Dazzling, snow-bright light illuminated the divine peaks of Kunlun one after another, casting shadows of the mountains tens of thousands of li long toward all corners of Shenzhou.
The shadows would fade, only for the next blast of lightning to bring them into sharp relief once more!
On the God Bridge, the shadows cast behind everyone shifted between sharp and hazy. Gazing toward Xu Fu, they even saw him activate replicas of their own sects' immortal artifacts to battle the Heavenly Tribulation.
Yan Kongcheng also spotted Mount Emei's immortal artifact, the Myriad Dao Banner—a replica, naturally.
Xu Fu activated the Myriad Dao Banner at this moment to meet the heavenly thunder. The banner erupted with the might of ten thousand Daos, but beneath the power of the heavenly thunder, the myriad Daos shattered, the great banner was consumed in flames, and Xu Fu was struck down. Even so, it successfully fended off a strike of heavenly thunder!
"Our Emei's Myriad Dao Banner was rarely shown before outsiders, wasn't it? Why would someone have replicated it?" Yan Kongcheng wondered, perplexed.
Qiao Zizhong said, "During the Qin dynasty, when Zulong unified the world, the various sects submitted. At one point, Zulong ordered the sect master of Emei to bring the Myriad Dao Banner to Xianyang."
Yan Kongcheng had never heard this piece of history and asked in confusion, "What for?"
"Research," Qiao Zizhong said.
Utterly bewildered, Yan Kongcheng pressed, "Research what?"
Qiao Zizhong did not pursue the topic further.
Yan Kongcheng muttered, "Could they have been researching the Myriad Dao Banner? Did Xu Fu uncover the banner's mysteries back then and make a replica? But replicating the banner is one thing; how can he even activate it?"
The Myriad Dao Banner contained the Immortal Dao runes of Emei's founder. To activate it, one had to understand those runes, and embedded within them was Emei's immortal art.
Thus, to activate the Myriad Dao Banner, one had to learn Emei's immortal art.
And to learn Emei's immortal art, one had to first become an Emei disciple, starting as a registered disciple, advancing to an inner disciple, then a peak master, and finally an elder before qualifying to even touch Emei's immortal art.
Yet Xu Fu could never have been an Emei disciple, let alone have had access to its immortal art. How, then, was he able to activate the Myriad Dao Banner?
Qiao Zizhong did not know much about that period of history either. After all, he was a leek-harvester; when the First Emperor burned books and buried Nuo masters alive, anyone like him who was caught would be put to death.
Back then, everyone doing what he did lived in constant terror, in dread of what each day would bring, hiding as far and deep as they possibly could.
Looking up, Qiao Zizhong saw that besides activating Emei's Myriad Dao Banner, Xu Fu was also brandishing replicas of sect-guarding immortal artifacts from various other schools to combat the tribulation, warding off bolt after bolt of heavenly thunder.
Treasure after treasure exploded under the strain, sending terrifying shockwaves surging in all directions with staggering force.
Qiao Zizhong was inwardly appalled. *Xu Fu is far too resourceful. Not only can he perform my Emei's immortal art and activate our Myriad Dao Banner, but he can also execute the immortal arts of the Mount Shu Sword Sect, Liangyi Sect, Sun Moon Divine Sect, Tianqi Sect, Wuyan Sect, and countless others! How could a single man master so many immortal arts at the same time without the slightest friction?*
Just then, Qiao Zizhong's heart gave a sudden lurch. He hurriedly stepped back and shrank behind Yan Kongcheng.
Yan Kongcheng started. *Could there be someone our founder actually fears?*
A man clad in black with a red sash strode past them, walking forward toward the Heavenly Tribulation. Yan Kongcheng wondered, *The founder doesn't even fear Xu Fu, so why is he afraid of this man? What is his background?*
"Only by severing all emotion can the wise attain the peak of intellect."
Zulong had not noticed Qiao Zizhong, lost in his own reflections. When he had first met Xu Fu long ago, he could see no human emotion in the man's eyes. Though Xu Fu displayed joy, anger, sorrow, and delight, he merely wore those expressions; within his heart, none of those feelings existed.
Within him, there was only cold, calm calculation.
*Only by severing all emotion can the wise attain the peak of intellect.* That was what Xu Fu had once told Zulong.
Evidently, Xu Fu had achieved it.
