Chapter 264: Really, Can't Stop It

The final heavenly tribulation lasted a full half an hour.

The tribulation, carrying a trace of reluctance from its "underperformance," desperately tried to muster the last bit of its power to strike down the daring tribulant who had evaded into its midst...

But, truly, it had nothing left...

Li Changshou hovered in mid-air, sitting cross-legged above the lava lake, enveloped in dense immortal light. His yuan shen maintained the same posture as his dao body, now fully immersed in golden light and radiating profound dao rhythms.

In comparison, the small Sea God steel fork—cough, the Sea God divine authority treasure—seemed quite dim.

Achieving immortality through tribulation was Li Changshou's elevation on the immortal path, with little connection to the divine path.

Three illusory shadows of twelve-grade green lotuses emerged from his chest, lower abdomen, and forehead, slowly drifting toward his back. They gathered above his head, blooming and rotating gently.

Li Changshou's heart was utterly clear and serene, as his own dao naturally unfolded from the intangible, extending endlessly between heaven and earth...

It was as if there were a wall in the world, bearing countless names from ancient times to the present, and now Li Changshou had carved his own name upon it.

A five-colored aura swirled around his chest, transforming into pure five elements energy that merged into various parts of his dao body, perfectly fusing his dao body with his yuan shen.

Three flowers at the crown, five energies returning to the origin.

Was this the Jin Xian realm?

His dao body felt light and ethereal, as if it might drift away on the wind, while his yuan shen resembled jade carved by immortals.

His immortal sense gradually spread out, now able to probe distances of ten thousand li.

Heaven and earth feel close to me, all things share life with me.

Fate holds no bonds for me, the Great Dao resonates with me.

Thus, I leap beyond the cycle of reincarnation, my name absent from the Book of Life and Death.

Five elements and yin-yang coexist in harmony, freely returning to the void of Tai Qing.

Li Changshou felt a deep sense of peace in his heart, even... a touch of emotion, with a slight sting in his nose.

He had finally become a Jin Xian.

Although in Honghuang, he still lacked self-protection abilities and had no powerful treasures for defense, only a few minor divine abilities and spells to handle simple battles...

But he now possessed the fruit of immortality and qualified to become an attendant for the Sage lords...

With a bit more effort, finding a corner to hide in, he could probably survive.

Achieving immortality is like giving a lowly ant wings;

Longevity means finally taking on a human form, counting as a third-rate expert in Honghuang...

This journey had truly been difficult.

Every day, worrying about being crushed by the Western Sages, fearing being drawn into the great calamity, and frantically scheming and calculating, all while clinging tightly to the Ren Jiao leg...

No more words needed;

Such emotion!

A heart sign to my own Sage and master...

Li Changshou spat out the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill from his mouth, but after thinking for a moment, he swallowed it back.

No rush, wait a bit longer.

If he didn't need it this time, he could clean it off and save it for Ling E's immortality tribulation.

After all, it was something he had saved up himself!

From the start of cultivation, qi refiners seek their own dao before immortality, tread their dao after immortality, and by the perfection of Tian Xian realm, their dao fruit has 'matured,' awaiting heavenly inspection...

Surviving the Jin Xian tribulation proves that this dao can stand firm between heaven and earth, allowing the qi refiner to achieve eternal youth through their own dao.

Entering Honghuang, joining a sect, cultivating wu wei, obtaining Tai Qing...

Images surfaced in Li Changshou's heart, and the memories he carried from his true spirit before entering Honghuang gradually became clearer;

Many forgotten matters were reflected through the Great Dao and settled in his heart.

A gentle wave of enlightenment rose within him, and the gate of myriad wonders, which had once opened for Li Changshou, now revealed a crack before his eyes.

Next, as long as he pushed it open, he could, like ascension after immortality, take another small step forward after achieving Jin Xian...

But Li Changshou did not rush to push the door open at that moment.

He was waiting...

The shattered tribulation clouds in the sky turned into boundless spiritual energy, converging toward Li Changshou.

His small yuan shen opened its mouth and inhaled, drawing this pure spiritual energy into his dao body, where it was fully absorbed by his dao body and yuan shen to support his ongoing transformation.

At that very moment, the area within a thousand li was enveloped in radiant glows, and golden light rain fell from the sky. Any living being touched by this rain had illnesses cured, disasters dispelled, and the elderly regained vitality.

Amid the golden light rain, shadows of fairies, old sages, and heavenly generals materialized: fairies danced gracefully, old sages offered congratulations, and heavenly generals demonstrated battle formations in the air.

Auspicious cranes appeared, while a few golden phoenixes and silver dragons circled continuously in the sky;

A patch of auspicious clouds carried Li Changshou upward slowly, and a lotus treasure pagoda descended from above, as if crowning him.

But Li Changshou continued to wait, not yet pushing open that gate to enter the state of enlightenment...

It wasn't that he feared danger upon entering enlightenment—his master was nearby;

He was waiting, waiting for...

