An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 394 Analysis
Chu Xiu's divine sense enveloped the area around the scarlet mist. After mastering the [Nether Chain] divine power of the Yama Sutra and forming his core, his spirit had become so powerful that it was even comparable to that of a demigod specializing in mental attacks. The divine sense that extended from this was incredibly vast and resilient.

In open areas, it can easily cover a distance of hundreds of miles!

At this moment, this enormous divine consciousness merely surrounded a wisp of divine consciousness, much like a million soldiers besieging a wild deer.

However, Chu Xiu's expression was extremely solemn. This scarlet mist was unlike any substance he had ever received before. Whether it was gas, liquid, or solid, as long as it was a substance, it had a specific weight and structure. Just as ordinary people cannot see gas, it does not mean that gas is truly an invisible thing.

Even the burning flames, under Chu Xiu's divine sense, revealed the complex physical and chemical changes of the particles within them.

The crimson mist before him was different. To say it was completely formless wouldn't be accurate; it still possessed a material structure and an energy flow. But strangely, Chu Xiu felt an insurmountable chasm separating him from the crimson mist, as if trying to discern the scent of something with his eyes. No matter how hard he tried, even knowing the crimson mist was right in front of him, he couldn't sense any information about it.

"Just like how heroic spirits couldn't perceive rules before because they lacked the 'organs' or abilities to perceive rules, could it be that I can't perceive this crimson mist because my current rank is too low?"

"But why did my body spontaneously transform a small portion of the scarlet mist?"

"No, that's not right. It's not that I lack the ability to perceive; it's as if there's a barrier preventing me from perceiving."

This barrier is not a physical barrier, but rather more like a blind spot in thinking.

Chu Xiu found it increasingly strange, and after pondering for a long time, a fierce glint suddenly flashed in his eyes.

The next instant, Chu Xiu's divine sense rushed up like a giant hand, suddenly grasping a wisp of scarlet mist in its hand!

Brute-force analysis!

Countless strands of divine consciousness, like all-pervasive gases, dismantled and analyzed the scarlet mist!
Suddenly, Chu Xiu seemed to sense the existence of some kind of primal force hidden within the scarlet mist!

The moment a wisp of divine sense touched that source, a massive influx of information rushed in. Originally, Chu Xiu had only mobilized less than one percent of his divine sense, with most of his attention focused on guarding against the outside world, since he could not fully trust the envoys from other civilizations.

But almost the instant he came into contact with that unknown source, all his divine sense surged uncontrollably toward that source, as if one percent of his divine sense was simply not enough to handle the enormous information contained within it!
Chu Xiu felt a blur before his eyes, and in the next instant, countless data flashed past him!

"This is...Yuan City?"

Chu Xiu stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

He feels exactly the same way he did in Yuancheng!
The difference is that only a small part of his consciousness entered Yuan City before, like playing a game with VR equipment, but now, he has entered the game world entirely!
The overwhelming flow of information plunged him into a state of profound mystery. Chu Xiu keenly sensed that the information before him was extremely important. His divine sense, comparable to that of a supercomputer, rapidly analyzed and memorized it. However, the information was simply too vast, making him feel as if he understood something, yet also as if he understood nothing at all.

"This feeling is exactly the same as when I was observing the Inheritance Stele in the Hundred Ghosts Furnace world!"

However, at that time, whether it was because his soul was not strong enough or for some other reason, he was unable to see these data streams that represented "essence", but only had a mysterious feeling.

"What exactly is that Inheritance Immortal Stele? And what is its connection to tribulations and rules?"

Chu Xiu felt that the secrets hidden in the world of the Hundred Ghosts Furnace were probably even greater than he had imagined!
And this data
Just as Chu Xiu was pondering, the data in front of him suddenly disappeared, and the scarlet mist in the center, surrounded by divine senses, had completely dissipated without leaving any trace.

Chu Xiu instinctively shivered, his consciousness returning to his body.

