The Primordial Era is truly terrifying…
The crisp sound of clinking filled the air as Ao Yi sat on the edge of his luxurious, hundred-foot-long bed. His hands trembled uncontrollably, and the warm, nourishing tea he held spilled over the edges, leaving only a few drops reaching his lips.
He was shaking—trembling—all over.
But the cause of Ao Yi’s tremors was not the presence of the Dragon Mother, the Turtle Immortal, or his uncles from the dragon clan. It wasn’t fear of them or the punishment he might face.
Though he had only recently hatched—barely eleven or twelve years old—he considered himself resilient.
Before being sent to the Southern Sea’s Golden Ao Island to seek apprenticeship under an immortal of the Jie Sect, he had endured three months of torture, suffering under freezing iron spikes without once yielding.
Yet now, his trembling came naturally, beyond his control.
His body felt utterly drained, as if a dark shadow had settled deep in his heart.
That shadow…
That was the source of his fear.
At the mere thought of it, Ao Yi caught a glimpse of that cold, emotionless face—an old Taoist of the human race.
Humans—how could they be so cunning?
As memories of that brief, harrowing battle resurfaced, Ao Yi shuddered even more violently.
Seeing this, the Dragon Mother quickly urged the elder dragons to examine her son. But after several assessments, they could only come to one conclusion—
Excessive drinking.
Ao Yi’s barely noticeable Adam’s apple quivered slightly as he forced down a gulp of his expensive, herbal-infused tea. But in the next moment, he suddenly spat it out, retching violently.
Several maids rushed forward in concern, only for Ao Yi to let out a blood-curdling scream, terror filling his eyes.
“Stay back!
What do you think you’re doing?!”
The delicate, beautiful maids immediately lowered their heads in fear and quickly retreated.
Even under the most critical scrutiny, his foundation was solid.
Was it time to face his Celestial Tribulation?
Li Changshou looked up at the sky—vast and cloudless, a deep azure.
Hmm… it seemed he was still lacking something. His expectations of facing the tribulation upon reaching the ninth level of Dao Return weren’t entirely accurate.
After all, he had always prepared for the worst.
Closing his eyes, he steadied his mind and continued meditating. The small spirit-gathering formation beneath him, arranged with spiritual stones, constantly emitted spiritual energy, which he absorbed completely, wasting not a single wisp.
Throughout a ten-mile radius, several paper avatars lay hidden beneath the sea, keeping watch while also luring any potential ambushers.
There weren’t many defensive arrangements around the reef—once the tribulation descended, this place would be reduced to ruins.
His preparations were placed farther away, and they weren’t defensive formations, but escape formations—designed purely for retreat.
Once the tribulation was over, he could leave quickly.
This was already the ideal location he had found for his tribulation. Within a thousand miles, there were no wandering cultivators. Occasionally, one would pass overhead, but usually hundreds of miles away.
—This was closely tied to the distribution of mortal cities on land.
After meditating for half a month, Li Changshou suddenly felt a restless unease. A subtle yet profound Dao rhythm began to manifest around him.
The tribulation was approaching.
Having reached the ninth level of Dao Return, he was given half a month to stabilize his realm and reinforce the last traces of his Dao foundation. The Heavenly Dao, in its way, was rather… “considerate.”
His figure flickered like a swimming fish, using his water escape technique to patrol within a hundred-mile radius twice before floating back to the reef.
Come then—he was ready.
The feeling was somewhat strange.
Like standing on the precipice of a life-changing exam, as if he had studied for twelve years in his past life, only to find himself tossing and turning the night before the final test…
“I must not let my mind waver. I must remain calm and focused.”
Li Changshou silently recited a mantra for inner peace. After some time, he pulled out the Wu Wei Sutra and carefully studied it, holding it in his hands.
A single extra insight, a bit more understanding—any increase in comprehension would improve his chances of overcoming the tribulation.
Three days later, the foreboding sensation of the impending tribulation grew stronger.
The mantra had lost its effect, and he could no longer focus on any new insights. Within three miles, an almost imperceptible oppressive force loomed, instinctively driving all nearby creatures away.
