Old Daoist Qi Yuan's Immortal Ascension Tribulation came earlier than expected. At first, it had been like a shy maiden, blushing and hesitating, all coy and bashful.
But once Li Yang's Golden Pill had repaired Old Daoist Qi Yuan's Dao Foundation, the Immortal Ascension Tribulation became like a ravenous, unsatisfied wife, lunging at him with savage speed.
As evening approached, the back mountain of Lesser Qiong Peak remained the chosen site for Tribulation Transcendence.
Old Daoist Qi Yuan held his Dust Whisk and had already settled securely inside the Mage Birdcage.
Although he believed his Dao Foundation was complete and that a mere Heavenly Tribulation was nothing to worry about, he couldn't resist Li Changshou's pleas. Even Li Yang had urged him to use it.
"Ah! Having disciples who treat you too well can be a real bother!"
Old Daoist Qi Yuan seemed to sigh, but in truth, he was secretly delighted.
Still, he felt a little guilty. He hadn't expected the Immortal Pill his second disciple had refined to actually repair his foundation.
Using such an Immortal Pill on him was a terrible waste.
But it was too late for regrets. All he could do now was successfully undergo the tribulation and make sure his disciples' efforts weren't wasted.
So Old Daoist Qi Yuan flicked his Dust Whisk, and his shabby Daoist robe changed into a brand-new, blue-green silk robe.
The robe shimmered faintly. At a glance, it was clearly a fine magical treasure.
Several more glimmers of treasure light appeared around him. It was obvious that Old Daoist Qi Yuan had made thorough preparations.
Li Yang and the other two hid in the treetops about a hundred zhang from the tribulation site, watching tensely.
As for Li Changshou, he held a bamboo slip in his left hand and a carving knife in his right. His spiritual sense enveloped his Master, observing the various signs of the Heavenly Tribulation's arrival and recording them in detail.
Li Yang knew Li Changshou was preparing for his own Tribulation Transcendence. It also meant Li Changshou was close to losing control of his cultivation.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, wind swept through the heavens and earth. Old Daoist Qi Yuan abruptly looked up at the sky as wisps of light appeared around him, gathering into a pillar that pierced through the Mage Birdcage and shot straight into the sky.
It was a sign that the tribulation was about to begin.
The pillar of light lasted for the time it took to burn a stick of incense. Then the weather over Lesser Qiong Peak changed abruptly.
Endless spiritual energy surged in from all directions, gathering a hundred zhang above Old Daoist Qi Yuan's head to form clouds of tribulation, gray and dense.
Next, Li Yang activated Lesser Qiong Peak's Composite Grand Array. The might of the heavens erupted in an instant. The other peaks of the Immortal Crossing Sect sensed the change, and figures flew out to gaze at Lesser Qiong Peak from afar.
At that moment, gleaming silver lightning appeared beneath the clouds of tribulation, and electric arcs crackled in the surrounding air.
Li Yang made a quick calculation and furrowed his brow. This wasn't the Five-Thunder Immortal Ascension Tribulation from the Original Novel. It was the Nine-Thunder Immortal Ascension Tribulation.
He immediately sent a message to his Master: "Master, according to my calculations, you're facing an Immortal Ascension Tribulation with nine bolts of Heavenly Thunder! If you feel you can't withstand the next bolt, take the Precious Pill your Senior Brother gave you right away."
Old Daoist Qi Yuan was startled. At first, he'd thought he would face the weakest Three-Thunder Heavenly Tribulation. Even after his Dao Foundation had been repaired, he'd only expected the Five-Thunder Heavenly Tribulation. And now they were telling him he had to face nine bolts?
There were rules governing the Immortal Ascension Tribulation. Its power and number of bolts varied according to the tribulation-taker's aptitude and potential for future cultivation.
A Heavenly Tribulation never exceeded nine bolts. There were three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine bolts. Four, five, and six were the most common; three was the weakest, and nine was the strongest.
