Watching the desperate battle around him, Tang Ru felt a deep compassion for all living beings well up from the bottom of his heart.
At times, he detested this power of his that could not take a life.
Yet Yu Shan had always told him that their lineage was formidable.
But now...
He could only watch helplessly, hiding in the shadows like a loathsome insect.
*Boom!!!!*
Heaven and earth revolved as a Yin-Yang array plate spun across the firmament, radiating an eerie aura.
Beneath the feet of all living beings lay a Bagua array plate so vast its borders could not be seen.
In an instant, the world blazed with light as Tang Ru drew upon the power of karma at the cost of his own life force!!
*Boom!!!*
Terrifying power erupted from within Tang Ru. His eyes turned one black and one white, his gaze looking down upon all living beings with cold disdain!
His robes snapped in the wind as Tang Ru stepped forth from the void.
At this moment, the eyes of everyone between heaven and earth were fixed upon him.
Through multiple great battles, this was the very first time he had openly revealed himself on the battlefield.
The moment Tang Ru appeared, the vast might of heaven and earth surged forth, completely augmenting him.
Yet his facial features were aging at a rate visible to the naked eye.
By now, many cultivators of the Immortal Realm came to their senses.
Their expressions changed drastically as they barked coldly,
"Kill him! We can't break free from this power!!"
"Hurry! This is karmic power!! We cannot let him unleash it!!"
"Karma... He wants to use karmic power to slaughter us!!"
"Kill him!!"
Instantly, over twenty cultivators closest to Tang Ru shot forward to kill him!
Yu Shan raised a hand, sending a mysterious ripple spreading outward in an instant.
In a flash, all twenty-odd foes were displaced and scattered across different positions.
The gold-armored Long Hou, Hong Zhi, and the others struck without hesitation!!
Spear light shook the heavens, surging like a flood dragon bursting from its pool!!
A blood-red saber ray flashed across the firmament and instantly shattered over a dozen incoming attacks.
Nangong Xuandu and the others struck in succession; Xiang Huaizhi conjured the power of heavenly flame, rousing the roars of a hundred beasts.
Yet their cultivation realms were simply too low now.
Merely holding the line was already a great feat.
Wen Guyan blasted the enemy before him away with a sword strike, then swung back to intercept the foe in front of Bai Su!
"Go help him!!!"
Bai Su hesitated for a fraction of a second before flying toward the immortals after all.
Yet that momentary hesitation caused a flicker of cold killing intent to flash through Wen Guyan's eyes.
Despite everyone's efforts to intercept and corner them, more than ten immortals still broke through and shot toward Tang Ru.
What was more, the lowest cultivation among them was in the Tribulation Transcendence realm!
*Boom!!!!*
At that exact moment, Tang Ru's cultivation shattered its shackles, reaching the mid Tribulation Transcendence realm.
With his long hair thrashing wildly and his robes whipping in the wind, Tang Ru expressionlessly flicked a finger.
*Boom!!!*
Countless black-and-white pillars of light plummeted from the sky!!
*Thump, thump, thump!!!*
Everyone was frozen in place. Tang Ru parted his lips, his voice ringing out like the resonant cadence of the Great Dao:
"Karma crosses ten thousand lifetimes; even past lives can be slain!"
As the words fell, the bodies of over ten cultivators comparable to the Tribulation Transcendence realm gradually turned to ash, annihilated into nothingness.
Their souls were obliterated, leaving no possibility of survival...
Any defensive measure proved completely useless before Tang Ru.
The power of karma!
This sight terrified everyone. The Immortal Realm cultivators stared in sheer horror.
Even Cao Yan and the others were taken aback.
Only the blood-drenched Yu Shan stared blankly at what was happening...
"Ka... karmic power... He actually comprehended... karma!"
Tang Ru's temples turned snow-white.
Yet his gaze remained resolute as he turned his eyes toward the rest.
Frightened out of their wits, the Immortal Realm cultivators scrambled to flee, terrified of catching Tang Ru's gaze.
