Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 557 - 524: Yellow Path, Black Path, Little Horse Crossing the River

Chapter 557: Chapter 524: Yellow Path, Black Path, Little Horse Crossing the River

The main force in the great melee was the Purple Seal’s "Heavenly Officials," and their affiliated creatures mostly followed right behind them.

Since the Heavenly Officials on similar paths could devour and supplement each other, these affiliates with the same origin could naturally do so as well, and with even greater success rates.

For them, every great battle was a feast for Taotie.

It turned the thirty-three heavens into a furiously operating meat grinder, with blood raining everywhere and limbs scattered all over.

Squeak, squeak, squeak...

Woof, woof, woof...

Amid the insect chirps, dog barks, and bizarre roars were only the sounds of bloodlust and madness—devoid of the common fear found on human battlefields.

Facing such opponents undoubtedly required tremendous courage.

After Wang Yuan and Great Fate quietly entered the chaotic battlefield, the first wave of enemies they encountered was a group of "Flame Essence Children" with bald, smooth heads sculpted like jade.

They were the same eerie affiliates that had once, in Yunjing City, assisted the No-Life Buddha’s descent into the mortal world.

In Wang Yuan’s "Eyes Like Dark Indigo."

Their true form appeared as a crimson single eye wrapped in blazing flames emitting black smoke, its pupil shaped like an hourglass.

Surrounding them were numerous eerie tentacles, somewhere between insects and flames.

Each held the powerful aura of a "Military Leader."

Hundreds of "Flame Essence Children" merged into a searing torrent, sweeping through like a raging river; even genuine sages could hardly resist them.

They continued to chant the scorching sutras from "Authentic Faith Removes Doubts, No Cultivation Self-Composure Treasure Scroll":

"Buddha on Spiritual Mountain not far sought, Spiritual Mountain lies within your heart. Everyone has a Spiritual Mountain Tower, Better to cultivate below it. . ."

To ordinary people, these words ignited a blazing fire from within their hearts that would burn them to pitches of black ash.

Their adversaries were a group of crimson dogs running like shooting stars.

Clearly affiliates of another opposed Heavenly Official—the "Red Dogs," also known as: "[Blood Meal of Five Thousand Days in the Mortal World]."

The "Heavenly Official Book" states: "Heavenly Dogs look like shooting stars with noise; beneath them the earth halts, similar to dogs. Where they fall, flames are seen from afar, soaring sky-high."

This refers to the "Swallowing Star Heavenly Dog" among the Heavenly Officials; it is emptiness, it is nothingness, it is the pitch black of a night where you can’t see your fingers, and with one open mouth, they can swallow the sun and the moon.

Clearly, those wishing to consume the No-Life Buddha were not just Old Master Wang alone.

Not only did the "Swallowing Star Heavenly Dog" want to devour this sun, but "Black Taisui," like the No-Life Buddha, also held the power of "Time Order."

All deadly foes.

The No-Life Buddha, having accidentally been ambushed by Nine Soldiers and drunk Great Fate’s foot-washing water, lost one-third of a "No-Life Fruit", and the other two Heavenly Officials were already eager to act.

Taking advantage of this moment was the perfect opportunity to strike.

Wang Yuan was even more aware that this "Swallowing Star Heavenly Dog" was an obstacle he would inevitably encounter on Huang Wu’s path in the future.

As they slaughtered more brutally, without waiting to devour the opponent they’d targeted, they were immediately attacked by other formidable enemies, with chaotic battles from all sides.

Wang Yuan transformed into the "Winged White Tiger" and melted into the starlight above, cautiously avoiding the fierce battles near the "Flame Essence Children" and "Red Dogs."

Despite the dangers, he was quite fortunate to have crossed this battlefield.

During this process, Great Fate also laid out her specific plan and revealed the true effect of her move "Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations" to Wang Yuan.

After listening, Wang Yuan’s nose was about to bend out of shape.