He had discarded all emotion and used his consummate intellect to observe and mimic the immortal arts and immortal artifacts of every sect, pooling the wisdom of all schools to undergo his tribulation.
*Undergoing the tribulation like this is still relying on borrowed strength,* Zulong thought silently. *Borrowing the power of every sect's wisdom, borrowing the supernatural powers of the ageless immortal—if nothing goes amiss, it truly is possible to survive the Heavenly Tribulation. But have you truly calculated everything? Can it really be foolproof?*
Xu Fu assembling the wisdom of every sect to pass the tribulation, just like Zhou Qiyun kidnapping heavenly gods to do the same, was completely unrepeatable.
No one could kidnap heavenly gods a second time, nor could anyone possess the sheer intellect to replicate the immortal artifacts of every sect merely by observing them and deduce the immortal arts required to wield them.
Even so, Zulong still could not be certain whether Xu Fu could survive the Heavenly Tribulation.
The tribulation was simply too formidable.
Could three thousand replica immortal artifacts, combined with Xu Ying's supernatural powers, truly see him through this calamity?
As the Heavenly Tribulation reached its zenith, even Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang were forced to retreat once more. Suddenly, the two of them felt a gentle, warm power rise from behind them, shielding them against the onslaught of tribulation waves.
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang looked back to find that the cloth-robed man in the Heavenly Dao domain had awakened at some unknown moment.
"Martial Dao Great Emperor!"
Both Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang were astonished and overjoyed. The cloth-robed man paused slightly, then shook his head. "Fellow Daoists, why call me a Martial Dao Great Emperor? I am a native of Taichu, surnamed Shen and named Luo." He looked up toward Xu Fu and murmured with admiration, "This fellow Daoist facing the tribulation may not have extraordinary cultivation, but his intellect is peerless, and his methods are myriad. He has pushed the tradition of Qi Refiners to its absolute utmost. Over all these years, I have never met another like him."
Xu Ying asked, "Martial Emperor Shen, by your estimation, can he survive the tribulation?"
The cloth-robed man replied, "It will be very difficult. Although his intellect is supreme, undergoing the Heavenly Tribulation exacts a tremendous toll. Injury to the physical body, damage to the Primordial Spirit, failing magic power, impaired divine consciousness, depleted strength, or an inability to sustain the perpetual circulation of yin and yang qi—any of these will heavily compromise one's chances. I cultivated the Martial Dao to forge a mighty body, unified spirit and flesh, created an indelible martial spirit, attained primordial pure true qi, and possessed endless strength, yet my yin and yang qi were deficient, and I was struck down midway through my tribulation."
Xu Ying's eyes gleamed. The aspects the cloth-robed Martial Emperor Shen had mentioned happened to be precisely the six immortal domains of the six secret depositories, also known as the domains of the six immortals!
Only by unlocking the six secret depositories and stepping into the domains of the six immortals could one ensure that their physical body, soul, primordial qi, divine consciousness, heart power, and yin and yang reached the level of an immortal!
The cloth-robed Martial Emperor Shen let out a soft exclamation. "He has concocted a great deal of spirit pills; perhaps he can make up for these shortcomings."
Xu Ying looked over and saw Xu Fu continually consuming all manner of miraculous pills and spirit medicines as he braved the tribulation, even downing entire intact immortal herbs without a second thought! He was replenishing the exhaustion of his body, soul, primordial qi, divine consciousness, heart power, and yin and yang, keeping himself constantly at his peak!
These were purely the methods of a Qi Refiner, without relying in the slightest on the Nuo methods' six secret depositories.
"This man is profoundly resourceful, having prepared all too thoroughly for this moment," the cloth-robed Martial Emperor Shen remarked with sighing praise. "However, he once suffered an old injury on his forehead. Even though it healed, that spot remains slightly weaker in his flesh. Surviving the Heavenly Tribulation will still be difficult for him; that old wound might become fatal."
Xu Ying's heart stirred. The injury on Xu Fu's forehead was the wound he had left behind, which had later been healed by the Jade Pool immortal water. Yet even though it was healed, Xu Fu's body-tempering over the years had never reached that scarred spot; though the wound was gone, Xu Fu's cultivation technique remained the same as before.
In other words, Xu Fu's fatal weakness had never changed—it was still on his forehead!
*When I killed him back then, it was because I saw that his weakness lay in his forehead,* Xu Ying thought silently.
