Heartbeat.
The moment the second tribulation of the Heart-Refining Secret Art was initiated, his true divine heart was plunged into an illusion.
Within the illusion.
Standing atop a towering mountain peak, Dongbo Xueying’s body trembled slightly as pain relentlessly assaulted him.
Suddenly, a pale, delicate hand rested on his shoulder, and the pain vanished instantly.
“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying turned his head to see a stunningly beautiful woman behind him. In terms of appearance, grace, and allure, she was unparalleled in his lifetime. Her voice, soft and seductive, whispered, “Why torment yourself like this? Wouldn’t it be better to spend more time with me?” As she spoke, she entwined herself around him, her breath warm against his ear.
It was comforting—the pain was gone.
Yet, Dongbo Xueying unleashed a surge of energy from his body, repelling the beautiful woman, and turned to leave. However, the moment he pushed her away, the pain returned in full force.
…
By the lakeside.
An old man sat fishing, and Dongbo Xueying appeared beside him, the pain gnawing at him.
“Young man, why push yourself so hard in cultivation? Isn’t it all for a life of leisure in the end? Look at me—I eat when I want, drink when I want, fish when I please, and sleep when I feel like it… Why not let go of your obsessions and enjoy life?” the old man said with a chuckle.
Facing the beautiful woman earlier, Dongbo Xueying hadn’t uttered a word.
But now, he replied, “Without cultivation, life is but a fleeting hundred years. With cultivation, you can attain immortality! So, will you cultivate?”
“Without cultivation, how will you eat or drink? You’d starve. With cultivation, you can feast on the wind and dew, savoring delicacies beyond imagination.”
“Without cultivation, how far can you travel on foot? With cultivation, you can soar through the skies and traverse the earth, witnessing the wonders of the world.”
“Without cultivation, even a band of marauders can bring you to ruin. With cultivation, you can stand against thousands, even rival gods and demons. So, will you cultivate?”
Dongbo Xueying spoke with conviction.
As a youth, his parents’ capture had taught him a harsh lesson—without strength, how could one truly enjoy life? A mere ant could be crushed at any moment.
“Moreover.”
“Without cultivation, among the countless lives in the vast cosmos, you are but an insignificant speck, your hundred-year existence fleeting. With cultivation, you have the chance to stand at the pinnacle of the universe, watching stars rise and fall, witnessing the birth and demise of entire races. With a mere snap of your fingers, you can obliterate the void itself, your will dictating the fate of countless lives.”
As Dongbo Xueying spoke, the old man dissipated into nothingness.
…
Dongbo Xueying then found himself in a grand hall, seated upon a throne, with a multitude of ministers prostrating before him.
“Your Majesty, why torment yourself? You possess vast lands, peerless warriors, and loyal armies. None dare oppose you.”
“Your Majesty, seeing you suffer pains this old servant’s heart.”
One after another, they pleaded.
Dongbo Xueying shook his head lightly. “Indulgence alone cannot secure this throne.”
…
The world offered countless temptations—beauty, emotions, power, delicacies—all luring him.
Yet Dongbo Xueying regarded them all with indifference.
At his level of cultivation, he understood the workings of the cosmos—nothing was given freely. To hold the throne and wield supreme power required relentless effort, mastering countless subjects and the entire realm. To possess beauty, one needed the strength to deter all who coveted it.
To savor delicacies, one must earn the privilege, compelling master chefs to serve and countless others to gather rare ingredients.
Even emotions required the power to protect them.
The laws of the cosmos were fair.
Thus, the temptations of the ‘Heartbeat Tribulation’ seemed alluring but were ultimately illusory, even laughable to Dongbo Xueying.
And so, the second tribulation of the Heart-Refining Secret Art, the ‘Heartbeat Tribulation,’ was overcome with ease.
…
Having passed two tribulations, Dongbo Xueying felt confident about the third.
The third tribulation was called ‘Time.’
Upon initiating the Heart-Refining Secret Art’s third tribulation, he was once again plunged into an illusion where time flowed differently from the outside world—like a dream where eons pass in a single night.
