Realm of Divine Transformation

The medicinal power of the Life Creation Pill was like a vast galaxy, surging and circulating within Nightmare's body. Every inch of his Meridians and every cell burst forth with new vitality under the cleansing power of this immense life force. The hidden injuries and depleted Origin left behind from forcibly activating the dual keys and resisting a Soul Transformation attack were quickly replenished, repaired, and even made stronger.

Even more miraculously, the Medicinal Pill contained not just the purest life energy, but also a sliver of profound understanding of the Law of “Life,” which highly resonated with the principles of The Azure Nether Life and Death Dao Cultivation Technique.

Nightmare's mind was completely immersed in this wondrous transformation.

Inside his Dantian, the dark-nether colored Nascent Soul became more solid. The Qi of Life and Death swirling around it was no longer in opposition, but formed a subtle, slowly rotating Taiji Diagram. The starlight shed by the phantom Azure Star Crown on the Nascent Soul's forehead also carried the meaning of nourishing life.

Under the dual effects of the medicinal nourishment and the Cultivation Technique's Breakthrough, his Divine Sense surged wildly, becoming more concentrated, expanding its range, and making his perception of the Laws of Heaven and Earth even clearer.

The solid barrier that originally lay between the Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation Stages began to shake violently and show cracks under the impact of this irresistible power!

Outside, Elder Mo Sha was still relentlessly attacking the defensive Formation at the cave entrance. Although the Formation was ancient and resilient, its light grew increasingly dim under the continuous bombardment of a Deity Transformation Cultivator, clearly on the verge of collapse.

“Hmph! Let's see how long that turtle shell of yours can last!” Elder Mo Sha wore a sinister grin and attacked with even greater effort. He could vaguely sense the increasingly powerful energy fluctuations inside the cave. While astonished, his killing intent grew fiercer. This child absolutely must not be spared!

Finally—

*Crack!*

Accompanied by a crisp shattering sound, the defensive light barrier at the cave entrance completely broke apart!

“You little bastard! Die now!” Elder Mo Sha was overjoyed. The terrifying pressure of the Soul Transformation Stage exploded without reservation, pressing into the depths of the cave like a physical mountain. He flickered his body, eager to rush in and tear the junior who had repeatedly caused him trouble into ten thousand pieces!

However, just as he was about to step into the cave—

A terrifying aura, in no way inferior to his own, yet deeper, more overbearing, and containing the Concept of the cycle of life and death, suddenly erupted from the depths of the cave, like an ancient Vicious Beast awakening from slumber!

*Boom!!!*

A dark-nether colored Qi wave visible to the naked eye, mixed with immense vital energy and cold Annihilation Death Intent, violently rushed out of the cave, slamming fiercely into Elder Mo Sha's Soul Transformation pressure!

The Void Realm trembled! Even the massive skull ruins beneath their feet shook!

Elder Mo Sha's charging figure abruptly stalled, actually being forced back several steps by this sudden aura! The sinister grin on his face instantly froze, replaced by shock and disbelief!

“The Soul Transformation Stage?! How is this possible?!”

A figure slowly stepped out from the depths of the cave.

He was still wearing the black robe, but Nightmare's aura had undergone an earth-shattering change! Demonic Essence and vital energy intertwined around him, forming a tangible, dark-nether colored halo. When his eyes opened and closed, his left eye was full of vitality like spring wood, and his right eye was deathly cold like deep winter! Every movement he made stirred the Law fluctuations of the surrounding space!

Relying on the power of the Life Creation Pill and the profound mysteries of The Azure Nether Life and Death Dao, he had actually Broken through the Bottleneck in this desperate situation and stepped into the Soul Transformation Stage!

Although he was only in the Early Spirit Transformation Stage, the profoundness of his Foundation and the depth of his understanding of power were far beyond what ordinary Deity Transformation Cultivators could compare to!

“Mo Sha, old dog,” Nightmare spoke, his voice calm yet carrying a chilling intent that made hearts tremble, “Did you enjoy the chase?”

Elder Mo Sha's expression was utterly hideous, his eyes filled with shock, jealousy, and fury: “You little beast! So what if you got lucky and Broke through to Soul Transformation? You just entered the Realm, your cultivation isn't stable. I can kill you like slaughtering a dog!”

