218: Advanced Integration and the Holy Dharma Image

Above Bitter Spirit Island in the Demon Realm.

This was originally a place where all Laws were forbidden, but now it had become the center where the Laws of heaven and earth vented their fury.

The originally gloomy sky of the Demon Realm was torn open, creating a massive void ten thousand miles in diameter. Within the void, lightning of five colors—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—intertwined frantically, forming a slowly rotating five-colored millstone.

With every rotation, it emitted a creaking sound that made the Void Realm crumble.

[Great Five Elements Primordial Chaos Extinction Divine Thunder].

This was a world-destroying Heavenly Tribulation that, according to legend, only appeared when a True Spirit was born or when a Mahayana Stage Cultivator underwent their Ascension Tribulation!

"Boom!!!"

The first Lightning Tribulation fell.

It was a five-colored pillar of light as thick as a mountain. Ignoring the magic-forbidden Domain of Bitter Spirit Island, it carried a will to destroy everything as it struck straight toward the Spirit-Washing Pond at the mountain Peak.

"Good timing!"

From the Spirit-Washing Pond, a long howl soared into the sky.

The originally distinct black and white pond water instantly exploded.

Zhou Wannian, bare-chested, soared into the sky. At this moment, his body appeared in a strange translucent state; the left half of his body glowed with brilliant golden light (spiritual power), while the right half was shrouded in dense Devilish Qi (magic power).

In his Dantian, the Nascent Soul had long since disappeared, replaced by a greyish-white light orb emitting a Chaos aura.

Facing the five-colored lightning pillar capable of wiping out the entire island.

Zhou Wannian did not summon any Magic Treasure.

He simply opened his arms as if embracing a lover, meeting the destructive lightning head-on.

"Union of Spirit and Demon, Sanctification of the Physical Body!"

"Devour... for me!"

Zizizi——————!!!

The terrifying lightning pillar struck his body but did not explode. On the contrary, Zhou Wannian's body seemed to turn into a bottomless pit. The moment the violent Five Elements Divine Thunder touched his skin, it was forcibly dismantled and absorbed.

He was using the Heavenly Tribulation... to take a bath!

"Exhilarating!"

Zhou Wannian laughed wildly at the sky.

As each bolt of lightning entered his body, the Meridians within grew a bit wider, and his bones became a bit harder. Under the tempering of the lightning, the greyish-white light orb began to give rise to countless profound Law runes.

Early Stage Body Integration... Peak of Early Stage Body Integration... His aura climbed frantically amidst the Lightning Tribulation!

...The outskirts of Bitter Spirit Island.

The Void Realm trembled as dark clouds pressed down like a city.

Countless Demon Race war vessels tore through the air. At the head was a massive skeleton war vessel, upon which stood a woman dressed in black gauze, her face enchanting yet filled with Evil Qi.

One of the three current ancestors of the Demon Realm—Yuancha Holy Ancestor (a powerful Soul Transformation Incarnation).

"Damn it! Someone is actually breaking through to Body Integration on Bitter Spirit Island?!"

Yuancha looked at the world-destroying Lightning Tribulation, her eyes filled with shock and killing intent.

"This aura... Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Demon? Or a member of the Human Race?"

"We must not let him succeed!"

"Pass the order! Ignore the Heavenly Tribulation! Kill him for me!"

"But Holy Ancestor..." the Demon Monarch subordinate trembled, "that is the Extinction Divine Thunder; we can't even enter..."

"Useless!"

Yuancha snorted coldly, and a pitch-black demon dagger appeared in her hand.

"Since we can't enter, then destroy this island!"

"Black Demon Slash!"

Disregarding the backlash, Yuancha forcibly unleashed a Mahayana Stage strike. A ten-thousand-foot-long black blade light split the waves, heading straight for the Foundation of Bitter Spirit Island.

She intended to sink the entire island into the sea, along with Zhou Wannian, who was undergoing his tribulation!

Just as the black blade light was about to strike the island.

"Buzz—"

Above Bitter Spirit Island, the figure bathing in the sea of lightning suddenly opened his eyes.

His left eye was a blazing sun, and his right eye was a demonic moon.

"Yuancha?"

Zhou Wannian's voice, amplified by the Heavenly Tribulation, resounded through the universe like the sound of the Heavenly Dao.

"Last time in the Human Realm, I was just a small Nascent Soul Stage bug, chased by you like a dog."

"But now..."

"Times have changed."

Boom!!!

The Void Realm behind Zhou Wannian suddenly exploded.

A terrifying Dharma Idol ten thousand feet tall, seemingly supporting the entire sky and earth, slowly stood up.

