Because White Dragon had been nourished with Jiang Changsheng's spiritual power even before its birth, a trace of spiritual power had long formed within its body. It was only that its intelligence was still shallow and it did not understand how to cultivate. At most, it could absorb the essence of the sun and moon through breathing, so its cultivation grew very slowly.
Since it could increase its spiritual power, then Jiang Changsheng should be able to as well.
Jiang Changsheng steeled himself and swallowed the remaining pill. The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth, turning into a stream of heat that flowed down his throat and into his muscles, bones, and every limb.
Wonderful!
Jiang Changsheng beamed with delight. White Dragon slithered over beside him, flicking its tongue with an expression that plainly said it wanted more, but Jiang Changsheng simply pushed it away.
"I shall call this pill the Spirit Enhancing Pill."
Jiang Changsheng thought happily, then noted down the ingredients and recorded them as a prescription.
This was the first cultivation pill he had developed. Its ingredients were not particularly rare, but neither were they easy to obtain. He would still have to rely on the emperor to put in the effort.
Jiang Changsheng casually refined a bottle of pills to nourish the body and increase vitality, then planned to give them to the emperor one at a time later.
Hua Jian Xin had also witnessed all of White Dragon's changes, but she did not dare disturb him, afraid that she too would become an experiment.
Spring and autumn passed in turn.
Every month, Jiang Yuan made time to visit Dragon Arising Temple. Such frequent visits caused Dragon Arising Temple's status to rise with the tide, and more and more nobles came to burn incense. The temple's offerings far surpassed those of previous years, and the disciples' lives had all improved.
The disciples all knew one thing: although the Taoist priest did not manage temple affairs, he could speak to the emperor and had won the emperor's favor. That was the greatest capability of all.
In the blink of an eye.
Another year had passed.
Kaiyuan twenty-first year!
Since the emperor no longer pursued immortal pills, he spent more time handling court affairs. The economy of the Great Jing Dynasty continued to rise and was not even dragged down by the construction of the Grand Canal. Aside from domestic governance, foreign campaigns also played a major role.
Great Jing attacked Gu Han, constantly annexing its territory and gathering all kinds of resources, causing the Great Jing Dynasty's cohesion to grow stronger as well.
More than a dozen dynasties had risen and fallen across this continent. In the vast sweep of history, emperors had always been the brightest figures. As the founding emperor, Jiang Yuan's place in history was already destined not to be low. Scholars had originally thought that after becoming obsessed with the immortal path, he would grow ever more muddleheaded. Who would have expected him to suddenly awaken as if struck by enlightenment? Poems praising the Great Emperor Kaiyuan began to spread.
Spring rain fell in an endless drizzle.
Qing Ku came to visit Jiang Changsheng and stated his purpose. He intended to lead a group of disciples down the mountain for training, while also gathering orphans to raise as new disciples for Dragon Arising Temple. This had always been an old tradition of Dragon Arising Temple.
"Be extra careful. Here are two talisman papers. If you encounter an enemy you cannot defeat, pour your True Qi into them and point the talisman papers at the enemy. Remember, do not use them lightly."
Jiang Changsheng took two yellow talismans from his sleeve. Chen Li had sent the talisman papers, and Jiang Changsheng had inscribed his own spiritual power into them with Talismans and Incantations. To make them seem special, he had even scribbled and drawn randomly across their surfaces.
Qing Ku accepted the two talisman papers with a puzzled expression. Why has Senior Brother become more and more mysterious and strange?
Though he thought so, he still carefully put them away. Jiang Changsheng was unfathomably mysterious in his eyes, and he even kept a White Python that understood human nature. Perhaps these talismans truly were useful.
After Qing Ku left, Jiang Changsheng continued his training.
Over the past year, the disciples had grown accustomed to White Dragon. It could roam freely through Dragon Arising Mountain and had never harmed anyone. Most importantly, it ate vegetarian food, which made the disciples adore it. Even some pilgrims had seen it. Once they learned it belonged to Changsheng Taoist Priest, they no longer feared it. With the disciples deliberately spreading the tale, White Dragon's name gradually began to circulate through the capital.
