Heaven's Devourer

Jiuyue's Residence was a rather complete facility, built into the inner seams of the Flaming Devil Cave.

Having such a huge residence in a place like the Flaming Devil Cave meant that the owner of this residence was someone of great importance in the Ghostly Yan Tribe.

She had to be of high status within the Ghostly Yan Tribe.

After finding Jiuyue's Residence, Wu Yu found a place where he could release the middle-aged ghostly cultivator to go home. After all, his job was done.

If he controlled him for too long, his father would come looking.

A Message Talisman had even come from his father, bidding him hurry home.

After the fellow came to his senses, he was momentarily confused as to what he was doing there. However, he soon dismissed it from his mind after coming up with nothing.

Wu Yu was currently hiding in a shadowy area in front of Jiuyue's Residence.

For now, he did not know if the Ghostly Artificer was within, and if Jiuyue Ji or other experts were by his side. Therefore, Wu Yu did not dare make any impulsive moves.

But something else caught his attention. From his position, he saw a broad passage winding into deeper areas, which he felt looked promising. He used the Eyes of Fire and Gold to cast his gaze deeper, and there he saw a crimson barrier. Wu Yu guessed that Holy Devil City was behind that barrier.

Holy Devil City was encapsulated within a crimson spherical barrier.

Wu Yu approached and could feel the thrumming of the Holy Devil City barrier. It was probably made of spirit designs. This was the most core region of the Ghostly Yan Tribe, and the spirit designs would definitely be much tougher than those outside the Flaming Devil Cave.

Besides, all who could enter Holy Devil City were stronger than Wu Yu. For example, even Jiuyue Ji was not authorized to enter Holy Devil City. It would be out of the question for Wu Yu to find someone to bring him into Holy Devil City.

Although curious as to the inside of Holy Devil City, Wu Yu did not want to bite off more than he could chew. To him, Holy Devil City was the most dangerous place. He returned to his original position and shrunk himself. He hid outside Jiuyue's Residence and observed for a period of time, looking for leads. And then he began to craft his plan. He was definitely looking for a sure-kill opportunity, and these were difficult to find.

Hunting required patience. He had not succeeded last time, and this would be his final chance.

Unexpectedly, the Ghostly Artificer appeared soon after he arrived! Wu Yu was very surprised as well. Evidently, he was not at all worried that Wu Yu would come to the Flaming Devil Cave, which was why he was sauntering about Jiuyue's Residence. He sat cross-legged on a roof. He appeared to be in decent condition, besides a slightly paler pallor. Still, he did not appear to be in peak form.

The Ghostly Artificer was currently speaking to someone else, with a somber face. He had flown up first, and a woman rose from below, following him. It was a middle-aged woman who was still attractive. She had a sexy body and a russet complexion. Despite her good looks, the Ghostly Artificer did not dare to look directly at her, instead keeping his head slightly bowed. 

At this moment, the woman flew out of Jiuyue's Residence to somewhere else, and the Ghostly Artificer followed her, head still bowed. The two went to a far away place, and Wu Yu immediately followed. Although he was not as good as the Full Moon of Nanshan in terms of concealment, it was not difficult to follow the pair, because they were not taking extra care while they traveled.

However, they were not going far. They came to a relatively remote place. The woman, who was clearly Jiuyue Ji, had come to a dais as black as charcoal. The Ghostly Artificer stood blankly on the black dais. Light rays were shooting down from above the platform, causing Jiuyue Ji's body to sparkle with light, which seemed to go through one's head.

"Sister Jiuyue, please work on the dao calamity with peace of mind. This junior brother will guard you, and no one will dare to come forth," the Ghostly Artificer said to Jiuyue Ji with a simpering smile.

Jiuyue Ji sat down and shot him a glance. "I have no enemies here. Besides, the Holy Master himself protects me, and others will not dare to act recklessly. Just chase away the bothersome juniors trying to watch. Besides, you will have your chance in the future. You, too, might receive the three disasters. Watch well and learn well."

The Ghostly Artificer smiled. "Of course. A mere three disasters is no trouble at all for Sister Jiuyue. Junior Brother wishes Elder Sister a smooth resolution to the dao calamity, great improvements, and recognition by the Holy Master to enter Holy Devil City. After all, Sister is but one step away from entering Holy Devil City."

Jiuyue Ji smiled coldly but did not comment. She was clearly very confident in herself.

There were indeed many spectators here, who immediately began to whisper amongst themselves, vague murmurs of Jiuyue Ji about to charge through. At this crucial moment, many wanted to watch, although a majority were at the Primordial Spirit Transformation Realm. The Ghostly Artificer followed Jiuyue Ji's bidding and began to chase them away. Those that did not obey, he attacked. Soon, the ghostly cultivators were scuttling away, and Jiuyue Ji closed her eyes, channeling her spiritual power on the platform. Soon, there were a full three layers of spirit designs around her, protecting her from all directions.

"You're in luck. This Jiuyue Ji has just passed from the third tier of the Dao Querying Three Disasters Realm to the fourth. She has to pass the first of three dao crises. This is the first great hurdle of cultivation, and of critical importance. If you can witness it, it will be of great help for your own mental preparation," Ming Long explained.