Three or four bolts meant one might become a True Immortal; five or six meant one might become a Celestial Immortal; seven or eight meant one might become a Golden Immortal. Those who faced nine bolts had an excellent chance of becoming Golden Immortals, provided they survived.
Of course, that referred to ordinary tribulations. In the Primordial Wilderness, tribulations were also ranked according to their power. The greater the tribulation's power, the broader the path to immortality would be.
It was said that those who faced tribulations ranked in the top ten were destined to become Golden Immortals if they survived, while those who faced tribulations ranked in the top three were destined to attain the Great Luo realm.
"That's Golden Immortal Aptitude! Who could've imagined that Qi Yuan, after completely destroying his Dao Foundation, would still have such potential?"
Many immortals who knew what had happened to Qi Yuan back then regretted it so much they slapped their thighs. Qi Yuan had been a prodigy of their generation. Who could have guessed that after he was gravely injured, his Dao Foundation would remain unrepaired despite receiving all sorts of rare treasures and healing pills?
And now?
The endlessly churning clouds of tribulation told them that even in this state, the Qi Yuan they had looked down on still had Golden Immortal Aptitude.
He was one of the sect's pillars!!!
Taiqing above, they regretted it so much!
"Rumble!"
Amid a tremendous peal of thunder, the clouds of tribulation began to tremble. Along with the fluctuations of the Great Dao, which contained the principles of heaven and earth, a dazzling pillar of lightning crashed down toward Old Daoist Qi Yuan!
In an instant, the heavens and earth lost their color!
The immortals and Qi Practitioners, already stunned by Old Daoist Qi Yuan's aptitude, were shocked to discover that the Heavenly Tribulation—which, by rights, could not be blocked by a magical treasure—was completely "absorbed" by the wooden cage around him!
Lightning flashed across every part of the cage, but Old Daoist Qi Yuan stood inside, unharmed.
"No... What is that thing?"
They were dumbfounded. Had Qi Yuan spent all these years refusing to become an immortal just to put on an act?
"Senior Brother, we did it! The Mage Birdcage really works!"
"Don't celebrate too soon."
Li Yang's cool voice cut through Lan Ling'e's excitement. Then, right before the delighted faces of Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e, a profound fluctuation of the Great Dao suddenly appeared, and the Mage Birdcage exploded.
"The Dao doesn't allow us to exploit loopholes. And did you notice? There was no Immortal Spirit Qi around Master.
"Whenever someone undergoes the tribulation and becomes an immortal, Immortal Spirit Qi appears around them after the first bolt of Heavenly Thunder.
"So the Heavenly Tribulation itself is a form of Creation. For Qi Practitioners, it's a transformation.
"The Mage Birdcage seemed to help him evade one bolt of the Heavenly Tribulation, but it also cost the tribulation-taker the benefits he would've gained from it.
"Every gain comes with a loss. That's the law of the Great Dao.
"Actually, if this thing can be used at all, it might work better against the final bolt, the one he can't withstand. But the final bolt brings even greater benefits, and no one knows what might happen.
"Also, maybe the idea of avoiding the lightning is wrong. We should draw it in, then find a way to weaken it..."
Li Yang continued to explain. Li Changshou's carving knife blurred in his hand. He knew Li Yang was using his own experience with Tribulation Transcendence, together with what was happening to their Master, to explain the process to him on the spot.
Meanwhile, as Li Yang rambled on, five bolts of lightning had already fallen.
Old Daoist Qi Yuan had survived them, but his condition was far from good. His clothes were in tatters, and his body was covered in wounds.
"Crack!"
As the sixth bolt of Heavenly Thunder struck, Old Daoist Qi Yuan was slammed into the ground.
Only after the lightning faded did Old Daoist Qi Yuan spit out a mouthful of blood and take several pills.
At that moment, the seventh bolt of lightning was gathering power. Its overwhelming might left Old Daoist Qi Yuan dazed.
