Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 88 Eight Forbidden Rules!

To be honest, if it weren't for the abundance of mineral resources here, the Northern Region, this godforsaken place, would be the worst of the five major regions.

But Li Yao wanted to say that he loved this land deeply; he loved the Northern Region so much.

"Let's go, take me to find your accomplices." Withdrawing his deep love for the Northern Region, Li Yao looked at Bao Tianxing and said.

Since Li Yao had encountered a group of fraudsters who sold people like livestock, he naturally didn't mind sending them to their deaths.

Bao Tianxing remained silent, his face grim. He strode away from Xuanyu Platform and headed towards the edge of the Xiaoyao Sect's territory.

Li Yao followed closely behind, looking languid and completely disregarding Bao Tianxing's accomplices.

What kind of extraordinary person would engage in this kind of human trafficking? How much is a cultivator in the Sea of ​​Wheels Secret Realm worth? A true powerhouse wouldn't even look at such a paltry profit.

Therefore, he was certain he had this gang of fraudsters under his control; even if Wushi came, it wouldn't make a difference.

Soon, they left the territory of the Xiaoyao Sect and arrived at a desert.

Ahead, a group of cultivators stood on the Gobi Desert, looking down at each other with fierce and menacing expressions; there were at least a dozen of them.

Li Yao glanced at the leader and saw that his cultivation level was only at the first level of the Dao Palace realm. To him, they were just a bunch of small fry that he could easily deal with.

"Old Bao, what's going on? Why is there only one ox and horse this time? Weren't there supposed to be forty-seven?" A tall, thin cultivator couldn't help but ask curiously when he saw the two approaching.

He completely disregarded Li Yao, and without even putting on an act, directly asked Bao Tianxing what was going on.

"Ox and horse" is a unique term from the Northern Regions. In the Northern Regions, it refers to mining slaves who have no human rights and must mine for five hours a day, with only four days of rest per month.

"Old Bao, what's going on? One person, this isn't even enough to cover the round-trip dimensional gate fees, is it?" someone couldn't help but ask.

Bao Tianxing didn't reply and continued walking towards the crowd without making a sound, but his slightly trembling body and the cold sweat dripping from his temples proved his nervousness.

"Snapped!"

Bao Tianxing froze, his body tense as if it were a wooden board, his pupils suddenly dilated and filled with bloodshot veins.

A fair and delicate hand gently pressed on his shoulder, as if a sacred mountain was pressing down on him, rendering him completely immobile.

The leader sensed something was wrong, stood up, looked at Li Yao, and said, "What brings you here, friend? Has Old Bao offended you?"

He knows when to speak, and as expected of the boss, his reaction is quick.

The other human traffickers also became alert; something was clearly wrong, and Bao Tianxing was the one being held hostage.

"Kid, you've got some nerve. You know Old Bao has a problem, yet you still dared to follow me here," the tall, thin cultivator said arrogantly.

"Hey!"

A dazzling light suddenly flashed, and the tall, thin man exploded into a cloud of blood mist. The movement was so fast that no one had time to react.

"What an idiot. Since I followed you, you must be highly skilled and daring. If you speak up now, aren't you just sticking your neck out? Has your cultivation ruined your brain?" Li Yao sneered.

In the midst of laughter and conversation, a cultivator at the Divine Bridge Realm perished, leaving those around him terrified.

Bao Tianxing, in particular, trembled slightly at this moment. Being so close, he could feel all too well just how terrifying the divine power fluctuations emanating from that casual strike were.

Even if his boss, the leader, went all out, he wouldn't be as effective as the young man who was now holding him hostage.

Bao Tianxing knew that this time it was really over; his only hope had been shattered, and he had even become a collaborator.

"Outrageous! Let's attack together and kill him!" The group of human traffickers were enraged. To kill someone in front of so many of them was simply too arrogant.

"Shh!"

In an instant, dozens of weapons appeared out of thin air, radiating terrifying power, and charged toward Li Yao.

