Chang You

After discovering this, Li Qi was not anxious. In fact, he had already made this preparation when he came to attend the ceremony. To be honest, after staying here for more than 500 years, he was indeed a little curious about what the True World was like.

He received the message and read the contents.

But what it said inside was, "Fellow Daoist, you must not interfere with the ascension selection process. Also, why are you in the mortal realm? Be careful not to be punished by the Immortal Palace."

Li Qi was somewhat surprised to receive this news.

The Immortal Palace? It should be the controller of the True World, but it doesn't matter.

However, he didn't reply, because the one above was only a sixth-rank official. Li Qi quietly concealed his aura, only to see the person in the clouds above blink...

What's going on? There were people there just now. Did I see things wrong? Or is it some kind of strange phenomenon?

He looked again, but could no longer see anyone.

Either I misjudged, or the difference in cultivation level between the other party and myself is too great, making it impossible—

Just as he was thinking this, suddenly, the sixth-rank cultivator from the True World shook his head.

What just happened?

It seems like nothing. I'm here to Heaven Creation Gate and allow mortals to undergo tribulations. Let's get down to business first.

With that thought in mind, he continued to lie dormant in the sky.

When the mortal below releases his aura and communicates with the heavenly tribulation, he will Heaven Creation gate and unleash the calamity.

While lying in wait, he looked down at the 'Supreme Ancestor of the True Dao Sect' with great anticipation.

Not everyone is qualified to have the True World Sect send someone to manually bring down a calamity.

Only those geniuses whose cultivation has reached the pinnacle and who can secure a good position in the seventh rank after advancement will have someone manually send down a tribulation. This way, the magnitude of the tribulation can be manipulated to push the opponent to their limit.

In this way, their true limits can be tested. The Heavenly Gate can automatically identify and determine whether these people have reached their limit after the seventh rank or are qualified to advance further.

If the seventh rank is the limit, then the calamity will destroy it directly.

Only if one can make further progress will one be qualified to enter the True World and enjoy immortal blessings.

Just as he was thinking this, Li Qi nodded slightly beside him.

I see.

Beside this sixth-rank Immortal, Li Qi was standing behind him, completely unaware that a black aura had already invaded his inner world.

Demonic techniques, manipulating memories, and altering cognition.

Furthermore, it planted a thought in the other person's heart. This wisp of demonic thought will follow the other person and observe the world from the other person's perspective at all times. Although it cannot be transmitted to Li Qi, as long as Li Qi meets this person again and absorbs the demonic thought into his body, he will be able to see all the things he has seen and heard during this period.

As he did these things, Li Qi sighed with emotion.

These are all methods that the Heavenly Demon loves to use; I never expected to be so proficient at using them now.

But no matter what, the magic and Divine Ability of the demonic path are indeed very useful.

After doing so, Li Qi continued to descend.

He waited another seven days.

Seven days later, the 'Supreme Ancestor' finally set off.

The old man, with his white hair and beard and an air of otherworldly wisdom, slowly rose, exhaled a breath of stale air, and then released his aura.

Immediately, Li Qi saw that many Rank 8 cultivators, from the mountain gate below to the city, all flew up and formed a circle nearby, preparing to watch the ceremony.

Li Qi also sat down beside him, watching intently as the Supreme Ancestor underwent his tribulation.

The first thing to descend was a lightning tribulation.

But then the Supreme Ancestor waved his hands and opened a Lightning Repelling Method, which was the Faraday Cage used by Human Path in the Outer Domain Battlefield.

Li Qi smiled and nodded.

It's very crude, but it was developed by them.

Yes, from beginning to end, it was independently developed. Unlike other forces in the celestial and mortal realms who chose to withstand the heavenly tribulation head-on, the True Dao Sect has learned how to explore the essence of the heavenly tribulation and develop corresponding techniques.

Very good, very good. This shows that the other party is still thinking and has even achieved some results.

It seems that although the True Dao Sect advocates empty talk and abstract philosophy, the principles mentioned above are still applied in practice.

Thanks to the Lightning Repelling Method, the tribulation was easily overcome. However, without the Lightning Repelling Method, the power of these tribulations would have reached the level of a half-step seventh rank, far exceeding the tolerance limit of an ordinary eighth rank.

Is this a screening process?

This is murder, no wonder they say only one in ten survives. The intensity of this lightning tribulation alone could wipe out most people... Fortunately, there is Lightning Repelling Method that diverts the power of the lightning tribulation into the world.

The next one is this tribulation.

But then, thunderclouds gathered in the sky, and countless Spiritual Qi surged and condensed into a human figure, which was exactly the same as the Supreme Ancestor of the True Dao Sect.

