In the Linglong Heavenly Sect, before Sect Master Yuan Gongtong had even finished braving his tribulation, his eldest disciple Yu Youchen and Eldest Martial Sister Hu Zhuojun had already successively passed theirs.
Many other disciples also underwent their tribulations one after another.
All at once, the Linglong Heavenly Sect found itself with many new immortals, filling everyone with pleasant shock.
Hu Zhuojun looked toward Yuan Gongtong, who was still undergoing tribulation, and murmured, "How did tribulations and heavenly tribulation fortune suddenly appear throughout heaven and earth? Why is it suddenly possible to brave the tribulation?"
She and Chu Tiandu had participated deeply in the Heaven Mending Plan, so she naturally knew that after Little Celestial Venerable completed mending the heavens, qi refiners like them had sensed no tribulations whatsoever, remaining perpetually trapped at the Ascension stage, unable to advance further.
Not only them, but even the ancient cultivators had been stuck in the Ascension stage, denied any chance to break through and become immortals.
They had been forced to turn to the divine way, cultivating both immortal and divine arts and relying on the power of incense to strengthen themselves.
Yet now, for reasons unknown, these cultivators had suddenly sensed the tribulation clouds between heaven and earth, allowing them to brave the tribulation and achieve immortality.
Biyou Palace.
Xuan Yazi closed his eyes in concentration. Above his head, the heavenly tribulation clouds had just dispersed. The clamorous thunder had left scorching marks across his body, but for him, they were of little consequence.
His cultivation surged continuously as he exhaled and inhaled the primordial qi of heaven and earth. Streaks of immortal light soared within him, transforming into radiant multicolored clouds!
An earthly immortal—this was truly nothing less.
"Undergoing tribulation without ascending: this is the tradition of an ancient era."
Xuan Yazi opened his eyes and gazed into the blue skies, only to see a broken sword suspended between heaven and earth. When he braved the tribulation, the Zhuxian sword qi had also seemed to sense the shift in the Great Dao of heaven and earth, growing restless. From time to time, sword qi capable of tearing heaven and earth apart spilled forth, fraught with peril.
"The Zhuxian Sword merely sensing a dramatic upheaval between heaven and earth should not cause it to exude such ferocious might. What danger, then, has it sensed?"
Xuan Yazi looked up, fraught with doubt and alarm.
Upon Incense Ash Mountain, Daoist Wuliu had also successfully braved his tribulation. Immortal light swirled around his body as his aura climbed relentlessly. Both he and his sword had been tempered within the heavenly tribulation; now, this soft sword burst with dazzling immortal radiance, coiling and swirling ceaselessly around him. The hum resonating from the immortal sword sounded like the roar of a dragon.
His cultivation had already been exceptionally high, and now, having broken his shackles to become an immortal, his cultivation surged straight to the level of an Immortal King.
And beneath the decayed Jianmu, Demon God Pan had also just passed his heavenly tribulation.
This tribulation had baptized his physical body and primordial spirit, tempering his form as if it had been smelted anew and filling him with boundless, overbearing might.
Yet the giant wore a look of astonishment. He lifted his massive, calloused palm, wanting to touch the tender leaf before him, yet hesitating to do so.
Before him, that long-felled and rotted Jianmu had actually sprouted several tender shoots.
"The Jianmu has revived too."
Demon God Pan looked around, massive tears rolling down his face. "This realm has regained its vitality. This was what you wanted to do back then... Celestial Venerable Xu..."
At the Arctic Imperial Throne, amidst a colossal tribulation cloud in the sky, a giant wrought-iron staff was tempered by heavenly tribulation, finally radiating immortal light and transforming into an immortal artifact.
Beneath the tribulation cloud, four mountain-like giants stood tall, offering no resistance at all as they let the heavenly tribulation strike their bodies.
They were the Four Evils of the Ling Family. Their twin swords, twin maces, and twin sabers had all been forged into immortal artifacts, leaving only this wrought-iron staff. Now, even the wrought-iron staff had become an immortal artifact.
Having attained the level of Giant Spirit Immortals, their gazes shot toward the stars of the Dipper and Ox, their mighty auras surging across the Arctic Imperial Throne.
And in the west, a young monk was also braving his tribulation, Buddhist light radiating brilliantly around him.
The young monk pointed one hand to heaven and one hand to earth, declaring in a clear voice, "Where I stand, there is Lingshan!"
