What is a Tribulation?

In the blink of an eye, five Yuanhui had slipped away like a fleeting glimpse of a white colt passing through a crack.

"Dao Venerable, we shall take our leave now. If the opportunity arises in the future, we will surely visit again." Ancestral Dragon, Yuan Feng, Shi Qilin, and Mo Yuan all gazed at Xuanxiao, their words brimming with reverence.

Xuanxiao's expression remained indifferent as he casually nodded.

"No, I don't want to go! Dao Venerable, please let me stay." Mo Yuan blinked his big eyes pitifully, his face full of pleading as he looked at Xuanxiao.

At this moment, there was no trace of the reluctance he had shown upon arrival. Thunder Marsh had become his dream destination.

Not only did it boast an abundance of cultivation resources, but as Xuanxiao's Daoist Temple, it was also the safest haven in the Primordial World.

For Mo Yuan, whose survival philosophy had always been to "lie low," leaving Thunder Marsh was the last thing he wanted.

Shi Qilin, watching Mo Yuan's disgraceful display, felt utterly helpless. Without a word, he reached out, grabbed him, and prepared to leave.

"Nooo!!!" A mournful cry echoed through the void—Mo Yuan's sorrowful wail of reluctance.

Yuan Feng and Ancestral Dragon exchanged a glance, each letting out a cold snort before turning and leaving without hesitation.

They had been away from their tribes for far too long, and clan affairs demanded their attention. It was indeed time to return.

Xuanxiao watched their fading figures, gently shook his head, and murmured to himself, "I hope there really will be another chance to meet."

During this time spent discussing the Dao with Xuanxiao, though Ancestral Dragon and the others had tempered their once-extreme cultivation paths, their Dao trajectories were largely set. Changing them was no easy feat—it required not only extraordinary perseverance but also the great wisdom to see through all things.

Xuanxiao pondered inwardly. The Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation was likely not far off now.

Recently, he had clearly sensed subtle stirrings within the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes, a premonition that a storm was about to break. That was why he had subtly urged the three to leave early.

Once everyone had departed, Xuanxiao turned his gaze to Gou Chen beside him.

Gou Chen had long since emerged from seclusion, his cultivation successfully breaking through to the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.

An aura of steady, formidable power radiated from him, and his eyes shone with resolve and confidence.

"Gou Chen, come. Your master will take you to roam the Primordial World." Xuanxiao smiled as he spoke to Gou Chen beside him.

Hearing Xuanxiao's words, Gou Chen's face lit up with surprise.

He had been born not long ago, only to be pressured by the Kirin Clan, trapped in Thunder Marsh ever since, with no chance to leave and explore the Primordial World.

Now, with Xuanxiao's invitation, the joy within him was beyond words.

Yet, amid his excitement, Gou Chen suppressed his impulse and thought for a moment.

"Master, perhaps I should stay and guard Thunder Marsh for you. What if some reckless fool tries to seize our Thunder Marsh again? That would be troublesome." Gou Chen said earnestly.

"No need. I have already layered Thunder Marsh with powerful formations. Not even an ordinary Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, let alone a Golden Immortal of the Origin, could gain any advantage here. Besides, if we wish to return, we can do so at any time through the Primordial Hall. This trip will do you no harm." Xuanxiao waved his hand dismissively, his demeanor relaxed.

"Then I shall follow Master's arrangement." With Xuanxiao's explanation, Gou Chen set aside his worries and gladly agreed.

"This time, your master will take you to meet the mastermind stirring up conflict among the three tribes in the Primordial World." A cold glint flashed in Xuanxiao's eyes. When he had traveled to the West before, he had visited Mount Sumeru, but Luohu was not there at the time.

Back then, the tribulation was still far off, and time was plentiful. So, when Xuanxiao failed to find Luohu at Mount Sumeru, he hadn't thought much of it.

But now, the situation was different. The tribulation was drawing near, and Xuanxiao had no intention of letting this troublemaker run amok in the Primordial World.

After all, Luohu was a "Self-Destruct Maniac," and Xuanxiao had no desire to see him destroy the Western spiritual veins as he had in his memories.

Thus, one of Xuanxiao's goals for this journey was to teach this fellow a proper lesson, to make him rein in his reckless ways.

"Then let's go." With that, Xuanxiao took Gou Chen and left Thunder Marsh.

Along the way, though Xuanxiao had a clear goal, he moved like a carefree cloud, unhurried and at ease.

Unlike before, Xuanxiao now collected every Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure he encountered, regardless of its value.

After all, with the tribulation approaching, if he didn't preserve these treasures, they would likely be destroyed in the conflict among the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes.

That would be a complete waste. By doing this, he was also preserving the Primordial World's foundation and maintaining the diversity of its species.

However, Gou Chen was puzzled by Xuanxiao's actions.