It seems this is the tribulation.

Li Qi continued watching, only to see the two engage in a fierce battle.

The same Divine Ability, the same thought process, and even the smallest habits were completely replicated.

That's quite creative.

Li Qi realized that this so-called tribulation was a test of one's ability to break through in the face of battle.

A clone that is exactly the same will naturally have exactly the same combat power.

Moreover, everyone knows that heavenly tribulations are extremely difficult, so everyone will push themselves to their best condition, until there is nothing left to push, before choosing to Heaven Creation gate and summon the heavenly tribulation.

Therefore, they will face a clone of themselves at their peak.

Under normal circumstances, they would perish together with this identical clone.

Unless... you can break through on the spot.

Only by making a breakthrough in this battle after you have already reached the peak can you defeat this clone.

It's very difficult. You finally got 99 points and thought you were sure to pass the exam, but the passing score is actually 1 point higher than your highest score.

If you can't break through in the face of battle, you're dead.

Li Qi looked at the Supreme Ancestor, who had risked his life and used all his wisdom to finally break through a little bit and figure out a new way to use the technique: exchanging injury for life, and destroying the opponent with his severely injured body.

Then comes the third tribulation, the tribulation of the mortal world.

Li Qi was actually quite curious about this.

What is a tribulation in the mortal world? It is said to be a test of one's mental fortitude for longevity

Just as Li Qi was making his guesses, he suddenly noticed that the cosmic light around him was beginning to distort.

Spectral light?

No, it's accelerated thinking.

The Supreme Ancestor of the True Dao Sect began to accelerate his thinking; now, his mind and body were disconnected.

This ratio... I scanned it with Dao Yun and found it to be about one to one thousand.

In other words, one day for him is roughly equivalent to three years.

Is this the tribulation of the mortal world? A test of patience?

Is this considered a test?

Li Qi thought to himself.

Then he saw that the Supreme Ancestor began to sit cross-legged, absorbing the Spiritual Qi descending from the sky.

The Heavenly Gate opens, revealing the True World above, from which countless Spiritual Qi surge forth.

Li Qi took a breath—

Such pure Spiritual Qi, of extremely high quality, and it even seems to contain Daoist principles, capable of greatly healing injuries, allowing the previously severely injured Supreme Ancestor to recover completely.

Furthermore, some of the Spiritual Qi that dissipated was greedily absorbed by the other onlookers.

This is celestial energy that only dissipates upon ascension; it is absolutely impossible to come into contact with in the mortal realm.

Li Qi then carefully analyzed the composition of Spiritual Qi.

This doesn't seem to be... naturally occurring Spiritual Qi.

The harmony of nature and the Spiritual Qi of the nine essences have given rise to the saying, "Famous mountains and great rivers all possess Spiritual Qi, and water is also a spiritual entity. Its energy is the same as that of mountains. The number of the primordial phenomena corresponds to the creation of the Primal Beginning world, and Spiritual Qi is born from this correspondence."

The Spiritual Qi that is born naturally is actually the essence that all things breathe out. It is called Spiritual Qi because it is the pure and refined energy. All things breathe in and out and naturally filter out impurities from the outside world, including all kinds of life, plants, trees, mountains and rivers.

For example, why is mountain spring water clear and sweet?

As the water flows into the mountains, impurities are filtered out layer by layer by the mud and earth, resulting in a clear, cool mountain spring.

The same applies to humans. When humans eat grains, vegetables, and meat, the essential nutrients are absorbed, while impurities are eliminated from the body.

This is a process of purification, layer upon layer; everything is being purified.

Then, when he dies, the purified essence will return to nature and become what is called 'Spiritual Qi', which is the essence of various energies.

This is also why forests, mountains, rivers, and streams are full of Spiritual Qi. Because various life forms are active within them, and with the flourishing of the Great Source, they become increasingly pure. The more Spiritual Qi there is, the stronger life becomes, forming a positive cycle that makes the world stronger and stronger.

The same applies to Shaman themselves. In fact, it can be said that after Shaman establishes a connection with the outside world, the Spiritual Qi they generate is far greater than that of ordinary life forms.

However, some cultivation Cultivation Method are different. They absorb Spiritual Qi from the outside world, and not only Spiritual Qi, but also other kinds of energy. They take whatever is suitable, which is called "extracting from heaven and earth". In the end, they cause the cycle to collapse, and then they just leave and ascend to other worlds to cause havoc.

The cultivation method of immortals is a typical example of this: drawing upon the resources of heaven and earth to replenish oneself.

Therefore, in Li Qi's previous conjecture, although the Immortal Heaven was First Rank World, it probably could not withstand such exploitation, which is why the current almost abnormal elimination mechanism has emerged.

