"First, heal them and then solve the poison later." Chi Changye was worried that these few individuals might cause trouble. Two of them already had a look of despair on their faces. People like them would likely be eliminated first.
Just as Li Changhai took the Hui Chun Pill, Gu Yao was about to turn and leave when Li Changhai suddenly grabbed his clothes and asked, "Who are you? Are you Lu Hua? Were you just Lu Feng?"
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing were dumbfounded. Lu Hua and Lu Feng? They became brothers? These two were really playing a game. It was impossible to see any traces of their disguises. No wonder the people who were secretly looking for them had no results.
Gu Yao turned his head and saw Li Changhai's hopeful eyes. It was as if they were seen as a lifeline. Anyway, if they could leave this place, the identities of Lu Hua and Lu Feng were likely going to be abandoned. So, he nodded and said, "Yes, we realized something was wrong and hid first. Whether we can leave this place or not depends on whether this operation will be successful. Let's heal our injuries first."
"Thank you!" Li Changhai's heart felt as if it had suddenly left a cold dungeon and entered a warm pond. He was instantly redeemed. He sincerely thanked Gu Yao, "Regardless of whether we can get out or not, thank you all!"
The scenes they saw during the day made them realize that this was not a place for humans to stay. Even the cultivators who brought them here were demons. They would rather die in battle than endure such inhuman torment and become monstrous beings.
Those monsters were obviously artificially created creatures, and it was highly likely that it would be their fate as well. Who could willingly become such a creature?
"I'll leave the others to you for comforting. I'll go and handle something first," Gu Yao gestured to Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing, hoping that the two would take care of things. Although Lou Huaijing hadn't fully recovered from the heavy blow, he at least knew that he shouldn't mess things up for Gu Yao and Chi Changye. To uncover the truth of this matter, they had to find a way out of here first.
Gu Yao entered the spacious underground area. During the day, it was a bloody slaughterhouse, but now it had become the place where Chi Changye set up his formations. Gu Yao saw several people sitting in the center of the formation, their eyes filled with madness and a sense of relief. Had Chi Changye convinced them to cooperate in the operation?
Chi Changye walked out and explained, "Because this place can only be opened from the outside, the people inside cannot leave on their own. So, I asked them if they were willing to seize an opportunity to destroy this place. Perhaps we can also seek revenge on those guys. I asked if they were willing."
Gu Yao understood that these people were willing to risk their lives to seek revenge on their enemies. Moreover, their situation was unlikely to improve much, and even if they managed to leave this place, they might not survive for long.
Chi Changye pointed at several individuals who had their eyes closed but had a look of excitement and obsession on their faces, saying, "They are trapped in the dreams woven by the kitten. In these dreams, their cultivation will rapidly break through, and they will soon face heavenly tribulations."
Gu Yao immediately took out the pills he had refined and gave them to Chi Changye. The latter entered the formation with the pills and the willing individuals eagerly accepted the pills. Without hesitation, they tossed the pills into their mouths, quickly absorbed the medicine, and began to impact the Golden Core stage. As for the individuals trapped in the dreams, Chi Changye pried open their mouths and threw the pills inside. They also chewed on them, as if they were consuming divine pills in their dreams, showing an otherworldly expression.
"Let's go!"
Chi Changye led Gu Yao away from that place, unleashing waves of spiritual power. The formations on the ground immediately revealed themselves, like lightning snakes slithering around. Originally, the spiritual energy here was scarce, but due to the earlier embedding of spirit stones, the spiritual energy was extracted, immediately forming a mist. Even outside the formation, one could clearly sense the continuous fluctuations of the people inside. Time passed, and Gu Yao and Chi Changye looked up at the canopy of the sky. They could already feel the layers of pressure coming from beyond the sky, indicating that the heavenly tribulation was brewing.
Gu Yao turned around to administer the antidote pills to Li Changhai and the others, while Chi Changye piled the remaining individuals together, ensuring that they wouldn't wake up.
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muyi, who were able to manipulate spiritual power, actively cooperated in healing their injuries. Coupled with the high-quality healing pills, their recovery speed was extremely fast. At this moment, they walked out with astonishment on their faces, looking up at the sky. Although their gaze couldn't penetrate beyond, they could still sense the constantly approaching power of the heavens. Lou Huaijing exclaimed, "Who's undergoing tribulation? Who would choose to undergo tribulation in a place like this?"
It was clear that undergoing tribulation here was an act of desperation, seeking self-destruction.
Chi Changye stood with his hands behind his back and said, "It's not just one person, but eighteen individuals undergoing tribulation simultaneously. Only in this way can we create a hole here and completely destroy this place. This is just Group A. There are also Groups B, C, and D."
