Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 541 A radiant glow rises before the Ascension Platform; Having transcended nine tribulations, one enters the Heavenly Gate (Seeking donations and subscriptions!)

The great calamity between good and evil has come to an end. The banished demon Jialuo from the upper realm was defeated by an invisible flying sword. The gloom that shrouded the mortal world of the seven realms has been dispelled, and the world has finally returned to its clear state.

With this battle completed, Lu Cheng secluded himself in the Xuanzhen Jade Palace of the Heavenly Dao Palace to cultivate, sort out the cause and effect, and perfect his cultivation. The Xuan Tian Divine Skill in his body became more and more harmonious and unimpeded, and his fiery temper disappeared. The true forms of the twenty-four gods and demons lay dormant deep in his bloodline, transforming into the foundation of the Taoist Dharma protectors.

Lu Cheng's aura became increasingly profound, and his every move carried a subtle Daoist charm, resonating with the energy of the Xuanhuang Pagoda, which possessed nine orifices and was spiritually connected. He had already reached the pinnacle that the mortal world could contain, so he almost never left the Xuanzhen Jade Palace to avoid incurring karmic consequences.

The mortal realm has enjoyed peace for a long time, and the Heavenly Dao Palace is renowned for its prestige, holding the reins of the righteous path.

Shi Sheng and his disciples, including Yun Huang'er, made significant progress in their cultivation, gradually becoming capable of maintaining their foundation. Lu Cheng, having spent hundreds of years studying the Daoist canon within the Daoist Palace, finally found two wives:

Xiao Yuhong and Xiao Yuxue advanced to the Nascent Soul realm using the Refining Demon Heart Sutra technique.

With this, the merits are complete, and the time has come.

As the saying goes, "A cultivator's path to enlightenment is as light as a mustard seed, yet it is difficult to escape the mortal world when one is burdened by worldly affairs."

In other words, those who attain high spiritual cultivation can ascend to the heavens in a celestial process, even carrying a mountain like Mount Tai on their backs. It's nothing special. However, they cannot take any ordinary mortal with them, because spiritual cultivation is a personal matter.

Forcibly elevating mortals to the upper realm would result in an unimaginably powerful heavenly tribulation, because it would disregard the laws of the Dao and the punishments of Heaven.

However, there is also the saying that when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, which shows that this is not absolutely impossible.

On this day, at the top of the Heavenly Palace and the Spirit Mountain, a colossal white jade platform, built with a thousand years of painstaking effort and precious materials from the seven realms, shone with radiant light.

The platform is carved with celestial constellations, gods and demons from all realms, and runes of the Great Dao. It is also filled with a rich aura of innate primordial spirit that condenses into a spiritual mist that seems to have a substance. This is one of the foundational treasures of the Heavenly Dao Palace—the Ascension Platform.

Lu Cheng's cultivation level has reached the peak of the ninth level of the Primordial Spirit after three thousand years of cultivation. If he were to ascend on his own, he would not need an ascension platform. Breaking through the void and ascending from the ground would be as easy as turning one's hand.

Lu Cheng Daoist sat upright on the Bagua futon in the center of the Ascension Platform, dressed in a plain white immortal robe, with his hair tied with a jade hairpin, surrounded by pure energy.

He calculated with his fingers, and clouds and rosy hues flowed between them, the Dao principles appearing and disappearing, finally settling on an auspicious time when all things were born and purple aura came from the east.

After calculating the time, the Taoist closed his eyes, sat in meditation, and wandered in the vast emptiness until four hours later.

"The time has come, fellow Daoists, please come in." Lu Cheng spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of the people waiting below the stage.

Before the Ascension Platform, there were already many figures, surrounded by celestial light.

The sisters Xiao Yuhong and Xiao Yuxue were closest to Lucheng.

The two sisters stood side by side, both dressed in snow-white silk robes, their faces exquisitely beautiful, their brows conveying a cool yet compassionate spirit.

