The Tribulation of a Dao-Heart

“Since Ning has arrived and everyone is present, we will set off for the tribulation site tonight,” the Diancai Immortal announced.

Ji Ning and Wufeng Immortal exchanged a glance, then both nodded. “Good. Tonight, we depart.”

Matters concerning the crossing of tribulations were shrouded in utmost secrecy.

Ji Ning and his company could not afford to be careless. Even in ordinary times, ‘crossing a tribulation’ required extreme caution. But now, with the Three Realms in turmoil during this special era, Ji Ning and his comrades were taking every possible precaution.

When the dead of night arrived.

The Diancai Immortal, Wufeng Immortal, Ji Ning, and the Whitewater Hound quietly executed a spatial teleportation, leaving Anchan City behind.

Above the vast, surging ocean, ripples of space emanated, and three figures alongside a snow-white hound materialized out of thin air.

“Where is this?” Ji Ning asked, looking around. Since the spatial teleportation was cast by his master, the Diancai Immortal, Ji Ning had no idea of their location.

“This is the North Sea,” the Diancai Immortal said. “The tribulation site I’ve chosen is a small world I discovered by chance during my youthful adventures in the North Sea. This world is incredibly hidden and perfectly suited for a tribulation crossing. Follow me!”

Mist and clouds instantly gathered around them as the Diancai Immortal cast a spell, swiftly carrying Ji Ning, Wufeng Immortal, and the Whitewater Hound forward. Soon, a distant island came into view, radiating intense heat with a volcano at its center.

“The entrance to that small world is within the volcano on this island.” The Diancai Immortal led Ji Ning and the others, speeding through the sky before diving straight into the volcanic crater.

The crater was a place of strange wonders.

Vast rivers of magma churned below.

The Diancai Immortal silently gazed at a corner of the cavern, a flicker of complex emotion in his eyes. He murmured softly, “In my youth, I was wild and arrogant, roaming the world, untamed and proud. And now, I am about to undergo my tribulation. Truly, the vicissitudes of life are mysterious.”

Both Ji Ning and Wufeng Immortal could sense the unusual emotional state of the Diancai Immortal in that moment.

“If I fail this tribulation,” the Diancai Immortal said softly, “then it is death. And in death, I shall be reunited with you, my junior apprentice-sister.”

In the deep recesses of memory…

The brilliant and dashing youth, the Diancai Immortal, was once the number one unparalleled genius of the younger generation in the Black-White College.

The young woman, a reincarnated Immortal, was revered as the ‘Rain Drifting Immortal,’ pursued by countless young talents.

They had adventured side-by-side, braving life and death, roaming for millions of miles. They had ventured into endless mountain ranges and crossed vast oceans—until that day. They encountered an ancient Primal-level Flame Fiendgod, a primordial demon that emerged from the lava. That parting was an eternal farewell; beneath the Fiendgod’s flames, his junior apprentice-sister’s soul had been scattered, never to return…

“Master.” Ji Ning was startled.

Could his master be harboring such thoughts? Crossing a Heavenly Tribulation was extremely dangerous—even the ‘Golden Lotus Primal’ could be severely damaged. Some who felt they couldn’t endure halfway through would immediately give up, allowing them to survive as a Loose Immortal. Depending on the extent of the damage to their Golden Lotus Primal, the purity of a Loose Immortal’s elemental power varied. The strongest could rival a perfected Void stage cultivator, while the weakest were only comparable to the early Void stage.

But some returning Void Earth Immortals would face the tribulation with a death wish, refusing to give up!

This could indeed increase their chances of success.

However, if they fought to the very end and failed, it meant utter annihilation of their soul.

“You still haven’t let go,” Wufeng Immortal said, shaking his head.

“Why should I let go? Why must I forget? How could I bear to forget?” the Diancai Immortal murmured.

Ji Ning said, “Master, leaving a thread of hope allows for a chance at reincarnation. If you fail this life, you might succeed in the next.”

“There’s no need to persuade me,” the Diancai Immortal said, shaking his head. “My mind is made up. Let’s go. It’s time to enter.”

