The Heavenly Tribulation Begins

Everyone else chimed in:

"Exactly! Tai Cang is unworthy of our Intercepting Sect. I'd rather face punishment from our Master than ask him for help!"

"That scoundrel betrayed his word. Years ago, he targeted fellow disciples over trivial matters, bringing shame upon our Intercepting Sect. I'd rather die than ask him!"

Wudang, Jinling, and Guiling remained silent. They knew the fault wasn't Tai Cang's, but rather Duobao and others who had repeatedly suppressed him. Even their Master, Tongtian, had never treated Tai Cang fairly, despite his efforts.

Seeing Guiling and Jinling hesitate for a moment, they, like Wudang, rose and left. The hall was left with only Zhao Gongming and the others, their faces grim, fists clenched as they cursed Tai Cang in low voices, their eyes filled with immense hatred.

Tai Cang's roar echoed through the valley. The Nine Revolutions Cang Skill and Grand Clarity Bright Jade Body were pushed to their limits, forcing out all the innate turbid energy contained within the Ancestral Witch's essence blood.

Tai Cang let out a long sigh. Looking at the essence blood, which had shrunk by more than half within his body, a smile appeared on his weary face. Finally, it's done!

Without the interference of the innate turbid energy, these two drops of essence blood could finally be completely refined.

With that, his bloodline would surely be greatly enhanced, and he might even seize this opportunity to comprehend the laws of space and time.

He surveyed his surroundings. The entire valley had become a dead zone under the erosion of the turbid energy, with spiritual energy so thin it was nearly depleted.

This place was not suitable for lingering.

He needed to find a new blessed land for cultivation.

Tai Cang flicked his sleeve, removing the restrictions. Just as he was about to set off to find a new place to cultivate, he suddenly heard three calls from the sky:

"Junior Brother Tai Cang!"

Wudang and the other two women arrived, clouds beneath their feet. Upon seeing Tai Cang's cultivation, their expressions changed in unison: Grand Perfection Grand Unity Golden Immortal?!

"Congratulations, Junior Brother, on your breakthrough!" The three women suppressed their shock and congratulated him in unison.

Wudang, Jinling, Guiling?

Why were they here?

Tai Cang raised an eyebrow slightly and cupped his hands, saying calmly, "Three fellow daoists."

Facing the three women's enthusiasm, he neither addressed them as Senior Sister nor showed any inclination for closeness. Since deciding to leave the Intercepting Sect, he was merely a cultivator of the Cang Gate bearing the Intercepting Sect's name in name only.

"Junior Brother!"

Wudang heard the distance in his words and quickly stepped forward, "Manjushri and the others, under the orders of our Second Senior Uncle, forcibly entered the Upper Clarity Palace, injured our sect's disciples, and even dragged everyone outside the Primordial Clarity Palace to kneel as punishment. We implore Junior Brother for your aid!"

Jinling and Guiling also bowed, "We implore Junior Brother to help!"

Intercepting-Heavenly Origin conflict? Manjushri arresting people?

Tai Cang's divine sense swept towards the Primordial Clarity Palace. Before he could retract it, a transmission entered his mind:

"This is a matter between the two sects. You need not interfere."

"Primeval Lord of Heaven!"

Tai Cang's heart trembled. A Sage personally warned him. Could it be... the calamity of the Three Pure Ones splitting apart was about to arrive early?

Tai Cang retracted his divine sense, pondering in his heart that this matter had nothing to do with him, and he had no desire to get involved. He looked up at the three women before him and said indifferently, "If you three wish to save people, you should first understand the reasons behind it."

"Do you think a Sage would quibble with mere registered disciples and inner disciples?"

"I advise the three of you to first investigate the cause, otherwise, such incidents will likely continue to happen."

Before his words had even fallen, Tai Cang had already ascended on a cloud, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.

"Junior Brother Tai Cang!"

The three women of Wudang still wanted to persuade him, but could only...

A moment later, Tai Cang finally regained his senses. He reached out and took the gourd containing the Nine Revolutions Golden Pills, his divine sense probing within to investigate.

"Eighteen pills!"

There were a full eighteen Nine Revolutions Golden Pills.

His body trembled slightly, and his eyes showed emotion. He bowed solemnly in the direction of the Grand Clarity Palace, "Thank you, Eldest Senior Uncle, for your generous gift."

After Kinkaku took his leave, Tai Cang put away the golden pills and immediately began to enter seclusion to refine the Ancestral Witch's essence blood.

Meanwhile, Wudang, Jinling, and Guiling learned the truth of the matter from an informed source, and were both shocked and enraged. They never expected these Intercepting Sect disciples to be so brazen, not only acting recklessly in the territory of the Upper Clarity Palace but even daring to trespass into the Primordial Clarity Palace, and even attempting to seize the treasures of Guangchengzi and others.

