True Spirit No Longer Bound by Fate—Past, Present, and Future United as One, Unique and Unparalleled!

The thunderclouds pressed lower and lower, as though they would collapse the next moment, while the lightning grew ever more violent. Yet Zhu Yin did not waver in the slightest.

A hundred years passed before the thunderclouds finally finished gathering strength. The first heavenly thunderbolt crashed down, like a thunder dragon roaring in rage and tearing heaven and earth apart.

Zhu Yin's green robes fluttered wildly. He neither retreated nor evaded, forcefully receiving the thunder with his physical body to temper both his body and Primordial Spirit. At the same time, his Primordial Spirit flew out and sat cross-legged in the void, enduring the cleansing of the lightning tribulation.

After the first bolt, thunder followed thunder, each stronger than the last. Yet he never took even half a step back.

After thirty-six bolts of thunder, a strange phenomenon appeared... A Ninth-Grade White Lotus emerged beneath his feet, while the Pure-Cleansing Bell hung above his Primordial Spirit. Boundless divine light poured down, protecting him as he continued to receive the thunderbolts.

When the forty-ninth bolt arrived, the Vitality Cauldron appeared above his head, devouring part of the thunder before Zhu Yin's body and Primordial Spirit separately absorbed and refined it.

After fifty-four bolts of thunder, his Primordial Spirit returned to his body.

After sixty-three bolts, the Six-Purities Bamboo appeared, transforming into a colossal bamboo stalk that blocked the lightning.

When seventy-two bolts descended, the Vitality Treasure Vase appeared, pouring down water of life that even contained Three Lights Divine Water, nourishing his wounds.

Though Zhu Yin's body was injured by the lightning, it recovered and reshaped itself with astonishing speed. He was like an ancient divine bamboo standing tall between heaven and earth, unafraid of wind and thunder, growing stronger with every battle.

At last, the eighty-first thunderbolt descended.

This time, it was not ordinary lightning, but genuine Purple Firmament Divine Thunder... Silent and soundless, it struck directly at the heart!

There was no thunderclap, no flash of lightning, yet this bolt pierced through his protective divine light, the White Lotus, the treasure vase, and the Pure Bamboo, striking straight into Zhu Yin's mind.

Zhu Yin fell into an illusion. He saw himself becoming the supreme ruler of the Buddhist Sect after endless ages, with ten thousand Buddhas bowing in worship and himself alone reigning supreme;

He saw himself ascending to the summit of the Great Dao, with all living beings looking up to him and the multitude of saints lowering their heads;

He even saw himself standing atop the Great Dao of heaven and earth, holding the cosmos in his hand, with all laws obeying him alone.

Yet only one sentence remained in his heart: Unfortunately, I possess a pure heart. What I seek is solitude and freedom.

With that, an emerald bamboo leaf flew from the void, cutting through the years and shattering the illusion.

Zhu Yin abruptly opened his eyes in the void. Behind him appeared an emerald Heaven-Piercing Divine Bamboo, its aura shooting into the heavens. It was as if heaven and earth had been remade, bursting forth with endless vitality and pure aura.

The lightning tribulation dispersed, and his figure at the end of the thunderclouds seemed tranquil yet resolute.

Not only had he broken through to the second layer of the Great Freedom Nirvana Art, he had also stepped into the realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal in one stroke—free and unfettered, bound by nothing!

As his Zenith Heaven status was established, heaven and earth naturally bestowed endless Creation Nectar. He absorbed most of it, while the remainder spread throughout the Spirit Platform Mountain region, making the mountain's spiritual aura even denser.

Then, his Primordial Spirit ascended and entered the River of Fate.

It was a mysterious and unfathomable river, vast and boundless. Every drop of water represented a life, a destiny.

He saw himself bound by countless threads of fate, yet he struggled with all his strength, severing those shackles as his Primordial Spirit leaped out of the River of Fate.

Then he entered the River of Time and saw his past self, as well as a vague, unknowable future self. The two converged in the present.

He stood in the middle of the River of Time, his left hand holding the destiny of the past and his right hand grasping the possibilities of the future. Everything depended on what he seized in the present!

From then on, his True Spirit was no longer bound by fate. Past, present, and future merged into one, unique and unparalleled!

His Supreme Unity Dao Fruit transformed accordingly, becoming a true Zenith Heaven Dao Fruit.

His cultivation, physical body, Primordial Spirit, divine abilities, and Dao attainment all rose across the board, radiating the unique aura and pressure of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

Spirit Platform Mountain underwent a transformation as well.