Whoosh!

The lava below them parted, and the Diancai Immortal led them deeper and deeper, reaching an extreme depth. There, a winding network of tunnels emerged. The Diancai Immortal, thoroughly familiar with the path, followed a subterranean magma channel until a dark opening appeared in a corner.

“Enter.” The Diancai Immortal led Ji Ning and the others, flying straight into the dark opening.

It was a world filled with boundless deathly energy. At a glance, even the mountain ranges were scorched black, and the earth was blasted and barren. There was not a hint of green to be seen. Ordinary plants simply couldn’t survive here; only some pitch-black, thorn-covered, man-high bizarre flora thrived in this world.

Whoosh!

The surface of a massive mountain wall rippled like water, and the Diancai Immortal, Wufeng Immortal, Ji Ning, and the Whitewater Hound emerged from within.

“Such dense deathly energy?” Wufeng Immortal frowned as he looked around. “How could this small world be like this? Logically, even if it had suffered a catastrophe, it should have recovered under the influence of the Sunstar and Taiyin Star.”

“This was a world where a Flame Fiendgod once lurked,” the Diancai Immortal explained. “That Fiendgod filled this small world with lava, causing all life within it to perish. Although that Fiendgod is already dead, this small world will require an extremely long time to recover.”

Ji Ning nodded.

Destroying a small world was easy, but recovery was a process that took millions of years, or even longer, before vegetation and even small animals and birds would reappear.

“This small world is incredibly hidden and devoid of life, so we don’t have to worry about harming innocent beings. It is perfectly suited for my tribulation,” the Diancai Immortal said. “In normal times, hiding in a place like this to cross a tribulation would make discovery highly unlikely. However, with the entire Grand Xia world in such turmoil, it is said that many returning Void Earth Immortals have been attacked during their tribulations.”

“That’s right. Their tribulation sites were very hidden, yet they were still discovered and attacked,” Wufeng Immortal added gravely. “We must also be cautious.”

“Master, rest assured. Leave it to me and Brother Wufeng,” Ji Ning promised solemnly.

“Mm.”

The Diancai Immortal nodded, then flew off into the distance, with Ji Ning, Wufeng Immortal, and the Whitewater Hound following closely behind.

After flying for a while, they landed on a wide, scorched-black stretch of ground. The Diancai Immortal sat down cross-legged, waiting in silence.

“In eight days, the Heavenly Tribulation will descend. Everything will then depend on your master alone,” Wufeng Immortal said, his voice laced with worry.

“It all rests on Master,” Ji Ning also felt a deep concern.

When the Heavenly Tribulation descended, all external assistance was strictly forbidden.

Even a Daofather would not dare to help someone else endure their tribulation. Whoever dared to help block a tribulation would immediately face ‘Heavenly Punishment’ themselves. Even a Daofather, if they didn’t immediately withdraw, would be utterly annihilated by the Heavenly Punishment if they persisted!

Thus, throughout history, no one had ever dared to help another person withstand their tribulation.

Furthermore, any pre-arranged formations or array restrictions were considered ‘external force.’ If the Diancai Immortal had set up a formation and personally controlled it, that would be acceptable—at worst, the formation would be destroyed, and the tribulation’s power would increase. But if someone else, like the Whitewater Hound or Ji Ning, were to control the formation, then Ji Ning or the Whitewater Hound would be subject to ‘Heavenly Punishment’!

This was also why Ji Ning had not advised his master to cross the tribulation at Mount Yan.

Throughout the world, there were countless places with powerful formations. The formations within the Grand Xia imperial palace, for instance, were set up by grand powers. If it were possible to allow a returning Void Earth Immortal to temporarily control such powerful formations, the tribulation would be far too easy!

Thus…

The use of all external forces was absolutely forbidden! The Heavenly Tribulation was the greatest trial on a cultivator’s path to immortality! Even formation cultivators, like the Whitewater Hound, could only use magic treasures like the ‘Fuxi Staff Formation.’ When the tribulation truly descended, they would have to deploy a formation using the Fuxi Staff Formation’s treasures.

