Chapter 2893: The Harbinger of Tribulations |
The man in blood-red robes stood on the mountaintop. The temple-like building was plain, old-fashioned, and shrouded in blood-red mist.
There was a sacrificial altar inside the temple, and it glowed with flecks of five-colored light.
When the red-robed man’s voice rang out, the five-colored divine radiance churned, and River Empress Peacock’s voice emanated from within. “This wasn’t predetermined. Rather, you’ve fallen into a trap!”
But her voice was blocked, unable to leave the hall
The man in blood-red robes gazed into the firmament, a strange smile on his face.
A trap? If not for the Tribulation of Destiny creating ripples, how could this calamity have befallen them?
But the man in red robes didn’t say that out loud.
His gaze was cold as he looked upon them from afar. He murmured, “This is destiny, little peacock. I’ve been waiting for countless years for this tribulation to arrive. Once I’ve acquired the Book of Destiny, I’ll take you to the Abyss of Endless Tribulations!”
The five-colored divine radiance had nothing to say to that.
The scenery had transformed around them. It was as if they were trapped in a blood-red, boundless void. They couldn’t see anything at all.
That is, save for the space confined in the murky gray cage that had them so thoroughly ensnared. It was formed out of pillars of destiny, and it emanated a dense air of calamity.
“What… what do we do?” River Emperor Hong Ye looked around, his expression overcast.
Wang Zhiwu and the others’ hearts were heavy, too. Earlier, they’d wondered why they’d yet to run into any Tribulation Spirits.
Who’d have thought they’d wind up trapped in a cage the moment they found one? They were effectively its prisoners!
Su Yi examined the cage, but he was actually quite calm.
“This is a Tribulation of Destiny, and destiny is shifting and impermanent. That very impermanence is what gives rise to tribulations.” That aged voice rang out once more.
The youthful figure of River Ancestor Lu Shu was walking toward them through the crimson sky. His whole body was shrouded in gray tribulation light, and looking at him was like gazing into a tribulation. It left their hearts stifled and their whole bodies taut.
“The Dao of Destiny encompasses fate, luck, both good and bad, fortune, tribulations, and catastrophes, as well as cause and effect, and fortuitous encounters,” said the man, standing outside the cage as he scanned the group. “They say that fortune and disaster are not preordained, and that people bring them upon themselves, but that too is part of fate. That’s why I say that you’ve been doomed to face calamity from the moment you arrived. There’s no avoiding it.”
River Ancestor Shen Xiao snorted coldly. “A cage, that’s all. It cannot confine us!”
The man in red robes looked at him, his meaning hard to read. “You still don’t understand? This is a tribulation determined by fate. You have escaped the shackles of destiny, so you cannot escape this tribulation!”
But then, his tone took a sharp turn. “That said, where the heavens create forty-nine paths, man manages to find a fiftieth. Nothing in this world is absolute. All tribulations leave some hope of survival. And now, your sliver of opportunity stands before you!”
This declaration left his captives bewildered and uncertain.
Wang Zhiwu’s expression was unsightly. He cursed, “What the hell are you talking about? Can’t you talk like a normal person?”
The others were flabbergasted; they hadn’t anticipated that Wang Zhiwu would be so bold.
Outside the cage, the man in blood-red robes just smiled. “Then allow me to speak more clearly.”
His gaze shifted, landing on River Emperor Hong Ye. “Of those present, your injuries are the heaviest, and your tribulation runs the deepest. You’re doomed, with no hope of survival, so I’ll use you to explain what I mean.”
River Emperor Hong Ye’s heart thudded in his chest. He inwardly cried out in alarm, his expression shifting.
His wounds were indeed quite severe. They were all the result of his battle against Lu Shi and Wang Zhiwu in the Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone.
But he would never have guessed that his wounds would make him the target of this terrifying Tribulation Spirit!
“What are you going to do?” roared River Emperor Hong Ye. His gaze shifted to River Ancestor Shen Xiao, his eyes full of pleading.
But then, the man in blood-red robes spoke, his voice booming like spring thunder as he let out a strange invocation: “Qing Shu!”
River Emperor Hong Ye stiffened, his face wracked with agony, and his whole body convulsing.
Boom!
His body exploded into dazzling light, then transformed into a giant, tiger-like creature covered in black fur. A single horn sprouted from his forehead.
This was River Emperor Hong Ye’s true form!
His blood-red eyes were full of agony, and his enormous body rolled around on the ground as he shrieked in agony.
The sight horrified his companions. That is, except for Su Yi, who was more surprised that the man in red robes had somehow learned River Emperor Hong Ye’s true name!
Whatever he’d done was different from Speaking Divine Writ. As he spoke River Emperor Hong Ye’s true name, he used some sort of secret method to make River Emperor Hong Ye lose control of his heart.“Your tribulations are numerous indeed. You must have used treasures and abilities related to divination on far too many occasions,” said the red-robed man outside the cage. “I’ve seen countless others like you. You might think you can divine insight into the mysteries of destiny, but in truth, every divination you perform violates a taboo, planting the seeds of future disaster in your true name.