Once the cause was clear, the three women no longer concerned themselves with the matter and each announced they were entering seclusion to cultivate.

Although this conflict had temporarily subsided, it sowed the seeds of opposition between the Heavenly Origin Sect and the Intercepting Sect. The contradictions between the two sects intensified from then on, eventually reaching an irreconcilable point, ultimately leading to the split of the Three Pure Ones and the two sects becoming like fire and water.

A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

At the summit of a cliff, Tai Cang let out a clear shout. After a hundred years of arduous cultivation, he had finally completely refined the essence blood of Dijiang and Zhu Jiuyin.

However, he did not emerge from seclusion immediately. Instead, he immersed himself in comprehending the laws. The fragments of laws contained within the two drops of Ancestral Witch essence blood flowed continuously within his sea of consciousness, and Tai Cang focused his entire being on comprehending them.

Ding! Congratulations to the host for comprehending the Law of Space!

Ding! Congratulations to the host for comprehending the Law of Time!

As the system notification sounded, Tai Cang slowly opened his eyes.

It's done!

He stood up, a smile on his lips. The left hand flowed with the law of time, and the right hand was entwined with the power of space. The two supreme laws shone brightly in his palms. At this moment, Tai Cang felt his power surge, his physical strength already comparable to that of a Great Witch.

Yuanshi!

Tongtian!

Two angry shouts interrupted Tai Cang's thoughts. Looking up, he saw that in the sky above Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi and Tongtian, two Sages, were locked in fierce battle. The battle of Sages...

Now that Tai Cang was about to face the Heavenly Tribulation, if he continued to stay in Kunlun Mountain, he would likely be caught in the conflict between the Heavenly Origin Sect and the Intercepting Sect, affecting the success of his tribulation.

Thinking of this, a resolute look flashed in Tai Cang's eyes. He immediately got up and rode the clouds straight to the Grand Clarity Palace. The conflict between the Heavenly Origin Sect and the Intercepting Sect was about to erupt. Cang Du, Duobao, and others could break free from the Time-Space Roulette at any moment. He had to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible. With only four hundred years left until the Nine Tribulations descended, he needed to find a quiet place to await the calamity and ensure nothing went wrong. If Duobao were to learn of his tribulation timing, he would undoubtedly cause trouble.

Not long after, Tai Cang arrived outside the Grand Clarity Palace. Just as he was about to enter and pay his respects to Laozi, he saw two figures descend from the sky and block his path.

Yuanshi!

Tongtian!

Tai Cang's heart trembled, and he secretly pondered: Why would these two Senior Uncles suddenly stop fighting and come here? Could it be that the Eldest Senior Uncle intervened? Although full of doubts, he still respectfully bowed: "Greetings, Master. Greetings, Second Senior Uncle."

Yuanshi and Tongtian merely nodded faintly, then stepped into the Grand Clarity Palace side by side, their bodies still radiating a tense aura. Seeing this, Tai Cang gave a wry smile. With the Three Pure Ones gathered to discuss important matters, it was inconvenient for him, a second-generation disciple, to interrupt.

While he was hesitating, the Kinkaku boy came out of the hall holding a jade talisman: "Senior Brother Tai Cang, Master ordered me to give this to you."

"Thank you, Daoist Kinkaku." Tai Cang took the jade talisman and, after probing it with his divine sense, the words "Western Kunlun" appeared in his mind.

It turned out that Laozi had long foreseen his predicament and instructed him to temporarily take refuge at Queen Mother of the West's dojo. Although Western Kunlun was part of the Kunlun Mountain range, it was outside the jurisdiction of the Three Pure Ones. It was the place of quiet cultivation for Queen Mother of the West, the former leader of the female immortals. Back then, Queen Mother of the West and East Prince Gong had jointly established the Heavenly Court, but unfortunately, East Prince Gong fell at the hands of Di Jun and Tai Yi, and the Heavenly Court was short-lived. Fortunately, with the protection of the Three Pure Ones, Queen Mother of the West was able to retreat to Western Kunlun and live in seclusion for cultivation.

Western Kunlun was indeed an excellent choice. Tai Cang put away the jade talisman and bowed solemnly to the Grand Clarity Palace: "Thank you, Eldest Senior Uncle, for your guidance." With that, he bid farewell to Kinkaku and rode the clouds westward.

From within the Grand Clarity Palace behind him, Tongtian's indignant voice could be faintly heard: "Eldest Brother, please judge! Second Brother is oppressing my Intercepting Sect disciples like this..."

Yuanshi's cold snort immediately followed: "These scaly-skinned, horned disciples are ruining the sect's reputation. If they are not severely punished, how can the dignity of us Three Pure Ones remain!"

"Yuanshi, those are also my disciples. They should be disciplined by me. Why do you need to overstep your bounds?"

