Avoiding a tribulation and surviving one led to different outcomes.
For cultivators, tribulations were also a form of tempering. Passing through them and enduring their trials brought tremendous benefits, strengthening both body and mind.
It was just like the saying: whatever failed to kill me would only make me stronger.
After undergoing the baptism of a heavenly tribulation, both cultivators and their flying swords and magic treasures could undergo a qualitative improvement.
Thanks to Shi Feiyang, Zang Lingzi had avoided that tribulation. Though he had been spared the suffering of corpse-release ascension, his eventual attainment had fallen short of what successfully overcoming it would have brought him.
He was an unorthodox-path heavenly immortal to begin with, and had barely managed to reach his current heights. When future heavenly tribulations descended, both the thunder tribulation and fire tribulation would be difficult to survive. The demon tribulation would be especially formidable; he had virtually no confidence of overcoming it.
Earlier, in the Sacred Mausoleum, Shi Feiyang had publicly expounded the Three Sovereigns Great Way. Zang Lingzi had heard a great deal and benefited immensely, gaining fresh insights into the Dao arts he had practiced for centuries.
The two copper talismans Shi Feiyang gave him this time were treasures specifically designed to help collect the mind and subdue demons. They also bore four ancient heavenly talismans.
Shi Feiyang explained the meanings of those heavenly talismans to him, then specially taught him a method of cultivation that used the talismans to gather his mind, working from the outside inward to subdue his Inner Demon.
Zang Lingzi was overjoyed. This trip certainly wasn't wasted, he thought.
By comparison, the Separation and Reunion Divine Light that had been shattered had not been wasted either. In exchange, he had received two treasures vital to his very life—and,