"I've guarded this body for so long now. Nobody even think of snatching it from me!"
The strange flower drifted before the humanoid charcoal. From the tips of its stamens sprouted clusters of eyes, leaning close to peer through the fissures in the charred crust. "This brat is tempering his physical body to become stronger and stronger. Turning misfortune into a blessing this time, he'll likely use this chance to forge a Dao body! If I obtain this Dao body, I might even cultivate both the New Dao and the Old Dao—the Wondrous Realm of Great Luo on one side, and the Supreme Realm on the other! When that time comes, I won't even fear Dao weeping!"
As the morning sun rose, before sunlight could touch it, the strange flower of the Heavenly River zipped back into Xu Ying's broken Great Luo bodhimanda with a *whoosh* and rooted itself docilely.
This strange flower was none other than the Evil Golden Immortal, Xiao Lanshan. After being beaten to death by Daoist Wukong, he had refused to perish for good, possessing the strange flower of the Heavenly River and lurking ever since inside Xu Ying's Great Luo bodhimanda.
He hailed from the same era as Daoist Wukong. Though he had evaded Dao weeping back then, his physical body had long decayed, leaving him to eke out an existence within his Great Luo bodhimanda.
Daoist Wukong beating him to death had paradoxically shown him a glimmer of deliverance—taking Xu Ying's body for himself.
The Evil Golden Immortal's forbearance all these days had been precisely to seize Xu Ying's body. Seeing Xu Ying forge an even stronger physique, he was naturally all the more delighted.
How could he tolerate anyone else laying a finger on Xu Ying's body? Even cats and dogs guarded their food, let alone something that concerned his very life!
"Strange. Aside from me, is there someone else in this Mortal Realm? No matter who it is, they can forget about touching my precious body!"
The strange flower of the Heavenly River stretched its stem and petals, absorbing the profound mysteries harbored within Xu Ying's Ten Sceneries of Great Luo. "Xu Ying, it wasn't easy to make a move in the Earth Immortal Realm, but here in the Mortal Realm, there's only the two of us. This is my godsent opportunity!"
After dawn broke, the villagers got out of bed, stepped out of their homes, and looked up, only to be struck with horror.
Overnight, several mountains of white bones had sprung up outside their village. Though the peaks were not terribly high, the sight was still staggering.
Those unimaginably formidable, eerie wanderers had somehow died in untold numbers overnight!
Xiao Man and the other children floated into the air, riding the wind to cross the hills and check on Xu Ying.
Noticing this, the villagers marveled in shock. Too many bizarre occurrences had happened over the past two days; even children like Xiao Man could ride the wind now, gradually displaying divine powers!
The villagers buzzed with discussion.
"Could that youth who fell from the sky really be an immortal?"
"Why would an immortal fall from the sky?"
"Yeah! And why would an immortal have such a blackened face?"
...
Xiao Man and the other children arrived on the other side of the bone hills and found the humanoid charcoal. They saw that in several spots, the charred crust had flaked away, revealing flawless skin beneath.
"He's still alive!" the children exclaimed in surprise.
Just then, more crackling sounds rang out. More sections of the charred crust burst open and fell away, as a wondrous Dao rhythm linked with heaven, earth, and nature.
Now came the time when the Heavenly Dao revived. As usual, the villagers ceased their work and looked up toward the sky to enter the Dao.
To the Qi Refiners of the myriad heavens and realms, entering the Dao was exceptionally rare and treasured beyond measure. But to the inhabitants here, entering the Dao was routine; they entered the Dao once every single day.
Only this time was different from the past. Once they entered the Dao, they felt the Heavenly Dao become thicker, heavier, and vaster than before, brimming with strange, wondrous mysteries. Without deliberate contemplation, these truths became self-evident, transforming into marvelous Dao manifestations that branded themselves within their bodies.
Before, the Heavenly Dao had been faint and thin; they had merely been perceiving nature, and the impressions had not been so intense. But this time, the insight was extraordinarily vivid, grand, and rich!