"The actual plan is nothing at all, completely relying on improvisation, and maybe in the end, we can win by lying down?

So our roles are actually... you’re responsible for lying down, and I’m responsible for winning, right?"

"Tsk tsk, I don’t like hearing you say that.

There’s a saying: ’Fate is determined by the heavens for seventy percent, and thirty percent by struggle; you win by striving.’

If there’s only effort and no fate, even toiling until you vomit blood won’t lead to great achievements; if there’s only fate without effort, even God wants to help you but He can’t.

Do you think the previous two times I tricked... cough, the mortal calamities you overcame was how it happened?

We’re both time-tested, a perfectly coordinated team, unbeatable together like twin swords.

Go ahead and act boldly, big sister’s always got your back."

Ruan Hongxiao sat carelessly, riding on Wang Yuan’s back, feeling that the tiger skin made quite a comfortable bed, and decided to actually lie down, casually patting his tiger rump.

"Giddy up! If our opponent wasn’t the ’Hundred-Eyed Spirit Official,’ who can also interfere with your fate,

I wouldn’t have had to personally make this perilous trip.

That said, Junior, you need to show some spirit.

When I can just lie down at home and have you handle everything, that’s when your cultivation will truly be complete."

Wang Yuan silently rolled his eyes.

"You want to lie down, I, Old Master Wang, also want to lie down.

But sadly, my three apprentices are still not quite up to it, except for my second one cunningly advancing to ’Martial Saint,’ by following the rules the eldest has just managed Green Seal.

The youngest, Xiao Yu, is still at Red Seal; the group of ’Yin Officials’ is okay at maintain stability, but somewhat lacking in assaulting."

He naturally felt the frustration of "the lazy supporting the lazy, and the lazy being left hanging."

The "Qi Fortune" that just graduated to the Green Seal had reached a "7" Purple Qi Comes from the East and suddenly soared to "9."

Almost divinely, it allowed him to skulk and manoeuvre on the edge of the roiling Heavenly Realm without any sudden mishaps.

He swiftly approached the fourth heaven owned by the "Hundred-Eyed Spirit Official," namely the "Mystical Womb Nurturing Heaven."

The fog of myriad colors in front of them was growing denser.

It was clearly a kind of defensive measure guarding the Heavenly Realm.

"Be careful not to fall into any unknown secret realms nearby.

Most of the Thirty-Three Heavens are unclaimed, and each secret realm has its corresponding chaotic rules. Even the Purple Seal might not be completely exempt. It’s easy to enter, but hard to leave.

Perhaps some inconspicuous Heavenly Realm is currently nurturing a brand new Heavenly Official, and falling in there would be like delivering ourselves right to their doorstep."

Great Fate whispered survival rules of the Thirty-Three close to Wang Yuan’s ear.

The three factions together have sixteen Heavenly Officials, not even fully occupying the main Thirty-Three Heavens and interspersed with countless unclaimed Heavenly Realms, secret places, and Star Mansions.

The Thirty-Three Heavens are the main roots of the Killing Tree, the Sun and Moon palaces are the secondary roots, and the Cycle Star Mansion is the air root, with branches of the Four Yin Extremes dangling from the Outer Heaven.

They had effectively entered the body of the Killing Tree by coming here.

What was most terrifying here was not the territories of the known Heavenly Officials.

Taking Great Fate, his fellow traveler, to "Mystical Embryo Cultivation Heaven" should count as the safest "adventure."

The most dangerous places, on the other hand, were those completely unknown locations that they had never dealt with before; you never knew what you were about to face before entering.

"Understood, Big Sister!"

As the distance rapidly closed, "Mystical Embryo Cultivation Heaven" was already near at hand.

Not far from them in another direction, suddenly there came a series of terrible cries of killing.

"Kill, storm in, rescue Yellow Path Granny! Get the key to the Heavenly Gate!"

Amidst a polluted dull yellow starlight, a large group of humanoid soldiers in armor were clashing fiercely with a group of Heavenly Realm guardians, the Yellow Millet Demons.