The Xu Ying of old, just like Martial Emperor Shen today, could spot Xu Fu's weakness at a single glance.
Would the Heavenly Tribulation recognize Xu Fu's weakness as well?
Even as they spoke, the tribulation clouds in the sky grew heavier, and the fury of the Heavenly Tribulation intensified until blood began to trickle down Xu Fu's forehead.
The heavenly thunder began encroaching upon his forehead, causing the skin there to suddenly burst open, dripping with gore.
Xu Ying's heart sank. *Did he fail to calculate this weakness?*
Yet in the very next instant, Xu Fu tore out a leaf from the golden book and slapped it onto his forehead.
The golden book was the very one Xu Ying had handed to him, inscribed with sixteen characters: *Mandated by Heaven, forever suppressing this life; circumscribed and trapped, sealed and confined.*
The leaf Xu Fu tore out bore the character *Life*!
As blood soaked into the golden page, the character *Life* blazed with radiant light, instantly mending the deficiency in his flesh!
"He even accounted for this?"
The voices of Martial Emperor Shen and Zulong sounded in unison. Xu Ying looked back to find that Zulong, too, had come up behind them at some unknown moment.
"If Xu Fu still cannot pass the Heavenly Tribulation after all this, then Heaven truly has no justice!" Zulong declared.
The tribulation clouds spanning thousands of li began to shrink, signaling that the tribulation was passing from its peak into decline.
In the Immortal Realm, on Mount Five Thunders, at the Thunderfire Ministry of Works:
A crane flew in, descending slowly outside the Ministry of Works.
The crane transformed into a fair-skinned, red-lipped boy who hurried into the ministry to meet with the immortal official. "A few days ago, an extra quota for ascension opened up in the Yuanshou world," the boy announced. "The Imperial Sovereign declared that today is an auspicious day for becoming an immortal. The Sovereign has already posted the proclamation to the Yuanshou world, so we trouble you, Immortal Senior, to oversee things strictly, monitor the Heavenly Tribulation, and permit that Yuanshou Qi Refiner to ascend."
The immortal official of the Ministry of Works invited the crane boy to sit and asked, "I've heard about this. But how did an extra quota for ascension suddenly appear?"
The crane boy said, "An immortal under the Imperial Sovereign offended a young lord in the retinue of Changsheng Great Emperor over a trivial matter, and the young lord accidentally killed him. That left an opening for one immortal."
The immortal official leaned in, full of curiosity. "Accidentally killed? Really?"
"It really was an accident," the crane boy sighed. "After he was killed, the immortal's corpse somehow fell into the Myriad Dragon Pool, where the flood dragons tore it to shreds and even devoured his Primordial Spirit. Dead men tell no tales. And so, an extra quota opened up. The Imperial Sovereign was furious and wanted to punish the culprit, but since the other party was a young lord under Changsheng Great Emperor, the matter was simply dropped."
"Mm, mm, I see, I see."
The immortal official waved his attendants away and whispered, "Did the Sovereign leave any instructions regarding this quota?"
The crane boy smiled. "The Sovereign said that ascending from the lower realms is no easy task—they're all miserable wretches down there. This quota is meant for all who face the tribulation, with no predeterminations allowed. The Sovereign also had word sent to the immortals who maintain lineages and domains in the Yuanshou world, having them issue Golden Seal-Script Immortal Talismans to summon their disciples to Kunlun to compete fairly for this ascension slot."
"The Sovereign possesses magnanimity indeed," the immortal official praised.
The crane boy said, "Your Thunderfire Ministry of Works oversees the Heavenly Dao world, so do not be negligent. If someone possesses the capability to ascend, let them come up. Do not bend the law for personal gain, or the Sovereign will hold you accountable."
The immortal official nodded repeatedly in agreement and saw the boy out of the Thunderfire Ministry of Works, watching him take flight on the crane and depart.
"Sending an envoy over such a minor matter... it seems I must go in person," the immortal official muttered, shaking his head. He immediately sent an incarnation down to the Heavenly Dao world. Though merely an incarnation, it was far more vast than any heavenly god, its form woven of immortal radiance that rippled faintly.
"Tianli, Tiantiao, Tianji, check at once whether any descendant of the Sovereign is present on Mount Kunlun," the immortal official commanded.
