Nightmare's Heavenly Dipper Drought Tribulation

Chapter 50: The Nightmare of the Heavenly Dipper Drought Tribulation

Bang!

Twenty-four Inner Mansion Primordial Spirits resonated in unison. His magic power flowed unimpeded, surging and churning until it faintly emitted the sound of crashing waves. Xuanji's consciousness jolted, and joy flooded his heart—the shackles of the Hexu stage had finally been broken.

Early-stage Loose Immortal!

Xuanji's cultivation had now entered the realm of the Loose Immortal, a state entirely incomparable to the Hexu stage. The first major hurdle of cultivation is the transformation of the Golden Core into the Spirit Transformation stage, but that is merely the foundation-building entry point. Advancing from Hexu to Loose Immortal, however, is a profound metamorphosis—the ascension from mortal to immortal. The difficulty of this transition is unimaginable. If the Hexu stage is about refining oneself and increasing magic power, then the Loose Immortal stage is about comprehending the laws of nature, communing with the Power of Heaven and Earth, and wielding the immense forces of the universe. Beyond the magic power, a Loose Immortal's body is several times more formidable than that of a Hexu practitioner.

Human strength is finite, while the Power of Heaven and Earth is infinite. To borrow the power of the world for one's own use—this is the hallmark of an immortal-level existence. Thus, whether in terms of Daoist arts, supernatural abilities, or formations and restrictions, immortal-level techniques far surpass those of the mortal realm.

Following his promotion to the early-stage Loose Immortal realm, Xuanji's body underwent a massive transformation. His meridians, Inner Mansion, and bones all vanished, replaced by a pitch-black space ten thousand meters wide, dotted with dense, three-colored points of light. In the center of this void sat a god-like Primordial Spirit avatar with twenty-four heads and forty-eight arms, seated upon a three-colored, three-tiered lotus throne. It radiated golden, black, and cyan light, its upper body shimmering with a dazzling golden brilliance.

This... the twenty-four Inner Mansion Primordial Spirits have actually merged into one. The Inner Mansion has formed an Inner World universe, and my magic power has become the stars! Xuanji was stunned. This was entirely beyond his expectations, yet it was no bad thing. Though the quantity had decreased, the quality had surged. While his Primordial Spirit avatar was only at the early-stage Loose Immortal level, its power was in no way inferior to a mid-stage Loose Immortal, perhaps even stronger—it was truly terrifying! One must know that the gap between the early and mid-stage of the Loose Immortal realm is a vast, insurmountable chasm.

What truly delighted Xuanji was that after the merger of the Primordial Spirits, his cultivation speed increased, yet he no longer needed to divide his focus into twenty-four parts. The sheer rate of his progress was so great that he found it difficult to adapt for a moment.

Rumble!

A thunderous roar erupted. Xuanji felt his consciousness descend into chaos and confusion. He did not know how much time had passed, but when he finally recovered and looked around, he froze, his face filled with disbelief.

A desert!

Yellow sand filled the sky, and tornadoes were visible in every direction. Sandstorms raged in the far distance, and the scorching sun hung high above, radiating unbearable heat. What terrified Xuanji most was that he possessed not a shred of magic power. He was like an ordinary mortal, and his once-monstrously strong physique felt as fragile as that of a commoner from his past life. Under the sun's glare, he felt a burning sensation; his entire body was scorched, sweat soaked his clothes, and the moisture was evaporating.

His throat was dry to the point of agony. At this moment, Xuanji only longed to submerge himself in a cool lake.

What is happening? Was I not cultivating in the Primordial World? How did I end up here? His heart was filled with confusion; everything felt bizarre, and he had not the slightest clue as to why.

No matter. If I stay here, I will surely die. I must leave this desert and find water. As his physical strength rapidly waned, Xuanji poured all his remaining potential into running forward. The surroundings were identical, and having no idea where he was, he simply chose a direction that seemed relatively steep to save his energy.

The yellow sand reached his knees. With every step, the ground felt softer. Xuanji knew that if he stopped or even slowed down, he would be buried by the sand and meet certain death.

Racing against time in a struggle between life and death, Xuanji felt a growing sense of despair. His physical strength was plummeting, his throat burned like fire, and the sand rose higher, reaching past his knees. Yet, before him lay only an endless expanse of desert. Returning was impossible. Death began to shroud him, and his heart sank into deeper despair.

Fear and the agony of drought filled his soul!

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. Xuanji guessed a possibility: the Eight Tribulations of Heavenly Dipper! The first was the Tribulation of Drought. Now, beyond his fear of death, his state of mind perfectly mirrored the drought. The Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Sha were distinct; since the Earthly Sha tribulation involved the physical manifestation of thunder, fire, and wind, the Eight Tribulations naturally would not be so simple—they were tribulations of the mind and illusions.

That's it! It's fake. All of this is an illusion. So that's how it is! The Eight Tribulations of Heavenly Dipper are tribulations of the mind. Those with weak wills cannot pass. Hmph! I have endured the thousand-blade torture of the Firmament Gale; this mere drought illusion shall not stop me! Xuanji stopped running, allowed the sand to bury him, and looked up to roar at the sky. Now certain that everything was an illusion, his fear vanished, replaced by calm.

The Eight Tribulations of Heavenly Dipper were indeed mental illusions, yet they were not simple. They were nearly indistinguishable from reality. However, this was only the first tribulation, the weakest of them all. Having cultivated to this point, while Xuanji would not claim his will was as hard as iron or his Dao heart perfectly stable, now that he understood the truth, passing the Heavenly Dipper Drought Tribulation was not difficult.

