thirteen progenitors who are now prepared.
If his cultivation has not made significant progress by then, his divine incarnation is likely to perish in this ordeal.
Although the loss of a divine incarnation has little impact on Lu Heng, if the Heavenly Thunder Sword were to fall into the enemy's hands, it would be an irreparable and colossal loss.
