I, Qi Yuan, Even If I'm Struck Dead by Heavenly Tribulation Today!

I, Qi Yuan, Even If I'm Struck Dead by Heavenly Tribulation Today!

At noon, in the wooded clearing behind Lesser Qiong Peak that had been chosen years ago.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan stood inside the now extremely sturdy wooden cage, a fly whisk in hand.

Several rays of Treasure Light floated around him. The brand-new blue-green silk Daoist robe he wore was a fine defensive treasure, making the old Daoist appear several years younger.

With tribulation at hand, his expression could not help but turn solemn.

Strands of obscure, indescribable aura coiled around Qi Yuan. From time to time, a petal drifted past the old Daoist before dissolving into the mountain breeze.

Qi Yuan's two disciples stood atop tree branches a hundred zhang away.

Lan Ling'e watched her master nervously, her slender fingers toying with a lock of black hair hanging before her.

Over the past few years, Ling'e's figure had filled out a little more. Her slim waist, bound by a sash, could be encircled in one hand, while her tasseled long dress accentuated her delicate curves. Whether viewed from afar or up close, she was flawless.

Her pretty face had also gained a trace of soft charm compared to two years ago, though it was still mostly pure and lively.

On a treetop not far from Lan Ling'e, Li Changshou wore the same plain long robe as always. He held a Bamboo Slip in his left hand and a Carving Knife in his right, his spiritual consciousness shrouding his master as he observed every sign of the Heavenly Tribulation's arrival.

There was nothing more to instruct.

Everything that could be done had already been done. Next, his master only needed to withstand the first Heavenly Tribulation. After that, it would be up to his master to decide when to use that Precious Medicine.

For now, Li Changshou's foremost task was to observe and record his master's tribulation-crossing process from close range.

Because the Du Xian Sect recruited disciples only once every two hundred years, Li Changshou had entered the sect just in time for the tail end of the previous generation's wave of immortal ascensions.

Most disciples whose aptitude and comprehension doomed them to never become immortals had already left the Du Xian Sect and returned home. Over the past century, the Du Xian Sect had been cultivating this generation of new disciples, and only a scant few from the previous generation had become immortals.

This was the sixth time in the past hundred years that Li Changshou had observed a Qi Refiner crossing an immortal tribulation. It was also rare for him to be so close, allowing him to record the entire process and analyze it carefully afterward.

Whoosh—

A fierce wind rose through the woods. Old Daoist Qi Yuan looked up at the sky, wisps of radiant light appearing around him.

In the blink of an eye, those lights gathered into a pillar of light that shot into the sky!

It was here—the sign before becoming an immortal!

Holding his Carving Knife and Bamboo Slip, Li Changshou began writing furiously, recording every detail.

The pillar of light lasted for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, and the winds and clouds above Lesser Qiong Peak changed color!

Li Changshou could sense Spiritual Energy streaming in from every direction, gathering a hundred zhang above his master's head. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into one gray Tribulation Cloud after another.

At the same time, figures flew out from the various peaks beneath the Mountain Protecting Grand Formation, rising into the air to gaze toward Lesser Qiong Peak...

A shining silver-white lightning blotch appeared beneath the Tribulation Clouds, while tiny electric arcs appeared around Old Daoist Qi Yuan.

Li Changshou calculated on his fingers. Soon, he raised his head and transmitted his voice to his master.

"Master, based on the area and thickness of the Tribulation Clouds, this should be a common Immortal Ascension Tribulation with five Heavenly Lightning bolts."

Old Daoist Qi Yuan frowned slightly. He had thought it would be the weakest three-lightning Heavenly Tribulation, but he had not expected to face five bolts.

—There were no more than nine bolts in a Heavenly Tribulation for Becoming an Immortal; four, five, and six Heavenly Lightning bolts were the most common.

It was said that the Heavenly Dao delivered Heavenly Tribulations of different strength according to the tribulation-crosser's aptitude and potential after becoming immortal.

The more tribulation lightning there was, the broader one's future immortal path and the deeper one's potential. Naturally, the greater the difficulty of crossing the Immortal Ascension Tribulation.

After transmitting his voice, Li Changshou lowered his head and continued writing with the Carving Knife.

Rumble—

The Tribulation Clouds began trembling incessantly, and the lightning blotch grew ever more distinct. Once it reached a certain threshold, it immediately transformed into a brilliant Pillar of lightning that crashed down upon Old Daoist Qi Yuan's head!

