Sun Liao's tree was now as large as the entire Imperial City and as high as some mountains. Nine massive orbs of pure light and heat were shining. However, the sky was now completely dark except for some stains of blood where stars once stood. A giant eye of crimson red was raining down a torrent of blood over the Piaolu planet. Now, this torrent was trying to crush the Fusang tree. Most of the torrent was thrown off course and was quite literally digging around the Imperial City while sending large drops of blood all over the place. The entire area had been ravaged. Animals and demonic beasts were still running as far and as fast as they could.
Under the Fusang tree, Sun Liao was obviously under so much strain that he couldn't focus on anything else. Behind him, Ren Chao was literally holding his body, or he would have dropped to the ground. With all his physical strength, Ren Chao couldn't do anything more than simply help his friend stand up. He despised himself and his own weakness in that moment. Then, he looked all around himself.
Many Spirit Warriors were supporting Sun Liao's array formation. Even Emperor Weide himself was pouring most of his strength into it. Unfortunately, no matter how talented Sun Liao was, this was still an extreme strain on his mind and soul. In fact, if he hadn't practiced 'Sealing the Seven Demons in the Nine Peaks', Sun Liao would have never been able to sustain it at all. If he continued, he would not only injure his body but also damage his Soul Embryo. Although Ren Chao didn't know too much about the subject, he knew enough to be worried.
At that moment, Sun Liao didn't even have enough strength to take anything from his spatial ring. Seeing his condition, Mei Hua took out a pill from her own spatial ring and forced it into his mouth. Trusting her completely, Sun Liao gulped down and swallowed the pill. He could feel his mind getting a bit clearer and some of his fatigue lifting off. However, it almost all came back in a few breaths. Mei Hua stayed close to him to try to alleviate his fatigue. By her side, a few other alchemists were helping too. However, Feng Yingyue was missing.
Ren Chao looked all around until his eyes focused on his brother Cao Yun. His body was still torn apart by chains, but they were very slowly being pulled in. It was extremely slow, but it was certainly happening. Near Cao Yun, Ren Chao was shocked to notice a young woman's presence. He had failed to see her at first, or maybe she had just appeared recently. Her red hair was fluttering while she was floating in front of the blood-covered body of Cao Yun. Obviously, she was Feng Yingyue. She wasn't doing anything, just standing in front of the man she cared about. Ren Chao couldn't see her eyes, but he could imagine what was in them...
Even Cao Yun couldn't see her eyes. Indeed, his mind was completely confined within his sea of consciousness.
Ironically, his sea of consciousness was calmer since he had begun his breakthrough. What he had gone through, and was still technically going through right now, was the equivalent of the Greater Tribulation. While humans would try to pierce the veil of the Dao in order to pry its secrets, demons would quite literally try to steal the chains submitting them to the Dao, and to seal them within their own flesh in order to pry the same secrets. It was much more aggressive, of course. Those chains were emanations of the laws of the Dao imposed on absolutely everything. Through this breakthrough, a demon was able to make them tangible, physical, so that he could steal them, or at least, a part of them.
Within Cao Yun's sea of consciousness, his Soul Embryo had been completely repaired, but some golden lines were still visible here and there. In a sense, it was like porcelain that had been broken and glued back together. Although the porcelain was restored, one could see the glue in the former cracks. It would take a lot of time for Cao Yun's Soul Embryo to be able to cultivate again. Most likely, he would have to wait a few decades. Even if he could use it, he probably couldn't push it very far. And he certainly couldn't risk going through the Greater Tribulation. No pill he was able to refine could help him recover faster. Moreover, he didn't want to recover faster.
Those golden lines were quite literally the last vestiges of his sister's soul. No matter whether they were injuries and scars, he wanted to keep them. In fact, Cao Yun was focusing on them, completely disregarding his current situation. His thoughts were going all over the place, he was holding on to the memories of his childhood with his sister. But he was also trying to hold on to any piece of memory from his sister. Although her soul and Soul Embryo had been consumed by his own, Cao Yun was still able to gather pieces and fragments of her memories. No memory of her past remained, so he was torn apart by seeing her with the man she had called her father, the man who had slaughtered their family.