But at that moment, as he inhaled the Spiritual Qi of the Immortal True World, he suddenly realized a second possibility.

The immortals have a way to create Spiritual Qi.

Is it Creation from Nothing?

Or was it derived from somewhere else?

Thinking this, Li Qi kept his eyes on the Supreme Ancestor of the True Dao Sect, observing the test he was being given.

The perceived time for the other party was greatly extended, one day becoming a thousand days.

In other words, if he sits in one place for one day, it is equivalent to sitting for three years. Moreover, during these three years, he is basically unable to move because his thinking speed is too fast and his physical body cannot keep up.

So that's how it is; this is the tribulation of the mortal world.

It tests patience and the qualities of an immortal.

Sitting still for decades or even centuries! Completely immobile, unable to move at all, basically equivalent to the conscious paralysis of a vegetative state.

Only those who maintain this state for over a hundred years, remaining steadfast without collapsing or going mad, are qualified to ascend to the celestial realm.

This test is really... quite difficult for someone of rank eight.

However, for Li Qi, this was far too easy.

If he could, he would love to come here so he could get some rest.

Rest—what a wonderful word! Li Qi hadn't had a proper rest in a long time.

Seeing all this, I sat down there too.

This sitting lasted for ninety-nine days, and the ascension ceremony also lasted for ninety-nine days.

Ninety-nine days, a thousand times, which is twenty-seven years.

A person, unable to move, sat motionless in place, and spent twenty-seven years in a state of lucidity.

To pass this test, one must have a clear mind, a firm heart, and extraordinary patience.

Clearly, this patriarch, who is over four hundred years old, has enough mental strength to endure this solitude.

Soon, ninety-nine days had passed.

We survived the ordeal.

The gates of heaven opened wide.

In the sky, a magnificent jade gate truly opened.

Li Qi immediately stood up. True Knowledge Dao Charm was fully activated, he wanted to scan the situation in the True World!

At first glance, the interior truly resembles a fairyland.

The jade-green mimosa tree presents a new auspicious sight, amidst the fine rain and sparse mist that obscures the view.

The clear Bright Lake is like a mirror, its sparkling waters dazzling the eye.

Beyond the scenery, looking ahead, one sees magnificent palaces, with domed roofs and adorned with pearls and jade, a powerful and majestic aura pressing down like an overwhelming tide.

The palace floated in the sky, below which lay the vast and boundless Sea of the Great Void and the desolate land, its circumference unknown. The seawater was foul and black, with no end in sight. In the middle of it was a great mountain, towering and strange, reaching the azure sky above and descending into the wind and spring below, its height unknown. The palace floated on this mountain.

Such magnificence is definitely at the fifth-grade level. Even from Li Qi's perspective, this is a very good Law Palace. The array formations inside are exquisite, forming a world within itself, which is the work of a master.

Of course, he's not as good as Li Qi Qigao, but he's already very impressive, surpassing at least 90% of the fifth-rank cultivators from outside the region.

Then, the Supreme Ancestor of the True Dao Sect flew up and passed through the Jade Gate.

It's very fast.

To others, this seemed like the ancestor was eager to ascend to immortality and enjoy eternal bliss.

But Li Qi saw it; he was dragged up by a force that an eighth-rank official could not resist, and then the Heavenly Gate closed.

Really...

Annoying.

He hadn't seen enough yet; it was only for a fleeting moment, far from enough for him to remember everything.

It was just a fleeting glimpse.

It is said that practitioners skilled in calligraphy can perfectly replicate formations, spells, and even palaces with just a glance.

It is said that one's brushstrokes possess a certain spirit, enabling one to depict landscapes; one's temperament is similar to that of mountains, rivers, and all things, allowing one to capture them in one's heart, put them on paper, and share them with others.

Of course, Li Qi didn't have that ability.

If he were to use calligraphy and painting, his mind would be constrained, his enthusiasm would be dampened, his strength would be lacking, his understanding would be incomplete, and his paintings would lack spirit and would merely have the form.

"Never mind, let's continue to observe this True Dao Sect," Li Qi thought to himself.

Being able to experience a part of the True World's scenery is already a success.

So he simply sat on the mountaintop, surveying the entire True Dao Sect and the city below.

One sitting there, looking around, has lasted for a hundred years.

A hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Qi witnessed the entire development of the True Dao Sect, including its internal strife, rebellions, and wars.

A hundred years later, the True Dao Sect was gone.

A young man ascended the now-extinct True Dao Sect and walked up to its once supreme mountain gate.

His name is Chang You.

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Extra chapter tomorrow