The Trial Begins

Emei has arrived.

Of course Emei will come. The Xuanmen (Daoist sects) place great importance on karma. As the leader of the righteous path and the head of the Nine Great Xuan Sects, Emei must first settle things properly before proceeding. For example, the Heavenly Book they are in charge of must be returned, assets like the Peaches of Immortality must be transferred, and all sorts of confidential matters of Yuntai Peak must be understood. Also, those disciples who are unwilling or unable to ascend to immortality and remain in the mortal world must be taken care of.

Moreover, the ascension of the entire Emei sect is not a past perfect tense, but an ongoing tense.

After all, ascending to immortality isn't just about disappearing in an instant; that wouldn't be called ascension, it would be called annihilation.

The purpose of the Golden Summit Ascension is that not only Immortal Lords and Dao Lords ascend to the Wanyu Immortal Realm, but also the core disciples of the entire Emei Inner Sect, including Divine Lords and True Lords, ascend to the Immortal Realm to avoid calamity.

In fact, the most hotly debated topic at Yuntai Peak in recent years has been the Golden Summit Ascension Project. Li Fan also has a past life connection with his master, so he has naturally learned about Emei's measures in detail.

In principle, the Wanyu Immortal Realm is a higher-dimensional world, and it's not like you can't come back once you've been there. Although it's difficult, it is indeed possible to open a passage using some technology equipment from the spirit insect side.

Moreover, Li Fan himself had sent a celestial moth clone to investigate and knew that the environment of the Immortal Realm was not suitable for human survival. The most suitable Dao body form was not human but insect form. It was likely that even if a Nascent Soul or Nascent Soul Stage Divine Transformation cultivator went there, they would not be able to survive unless they used the Heavenly Silkworm Skill Technique to change their form.

Therefore, Emei's plan is to close off Mount Emei itself and, through the principle of Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, transform the Golden Summit of Emei into a special environment similar to a transitional passage, serving as a buffer for ascension. The Three Elders and Four Ancestors (now two elders, four patriarchs, and Qin Tianjue) will ascend part of the Golden Summit to the Immortal Realm, while the rest will remain on the Golden Summit side. Stability will be maintained in both directions through a magic array, transforming the Golden Summit into a bridge across two dimensions of another space.

In this buffer zone of the Golden Summit Immortal Bridge, the Divine Lords and True Lords of the Emei Inner Sect can adapt to the environment, complete their ascension, and then ascend one by one across the bridge to the Wanyu Immortal Realm.

Isn't that incredible? It's utterly bullshit, but they actually made it happen. It's just unbelievable...

Now that the Golden Summit Immortal Bridge has been built, the Three Elders and Four Ancestors and Four Ancestors, along with most of the Inner Sect disciples, have been sealed within their grotto-heavens. Only a small number of Emei disciples, such as Han the Divine Lord Li Wugou, who still have karmic ties and worldly connections to resolve, remain outside the mountain to handle their affairs. In addition, they also intend to spread a portion of the Emei Daoist Tradition in the mortal world. In reality, it's not much different from those Hidden Immortal Sect that close their mountains and go into seclusion.

Of course, once things are settled, if these stranded disciples wish to return to their sect, they can still use the same channel as the Weaving Bureau. Besides, Emei disciples can cultivate and ascend to immortality on their own, so there's nothing wrong with that.

Of course, theoretically, it's possible that the Three Great Sects could besiege the Golden Summit and disrupt Emei's ascension. But the question is, what's the point? The Xuanmen sect can't wait to divide the inheritance, and the Shenjiao sect is eager for these old rivals to get rid of them.

Besides, is the Yin-Yang Dust Array fake? Moreover, according to Emei's plan, at least half of the Three Elders and Four Ancestors are still on the Golden Summit, and the Divine Lords and True Lords haven't all left yet. They've been fighting for so many years; who doesn't know how powerful Emei is? Are you out of your mind looking for trouble?

Even the Divine Sect waited until now, guessing that Emei was indeed sealing off its mountains for ascension and not just making a feint, before launching a large-scale eastern expedition.

In this way, before all the big shots of Emei have left, no one dares to touch the disciples left behind on the outer mountain. Moreover, Emei has cultivated good relationships over the years, so even if the elders of the sect are not around, the disciples left behind will be protected, unlike some sects that simply wipe out the entire sect.