The cultivators of the Seven Domains seized the opportunity to launch a sweeping counterattack!
Tang Ru's power was utterly terrifying, striking without warning and leaving no defense!!
That kind of karmic power was not something they could withstand.
Yet right at this moment, blood suddenly seeped from Tang Ru's seven apertures. His body swayed, his aura fluctuating wildly.
Suddenly!
A pair of large hands steadily caught Tang Ru by the shoulders.
Tang Ru collapsed into Gu Li's arms, his face now aged like that of a middle-aged man.
Gu Li comforted him softly,
"Fifth Brother, you were incredible!"
"Rest now. Leave the rest to us. You've done more than enough!"
Tang Ru lifted a hand. His consciousness fading, he slowly closed his eyes.
Yu Shan broke through the encirclement and flashed over, driving the last few spiritual forms of his clones into Tang Ru's body.
"Warn him never to act recklessly again!"
"With his current strength, trying to pry into heavenly secrets and channel the power of karma is far too dangerous."
"He got lucky this time—these people's cultivation realms have been suppressed by the rules of the Heavenly Dao."
"If he faced even a single true Mystic Immortal, what he just did would be pure suicide!"
Yu Shan scolded in a furious undertone.
Yet every word was steeped in care; he chided him only out of deep concern.
Gu Li bowed in respect. He naturally understood how precious what Yu Shan had given Tang Ru was.
Those were pure life forces condensed from his own natal soul clones!!
Not only for Tang Ru, but for Yu Shan himself, they were life-saving treasures.
Yet Yu Shan had selflessly given them all to Tang Ru.
He was his disciple, but even more, his kin...
Having recovered a bit of primal energy, Gu Li took on a grim look, his eyes sweeping sharply around him.
Screams, rumbling blasts, and cries of indignation and defiance filled Gu Li's mind.
Gu Li raised his hand and drew out an inscribed talisman once more.
"Great Soul-Rending Inscribed Talisman!"
The talisman burned away, vanishing before his eyes in an instant!
Yu Shan's brow furrowed as he muttered under his breath,
"I've never heard of such a talisman name. Something that tears the soul?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Gu Li's eyes, but he did not reply.
Immediately after, all the descending immortals below the Ascension realm felt waves of discomfort.
The sensation of their souls tearing was unmistakably clear, yet nothing was actually wrong with their souls.
And then... a horrifying transformation overtook their bodies.
The bellies of every one of those Immortal Realm cultivators swelled up.
One body, two heartbeats!!
An elderly crone on the verge of the grave murmured in disbelief,
"This old woman... is pregnant?!!!"
Not just the crone—nearby, three old men who couldn't put together a single set of teeth looked at each other in utter bewilderment...
They were the same: their bellies were nurturing new life.
Seeing this from a distance, Yu Shan couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth.
He cast a profoundly bizarre look at Gu Li.
"Some 'Great Soul-Rending Inscribed Talisman'!!"
Gu Li offered a mysterious smile and whispered under his breath,
"My Forced Conception Talisman doesn't stop at just that..."
Just as the words left his mouth, a cultivator of somewhat lower cultivation—only just entering the Ascension realm—discovered in horror that with his own strength, he was utterly unable to stop that mysterious force, and his soul was being continuously plundered and devoured bit by bit!!
"Aargh!!! No!!! Please don't!!"
"Save me!!!!"
Yet the Immortal Realm cultivators could barely fend for themselves; who had the leeway to save anyone else?
Everyone desperately circulated their primal energy and divine sense, vainly attempting to suppress this relentlessly demanding force.
Gu Li closed his eyes halfway, spread his arms, lightly snapped his fingers, and whispered softly,
"Pop."
*Boom!!!*
The young man's body instantly blew apart, leaving no soul remaining within.
It was a ghastly sight, yet it was not an isolated case.
Another female cultivator, unable to suppress the force, exploded with a resounding blast amidst eyes full of terror and despair!
Gu Li muttered under his breath,
"Not a single true powerhouse among them."
Chapter 1532