He felt a sharp pain in his head, and his intuition told him that he had grasped something extremely important and precious, but when he tried to recall what it was, his mind was in complete chaos.

It felt like going through the blueprints for an aircraft carrier in just three seconds.

"Brother Chen, are you alright?"

At that moment, a concerned female voice rang in Chu Xiu's ear.

He opened his eyes and saw Xie Xuanzhao's concerned face.

"I'm fine," Chu Xiu waved his hand and looked around. They had already re-entered the Star Leap Ship.

"Have we arrived?" he asked.

Xie Xuanzhao opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak. Muto, who was standing to the side, said, "It's more than that, Brother Chen. You've been motionless for a full three minutes, just like before."

"What?!" Chu Xiu was taken aback. According to his perception, only two seconds should have passed at most.

Doesn't this resemble his situation when he observed the Inheritance Stele?
A wave of fear washed over him immediately. His entire being had been controlled by the crimson mist, leaving him completely defenseless. If someone had attacked him during that moment…
Although he should be able to automatically break free from that state when attacked, he is bound to be severely injured by a preemptive strike.

He looked at the people around him, his expression slightly hardening. He also noticed something amiss. Xie Xuanzhao was standing beside him, while Mu Tuo and Tuoba Shou were a little further away, forming a protective circle around him.

Canmo, Shagu, and Zhujiu stood scattered at a greater distance, while directly opposite Xie Xuanzhao, Maoqi stood with his arms crossed, looking at him with displeasure.

Chu Xiu instantly realized what was going on. Mao Qi undoubtedly wanted to take this opportunity to attack him. After all, no matter how safe Xie Xuanzhao's plan was, there were always many variables. Of course, it would be better to kill Chu Xiu when he was caught off guard.

And the best person to carry out this task is undoubtedly Zhu Jiu.

Cat Seven's transformation law should focus more on combat flexibility. Although it certainly has extremely powerful transformations, in terms of pure destructive power, it is naturally far from comparable to Candle Nine's destruction law.

However, it was clear that Zhu Jiu, Can Mo, and Sha Gu were all hesitant about Mao Qi's suggestion, adopting a neutral stance, while the other three sided with Chu Xiu.

Letting out a long breath, Chu Xiu bowed to Xie Xuanzhao and the other two, saying, "Thank you all for protecting me. I will remember this kindness."

He was speaking from the heart.

If Chu Xiu were to be struck by Zhu Jiu's Destruction Law without any warning, even with his powerful vitality, there's no guarantee he would survive.

Xie Xuanzhao covered his mouth and laughed, "Brother Chen, there's no need for such formality. My daughter is simply acting according to the guidance of fate."

Muto laughed and said, "Brother Chen saved my life before, but I attacked him instead. I was blinded by greed. How could I make the same mistake again?"

Tuoba Shou said nothing, but simply nodded slightly to Chu Xiu.

Chu Xiu remembered that when Tuoba Shou was attacked by the cancer rule before, he was also suffering from cancer all over his body and was about to die. However, he just sat cross-legged on the spot and did not attack Chu Xiu. It seems that although he did not talk much, he was a person with great principles.

Chu Xiu said no more, but simply stood up and said, "Let's go."

Now that his identity as a tribulation seeker has been exposed, Chu Xiu simply stopped hiding his abilities and waved his hand. A large number of ghosts surged out of the soul banner and began searching for the divine artifacts in the surrounding area using the old method.

Although the ghost army was reduced by half, the addition of seven civilization envoys to help with the search, especially Xie Xuanzhao, who was skilled in divination, meant that the efficiency was not much different.

Fifteen minutes later, the remaining three artifacts were successfully found one by one. The group also defeated several waves of mutated creatures, whose souls and flesh were naturally taken by Chu Xiu, making up for the losses.

In this way, all the divine artifacts have been collected.

The newly acquired artifacts are a mirror, a blood-red pearl, and a lifelike pearl, only the size of a palm, carved from an unknown jade material.

