The very moment the cyan flame descended, Ning Jiang’s Primordial Spirit finally sensed danger.

Whether it was the earlier Divine Fire Tribulation or the evolved Fire Lotus Tribulation, they had both been mere child’s play to him, unworthy of his attention.

But this Cyan Bird, conjured by the Celestial Tribulation, was truly worthy of being a descendant of the Divine Bird Phoenix. Its flames were so intense that Ning Jiang’s Primordial Spirit actually felt as though it were melting.

Yes, melting.

Like a piece of iron that couldn’t withstand the extreme heat and turned to molten liquid.

"Good. Very good. A Celestial Tribulation like this is finally getting interesting. The harder, the better."

Ning Jiang let out a long, hearty laugh, his spirit soaring. He was the kind of person who thrived on a challenge—the greater the difficulty, the better.

"Primordial Spirit Storm!"

Ning Jiang’s three Primordial Spirits began to unleash their power, fighting back against the Cyan Bird.

BOOM!

A storm erupted abruptly. During the previous Divine Fire Tribulation and Fire Lotus Tribulation, he had been borrowing the Flame Power to temper his Primordial Spirit.

But now, he had to unleash his Primordial Spirit Power to combat the Cyan Bird. Otherwise, his Primordial Spirit would be annihilated, ceasing to exist.

Within his sea of consciousness, utter chaos reigned.

Combat between Primordial Spirits was far more perilous and unpredictable, as injuries to them were incredibly difficult to heal. After Yue Wenfu’s Primordial Spirit was damaged, for instance, he was left in a dazed, foolish state. Had he not met Ning Jiang, he likely would have never recovered.

"SCREEECH."

The Cyan Bird shrieked. Its form was graceful, and with a flap of its wings, it stirred up a monstrous inferno that washed over Ning Jiang’s Primordial Spirit like a great tide.

His Primordial Spirit was like a lone boat in a vast sea, struggling with all its might against the conflagration.

"Never mind that you’re just a descendant of the Phoenix—even if a true Phoenix were here, do you think I couldn’t kill it? A mere Cyan Bird like you is nothing!"

Ning Jiang’s three Primordial Spirits raised their fists in unison and struck out fiercely. The terrifying Fist Force tore a path through the flames and slammed viciously into the Cyan Bird, sending it reeling backward.

"Heaven-Devouring Sparrow."

Pressing his advantage, he condensed his Primordial Spirit Power into a majestic, jet-black Heaven-Devouring Sparrow that lunged toward the Cyan Bird.

The Cyan Bird let out a shrill cry and clashed violently with the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow.

This was a clash between two supreme divine avians. Both the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow and the Cyan Bird were beings of the same tier. In fact, in terms of sheer offensive power, the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow was far stronger than the Cyan Bird, rivaling even the Divine Bird Phoenix itself.

"RUMBLE."

The Heaven-Devouring Sparrow opened its beak. With a sudden gulp, an immense Devouring Power surged forth, binding the Cyan Bird in place.

At the same time, Ning Jiang’s three Primordial Spirits took a single step, appearing above the Cyan Bird’s head, and threw a punch.

"BANG."

The Cyan Bird let out a mournful cry as it shattered and dissipated.

"Whatever else you’ve got, bring it on."

After shattering the Cyan Bird, a fierce battle intent flashed in Ning Jiang’s eyes. The Celestial Tribulation was far from over.

"My heavens, what is that? Are the thunderclouds weeping blood?"

The crowd outside cried out in alarm once more. Before their shocked eyes, blood-red flames began to fall from within the thunderclouds.

These flames were as red as fresh blood, and they seemed to carry within them the full spectrum of mortal experience: its sorrows and joys, its partings and reunions, its every emotion and desire, and all the suffering born of greed, hatred, and ignorance.

"The Karma Fire Tribulation! This is the Karma Fire Tribulation!"

Someone cried out in shock, having realized what this was.

Karmic Fire. It was a flame that led to one’s corruption, dragging a person’s Primordial Spirit into the tumultuous mortal world to be ensnared by the suffering of greed, hatred, and ignorance, until they became completely lost.

This was the Karmic Fire of the mortal realm.

Anyone who clung to the mortal world, whose mind could not achieve true detachment, would never be able to pass this tribulation.

