Chapter 52 (2/2)
Was it time for him to face his Immortal Ascension Tribulation?
Li Changshou looked up at the sky, which was cloudless and blue. It seemed that he was still lacking, for this situation differed from the scenario he imagined where he needed to face off a Heavenly Tribulation upon attaining the Ninth Stage of Dao Requital.
After all, he always prepared himself for the worst-case scenarios.
Closing his eyes and focusing, Li Changshou continued to meditate and cultivate. The Qi-Gathering Minor Array created using Spirit Stones gave out regular bursts of spiritual energy that was all absorbed by him.
At various locations in the one-kilometer radius, a few paper dolls hid at the sea bed to survey the area, ready to attract any people trying to sneak an attack on him.
There were not many apparatuses set up on the reef, for they would all be destroyed when the Heavenly Tribulation struck.
Hence, he had set up various arrays at a place further away, all being used for escaping and not for defense.
Those arrays would allow him to swiftly teleport away after completing the Heavenly Tribulation.
This place was the ideal place he had found to complete the Tribulation Transcendence. There were no cultivators around in the 100-kilometer radius. Even if some cultivators happened to fly by, they would be at least 10 kilometers away.
This situation had something to do with how the major mortal cities on land were distributed.
After meditating and cultivating for two weeks, Li Changshou suddenly felt uneasy. A strange abstruse Dao rune appeared beside him.
The Heavenly Tribulation was about to arrive.
Grandmaster Heavenly Dao was very ‘magnanimous’ to appear long after he attained the Ninth Stage of Dao Requital, two weeks after he stabilized his cultivation realm, and right after he solidified his Dao base.
Li Changshou transformed into a fish and utilized the Water Escape’s benefits to circle around and check the 10-kilometer radius, before swimming back to the reef.
‘Come!’ He was prepared.
This feeling was actually quite mysterious.
It felt as though he was about to face the biggest test of his entire life the sleepless night before the day of the test after studying for 12 long bitter years…
“Don’t be impatient. Stay calm and focus.”
Li Changshou silently chanted the Mind Calming-and-Clearing Chant, occasionally taking out the Inaction Sutra, which he held in his hands to closely gain insight from.
The more insights he had, the more ready he would be, and the greater the chance of him surviving the Heavenly Tribulation.
Three days pa.s.sed, and the premonition that the Heavenly Tribulation was about to arrive grew stronger.
The Mind Clearing Chant lost its effectiveness, and he could no longer calm his mind to gain further insights. The air within a 300-meters radius became oppressed, making the other living organisms to subconsciously avoid the area.
His master’s Heavenly Tribulation that arrived last time was bashful and slow to come. Thus, Li Changshou wondered if his Heavenly Tribulation would be gentle, wild, or ferocious.
Li Changshou guessed that his Heavenly Tribulation would have seven or eight Heavenly Lightnings.
Therefore, he relaxed and did not force himself to calm down. Rather, he attempted to thoroughly experience the uneasiness and anxiety he was feeling.
This was a reaction all living organisms would feel when sensing Heaven’s power—it had nothing to do with how high or low one’s Dao Realm was.
The Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation was also known as the Dao Completion Tribulation. Since a long time ago, Li Changshou had been contemplating why it involved ‘Dao Completion’.
Today, he obtained his answer.
Qi Refinement, Soul Formation, Void Return, and Dao Requital were all part of the process in the learning and imitation of nature for cultivators. Through this process, they could realize their Dao, which would become the foundation of their path to becoming immortals.
The Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation was the test implemented by the Heavenly Dao to the cultivators’ Dao. It was to see if their Dao was qualified to become immortal.
At the same time, the Heavenly Tribulation was a tribulation to help cultivators leave their mortality so that they could attain greater heights using their own Dao.
Born as humans, ascended to become immortals.
The terms ‘Dao’ and ‘Dao Realm’ should not be lumped together. Li Changshou felt that one should not give their own Dao a name of its own.
It was just like how human nature could be st.u.r.dy, anxious, bashful, or panicky.
The Dao was natural.
“I am natural.”
Li Changshou closed his eyes and smiled. There was a sudden gust of wind that whirled towards the sky.
Thunder rumbled and the wind and clouds transformed suddenly. Several thousand feet above in the sky, gray Tribulation Clouds swarmed over, covering the nearby area of around a one-kilometer radius.
Sometimes mountain ranges seemed to appear above the clouds. Other times they looked like paG.o.das, an army troop, or a cl.u.s.ter of drums and gongs.
Many strange images appeared by the Tribulation Cloud. Below the Tribulation Cloud, however, the air started to churn. From afar, it looked as though a waterspout was forming.
Halfway through the formation of this waterspout, lightning flashed within, and thunder rumbled!
Li Changshou slowly stood up from the reef and patted his clothes. He pointed the air casually, and 12 Faraday Cages surrounded him. Various pills hidden in his sleeves were ready for consumption.
His Dao Body shone with blue light. His essence soul had completed its condensation.
After breathing out a mouthful of impure gas, Li Changshou looked up, and then he respectfully did a Dao salute, choosing to do the most proper ancient salute.
Then he announced, “Dao Sect’s disciple wishes to inform the Heaven today: I sincerely accept the Dao Completion Tribulation that the Heaven is about to gift me. I wish to establish my own Dao and become a worry-free immortal.
“Should the Heavenly Tribulation come and I cannot withstand it, resulting in my death, it is because my Dao is not qualified to share its lifespan with the Heaven and Earth. I will have no grievances if this occurs.
“The Heavenly Dao is righteous.
“Thank you, Heavenly Dao, for the concern and gifting me the Immortal Ascension opportunity!”
Boom—
The Tribulation Cloud seemed to reply and not have heard him at the same time, for the strength of the Heavenly Tribulation remained the same.
A number of large lightning spots flickered within the Tribulation Cloud vortex. Some electric arcs appeared around Li Changshou.
Slowly, he levitated from the ground. The 12 Faraday Cages split up equidistant on the ocean surface, in preparation for later.
When he flew to 90 feet above the ground, three silvery-white lightning spots flared, and silver electric snakes burst forth!
These thunder and lightning spots gathered and formed numerous thunders the size of a bowl, striking at Li Changshou. He did not sense any danger, but he still activated his Dharma powers and spread them over his body.
His Dao Body emitted faint light before the lightning completely engulfed him!
‘The power of the first lightning bolt is equivalent to the third thunder of Master’s Tribulation Transcendence?’
His Heavenly Tribulation should, indeed, not be underestimated.
Li Changshou blocked all lightning that fell on him. He looked up at the sky and waited calmly.
The aftereffects of being ‘struck’ by the lightning… were itchy and numbing. Some Immortal Qi was condensing in his body, and even his essence soul was submerged in the lightning.
Unexpectedly, it was quite comfortable.
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