They had already meditated, bathed, burned incense, and prayed. At this moment, their magical power was as deep as the sea, and their primordial spirits and dharma images had been condensed to the extreme of their current realm. Behind them, a delicate and translucent phantom of a demon-refining golden pagoda, flowing with the light of seven treasures, floated. Ancient divine runes flickered on the pagoda, seemingly suppressing countless demons, spreading precious light while protecting the two sisters perfectly.

After a thousand years of cultivating their own techniques, the Xiao sisters not only regained their peak cultivation level, but also further refined their primordial spirit. Having undergone tribulations, their minds were perfect and flawless, and the light of their primordial spirit was pure and clear, like ice and jade, radiating powerful spiritual fluctuations. They were already true primordial spirit masters with profound foundations.

If they had not been destined to meet Lu Cheng, with the talent of the Xiao sisters and if their fate was good enough, they would still have a good chance of refining their primordial spirit and ascending to the upper realm after experiencing many tribulations. However, at that time, the two sisters would have to give up the Demon Refining Pagoda.

Because this tower was crafted using a vast amount of treasures and spiritual materials from the Tongxuan Realm and even the Seven Realms, it contains immense destiny. If they were unwilling to part with this magical treasure, the intensity of the heavenly tribulation would inevitably be too great for the two women to withstand, until they either perish or choose to give up this supreme treasure.

There's no need to ascend with Lu Cheng now.

A little further away were Lu Cheng's two concubines, Xue Yuzhen and Yun Ling'er. Xue Yuzhen was dressed in a light blue silk robe, smiling charmingly, her eyes full of affection, her aura lively and spirited; Yun Ling'er was dressed in a light purple flowing cloud gauze, her temperament ethereal and otherworldly, like a fairy in the clouds, with faint starlight shimmering around her.

Xue Yuzhen and Yun Ling'er underwent reincarnation and cultivated the same Daoist method called "Beidou Tianhe Zhengfa". This method is powerful and domineering, and its most important aspect is the accumulation of strength. Therefore, although Xue Yuzhen and Yun Ling'er only obtained the power of the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage, their respective magical power was almost at the level of the seventh or eighth level of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

Although the two women were only at the Nascent Soul stage, their foundations were extremely solid, and their bodies radiated a clear and warm light, clearly indicating that they had often received guidance from Daoist Lu Cheng, and their foundations were pure.

At this moment, the two women looked at their husbands in the center of the altar, their eyes filled with admiration, longing for the unknown upper realm, and a hint of awe.

Beside Xue Yuzhen and Yun Ling'er stood a slender woman with a cool and aloof demeanor; she was none other than Lin Qinghan, a female cultivator from the Dingzhang World.

She wore a light blue Taoist robe, her jet-black hair cascading down her back, casually tied back with a single wooden hairpin. Her beauty was breathtaking, yet her aura was like ancient, unyielding ice, keeping everyone at a distance. The coldness in her eyes, whether opening or closing, seemed capable of freezing hearts.

His internal magical power was vast and boundless, and his sword intent was contained but not revealed. Although he was low-key and reserved, his boundless magical power at the primordial spirit level was faintly forming a three-way balance with the Xiao sisters.

She quietly and single-handedly overcame countless difficulties to reach the Nascent Soul realm!
This talent, perseverance, and the loneliness and hardship behind it are truly amazing.

Besides these five people, Lu Cheng's eldest disciple Miao Chuyun and second disciple Youming Daoren stood behind Lin Qinghan.

Miao Chuyun, dressed in a simple Taoist robe, was imposing and composed. After a thousand years of tempering and the baptism of merit from refining demons with flying swords, he had long since shed his former frivolity, becoming as steady as a mountain and exuding an air of grandmaster.

The Netherworld Daoist was dressed in a black Daoist robe, his aura was deep and unfathomable, and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. He had also reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Finally, there was a beautiful woman dressed in palace attire, exuding elegance and grace, her whole being radiating a precious aura. She was none other than Huang Longzi's wife, the mother of the Xiao sisters, and the teacher's wife of Lu Cheng, Lady Baoxiang.