’The mortal world is a mire, and I transcended it long ago.’

Ning Jiang felt neither joy nor sorrow. When the Karmic Fire landed on him, it brought not pain, but a deluge of the seven emotions and six desires.

The purpose of this Karmic Fire was to make one obsessed with these emotions and desires, unable to break free, thus leading to their ultimate downfall.

How many Martial Artists in this world were dragged down by mortal attachments, unable to achieve true freedom, true liberation, true transcendence?

Ning Jiang had severed such ties long ago.

Of course, severing ties with the mortal world didn’t mean avoiding all contact with it. It was a matter of mental and spiritual transcendence. After all, his physical body still resided in the mortal realm.

What he needed to do was keep his spirit pure, never losing himself to the temptations of the mortal realm.

"Sorrow and joy, parting and reunion, happiness and anger... it is all but a dream."

Ning Jiang murmured softly. The Karmic Fire fell upon him, bringing with it a myriad of mortal experiences.

At times, he was a Scholar in love with a Young Lady from a Noble Family. But due to the chasm in their social status, they could not be together. Forced apart, he lived out his days in unfulfilled melancholy.

At other times, he was a tragic Sect Disciple whose Sect had been annihilated, leaving him to carry the burden of a blood feud.

Sometimes, he was born crippled, reduced to living on the streets and begging to survive.

And sometimes, he was betrayed by those closest to him, suffering a violent and tragic death.

All these experiences felt incredibly real, but he remained completely unfazed. He would not get lost in them, treating them all as nothing more than a series of dreams.

After an unknown amount of time, the Karmic Fire of the mortal realm vanished.

"Even the legendary Karma Fire Tribulation appeared... Truly terrifying."

"Don’t tell me the Celestial Tribulation still isn’t over?"

Shock filled the eyes of Liu Bingxue and Li Kuangba. High above, the thunderclouds had yet to disperse. Instead, a suffocating, oppressive aura began to emanate from within them.

It seemed as if something terrifying was slowly taking form.

WHOOSH—

A sudden gale began to blow, its mournful wails sounding like the cries of ghosts and wolves.

The sky grew darker and darker.

Finally, the entire area was plunged into darkness.

"What in the world is going on with this Celestial Tribulation? I’ve heard of the Karma Fire Tribulation, but I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this."

Outside the Ancient Hall, the many Martial Artists cried out in alarm.

They were immersed in a darkness so profound they couldn’t see their own hands in front of their faces.

It was a frightening situation; a Celestial Tribulation like this defied all common sense.

「At this very moment.」

An ethereal, white-robed figure with an otherworldly aura stood within the Profound Celestial Ancient Hall. Beside it floated a painted scroll.

This person was none other than Golden Cicada.

"Shocking beyond all belief!"

Watching the scene unfold, Golden Cicada slowly uttered those four words.

At that moment, he was the only one who could still clearly see everything that was happening.

Within the Thunder Tribulation, a human figure had been born.

This figure was only the size of a thumb and was pitch-black from head to toe. Its face was in constant flux; in the span of a single breath, it seemed to shift hundreds, even thousands of times.

Men and women, the old and the young—it was as if the faces of all living beings were appearing upon it.

"God of Slaughter!"

Golden Cicada uttered three words. As a Celestial King of his generation, he knew the origin of such a thing.

This type of God of Slaughter was, in fact, formed from the lingering resentment of fallen Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm masters. At the moment of their deaths, they produced immense unwillingness and hatred. This resentment lingered over long ages, never dispersing, and eventually coalesced into this being.

A single God of Slaughter is formed from the coalesced resentment of at least several thousand individuals, which is why its face changes thousands of times.

’This is going to be trouble.’

The very moment the God of Slaughter appeared, a grave expression finally settled on Ning Jiang’s face.

RIIIP!

The next moment, the God of Slaughter moved. Like a flash of sword light, it sliced through the darkness and charged toward him.

"God Obliteration Technique, God-Slaying Blade!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Ning Jiang immediately launched a Divine Sense attack.

The God Obliteration Technique was a Top Level cultivation method for Divine Sense.

Back at the Star Sword Sect, he had used the God Obliteration Technique to annihilate several Elders in one fell swoop.