【Odro Bronze Mirror】, 【Great Wilderness Blood Poison Bead】, 【Destruction Ark】—these are the names of these three pieces of equipment.

The [Audero Bronze Mirror] is a divine artifact that mimics the laws of transformation. Its effect is simple and brutal: the original body can replicate up to four [illusionary bodies]. These illusionary bodies possess the original body's skills and traits, but their basic attributes are limited by the mirror's own power. After activating the transformation effect, the number of illusionary bodies can be increased tenfold in a short period! Furthermore, each illusionary body will gain additional attribute bonuses!
The Blood Poison Bead and the Four-Legged Cauldron have similar abilities, both creating a field that benefits the user while targeting the enemy. However, the Four-Legged Cauldron targets magic power, while the Blood Poison Bead targets life force. It can cause a strange toxin to erode the enemy's life force, making it an extremely abnormal ability.

Unfortunately, it requires the Law of Cancer, and the Law of Shagu has been stripped away, so this artifact has become just an ordinary mythical equipment. The final Ark of Destruction corresponds to the Destruction Rule of Zhujiu. Its ability is also very simple: this palm-sized ark can transform into a giant wheel, and continuous destructive fluctuations will be generated near the giant wheel. After activating the Calamity Transformation effect, it can directly trigger a [World-Destroying Catastrophe].

In layman's terms, it's an incredibly powerful supernatural ability that attacks any creature on the Ark, regardless of whether it's friend or foe.

As for the artifact that Mao Qi possessed, it was indeed as Chu Xiu had guessed. It was the [Hundred Ghosts Night Parade], which corresponded to his own transformation law. Its effect was to summon a hundred ghosts to fight against enemies. After activating the Calamity Transformation effect, he could merge the hundred ghosts into himself, transform into a Ghost King, and possess the abilities of a hundred ghosts.

The effects of these artifacts were increasingly outrageous, which gave Chu Xiu a lot more confidence.

"Let's not delay, let's head to the central area immediately," Cat Seven urged.

Chu Xiu remained silent, while Muto snorted coldly and said, "Even with the help of a divine artifact, we are no match for that corpse. To start a war rashly before finding the enemy's weakness is tantamount to suicide!"

Cat Seven sneered in return: "Then tell me, what is the enemy's weakness? And how do you find it?"

Muto snorted and stopped looking at him. It was obvious that Cat Seven didn't care who won or lost, as long as Chu Xiu went to fight.

"Brother Chen, have you come up with a plan?" Xie Xuanzhao asked.

Chu Xiu shook his head.

Xie Xuanzhao said, "The way to break the deadlock must lie in the special identity of the one undergoing the tribulation. If Brother Chen is willing, you might as well tell us about it. Perhaps we can make some discoveries."

Upon hearing this, Mao Qi stopped being sarcastic and instead looked over with curiosity, while the others also showed slight changes in their expressions.

After pondering for a while, Chu Xiu figured there was nothing to hide. After all, many God-Kings had plans to train Tribulation Tribulations ...

If these three level-ten civilization envoys are willing, they can also find relevant information when they return.

After carefully considering his words, Chu Xiu spoke: "Actually, becoming a Tribulation ...

These words stunned the other seven people.

"Not relying on the advancement trial? This..." Muto hesitated for a moment, then looked at Chu Xiu, finally unable to resist asking, "Brother Chen, are you perhaps from one of those lower races that struggle to awaken an Awakener?"

He simply couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't participate in the advancement trial. In his view, the advancement trial was a cheat code to help break through bottlenecks! But relying on his own cultivation, he would probably exhaust his lifespan and still find it difficult to break through!

On the contrary, Xie Xuanzhao and the other two had thoughtful expressions on their faces.

Chu Xiu continued, "I am naturally an Awakener. As for why I did not participate in the advancement trial, it is not important. In short, when I tried to break through, I suffered from the [malice of the abyss]. Now that I think about it, that power was similar to the Calamity."