"Tongtian, shouldn't I, as your elder brother, discipline your disciples? Your disciples repeatedly trespass into my Primordial Clarity Palace's territory. What kind of conduct is this!"

"They are just some juniors who have just begun their cultivation path. You, a dignified Sage, are actually arguing with them to this extent?"

"..."

"Silence!"

Seeing their argument escalate, Laozi, who was seated in the main seat, suddenly slammed the table: "You are all Sages. When encountering matters, you should remain calm. This kind of dispute today has already made the Heavenly Origin Sect and the Intercepting Sect as irreconcilable as fire and water."

"Cultivators focus on their Dao heart, Dao fruit, and Daoxing. Your disputes of pride have already triggered the old grudges between the two sects. Since this is the case, it is meaningless for Duobao, Guangchengzi, and others to continue cultivating in the Time-Space Roulette."

"Release all disciples immediately and take them back to discipline them strictly. The Pangu's Destiny competition ten thousand years from now is of great importance. If we lose, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Within Western Kunlun, Tai Cang traveled by cloud. He saw layers of green mountains, babbling clear springs, and countless female immortals whose plants had taken human form, flitting about.

These female immortals were either gathering morning dew or playing in the flower fields, their flowing robes like startled swans. As Tai Cang paused to admire them, he suddenly heard a soft call:

"Daoist Tai Cang!"

Looking up, he saw a female immortal at the Grand Unity realm riding a cloud towards him. She bowed gracefully and said, "My Lady has ordered me to come and greet you."

"Thank you, Fairy, for leading the way."

As Tai Cang returned the bow, he secretly observed her. This woman had an extraordinary demeanor, and she was likely a personal disciple of Queen Mother of the West. Queen Mother of the West was a generation's leader of the Cang Gate, on the same level as the Three Pure Ones. This woman before him was also considered a cultivator of his generation.

Passing through layers of palaces, they finally reached the main hall. Queen Mother of the West was reclining on a jade couch, her flowing robes exuding elegance. Tai Cang quickly circulated his Cang Skill to steady his mind and offered his respects:

"Tai Cang of the Cang Gate, pays respects to Senior Queen Mother of the West."

Queen Mother of the West lazily raised her eyes, her red lips parted slightly: "Daoist Laozi indeed has keen eyes. Your cultivation is already comparable to that of a Grand Unity. Although you have just broken through to the Grand Unity realm, your Blood Essence is as abundant as that of a Great Witch. Ordinary Grand Unity cultivators might find it difficult to contend with you."

The female immortal standing beside her was surprised by this, and couldn't help but look at Tai Cang a few more times.

"Senior is too kind," Tai Cang replied humbly. Before such a great divine ability user, all pretense was useless.

Tai Cang cupped his fists in return, his expression as calm as water.

The moment his physical body broke through, he was certain he possessed true Grand Unity combat power. If it weren't for avoiding the variables of the Nine Tribulations, even if Duobao and the others were Grand Unity realm upon their release, he would have no fear.

His disposition was calm, neither arrogant nor impatient.

Queen Mother of the West nodded slightly, her gaze lingering on Tai Cang for a moment before she parted her red lips and said, "Daoist Laozi has already mentioned your matter to me."

"Xiao Xi, take Tai Cang to the Purple Orchid Pavilion to stay temporarily."

"Yes, Master."

Xiao Xi bowed gracefully and turned to Tai Cang, saying, "Daoist, please follow me."

"Thank you."

Tai Cang bowed to Queen Mother of the West again, then followed Xiao Xi out of the main hall.

After the two figures disappeared, the corners of Queen Mother of the West's lips curved upwards. She lightly stroked her wine cup with her fingertips and murmured softly: "An interesting little fellow. With such a physique, his yang energy must be abundant..."

Passing through layers of restrictions, Xiao Xi led Tai Cang to the front of the Purple Orchid Pavilion.

This is the Purple Orchid Pavilion, transformed from a Lingbao. Esteemed Daoist friends, please rest assured. Xiao Xi reminded them softly, but added, this pavilion is a treasured item of my master, so I hope you will not damage it.

Tai Cang was slightly surprised by her words but solemnly agreed, "Thank you for the information, Daoist friend. I will be careful."

Just as Xiao Xi was about to leave, she suddenly stopped and looked back, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in her eyes. "Master said you can contend with a Grand Unity. After you undergo tribulation, would you be willing to spar with me?"

Tai Cang hesitated for a moment, and a prompt suddenly sounded in his mind--

Ding! Mission Issued: Defeat Xiao Xi. Reward: One-Click Max Level Privilege (one time).

He immediately changed his tune and said with a smile, "That is precisely what I wish for. I will count on your guidance then."

"It's a deal."

Xiao Xi smiled charmingly and gracefully departed. The restriction closed, completely isolating the Purple Orchid Pavilion from the outside world.