In short, Emei brought many Outer Sect Disciples with them to the banquet to hand over the positions of the nine Golden Core Nine Great Xuan Sects. Firstly, it was to let the disciples enjoy some peaches of immortality, and secondly, it was to show their faces to the leaders of the various sects. After all, with the Inner Sect ascending, the Outer Sect Disciple needed to be provided with a place to live; after all, the school couldn't close down and its students wouldn't even be able to get their diplomas, could it?

This Yuntai Grand Competition is a chance for Emei's Outer Sect Disciple to showcase their abilities. Those with such a strong affinity for immortality can switch to another sect. Even if their chances are not as good, they can still get to know each other and form a good relationship. Perhaps someone will help them in the future.

A group of Xuanmen deities also came forward to greet and pay their respects. The quality of the Emei disciples was guaranteed, and their foundation was solid. Although they might not be cultivated to be direct successors or candidates for sect leader, having a backbone member was not bad.

Li Fan and the gods of the Three Mountains also came over to take a look. Oh my, he recognized many of the people in the Emei group: Han Xiangmo, Li Wugou, Shi Kai, Chu Nanyi.

Han the Divine Lord needs no introduction. She's currently the caretaker of these outer sect disciples from Emei. This time, she was responsible for returning the Heavenly Book, greeting the fellow disciples of the Xuanmen sect, and leading the Outer Sect Disciple to their seats before heading to the Sword Pavilion to return the Heavenly Book. Uh... Han the Divine Lord should be fine, she should...

Li Wugou looked unwell. After all, her revenge plan had failed again, and she had been slapped by a vulture, causing her to vomit blood. She was annoyed at the sight of the people from Wangwu Mountain. Moreover, she was the only one present at the Nascent Soul Realm, and would probably represent the Inner Sect Emei in the Nascent Soul Realm disciple competition, so there was no real danger for her.

It's been a long time since I've seen Shi Kai. He's still stuck at the Golden Core stage. This kid's martial arts skills are indeed top-notch, but he ranks last among all the disciples. He looks like he's never seen the world, and he's rather rustic. He's probably a fool who often fails exams. I wonder if he even got a 'Nan' grade.

Chu Nanyi was someone Li Fan had met once in the South China Sea. She seemed to be the leading senior sister among the Outer Sect Disciple of Emei now. Although she certainly wouldn't recognize or even remember the 'senior brother' from back then, Li Fan still remembered that the Lü Family sword she obtained was taken from Chen Nanggu's immortal destiny.

Unfortunately, Chen Nanggu, a disciple of Emei, fought alongside Li Fan to eliminate demons and even took a blow for him, saving Li Fan's life, but he himself suffered damage to his Dao foundation. Li Fan even sent him some pills through Qin Nanxin to treat him, but unfortunately, not everyone is strong enough to recover well. Later, Chen Nanggu still missed the path to immortality and did not risk his life to die. He went down the mountain and returned to his hometown to get married.

Li Fan also sighed. He had originally wanted to take Chen Nanggu as his disciple to repay this debt of gratitude, but he could only hope that he would have the opportunity to convert the descendants of the Chen Family in the future.

When you see someone you know, you naturally go up and strike up a conversation, cough cough, exchange a few pleasantries.

"Fellow Daoist, it's been a long time."

Li Wugou was taken aback. Suddenly, a powerful deity approached and spoke to her. She didn't react for a moment, and when she looked closer, she was even more shocked.

"Eh? Lord Li, Lord Li! My apologies for my rudeness."

Li Wugou was truly astonished. In her memory, Qingyue's cultivation level wasn't that much different from hers. It was too exaggerated to have been suppressed by a whole realm after ten years!

"After parting ways in Shuofang, I heard that you had become a disciple of the Emei Sect. It is truly wonderful to meet you again today on Yuntai Peak."

Li Wugou, recalling the bloody battle between life and death in Shuofang that day, was momentarily lost in thought, and nodded.

"Yes, I never expected to see you again. Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on overcoming all dangers and breaking through to the Transformation Stage."

Li Fan feigned ignorance, asking, "Fellow Daoist, you don't look well. Have you been injured recently? I have Donghua Changchun Pill here."

