Bustling, clamorous, yet orderly.
Everything about it looked like a genuine ancient city. But no matter how mundane it appeared, no one inside was ordinary. Even a lowly street vendor was, in truth, a genius-level cultivator of incredible potential. That was the true reason why the Demon Lord of Ten Thousand Tribulations had continuously abducted geniuses from the outside world. A genius was inherently blessed with exceptional talent and boundless future potential—more likely to ascend to the peak and stand atop the world.
Within the ancient city, these captured geniuses became avatars. And as those avatars grew stronger, he grew stronger. Their cultivation methods, techniques, life experiences, and knowledge—all of it became part of the Demon Lord's foundation. After all, these were geniuses. Who could predict how many mighty figures would emerge from them?
True Spirit Realm, Dao Platform Realm, even the Dao Proving Realm...
No one could tell. No one knew just how terrifying the Demon Sovereign's true foundation was.
And now, after killing the Herb Farmer, this ancient city had revealed itself—casting a deep shadow over Yi Tianxing's face, filling it with unease and astonishment.
The Wordless Heavenly Tome in his body flashed repeatedly.
When opened, the only entry it revealed was sparse and ominous:
Ten Thousand Tribulations Demon City
Contents: Unknown. Unknown. Unknown!
…
All he could glean was the name—Ten Thousand Tribulations Demon City. As for what lay within, it was simply "unknown." No investigation could pierce its veil. All divine senses and powers seemed unable to infiltrate it. The place resembled a completely independent world.
"Grass sandals! Cool mats! Come and take a look, come and see! Premium sandals guaranteed to let you walk a thousand miles a day—thorns feel like smooth roads!"
"Please, be kind! Buy a pair of sandals!"
Suddenly, within the city, a middle-aged man with large ears, dressed in coarse hemp garments, squatted at the side of the street with a small stall. Laid out before him were straw sandals and cool bamboo mats. As he called out, tears welled in his eyes, brimming to the point of falling. It was a sight to move any bystander to sorrow.
"Big Brother!!"
"That's our big brother, inside the Demon City! Why is he selling grass sandals… and why does he look like that?"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei immediately recognized the figure. It was none other than Liu Bei, the very man they had been searching for. Yet now, Liu Bei appeared entirely immersed in selling sandals, showing no sign of abnormality on the surface.
But clearly—he was thoroughly trapped inside.
"How long has it been since Liu Bei was captured? And he's already been absorbed into the Demon City… reduced to a tearful sandal peddler trying to sell through pity. This is..."
"This Demon City doesn't even seem to exist in our dimension. How are we supposed to rescue someone from there? It's nearly impossible."
On White Crow City's walls, many cultivators watched the scene with strange expressions, followed by bitter smiles. This Demon City was far too bizarre—it made their skin crawl. The prodigies of Eternal Night were even more disturbed, for they understood far better: everyone absorbed into the Demon City became a split incarnation of the Demon Lord. Thoroughly refined and assimilated. It was a method so strange, it defied logic.
At that moment, within the Ten Thousand Tribulations Demon City, a towering figure suddenly opened his eyes.
Golden light flashed in his pupils—and the city vanished in an instant.
What replaced it was a burly giant. His body rapidly expanded before everyone's eyes, swelling to thousands of zhang in height. His entire form shimmered with golden brilliance. His skin glowed a lustrous gold, inscribed with intricate, mysterious patterns that flowed naturally across his flesh like innate markings.
His aura surged wildly. Golden blood essence roared into the sky, shaking the heavens and stirring the sun and moon.
"Golden Titan. Boundless blood qi."
Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed sharply. This Golden Titan had clearly cultivated a path rooted entirely in the flesh. A true physical cultivator—his body's strength had already reached an astonishing realm. A pure physique refiner, with his body cultivation having reached the Seventh Tempering – Green Cauldron Realm.
Seventh Tempering. A realm equivalent to the True Spirit Realm.
But in combat power, such physical cultivators were terrifying. They could kill a True Spirit expert with a single punch. With sheer force, they shattered all techniques. No logic or reasoning could override it—just raw destruction.
With the Golden Titan's terrifying bloodline and innate strength, his talent for physical cultivation was at the very peak. The moment his qi and blood erupted, even the void seemed to ripple and distort.
The Seventh Tempering, Green Cauldron Realm, began at a baseline of ten thousand Dragonforce in physical strength. A power so overwhelming it could crush mountains and shatter rivers.