Several magical treasures shot into the sky, and he set up one barrier of Mana after another in front of himself.
"Boom!"
The pillar of lightning came crashing down. One magical treasure after another shattered, and barrier after barrier of Mana was blown apart. Once the final barrier broke, the remaining lightning struck Old Daoist Qi Yuan and ground him into the earth.
If Old Daoist Qi Yuan's aura hadn't remained, and the Heavenly Tribulation hadn't continued, Li Yang and the other two would have thought their Master had perished.
When the lightning faded, Old Daoist Qi Yuan lay in the crater, twitching nonstop. His Mana was completely depleted, his skin was torn and bleeding, and the bones beneath it shone with a pale white glow.
"Phew—crack, crack!"
While the eighth bolt of Heavenly Thunder was still gathering, Old Daoist Qi Yuan finally crawled out. He took out a jade bottle and shoved all the pills he'd prepared into his mouth.
"Wait, why hasn't Master taken the Melting Immortal Pill yet?"
Li Changshou had stopped recording long ago. Now he was hopping around in a panic.
"Master wants to take another chance."
Seeing that their Master still hadn't taken the Immortal Pill he'd asked Lan Ling'e to give him, Li Yang understood his intention. He put a hand on his Senior Brother's shoulder to keep him from panicking.
Old Daoist Qi Yuan quickly finished regulating his breathing. Mana filled his body once more, and he raised barrier after barrier. He even continued taking pills to restore his Mana as he layered the barriers around himself.
"Boom!"
The eighth bolt of lightning came down with a murderous aura, almost instantly shattering the many barriers Old Daoist Qi Yuan had set up.
"Master!"
Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e cried out in alarm. Even Li Yang tensed.
Fortunately, Old Daoist Qi Yuan survived the eighth bolt of Heavenly Thunder.
But his condition was terrible. Only a thread of Mana remained, blood streamed down his body, and he was gravely injured.
Old Daoist Qi Yuan summoned the last of his Mana and struggled to rise into the air.
He looked at the terrifying patch of lightning gathering in the clouds above him. There wasn't a trace of fear or regret in his eyes.
I've spent hundreds of years in a sorry state, but my eldest disciple begged for medicine for me, my second disciple refined an Immortal Pill for me, and my youngest disciple gave me pills. How can I let them down?
Even if I die, I, Qi Yuan, will die on my feet. I'll show my disciples that their Master hasn't lost his unyielding heart for the Dao.
This... is the spirit of us human Qi Practitioners!
Facing the seemingly fatal bolt of lightning, Qi Yuan ultimately chose not to take the Melting Immortal Pill in the Jade Box. His eldest disciple had sworn he had another, but Qi Yuan still wanted to leave this Precious Pill for his three disciples.
Instead, he took out the pill Lan Ling'e had given him.
Even though he knew a pill meant for someone at the Spirit Transmutation Stage wouldn't do much for him, he still took it.
Seeing this, Li Changshou panicked. A Paper Man holding the Melting Immortal Pill was about to rush forward, but Li Yang held him back with all his strength.
"If you go up there, Master really will fail his tribulation."
Li Changshou glanced at Li Yang and forced himself to stop, though unease churned in his heart.
After Old Daoist Qi Yuan took the pill Lan Ling'e had given him, his Mana rapidly recovered. Even the transformation of his Immortal Body sped up.
Old Daoist Qi Yuan looked at his three disciples nearby with complicated feelings.
He'd known it.
Those little rascals had tricked him.
Old Daoist Qi Yuan wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and faced the challenge once more.
This time,
he would undergo the tribulation and become an immortal.
He absolutely couldn't let down the three children who believed in him.
"Boom!"
The ninth bolt of lightning crashed down.
No one noticed that a tiny purple bolt of lightning, shaped like a little snake, disappeared at the same time.
"Ugh!"
With a muffled groan, Li Yang, who was standing beside Lan Ling'e, abruptly collapsed and transformed into a Golden Pill.
"Senior Brother!"
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