The instant the Heavenly Lightning appeared, heaven and earth lost their color!

That Great Dao fluctuation containing Heaven and Earth's ultimate principles crashed down alongside the lightning tribulation!

Yet the immortals and Qi Refiners observing this lightning tribulation discovered in astonishment that the Heavenly Tribulation—which by all reason could not be blocked with treasures—was completely "absorbed" by the wooden cage around Old Daoist Qi Yuan!

Lightning flashed across every part of the wooden cage, but Old Daoist Qi Yuan stood within it completely unharmed. Aside from his gray-white hair flying wildly in all directions, not a trace of lightning wrapped around him!

Lan Ling'e immediately cried out excitedly, "Senior Brother! The birdcage worked!"

Li Changshou beamed as well, but before his smile could fully bloom, that obscure Great Dao fluctuation suddenly appeared. The lightning-wreathed Mage Birdcage abruptly exploded in all directions...

Fine. As expected, the Heavenly Dao would not permit such opportunistic tricks.

Still, it was enough. At least it had helped his master withstand the first lightning tribulation.

But then Li Changshou noticed a problem—because his master had not faced the Heavenly Tribulation head-on, no immortal spiritual aura had appeared around him.

The Mage Birdcage had helped him evade one Heavenly Tribulation, but it had correspondingly robbed the tribulation-crosser of its benefits. Gain and loss went hand in hand; such was the natural logic of the Great Dao.

Fortunately, his master had not taken out the Melting Immortal Pill and swallowed it in one gulp just now. Otherwise, Li Changshou would have personally poisoned his own master to death...

Above the Tribulation Clouds, an even larger lightning blotch began brewing, containing several degrees more tribulation power than before.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan's expression grew even graver. He circulated all the Dharma power in his body throughout himself, and his figure slowly rose into the air.

An Immortal Ascension Tribulation could only be endured head-on!

Crack!

Sizzle—

The second Heavenly Tribulation descended viciously. The Pillar of lightning formed from countless bolts instantly swallowed Qi Yuan whole!

Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e both held their breath. When they saw their master endure it for only an instant before the lightning pillar slammed him to the ground, Lan Ling'e squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look.

Only when the crackling of the discharge vanished and she heard her senior brother let out a breath of relief did Lan Ling'e dare open her eyes.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan sat up in the shallow pit, utterly bedraggled. He turned and spat out a mouthful of blood, tipped his head back to swallow several pills, then rose to his feet again.

His Dharma power was still fairly abundant, and a faint thread of immortal light circled around him.

He had endured the second Heavenly Lightning.

Li Changshou stopped writing. His left hand, hidden in his sleeve, pressed against a paper effigy and a medicinal pill.

Judging by his master's condition, he would attempt to endure the third Heavenly Tribulation, but he would absolutely not survive the fourth.

If his master were struck paralyzed by the third bolt and could not move, he would have to promptly feed his master the Melting Immortal Pill.

An even larger lightning blotch gathered within the Tribulation Clouds. Old Daoist Qi Yuan gritted his teeth and stood up, rapidly forming hand seals and setting up layer after layer of Dharma power barriers before himself.

But it was useless.

This time, there was first a thunderous boom. It seemed as if a thousand armies and ten thousand horses were charging through the Tribulation Clouds. A Pillar of lightning as thick as a millstone descended with a murderous aura, almost instantly shattering the many barriers Qi Yuan had set up and pinning him into the shallow pit for a frenzied barrage...

Facing the rushing gale, Lan Ling'e could not help crying out, "Master!"

But her cry was swiftly swallowed by the wind.

Qi Yuan barely endured the third Heavenly Tribulation...

It was also quite helpless. The number and strength of the Heavenly Tribulations had been determined by his aptitude when he had first begun cultivating. Later, after damaging his Dao foundation, Qi Yuan could no longer reach the "strength" he should have possessed at the ninth stage of the Dao Attainment Realm.

That was why Qi Yuan faced the Heavenly Tribulation in such a wretched state, barely managing to hold on even through the third bolt.

The lightning tribulation blasted a massive crater into the ground. Qi Yuan lay at its bottom, using his last breath of Dharma power to slowly float up. He stood beneath the Heavenly Tribulation, looking up at the even more terrifying, even larger lightning blotch...

Blood covered his entire body, yet his eyes remained resolute!

