The ground seemed to stretch into the heavens, dark clouds gathered, and thunder transformed into a sea, swirling into a vortex of myriad colors, layer upon layer, exuding an aura of extreme terror.
At that moment, they shattered like bubbles, just like Meng Qi’s figure, dissipating slowly, leaving behind a scene for Grand Preceptor Pei as if his dream had ended.
For an instant, the resolute Pei Daotong truly believed he had fallen into the enemy’s illusion. How could there be a tribulation with every step, ascending from a First Tribulation True Person to the “Creator” realm within six breaths?
Never in the past, and almost certainly never in the future!
Even with the tempering and elevation from that Buddhist lamp, and guidance from the Venerable Ananda who descended from the Pure Land, his fifth tribulation—the most thoroughly prepared—still took a full three months. The sixth took half a year, and the seventh more than two years. Even so, his progress was unprecedented, so rapid it left others in awe. Yet who could have imagined someone transcending a tribulation with every breath, even breaking through the seven-tribulation barrier from a Terrestrial Immortal to a “Creator” in one go!
Is this still the world he knows?
Is there still justice under heaven?
After discerning the surrounding tribulation aura and recalling what he had witnessed, confirming that the unimaginable had truly occurred, even the steadfast Pei Daotong couldn’t help but feel his mind waver, his breath quicken, and an inexplicable despair rise within him.
What chance did he have against such an enemy?
Even if their current realms were comparable, and he seemed to have deeper accumulation and stronger martial arts, seemingly capable of suppressing the other, how could he contend with the phrase “defying all reason”? Mid-battle, his opponent might transcend another tribulation or two, crushing him in realm. Who could he appeal to for justice?
Such a scenario wasn’t just possible—given the one-tribulation-per-step display, it was highly likely!
“Is he even human…?” The whisper of Prince Xiao Kun drifted over, earning rare agreement from Pei Daotong and startling the stunned onlookers.
Pei Daotong took a deep breath, shaking off his shock, dismay, and despair. Replaying the earlier scene in his mind, his eyes regained their luster as he said in a low voice, “His limit is the seventh tribulation!”
“Otherwise, he could have transcended another tribulation and killed me on the spot!”
“Precisely because his limit is the seventh tribulation, he deliberately confronted me, performing the shocking feat of one tribulation per step and one breakthrough per breath before my eyes, aiming to shatter my will and spirit.”
A true warrior isn’t immune to fear but refuses to be paralyzed by it. Pei Daotong swiftly overcame his despair and fear, glimpsing the truth.
Hearing Pei Daotong’s words, Prince Xiao Kun also understood Meng Qi’s true intent behind “meeting Grand Preceptor Pei.”
After a pause, Xiao Kun deliberately stammered, “He… seems to be… the True Person Yunji.”
“True Person Yunji?” Pei Daotong glanced at him. “So it’s him?”
It wasn’t surprising that the prince, who had once been close to the Daoist sect before distancing himself under imperial decree, knew of or had even met Yunji once or twice.
“Before True Person Yunji retreated into seclusion, I met him once, though I was young and my memory faint. Only now did I recall,” Xiao Kun said without blinking.
Pei Daotong nodded. “Yunji was originally a Sixth Tribulation True Person. After years of secluded cultivation, it’s no surprise he accumulated enough to challenge the ‘Creator’ realm. He likely used some secret method to deliberately suppress his cultivation, staging the one-tribulation-per-step spectacle to shake my resolve.”
This was his speculation, though for now, it remained just that. While he was no longer as despondent as before, a heavy weight still pressed on his heart, like a mountain suffocating him.
Exhaling, nine mighty thunder dragons surged around Pei Daotong, encircling him as he transformed into a bolt of lightning, streaking toward the imperial palace.
Regardless, with a new “Creator” emerging in the Daoist sect, the situation had irrevocably changed. New strategies were needed!
…
In the courtyard where the Daoist True Persons gathered, those meant to leave the capital or go into hiding had yet to act, stunned by the spectacle of dark clouds descending and a sea of thunder crashing to earth. For a moment, they felt as if their souls had left their bodies.
Normally, transcending the first three tribulations involved summoning heavenly thunder, while from the fourth onward, one had to ascend into the clouds and tread the thunder sea for tempering. Yet today, the thunderous ocean had been dragged to the ground?
What had happened?
Amid their swirling thoughts, their vision blurred, and they saw Meng Qi—cloaked in black, wearing a bamboo hat—whose aura, though seemingly weak, radiated a lofty majesty, like a Creator gazing down upon mortals from the heavens, stifling any thought of resistance.