However, a shocking scene unfolded: Li Yao flicked his sleeve, and dozens of weapons broke apart, bound together by a terrifying force, and were completely destroyed.

Dozens of weapons, carrying enough power to split mountains and shatter rocks, were destroyed so easily, a scene that shocked the human traffickers.

Even the leader was now in a difficult situation. Although he was from the Dao Palace Secret Realm, he could not do such a thing, destroying dozens of weapons so casually.

"boom!"

The leader could no longer sit still. He raised his hand and unleashed a powerful technique, shooting out a divine light from between his palm and fingers. It was like several real dragons wagging their tails, intersecting together and exuding a terrifying aura. It could practically cut through mountains and cleave the sky.

"The Seven Absolute Finger Techniques of the Heavenly Profound Palace, are you a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Palace?"

Li Yao extended his palm, capturing several divine rays within it. After careful observation, he deduced the leader's origins.

Tianxuan Palace is a major power in the Northern Region, ranking among the top 500 in the vast Northern Region.

"What? The leader's attack was blocked so easily!" The traffickers were shocked.

"Who exactly are you? At such a young age, you possess such cultivation; your background must be extraordinary." The leader looked at Li Yao with apprehension.

"You're about to die, what's the point of knowing so much?" Li Yao didn't satisfy the other person's curiosity.

A touch of crimson was added to the red land of the Northern Region. The blood of more than a dozen cultivators flowed and then disappeared into the earth, making the already crimson land even more eerie.

Li Yao calmly took away more than a dozen lives without feeling anything. Since he began his travels, the number of cultivators who died at his hands had already exceeded a thousand. He had long been accustomed to the feeling of killing.

However, he had a clear conscience. Those who fell at his hands were all bandits or forces that oppressed ordinary people by raising bandits. They had all done evil, and he killed them with great ease.

After taking down a group of human traffickers, he went to the nearest oasis.

This is a small oasis, less than a thousand miles in circumference. In the center of the oasis stands a city, an ancient city entirely built of reddish-brown megaliths, steeped in the vicissitudes of time. According to the locals, this city has a history of over a thousand years and has always been the central city of this region.

The city has a population of around 300,000. In the Northern Region, this is considered a pretty good ancient city. The streets are bustling with traffic and people.

After arriving in Guyuan City, Li Yao inquired about the local jade gambling establishments and was told that there were dozens. Furthermore, he was surprised to learn that branches of all the major holy lands had opened in this city.

“Even a mosquito's leg is meat. I need far too much source. The Holy City is the stronghold of all the major holy lands and families. If I open it without restraint, I'm afraid I'll become a thorn in their side. Given the chance, they'll probably kill me without hesitation. In that case, let's take the path of encircling the city from the countryside.”

Don't overestimate the integrity of those holy land families. If Li Yao really cuts stones without restraint and the losses are so great that even the holy land families feel they are crippled, he will definitely become a public enemy.

But these small towns are different. They are too far from the Holy City. They have branches here, but they only occupy the land and do not want other forces to monopolize it.

Over the next two days, Li Yao swept through all the major jade gambling shops, buying up anything that could be made a profit.

In the ancient Yuan City's stone gambling workshop, there is no rule that stones are cut inside the workshop. This is because the source stones that are sent here have all been carefully selected, and it is impossible for priceless stones to be left behind here.

This undoubtedly made things easier for Li Yao, because if he had to cut the stone in the stone workshop, his perfect accuracy would inevitably cause a stir. One ancient city is fine, but what about a dozen or a hundred?

The holy families are not fools. If that were the case, they would quickly realize that a master of source techniques was sweeping through the ancient cities, and it was the same person.

Doing too many things like this will inevitably cause a stir in the Northern Region.

But if you buy it and take it away, then it doesn't matter. People come and go in the stone market, and people buy stones every day. No one cares about this. Even if there are idle passersby, they just treat it as a joke and only use it as a topic of conversation after meals in a small circle. It doesn't even spread beyond Guyuan City.