In the Demon Ancestral Court, Demon Emperor Jin Buyi had also broken through, becoming a demon immortal. Ling Siyi, Jin Lan, Jin Yiqi, Jin Daoli, and others braved their tribulations one after another.
At the same time, the Four Sages of the Ancestral Court, True Lord Yan, and the people of the Penglai Immortal Realm broke through in succession, attaining the immortal realm.
The cultivators who had been trapped at the Ascension stage crossed into the immortal realm at this moment, freeing themselves from birth, old age, sickness, and death. Cultivations that had been stagnating for so long could finally advance once more.
Yet even in their joy at having braved their tribulations, doubt lingered in their hearts.
Why had it been impossible to undergo tribulation before, yet now it was suddenly permitted?
Who had accomplished all of this in total silence, and why had they not proclaimed their merit?
In Tushita Palace within Lihen Heaven, Daoist Yuan and Little Martial Uncle had braved their tribulations one after the other, their cultivation and strength growing substantially. Yet neither the uncle nor the nephew felt any joy.
"This heavenly tribulation was caused by that trustworthy fellow surnamed Xu, wasn't it?" Little Martial Uncle asked.
Daoist Yuan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Most likely. Unless the Great Dao of heaven and earth in the Ziwei Ancestral Court was restored, there could be no Immortal Realm. That we can undergo tribulation proves that the Great Dao of the Ziwei Ancestral Court has already recovered. Nan Ziyan also said that the Emperor invited that trustworthy Xu to be a guest in the Ziwei Ancestral Court, which shows it must have been for this..."
Little Martial Uncle sneered. "That trustworthy Xu has visited the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court and the Demon Ancestral Court, and now he has gone to the Ziwei Ancestral Court, yet he hasn't set foot in our Shangqing Ancestral Court!"
Daoist Yuan hesitated a moment. "I think that trustworthy Xu should be coming to see us soon..."
Little Martial Uncle flew into a rage. "He has visited every single Ancestral Court, and only we are left! If he doesn't come see us, does he plan to tour all those ancestral courts all over again?"
Daoist Yuan said in a panic, "Martial Uncle, mind your words! Mind your words!"
Xu Ying bade farewell to Nan Ziyan with a smile. "Brother Nan, you and your senior and junior sisters can now brave your tribulations and become immortals as well. Now, it is time for me to fulfill my promise and head to Tushita Palace in Lihen Heaven to see Daoist Yuan. He has been waiting for me for a long time."
Nan Ziyan waved him goodbye.
Once Xu Ying left, Nan Ziyan underwent his tribulation outside the Ziwei Remnant Realm, became an immortal, and only then returned to the Ziwei Ancestral Court.
In the Ziwei Ancestral Court, the Last Lord of Ziwei summoned Nan Ziyan, looked him up and down, and said, "You have already attained the immortal realm? Good, good. While your aptitude is not supreme and falls far short of mine back in the day, someone comparable to me appears only once in a million years, and that person is not you. Today, I shall pass down to you the Great Luo True Explanation of the Taicang Cave Abyss."
Nan Ziyan had originally felt utterly mortified by the first part of his master's words, but the latter part filled him with both shock and joy, as well as a tinge of sadness.
The Great Luo True Explanation of the Taicang Cave Abyss was the Last Lord's cultivation technique. The Last Lord's imperial title was Haocang, and his other shore was called the Taicang Cave Abyss, which was why his technique bore the name Taicang.
For the Last Lord of Ziwei to teach him the Great Luo True Explanation meant that he had gained the Last Lord's approval and was receiving his mantle. Yet it also showed that the Last Lord was already thinking of entrusting his legacy and heritage to another.
The Last Lord of Ziwei said, "Your aptitude, comprehension, and foundational bone cannot match Xu Ying's, but you are my successor; you cannot be weaker than him. That I did not teach you this technique earlier was not out of stinginess, but because I feared that once you cultivated it, you would seek to seize the Taicang Cave Abyss. That Taicang Cave Abyss is held by the enemy who killed me—an adversary you cannot hope to rival."
He imparted the Great Luo True Explanation to Nan Ziyan, patiently instructing him, "Learn my technique first, but do not even think of touching the Taicang Cave Abyss. Once you master the Great Luo True Explanation, it will be enough for you to contend with all the heroes under heaven. In the future, once your cultivation bears fruit, you may plot to reclaim the Taicang Cave Abyss."
