Duobao Daoist had built up a massive reputation in the Cultivation World, so much so that even some of the strong and capable people feared his incredible strategizing.
However, in battles of magical confrontation, this True Monarch gave the impression that, though powerful, he could not suppress his peers—figures like Shipi, Kongchan, and Xiu Zhonglin felt that although they couldn't outwit Duobao, they could certainly match him in a fight.
As for those like the Twelve Emperors of Alchemist, who were a step higher in cultivation, they felt they had the upper hand in direct combat.
Yet at this moment, all cultivators were finally aware: all past events were but illusions.
Duobao True Monarch!
Casting off his human form, he revealed his true nature.
The terrifying Dao Heng, belonging to the upcoming Sect Master of the Spirit Treasure Sect, was fully unleashed.
The storm, filled with the aura of a Mutated Dao, successively destroyed layer upon layer of immortals' illusions.
After ten layers of illusions were destroyed, those within—Tao Qian, Yuan Gong, the Twelve Emperors, and those knowledgeable ones with special techniques—all finally saw Duobao True Monarch's mutated true form.
It was a colossal fleshly formation, resembling an Evil God from the Outer Realm!
It had ten thousand faces and ten thousand bodies.
Layer upon layer, observing in all directions, overseeing the Nine Heavens and ten lands.
Each face and each body represented an exceptional treasure.
Tao Qian hurriedly glanced over; in an instant, his skull swelled, his eyes stung painfully, and what flowed out were not tears but glittering golden beads tainted with blood.
In that brief glimpse, he saw several familiar treasures, like the Heavenly Punishment Sword, the Returning Immortal Mirror, the Ruyi Ring, and the Blessing Divine Mallet.
These treasures, integrated with Duobao's flesh, also revealed their unusual mutated true forms.
From those filthy items, one could glimpse a bit of Duobao's life and the consequential costs attached to these treasures.
It seemed that the treasures associated with slaughter were mostly entwined with resentful souls and Soul Corpses, like the demonized Heavenly Punishment Sword that had hundreds of thousands of devil souls swirling around it, wailing and gnawing at Duobao's flesh, only to be torn apart by the sword light...
And the treasures like the Blessing Divine Mallet, most often connected to inheritance and Daoist lineage, once integrated with the flesh, clearly manifested a pitch-black Demon Buddha.
...
Yuan Gong and Duobao were peers, having loved and fought each other many times, and Yuan Gong was exceedingly familiar with Duobao's shady history.
Yet even this old Sword Cultivator from the Secret Demon Sect was shocked by Duobao's true form.
His crimson eyebrows tightly furrowed, he couldn't help but curse:
"This old bastard, no wonder he was tyrannical a hundred years ago, scouring the world for treasures using all sorts of methods, originally it was to cultivate this kind of Dao."
"He's even stupider than Old Ape; with his greedy and lazy nature, how could he meticulously manage to refine all treasures into one body?"
"Missing even a single treasure, tainting the Source Qi, entangling in karma, would immediately render all his efforts useless."
"It's also lucky that Lingbao Tianzun valued this old fellow, otherwise without that Divine Talisman, this old thing would've long been dead."
"Alas, destiny is too mysterious."
"This old thing could've continued for another eight hundred years, dissipating the costs and entering Dao transformation, but he thought of taking shortcuts and planned to acquire a good disciple to fend off the tribulation... If he were a heartless person of the Demon Path, using a disciple to block the tribulation would be more than rational."
"Yet he had a soft heart and ended up blocking the tribulation for you, such a tragic fate, tragic fate indeed."
Yuan Gong's scolding had a bit of a pot-calling-the-kettle-black vibe.
He, Old Ape, truly was a person of the Demon Path.
When the day of tribulation came, he would rather die with his disciple, Tao Qian, than escape alone.
At this moment, Tao Qian, listening to his Second Master scold his Grand Master, couldn't help but reveal a look of shock on his face.
In the past he had seen many mutated forms and Dharma Images of powerful Great Divine Powers, but none could compare to his own master.
The most shocking he had seen upon first entering the Dao—the Beautiful Corpse Bodhisattva's Heavenly Demon Buddha Mother Dharma Form—if brought over, would probably be crushed to death by his master's single finger.
Even the glimpses of Daoist Transformation and monstrous true forms of Zhu Rizhao, Gao Huan, and Li Wanshou seemed far inferior to Duobao.
Terrifying!
Bizarre!
Even the vast Golden Radiance Arena was now transformed into his mount, auspicious clouds, Lotus Platform bases, and so on, supporting the [Ten Thousand Treasure Dao Body] manifested by Duobao.
That indescribable, ineffable tyrannical aura, almost ready to face down twelve by itself, just nearly crushed all the illusions used by the Twelve Emperors to conceal the truth.
Revealing this Dao Body, Duobao Daoist seemed immensely exhilarated; on his explosive head, each strand of hair transformed into millions of thick black Dragon Pythons, shrieking and writhing.
That mouth resembling a gateway to the abyss slowly opened, about to howl.
In an instant, however, he felt some kind of restriction, and couldn't help but murmur:
"This place is too stifling, can't have a satisfying fight, must head to the Outer Realm."
While speaking, his eyes filled with tyrannical Evil Light simultaneously stared at a huge gap in the sky.
At the same time, the Twelve Emperors of Alchemist also realized what Duobao Daoist had done.
Tsunami-like roars, coming from the Outer Realm.
Twelve massive shadows began to squirm.
"Duobao True Monarch, have you gone mad? With the Divine Talisman given by the Heavenly Venerate to suppress the cost, why not follow the Righteous Path, break through the tribulations, and step into Daoist Transformation, why abandon your human form?"
"Wasting heavenly treasures, madman, beast, unfilial son-of-a-bitch... Duobao old dog, you such a fool blessed yet unaware of the blessing, I deeply detest you."
"Rumors had it that Duobao Daoist scoured the world for treasures to prove the Ten Thousand Treasure Great Dao, once successful, even the Spirit Treasure Sect Master wouldn't be your match... Now it seems, though you have ambition and determination, you're also impulsive, unable to achieve greatness, abandoning your human form and forcibly entering Daoist Transformation, today you will face destruction, how foolish."