In Guyuan City, Li Yao bought nearly a hundred source stones from dozens of gambling stone shops, spending a thousand catties of source stones. In return, he gained sixty to seventy thousand catties of source stones, including pure source stones, heterogeneous source stones, and even a piece of divine source stone the size of a sesame seed. Of course, he also received some spiritual herbs.

Such profits are outrageous. With a thousand catties of raw material, they have gained tens of thousands of catties of raw material, resulting in profits dozens of times greater. It's even more outrageous than robbery.

Even in the Holy City, in terms of profit alone, it is not as good as that of the small city. It's just that the Holy City has a large base, so it earns more.

Of course, not everyone can make money like Li Yao. His mastery of Origin Arts, combined with the extraordinary nature of his Origin Scripture, allows him to hit the target every time and at great speed. He can see through the Origin Stones in these small towns with just a glance.

If a master of Origin Arts were to come and sweep through all the Origin Stones in a small town, it would take at least a month or two, and there would be no guarantee of success. The harvest would be meager, and the time would be wasted, making it a thankless task.

Currently, in the Beidou Starfield, only Li Yao is capable of making huge profits by sweeping through the small town of Shifang.

A day later, Li Yao appeared in another oasis and visited all the gambling stone shops again. This time, the profit was slightly lower, only about twenty times. He paid out 3,000 catties of source material but only earned 60,000 catties of source material.

"Sigh, barely making ends meet, forced by life's circumstances, I'll just have to move on to the next one," Li Yao lamented, feeling he had suffered a great loss.

The third city, the fourth, the fifth...

In the following period, Li Yao traveled back and forth between various oases. His Xingzi Secret Technique was unparalleled in the world, and his speed was astonishing. The distance between each oasis was at least tens of thousands of miles, and sometimes hundreds of thousands of miles, but Li Yao was able to cross it quickly.

This is unimaginable; only a supreme ruler of the Holy Lord level could accomplish this. But they wouldn't be idle, constantly traveling back and forth between various ancient cities.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye. Li Yao had traveled across nearly twenty cities and visited nearly a thousand gambling stone shops, earning a fortune that ordinary cultivators would never dare to dream of in their entire lives.

These ancient cities all yielded at least twenty times the profit, with the highest, a city called Juque, reaching an astonishing hundred times the profit. There, he unearthed a fist-sized divine source, worth approximately 200,000 pure source stones, and a head-sized ancient insect source, worth over 100,000 catties of source stones.

Li Yao's net worth skyrocketed again, exceeding 2.5 million jin of pure source.

Then he stopped, not because he didn't want to continue, but because he needed to take some time off to undergo a tribulation.

In two months, his fundamental strength was almost fully replenished, and he was able to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation and break through to the second realm of the Four Extremes.

The Northern Region is much more desolate than the Southern Region, with many uninhabited areas. In the past two months, Li Yao has traversed several ancient cities and has a thorough understanding of the terrain within hundreds of thousands of miles around. He happened to know of an uninhabited area with no human presence within a radius of 100,000 miles.

After arriving in the no-man's-land, Li Yao began to extract the alien source and refine it. He absorbed the vast essence into his body, which then strengthened his own source.

One day, two days! Li Yao's mind was clear and empty, sometimes shimmering with light, sometimes utterly empty. He was like an eternal god, unaware of the passage of time, letting the world rise and fall as it pleased, and believing himself to be immortal.

One of his arms seemed to disappear all of a sudden, sinking into the void, reaching the end of heaven and earth!
The human body has four poles, which can reach the four poles of heaven and earth and stimulate the great way of the heavens. His left arm is imprinted in the void, turning into a Taoist diagram and becoming eternal!
Li Yao activated the profound methods recorded in the Yao Guang Emperor Scripture, comprehended the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and made his "First Extreme" a manifestation of the Dao, with various wondrous sounds coming from Heaven and Earth at the same time.