"And after I get through that..."

Chu Xiu raised his hand and released the [Body of Tribulation] trait in the form of an energy stream.

Of course, he lowered the values ​​considerably.

After witnessing this trait, all seven fell silent.

"A percentage increase in attributes, and an improvement in resistance to attacks?"

They had never seen such a strange trait before.

After a long while, Xie Xuanzhao said, "The God Kings once cultivated the Tribulation ...

Zhu Jiu nodded and said, "Judging from these data descriptions, there are indeed no clues. However, descriptions don't tell the whole story. Perhaps there are hidden effects."

"A hidden effect?"

Chu Xiu stroked his chin, realizing that he also had an extra ability to resist the rules.

Also, could the mysterious feeling I had when analyzing the crimson mist be a special effect brought about by the body that has undergone tribulation?
"Why don't you let my daughter perform another divination for Brother Chen?" Xie Xuanzhao said.

"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Xuanzhao." Chu Xiu clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Xie Xuanzhao nodded slightly and extended his finger to tap the air.

She didn't use the tortoise shell this time, but for some reason, Chu Xiu felt an invisible and colorless force surging in the air. He immediately felt a chill and knew that the other party was probably using the Law of Destiny.

Divination using the power of rules is obviously much more strenuous than ordinary divination. In just a few breaths, fine beads of sweat appeared on Xie Xuanzhao's forehead.

It was the first time anyone had witnessed the rules of fate, and seeing her struggling, they were all on tenterhooks. Fortunately, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

“The upper Kan represents water, and the lower Zhen represents thunder. Water and thunder clash.”

"In the hexagram, the yang line is trapped and surrounded by the yin line, like thunder under water, wanting to erupt but being obstructed. However, the yang line still rises. This is an omen of the flourishing of all things."

"Brother Chen should be courageous and diligent, face difficulties head-on, and only then can he overcome obstacles and usher in a new era."

"Be brave and diligent, and face difficulties head-on." Chu Xiu frowned. "Does Miss Xuanzhao mean that I should fight the tribulation lightning avatar head-on?"

Xie Xuanzhao raised her delicate hand and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. After a pause, she said, "Divination performed by consuming the power of rules is usually correct as long as there is no external interference, because it truly touches upon fate."

"But precisely because of this, these guidelines are often vague, broad, and even impractical, making them easy to misinterpret. I dare not make any definitive conclusions."

"However, based on my daughter's experience, if it were that simple, the correct hexagram would be Zhen above Xun, representing the vigorous progress amidst wind and thunder."

Xie Xuanzhao's words made Chu Xiu fall into deep thought once again.

Seeing this, Xie Xuanzhao quickly added, "Fate is mysterious and unpredictable. My daughter dares not interpret it recklessly. It is also possible that it is as Brother Chen said."

Chu Xiu didn't mind Xie Xuanzhao's words too much, but instead thought of something he had overlooked before.

This trial is called Tribulation, and I am the one undergoing it. At first glance, it seems reasonable, but in this trial, there are seven great tribulations containing the power of rules.

Furthermore, as Xie Xuanzhao said, these seven tribulations are precisely the seven tribulations that ancient seekers of the Dao needed to go through to attain enlightenment from mortals!
"If an ancient cultivator uses some evil cultivation method to evade the tribulation, then the tribulation is not considered a successful one."

Thinking back to the mysterious feeling he had when analyzing the scarlet mist, Chu Xiu had a fantastical conjecture in his mind.

He looked up at Muto: "Brother Muto, are the Faceless Men you controlled before still around?"

Muto was taken aback, then raised his hand and summoned a faceless man nearby.

The aura emanating from this faceless man was actually that of Cat Seven!

Chu Xiu walked over and first isolated part of his consciousness to avoid being completely drawn to the crimson mist as he had been when analyzing it before. Then he took a deep breath and carefully extended his divine sense to probe into the faceless man's interior.
(End of this chapter)