The heavenly gods Tianli, Tiantiao, and Tianji hurriedly checked and reported, "There is indeed a descendant of the Sovereign on Mount Kunlun named Xiao Haihou. He is the sect master of the Wuyan Sect, the Sovereign's lineage in the lower realm."
The incarnation of the immortal official said, "Let him ascend."
High God Tianji quickly objected, "Young Master Xiao is only at the second Pass-Breaching stage, and he hasn't undergone the tribulation!"
The immortal official's incarnation asked, "Who is undergoing the tribulation right now?"
High God Tianji said, "The one undergoing the tribulation is named Xu Fu. His tribulation has already passed, and the Heavenly Tribulation is drawing to a close."
The incarnation said, "Arrange for him to go down, and arrange for Young Master Xiao to come up. The heavenly road is severed, so guide Xiao Haihou into the Heavenly Dao world, then arrange his passage to the Immortal Realm."
High God Tianji protested hastily, "Xu Fu survived the Heavenly Tribulation and rightfully deserves to ascend! Young Master Xiao never faced the tribulation—how can someone at the second Pass-Breaching stage possibly ascend?"
Tianli and Tiantiao hurriedly covered his mouth and dragged his body away, laughing apologetically. "Please do not take offense, Immortal Exalted! We shall attend to it immediately. We guarantee it will be handled properly."
The immortal official of the Thunderfire Ministry of Works smiled and said, "Heaven's secrets must not be leaked."
Tianli and Tiantiao sealed High God Tianji's mouth shut, chuckling. "Yes, yes. We'll silence him right away and choose another High God Tianji."
On Mount Kunlun, Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, Zulong, Martial Emperor Shen, and the others looked toward the Heavenly Tribulation, which had now reached its conclusion.
The spirit pills Xu Fu had prepared were completely exhausted, and all three thousand treasures were destroyed. Battered and covered in wounds, he was at the very end of his rope, but the Heavenly Tribulation had also spent its last measure of might.
As the tribulation clouds dispersed, gods manifested across the sky in ten thousand rays of radiance, the phantoms of heavenly gods projected upon the firmament above Mount Kunlun.
Vast heavenly music resonated, singing praises of the immortal's majesty.
Drenched in blood, Xu Fu floated in the sky and spread his arms wide, welcoming the imminent ascension light.
Unable to conceal the ecstasy on his face, he muttered, "This is the victory of Qi Refiners. Even without relying on Nuo methods, one can ascend. Lord Xu, from this day forward, you will never surpass what I have achieved!"
He tilted his head back, gazing into the center of the ring of gods where the ascension light descended from the heavens.
Then bewilderment crossed his face: that beam of ascension light was not descending toward him, but toward the God Bridge where Xu Ying stood.
He stared over, completely baffled.
At that moment, the immortal seal that had hung motionless in the sky since ancient times suddenly shifted. Tremoring, it blasted down a beam of light that crashed directly onto Xu Fu's forehead!
At the same time, the ascension light bypassed Xu Ying and the others, falling behind them onto Sect Master Xiao of the Wuyan Sect.
Robed in curling radiance, bathed in immortal light and immortal qi, Sect Master Xiao was drawn upward by the beam, drifting toward the Heavenly Dao world.
In the sky, the praises of the gods rang out louder and louder.
Another beam of light plunged from the immortal seal with a deafening boom, smashing into Xu Fu's forehead once more.
The golden page on Xu Fu's forehead cracked apart, and filled with utter bewilderment, he plummeted into the Jade Capital.
Everyone was stunned into silence, watching the ascension light carry Sect Master Xiao higher and higher, drawing him closer and closer to the Heavenly Dao world.
"Sons of bitches!"
A furious voice suddenly shattered the silence between heaven and earth. A figure soared into the sky, towering with wrath, hurtling straight toward Sect Master Xiao.
"Those fucking bastards!"
The figure transformed into a brilliant rainbow, plunging into the ascension light.
The Righteous Gods of the Heavenly Cycles erupted in fury. Their heavenly might burst forth as colossal hands reached into the light, roaring in anger, "Insolence!"
In the next instant, a towering divine tree rose from the earth, trailing thousands of auspicious wisps as it met the grasping hands of the gods' phantoms!
Dripping with blood and holding Sect Master Xiao's severed head, Xu Ying burst out from the ascension light.
The Righteous Gods of the Heavenly Cycles were dumbstruck. "What do we do now...?"
Chapter 258