One after another, Dao diagrams appeared, surrounding Li Yao. He was like an immortal god, surrounded by chaotic energy, as if he were sitting cross-legged at the beginning of the creation of the world, shrouded in various Dao patterns.

The sound of the Dao resounded through the heavens. He was without worry or joy, his expression serene, like a deity smiling as he plucked a flower, possessing a composure and confidence, and becoming one with heaven and earth.

Soon, his right arm also flickered, surrounded by Dao diagrams, and he advanced to the second level of the Four Extremes realm.

Li Yao remained motionless, sitting cross-legged, with the divine sounds of the Great Dao constantly resonating within his body, stirring the Great Dao of the heavens, as if ancient deities were chanting scriptures!

"boom!"

Heaven and earth seemed to sense this, and a massive bolt of purple lightning, several dozen feet in diameter, descended from the sky, piercing through the heavens and earth.

Li Yaobao's body was crystal clear and undamaged. As if defying the heavens, he opened his mouth and inhaled, and instantly, lightning was drawn into his mouth and entered his body, beginning to temper his internal organs.

At the same time, he summoned the Two-Colored Immortal Furnace, allowing it to undergo the baptism of lightning tribulation, imprinting the Dao principles within the heavenly tribulation on itself, and strengthening itself.

Li Yao waved his hands, striking various strange poses. He didn't waste the energy of the Heavenly Tribulation, but instead used it to begin cultivating the Star Radiance Battle Body.

"boom!"

As if angered by Li Yao's arrogant actions, another bolt of purple lightning descended from the sky, its light blazing, like a purple mountain range falling down, thick and terrifying, making it hard for people to breathe.

The terrifying lightning transformed into a vast purple ocean, engulfing the area. Terrifying fluctuations surged, suffocating everyone, and boulders hundreds of feet tall and expanses of Gobi Desert were cleaved into ashes.

Li Yao continued to devour the power of the lightning tribulation, then activated his Starry Battle Body to temper his physique.

The two-colored immortal furnace also floated in the sea of ​​thunder, constantly imprinting the laws of the heavenly tribulation. Countless ancient patterns appeared on the furnace body, and the power of the immortal furnace surged, even showing signs of intertwining the Dao and reason.

Of course, it's just a preliminary trend. To really reach that point, it will definitely need a period of time to settle down, or it might need to go through several more tribulations.

It must be said that the tribulation of lightning is truly a blessing, not only for cultivators but also for weapons.

After all, a heavenly tribulation is like the heavens forging a weapon, and its craftsmanship is truly beyond human capabilities.

One heavenly tribulation after another struck, causing the endless mountain range to tremble. The mountains in this region collapsed, turned to dust by lightning, and became a barren wasteland.

During the third tribulation, Li Yao also lost his composure and dared not withstand it with his body anymore. Instead, he began to use divine techniques.

This time, he wasn't as disheveled as before. After breaking through to the Four Extremes Secret Realm, his combat power skyrocketed. Although the power of the lightning tribulation was also increasing, judging from the results, the speed at which the lightning tribulation increased in power did not keep up with the speed at which he became stronger.

When everything calmed down, Li Yao gently shook his body, and his injuries were instantly restored. His whole body radiated auspicious light, clear and flawless, crystal clear like jade. His powerful combat strength shattered the heavenly tribulation, instead of dragging things out as before.

After the tribulation ended, his right arm disappeared into the void, reaching towards the very end of heaven and earth!
"In the second realm of the Four Extremes, among the younger generation of Beidou, I estimate that only Wang Teng of Beiyuan and Nan Yao of Nanling are ahead of me in terms of realm."

Of course, this was only in terms of skill level. In a real fight, Li Yao didn't think he was weaker than the two of them. In fact, he was very confident that he could suppress them.

He genuinely possesses this confidence, rather than being blindly arrogant, because his foundation is truly profound.

So what if you are unparalleled geniuses, have extraordinary luck, and endless opportunities? In the end, you have only reached the threshold to see me.