Reaching this level of physical cultivation was terrifying beyond compare. His qi and blood alone made him invulnerable to all techniques. Any divine abilities that got close would be torn apart by the sheer turbulence. This was brutality incarnate.
Such a body-refining cultivator was horrifying.
Unmatched in strength.
Unmatched in defense.
"Kill one of me, and a thousand more shall take my place."
The Golden Titan's voice thundered as he stepped forward.
Golden light circled his form, as if he were forged from indestructible metal.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
From the Four Symbols Arrow Diagram, another wave of battle arrows rained down like a storm. With the Titan's massive body, he was the perfect target.
But dodge?
The Golden Titan didn't even try.
He allowed the arrows to fall.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
His body was absurdly strong. The Four Symbols Battle Arrows—capable of slaying True Spirit cultivators—only managed to slightly pierce his golden skin. Not even golden blood emerged before the arrows were ejected. The wounds healed instantly.
Most arrows didn't even break the skin—they were shattered by his blood essence alone.
Strong.
Terrifyingly strong.
The Golden Titan's monstrous physique made countless onlookers gasp in horror. It was an overwhelming sight.
"Even the Emperor's battle arrows can't penetrate his flesh. Just how strong is he? Who could possibly kill him? For a physical cultivator, their body is their weapon—and the suppression of this world barely affects them. Their combat power remains mostly intact."
"He's too strong. If we can't even pierce his defense, how are we supposed to kill him?"
Many cultivators smiled bitterly.
If they couldn't hurt him, then even a year-long storm of arrows would be useless.
"If you can't kill me, then I'll be the one to kill you."
The Golden Titan let out a cold snort and stepped toward Yi Tianxing.
RUMBLE!!
Yet, just as he lifted one foot to step forward—the ground beneath him unexpectedly quaked. It was like an earth dragon rolling over. A powerful force surged up beneath him right as he balanced on one leg.
A strange surge of internal energy rose—And he belched.
His strength spiraled out of control.
And with that, he fell—straight downward.
What he landed on was… disastrous.
Beneath him were numerous Four Symbols Battle Arrows—shimmering with cold light, embedded upright in the ground. Each arrow still brimmed with killing intent, solid and dangerous. They had been deflected by his body earlier and had fallen beneath him.
Under normal circumstances, these arrows would dissipate once the arrow diagram collapsed. But since the diagram still stood, they remained active and deadly.
And now the Golden Titan had sat directly on them.
A golden explosion of blood burst beneath him.
It looked like a golden chrysanthemum blooming—radiant, tragic, and oddly beautiful.
"AAAAHH!!"
The Golden Titan howled in anguish, unable to bear the pain.
And right at that moment, another volley of Four Symbols Battle Arrows rained down, pouring directly into his wide-open mouth. The arrows surged down his throat, piercing flesh and organs. One arrow struck an eye—his eyeball exploded, blood and tears streaming together.
A scene of unimaginable misery.
"Your teardrops… tinged with pain beneath a pale white moon, recalling distant memories. The night—so long—it congeals into frost. Who is up in the attic, despairing in the cold?"
Suddenly, on the battlefield, an emotionally charged yet horribly off-key voice began to sing.
Looking toward the sound, they saw the Green Emperor had already risen upright on two legs like a man. His green fur danced in the wind, his face full of emotion as he sang—directed straight at the Golden Titan.
"Quick! Get the jade cicadas!"
Zhuge Liang and the others turned pale, shouting orders without hesitation. They each took out jade cicadas and shoved them into their ears—blocking out the sound. Even if it didn't entirely work, it could at least mitigate most of the damage.
"The Green Emperor's singing again…"
Many soldiers who could face death without fear now trembled to their cores. Not a single one dared hesitate.
"Rain, softly falling on vermilion windows… My life scattered on paper, blown into chaos. Dreams, distant and fragrant… fade with the wind, your face lingering behind."
The Green Emperor paid no heed. As his song continued, the world itself seemed to change.
Drizzling rain fell from the sky. A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers. The air grew heavy with melancholic fragrance.
And then, the climax struck.
"Chrysanthemums wither, the earth is scarred… Your smile faded, your memory blurred. Flowers fall, hearts break, and my sorrow flows silently…"
Countless chrysanthemums filled the sky.
All of them in mid-decay, drifting apart and scattering across the heavens.