The name “Dao Querying Three Disasters Realm” was due to it having three crises, the dao crises. At this cultivation level, one would have to overcome three dao crises in order to have a chance of reaching immortalhood.

Dao Querying was the final and also most crucial step on the path to immortalhood. Whether one died or rose to immortalhood depended on this step.

For one's dao to reach a whole state, it had to be questioned and contemplated. To find one's own dao. To create one's own dao.

The three dao crises took place between the third tier and the fourth, the sixth tier and the seventh, and the ninth tier and the 10th. After three dao crises, one would already be a demigod at the 10th tier of the Dao Querying Realm. Demigods had to have their own dao, and have attained their dao enlightenment. Finally, they would face the final Great Trial of the Immortal Dao. If they passed it, they could become an immortal; otherwise, one's body would fade and die with the dao.

This was the most crucial first step to becoming immortal. Although the three crises were not as monumental as the Great Trial of the Immortal Dao, countless people had perished at these steps. Either they did not dare to challenge it, and passively waited for their years to dwindle, or they died while challenging it! Ordinarily, those that chose to challenge them were rather confident. But even so, many Dao Querying martial cultivators throughout the course of history had died during the dao crises. The number was even higher than those who had died in battle or through a dwindling of vitality.

The three crises were the nightmares of the Dao Querying Realm.

Dao querying, pursuit, enlightenment, completion! No matter how favored you were, everyone had to pass the three dao calamities! Without such a trial, how could one possess the will to become immortal?

It was said that each dao calamity was a thorough evolution of both Primordial Spirit and physical body, making one resemble an immortal more and more. After becoming a demigod by passing three dao crises, one would become immortal after passing the Great Trial of the Immortal Dao!

That was the true ascent to the Sky Palace, where one would take up the mantle of immortality.

As for the three dao crises, Wu Yu seemed very far from them. After all, it was based on his real body. However, he still treated it very seriously.

"What are the three dao crises, exactly?" Wu Yu asked.

Ming Long said, "There has been a saying since the ancient times: reaching immortality is an extraordinary dao. A transformation that demands the power of the heavens and earth, that robs the sun and moon of their mysteries. When you want to break through the third tier of the Dao Querying Realm, heaven will strike you with lightning. If you fail to evade it, you die. If you evade it, you can become stronger.

"At the sixth tier of the Dao Querying Realm, your dao tier has swelled, and you offend the heavens. They will send a disaster of fire to burn you. This is not heavenly fire, or mortal fire, but instead called hellfire. It begins to burn from one's Gushing Spring Meridian [1] and ends with your head. It will burn your internal organs to ash, and your four limbs until they wither. It will render your hundreds of years of cultivation nothing into more than a dream.

"At the ninth tier of the Dao Querying Realm, when you approach immortalhood, heaven will send a disaster of the wind at you. This is not any normal directional wind, nor a seasonal wind. It is not the wind that breezes through the flowers, the willows, the pine, and the bamboo. It is called the Mighty Wind. It will blow through your internal organs, through your meridians, through your nine orifices, until your flesh and bone disintegrate!"

The thunder from heaven was known as Heaven's Thunder. Heaven's Thunder, Hellfire, and Mighty Wind formed the three dao crises poised to take one’s life! 

These three dao crises were all tests from heaven. Regardless of whether you were a demon, martial cultivator, ghostly cultivator, sword cultivator, or immortal beast, you had to go through the three dao crises and the Great Trial of the Immortal Dao. It was all the same, although the ghostly cultivators liked to call their final one the Great Trial of the Ghostly Dao, while demons liked to call theirs the Great Trial of the Demonic Dao.

Right now, Jiuyue Ji was breaking through from the third tier of the Dao Querying Realm to the fourth to sixth tiers. This meant that before long, Heaven's Thunder would come from above. An immortal's thunder. Legend said that heaven's Father of Thunder and Mother of Lightning would personally appear to call forth Heaven's Thunder to test the challenger!

Of course, this was a legend, and Wu Yu did not find it very believable. The Jambu Realm was so vast, and there were many people trying to overcome the crisis daily. Wouldn't the Father of Thunder and Mother of Lightning be worked to death?

In any case, Wu Yu still checked his curiosity and looked closely with his Eyes of Fire and Gold. Ming Long was right. Seeing this trial was indeed helpful for him. Otherwise, going into it blind would fill him with dread and fear that might very well be fatal.

"It's said that the three dao crises and the Great Trial of the Immortal Dao depend on how good or evil you are. Whoever commits more sins will face a stronger trial. Therefore, the ghostly cultivators are most afraid of the three dao crises and the great trial. After all, their rise in cultivation level uses the fastest methods, which are cruel and wicked. They do not build a solid foundation like martial cultivators. This Jiuyue Ji is very brave to dare to challenge the trial.

"Of course, she has probably stayed at this cultivation level for a very long time.

"But if she doesn't, then she won't improve. In the end, she will die of old age...."

Therefore, Jiuyue Ji was compelled to make this choice.

When she had finished her preparations, the entire platform was caged in spirit designs. The black platform was probably specially designed for those of the Flaming Devil Cave to challenge the trials, and could be enhanced with many defenses.

And then Wu Yu felt wrath coming from the heavens.

1. TN: on the soles of your feet