"The Eye of Heavenly Dao, how can this be? What earth-shattering deed has the Luo Clan committed? Even the Eye of Heavenly Dao has appeared?" Watching the gigantic eye manifest over the Luo Clan's territory, the powerful experts observing from the Ice Heaven Continent were terrified to the extreme.
No one knew when the Ice Heaven Continent was formed, for the river of history was truly too distant. Even Tribulation Transcendence realm experts didn't possess infinite lifespans. After countless ebbs and flows of time, no one could fully grasp the entire history of this continent.
However, according to ancient records, the number of times the Eye of Heavenly Dao appeared on the Ice Heaven Continent could be counted on one's fingers. Among them, only one instance was recorded in the most meticulous detail.
As recorded in the ancient texts, countless years ago, an ancient Demonic Cultivator, who called himself the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch, a terrifying expert at the Complete Tribulation Transcendence realm, secretly abducted over a billion humans from twelve Seventh-rank cultivation forces.
Seventh-rank cultivation forces possessed Soul Transformation Complete experts at their highest, which was nothing more than fish on a chopping block before a Complete Tribulation Transcendence expert like the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch. Their blood was entirely drained to provide energy for the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch's breakthrough, with the intent of ascending to the Immortal Realm.
This incident enraged countless righteous Dao sects across the entire Ice Heaven Continent. The two Ninth-rank forces, the Ice Profound Empire and the Heavenly Mountain Immortal Realm, temporarily set aside their grievances, uniting numerous Eighth-rank forces and below to establish the "Demon Slaughter Alliance" with the goal of hunting down and eliminating the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch.
Regrettably, the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch had planned his scheme for a long time. His hiding place was extremely mysterious. Even though the Demon Slaughter Alliance tried to overturn almost the entire Ice Heaven Continent, they could not find his trace.
In the end, the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch successfully refined the blood of over a billion living beings, his cultivation advancing into the Half-Immortal realm. He then proceeded with the final step, transcending the Immortal Tribulation, to fully ascend to the Immortal Realm.
The place where he hid and underwent his tribulation was an extremely mysterious secret realm on the continent, which the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch had accidentally discovered when he was young. From then on, he had plotted this inhumane plan for many years to ascend to greatness in one go. At that time, he was merely a Core Formation stage youth.
As the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch began his Immortal Tribulation, countless high-level experts of the Ice Heaven Continent immediately sensed it and appeared one after another. However, it was already too late. A billion living beings had turned into withered corpses. Resentment qi surged into the sky, spreading across the continent to such an extent that even Soul Transformation realm cultivators vomited blood on the spot, and some lower-cultivation cultivators, infiltrated by the resentment qi, exploded and died.
No one dared to interfere with his Lightning Tribulation.
Before the unwilling eyes of countless experts, the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch laughed wildly, disdainfully glancing at the righteous cultivators, and continued to undergo his tribulation to ascend to the Immortal Realm.
But just when it seemed a demonic fiend like him could succeed, the Eye of Heavenly Dao finally manifested.
The Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch's lightning tribulation suddenly intensified countless times. Even the legendary Three-colored Lightning Tribulation appeared. Thousands of lightning bolts ruthlessly struck the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch directly.
With his terrifying cultivation, now nearing the Half-Immortal realm, the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch only managed to resist a hundred lightning bolts. In the end, filled with extreme unwillingness, his body and soul perished.
And the Eye of Heavenly Dao indifferently closed, as if annihilating a supreme Demonic Monarch like the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch was no different from crushing an ant.
For that reason, everyone now gazed at the Luo Clan with an unbelievable sensation. They secretly wondered what atrocious act the Luo Clan had committed to provoke the Heavenly Dao.
"I provoked your mothers!"
If Luo Thunderbreak knew what those people were thinking, he would surely have roared frantically. But at this moment, his heart was utterly bewildered, completely unaware that the terrifying ordeal he was about to face was all due to the schemes of a "waste" in his eyes.
Before the utterly terrified gazes of countless Luo Clan members, Luo Thunderbreak knew he needed to maintain a calm demeanor to reassure the collective.
"Elders, you yourselves activate the great clan protection formation!" He took a deep breath and ordered.
The Elders also understood the gravity of the situation. All of them nodded hastily and turned to leave.
The Nine Ice Sundering Formation was originally operated by nine Soul Transformation realm guardians of the Luo Clan. But this time, the Elders themselves would replace them, for their enemy was the Heavenly Dao, and no mistakes could be allowed.
Though it sounds lengthy, from the moment dark clouds covered the Luo Clan until the Eye of Heavenly Dao appeared, only ten breaths passed. From this, one could see the terrifying speed of Luo Thunderbreak and the Luo Clan's judgment and situation handling. They were truly worthy of being an Eighth-rank clan. If it were some other minor clan, they would have long since soiled themselves with fear and fled in a panic.
BOOM! BOOM!
At this moment, as if unable to tolerate any longer, countless lightning bolts gathered together, forming a pillar of Heavenly Tribulation, like a sky-supporting pillar, striking directly down upon the entire Luo Clan.