This Dharma Idol had three heads and six arms, its entire body covered in dark golden scales. The three heads respectively displayed three expressions: Compassion (Buddha), Ferocity (Demon), and Indifference (Dao).

Its six arms each held a heavy treasure.

The first hand held up the Yuan Ci Five Elements Mountain, with the five-colored divine light flowing and the Law of Gravity distorting the Void Realm.

The second hand tightly gripped the green bamboo bee cloud sword, with ten thousand strands of Sword Qi transforming into green lotuses, incomparably sharp.

The third hand controlled the void heaven cauldron, with blue ice flames roiling, freezing everything.

The fourth hand waved the black wind flag, with spatial storms howling, tearing the sky apart.

The fifth hand held a ball of Evil-Warding Divine Thunder, radiating ten thousand feet of golden light, purifying all evil.

And the most ridiculous was the sixth hand.

It was clutching a giant black crab that was frantically waving its claws (Xiang Zhili's Pseudo-Immortal Puppet).

[Brahma Saint True Demon · Body Integration Dharma Idol]!

"Break!"

The middle head of the Dharma Idol (Zhou Wannian's face) gave a low shout.

The giant hand holding the Yuan Ci Five Elements Mountain slammed down hard on the incoming black blade light like it was swatting a fly.

"Boom!!!"

A thunderous roar.

Yuancha Holy Ancestor's full-power strike was like a fragile twig before this giant hand, instantly shattering.

The giant hand's momentum remained undiminished as it directly penetrated the Void Realm and grabbed toward the Demon Race fleet outside the island.

"No!!!"

Yuancha turned pale with fright. This kind of power... how was this a newly advanced Body Integration Stage? This was clearly the power of an established Late Stage Body Integration Peak, or even someone touching the threshold of the Mahayana Stage!

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

But it was too late.

"Yuan Ci Domain · Ten Thousand Times Gravity."

Buzz!

The sea area for a thousand miles around instantly collapsed.

Those Demon Race war vessels that were just flaunting their might were like they were being pressed into the sea by an invisible giant hand, instantly crushed and exploding.

Even Yuancha's Incarnation was pressed by this gravity until it could not move, her protective devilish light shattering inch by inch.

"Who... who are you?!" Yuancha screamed in despair.

The Dharma Idol dissipated.

Zhou Wannian stepped out of the sea of lightning, his azure robes fluttering in the fierce wind.

He took a step and instantly appeared before Yuancha's Incarnation.

He reached out and gently pinched Yuancha's snow-white neck.

"Who am I?"

Zhou Wannian leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"I am..."

"Your nightmare."

"Bang!"

His fingers tightened.

This Body Integration Stage Incarnation that Yuancha had spent countless efforts refining was directly crushed into a cloud of blood mist.

Zhou Wannian took a deep breath, swallowing the refined true devilish qi into his belly.

"The taste is average."

He wiped his hands in disgust... At this moment.

The tribulation clouds in the sky seemed frightened by this brutal scene; the last few Lightning Tribulations struck down hastily and then dissipated without a trace.

Sunlight (though it was purple) once again fell upon Bitter Spirit Island.

By the Spirit-Washing Pond.

Xiang Zhili was lying on the ground. Just a moment ago, his crab had been snatched away by the Dharma Idol to be used as a weapon, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

"Han... Junior Brother Han..."

Xiang Zhili looked at Zhou Wannian, who had descended from the sky with an unfathomable aura, and swallowed hard.

"What... what is your current Realm?"

"Early Stage Body Integration."

Zhou Wannian smiled slightly, and the terrifying pressure on his body instantly retracted, returning him to the appearance of an ordinary young man in azure robes.

"However, fighting an ordinary Late Stage Body Integration Cultivator shouldn't be a problem."

"If I go all out..."

Zhou Wannian glanced toward the depths of the Demon Realm.

"Below the Mahayana Stage, I am invincible."

"Above the Mahayana Stage, it's a one-for-one trade."

Xiang Zhili: "..."

Nangong Wan and Purple Spirit walked over. Both women had also gained immense benefits from the Spirit-Washing Pond; although they hadn't advanced to Body Integration, they had reached the Late Stage of Void Refining.

"Husband, the commotion was too big," Nangong Wan reminded. "The main bodies of the other ancestors will likely arrive soon."

"Mhm."

Zhou Wannian nodded.

"The goal has been achieved; it's time to leave."

"But before we go..."

Zhou Wannian took out the Jade Slip given by Precious Flower from his robes.

"I still have a favor to return."

"Purple Spirit, lead the way."

"Next stop: the Demon Realm's Forbidden Ground—the Source of Magic Sea."

"To help that former ancestor... heal."