Lu Cheng had repeatedly calculated that he could bring eight people to ascend to heaven this time. Although the burden was extremely heavy, the weakest of the eight people was still at the late Nascent Soul stage, so it could hardly be considered "bringing ordinary people to escape the mortal world".

With Lady Baoxiang gone, Master Huanglongzi felt much more at ease, and his ascension to the upper realm was even more effortless. However, he still needed some time to accumulate experience before he could be more confident.

Lu Cheng's gaze swept across the crowd below the stage, pausing almost imperceptibly at Madam Baoxiang before shifting away, and finally he spoke in a loud voice:

"Your journey to the heavens is the path to opening the gates of heaven and the beginning of transcending the shackles of this world. Shisheng and Huang'er, you two will remain in the Dao Palace, uphold your true nature, and diligently cultivate without ceasing. The Dao Palace's fortune has not declined, and its foundation remains intact; it will be your stepping stone to heaven one day. Cultivate diligently, accumulate merit, and one day you will break through the void."

Shi Sheng Daoist and Yun Huang'er both knelt on the ground and loudly replied, "We will obey your orders! We will certainly live up to your expectations, guard the Dao Palace, diligently study the Great Dao, and one day follow in your footsteps to meet you again in the Upper Realm, where we will beg for your further guidance!"

With the current foundation of the Heavenly Dao Palace, coupled with the cultivation levels of the two, it is not easy to build a family fortune, but it is not difficult to maintain it, not to mention that they also have the help of their master, Huang Longzi.

Lu Cheng did not expect the Heavenly Dao Palace to prosper forever. The blessings of a virtuous person last for five generations, and it would be enough to leave behind a lineage.

Therefore, the Taoist nodded slightly and said no more. He took a deep breath, and the twenty-four layers of the Mysterious Heaven Divine Art within his body suddenly surged to their limit!

An overwhelming and unstoppable magical power, seemingly capable of splitting the heavens and earth, erupted from his body, instantly causing changes to the entire ascension platform.

Om-!
The entire massive ascension platform trembled violently, radiating countless auspicious rays of light. The carved celestial constellations, gods and demons from all realms, and Dao runes seemed to come alive, slowly flowing and flickering, emitting ancient and desolate humming sounds.

The sky was filled with swirling clouds and endless spiritual mist, which converged wildly towards the Ascension Platform, forming nine long dragons of spiritual mist, each ten thousand feet thick and of different colors, yet all radiant with light, which danced and roared around the giant platform!

Upon witnessing this scene, cultivators from various sects and countless ordinary people who had been waiting on the peaks of countless mountains surrounding the Heavenly Dao Palace were all moved and bowed in worship.

Sword protects the world; it has its merits and demerits, but overall, its merits far outweigh its demerits.

However, the universe has its predetermined order, and its rules possess their own majesty. For one person to attain enlightenment and ascend to heaven with eight other cultivators is far beyond the bounds of the natural order!

Almost at the same time as the burst of rosy light, the clear sky above the Ascension Platform was suddenly shrouded in endless darkness!
It was a chilling, pure black that devoured all light!

Boom! Crack!

Nine terrifying, earth-shattering roars erupted in succession! It was as if the entire sky had been torn apart by a tremendous force!

Nine enormous beams of light, each with a different shape but all filled with the aura of destruction and calamity, suddenly crashed down from the boundless darkness!

Ascending through the Nine Tribulations, the transformations seemed to possess the power to destroy the world!

The overwhelming power of the heavens caused the entire Tongxuan Realm to tremble, mountains and rivers to lose their color, the earth to groan, and the defensive array around the Ascension Platform to turn to ashes in an instant, as if it were made of paper.

