Chapter 78: Destruction Before Rebirth

Having resolved the matter with Yazi, Qingxu felt quite pleased. He had planted a chess piece within the Dragon Clan, and not just any piece, but one of considerable status. Though this piece would not harm the interests of the dragons, its potential influence was extraordinary. With careful maneuvering, Qingxu stood to gain immensely. Now, with the disaster redirected, he could extricate himself completely.

“Yet there remains a flaw. That second-generation demon, Luo Fan, knows it was I who devoured the Four Ferocious Beasts. But will the Turbid Dragon believe him or Yazi? And considering Luo Fan’s arrogance, he may not even reveal the matter.” All mighty beings possess their own pride, especially someone like Luo Fan, who stood atop the power structure as the leader of the Demon Sect.

For now, Qingxu had no intention of heading to Wanqiu. His injuries were severe, and even a cultivator at the Transforming Spirit realm could likely slay him now. With such weakened strength, he had little confidence in controlling the affairs of the human race. Should ill-intentioned schemers arise, the consequences would be unimaginable! Healing was the priority.

“This time, I should be able to break through in one fell swoop, advancing to the late Earth Immortal stage. The next step is to consider the threshold of Celestial Immortal and the tribulation of ascension.” To become a Celestial Immortal, one must not only break through the barrier but also withstand the immortal tribulation.

All cultivators, upon reaching the peak of Earth Immortal, immediately sense the approach of the Thunderfire Immortal Tribulation. Spirit beasts and spiritual objects must further endure the tribulation of transformation. Truly, every step is fraught with peril; a single misstep leads to utter annihilation.

The power of the transformation tribulation for spirit beasts and objects varies greatly, depending largely on their innate foundation. For innate spirit beasts and objects, some must face the Celestial Immortal tribulation before the transformation tribulation. Qingxu belonged to this category. If not for the guidance of the Primordial Heavenly Lord, given his foundation as a low-grade innate spiritual treasure, he would have needed to cultivate to the level of a Taiyi True Immortal before taking human form. The hardship of such a path was chilling to contemplate. Without guidance in cultivation methods and taboos, even if one stumbled past the Celestial Immortal tribulation, the transformation tribulation would be hard to survive.

Qingxu was fortunate to become a disciple of Yuxu, otherwise, he might still be fumbling blindly in cultivation, or worse, stray onto a deviant path, fall into madness, and have his soul dissipated. He could hardly enjoy the freedom he now possessed.

“Tribulation cannot be avoided. Even if a Hunyuan Saint reverses fate somewhat, the grand trend cannot be diminished. My transformation tribulation will come eventually, but it’s nothing to worry about now. The only concern is the Great Luo Destiny Tribulation, which is still far off.” The Celestial Immortal tribulation and transformation tribulation are classified into three grades: the lesser four-nine tribulation, the medium six-nine tribulation, and the highest nine-nine tribulation. Generally, primordial beings advancing to Celestial Immortal face the six-nine tribulation, rarely the four-nine. As for the nine-nine tribulation, it is extraordinary. Basically, Celestial Immortal tribulations never reach nine-nine, and only those transforming at the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, such as the Three Pure Ones, Emperor Jun, and Taiyi, face the nine-nine transformation tribulation. Figures like Xuandu and Duobao fall short, at most enduring the six-nine tribulation.

Yet nothing is absolute! Change is constant. Should Qingxu’s natal spiritual treasure advance, the nine-nine transformation tribulation in the future would not be impossible. But the Celestial Immortal tribulation would only ever be four-nine or six-nine. The nine-nine Celestial Immortal tribulation exists only in theory; no one has witnessed it in reality.

Several thousand miles from Wanqiu, amidst a desolate mountain strewn with jagged rocks, Qingxu descended on auspicious clouds, found a simple cave to dwell in, and set up over a dozen concealment and defensive restrictions. He then settled down to regulate his breath and cultivate, steadily healing his injuries. His body was gravely damaged, so he could only heal slowly and methodically; otherwise, if he rushed, the wounds would worsen.

Jade Pure immortality power coursed through his limbs and body, radiating pure brilliance from Qingxu. Immortal energy swirled ceaselessly. Above his head, a cloud of light several acres in size supported three clusters of pure radiance. They seemed identical, yet their inner charm differed. Any disciple of the Three Pure Ones would recognize this as the powers of Supreme Pure, Jade Pure, and Upper Pure. However, among these, Supreme Pure and Upper Pure were somewhat ethereal, as Qingxu lacked the cultivation methods for their techniques. For now, he could only infuse Jade Pure power with the essence of all three. The gap between this and true Three Pure powers was vast.

As the Jade Pure power gradually stabilized, Qingxu allowed his mind to wander. “To cultivate true Three Pure immortality power, the first step is to master Supreme Pure, Jade Pure, and Upper Pure separately. The second step is to comprehend ‘Three Origins Become One,’ which opposes ‘One Breath Becomes Three Pure.’ But now I possess the Supreme Pure Immortal Talisman, which can help me shorten the time needed for this insight. The third step is simple: fuse the Three Pure powers using Three Origins Become One. If I truly achieve this, my strength would be unfathomable!”

Earlier, he had gained enlightenment in the face of mortal danger, allowing his state of mind to reach the late Earth Immortal stage in one leap. Now, suffering severe injuries, he experienced the principle of ‘breaking then establishing anew.’ His healing was vigorous, and he spared no expense, swallowing handfuls of elixirs and pills. With their spiritual energy, his fundamental power increased dramatically.

Earth Immortal mid-stage... twice the power of mid-stage... thrice the power...

He had no idea how much time passed. His injuries finally healed completely, and his fundamental power reached saturation, unable to grow any further. Now he possessed power matching his realm.

Late Earth Immortal—achieved!

All that remained was to push his power to the limit for late stage, then he would reach the summit of the Earth Immortal realm and sense the timing of the Celestial Immortal tribulation.

“As long as it’s not the nine-nine Celestial Immortal tribulation, my innate spiritual treasures can easily withstand it. There’s no need to worry about this tribulation!” Qingxu never believed he would face the nine-nine tribulation, for since the dawn of the world opened by Pangu, no one had ever experienced such a trial. However proud he was, he would not be so arrogant as to claim himself ‘the first under heaven,’ the first to face the nine-nine Celestial Immortal tribulation.

Calculating with his fingers, he realized this healing breakthrough had taken half a month. Startled, he hurriedly ended his retreat and headed toward Wanqiu.

“My strength is still insufficient! If only I could fully utilize the effects of the Xuanhuang Purifying Water.” The ordeal in the Three Yin Abyss made Qingxu acutely aware of his lack of power. Yet it was difficult for his avatar to bring out the full potential of the Xuanhuang Purifying Water; he needed to master all the techniques of Five Qi Toward the Origin and Three Flowers Gathered at the Summit. Such profound Dao methods could not be learned overnight. Cultivation of advanced techniques requires long years, and for arts like Five Qi Toward the Origin and Three Flowers Gathered at the Summit, the threshold is at least several hundred or even a thousand years.

As he was lost in thought, something suddenly occurred to him. His auspicious cloud paused, and his face lit up with wild joy.

“How foolish—how utterly foolish! How did I not think of this before? It’s so simple, wonderful! Now I can fully use the Xuanhuang Purifying Water’s power, at the very least matching an early or mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal!” He muttered to himself, turning over the solution in his mind, feeling more certain as he considered it.

What had Qingxu realized? To know what happens next, wait for the following chapter!