The nine high-cultivation Elders of the Luo Clan wore solemn expressions. Their Ice-attribute power surged frantically. Coupled with the coordination of countless Luo Clan members, they activated the Nine Ice Sundering Formation to resist the Heavenly Tribulation.
Above the formation, three colossal ice mountains rapidly condensed, standing majestically to shield the Luo Clan's territory.
CRASH!
A deafening sound reverberated, causing countless people's ears to ring. After the powerful collision, the three ice mountains dimmed slightly, but that terrifying Heavenly Tribulation also gradually dissipated.
"Hooray! It's blocked!"
"Haha, before our invincible Nine Ice Sundering Formation, even a heavenly tribulation is powerless!"
Countless Luo Clan members cheered excitedly, their eyes filled with immense pride.
Only Luo Thunderbreak and the Elders still wore expressions of extreme unease.
BOOM!
Indeed, it didn't stop there. A three-colored lightning bolt rapidly condensed. Without a word, it continued to strike directly at the Luo Clan.
"Activate five mountains, no, six mountain protection formations!" Luo Thunderbreak roared. He knew clearly that lightning tribulations were divided into many ranks, from single-colored to five-colored, with a vast difference in power. Facing a three-colored lightning tribulation was far more terrifying than the countless single-colored lightning bolts from earlier.
"Understood!" The sound of Luo Clan members forming the formation rang out.
The Luo Clan members rapidly increased their utilization of Ice spiritual energy. Above the formation, three more ice mountains immediately condensed.
CRASH!
Still, a shocking sound resonated. Countless low-cultivation Luo Clan members vomited blood in shock, and the nine Elders' faces also turned partly pale.
All of them wore unusually solemn expressions, for that three-colored lightning bolt had not yet dissipated.
And at this very moment, beside the Eye of Heavenly Dao, two more pillars of three-colored lightning were gradually condensing.
Seeing this situation, countless people's eyes constricted. According to ancient records, only five three-colored lightning bolts were used to annihilate the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch, yet now the Luo Clan had to contend with three already.
"Damn it, what on earth is happening to our Luo Clan?" Luo Thunderbreak cursed under his breath, feeling utterly wronged. He secretly resolved that he would thoroughly investigate the truth of this matter.
"Father, what exactly has happened?" A steady voice rang out. A young man in golden robes calmly walked to Luo Thunderbreak's side. His long black hair flowed, and he exuded a noble and composed aura. As he witnessed the sky full of lightning, his eyes, like star rivers, flickered with divine light.
These were originally Luo Ren's eyes.
And this young man was the Luo Clan's Young Master, Luo Lei. The number one genius of an Eighth-rank clan, even considered among the top across the entire Ice Heaven Continent.
"Lei'er, you're close to a breakthrough!" Luo Thunderbreak witnessed his son's cultivation nearing mid-stage Core Formation, feeling immensely satisfied. His originally weary mood also brightened.
"Yes, I could have broken through, but the commotion here was too great, making me uneasy," Luo Lei said unhurriedly.
"Good, good, truly worthy of being my only son!" Luo Thunderbreak exclaimed contentedly, saying 'good' several times. Clearly, in his eyes, there was only the son before him. As for that "waste," he probably disdained even thinking about him.
"Thank you for your encouragement, Father, but I am still far inferior to you," Luo Lei said modestly, though a hint of smugness flashed in his eyes.
Luo Thunderbreak said nothing. It was natural for a young man to be pleased with himself, especially since his son completely possessed the capability to be so.
CRASH!
A sound erupted, interrupting the conversation between father and son. The two newly formed three-colored heavenly tribulations began to merge with the initial one.
"Activate all nine mountains!" Luo Thunderbreak and Grand Elder Luo Qinglie roared, their faces extremely unsightly.
And Luo Lei also knew the seriousness of the situation, standing solemnly to the side without speaking.
The entire formation furiously operated. Countless Ice spiritual energies flowed into the great formation.
Nine colossal ice mountains officially appeared, standing majestically between heaven and earth. The chilling aura they emanated plunged the entire Luo Clan's territory into wind and snow.
The nine Elders' faces were already pale. Activating all nine ice mountains consumed two-thirds of their spiritual energy. Countless Luo Clan members now had ashen faces.
From beginning to end, the Eye of Heavenly Dao stared coldly at the entire Luo Clan's territory.
If an Immortal Realm expert were present here, they would surely discern from its gaze that the Eye of Heavenly Dao was staring precisely at Luo Ren's small room. It could sense the wisp of Forbidden-grade aura emanating from that location. However, apart from that tiny wisp, it detected nothing else unusual. Moreover, that wisp of Forbidden-grade aura was now slowly dissipating.
CRASH!
The situation finally erupted. A terrifying three-colored lightning bolt, formed by the fusion of three separate bolts, finally collided with the nine towering ice mountains between heaven and earth.
Countless single-colored lightning bolts, unwilling to be outdone, rapidly bombarded the nine ice mountains.
…
Silence.
Extreme silence.
Unlike previous times, no deafening sound resounded. All the peak experts witnessed that the three-colored lightning bolt and the nine ice mountains were in a stalemate during their collision.
Both sides rapidly entangled, seeking to wear down the other, rather than colliding violently as before.