It came!

A gray cloud appeared out of nowhere, forcing its way into the midst of these phenomena and pressing down toward Li Changshou, halting at a height of a thousand zhang.

On this gray cloud, the vague face of an elderly figure formed once more, locking eyes with Li Changshou.

The heavenly phenomena persisted, but Li Changshou couldn't help feeling a bit nervous, pondering what he should say...

A hundred li away,

The tribulation observation group had all risen to their feet.

They had intended to approach and congratulate Li Changshou, but upon seeing the gray cloud appear, they all halted.

“Is there still a heavenly tribulation?” Qiongxiao frowned and asked, “Is the Heavenly Dao going this far to trouble this disciple just for achieving longevity?”

“Do not speak carelessly; these are all opportunities for Sea God fellow daoist,” Yunxiao admonished.

Xuandu Shi held the Tai Ji Tu and performed a quick divination, then laughed, “No need to worry. This is because Changshou's cultivation advancement was too rapid, diverging from the Heavenly Dao's norms, so a heavenly punishment has descended. It's meant to give him more experience and won't harm his life.”

No sooner had Xuandu Shi spoken than the face on the gray cloud dissipated, and a bolt of purple divine lightning struck down!

A green light flickered around Li Changshou, forming a protective cocoon...

He directly unleashed the immortal power of his newly elevated Jin Xian realm!

But the divine lightning tore through the phenomena without pause, ignored Li Changshou's defenses, and struck his chest, tearing his flesh and leaving a horrific wound!

However, the injury wasn't severe; his yuan shen remained unharmed.

“Thank you, Heavenly Dao, for the punishment!”

Li Changshou shouted loudly, his figure swaying unsteadily, yet he persisted in bowing with a dao salute.

Now it's complete; without this final punishment link, it always felt like something was missing.

Only then did Li Changshou feel at ease...

Uh? Why hasn't the gray cloud dissipated? Oh, right, it seems it's going to strike him twice.

Witnessing this scene and hearing these words, the expressions of his master and the three sisters varied.

His master and Yunxiao both nodded with smiles, while Bixiao and Qiongxiao looked puzzled.

Then, another bolt of heavenly punishment lightning fell, striking Li Changshou and making him spit three mouthfuls of blood, forcing him to kneel on one knee in the air.

“Thank you, Heavenly Dao... for the punishment!”

Li Changshou shouted again, then frowned at the gray cloud in the sky.

It's struck twice now—why hasn't it dissipated?

With the same doubt, his master invoked the power of the Tai Ji Tu for divination and soon said,

“This is punishing him for evading into the tribulation during his previous crossing.”

Yunxiao nodded slightly and asked, “Then why hasn't the heavenly punishment cloud dissipated?”

“Hmm...”

His master pondered for a moment, divined again, and said, “The heavenly secrets reveal it's punishing him for his nine previous instances of severing the dao realm, which went against heavenly fate and had deficiencies...

It seems it's not just three strikes.”

A hundred li away, the third bolt of heavenly punishment lightning crashed down, directly flipping Li Changshou onto the auspicious clouds and making his body convulse.

Yet the gray cloud still lingered!

His master and Yunxiao exchanged a glance, instantly transforming into streams of light and appearing at Li Changshou's sides in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, Li Changshou dispersed the immortal power around the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill in his mouth, allowing the pill to tremble slightly and dissolve into threads of golden light that seeped into his body...

After enduring three strikes of heavenly punishment, Li Changshou's consciousness was blurred;

Sensing the auras of his master and Yunxiao, he felt an inexplicable sense of security and murmured,

“Thank you, Heavenly Dao lord... for taking the time to strike..."

Yunxiao, who had a serious expression, couldn't help but laugh at this, while his master facepalmed.

Next, Yunxiao and his master acted simultaneously: she turned her golden vessel, making it grow to over half a zhang tall, and drew Li Changshou inside.

His master waved his long sleeves, manifesting a shadow of the Tai Ji Tu to shield the Hun Yuan Golden Vessel.

But to the surprise of Yunxiao and his master...

Above, the tribulation cloud trembled lightly and vanished without a trace.

A cracking sound came from within the Hun Yuan Golden Vessel!

Inside, a small patch of gray cloud appeared over Li Changshou's head and unleashed another bolt of heavenly punishment lightning!

“This!”

His master and Yunxiao looked at each other in bewilderment; as extraordinary figures, they naturally understood what this meant.

This heavenly punishment could not be blocked and was impossible to stop!

“Xuandu Shixiong!”

“No need to panic; he used the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, so the punishment's power isn't too intense—it won't destroy his shen soul, just severely injure him.”

Yunxiao frowned and asked, “But why is this happening?”

Xuandu Shi pondered for a while, then sat down cross-legged, quickly forming seals with his hands. One hand pressed against the Hun Yuan Golden Vessel, the other continued divining.

Behind him, a black-and-white Tai Ji Tu, about three chi in diameter, materialized.