Sword formations like the Plow Heaven Sword Formation and the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation were also considered personal strength.

However, fixed formations set up with special materials and arrays were considered external forces! In contrast, the Plow Heaven Sword Formation, the Lesser Thousand Sword Formation, and the Fuxi Staff Formation were all considered part of one’s own ability.

“Master,” Ji Ning suddenly walked over.

“Hm?” The Diancai Immortal looked up at Ji Ning.

“Master, I have here five supreme-grade Immortal-ranked flying swords. If you use them, your chances of overcoming the tribulation should be much greater.” With a thought, Ji Ning produced five black immortal swords that seemed to shimmer like translucent phantoms before him. These were the Plow Heaven Immortal Swords. Ji Ning had already withdrawn his elemental power from them, rendering them ownerless.

The Diancai Immortal was stunned.

“Five supreme-grade Immortal-ranked?” Wufeng Immortal also revealed an expression of ecstatic joy. “Excellent! Ning, you truly keep your talents hidden. This is quite the move!”

Ji Ning smiled.

At the level of supreme-grade Immortal-ranked flying swords, they were difficult to purchase with money alone and were typically acquired through trade. Five supreme-grade Immortal-ranked swords, all from the same source… were far more valuable than all the immortal swords Ji Ning had obtained from slaying demon kings and evil patriarchs combined. These were, after all, items from the Water Mansion’s treasury, extraordinary in their own right.

“Take them,” Wufeng Immortal said with a beaming smile. “Your disciple is offering them to you. Why are you being so modest?”

“Very well.” The Diancai Immortal’s demeanor also changed. “With these five supreme-grade Immortal-ranked flying swords, my chances of crossing the tribulation have increased significantly. At least, my odds for the first three tribulations are much higher.”

The Heavenly Tribulation consisted of four major trials.

They were the Wind Tribulation, the Fire Tribulation, the Lightning Tribulation, and the Heart Demon Tribulation!

The first three tribulations followed discernible patterns, though they grew increasingly terrifying. The vast majority of returning Void Earth Immortals met their end during these first three trials, particularly the Lightning Tribulation. As each bolt of heavenly lightning struck down, many returning Void Earth Immortals had their physical bodies blasted apart and their Golden Lotus Primals severely wounded. Stricken with terror, they would give up and flee, becoming Loose Immortals. Even Celestial Immortal Juhua, back in his day, had failed to withstand the Lightning Tribulation, precisely because he didn’t have good Immortal-ranked magic treasures!

If he had possessed supreme-grade Immortal-ranked treasures, given his strength and Dao-heart, Celestial Immortal Juhua might have succeeded in becoming a Celestial Immortal.

“Indeed, your chances are much better now. But you must still be careful,” Wufeng Immortal said solemnly. “The Heavenly Tribulation… magic treasures are only one aspect. You must also be strong yourself. This tribulation tests far more than just your equipment.”

“I understand,” the Diancai Immortal nodded.

Even the disciples of True Immortals and Empyrean Gods had frequently failed their tribulations. Those disciples typically had supreme-grade Immortal-ranked treasures, yet they still failed. Clearly, the tribulation varied from person to person—the more monstrous the talent and the higher one’s strength, the more terrifying the tribulation would become.

Days passed.

After familiarizing himself with the Plow Heaven Immortal Swords, the Diancai Immortal quietly waited. Ji Ning, Wufeng Immortal, and the Whitewater Hound stood to the side, silently guarding him.

Then, finally…

“Whoosh…” A gentle breeze suddenly began to blow, rustling the Diancai Immortal’s Daoist robe.

The Diancai Immortal opened his eyes. “Elder apprentice-brother Wufeng, Ning, Brother White. Act as my guardians. The Heavenly Tribulation has begun.”

Ji Ning could already feel the fluctuations of the ‘wind’ around them growing increasingly intense. All of them watched the seated Diancai Immortal with bated breath and anxious hearts.