Chapter 332 Hell

Before it became a vortex.

Bad luck is just bad luck—it brings misfortune to anyone who touches it.

But once it becomes a vortex, the bad luck remains bad luck, yet it becomes Lu Ye's bad luck. Except for Lu Ye—anyone else who touches it is doomed.

That’s the key difference.

Of course, there is still one final hurdle—merging the ten into one.

This is no easy feat—the energy involved is overwhelming. But for Lu Ye? What’s difficult for others is just another day for him.

As the ten vortices draw closer, lightning crackles within them.

The vortices whirl at blinding speed.

The turbulent winds between them grind violently.

Blood seeps from Lu Ye’s nose.

Yet he presses on, forcing the ten vortices to merge.

Friction!

Rending!

Entwining!

Emperor Daohen stares, slack-jawed, unable to hide his shock.

He knows he’s about to lose all imperial composure.

But what Lu Ye’s pulling off is beyond most Emperors—who could blame him?

He’d been invincible once. To ordinary cultivators, he was untouchable. But facing someone who might’ve once outclassed him—who wouldn’t be stunned?

Who wouldn't?

They fused!

It actually worked!

Lu Ye’s YinYang Dao had pulled it off. If someone claimed this was Celestial Lord-tier YinYang Dao, he’d buy it.

A monstrous vortex erupts in the void—immeasurable, indescribably terrifying.

Lu Ye tilts his head back—the vortex hangs over him like doom itself.

His Nascent Soul looks up too.

Honestly, after so long without strain, it hadn’t felt that near-bursting pressure in ages.

This time, it’ll get its fill—maybe even explode from it.

But why fear?

Mind and soul united!

Bring it!

Boom—

The massive vortex roared as it bore into Lu Ye’s brow. Despite the huge size difference, the vortex kept pushing in.

No surprise there.

The Nascent Soul ballooned, expanding faster and faster as more of the vortex poured in.

Its chubby little hands wove hand seals.

Pain twisted its face, but it stayed focused.

Gray veins crawled across its skin, spreading fast.

But barely a tenth of the vortex was inside.

The patterns on the Nascent Soul multiplied endlessly.

The once-chubby, pale Nascent Soul was now completely gray.

A fifth in!

It stayed calm, but its brow creased hard.

At a quarter, it switched seals, refining like mad.

A third in—pain flashed in its eyes.

Half in.

His Nascent Soul blew up like a balloon, way too fast.

No way—I can’t take it!

Out of options, Lu Ye shoved the vortex into his flesh.

His body started swelling too.

"Open the Hidden Vaults!"

At his limit, Lu Ye triggered the Five Elemental Hidden Vaults—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—within his body.

Body refiners used these vaults, designed to store excess energy that couldn’t be digested immediately.

Not just the vaults—he blasted open all 108 acupoints too.

At the same time, light spots flared on the Nascent Soul’s body as the misfortune within it rapidly compressed.

Still wasn’t enough.

The Stone Sword materialized.

"Bro, help me out!"

Bad luck poured into the Stone Sword.

The Human Emperor Banner popped up too—"Hey, give me a hand!"

Green light pulsed from Lu Ye.

"Good, and you too!"

The Dao Enlightenment Tree was also pulled out.

Truly worthy of being the Dao Enlightenment Tree that absorbed the Dao of Guardianship—when duty calls, it answers, and does so proactively.

With all of Lu Ye's resources united in effort, the last vortex finally merged into Lu Ye's body.

Lu Ye held it in for a long time but ultimately couldn't suppress it, releasing a thunderous belch.

Ominous misfortune writhed around him like living tendrils, spreading in all directions.

Anyone with even a slight understanding of the Dao of Fate would likely be scared half to death at first glance of Lu Ye, as misfortune radiated from his entire being. In this state, simply getting close to him would bring bad luck.

Still, it was finally done.

The Miasma of Misfortune vanished.

He had completed the first trial, and his strength soared straight to the peak of the Domain Realm.

Once again, he entered a state of "Keep away—friends and foes alike."

With such dense misfortune, even speaking a word to him would likely bring terrible luck.

But the next trial was the Eighteen Hells.

Well, the hells weren't exactly human territory—misfortune be damned, it couldn't be blamed on Lu Ye.

The Eighteen Hells were constructed by a once-peerless faction of the past, and Lu Ye knew its hidden truths.

Common knowledge said the Eighteen Hells plagiarized the Six Paths of Reincarnation, but Lu Ye knew it was the other way around—the Six Paths copied the Eighteen Hells.

However, the Eighteen Hells fell into ruin, while the Six Paths of Reincarnation grew even stronger.

No surprise there—the Celestial Lord of Reincarnation was truly a once-in-an-era prodigy.

Such cases of the student eclipsing the teacher were few and far between in history.

Copying? Call it theft or flattery—take your pick.

Such was the way of things in this world.

If the Invincible Dao was powerful, a stampede of cultivators would soon follow its path.

If the YinYang Dao was powerful, ditto for the YinYang Dao.

Unless it was a Dao too esoteric to copy, most would inevitably be imitated.

Because when a strong cultivator succeeded in mastering a Dao, that Dao entered a period of prosperity, and others who followed the same path would find their cultivation leaped forward.

Portal energy enveloped Lu Ye.

In an instant, he was gone.

When he reappeared, he had arrived at a place shrouded in sinister gloom.

Before him lay a narrow path that felt soft underfoot, as though paved with flesh and blood.

Ahead stretched a turbid, sprawling gray river.

Within its depths, countless eyes lurked, fixing their gaze on Lu Ye the moment he appeared.

Above the river stood a bridge of pale green stone. In the past, an old woman would have been there, offering soup to warm the soul to passing travelers.

Yet now, though the Yellow Spring Road, the Naihe Bridge, and the River of Forgetfulness remained, the old woman who served the soup was nowhere to be seen.

Lu Ye's expression remained indifferent.

This was not his first time here—there was nothing to fear.

As he walked along the Yellow Spring Road, the worldly aura seemed to be stripped from him.

Upon reaching the Naihe Bridge, he stepped forward without hesitation, stepping onto it calmly.

His soul crossed, yet his physical body remained at the bridge's entrance.

A thick crimson glow, laced with gray mist, radiated from Lu Ye's soul.

The spirits that had intended to drag him into the River of Forgetfulness fell silent at the sight of the eerie light wreathed around him.

This soul... was downright frightening...