Legend of the Great Sage

ore furious he became, the more vicious the demon nascence’s words were.
The endless curses were like arrows that pierced his heart, even more unbearable than the tribulation lightning.

As a result, he simply sealed off his ears and eyes so that he did not have to hear or see it.
However, the words only became clearer as if… as if they came from the bottom of his heart.

He came to a realisation and immediately understood that he was wrong.
The damned thing was neither wicked nor was it conscious, as that was his own voice.

He struggled to climb to his feet.
The lightning sword hung high in the air, crackling with light.
Suddenly, it pierced the sky and the sea, pinning him firmly to the depths of the ocean.

The sea water erupted, sending waves hurtling in all directions.

The demon nascence extended two fingers.
That was a sign that signified victory from Li Qingshan’s past life.
It smiled.
“That’s two times.
There’s still… one last time!”

When Li Qingshan rebirthed again and slowly climbed out of the ocean, he thought, And what did I think it was? So it’s just a mixture of distracting thoughts! The greatest enemy is yourself? Pah, how tacky!

“So you’ve finally discovered it, fool! But it’s already too late!”

The demon nascence pointed a finger at the sky.
The lightning sword had lost its target, so it hovered about its head, slowly spinning and absorbing the lightning without firing, recovering its glow.
Nearby, the tribulation clouds amassed above Li Qingshan’s head.
As the lightning shot by, it vaguely assumed the form of a blade.

A second armament of tribulation lightning!

Ruan Yaozhu was dumbfounded.
Was this really the fourth heavenly tribulation? Li Qingshan had basically committed sins against the heavens.
There were his inner demons running amok inside and armaments of tribulation lightning outside.
Even Yin Soul cultivators would probably be doomed given the circumstances.

“You’re the fool.
If I hadn’t discovered it, how would you have discovered it? Whatever, it’s far too foolish to argue with myself.”

Li Qingshan shook his head.
His greatest dissenter on the path to beyond the Nine Heavens was himself.

Fear, doubt, guilt, powerlessness, fury… day and night, those emotions blazed away like fire, without any end.
However, his great willpower normally suppressed these distracting thoughts.

However, at this critical juncture of the fourth heavenly tribulation, not only was he going from Daemon King to Daemon Emperor, but his soul nascence was turning into a proper soul too.

Soul nascences cultivated from the Heavenly Tome of Liberty were unique, and the Yin Souls it produced was almost like a yin demon, a skandha-māra.
It was even more skilled in various mysterious and unpredictable techniques like bewitchment, infiltration, and invisibility.
It could easily crush other cultivators of the same realm that were not skilled in combat or possessed weak wills like Shen Yushu.

However, the price was that it was extremely easy to suffer from cultivation deviation, like right now.

And this was not a coincidence, but something that was bound to happen.

If practising the Heavenly Tome of Nature was following the path of nature and could lower the difficulties of tribulations, then the effect of the Heavenly Tome of Liberty was the exact opposite.
It made the cultivator prematurely experience what was called the five skandhas ablaze and inner demons attacking.

The demon nascence said, “You’re done for.”

“You’re also done for.” Li Qingshan gazed at the lightning blade that was gradually taking shape and murmured to himself, “I didn’t even notice this if you hadn’t mentioned it… Are you trying to destroy yourself?”

The soul nascence was the rudimentary form of a yin demon.
Everything it said was his own thoughts, akin to the uncontrollable negative emotions of a mortal.

The various thoughts all turned into reality; the various emotions were all exposed.
The deepest thought and the most terrifying emotion was the urge to destroy himself.
As a result, the demon nascence opposed him and wanted nothing short of his destruction.

Only by completely denying his own existence and reducing everything to nothingness could he completely let go of such a heavy burden, no longer needing to continue down this difficult path.

It was laughable.
Was the path to the Nine Heavens merely seeking for his own death?

The demon nascence said blankly, “This is your fate, as well as mine…”

With a rumble, the lightning blade took shape, and the lightning sword whistled down.
The killing intent from the world was gathered in this blade and sword.
Just who could stop them?

Li Qingshan sneered.
“Fuck fate.
You’re just weak.”