The Primordial Tea Tree and the Pure Bamboo exerted their power together, causing the spiritual aura of the entire mountain to surge. Its earth veins strengthened, the number of spiritual veins skyrocketed, and spiritual herbs and grasses grew everywhere.

Even the surrounding earth veins were nourished in return by Spirit Platform Mountain, giving rise to low-grade and middle-grade spiritual lands.

Zhu Yin was delighted. He immediately entered seclusion and began consolidating this astonishing fortune.

A million li away, Zhunti and Jieyin quietly appeared. One fat and one thin, they concealed themselves in the void as they sensed their disciple's changes.

They had originally feared that Zhu Yin would fail his tribulation, so they had arrived early to stand guard for him. Now that they saw him break through successfully, they were naturally gratified.

Zhunti smiled and cupped his hands. "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on accepting such an excellent disciple."

Jieyin nodded in response. "As members of Mount Sumeru's lineage, Junior Brother has contributed as well."

Within the Quiet Room on the third floor of the bamboo building on Spirit Platform Mountain, all was peaceful and serene.

During this period, Zhu Yin had remained in seclusion. He had broken through to become a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, and the effects of that breakthrough gradually began to show.

Although the Western Lands were barren and sparsely populated, the commotion Zhu Yin had caused during his tribulation had been far too great. Even some cultivators a million li away had sensed it. During the process, Spirit Platform Mountain, where he resided, had advanced into a middle-grade Grotto-heaven Blessed Land. Spiritual aura filled hundreds of thousands of li around it, causing many cultivators to notice that something was amiss.

However, the effects of these changes were limited to a few million li around Spirit Platform Mountain. Those farther away could not sense them at all. After all, the Western Lands were simply too vast, and there were few cultivators. Their cultivation was generally low as well; even Golden Immortals were pitifully scarce, while Supreme Unity True Immortals were rarer still.

Thus, although quite a few living beings sensed the pressure of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, they had no idea what it was. They only knew that "some great figure has appeared," then went back to cultivating or living their lives as before.

Still, within the area affected, many living beings did begin moving toward Spirit Platform Mountain. Some sought protection, some wished to take a master and learn cultivation, while others wanted to try their luck and see whether they could find some spiritual treasure or spiritual land to settle down and cultivate in.

Three thousand years later, Zhu Yin emerged from seclusion.

His aura no longer possessed that sharp, dazzling edge. Instead, it had become restrained and natural, as though he had returned to his original true nature. This seclusion had not only greatly stabilized his realm, but also increased his strength considerably.

Standing on the third floor of the bamboo building, Zhu Yin looked down over all of Spirit Platform Mountain. Spiritual aura coiled through the air, fortune overflowed everywhere, and his heart brimmed with joy.

He had struggled for more than a hundred thousand years in this land, and he had finally entered the ranks of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals. From now on, he possessed the strength to protect himself in the Primordial World. Whether he secluded himself in the mountains or ventured out to travel, he no longer needed to worry about his safety.

After admiring the mountain scenery, Zhu Yin summoned the two Boy Attendants and Jin Tu, the Little White Tiger.

"Congratulations, Master, on attaining Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal! May you enjoy boundless longevity!"

In the pavilion of the courtyard, Zhu Yin smiled and flicked his sleeve, lifting them up. He took a light sip of bamboo tea, then looked at the two Boy Attendants with considerable satisfaction.

"You have gone from newly advanced True Immortals to late-stage True Immortals. It seems you have put in no small amount of effort."

As he spoke, he took out a Lightness Sword and a Gold-Breaking Saber, handing one to each of them. "These are both middle-grade postnatal spiritual treasures. Take them to protect yourselves."

The Boy Attendants beamed with joy and accepted them with grateful bows.

Next, Zhu Yin turned to Jin Tu.

By now, the Little White Tiger had grown to the size of a young tiger. His cultivation had reached the peak of True Immortal, even surpassing the two Boy Attendants. Yet he was still gluttonous, and there was even a trace of alcohol on him. Clearly, he had secretly drunk spiritual wine.

"You little rascal, other than growing a bit bigger, nothing else about you has changed." Zhu Yin could not help laughing as he scolded him.

He was not truly angry. After all, the White Tiger had left home at a young age, which was rather pitiful. After patting Jin Tu on the head, Zhu Yin began imparting his cultivation experience to the three of them. Only after a full half month did he let them withdraw first.