They gained much from the Heavenly Dao, and in turn enriched and mended it.
They were a group of heaven-menders. Originally, their pace of mending the heavens had been glacial, requiring tens or hundreds of generations to see even a sliver of progress. But now, in the span of a single day, the restoration of the Heavenly Dao had surpassed that of the past myriad millennia!
Now, they sensed Xu Ying's vast consciousness merging with the Heavenly Dao, helping the Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao revive at an even greater speed.
Merging their thoughts with Xu Ying's, the Dao resonance between heaven and earth grew increasingly resonant. As the Heavenly Dao unfurled, the darkness in the world beyond rapidly receded.
Far away in the Ancestral Court, the Ancestral God and Big Dragon saw the Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao expand once more and were stunned beyond belief.
"Ancestral God, could the Mortal Realm's expansion have something to do with Xu Ying?" Big Dragon asked.
Even he was not entirely sure at this point. The Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao had expanded once yesterday, and today it had expanded again. Even a growing child did not shoot up this fast.
With a solemn expression, the Ancestral God said, "I suspect the expansion of the Mortal Realm might have nothing to do with Xu Ying. A formidable master must have entered the Mortal Realm as well!"
At the Ancient Ferry, Immortal Emperor Supreme gazed at this sight from afar, his face expressionless. "Has the Heavenly Road not arrived yet?" he asked suddenly.
Behind him, an immortal official reported, "Your Majesty, the Heavenly Road is severed in multiple places. Several segments were shattered and taken away, refined into immortal medicines and immortal plants."
"Retrieve them. Exterminate the clans and lineage of anyone who refuses."
"By your decree!"
Immortal Emperor Supreme looked toward the Mortal Realm. He knew some unforeseen upheaval must have occurred there, but being the person of supreme authority yet unable to control this turn of events left him unsettled.
Just then, another immortal official hurried over and reported, "Your Majesty, the Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors are all accounted for, and none of the venerable lords of Great Luo Heaven are missing."
Immortal Emperor Supreme started slightly, utterly baffled. "It wasn't someone from beyond the Nine Heavens beating me there? Then who in the world found the Ancient Ferry and repaired the ferry ship?"
An ancient sunken vessel had been salvaged and pieced together into an intact golden ship, meaning someone had certainly traveled along this shattered river of spiritual light to the other shore.
Just who was this person?
Suddenly, something occurred to Immortal Emperor Supreme, and his expression darkened unpredictably. "Could it be them? Back then, they failed in their bid for power; they should have been wiped out completely..."
Above the Nine Heavens, pairs of eyes were likewise watching this scene.
News from the Ancient Ferry flowed unceasingly into the ears of these ancient beings. After all, just as the Immortal Emperor had informants beyond the Nine Heavens, those beyond the Nine Heavens had planted eyes and ears within the Immortal Court.
"The one who discovered the ferry and seized the ship ahead of Mingzun might be one of those old fellows from back then."
Dao Lord Jiugong came to see Daoist Taiyuan. The two exchanged greetings and took their seats. Dao Lord Jiugong said, "When the Immortal Court was established, they failed in their bid for power, but they might not have all died. With no way into heaven and no door into the earth, those few old fellows very likely fled into that dark expanse."
Daoist Taiyuan frowned slightly. "Now that you mention it, that reminds me: years ago, their magical treasures mysteriously surfaced in the Immortal Realm and sparked quite a struggle."
Dao Lord Jiugong nodded gently. "The Returning Dao Jade Platter."
Daoist Taiyuan said, "And the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler."
Dao Lord Jiugong pondered. "The appearance of those two treasures was indeed peculiar. Back then, it took everything we had to eradicate them; they couldn't possibly have survived. At the time, I thought one of you had collected their treasures as keepsakes and was now releasing them to lay down schemes. Thinking about it now, it's far more likely those old fellows didn't perish after all, and sent out their respective treasures to set their board, attempting a comeback."
