At this moment, not only Emperor Chen, but Wen Guyan and the others also sensed the suffocating pressure of this celestial phenomenon.
This pressure was countless times more domineering than the heavenly tribulations ordinary cultivators faced in the Tribulation Transcendence realm!
Such power was already enough to obliterate ordinary early-stage Tribulation Transcendence cultivators!
Wen Guyan materialized and raised both hands, unleashing a potent surge of spatial power.
In an instant, every cultivator was teleported myriad zhang away!
With a grave expression, Wen Guyan barked in a deep voice, "Everyone, fall back immediately! Do not come near! Xuan Yue, guard the Realm of Celestial Spirits! Bai Su, veil the heavenly secrets of the realm! Bie Ruxue, raise the Phoenix Flame Curtain to prevent prying eyes from the Immortal Realm!"
Seeing the Dragon King visibly flustered, the crowd finally realized that something had gone terribly wrong.
The eye of the thunderous vortex continued to amass immense power.
Gradually, cold sweat beaded on Li Guanqi's forehead.
He had already awakened from his state of sudden comprehension.
The tempest brewing above was steadily mounting, and its destructive force now gave him a subtle yet palpable sense of impending peril.
Li Guanqi's expression darkened. He looked up at the firmament, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
*What on earth did I trigger?*
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the entire Realm of Celestial Spirits was split wide open by a force of unimaginable magnitude!
Li Guanqi snapped his head around to see an elderly, weathered figure stepping slowly out of the void.
"Grandpa?"
Su Xuan stared grimly at the thunderstorm churning above Li Guanqi's head.
Countless lightning bolts raged and plunged wildly down—a spectacle that looked like the end of the world.
This celestial phenomenon could no longer be called any sort of heavenly gift.
It was bent on slaying the person who had summoned it!
Su Xuan forced a warm smile and spoke softly to Li Guanqi. "Grandpa is here. Put your heart at ease."
Hearing that gentle voice, a wave of calm washed over Li Guanqi's heart for reasons he could not explain.
He still had no idea what was happening with the ever-expanding tempest above.
Su Xuan turned around slightly, his smile vanishing as his expression hardened.
Frowning deeply, he looked at Ling Tianchen behind him. "What happened? He hasn't even reached the Ascension realm. How could he have drawn down the immortal path phenomenon? By all logic, this shouldn't appear until he reaches the peak of the Ascension realm!"
Ling Tianchen wore an equally solemn and perplexed expression. "I do not know... He was supposed to be in secluded cultivation, experiencing an epiphany. Perhaps he touched upon something while comprehending the laws!"
Su Xuan nodded slightly; right now, that was perhaps the only plausible explanation.
The old man took a deep breath and murmured, "This step... has come far sooner than I imagined. Opening the immortal path is something no one can help with... Is this tribulation truly destined for him? Becoming a Human Spirit Immortal was never going to be easy..."
Deep worry gnawed at Su Xuan's heart.
This thunderstorm had locked onto Li Guanqi alone. Aside from Li Guanqi himself, not a soul could lend a hand!
With a sweeping wave of his sleeve, Su Xuan instantly displaced everyone to the Second Domain.
In the entire Realm of Celestial Spirits, only Su Xuan and Li Guanqi remained.
Su Xuan produced his tobacco pipe, packed it with shreds, and began puffing away rhythmically.
He sat down on a nearby rooftop, his eyes fixed on Li Guanqi.
Perceptive as always, Li Guanqi understood.
This thunderstorm was far more ominous and complex than he had anticipated. His grandfather must have relocated everyone for that very reason.
Li Guanqi's mind gradually steadied.
"Grandpa, everyone's gone now. Can you tell me what on earth this thing is?"
Wisps of azure flame drifted, veiling the old man's features and obscuring his gaze.
Only his voice could be heard, sighing deeply as he slowly explained, "This is... your immortal path."
"Transcend this tribulation, and you become a Human Spirit Immortal."
"You will step beyond the laws of the Human Spirit Realm, forge a half-immortal physique, and transform the primal energy within your dantian into half-immortal primal energy."
"From then on, you will be able to surpass the limits of the Ascension realm within the Human Spirit Realm itself and achieve the realm of Mystic Immortal."
The more Li Guanqi heard, the more his heart pounded, and the darker his face became...
He looked up at the tempestuous black cloud, which was still swelling and had already reached nearly three thousand zhang across.
The corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"So... this thing is basically an immortal tribulation?"
Su Xuan paused in thought, then gave no denial.
"More or less."
"I thought you would only draw down this tribulation once you reached the peak of the Ascension realm."
"I never expected you to trigger it now."
Li Guanqi inhaled deeply, then released the primal energy within his body.
A world-shattering surge of lightning instantly shattered the void!
Frightening lightning interwoven with the power of flame tore through the air, annihilating space wherever it swept!
The old man's hand froze slightly. Feeling that dense, potent power of laws, he could only shake his head with a bitter laugh.
"I see now..."
"This old man still underestimated the peerless comprehension of the Spirit Devouring Dao Physique."
Setting down his pipe, Su Xuan slowly rose to his feet and reached toward the heavens.
In an instant, three brilliantly radiant spirit herbs plummeted from the sky!
Li Guanqi saw clearly that the old man had plucked them straight from the Apex of the Stars in the Seventh Domain!
Which meant...
These three spirit herbs had spent their existence nurtured in celestial spiritual energy.
Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes, examining them closely.
There was an ice-blue lotus; a jade-green celestial stalk whose long, narrow leaves were etched with vibrant emerald veins; and a crimson blossom as gorgeous as fire.
The crimson flower's stem resembled avian plumage, layered in alternating shades of red and orange.
Su Xuan looked at the three treasures and drew a deep breath.
"These are things Grandpa prepared for you."
"This Starfall Cold Lotus is enough to elevate your cultivation realm straight to the Ascension realm!"
"I had originally intended to save it for when you ascended and broke through to Mystic Immortal."
Li Guanqi swallowed hard. Such an item probably didn't exist anywhere in the Human Spirit Realm; it was undeniably something from the Immortal Realm!
The old man glanced at the stalk of spirit grass and said gravely, "This item is called the Mind-Calming Cloud Rainbow Grass, also known as the Dao-Consolidating Grass. It will allow you to comprehend a century of time in an instant, stabilizing and consolidating your cultivation realm."
Finally, the old man's gaze settled upon the crimson blossom.
"This... is called the Phoenix Flower. It bloomed from a Past Life Grass steeped in the essence blood of a phoenix."
"Its effect... can preserve your life. The side effect is the total loss of your cultivation!"
With those words, the old man looked as though he had aged several years. He looked at Li Guanqi with affectionate eyes and murmured softly, "For this tribulation, Grandpa cannot help. Everything depends on you alone."
"How far you can go is entirely in your own hands."
"Step across it, and you will be the future Realm Lord of the Human Spirit Realm."
"Fail to cross it, and Grandpa will help you cultivate anew!"
"As for this Realm of Celestial Spirits, pay it no mind. Even if it is smashed to pieces, Grandpa will not shed a tear."
The old man spoke on and on, as if giving Li Guanqi his final injunctions.
Li Guanqi's gaze drifted involuntarily to the Phoenix Flower.
The sword spirit had remained silent throughout, yet Li Guanqi could clearly feel her presence.
Li Guanqi closed his eyes and took a deep, lingering breath.
With a wave of his hand, he swept the treasures away into his storage—leaving only the Phoenix Flower behind.
Chapter 1460