And the single-colored lightning bolts continued to gnaw, attempting to exhaust the great formation.
"Not good, Patriarch! Our Luo Clan's territory is too vast. The Nine Ice Sundering Formation can no longer protect everything," a guardian reported grimly.
"Shrink the formation's scope. Only protect the necessary areas of the Luo Clan. The servant quarters and dungeons don't need the great formation's protection," Luo Thunderbreak ordered coldly.
The guardian immediately nodded. Clearly, the Patriarch prioritized protecting the Luo Clan's direct descendants.
By sacrificing those people, the Luo Clan's losses wouldn't be too great. However, at this moment, he had forgotten that a "waste" with the Patriarch's bloodline, who should have been the Luo Clan's Grand Young Master, also lived in that area.
Beside Luo Thunderbreak, Luo Lei smugly smirked, thinking to himself: "It seems Heaven is helping me. Big Brother, may we meet again in the next life, ha ha ha."
…
A few breaths passed.
The nine ice mountains trembled violently, dimming at a rapid pace.
At this point, the great formation rapidly shrunk, but the nine ice mountains became even more condensed, strong enough to resist the three-colored lightning tribulation. And the areas no longer protected by the great formation were immediately obliterated by lightning, including Luo Ren's small room, leaving not even dust.
And that colossal three-colored lightning bolt also gradually shrunk.
The single-colored lightning bolts also gradually dissipated.
Some Luo Clan members finally could no longer bear it. Their entire bodies exhausted of spiritual energy, they spat blood and slowly fainted.
One person, two people, hundreds of people, thousands of people… began to collapse from exhaustion.
The nine Elders foamed at the mouth, struggling to resist, their entire bodies drenched in cold sweat.
Time passed quickly, but at this moment, every second for the Luo Clan was a nightmare.
Sizzle, sizzle.
The nine ice mountains rapidly dissolved. The nine Elders slumped onto the ground, countless clan members fainted.
And that three-colored lightning bolt finally completely dissipated into heaven and earth.
The Eye of Heavenly Dao still stood there.
Luo Thunderbreak looked at the desolate scene. A desperate resolve swelled within him. He circulated all the spiritual energy in his body. Countless lightning and ice elemental energies rapidly moved, and the aura he exuded caused the space around him to tremble like a roaring sea.
Luo Thunderbreak intended to personally obstruct the next wave of lightning tribulation.
The Elders who had not initially participated in operating the great formation also appeared beside him. All of them had bloodshot eyes, staring furiously at the Eye of Heavenly Dao.
However, there was no next wave of lightning tribulation as they had anticipated.
The overwhelming dark clouds and lightning that covered the Luo Clan suddenly dispersed into heaven and earth.
The Eye of Heavenly Dao unexpectedly closed its eye, mysteriously vanishing.
Because it no longer sensed the Forbidden-grade.
Clearly, that wisp of aura had completely dissipated.
…
Looking at the Luo Clan's current tragic state—nine Elders heavily wounded, countless clan members collapsed—and with countless powerful experts on the continent staring at them as if watching a play, with a hint of schadenfreude.
His eyes bloodshot, his voice, filled with boundless hatred, resonated throughout the entire Ice Heaven Continent that day, seemingly capable of tearing through the nine heavens:
"I swear, I will spare no expense to find the one who plotted against the Luo Clan. You will suffer a truly horrific fate. I will make you experience a torment a million times worse than death!"
"Just you wait for me!"
Luo Thunderbreak was truly a wise patriarch. His outward roar of anger was actually intended to announce to the entire Ice Heaven Continent: "The Luo Clan is the victim in this incident. The Heavenly Dao's scrutiny of them was due to someone's machinations. They did not commit any act so heinous as the Blood Slaughter Demonic Monarch to be rejected by heaven and earth."
The powerful experts on the continent fell silent. The Luo Clan's tragic plight this time was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for invasion, especially for some clans with grudges against the Luo Clan, whose eyes turned red with desire.
However, they still retained a sliver of rationality. This incident was too sudden. Without proper preparation, no one dared to directly attack an Eighth-rank force. Moreover, the Luo Clan was now like a mad dog, biting anyone it encountered. They dared not be the first to act.
Noticing the continent's silence, Luo Thunderbreak coldly snorted, knowing his intentions had been achieved.
He majestically ordered: "The Luo Clan will enter a three-year seclusion to recover its strength, not inquiring about external affairs."
Although he wanted to quickly investigate the mastermind, Luo Thunderbreak knew that recovering their strength was paramount. Three years was a very short time for cultivators like them.
Pausing for a moment, he spoke seriously to Luo Lei:
"Lei'er, return to your mother's clan to cultivate. Within two years, you must enter the Sacred Spirit Academy for me. While you're there, remember to find your two younger sisters; they have already entered the Sacred Spirit Academy."
"Understood, Father," Luo Lei no longer hid his joyful excitement. He immediately bowed and accepted the order.
For Luo Lei knew that all generations of powerful lords on the Ice Heaven Continent had once graduated from the Sacred Spirit Academy. His own father, the Luo Clan Patriarch Luo Thunderbreak, was no exception.