Li Wugou shook her head. "Thank you for your concern, Divine Lord. It's just a minor injury; I'll recover in no time. It's nothing serious."

"Yes, now that Mount Emei is closed and the world is in turmoil, some demonic forces are stirring. If you encounter trouble in the Central Plains, you can come to Lizhou for temporary refuge. My Ink Bamboo Mountain is currently developing the Ten-thousand-mountains and is in need of manpower. We are all fellow cultivators, so we can watch out for each other and help each other."

Although Li Wugou's skills were only so-so, Li Fan invited her to join his team, out of consideration for their past friendship.

"Thank you for your kindness, Divine Lord. I appreciate it deeply."

Li Wugou was grateful for Li Fan's invitation, but firstly, she still had personal grudges to settle, and secondly, she had received a lot of care from Emei over the years, so she couldn't bear to abandon a group of Outer Sect Disciple like this, and therefore could not go to the South Border for the time being.

Li Fan didn't mind. After all, not everyone would fawn over an immortal or deity. Li Wugou was the kind of person who was aloof and extremely wary. The fact that she was being polite to him now was already a sign of respect for their shared lineage in the Xuanmen Sword Sect. In any case, Li Fan had prepared a backup plan for her. If she really couldn't make it in the Central Plains, a seasoned rogue cultivator like her could make her own decisions.

Before he could exchange more pleasantries with Li Wugou, the Outer Sect Disciple started making a ruckus.

It turns out that Chu Nanyi is now the top disciple of the Outer Sect of Emei, a beautiful young nun, with a perfected Golden Core, and is both talented and beautiful. Moreover, she speaks eloquently and is poised and generous. She is attracting a lot of attention at the banquet, and many old gods appreciate her, but there are just some people who don't like her.

"Wow, isn't this Sister Nanyi? It's been so many years, you haven't changed at all!"

Gu Panpan was the one who spoke so rudely. She had failed in her assassination attempt and was furious. Her master had brought her along to freeload peaches, and when she saw Chu Nanyi smugly there, she came over to pick a fight.

Chu Nanyi also remembered her. Upon seeing her again, he recalled how he had stolen a sword pellet from her back then, and his face immediately fell.

"Junior Sister Gu, it's been a long time. You're here to participate in the Cloud Platform Competition too, right? I must have the chance to learn from your sect's superior skills this time."

Gu Panpan laughed heartily and spat out the sword pellet to show her.

"That would be perfect! I can't wait to show you the swordsmanship of Wangwu Mountain, sister!"

The two were locked in a fierce battle of wits, exchanging a barrage of sarcastic remarks and insults, leaving Li Fan stunned. "What? Is it possible to use flying swords in this Golden Core Competition?"

Li Wugou nodded and said, "Yes, as long as you can afford it..."

Then, Chu Nanyi, with a cold face, flipped his hand and revealed a precious sword.

"Alright, then let my junior sister witness the power of my Emei flying sword!"

"Huh? Isn't that your Autumn Forest Sword, fellow Daoist?"

Li Fan was taken aback. It was not the flying sword of the Lü Family, but clearly one of the four swords that Li Wugou had obtained from the Azure Dragon Sword Furnace.

Li Wugou did not deny it, "Junior Sister Chu has a unique talent for swordsmanship. This Golden Core Competition is a rare opportunity, so she naturally cannot miss it. However, although Emei only seeks to train its disciples, other sects in the Xuanmen Sect may not show any mercy in their quest for power, so there may be some danger. Therefore, I lent her a sword for self-defense."

"Huh? You can even borrow magic treasures! That's too unfair!" Li Fan became increasingly worried. "If even the top-tier Xuanmen sects bring out their most powerful Divine Transformation treasures to suppress their sects, how can a mere Golden Core cultivator possibly win?"

Li Wugou also sighed, "Isn't this just how the world is? The orthodox sect of Xuanmen has countless magical treasures and immortal pills. This is already considered one of the Five Arts. Does that mean that people can't use it during competitions, or that others won't be able to use it in future tribulations?"