Nan Ziyan assented, then asked, "After I cultivate the Great Luo True Explanation, how will I compare to Young Master Xu?"
The Last Lord of Ziwei laughed. "That you are willing to compare yourself with him shows you have ambition. In the future, after Xu Ying dies, you will have the chance to reach the peak and become the foremost figure of the Ancestral Court!"
Nan Ziyan was startled. "Why does Your Majesty say such a thing? Though I hope to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Young Master Xu, I in no way wish for his death!"
The Last Lord of Ziwei smiled. "He is being targeted by one of the supreme beings of the Immortal Realm. Though I was able to help him disrupt the other party's divine calculations, the enemy will sooner or later realize that he has obtained the Taiyi Cave Abyss. The moment they realize it will be the hour of his death."
Nan Ziyan hurried to ask, "Does Young Master Xu still have any chance of survival?"
The Last Lord of Ziwei said, "How do you judge my power?"
Nan Ziyan straightened with solemn respect and bowed. "Your Majesty's mighty power is unfathomable. This disciple cannot begin to comprehend it."
The Last Lord of Ziwei said, "Only a wisp of my unextinguished soul remains, commanding merely a fraction of the power I wielded in life. That being from the Immortal Realm schemed against Xu Ying, and I traced his trail to find him, originally intending to teach him an unforgettable lesson with the glazed lamp. But to my surprise..."
His expression grew solemn. "That strike of mine failed to cause him much damage at all. In fact, I suspect it did not even injure him. If an entity like that wishes to kill Xu Ying and seize the Taiyi Cave Abyss—and possesses divine divination to boot—Xu Ying will be ferreted out no matter where he hides!"
He shook his head. In his eyes, Xu Ying had no hope of survival left!
"After Xu Ying dies, your brilliance will shine."
The Last Lord of Ziwei smiled. "As your master, I will use this remnant body to secure an opportunity for you! Ziwei's heritage will never perish!"
He had always referred to himself as "Zhen," and even after taking Nan Ziyan and the others as disciples, he had always maintained the aloofness of his station. This was the first time he had referred to himself as "master," setting aside his identity as an immortal emperor.
Nan Ziyan prostrated himself in homage.
From the Last Lord of Ziwei's words, he heard a resolve for death.
In the past, the sudden eruption of the Dao weeping had led to the overthrow of the Last Lord of Ziwei, his defeat and death. Yet his obsession had refused to dissipate, driving a wisp of his soul into a painting as he sought a resurgence.
Now that he had a successor, that relentless obsession had transformed into parental devotion, seeking to carve out a sliver of hope for his disciple and his lineage!
Riding the imperial carriage, Xu Ying sped through the sky. Along the way, he saw clusters of tribulation clouds that lent the Ancestral Court an extraordinary atmosphere, and he felt deep delight in his heart.
"The snot-nosed boy who followed behind me back then has finally become someone great!"
Thinking of Little Celestial Venerable in those days, Xu Ying could not help but also remember Xi Yue in her red dress, when she was still a little girl. Both of them had called him Master, following him to study.
At this thought, Xu Ying's expression shifted, and cold sweat began to pour from his forehead.
He had not attempted to unseal the Imperial Monarch's five remaining sealing runes, yet memories of his first life had resurfaced unbidden!
"When I entered the imperial tomb in the Ziwei Ancestral Court, I comprehended so many Supreme runes that my cultivation of the Dao increased immensely without me realizing it! The Imperial Monarch's five runes have been unraveled quite a bit without my conscious doing!"
He was chilled to the core.
After learning Emperor Haotian's Taiyi Enlightenment, comprehending those Supreme rune seals had come naturally. The Dao of sealing contained within the Supreme rune seals was vastly more powerful than the Imperial Monarch's seal, causing him to blast through a significant portion of the five-character seal without even being aware of it!
"My Dao attainment has become too high!"
Xu Ying steadied his mind. For him, the greatest danger was that when he awakened the first-life Xu Ying, his mere dozen-plus years of memories would instantly become a drop in the ocean, utterly insignificant.
Just like when he recalled his tens of thousands of past lives, each life's memories were like books recording the passage of time; flipping open the memories of one life was like reading the story of a character in a book.
Though the figure in the book was himself, they possessed different temperaments, different lives, different loves.
For Xu Ying, recalling the memories of his past lives was like an ordinary person recalling their former lives—he would never treat them as part of his present self.