Dragon Arising Temple had a snake named White Dragon, and it understood human nature.
After following Jiang Changsheng for so long, Hua Jian Xin had thoroughly mastered the Jade Purity Severing Meridian Needle. Jiang Changsheng had also taught her the Nine Seeking Heavenly Dragon Steps, and her strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. In her own words, she felt she had hope of reaching the Heaven Arrival Realm.
From the looks of it, the Heaven Arrival Realm did not require peerless inner strength.
On the tenth day after Qing Ku's departure.
Jiang Changsheng finally encountered an opportunity to break through.
Only by taking Spirit Enhancing Pills every month had he managed to achieve this breakthrough ahead of time!
He sat cross-legged inside his room and circulated his cultivation. Spiritual power surged, making his Taoist robe flutter wildly, while his long hair drifted with it. White Dragon, which had been lying on the windowsill basking in the sun, turned its head, a faint glimmer appearing in its snake eyes.
"Something's wrong..."
Jiang Changsheng suddenly frowned, an inexplicable unease rising in his heart.
This breakthrough had gone very smoothly, and there had not been the slightest mishap in his cultivation. Why did he feel uneasy?
He circulated his cultivation nervously, becoming increasingly cautious and not daring to show the slightest carelessness.
At the same time, above Dragon Arising Temple, patches of white cloud in the blue sky gradually darkened, then gathered toward Dragon Arising Mountain. The disciples of Dragon Arising Temple thought it was going to rain and ushered the pilgrims into the courtyard to take shelter.
The citizens within the capital also noticed the strange phenomenon at Dragon Arising Mountain. Of the vast capital, only Dragon Arising Mountain was shrouded in dark clouds. It was still noon, and such a sight was quite spectacular, but the people merely watched without thinking much of it.
However.
Rumble—
A bolt of thunder suddenly descended from the sky and struck the eaves of Jiang Changsheng's room, sending roof tiles flying everywhere.
Jiang Changsheng opened his eyes and sensed the abnormality outside. A thought arose in his mind.
Could this be...
A tribulation?
Jiang Changsheng immediately rose and flashed onto the roof. A fierce wind sprang up, and the dark clouds overhead had already transformed into thunderclouds. The sea of clouds churned, forming a massive and terrifying vortex. Thunder and lightning faintly roared within, while immense Heavenly Might pressed down from above.
The moment he stepped onto the roof, the unease in his heart suddenly vanished.
At that moment, he understood. The fifth layer of the Dao Follows Nature Skill required him to undergo a tribulation, and he could not flee. If he fled, the unease in his heart would transform into an inner demon and interfere with his cultivation from then on.
He had to undergo this tribulation!
Jiang Changsheng's gaze became resolute. He sat cross-legged directly atop the roof, his legs suspended in the air more than half a meter above the tiles. Spiritual power coiled around his body, visible to the naked eye, and his robes snapped in the wind.
Hua Jian Xin was startled by the thunder. She pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard, only to see Jiang Changsheng suspended in midair above her when she looked up.
Her beautiful eyes widened, as though she had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
He... was floating in the air?
Could this be the Devil Master's illusion technique?
Boom!
Another bolt of lightning crashed down, this one aimed directly at Jiang Changsheng. Yet it was blocked by his spiritual power and immediately dispersed. Hua Jian Xin was shaken to the core by the sight.
Before she could react, bolt after bolt of lightning descended, every one aimed at Jiang Changsheng without the slightest deviation. Jiang Changsheng used his spiritual power to protect himself, forming a shield against the lightning strikes. The thunderbolts grew ever more powerful, swiftly becoming a wild bombardment. Even in broad daylight, lightning flashes could be seen.
Throughout every corner of the capital, including the imperial palace, people could see the lightning atop Dragon Arising Mountain. Every bolt struck in the same direction, forming a cone. Even from afar, it was an especially spectacular sight.
"What is that?"
"What terrifying lightning! Could something have appeared at Dragon Arising Temple?"
"I heard the new Taoist priest of Dragon Arising Temple is a gifted youth and even keeps a White Python that understands human nature. Could he be an immortal reborn?"