The Cloud Platform Grand Competition tests the true skills of disciples from each sect. Only magical treasures that possess spirits and magical artifacts, along with the Divine Beast and demon servants that protect the mountain and the sect, are considered to be breaking the rules. As for other techniques, you can use whatever you can. If someone at the Golden Core stage can control Divine Transformation stage treasure, that's your skill too."

"If this continues even when he's lying down, it's really going to result in bloodshed..."

Just kidding. In a fistfight, you can hold back. But with Sword Light back and forth, wouldn't it result in decapitations, limbs being severed, and blood splattering everywhere?

Li Wugou also looked worried, "Actually, the elders of Emei have calculated that the path to immortality in the Taiji Realm has come to an end. From now on, the Xuanmen will no longer have the protection of destiny and fortune. Xuanmen disciples can only rely on their own abilities to face the tribulations. I'm afraid it won't be as easy as before. I don't know how many people will perish in this tribulation."

Damn, plenty of people from the Xuanmen sect have died in past tribulations. But since even Chu Nanyi and Gu Panpan have gathered for this competition, there's probably one more...

"Purple Void Dao Lord has arrived!"

"Master Wei has emerged from the pass!"

"At this very moment! No, at this very moment!"

"This is going to be interesting."

Li Fan's mood dropped a little.

Yes, the Hengshan group has arrived, and the ten years of peace at Ink Bamboo Mountain have come to an end.

The abbot initially estimated that severely damaging Huangting Purple Void Dao Lord's primordial spirit would require her to undergo at least a hundred years of seclusion to recuperate. However, unexpectedly, she emerged from seclusion after only ten years. It seems these top-tier Daoist Tradition are truly not to be underestimated; this time, he was truly proven wrong.

Li Fan's mood dropped a little.

Li Fan's mood dropped a little.

Li Fan's mood dropped a little.

Hmm, why am I starting to feel down? Could it be...?

At this moment, the crowd in front of Li Fan dispersed, and he saw the supporters of Supreme Purity and the members of Hengshan Sect entering the banquet together.

Among them were mostly direct descendants of the Supreme Purity Dao, each carrying the Hengshan Sword, all wearing indigo robes, protected by the Shangqing Subduing Demon True Qi, with azure energy rising from their heads, creating a cloud of azure light. Bai Shuangying, the one who obtained the sword in the South Sea, was naturally among them. She was also at the peak of the Golden Core stage, with a profound foundation, and her Shangqing True Qi was just beginning to show its power. It seemed that she was destined to compete with Chu Nanyi Gu Panpan.

The first person leading the group, dressed in a purple robe and a female Daoist priestess, was undoubtedly Master Wei, the Yellow Court Palace.

Li Fan's mood soared after just one glance at her from afar. And it wasn't just him; many other Xuanmen cultivators actually recognized Yellow Court Palace, but at this moment they hesitated, only observing from a distance, with few going up to pay their respects.

Because she was not human, she had six vertical pupils above her nose, lined up in a row, with six purple eyes shining like jewels. Her purple robes were clearly altered, and she had six arms around her waist. This was not a transformation of her physical form, nor was it an external manifestation of her primordial spirit. Rather, it was her original Daoist body!

These six eyes and six arms made no attempt at concealment or illusion, as if they were simply born this way. And the heavens were simply like this.

Li Fan's mood dropped a little.

Damn it, she actually managed to achieve enlightenment through tribulation...

"... Fellow Daoist, when is your abbot available? I would like to pay him a visit."

The Xishi Daoren from Luofu Mountain leaned close to Li Fan and whispered something.

Li Fan exchanged a glance with him and nodded. "I'll be waiting for you anytime."

Hengshan fell silent for a time, but it was, after all, the main mountain of the Supreme Purity. Now that Master Wei had mastered the Daoist arts and was emerging from seclusion to compete, the pressure on the sects around Hengshan naturally increased sharply.

Ignoring the whispers of the surrounding cultivators, Purple Void Dao Lord glanced around and fixed his gaze on a person who had just entered from behind.

"Xiangmo, you're injured."

It turned out that it was Han the Divine Lord of Emei who had returned the Heavenly Book. Back at the banquet, he was clutching his left arm, which was covered in blood; he was clearly injured. He was taken aback by Purple Void Dao Lord's appearance, but the Emei bigwigs, disguised as moths, were in no better shape, so he returned the greeting.