After all, he was a veteran Deity Transformation Cultivator. He quickly suppressed his shock, his killing intent intensifying! This child's speed of progress was too terrifying; he must be eliminated at all costs today!

“Die for me!” Elder Mo Sha roared, holding nothing back. He formed hand seals, and black Qi surged around him, transforming into a ferocious, roaring Nine-Headed Demonic Flood Dragon, which lunged at Nightmare, carrying the terrifying Demonic Might capable of corroding all things and devouring Divine Souls!

This was the Divine Ability he had painstakingly cultivated for many years—the Nine Nether Demonic Flood Dragon Malice!

Facing this fierce strike, Nightmare's eyes were icy cold; he did not dodge.

He slowly raised his right hand, and the marks of the cloud key and the blood key lit up simultaneously in his palm!

“Azure Nether... Life and Death Wheel!”

Following his low voice, a slowly rotating Dark Nether Taiji Wheel, over ten feet in diameter, materialized before him!

Half of the wheel was vibrant with life and lush green; the other half was deathly gray and desolate, where all things withered! The Qi of Life and Death circulated endlessly, forming a perfect balance, yet containing terrifying power that could grind everything to dust!

This was the brand new Divine Ability he had comprehended from The Azure Nether Life and Death Dao after advancing to Soul Transformation!

The Nine-Headed Demonic Flood Dragon violently crashed into the Life and Death Wheel!

*Hiss, hiss, hiss—!*

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a grating sound of erosion and attrition!

The incomparably fierce Demonic Flood Dragon seemed to sink into an invisible swamp upon hitting the wheel, its movements instantly becoming sluggish! The overwhelming Devilish Qi on its body was constantly neutralized and dissolved by the wheel's power of life, while simultaneously being furiously eroded and consumed by the power of death!

The nine ferocious dragon heads let out painful wails, becoming dim and illusory at a visible speed!

“What?!” Elder Mo Sha's pupils contracted sharply. He could feel his Divine Ability being rapidly broken down and dissolved! The opponent's bizarre wheel could actually restrain his Demonic Technique simultaneously!

“Break!” Nightmare shouted coldly. The Life and Death Wheel suddenly accelerated its reverse rotation!

*Crack!*

The Nine-Headed Demonic Flood Dragon let out an unwilling wail, collapsing violently, turning into black Qi that was completely swallowed and ground away by the wheel!

With his Divine Ability broken, Elder Mo Sha grunted, his body swaying slightly, a hint of pallor flashing across his face.

“You little beast! Relying on the advantage of your Magic Treasure!” Shocked and furious, he attributed Nightmare's strength to the mysterious dual keys.

“Noisy!” Nightmare took a step, and his figure vanished instantly!

The next moment, he appeared beside Elder Mo Sha like a phantom, his fingers held like a sword, the Qi of Life and Death wrapped around the tips, aiming straight for his temple! The speed was far greater than before!

Elder Mo Sha was horrified. He hurriedly sidestepped to dodge while simultaneously striking out with a palm!

*Bang!*

Finger met palm!

Elder Mo Sha felt an extremely strange power penetrate his body, frantically stripping away his vitality while injecting cold Death Qi, causing his vital energy to churn, making him so uncomfortable he nearly vomited blood!

He quickly mobilized his Soul Transformation elemental power to barely force this energy out of his body.

But Nightmare's attacks came one after another like a furious storm! When driven by Soul Transformation Stage cultivation, the Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique truly achieved the effect of being inescapable and unpredictable! Combined with the sharpness of the Soul Shattering Finger and the uncanny nature of The Azure Nether Life and Death Dao Divine Ability, he actually forced Elder Mo Sha, a veteran Soul Transformation expert, into a flustered state where he could only passively defend!

“Damn it! Damn it!” The more Elder Mo Sha fought, the more frightened and frustrated he became! The opponent's power Realm was clearly not as deep as his, but the Concept of the cycle of life and death was too difficult to deal with, and the dual keys occasionally triggered spatial power and vital energy shocks, making them impossible to guard against!