This time, Xuandu Shi sensed a slightly unusual heavenly secret and, upon careful comprehension, received some vague messages...

Glancing at the situation inside the Hun Yuan Golden Vessel,

The originally unconscious Li Changshou was now jumping around in pain from the strikes, relying on the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill to constantly heal his injuries while enduring more blows.

Xuandu Shi tilted his head, imagining a scene in his mind...

It was as if on that tribulation cloud, an irate old daoist was wielding a thunder whip at Li Changshou below, shouting with each lash:

“Will you cross or not?”

“Just tell me, will you cross or not!”

“You and your eighty to ninety percent certainty for another tribulation—why not go for one hundred percent and aim straight for Da Luo! Have I spoiled you?”

—This was pure imagination.

“Urgh...”

Xuandu Shi's mouth twitched, and black lines covered his forehead.

Yunxiao asked hurriedly, “Xuandu Shixiong, what is it?”

“This,” he replied after a pause, “the heavenly secrets cannot be revealed.”

The Nine Revolutions Golden Pill was indeed used.

Li Changshou truly didn't understand why, despite not doing anything heinous, the Heavenly Dao lord had struck him with a full twelve bolts of heavenly punishment lightning.

Fortunately, with the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill sustaining him and the Hun Yuan Golden Vessel stabilizing his injuries and restoring his vital energy, otherwise he might have become the shortest-lived Jin Xian in Honghuang history!

Honghuang is truly too dangerous.

After the tribulation, he had repeatedly reminded himself not to get arrogant or complacent, to stay grounded—after all, Jin Xian realm in Honghuang is only moderately significant.

The Feng Shen calamity is looming ahead; without changes, even experts like Zhao Gongming and the three sisters can't escape it...

However, such self-admonitions from Li Changshou were utterly meaningless.

He had just survived the Jin Xian tribulation, only to be taught a lesson by the Heavenly Dao lord in an instant!

Those repeated lashes of heavenly punishment lightning, teetering on the edge of life and death multiple times, made him realize how insignificant he still was. Longevity was merely a grain of sand in the palm—easy to lose if not held tight...

But to be fair, inside Yunxiao's Hun Yuan Golden Vessel, it was quite comfortable.

Li Changshou let out a light breath, checking his injuries as the potent effects of the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill continued to spread, allowing his wounds to heal on their own.

His dao foundation was intact, his dao fruit unharmed—it was just...

Regardless, he had endured the Jin Xian tribulation and stepped onto a new level.

Later, he could slow down his enlightenment pace and shift his focus to merit, alchemy, spiritual treasures, and escape techniques, comprehensively enhancing his strength and survival capabilities.

Now, he could finally say:

Jin Xian realm, secured!

Li Changshou steadied his mind and pushed open the gate of myriad wonders, stepping inside!

Of course, before that, using his paper daoist, he informed others of his upcoming twelve-year seclusion by leaving written notes at his residence in the Heavenly Palace and at the base of Ao Yi's statue in the Sea God Temple. He also notified the heavenly general guarding his residence and sent a divine thought to call Ao Yi.

Entering the gate of myriad wonders during the immortality tribulation is called ascension and leads to a major realm breakthrough;

For the Jin Xian tribulation, entering again won't likely result in ascension.

From Jin Xian nine grades to perfection, one can be called Da Luo Jin Xian;

This is an entirely new realm and life level, and Li Changshou didn't know how far he could progress—he wasn't in a hurry.

Better to be steady; this time, he'd just consolidate his realm without seeking advancement.

As Li Changshou began recuperating and secluding himself in the Hun Yuan Golden Vessel...

In the Heavenly Court, within the Ling Xiao Treasure Hall,

Dongmu Gong presented a memorial to the high platform and smiled, “Your Majesty, as per your request, I have compiled all the conveniences associated with the positions of Heavenly Court orthodox gods.

This should hold immense appeal for the Dragon Clan.”

The white-clad youth glanced over it briefly and soon laughed, “Excellent. Remember to fully inform Chang Geng Qing before making this public.”

“This old subject obeys.”

“By the way, Mu Gong,” the white-clad youth said, looking at the eighteenth item in the memorial, “what do you think Chang Geng Qing's cultivation realm might be?”

Dongmu Gong pondered for a moment and replied, “This old subject has only seen the Sea God's incarnation and couldn't see through it clearly, but it's at least Jin Xian level, possibly even Da Luo realm. The contents of this memorial should be of little consequence to him, so I didn't mention it much before.”

“I feel the same; these orthodox god benefits probably mean little to Chang Geng Qing.”

The white-clad youth nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on the eighteenth item of the memorial before moving on, continuing casual conversation with Dongmu Gong.

The memorial clearly stated:

Eighteenth: If one joins the Heavenly Court as an orthodox god, they may be exempt from the immortality tribulation, and during the Jin Xian tribulation, holding a Heavenly Dao divine authority treasure allows exemption from one layer of tribulation.