“Senior, have you… transcended the seventh tribulation?” Bi Chongde blurted out, his voice trembling with excitement, his body quivering uncontrollably.
Meng Qi coughed lightly and smiled. “This old Daoist confronted Pei Daotong, transcended six tribulations in succession, and suppressed his momentum.”
“What?” A chorus of shocked exclamations erupted, chaotic and disbelieving.
Meng Qi shook his head, feeling mentally exhausted and physically sore.
Transcending the seventh tribulation had been too much of a stretch. Had it not been for his mastery over life and death, instantly reversing the omen of death to replenish vitality and strength, even if he had succeeded, he would have been spent, unable to escape Pei Daotong’s detection.
His current “soul” was a projected consciousness, devoid of inherent power, relying on formations and heavenly tribulations to inscribe thunder patterns for its marvels. Yunji’s body was only at the sixth tribulation, so restoring it to that level was trivial, but advancing further was arduous. By fully unleashing the body’s power through his understanding of thunder and yin-yang, Meng Qi barely achieved the “Creator” realm. Future progress would require conventional cultivation, though his comprehension of power’s essence would undoubtedly accelerate his growth.
Meng Qi’s urgency in transcending the seventh tribulation was to create the earlier spectacle, striking—or even shattering—Pei Daotong’s confidence. Even if Pei Daotong discerned the truth, the seed of defeat had been planted in his heart, waiting to sprout at the opportune moment. Pei Daotong might see his current limit as the seventh tribulation, but what about in half a month, a month, or a year? In their next encounter, Pei Daotong would inevitably wonder if his enemy had accumulated enough to break through mid-battle.
This kind of psychological duel was something Meng Qi hadn’t engaged in for a long time. After attaining the Legendary realm, one could scrutinize their own thoughts, identifying “flaws in the heart” or “seeds of defeat.” In sudden battles, such tactics might barely work, but given time, they’d prove futile.
Taking a light breath, drawing power from nothingness, Meng Qi steadily recovered as he smiled at the stunned Li Chongkang and the others. “It’s a long story, and this isn’t the place to linger. Proceed with your plans as arranged.”
After transcending the seventh tribulation, he had been on the verge of collapse. Staying would have meant certain defeat at Pei Daotong’s hands, so he seized the moment of confusion, using the lingering tribulation aura to mask his escape after reversing life and death to regain some strength.
This was the essence of a true “hit-and-run”—because staying wasn’t an option… Meng Qi silently mocked himself.
Li Chongkang swallowed hard. “Congratulations, Senior, on attaining the ‘Creator’ realm and glorifying our Daoist sect!”
“Congratulations, Senior!” The others hurriedly echoed, their faces still blank with bewilderment.
After a moment, Li Chongkang asked, “Senior, we are about to disperse. What are your plans?”
Meng Qi smiled. “I’ll roam the land, hunting Xiao Xuan and Pei Daotong’s confidants.”
Only a handful of cities could withstand a “Creator,” leaving the rest helpless against him.
Nothing would vex Xiao Xuan and Pei Daotong more than a “Creator” waging guerrilla warfare—unless it was the fear that this “Creator” might transcend the eighth tribulation at any moment, necessitating his swift elimination.
Thus, Pei Daotong would have no choice but to leave the capital!
Meng Qi reached out, summoning crimson flames from the void that coalesced into a spirited fire dragon.
The dragon coiled around him, and in an instant, they vanished from the capital.
…
Pei Daotong returned to the imperial study, where the atmosphere was frigid, like an ancient ice cavern.
With Xiao Xuan’s realm and power, the events near the palace couldn’t escape his notice. He, too, had been stunned by Meng Qi’s one-tribulation-per-step display, only now regaining his composure—along with a crushing weight.
“Venerable Ananda, is this what you meant by ‘wait and see’?” Xiao Xuan couldn’t help but glance at the monk, whose smile betrayed no surprise.
Ananda chuckled. “Yunji died long ago. This is a Daoist immortal from beyond the heavens, borrowing his corpse to interfere with the suppression of Daoism and rise of Buddhism. That’s how he transcended seven tribulations in succession—but this is his current limit.”
“Seven tribulations?”
“A Daoist immortal descending?”
Xiao Xuan and Pei Daotong each seized on a key point.
Ananda nodded. “Seven tribulations in two days… As for a Daoist immortal descending, why the surprise? Did I not descend from the Pure Land?”
With that, he produced a bell brimming with violet energy, its eerie aura seeming to suck at the soul:
“Though he transcended seven tribulations, his weakness remains—his spirit and body are still misaligned. With this Soul-Snatching Bell, his consciousness and flesh will separate upon encounter, drastically weakening him. Grand Preceptor Pei, take this and capture him.”
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