The ‘Time Tribulation’ was unique in that it inflicted no pain.
Time.
He became another protagonist, living an entire life from start to finish, unable to resist or choose. He could only experience everything as that protagonist, like a dream where one succumbs to temptation despite inner resistance. The ‘Time Tribulation’ was the same.
Everything unfolded beyond his control.
The first protagonist lived an extraordinarily long life, starting as a mortal, experiencing love and hatred, cultivation, and eventually descending into demonhood. This life spanned fifteen billion years, ending when he was slain as a Second Heaven Realm God for his cruelty and madness.
Fifteen billion years passed in the blink of an eye within the ‘Time Tribulation.’
Dongbo Xueying had never experienced such a span of time—his own cultivation journey was but a fraction of this. Despite his high mental fortitude, he was inevitably affected.
The second protagonist.
Was even darker, enduring countless tragedies before fully succumbing to demonic forces at sixteen. He served the Demon Gods, destroyed his world, and ascended to the Dark Abyss as a powerful Demon God—ruthless, cunning, and trusting no one. He lived for twenty-three billion years before being slain as a Third Heaven Realm God.
The third protagonist.
Led a charmed life, a prodigy who faced no setbacks, advancing rapidly in cultivation. Surrounded by countless beauties, he accepted only those he truly loved. He lived over a hundred and twenty billion years, dying peacefully as a Fourth Heaven Realm God.
At the moment of his death—
“Boom.”
Dongbo Xueying’s true divine heart trembled, and his cultivation ceased.
“Failed?” He awoke, realizing he had failed the third tribulation, ‘Time.’ “Only eleven hundred years passed in reality, yet over a hundred billion years in the ‘Time Tribulation’…”
His mind was so affected he couldn’t continue.
The ‘Time Tribulation’ required maintaining transcendent clarity throughout. Clearly, these three protagonists were but a fraction of the trial.
“Time is mysterious. Over its vast expanse, even the firmest hearts may waver,” Dongbo Xueying mused. “Even if my heart is like crystal, enduring the passage of time is one thing—but living as another, experiencing over a hundred billion years… how could I remain untouched?”
His actual cultivation time was minuscule in comparison.
He even felt a disorienting blur between reality and illusion, his mind aged as if he had truly lived to the end of his lifespan.
…
After failing the third tribulation, Dongbo Xueying didn’t rush to try again. His true self spent time with his wife and children, gradually restoring his mental state.
He didn’t know how long the ‘Time Tribulation’ would last—how many protagonists’ lives he’d have to endure. No wonder even mighty Venerables often faltered at the Heart-Refining Secret Art.
Only after three thousand years with his family did he feel fully recovered.
He tried again.
This time, he failed after three protagonists’ lives.
Failure.
Failure.
Soon, ten thousand years had passed.
The white-robed, white-haired, white-bearded elder rose, glancing at Dongbo Xueying without surprise. “Stuck in the ‘Time Tribulation’? Even among True God Venerables, only a handful pass it. You are still too young.” With a wave, a bubble enveloped Dongbo Xueying, ejecting him.
…
Amidst swirling snow.
In the Frost Cavern world, Dongbo Xueying continued practicing the Heart-Refining Secret Art, but failure persisted. Gradually, frustration crept in.
Then, over thirty thousand years after being expelled from the ‘Heart-Refining Hall’…
In a starry expanse of the Divine Realm.
A plainly robed elder stood amidst the cosmos, observing a distant region. He was the most ancient ruler of the universe—the Primordial Master.
“Hmm?” The Primordial Master frowned.
“Bloodblade, gather the others. I may have found the Mother Goddess Cult’s lair,” he transmitted. Ever since Dongbo Xueying provided the star map to Bloodblade God Emperor, the rulers had meticulously scoured the area.
“Found it?”
“On our way.”
“Coming.”
Bloodblade God Emperor, Spacetime Island Lord, Abyssal Ancestor, and others rejoiced, swiftly converging.
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