In another context, Cao Yun's hatred for Emperor Weide would have increased. But the young man was emotionally spent. Right now, he wasn't feeling anything at all. It was as if he had a hole in himself. Nothing could fill it. He was going through the motions, trying to cling to the past, refusing to face the present or to imagine the future. He had failed...
His Drop of Wrath was already turned into Axiu Qian, and seven chains were taut. Each chain was obviously attached to one of his seven Turbid Demons. Those Turbid Demons were standing on his Nine Soul Peaks while his Five Aspects were raining fire on them, to strengthen them, but also to weaken the strange golden chains. Indeed, each demon was holding chains that seemed to appear from nothingness. It was impossible to follow them. If one didn't focus on them, they seemed almost nonexistent. But if one looked at them intently, they seemed to be somehow infinite. The sensation was so weird that it was impossible to accurately describe. In a sense, this was a lack of ability to transcribe a new sensation. After all, one didn't see with physical senses in a sea of consciousness.
The flames from Shen the Fire Spirit were being fueled by the Solar-Orchid Flame, now turned into an actual Dao Seed. As they were giving warmth and strength to the Turbid Demons, they were also trying to melt the golden chains in order to weaken them. Axiu Qian's six arms were also trying to pull on the chains linking him to the seven Turbid Demons in order to give them support.
Albeit with difficulty, the seven Turbid Demons were winning. In a strange manner, as Cao Yun was emotionally spent, his Turbid Demons had grown stronger, fueled by all the chaos that had spread through him. Maybe he had somehow transferred his emotional charge onto them before he completely broke down. Otherwise, he might have let go of everything and died. But he couldn't afford that. After his sister's sacrifice, he couldn't let go of life, no matter what! He would survive, no matter what he had to do! Through him, his family lived, and he couldn't fail them one more time. He had failed them too many times already.
As those thoughts began to slowly make their way through his conscious mind, Cao Yun sensed Dian Mo's concern. He was silent, but the Palace of Supreme Wisdom was watching Cao Yun with compassion and sadness. At the same time, the young man could tell that the spirit was ready to help him at any moment. This began to warm Cao Yun's heart, but he barely felt any emotion.
Another kind of warmth struck him. From the outside, he felt Feng Yingyue's presence. Like Dian Mo, she was silent and distant. But he could feel her warmth and her sorrow. He could feel her fear and her pain as well. She didn't want to disturb Cao Yun in this utter tragedy, but she couldn't leave him alone either...
Without even knowing why, Cao Yun's intent focused on Feng Yingyue's presence. He could clearly feel the warmth of her body. Within it, he could somehow discern various emotions. The very first thing he felt was a deep sorrow and pain, but not for her, for someone else, for him. Even though he was sensing all of that, it seemed as though it was slipping past him. He wasn't actually feeling anything. In a sense, it was as if nothing mattered anymore to him. As such, he was just an onlooker observing a scene that had nothing to do with him, as if it were a mere painting. He could read those emotions in her, but they didn't affect him.
Beyond this pain, he was able to sense love. Deep down, he also sensed something else, fear. Feng Yingyue was afraid. She feared for Cao Yun, for the others, but also for herself. To be fair, they were in a scene of absolute chaos and hell. Everyone was terrified. Only Cao Yun was serene, completely detached from any other emotion.
Only then did Cao Yun realize that he wasn't using his spiritual senses. He was just using his physical senses. With his eyes closed, he could still sense many things. However, this was still unusual. All of his senses were so much better that they almost appeared to be spiritual senses. Without opening his eyes, he focused more and more on Feng Yingyue, as if to play with this strange development.