Eighteen people undergoing tribulation simultaneously? For Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing, it was simply unimaginable. Lou Huaijing had access to various collections of knowledge, and a bizarre thought crossed his mind, "Could they be trying to create a Heavenly Punishment Formation?"
Gu Yao said, "Is there a better way than this?"
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing were speechless. They had already learned about their experiences during the day from Li Changhai and the others. Such a place should not exist alongside cultivators who annihilated their own humanity.
In this place, Lou Huaijing also knew that no one would let him leave except for himself. Because the people here would never let any information leak out, only the dead could keep a secret.
Above the blood-colored forest, one calamitous cloud after another continued to gather. The cultivators who remained on the ground finally noticed something amiss and came out one by one, questioning who would undergo tribulation in such a place. Once the person was found, they would quickly evacuate, disposing of anyone deemed insignificant.
"No, something's not right," the thin old man also came out, looking at the calamitous clouds still gathering in the sky and the increasing might of the heavenly power. He said, "These calamitous clouds are not ordinary. It's not the tribulation of the Golden Core stage or the Nascent Soul stage. Find the person and make the heavenly tribulation stop, or this place will be destroyed by lightning tribulation!"
The sharp voice of the thin old man resounded in the sky above the blood-colored forest, mingling with the might of the calamitous clouds. This caused unrest among the exotic beasts and monsters deep within the blood-colored forest. Various roars and howls mixed together, as if something was about to break through.
The leaders of each group of cultivators, such as Gu Yan, dared not underestimate the situation. They searched everywhere for the target of the calamitous clouds. After a thorough investigation, they found nothing. They then shifted their focus to the ground. However, at this moment, the calamitous clouds above had already started to churn, with thunderbolts flashing, indicating that the thunder tribulation was about to descend.
"It's Group A! Someone from Group A is undergoing tribulation and attracting the heavenly tribulation!" someone shouted.
"Crack!"
The thunder tribulation struck down at a faster speed than other heavenly tribulations. The thick and powerful thunderbolts descended from the sky, forcing the cultivators who wanted to take advantage of the pitfall in Group A to flee in a panic. At this point, anyone beneath the calamitous clouds would be seen as the one undergoing tribulation and would be struck by the thunder. With such a formidable thunder tribulation, even coming close to it would likely turn one into charcoal.
"Boom!"
With just one strike, the sky above Group A was torn apart, and manic laughter echoed from below:
"Hahaha, bring on the heavenly tribulation! Make it fiercer and destroy everything here!"
Chi Changye instructed Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing to throw out the other cultivators he had rendered unconscious, letting them bear the brunt of the first wave of thunder tribulation. Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing had no trace of mercy left, allowing these individuals to provide their last bit of utility. As soon as these people were thrown out, they were instantaneously struck by the thunder, some of them regaining consciousness right before their deaths. However, before they could make sense of the situation, they were turned to ashes as the thunderbolt tore through the obstruction in the sky. After that, it could no longer impede their passage. Chi Changye looked at the momentum of the calamitous clouds and said to the others, "While they are preoccupied with the thunder tribulation above and have no time to pay attention to us, quickly find a way to leave the range of the calamitous clouds. Avoid being mistaken as individuals undergoing tribulation. The farther away, the better. If we survive, we can figure out a plan to regroup."
"Lou Xiong, thank you for saving our lives. Take care!"
"Lou Xiong, I'll stick with you. There's strength in numbers!"
"Lou Xiong, do we really have to separate?"
Some people couldn't wait and seized a gap to fly out using their magical artifacts. At this moment, of course, their own survival took precedence. Every minute mattered, and delaying even for a moment could be too late. They also believed that it would be safest to stay by the side of Chi Changye and Gu Yao, considering the magnitude of the situation they had created. There were also individuals like Li Changhai who wanted to cooperate and survive together.
However, Chi Changye ignored their thoughts and only said, "Staying together makes us a bigger target and easier to be targeted by other cultivators. By dispersing, we increase our chances of survival. Take care, everyone!"
As Chi Changye spoke, he rolled up Gu Yao and used a spiritual technique to strike towards the Heavenly Punishment Formation. The formation emitted a brilliant light, causing the calamitous clouds to churn even more violently. Then Chi Changye's voice reached those below, "You can now settle your grudges and seek revenge!"
Instantly, several figures soared out from underground, scattering in all directions. They attacked wherever there were more people, shouting frenzied curses and insults.
Wherever these individuals undergoing tribulation went, the calamitous clouds above followed them. At the same time, more cultivators were engulfed by the thunder tribulation, making the thunderous might even more magnificent. Moreover, the calamitous clouds continued to converge.