Fate, fate—how unfair you are!

Yet this poor Daoist bears you no resentment. The Great Dao turns in its cycle, heaven and earth remain orderly; all of this is this poor Daoist's ordained fate. So what if this poor Daoist goes to his death!

But there is one thing!

I absolutely cannot lie on the ground and die a wretched death. My disciples are watching nearby. Even if their master is a useless piece of trash, even if their master cannot give them the protection that disciples of other peaks possess!

Then this poor Daoist will die standing!

I will show the bearing of a human Qi Refiner!

I will win Changshou and Ling'e a scrap of dignity, let them know that their master does not lack this steadfast heart that seeks the Dao!

What is more, this poor Daoist has the Precious Medicine that my Eldest Disciple prepared through untold hardship, enough to endure one Heavenly Tribulation!

Old Daoist Qi Yuan took out the brocade box, removed the pill within, stuffed it into his mouth without hesitation, and swallowed it with his head tilted back.

Come, Heavenly Dao!

Even if this poor Daoist knows it is merely a futile struggle, I will still gamble on it. I will see the final lightning tribulation!

To die beneath the final lightning tribulation should not be too shameful... should it?

Within the lightning blotch, tribulation power gathered wildly. The fourth Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend!

"Ah—"

Old Daoist Qi Yuan threw back his head in a furious roar, his beard and hair standing on end, his entire body like—

"Cough!"

The old Daoist suddenly lowered his head and coughed, spraying out a mouthful of blood. Then he looked down at himself in astonishment. Strands of blood light had actually appeared all over his body.

What... is happening?

Why am I starting to melt away?

Taiqing Lord above, what is going on?

What did that wicked disciple feed this poor Daoist...

Above him, the wildly surging lightning blotch suddenly went silent, and the Tribulation Clouds stopped turning as well.

This Heavenly Tribulation was like a man who had pinned great hopes on himself, wanting to put on a performance before his beloved, only to suddenly discover that he was a mortal middle-aged man after excessive exertion—there was suddenly no follow-up...

At the last instant, Qi Yuan turned to look at his Chief Disciple, who wore a smile on his face.

The old Daoist's consciousness rapidly dissolved. Like a snowman dropped into a furnace, he melted away in an instant!

His soul, body, even his clothes, all turned into that pool of "bloody water," floating in the air...

The Tribulation Clouds trembled once, transforming into streams of pure Spiritual Energy that drifted away in all directions. Rays of sunlight shone down upon Lesser Qiong Peak.

Those watching from all around were utterly baffled. They stared blankly at the spot where Qi Yuan had dissolved, watching that pool of bloody water.

Suddenly, a surge of turbid qi emerged from the ground, while three-colored immortal light descended from the clouds, all of it pouring into the bloody water.

The sound of silk and string music drifted from somewhere, beautiful and pleasing to the ear.

The clear and turbid qi slowly began to gather, and the pool of bloody water gradually took on the outline of a human form.

Then came a string of crackling sounds. Old Daoist Qi Yuan's figure reappeared in the air. Even the clothes that had been battered to tatters by the Heavenly Lightning were still on him...

The blood light faded. Petals fluttered around the old Daoist, a murky Auspicious Cloud beneath his feet, while a lotus flower faintly bloomed above his head before merging into his body.

Opening his mouth, Old Daoist Qi Yuan exhaled a breath of Pure Qi, and the aura around his body slowly began to rise.

Such an immortal ascension phenomenon could truly be called shabby.

At this moment, Old Daoist Qi Yuan already understood what had happened. He turned to Li Changshou, his gaze filled with helplessness, though a trace of tears glimmered within it.

Setting aside the words master and disciple for now.

With a complicated expression, Qi Yuan gave Li Changshou a Daoist salute.

Li Changshou hurriedly put away the Bamboo Slip, Carving Knife, paper effigy, and medicinal pill. He returned his master's Daoist salute and did not dare straighten up for a long while.

Noisy discussions also drifted through the wind...

"It is Liberation by Violence! Liberation by Violence into a Turbid Immortal!"

"That was actually a Melting Immortal Pill! There are still people who know how to refine this pill?"

"Junior Brother Qi Yuan actually chose this path. Not bad—it is also a way to survive."

"Turbid Immortals are actually no different from most immortals. Celestial Immortals are not so easy to break through to. Most of us stop at True Immortal as well."