Many of the treasures Xuanxiao collected were of little use even to him, let alone to Xuanxiao, whose strength far surpassed his own.

Watching Xuanxiao casually tuck a Heavenly Vein Flower into his storage, Gou Chen finally couldn't hold back: "Master, I truly don't understand. This Heavenly Vein Flower is only effective for beings below the Golden Immortal realm. In the Primordial World, while it's not everywhere, it's hardly rare. Is there a special purpose for collecting it?"

Xuanxiao's expression turned solemn as he explained, "The tribulation is imminent. Even if I don't collect these Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, they will ultimately be reduced to nothing in the flames of war."

Gou Chen looked toward a True Dragon and a Phoenix locked in battle not far away, curiosity burning in his eyes. "The tribulation? Are the frequent conflicts among the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes all caused by the tribulation?"

Xuanxiao gently shook his head and said slowly, "The conflicts among the three tribes are not caused by the tribulation. Rather, the Dao they each pursue is fundamentally irreconcilable. As long as they cling to their own Dao, conflict is inevitable. The tribulation merely accelerates the eruption of that conflict. And as I see it, for the three tribes to survive this tribulation safely will be exceedingly difficult."

"Master, is the tribulation truly so terrifying that even the mighty Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes cannot survive it?" Gou Chen stared at Xuanxiao with awe and curiosity.

Xuanxiao gazed at the Calamity Qi already spreading through the void, his expression grave, a hint of helplessness in his tone. "Difficult indeed. Precisely because they are so powerful and refuse to yield to one another, they will find it hard to emerge unscathed from the tribulation. In the end, it will likely be a three-way loss."

Gou Chen fired off a series of questions, his eyes burning with a thirst for knowledge. "So, every tribulation is a terrible disaster for the Primordial World. Is it then entirely a bad thing? If so, is there a way to stop the tribulation from happening?"

Xuanxiao shook his head slightly, his expression calm. "Gou Chen, all things in the world have two sides, and the tribulation is no exception.

To the beings of the Primordial World, the tribulation is undoubtedly a great calamity, but to the Primordial World itself, it is not entirely so.

Every tribulation arises because the Primordial World can no longer sustain the development of so many beings.

Thus, the Primordial World uses the tribulation to sift through its creatures, and also as a test for them. Only those who pass the test are worthy of continuing to exist in the Primordial World. The tribulation is a law of nature; it cannot be stopped."

After speaking, Xuanxiao paused briefly, lost in thought, then continued, "However, while the tribulation cannot be stopped, its arrival can be delayed."

"Master, is there any way to delay the tribulation?" Gou Chen pressed eagerly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Xuanxiao's gaze was deep and distant as he spoke slowly:

"The birth of a tribulation is closely tied to the number of living beings.

The reason the Primordial World has so many living beings is that it places almost no restrictions on their development, allowing them to multiply and grow without restraint.

If the development of living beings could be limited, the tribulation would naturally be delayed.

Another method is to expand the Primordial World's space as quickly as possible.

If the Primordial World grows larger, it can naturally accommodate more living beings.

Thus, the speed at which the tribulation descends would be slowed.

If the Primordial World's rate of expansion could surpass the rate at which its living beings develop, then the tribulation's arrival would be delayed indefinitely.

At that point, the Primordial World would hardly be troubled by tribulations anymore.

But... beyond the tribulation lies the even more fearsome Immeasurable Tribulation.

Under the Immeasurable Tribulation, the entire chaos would be thoroughly cleansed.

Against the Immeasurable Tribulation, even I, your master, have no way to deal with it." As he finished, Xuanxiao let out a soft sigh, a trace of helplessness and worry flickering in his eyes.

Xuanxiao's words were not only meant for Gou Chen but also conveyed his thoughts to the Heavenly Dao, which was omnipresent throughout the Primordial World.

In truth, according to the developmental trajectory in his memory, the Heavenly Dao later did adopt some of the methods Xuanxiao had mentioned, such as restricting breakthroughs among Primordial beings, limiting their lifespans, and using the Primordial Violet Qi to create saints to help manage the Primordial World.

However, regrettably, the results of these measures were far from ideal.

The Heavenly Dao, after all, was not a living being; it would not personally intervene in the development of beings, and even saints could not transcend the seven emotions and six desires of living creatures. Though each tribulation cleansed the Primordial World's beings, the conflicts among them also damaged the Primordial World.

This situation only worsened after the birth of saints in the Primordial World.

After enduring the impact of multiple tribulations, the entire Primordial World was shattered by the battles of saints. The foundation of the Primordial World did not grow stronger but instead gradually declined, ultimately falling into the Age of Dharma's End.

"I see." After listening to Xuanxiao's detailed explanation, Gou Chen finally gained a clearer, albeit still vague, understanding of the tribulation, deepening his awareness of the mystery and complexity of the Primordial World.