The cultivators who wanted to seek refuge under Chi Changye's protection dared not stay any longer. They desperately escaped outside, wanting to get out of the range of the calamitous clouds. In their eyes, although they might be saved by doing so, Chi Changye was undoubtedly a madman because he might also send himself into the thunder tribulation, meeting a tragic end.
Chi Changye and Gu Yao, of course, were rushing outward. Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing followed closely behind. Although their injuries had not fully healed, they were at least both Golden Core cultivators.
At this moment, the situation outside was completely chaotic. The range of the calamitous clouds was expanding, and more people were being engulfed. The power of the heavenly tribulation was already enough to be a disaster on its own, without needing the support of the Heavenly Punishment Formation.
The four of them were outside the calamitous clouds. Whenever they saw cultivators from a different faction, they would kick them into the range of the calamitous clouds. Some people witnessed their actions and brought others to attack. Without mentioning Gu Yao and Chi Changye, who were already consumed by fury, Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing had nowhere to release their anger, so they attacked mercilessly. Not only would they severely beat their opponents, but they would also throw them into the range of the calamitous clouds.
At this moment, the more intense the thunder tribulation, the more advantageous it was for them.
"Roar!" A roar exploded near Gu Yao and Chi Changye's ears. The two of them became wary and looked towards the source of the sound. They saw a figure sprinting towards them, exuding an aura far superior to theirs. Their expressions became serious. "This is a monstrous creature with the power of a Nascent Soul stage. Be careful, Xiao Yao! And the two of you, be cautious too!"
The latter part of the statement was a reminder to Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing. Both of them hoped that Lou Huaijing could survive and ideally contact the Elder of the Lou family's Nascent Soul stage, informing them of the situation here truthfully. They refused to believe that the higher-ups of Chang Immortal Sect were all involved. If they wanted to deal with Chang Immortal Sect, it would be best to start by causing internal divisions.
At this point, Chi Changye no longer concealed his strength. He summoned his Purple Thunder Sword and confronted the monstrous creature, his body shimmering with lightning. However, compared to the calamitous clouds, his presence was not prominent.
However, the group that had been searching for the troublemakers noticed. The skinny old man among them saw a formidable cultivator with lightning-based abilities appearing and suspected that this chaos was related to him. He flew towards their direction with his group and said, "Little brat, how dare you ruin my plans? I won't allow you to seek death without granting you a chance at survival!"
"Stop him!" Gu Yao rushed forward. Chi Changye was now engaged in a battle against the Nascent Soul stage monster and couldn't be distracted.
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing responded to Gu Yao's command and moved to flank the approaching enemy from the left and right.
Several fleeing cultivators, upon seeing this scene, were terrified. It became clear to them that the Lu brothers had concealed their true identities. They were not Foundation Establishment cultivators at all. They realized they had no business interfering in such a fight and would be better off fleeing for their lives. Thus, they escaped towards the depths of the blood-red forest.
However, they were unaware that the blood-red forest was inhabited by many exotic beasts and monsters. These creatures grew more restless due to the thunder tribulation, making them even more dangerous. The dangers they encountered within the depths of the forest were no less than those outside the calamitous clouds.
Li Changhai also witnessed this scene and gritted his teeth. He made up his mind and stayed behind, turning back to join the battle.
"Be careful, he's the Poison Ghost Elderly Fiend, specializing in refining corpses. He also uses poison and has turned himself into a poisonous being!" Lou Huaijing recognized the identity of the skinny old man and loudly warned Gu Yao and the others to be careful not to be affected by his poison.
This person's notoriety was well-known. He hadn't been seen on the mainland for a long time, and some people suspected that he had gone astray and died from his own refining methods. No one expected that he would be hiding here, which further confirmed what Gu Yao and the others had been saying—that they, the cultivators who had been sent here, were all materials he used to refine corpses.
"Hehe, so you're from the Lou family. Falling into my hands, whether you're the Emperor himself, I will keep you here. What's wrong with following me? I can grant you eternal life." The Poison Ghost Elderly Fiend sneered.
"Spit! You coward hiding your head and showing your tail. Now even the heavens have brought down their heavenly punishment!" Ying Muqing angrily retorted. Eternal life? Become a living corpse under his control and manipulation? They would rather die. No, first let this guy die. Gu Yao whipped out a whip, the Blood Dragon Whip he previously snatched from a disciple of Chang Immortal Sect. With a crack in the air, he fiercely lashed the skinny old man. At the same time, he summoned the Lotus Heart Fire to create a protective shield around himself, preventing the toxic gas from seeping into his body. Although there were detoxifying pills, Lou Huaijing had mentioned that this old guy was skilled in using poison, so it was uncertain if the pills could neutralize all the toxins.