Because their personalities were different, their lives were different, and their experiences were different.
For most of his past, he had been mediocre; aside from his accomplishments during the lifetime of Yan Bao'er, he had spent the rest of his lives being manipulated and fooled.
Yet the first life was different.
His first life had been far too powerful, his experiences far too dazzling; whether enemy or friend, everyone spoke of him with high praise. Once the memories of that life awakened, the personality, life, and experiences of that first life would take dominance, and the present Xu Ying would likely become nothing more than an insignificant page in that life, turned over without a second thought.
Without his realizing it, the imperial carriage slowed, gliding leisurely through the sky.
Xu Ying gazed toward the west.
Kunlun was there. On Mount Kunlun, a fairy silently waited for her lover's return.
Xu Ying had gone to see that fairy. He had wanted to find traces of his former lover Yuan Weiyang in her, but what he saw was not Yuan Weiyang.
The rouge-cheeked maiden Yuan Weiyang whom he loved—the Yuan Weiyang who had caught loaches with him—was merely a drop in the ocean of that fairy's vast memories atop Mount Kunlun.
And the lover that fairy awaited was not Xu Ying the snake catcher, but the first-life Xu Ying.
Outsiders could not know the difference, but Xu Ying did.
"Perhaps I should help the Imperial Monarch reinforce the seal."
In Tushita Palace within Lihen Heaven, Daoist Taiqing suddenly had a premonition. A joyful expression surfaced on his face as he smiled and said, "At last, peace and quiet!"
Little Martial Uncle sensed something as well. Grabbing an immortal sword, he said urgently, "Martial Nephew, someone is coming this way!"
Daoist Yuan scrambled to his feet. "Has Xu, that man of his word, arrived?"
The three hastily stepped out of Tushita Palace and looked up. Auspicious light and propitious vapors gathered into clouds, upon which four charging dragons pulled a resplendent imperial carriage toward them.
As the imperial carriage traveled, the azure sky moved with it, and beneath the blue canopy stood a youth wearing a melancholy expression.
"Xu, you man of your word!"
The young martial uncle bellowed, lofting his immortal sword. "My nephew Yuan and I have waited for you in this damned Tushita Palace for a full five years! Five years! Even if we had committed a heinous crime, our sentence would have been served! But you—you've been out there living carefree and enjoying yourself while making us do time here like prisoners! Today, you must give the two of us an explanation!"
Xu Ying stood up, dispelled his divine power, put away the imperial carriage, and walked directly up to them. Bowing deeply in a full salute, he said sincerely, "I truly intended to keep my word, but I genuinely could not get away. Over these past five years, I have run here and there, never daring to slack off for a single day, hoping only to see you both as soon as possible and offer my humble apologies! I offer both Fellow Daoists my sincerest apologies."
Little Martial Uncle was about to speak further, but Daoist Yuan hastily interjected, "Little Martial Uncle, as long as Young Master Xu has arrived, he is still a man of his word. Young Master Xu, let us depart at once!"
Turning around, he bowed in gratitude to Daoist Taiqing. "Thank you, Grandmaster Uncle, for your hospitality over these past five years!"
Daoist Taiqing produced a broom from who knew where, sweeping back and forth right at their feet as he chuckled. "No trouble, no trouble at all... What are you dallying for? Off with you!"
In the Immortal Court, at the residence of the Imperial Monarch, Immortal King Jiang Zhongfu hurried to pay his respects with a beaming face. He smiled and said, "Congratulations, Master! Master, the five-character sealing runes sealing Xu Ying have been fluctuating and fading over the past few days, but for some reason today, the seal suddenly became sharp and distinct again! That thief Xu will surely not escape his doom!"
The Imperial Monarch said in surprise, "Could such a thing be? I shall go take a look!"
The two arrived at Immortal King Jiang's residence, where the Imperial Monarch inspected the demon-suppressing talisman upon the shrine. The five characters on the talisman were actually clearer than when he had written them with his own hand, and the principles embedded within them were even more profound than what he had inscribed!
The corners of the Imperial Monarch's mouth twitched. Noncommittal, he silently returned to his estate.
After a long silence, the Imperial Monarch flicked his fingers, sending a wisp of a heavenly fiend tumbling down toward the mortal realm.
"Confound you, Xu Ying, what on earth are you doing?!"
Chapter 500