Before venturing out to gain experience, Li Yao might have hesitated. Knowing more can sometimes be a bad thing, because knowing the strength of one's opponents often leads to self-doubt.

But after this experience, Li Yao gained so much, not only from the opportunity but also from a firm belief in his own invincibility.

With such a profound foundation, if he were still timid and hesitant, it would only prove that he was unworthy of possessing the Heavenly Book.

Li Yao stood up and strode away from the place. Although this was a no-man's land, the commotion he made during his tribulation was not insignificant and might attract the attention of other cultivators. This place was already a dangerous place, and he could not stay there for long.

Sure enough, half an hour after Li Yao left, several groups of cultivators arrived at the place to observe the abyss that had been created by the lightning.

"Is this... the legendary Heavenly Tribulation?"

"From tens of thousands of miles away, I saw thunderclouds rolling in the sky, cascading down to the earth like a waterfall, as if the Milky Way were falling from the heavens."

"A heavenly tribulation? How long has it been since a heavenly tribulation has appeared on the Northern Region? Could it be that a peerless powerhouse has broken through to the legendary King Realm?!"

"A major earthquake is about to occur in the Northern Region. An old monster who is suspected to be at the King Realm has emerged. Even the holy lands and aristocratic families will have to be cautious."

A group of people were discussing it animatedly, sensing that a storm was brewing, as the impact of this matter was truly enormous.

News of the massive earthquake in the Northern Region and the divine tribulation it triggered spread rapidly throughout the entire Northern Region and was even spreading to the entire Eastern Wilderness at an extremely fast pace!
Some unparalleled powerhouses were alarmed by this news and appeared in the world, causing a stir among everyone. Some of them were even considered to be ancient monsters who had already fallen, but now they have appeared in the world and have lived on forever.

The holy lords of various sacred lands and noble families, as well as the supreme demon king, all personally visited that place of tribulation to observe the land that had become ruins.

"It is indeed a heavenly tribulation, but not a great tribulation for a king-level expert. The scale is not right. A great tribulation for a king-level expert would turn tens of thousands of miles around into a barren land." Soon, such news spread from the Ji family, an ancient and powerful clan, and came from the mouth of the clan's holy lord.

"It's not a major calamity for kings, the scope of its impact is too small." Soon, the same news also spread from the ancient Jiang family.

The Yaochi Holy Land, Yaoguang Holy Land, Zifu Holy Land, and other holy lands also successively sent out messages with the same meaning: all the holy lords agreed that it was not a great calamity for kings.

"If it's not a calamity for a king, then what other being could trigger a heavenly tribulation?"

The cultivators of the Northern Region were all puzzled. They began to peruse various ancient books, hoping to find some clues with similar traces from the past.

Soon, a reclusive old monster stepped forward and answered everyone's questions, bringing a similar example.

Nine thousand years ago, two peerless geniuses appeared in Zhongzhou, named Gai Jiuyou and Xiang Yufei. Their talents were unprecedented. When they were in the Four Extremes Secret Realm, they triggered a heavenly tribulation, a privilege reserved for ancient prodigies.

Then, more and more people came forward with their own experiences, bringing similar cases. The Demon King of the Demon Clan said that the Azure Emperor had also repeatedly triggered heavenly tribulations, and that he had been constantly struck by lightning tribulations on his path to growth.

"The same was true for the Great Emperor Wushi. After the Four Extremes Secret Realm, he faced constant heavenly tribulations on his path of cultivation!"

As more and more cases emerge, figures who once amazed the world in ancient history are once again coming into the public eye.

"The same was true for the Ancestor Hengyu. After breaking through each realm in the Four Extremes Secret Realm, a tribulation of lightning would descend upon him."

"Throughout his life, he was no less than any human. The Void Ancestor was the same, constantly facing heavenly tribulations."

Ultimately, even the Ji and Jiang families spread this news, allowing the world to learn more about their secrets.

In the days that followed, the Northern Region was completely ablaze with excitement, and the topic was discussed everywhere.

