Chapter 92: King of the Six Realms

If he exhausted so many materials only to fail, it would all have been for nothing. Such a calamity could not be allowed. Yushan summoned every ounce of his strength, and the temperature of the flames soared in an instant as the earthfire erupted from the depths below. At the crucial moment, disaster struck—a sudden crack rang out, and the power Yushan drew from the earthfire diminished by a tenth. This was catastrophic: deprived of sufficient spiritual force, the earthfire plummeted, air pressure rebounded, and a torrent of fire capable of burning the heavens burst through the formation, exploding the pill furnace, melting it into liquid.

The fire, undiminished, surged toward Yushan. Ge Qian employed "Removing the Fuel from Beneath the Cauldron," snatching Yushan away and siphoning off a tenth of his technique's power, causing the earthfire to backlash. Then, with "Swapping Beams for Pillars," he took Yushan's storage pouch.

Yushan was stunned, unable to fathom why his power had suddenly waned. Yet his experience prevailed; seeing no chance of recovery, he sent his primordial spirit shooting away, escaping disaster. The raging flames were soon absorbed back into the earth veins.

Yushan's primordial spirit hovered above, surveying the devastated pill chamber. His soul twisted with agony as he realized everything was lost—his physical body gone, his storage pouch reduced to ashes, years of accumulation incinerated by the heavenly earthfire.

Such commotion drew the disciples guarding the pill chamber. Entering and seeing the ravaged room, they sighed, for such mishaps had happened before, and once again, it fell to them to clean up. But one disciple’s expression changed: Elder Yushan had entered, but where was he now? Could he have perished in the fire?

As he pondered, a crimson light darted into his mind, revealing Yushan’s formidable primordial spirit. A verdant spirit, trembling in fear, cried, "Elder Yushan, what are you doing?"

"Qian Mu, I have not treated you unfairly over the years. Now is the time for you to repay me. Truly, I am forced by circumstances—my body destroyed, I must borrow your shell to survive this ordeal," Yushan declared, lunging forward.

Unsurprisingly, a cultivator at the Qi-gathering stage stood no chance against one at Foundation Establishment. Yushan quickly seized control of the body. With a stiff, bitter smile, he lamented his misfortune—not only had the pill failed, but he nearly lost his life; it would take months just to familiarize himself with this new vessel.

He closed the cave’s door, sat cross-legged, and began to refine his new body.

Ge Qian used "Turning the Corner" to breach the barrier between pill chambers, "Removing the Fuel from Beneath the Cauldron" to siphon away a tenth of Yushan’s technique, causing the earthfire to backlash, and "Swapping Beams for Pillars" to take his storage pouch. Had he not advanced to Foundation Establishment, such feats would have been impossible, for technique power at Foundation Establishment far surpassed that at Qi-gathering.

Sweeping his divine sense through the pouch, he found thousands of mid-grade spirit stones and over a million low-grade ones, pills, supreme spiritual tools, rare materials for artifact forging, and dozens of bottles of "Essence Gathering Pills" for enhancing Foundation Establishment cultivation.

He reached for all the Essence Gathering Pills, swallowing one instantly. It was absorbed by the little tree, which then exhaled a pure spiritual liquid into his dantian. When Ge Qian entered Foundation Establishment, the tender leaf had transformed into a tiny tree an inch tall, spreading three emerald leaves, refining spiritual liquid at an even faster rate.

Ge Qian’s spiritual power surged; the speed and might of his techniques increased dramatically. Another month passed.

The vortex gradually ceased, its form stabilizing. When the smoke cleared, a shrill cry echoed: "Ah! I, the God of Tribulation, will not spare you, you contemptible wretch. You will die miserably!"

Ge Qian was unmoved; as expected, the God of Tribulation had left a trap within. Without having refined the King of Six Paths, he would never have detected it.