"Who knows? With such a spectacle, people will probably die at Dragon Arising Temple."
"How strange, how strange. This old man has lived seventy years and witnessed two dynasties, yet I have never seen such a celestial phenomenon."
The capital's citizens discussed it animatedly. Even high-ranking officials and nobles stepped out of their homes to gaze at the strange sight.
Within the imperial palace.
Jiang Yuan stood before the Golden Luan Hall with his hands clasped behind his waist, staring at the thunder over Dragon Arising Temple's mountain. His eyes were full of excitement. When Eunuch Li approached, the excitement vanished from his eyes, replaced by an ancient-well depth that no one could see through.
Eunuch Li came before him and cautiously said, "Your Majesty, with such a phenomenon, I fear everyone in the capital can see it. How should it be handled?"
Jiang Yuan replied indifferently, "Can people handle celestial phenomena?"
"No, this servant is worried that Dragon Arising Temple may be damaged. It is a Taoist temple personally designated by Your Majesty..."
"If it is damaged, we will discuss it then."
Jiang Yuan answered casually, his gaze never leaving Dragon Arising Temple.
Eunuch Li did not dare ask further and turned to look toward Dragon Arising Mountain with him.
The Imperial Son, consorts, princesses, and others in the palace all left their rooms to observe this rare thundercloud phenomenon.
This heavenly tribulation was even more difficult than Jiang Changsheng had imagined. Half an hour later, his spiritual power was nearly exhausted, yet the lightning did not weaken. Instead, it grew more and more intense.
He kept his eyes shut, his expression grim. At this point, he had no other choice but to hold on. With even the slightest mistake, he might be struck into ashes by the lightning.
Hua Jian Xin now believed that Jiang Changsheng was not relying on an illusion technique. He truly was undergoing a Thunder Tribulation, just as in the stories of myth.
She stared at him with worship and worry in her eyes, terrified that something would happen to him.
In the distance, many disciples were also watching. The pilgrims temporarily staying at Dragon Arising Temple discussed the matter behind them. At first, they had been terrified of being struck by lightning, but after realizing that the lightning only struck one location, they cautiously moved closer and witnessed this shocking scene.
Crossing a Thunder Tribulation in midair!
Jiang Changsheng had already been deified in their hearts.
Meng Qiushuang was also deeply worried about Jiang Changsheng, though her feelings were complicated.
Could this junior brother truly be an immortal reborn?
Jiang Changsheng had no idea what they were thinking, nor did he have the time to consider it. He focused solely on crossing the tribulation.
Just as he was growing concerned, the Thunder Tribulation finally began to weaken. It had come swiftly, and it departed just as swiftly.
In less than three minutes, the Thunder Tribulation completely subsided, and the thunderclouds dispersed with it. Jiang Changsheng felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted. When sunlight fell upon him, spiritual power began erupting within his body. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth crazily poured into him, resonating with his spiritual power and giving rise to even more of it. From the perspective of onlookers, a whirlwind surrounded his body, even sweeping leaves into the air.
"An... immortal!"
A middle-aged man said in a trembling voice. He suddenly dropped to his knees and kowtowed toward Jiang Changsheng. His reaction prompted the other pilgrims to kneel as well. The more rational pilgrims looked at one another, but upon seeing how crazed these people were, a thought arose in their hearts.
What if he truly was an immortal? If they saw him and did not kneel, would they offend an immortal?
Just like that, every pilgrim knelt and worshipped Jiang Changsheng, while praying for blessings for themselves.
The disciples also knelt one after another, gazing at Jiang Changsheng with feverish devotion. Wan Li and Ming Yue, who often cultivated alongside Jiang Changsheng, were thrilled beyond measure. They had actually received an immortal's favor.
Meng Qiushuang did not kneel. She merely stared blankly at Jiang Changsheng, not knowing what she was thinking.
Jiang Changsheng had completely stepped into the fifth layer of the Dao Follows Nature Skill. His spiritual power surged wildly, his senses underwent a transformation, and the range of his divine consciousness expanded even further. Two intersecting golden lines gradually appeared between his brows, resembling a simplified taiji twin-fish diagram, flickering in and out of sight.
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