His master’s tribulation had been the same—hesitant and drawn out.
He wondered whether his tribulation would be gentle… or fierce, wild, and overwhelming.
His tribulation.
It would likely be seven or eight heavenly lightning bolts.
Li Changshou mused over it, allowing his mind to relax. He didn’t force himself into calmness; instead, he embraced the unease and anxiety within him.
This was a natural reaction of all living beings before the might of heaven—unrelated to one’s Dao realm.
The Celestial Tribulation, also known as the Dao Ascension Tribulation… Li Changshou had pondered the meaning of Dao Ascension for a long time.
Today, he finally had an answer.
Qi Refining, Spirit Transformation, Void Return, Dao Return—all were stages where a cultivator learned from nature, imitated it, and ultimately summarized their own Dao from it.
That Dao was the foundation for attaining immortality.
The tribulation was Heaven’s way of testing a cultivator’s Dao—to determine whether it was worthy of immortality.
At the same time, the tribulation served as a refining process, tempering the cultivator and allowing their Dao to ascend to greater heights.
To be born as a spirit and ascend as an immortal.
Dao and Dao Realm could not be simply equated. Giving one’s Dao a rigid name or definition was, in Li Changshou’s view, an error in perspective.
Just as human nature could be steadfast or restless, bold or reserved, anxious or carefree—
So too could the Dao.
“And so too am I.”
A faint smile appeared on Li Changshou’s lips as he closed his eyes.
Suddenly, a light breeze rose around him, swirling into a spiral before rushing toward the sky.
A low rumbling echoed, and the sky above the ocean shifted.
From hundreds of feet above, dark gray tribulation clouds surged in, covering a ten-mile radius.
Within the clouds, mountains seemed to loom, pagodas appeared faintly, and ranks of heavenly soldiers stood in formation, with giant gods striking war drums.
Countless illusory images flickered within the roiling tribulation clouds. Below, the clouds began to rotate slowly, resembling a massive waterspout forming over the ocean.
But before it could fully take shape, lightning burst within the vortex, flashing like a storm of electric serpents.
On the reef, Li Changshou slowly stood, straightened his robe, and flicked his sleeve—twelve birdcage-like magic artifacts spread out around him, and several prepared elixirs were tucked into his sleeve.
His Dao body shimmered with a faint azure glow, and his primordial spirit was fully focused.
Exhaling one last breath of impure air, Li Changshou looked up, then—
Respectfully, he performed an ancient Daoist salute.
With a steady voice, he declared:
“A disciple of the Dao Sect now addresses the heavens!
I acknowledge the heavenly tribulation of Dao Ascension and accept it with sincerity.
I establish my Dao and seek the path of worry-free immortality.
If the tribulation falls and I fail to endure, if my body perishes and my Dao fades, then it only proves that my Dao is unworthy of eternity. I shall hold no resentment.
The Dao resounds, and the Heavenly Dao stands just.
I thank the Heavenly Dao for its grace in bestowing this opportunity for ascension!”
Boom!
The tribulation clouds seemed to rumble in response—or perhaps they had never acknowledged his words at all.
The power of the tribulation remained unchanged.
Within the swirling vortex, several silver-white lightning bolts the size of well openings flashed, crackling with immense energy. Electric arcs flickered around Li Changshou’s body.
Floating slowly into the air, he watched as the twelve birdcage artifacts spread out over the sea, adjusting their positions for later use.
When he reached a height of thirty feet, three bright silver lightning orbs flashed simultaneously—
With a deafening crack, they merged into a thick lightning bolt and crashed down upon him!
Although his spiritual intuition did not detect any fatal danger, Li Changshou still surged his mana, reinforcing every inch of his body.
His Dao body glowed faintly, then—
He was completely engulfed by the heavenly lightning!
The first bolt alone was as strong as the third bolt of his master’s tribulation!
His tribulation would indeed be no trivial matter.
But he had blocked it entirely.
Looking up once more, he calmed his mind and waited.
The sensation of being struck…
Tingly, numbing—
A pure stream of immortal energy had already begun forming within him while his primordial spirit soaked in the residual lightning.
Surprisingly…
It felt rather pleasant.
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1