As the smoke dissipated, a massive phantom appeared before Ge Qian—ten zhang tall, three heads and six arms, as imposing as a mountain, its body covered in fist-sized scales, runes swirling, countless bolts of lightning flickering across it. Of its three heads, the center was identical to Ge Qian’s, while the other two showed only vague outlines, lacking features.

The three heads represented past, present, and future. Yet Ge Qian could not comprehend the past or future, so those heads remained blurred, only the present vivid and lifelike. The six arms embodied the Six Paths: the left three represented the Animal Path, Hungry Ghost Path, and Hell Path; the right three, the Heavenly Path, Human Path, and Asura Path.

Ge Qian nodded with satisfaction. He bit his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of vital blood onto the King of Six Paths. With a flash of crimson, the King of Six Paths suddenly opened its eyes, its aura explosive and domineering, unstoppable.

A sense of unity welled within Ge Qian—he and the King of Six Paths were one, indistinguishable.

He performed a spell; eighty-nine sword energies flashed forth, swirling around him. With a thought, he commanded four Asura swords to strike at the King of Six Paths.

The King of Six Paths, its expression as cold and unyielding as a mountain, clenched its Asura arm and smashed forth. An invisible force sent the four Asura swords flying, then slowly withdrew its fist.

Ge Qian was astonished. The Asura swords were fierce and sharp, yet the King of Six Paths had punched them away with ease—its power truly peerless. He realized that the King of Six Paths followed the Way of Power, seeking to unite the strength of the Six Paths, while the "Six Paths Sword Formula" pursued the Way of Technique, uniting the laws of the Six Paths.

Technique is the cause; power is the effect. Cause and effect cycle, the Six Paths revolve.

He understood now. Calculating the time, he had a year left; he would cultivate the "Tribulation God Formula" and "Tribulation Body Formula." Though mastery was unlikely, he could achieve twice the results with half the effort.

Thus, Ge Qian sat cross-legged to practice the Tribulation God Formula. The results were unsatisfactory; as the God of Tribulation had said, without a powerful vessel, cultivation was impossible.

Ge Qian felt no regret. The King of Six Paths was his own solid power; had he refined the God of Tribulation’s primordial spirit, the consequences would have been dire. In the future, when the opportunity arose, he could attempt the Tribulation God Formula slowly.

Setting aside the Tribulation God Formula, he began cultivating the Tribulation Body Formula.

Ge Qian dispersed the power of the Mountain Moving Formula, then cultivated the improved Tribulation Body Formula derived from it. The method involved simulating heavenly tribulation—tempering his body, augmenting his strength.

He channeled metal spiritual energy, simulating countless tribulations of sharp blades that enveloped him, slicing his skin. When his flesh was shredded, he used metal energy to repair it. The process was brutal—sheer self-torture, a testament to the God of Tribulation’s madness.

Yet his primordial spirit could possess countless bodies, so he cared little for physical destruction: if ruined, he would possess another and begin anew. After countless failures and tens of thousands of bodies, he merged the Mountain Moving Formula to create the Tribulation Body Formula. Such a cruel method brought even more terrifying power.

Ge Qian, determined to face Cui Yun, ignored pain in his quest for strength, enduring inhuman suffering and torment. Time slipped by; only ten days remained before the three-year deadline.

He had cultivated the Tribulation Body Formula’s metal tribulation to the Bone Tempering stage. The metal tribulation comprised five stages: Skin Tempering, Flesh Tempering, Bone Tempering, Internal Tempering, and Force Tempering.

Having previously practiced the Mountain Moving Formula, Ge Qian advanced rapidly so long as he ignored pain, reaching the third stage, Bone Tempering.

Now, when he circulated his skills, his skin, flesh, and bones shone with the color of red gold. Barehanded, he could contend with mid-grade spiritual artifacts, his strength easily lifting ten thousand catties, wielding it at will.

He swung his arm; golden light flashed, and his fist struck the air. A gust, like a whirlwind, smashed into the ironstone wall of the cave.

With a muffled sound, as if slicing through tofu, a pit three feet deep appeared.