They charged and struck fiercely, disregarding losses, striving to break into the Heavenly Realm.

"Those are the Evil Gods under Black Taisui’s command!

Vermilion Bird of the Heavenly Swath, Wenqu Sun Killer, and the Two Thieves of Heaven and Earth, the Green Seal Evil Gods have actually mobilized three at once?!

Although the battle power of Green Seal above the Heavenly Gate is not as scarce as in the Mortal World, this is still a great expenditure of resources!"

As a Star Official under Great Fate, Wang Yuan of course knew all too well about his arch-enemy.

"The Path of Three Fates and Five Stars" refers to Blessed Destiny, Fate, and Body.

The Ten Heavenly Stems correspond to the Blessed Destiny, the Twelve Earthly Branches to Fate, and the Five Elements to Body, which altogether form a person’s Life Plate.

"Five Stars" refers to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, also known as: Morning Star, Venus, Ying Huo, Age Star, and Stable Star.

Essentially, Wang Yuan’s Venus, Ying Huo Star Lord Guo Feihu’s Mars, and Black Taisui’s Jupiter all belonged to one of these Five Stars.

In charge of the fortune and misfortune of everything from individuals to nations.

Within this realm, there are three Purple Seals who follow the Path of Three Fates and Five Stars:

Great Fate, Black Taisui, and Hundred-Eyed Spirit Official.

There are approximately 189 Evil Gods and about 92 Auspicious Gods in the world, broadly classified into the Four Great God-Calamity systems of "year, month, day, hour" based on their different movement cycles.

Among them,

the Evil Gods belong to Black Taisui, who controls misfortune; the day ruled by an Evil God is a "Black Path Day," and all matters are inauspicious,

the Auspicious Gods belong to Great Fate, who controls luck; the day ruled by an Auspicious God is a Yellow Path Day, and all matters are favorable,

the last one, the Hundred-Eyed Spirit Official, is an observer hiding in the gaps of the river of destiny, covered in eyes.

The ultimate goal is to consume Black Taisui and Great Fate, balance good and bad fortune, and become the only one, the Weaver of Destiny,

sitting calmly in the high heavens, casually weaving fate, ensnaring everyone from kings and dukes to cultivators in his web, none could escape.

And indeed, He had been ahead of both Black Taisui and Great Fate,

Before Wang Yuan ascended, He had already used a scheme to consume a direct affiliate of Black Taisui, "Yellow Path Granny" (Chapter 506).

If He could consume an avatar of Great Fate, He might initially grasp some of the combined powers of the three, gaining an unparalleled advantage.

And from the shouts of those Evil Gods, it seemed that the Yellow Path Granny, who had been consumed, appeared to be related to the Heavenly Gate?

Paths of similar knowledge and cultivators naturally attract each other; clearly, those under Black Taisui’s command shared the same thoughts as Wang Yuan and his companions.

"Quick! Venus, we can’t let them get ahead!"

Taking advantage of the Yellow Millet Demons being distracted by the Evil Gods, Wang Yuan’s escape light flashed, and he dashed into "Mystical Embryo Cultivation Heaven," enveloped in colorful mist.

Just as they crossed the boundary membrane,

a warning suddenly sounded in Wang Yuan’s ears from the Green Seal Deceit Object, the Heart Communication Conch:

"Warning, passage rule... Little Horse Crossing the River!"

Immediately ahead appeared a three-way junction, each path shrouded in thick fog, where they could faintly hear the sound of rushing water.

The path to the far left had a shrunken, rotting bull’s head, which said:

"The water of Heavenly River on this path is very shallow, anyone can easily wade across."

The path to the far right had a wet rat’s head, which said:

"The water of the Heavenly River on this path is very deep, anyone daring to cross will definitely drown!"

Only the middle path was quiet, seeming to allow for a conversation with one’s own heart, as if it were saying:

"Is the water of the Heavenly River deep or shallow—why not try for yourself to find out?"