Daoist Taiyuan raised his brows and smiled. "Back in their prime, they couldn't turn the tables. How could they manage it today?"
Dao Lord Jiugong said, "They cannot be underestimated. After all, they walk the path of the Supreme Realm."
Hearing the words "Supreme Realm," Daoist Taiyuan's expression darkened slightly, but he soon chuckled. "Mingzun painstakingly opened the Ancient Ferry, repaired the golden ship, and reconnected the path. It wouldn't be proper for us to snatch it from him. But since this concerns those old fellows, we must borrow his golden ship for a trip to the Mortal Realm."
Daoist Taiyuan smiled. "A trip we must take."
When night fell, Xu Ying had still not revived from the humanoid charcoal. Suddenly, a tide of white bone skeletons surged forward.
"Again?"
The strange flower of the Heavenly River abruptly manifested, throwing itself into battle against the skeletons.
The Evil Golden Immortal was no longer who he once was, after all; he lacked the full power of a Daluo Golden Immortal, making moments of oversight inevitable. Amidst the surging tide of skeletons, a figure was concealed, shifting and dodging continuously, using the throngs of bones to block the strange flower's field of vision.
Finally, the figure in the darkness reached the humanoid charcoal. Raising a hand, he prepared to shatter the charred body to dust. Just as he was about to strike, a ruler suddenly flew out from the fissures in the charcoal and collided with his palm!
That flying ruler was none other than the Supreme magical treasure, the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler. Even upon colliding with the figure's palm, it failed to shatter him; instead, shattered mountains and rivers splintered all around!
The figure was taken aback as well. "That evil woman's Heaven-Measuring Ruler! How did it end up on this black-faced youth? Could that wretched witch Qiongtai be nearby too?"
Hesitating no longer, he leaped backward and retreated without lingering.
The Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler circled once before shrinking back into Xu Ying's body, not pursuing him.
The strange flower of the Heavenly River had not noticed anyone approaching until the clash with the ruler drew its gaze. Seeing the Heaven-Measuring Ruler strike out to repel the enemy, the strange flower shuddered inwardly. *There's something suspicious about the owner of this ruler!*
Just as this thought crossed its mind, the white bone skeletons receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace along with that bizarre figure.
The strange flower waited until past midnight. With no further danger approaching, it burrowed back into the Great Luo bodhimanda.
Quiet returned to the surroundings, save for the crackling sounds from the humanoid charcoal, crisp and clear in the night. The lingering Dao rhythm within the charred husk connected with heaven, earth, and nature, appearing ever more extraordinary.
When dawn came, the villagers returned to the bone hills. There sat a youth of jade bones and icy skin, enveloped in natural Dao rhythms, his aura blending seamlessly with heaven, earth, and nature.
Streams of purple qi descended from the sky, connecting to the youth in an aura of divine majesty.
Several villagers hurriedly knelt and kowtowed, believing him to be an immortal.
"He's no immortal!" someone called out. "Would an immortal have a black face?"
Someone covered the eyes of a village girl and chimed in, "Exactly! And would an immortal be naked?"
The crowd nodded one after another. "An immortal not wearing clothes? How preposterous!"
Hearing this, the villagers who were kneeling hesitated, then scrambled to their feet.
"You're mistaken. I *am* an immortal!"
The youth of jade bones and icy skin slowly stood up and declared loudly, "I have crossed the heavenly tribulation. Having crossed the heavenly tribulation, one is an immortal!"
Dao chimes rang around him continuously. Suddenly, the surrounding white bone hills disintegrated one after another, the bones grinding to fine powder and sinking deep into the earth. In their place, verdant greenery blanketed the land, alive with the vibrant vitality of spring.
The world around everyone shifted dramatically: landscapes reformed, mountains rose from flat ground, and high ridges turned into clear springs. Altering heaven and remaking earth—it was practically myth brought to life!