The yellow sand rose slowly, passing his waist, his chest, and his neck, until it was on the verge of burying him completely. Xuanji remained indifferent. Buddhist scriptures from his past life surfaced in his mind. He contemplated their Zen essence, his heart becoming clear and untainted. He was truly without attachments; because he had no attachments, he had no fear. He distanced himself from inverted dreams and reached the truth of the emptiness of the five aggregates. Having read many novels about the Primordial World in his past life, Xuanji had previously harbored a bias against Buddhism, as his cultivation was rooted in the Daoist tradition. Yet, through this mental tempering, he realized that Buddhist Zen had its own profound mysteries, especially in the cultivation of the mind, which far surpassed that of the Daoist schools.

The Daoist school cultivates the Primordial Spirit, harmonizing the Dragon and Tiger, capturing the Kan and filling the Li, merging Yin Yang, and uniting the three souls and seven spirits. The Buddhist school cultivates the Sarira Golden Body, which in terms of raw power is a step above the Primordial Spirit. However, the Primordial Spirit is better suited for harmonizing with nature and attaining enlightenment. Yet, as cultivation deepens, the flaws of the Sarira Golden Body become more apparent. It is, after all, a heterodox path; while one can attain the Dao, it is ten times more difficult than the orthodox Primordial Spirit path. Nevertheless, its advantages cannot be denied.

Through this experience, Xuanji decided to cast aside his prejudices. He would cultivate both Buddhism and Daoism, taking the strengths of each to compensate for the other's weaknesses. Only by embracing all rivers could he travel further. After all, compared to those Primordial World gods with their innate talents and profound origins, his own gap was too great. Even if their cultivation levels were equal, his speed was not in the same league, let alone the massive gap he currently faced.

Buried beneath the sand, waves of pressure surged toward him. A suffocating, parched sensation enveloped him. His state of mind was pulled by a mysterious force, making him perceive everything with absolute clarity. At the same time, a voice seemed to whisper from the depths of his heart: "These things are real. Death is right before you." Strangely, this voice gave Xuanji a sense of trust and familiarity, as if it were his own inner heart. For a moment, his firm state of mind began to waver. His tightly closed eyes trembled, and his face twisted in pain.

An illusion! An illusion! It is all fake, even the feelings in my heart are fake. My Primordial Spirit is refined; is my true heart not within my spirit? Hmph! His mind suddenly cleared. Xuanji had long since cultivated his Primordial Spirit; his true heart resided within it. The heart of flesh was merely a shell; the Primordial Spirit was the foundation!

An unprecedentedly firm state of mind formed a vast, overwhelming power that erupted outward like a shockwave. In an instant, Xuanji felt his body lighten. He opened his eyes to find the desert gone. He stood in a flat, dim, and endless expanse. Just as he was filled with confusion, a figure appeared a few meters away. It was a man who looked exactly like him—to be precise, he was identical. But the other's eyes were cold and bone-chilling, his face wore a sinister expression, and a dark, cold sneer played on his lips, striking terror into the heart.

"Impressive! You actually passed the Heavenly Dipper Drought Tribulation. But this is merely the prologue. Each of the following seven tribulations will increase in intensity exponentially. Once you are lost and unable to extricate yourself, your Primordial Spirit in the outside world will self-destruct, and you will be shattered to pieces!" The cold, icy words sent a shiver down his spine.

"Who are you? Why do you look like me?" Xuanji looked at this "self" before him, stunned. At the same time, he felt a strange sensation—indescribable and unclear, yet he felt an overwhelming urge to uncover the truth at any cost. It was very bizarre.

"Me? I am the Nightmare within your heart. Every living being possesses a Nightmare, a Nightmare that belongs only to them. When you sleep, it can weave beautiful dreams or nightmares, but those are merely low-level nightmares, like those of a simple-minded crab. As for me—I am equivalent to a Crab Demon. Finally, I must tell you one thing: the interval between each of the Eight Tribulations of Heavenly Dipper is one hundred years. Prepare yourself well. Do not die easily, or I shall perish along with you." The Nightmare stared coldly at Xuanji, turned abruptly, and vanished without a trace.

"Wait...!" Xuanji still had many questions, and seeing the Nightmare disappear, he desperately wanted to call him back. However, he felt the world spin, the darkness grew hazy, and his consciousness drifted. When everything finally returned to normal, he opened his eyes to find the Sea of Chaotic Stone Forests before him.

"Sigh." He let out a helpless sigh. The mysteries of the Primordial World were vast and profound, and was he not the same? For the first time, Xuanji realized clearly that he knew far too little about himself. Countless secrets awaited his discovery.

Forcing himself to calm his mind, Xuanji began to examine his condition. With the passing of the Heavenly Dipper Drought Tribulation, his Heavenly Dipper Profound Art had advanced significantly. His mind was more refined, and his use of magic power was natural and fluid. With a mere thought, his magic power surged like a tidal wave.

After familiarizing himself with his state, Xuanji immersed himself in cultivation once more. His current cultivation of early-stage Loose Immortal was simply too weak. He had originally intended to cultivate only to the early-stage Earth Immortal, but now that his speed had surged, reaching the peak of the Earth Immortal stage would not take long. He estimated it would happen around the time his Primordial Avatar reached the early-stage Heaven Immortal level.

Advancing from Earth Immortal to Heaven Immortal was extremely difficult. Even with the speed of his Primordial Avatar, it would be impossible in less than three or four months. This time was sufficient for Xuanji to raise his own cultivation to the peak of the Earth Immortal stage.

The Eastern Wasteland was currently in turmoil, and the chaos had already taken root. Xuanji naturally would not miss this; how could he fail to reap some benefits?