“This is a tribulation! It isn’t that you escaped punishment earlier, but that your punishment simply hadn’t arrived yet. Don’t tell me no one warned you? Those who pry into the secrets of destiny are surely punished!”
The crowd’s hearts shook.
River Emperor Hong Ye was still writing in agony, roaring and shrieking. His fur was covered in blood, and wisps of strange, murky tribulation light arose all over his body, startling both the heart and the eyes of all who saw him.
This was a River Emperor who’d lived since the Devastation, yet now, a single word was enough to make him suffer such great adversity. Who wouldn’t have been startled?
“What dogshit tribulation? You obviously did this to him. If you hadn’t, how could he possibly be suffering like this?” River Ancestor Shen Xiao’s gaze was terrifying to behold. His whole body surged with murderous intent.
As he spoke, he waved his sleeve through the air. Dao Light surged forth, enveloping River Emperor Hong Ye completely. He was trying to expel the gray tribulation light from his old friend’s body.
But it was to no avail. He accomplished nothing at all!
River Ancestor Shen Xiao couldn’t help but furrow his brow. His companions’ hearts sank.
“You’re wrong. Encountering me is a Tribulation of Destiny. Those who meet me will suffer for past crimes,” said the man in red robes. “Simply put, every one of you has accumulated Tribulations of Destiny over the course of your cultivation, and I… am your Harbinger of Tribulations!”
He gazed into the dome of heaven. “Every time you break through, you face a divine tribulation. Now that you’ve met me, you’ll face a Tribulation of Destiny. Do you understand now?”
The group fell silent, their expressions full of uncertainty. Is this guy really a Tribulation Spirit? Isn’t he a bit too terrifying for that?
River Empress Lu Ping said suddenly, “Earlier, you said that there’s always a thread of hope, and that all tribulations are survivable. Does that mean that River Emperor Hong Ye has a chance to survive this, too?”
“He does!” The man in red robes said with a nod. “But his tribulations are far too weighty and numerous. Even if he lives, he’ll face an even greater tribulation another day and die without a proper burial!”
He smiled, then pointed at his eyes. “I can clearly see all of your accumulated tribulations. If I wanted to, I could make you suffer at any moment.”
“Nonsense!” Wang Zhiwu laughed coldly. “Why not show me how many tribulations I’ve accumulated?”
The red-robed man glanced at him. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve used a certain secret treasure to seize powers you have no business controlling. Those powers should have vanished completely a long time ago. Thus, you too have accumulated too many tribulations to count.”
He paused, then stroked his jaw, his gaze playful. “Care to taste the consequences of all of those tribulations erupting at once?”
Wang Zhiwu gasped, his face suddenly full of uncertainty.
He was the Master of Legends, the owner of the Book of Legends. His greatest trump card was the book’s ability to summon Book Souls, echoes of long-dead, legendary experts.
The red-robed man had unquestionably seen through this, and he even said that the Book Souls represented a latent tribulation for Wang Zhiwu!
This was far too unsettling.
Meanwhile, when the others saw that Wang Zhiwu didn’t argue, they realized that the red-robed man had been right on the mark!
River Empress Lu Ping and River Emperor Winged Dragon felt chills course through their hearts.
Su Yi, meanwhile, was thoughtful.
River Ancestor Shen Xiao’s expression was a bit dark. “Seems to me that you’re not simply a Tribulation Spirit.”
“A Tribulation Spirit?” The man in red robes couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He raised his hand and tapped the air.
The entire cage rumbled and boomed as one indistinct figure after another appeared on its pillars of calamitous power. They were monstrous beings of all shapes and sizes.
“These are Tribulation Spirits!” the man said with a radiant smile. “And they… aren’t even worthy of carrying my shoes!”
The crowd’s hearts sank. This is an existence far more terrifying than a Tribulation Spirit. Just where did he come from?
“Your Excellency, might you give me a chance to make amends?” The writhing, howling River Emperor Hong Ye couldn’t take it anymore. He begged, “No matter what you want me to do, I’ll do it. Just please, show mercy and spare my—”
Bang!
A palm descended like a blade, killing River Emperor Hong Ye on the spot!
His last attempt to beg for his life came to an abrupt halt.
His death came so suddenly that the others were stunned. All of them looked to the one who’d done it.
“He was already beset by tribulations, and his heart had collapsed. Dying was a form of release,” River Ancestor Shen Xiao said calmly. It was he who’d slain his old friend of many years.
“Tch. Impressive!” Outside the cage, the man in red robes laughed and applauded. “You really are a River Ancestor! It’s just a pity that you haven’t reached the Far Shore of Destiny, so you’ll die beneath your tribulation just like River Ancestor Lu Shu before you!”
“You talk too much!” River Ancestor Shen Xiao suddenly raised his hand and attacked.
Boom!
A bronze disc shaped like the sun suddenly rose, bringing with it dazzling purple Dao Light. It slammed ruthlessly into the cage.
Laws interwove on its surface, manifesting blazing purple power of the natural order. It was utterly terrifying. Within moments, it had blasted open a massive rift in the cage.
But before the group could escape through the opening, something unbelievable happened. The rift instantly knit back together; the attack didn’t even leave a mark.
Despite himself, River Ancestor Shen Xiao looked stricken.