The youth displayed extraordinary power of creation, visualizing a set of robes into existence, and smiled. "Now then, do you believe I'm an immortal?"
He still felt a twinge of regret that his previous clothes had been destroyed in the heavenly tribulation. That set had been gifted to him by the Heavenly Fiend Supreme and had weathered countless perils alongside him, only to be reduced to ash like this—a true pity.
*I wonder who I can filch another good set of clothes from...*
This youth was, of course, Xu Ying, currently pondering whose clothes among his acquaintances looked the best. Surviving this unexpected heavenly tribulation whose terrifying might had exceeded all imagination and nearly shattered his soul, he had thankfully encountered Xiao Man and the children, who lent him a hand by helping him sort out his scattered consciousness, allowing him to turn calamity into fortune.
This Purple Firmament Tribulation Thunder contained the Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao; by comprehending the Heavenly Dao within the thunder, he had merged with the Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao.
He seized this chance to reshape his physical body and primordial spirit, aligning them with the Great Dao of heaven and earth of the Mortal Realm to attain a Dao body.
His body of jade bones and icy skin seemed formed by the Dao itself; his spirit was noble and dignified, brimming with transcendent grace and connected to the Great Dao of heaven and earth. Every movement carried the majesty of the Dao.
An elderly man asked tremulously, "If you're an immortal, why haven't you ascended to the Immortal Realm?"
Hearing this, Xu Ying was also puzzled. *True enough. If I've crossed the heavenly tribulation, I should ascend. The Ancestral God said the Three Realms consist of the Mortal Realm, Earth Immortal Realm, and Heavenly Immortal Realm, so I ought to ascend to the Earth Immortal Realm. Why hasn't any ascending celestial radiance appeared for me?*
As if possessed by an inexplicable impulse, he sensed his own tribulation fate—and his expression warped in horror.
Thunder instantly rumbled across the sky, accompanied by crackling lightning. In an instant, myriad li of tribulation clouds rolled in to blot out the heavens, churning overhead like a colossal vortex.
The villagers panicked, scrambling back toward the village for shelter.
In the sky, the tribulation clouds rapidly contracted into a mass of red clouds, which then turned golden, shrank further, and turned azure!
The azure clouds churned, shifting toward purple.
Xu Ying's face drained of color as well. Moving faster than any villager, he whistled through the air, fleeing at breakneck speed.
"An incomplete Heavenly Dao doesn't count for crossing tribulation?!"
The villagers heard a cry of grief and indignation echo from the sky. Then, a flash of purple light broke through the firmament, and a slender bolt of purple lightning descended, striking square on the forehead of the youth flying through the air.
Without uttering a sound, the self-proclaimed immortal plummeted from the sky and slammed violently into the ground.
When the purple lightning erupted, the dazzling purple light illuminated an even wider expanse than before. In the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court of the Earth Immortal Realm, the Ancestral God stared blankly at the sight, his mouth hanging open for a long time.
"Senior Ancestral God, didn't you say Purple Firmament Tribulation Thunder only strikes once?"
The big bell chimed urgently from the side, inquiring repeatedly, "Did someone else cross a tribulation?"
The Ancestral God was lost. "I don't know... How strange. Why did another strike of Purple Firmament Tribulation Thunder appear?"
Not long after the lightning tribulation passed, something even more bizarre occurred: that cluster of light expanded outward yet again, growing considerably larger than before!
Evidently, the Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao was developing at an astonishing speed, becoming ever more complete and perfect!
The Ancestral God turned to the big bell and Big Dragon, declaring with utmost gravity, "You two, I believe there must be a connection between Purple Firmament Tribulation Thunder and the growth of the Heavenly Dao!"
The big bell and Big Dragon paid him no heed. The big bell whispered, "Master Dragon, I think the Ancestral God is turning into a bit of a charlatan."
Big Dragon couldn't agree more.
Chapter 565