Some say that the one who undergoes tribulation in the no-man's-land must be an unparalleled genius, possibly possessing one of the most powerful physiques in history, destined to be invincible in the future.

Some say that it may be a freak sealed away in ancient times, born into this world to embark on the path of God, to conquer the world, and to prove its power and reign supreme over the nine heavens and ten earths.

As the perpetrator, Li Yao naturally heard too many such reports. He traveled across oases and through dozens of ancient cities, and without exception, this was the hottest topic of the day.

Li Yao was somewhat helpless. He hadn't expected things to escalate so much, with almost the entire Eastern Wilderness knowing about it.

Now, those holy sons and daughters who are still developing are probably going to be nervous. They haven't even left the mountain yet, but they've already been told that someone has already walked far ahead of them.

Yes, this is indeed very heavy news. I hope they are strong and can withstand this pressure.

Li Yao hadn't expected that the commotion he unintentionally caused would have such a wide-ranging impact. He really didn't care about that now; he was only focused on finding the source.

With such diligent effort, his rewards were naturally proportional.

Over the past three months, he has been traversing numerous oases and visiting nearly a hundred ancient cities.

As his base grew, he sometimes encountered ancient cities where there was no income, but fortunately, overall, his gains were astonishing, and his net worth was skyrocketing, moving towards a source of tens of millions of jin.

Of course, he didn't just accumulate resources blindly. Li Yao always kept things very clear: his gambling on stones was only for the purpose of his cultivation.

Midway through, he once again entered the creation realm of the Four Extremes Chapter of the Yao Guang Emperor Scripture. The process of comprehending and deducing for sixty breaths allowed him to elevate his understanding of the profound meaning of the scripture to a new level, and his cultivation was growing rapidly.

The tribulation of the third realm of the Four Extremes arrived as scheduled four months later.

Learning from his previous experience, Li Yao traveled a great distance this time, reaching a region that was uninhabited for 300,000 square miles.

As he broke through to the third realm of the Four Extremes, his left foot plunged into the void, exploring the limits of heaven and earth!

After his cultivation broke through to the third realm of the Four Extremes, Li Yao's strength made rapid progress. Every move he made could draw on the power of heaven and earth, and even a casual punch could unleash an unstoppable force!
Furthermore, after breaking through to the third realm of the Four Extremes, Li Yao had activated the "All" Secret Technique. The moment it triggered tenfold combat power, he had a feeling that he had entered a magical realm. In the depths of his being, he knew that it was…

"Forbidden Zone!"

Li Yao suddenly realized that he was incredibly powerful and almost omnipotent in that state.

Nine is the ultimate number, and no one can fight across nine minor realms. Eight is the limit, and above that is the Eternal Divine Forbidden Zone, which only ancient emperors could reside in!
"The Eight Forbidden Zones, I have finally reached the threshold. Although I can only step into it the moment I trigger the All-Encompassing Secret, it is already incredibly powerful. I am only at the Four Extremes Secret Realm!"

Li Yao was extremely excited. The Eight Forbidden Domains represented too many meanings. It was almost the pinnacle that cultivators could reach. Beyond that, it was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The Eternal Forbidden Zone also has another name: the Realm of the Gods!
"Throughout history, the number of people who have been able to touch the Eight Forbidden Realms in the Four Extremes Secret Realm can probably be counted on one hand. Even the young emperor is no more than that. Only Wushi and Qingdi can clearly touch the Eight Forbidden Realms at this level, but these two people are not in the category of normal people."

Li Yao undoubtedly created a legend, touching the forbidden realm with only the Four Extremes Secret Realm. This achievement is enough to rank him among the most outstanding of all emperors and sovereigns throughout history.

"I will cultivate diligently until the day I can stand tall in the Eight Forbidden Domain without needing to trigger ten times my combat power. That will be the day I reign supreme in the world."

Thirteen thousand words done! I feel like I've really had incredible stamina. Don't hold back with your recommendation votes and monthly tickets, shower me with them as a reward!


(End of this chapter)