He felt like he wasn't fighting a human, but facing a terrifying, unpredictable natural disaster that constantly switched between life and death!

Prolonged defense leads to inevitable defeat!

*Pfft!*

A finger wind containing Death Qi finally pierced his defenses, leaving a bloody hole beneath his ribs! The flesh around the wound instantly turned gray and withered, and his vitality rapidly flowed away!

Elder Mo Sha cried out in pain, a hint of fear finally flashing in his eyes!

He couldn't let this continue!

He fiercely bit the tip of his tongue, spat out a mouthful of essence blood, and roared sharply: “Nine Nether Descent, Demonic Malice Burning Heaven!”

As the essence blood burned, his aura instantly surged forward, and nine twisted black vortexes appeared around him, emitting a terrifying suction force that sought to devour Nightmare and the surrounding space entirely!

This was his life-risking secret technique!

Facing this desperate strike, Nightmare's eyes remained cold.

With a thought, the Phantom Cloud Fox on his shoulder suddenly transformed into a silver light and merged into his body (a temporary Fusion to enhance illusion abilities). At the same time, he held his hands out, and the powers of the cloud key and the blood key completely fused, drawing upon the residual will of the Cang Clan within the second gate area!

“Power of the Gate... Suppress!”

It was not the true power of the Gate, but a faint projection and activation!

But even so, a vast, ancient, and inviolable terrifying pressure suddenly descended!

Under this pressure, the nine twisted black vortexes actually trembled violently and became sluggish, as if encountering a natural predator!

“Now!”

A sharp light flashed in Nightmare's eyes, seizing this momentary opportunity!

The Life and Death Wheel reappeared, but this time, a point of extreme blackness condensed in the center of the wheel—this was a strike fusing Annihilation Death Qi, Xiangliu Poison, and the Ultimate Death Intent of The Azure Nether Life and Death Dao!

“Nirvana... Gui Xu Finger!”

He pointed out, and that point of extreme blackness instantly pierced the Void Realm, ignoring distance, appearing directly before Elder Mo Sha's glabella!

Fast! Unspeakably fast! Vicious! Viciousness condensed from all destruction!

In Elder Mo Sha's pupils, only that constantly enlarging point of blackness, symbolizing ultimate death, remained!

He wanted to dodge, he wanted to defend, but his body was firmly suppressed by the pressure of the Gate's power and the strength of the Life and Death Wheel!

“No—!!!”

Accompanied by a desperate and unwilling roar!

*Pfft!*

The Nirvana Gui Xu Finger easily pierced his glabella, annihilated his Sea of Consciousness, and shattered his Primordial Spirit!

All his movements instantly froze.

The expression on Elder Mo Sha's face was fixed in extreme terror and disbelief, the light in his eyes rapidly fading.

The surging Devilish Qi around him quickly dissipated like a popped balloon.

The next moment, his body, starting from the glabella, rapidly turned gray, withered, and finally turned into dust, vanishing into the void.

His body and spirit were utterly destroyed!

On the spot, only a Storage Ring and a dim, dark-gold Magic Robe were slowly drifting down.

Nightmare reached out to catch the ring and the robe. His face was slightly pale, and his aura was somewhat erratic. The final strike had nearly drained the elemental power of his newly advanced Soul Transformation Realm, but the result was significant.

Using the Early Spirit Transformation Stage, he had successfully defeated a veteran Soul Transformation expert!

From now on, the sea is wide and the sky is vast!

He stood still, slowly regulating his breath and processing the gains from the battle, his gaze becoming deeper.

Eliminating Mo Sha was only the beginning. The secrets of the Gui Xu Sea Eye, the conspiracy of The Fisherman, the truth of the Three Gates, and the mysterious “Heaven Patroller”... the road ahead was still long.

But at this moment, he possessed the qualification to truly embark on this path.

Having finished regulating his breath, he scanned the ruins, took one last look at the outline of the second gate, and flickered his body, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing.

It was time to leave the Gui Xu Sea Eye, search for the final bone key, and find the ultimate answer.

Shortly after he left, in the void, a faint, dark-red streak of light (the Ghost Ship Marker) subtly flickered before quietly sinking back into the shadows.

The crisis had not been completely resolved.