"Thank you for your concern, Master. It was my oversight, but it's nothing serious."

Li Fan looked down and examined why his fingers were so white.

A flash of purple light appeared in Purple Void Dao Lord's eyes. He reached out and grabbed Han the Divine Lord's left arm with a purple sword force, as easily as picking up a cicada's silk. Then he offered Han Xiangmo a pill.

"Sword Light condensed from the power of the False Moon Star, how interesting... It's alright now, the wound can heal."

"Thank you for your help, Master."

Seeing the harmonious relationship between Emei and Hengshan, the cultivators around them relaxed their atmosphere and came over to pay their respects to the Daoist of Hengshan, since Purple Void Dao Lord was probably just studying the Tai Su method or had just emerged from seclusion and was showing unusual phenomena.

Soon another patch of yellow clouds gathered on the horizon, radiating a precious light. The crowd began to clamor again, but Li Fan was too lazy to make a fuss. So the Songshan people are here. They're just relying on their sect's power, putting on airs. Can't they be a little more low-key? Don't they know how to quietly make their fortune...?

Then, it materialized and darted in front of Li Fan in a flash. "Hey, what's wrong with your disciple?"

"... Daoist Lord, could you have given a heads-up when you suddenly appeared? What, do you also admire Qin Jiu and want to give him some Heavenly Calligraphy Treasures to establish a good relationship?"

Manifestation ignored him, frowned, pinched his fingers, glanced at Li Fan, and said...

Just because you can't predict your fate doesn't necessarily mean it's a good thing.

Besides innate destiny, fortune telling often considers one's later life experiences. For example, there are people in this world who are born to face calamities, blessed by the heavens, with a life of great fortune and prosperity. Their path to immortality and imperial destiny are as clear as the midday sun or the bright moon at night. Anyone who forms a connection or partnership with such a person can share in their joy and may even overcome their own insurmountable difficulties and dangers.

However, there are also those who, despite having such fortunate people protecting them and receiving numerous blessings from the divine, still find their fate unclear through divination. This means that such a person is born with a life full of hardships, like walking in the dark of night, with dark clouds obscuring the moon. Their destiny is unpredictable, and their fortunes are hard to fathom. The tribulations, misfortunes, and dangers they will face in the future are beyond the comprehension of ordinary reason.

Such a person's future achievements are uncertain, and it's even possible that he might not even be alive tomorrow.

Hearing this, Li Fan also became serious. "Thank you for the pointer."

Manifestation nodded and gave the order, "Do not kill any of my Penglai people," before disappearing again in a flash.

Although the old man started by saying discouraging things, Li Fan understood what he meant.

Qin Jiu, that kid, might be the opposite of Amao. The tougher his fate, the more dangerous his calamities. Even with the appreciation and help of Li Fan and the two elders of Songshan, he might still encounter danger in this Yuntai Grand Competition.

So, while Purple Void Dao Lord was meeting with the cultivators from Hengshan and Songshan, Li Fan strode through the crowd. His aura and breeze directly parted the cultivators from Shangqing and Taiyi, as if a hurricane had swept across and blocked the gap between the blue and yellow clouds.

Even Purple Void Dao Lord and the two old men from Songshan noticed the commotion. They stopped their polite negotiations and watched as Li Fan rushed over and pulled Qin Jiu, who was wearing the yellow robe of a Songshan disciple, aside to talk.

"Qin Jiu, your skills have improved."

"Master, Master."

Qin Jiu recognized Li Fan; after all, the experience of being kicked off the sky was quite unforgettable, and he was a little timid for a moment.

"Would you be willing to represent Mount Song in this Yuntai Peak competition?"

Qin Jiu: "Yes, Master. I have already promised the two elders..."

Li Fan raised his hand. "You don't need to worry about anything else. This calamity could be fatal for you. Just say the word, and I'll take you back to Ink Bamboo Mountain. No one can stop me. The choice is yours."

Qin Jiu was stunned for a moment, looked at Li Fan, then lowered his head to look at the chrysanthemum sewn into the cuff of his Daoist robe, and made up his mind.

"I'm willing to give it a try."

Li Fan sighed, patted his head, and said, "Alright, go and face the tribulation."