By her breathing, by the warmth he could feel from her, by millions of small, insignificant details, Cao Yun was able to almost see her in his sea of consciousness. As he was working on it, he realized what had happened. He had actually broken through. He was now officially a 1st-grade Exalted Demon. As such, he was able to perceive the Dao in his flesh. Somehow, his senses had improved. Usually, he would have been elated, but he was devoid of any joy or pride. In fact, he wasn't even excited at all. He was just curious and playing around with those senses.
His mind wandered and focused on various people, various cultivators. Just like Feng Yingyue, he sensed their fear, their angst. All of them were completely terrified. In the air, Cao Yun could also sense incredible heat as well as a deep stench of blood. Subtle strands of Death Energy were also all over the place. No one seemed to have noticed them, but they were very slowly building up. Apparently, Sun Liao's array formation wasn't as airtight as they all hoped. Given enough time, the Death Energy would sap their strength. After that, the array formation would collapse, and they would all die.
Cao Yun's intent went to Emperor Weide, who was thoroughly spent. He had held nothing back in order to fuel Sun Liao's array formation. Even the Seven Treaties were about to crumble to dust. However, Cao Yun felt nothing. Even seeing the man he hated the most on the Piaolu planet, the young man remained serene and detached.
Finally, he focused on his brothers, Sun Liao and Ren Chao, and his sister, Mei Hua. All three of them were supported by a few alchemists. Cao Yun spent some time focusing on Ren Chao, full of frustration and self-loathing. Then, he got stuck on Sun Liao. The array formation genius was giving it his all. In fact, he was giving much more than his all. This wasn't something he could keep up for very long. Although Cao Yun wasn't using his spiritual senses, he could tell that Sun Liao's soul was under too much strain. Soon, his very Soul Embryo would begin to suffer. After that, it would crack. But Sun Liao wouldn't stop. It wouldn't be just his cultivation. Sun Liao was about to die, for sure.
There was no doubt in Cao Yun's mind that Sun Liao knew about it all. He had accepted death in order to protect everyone else. Unfortunately, it still wouldn't work. The entire Imperial City was doomed.
A tiny voice was trying to shout from within. Cao Yun couldn't hear it at all. But, somehow, he could feel something frantically screaming. It was as if someone was knocking on a door with all his strength, but Cao Yun could only feel some tremors and vibrations, no sound at all. That being said, it kept on tugging at his mind. It was trying to grab his attention.
For some reason, Cao Yun's intent was unable to go anywhere else after focusing on Sun Liao. He kept on sensing his brother slowly dying, absolutely resolute and firm in his decision. Ren Chao hadn't realized the severity of the situation yet, but Mei Hua had. The other alchemists had too. As such, they were ready to give him more dangerous pills. They could damage his cultivation, but it wasn't a problem since he had already given up on life anyway.
Mei Hua was still reluctant to give him those pills. A few times, her eyes darted toward Cao Yun. Each time, he felt that voice getting stronger and stronger. At last, he was able to hear some noise, but he couldn't make out any words.
A flash of gold shone in his sea of consciousness. His sister's last words came back to Cao Yun's mind. On the surface, he wasn't reacting, but the voice grew louder and louder. Finally, he could hear the words. But they weren't words, they were thoughts, they were feelings. They all came crashing back on him, like the tide that collided with a large rock. Cao Yun almost got swept up by this torrential tide.
Outside, the chains tearing Cao Yun apart stopped moving altogether. Only Feng Yingyue noticed. It lasted only an instant, but it was as if the world had stood still in front of her. The very next moment, the chains suddenly were pulled into Cao Yun's broken and mangled flesh.
Just as they disappeared into his flesh, a powerful wave of pure soul energy spread throughout the Imperial City. Everyone was shocked and looked at the demon chained up in the sky. Only those who knew who he was were happy while everyone else was terrified, despite Emperor Weide's orders.
Clearly, this demon was a 1st-grade Exalted Demon, he had broken the curse of the Forsaken Dao Era.