Lu Cheng Daoist's face remained calm, but a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

Because he cultivated the Taoist Transformation and Ascension Technique and reached a certain level, he was confident that he could overcome the tribulation and ascend to immortality. However, if he allowed all nine tribulations to fall, apart from Lu Cheng himself, the other eight people, including the Xiao sisters and Lin Qinghan who were at the Nascent Soul stage, Miao Chuyun and the Netherworld Taoist, would all perish in the impact of the nine heavenly tribulations!
"Boundless Heaven!" Lu Cheng shouted suddenly, his voice as loud as a great bell, shaking the universe!
Twenty-four illusory figures of gods and demons suddenly appeared around him: Bifang flapping its wings, a dragon turtle carrying a mountain, a demon sword howling to the sky, a Kunpeng soaring, a divine ape pounding its chest, a cold phoenix waving its wings, Xiangliu poisoning, a roc spreading its wings, a red dragon opening its eyes, Zhu Yan breaking the army... and many other strange ancient gods and demons, some roaring, some growling, some standing tall and guarding the center, colliding with the lightning that was falling from the sky.

At this moment, Lu Cheng cannot use the Xuanhuang Merit Pagoda to protect himself, because the power of the Xuanhuang Merit Pagoda comes from the power of the Heavenly Dao in the mortal realm. The current Xuanhuang Merit Pagoda may be impenetrable even to cultivators who have returned to the Void Realm in the Earth Immortal Realm, but in the mortal realm, it may not be able to withstand the power of the Heavenly Dao, and may even suffer irreparable damage.

"That's fine. I'll use the power of this heavenly tribulation to temper my physical body."

The first tribulation was the pure white tribulation of Geng metal. Countless dazzling white sword energies and lightning bolts converged into a river, pouring down with an all-piercing sharpness!

However, all of them were blocked and intercepted by the twenty-four phantom images of gods and demons, or even directly devoured.

The second tribulation is the Xuanming Gui Water. The extremely yin and cold black ice tide freezes the void, turning even space into dust wherever it passes.

The third tribulation is the Heaven-Burning Furnace of Departure. Dark golden solar fire intertwines with hellish demonic flames, transforming into a purgatory furnace that seeks to melt everything.

"You should also refine some of this tribulation power. For primordial spirit cultivators to ascend to the upper realm, being completely unaffected by tribulation power is more of a curse than a blessing, and it will be detrimental to your future cultivation!"

Lu Cheng said this, while simultaneously spreading out the twenty-four divine and demonic phantoms, not wanting to miss even the slightest bit of tribulation power.

"Good husband."

"I will obey the Master's decree."

Upon hearing this, the cultivators on the Ascension Platform also unleashed their magical treasures and supernatural powers to participate in the tribulation.

Among the cultivators, the most powerful were the Xiao sisters. The two sisters, though different in body, were of one mind and together drove the Demon Refining Golden Pagoda, flying into the sky. The ever-changing and enormous golden pagoda gradually became almost equivalent to a phantom of a god or demon. From the center of the pagoda, rays of precious light spread out, and many demons flew out to assist in the tribulation. These were all demons suppressed inside the golden pagoda, who knew that if they did not go all out, they would also turn into ashes once the golden pagoda was destroyed.

Among those demons, besides the Kui Niu Demon King, Tianhuo Tongzi, Huoyun Daoren, and others, there was even the seventh-level Yuan Shen realm ancestor of the Gold-Eating Fire Ants, the Fiery Saint Ancestor.

However, over the past three thousand years, Lu Cheng Daoist has casually captured and subdued this magic weapon, imprisoning it within the Demon Refining Golden Pagoda. Lu Cheng also contributed greatly to the refining process of this magic weapon. Furthermore, he was the Daoist partner of the Xiao sisters. In addition, after this magic weapon developed sentience, it recognized its master and cooperated fully. Lu Cheng can be considered half a master, as he can activate many of its wondrous uses.

Otherwise, this primordial spirit treasure would not have advanced so quickly.

Miao Chuyun and Youming Daoist each unleashed a sword light, their combined swords striking the rolling tribulation lightning. Although they were not a Daoist couple, they had been practicing swordsmanship and demonic arts together for many years, experiencing numerous battles. Their coordination was excellent, and the overlapping sword lights greatly enhanced the power of their sword technique.

Xue Yuzhen and Yun Ling'er unleashed a Five Elements Sword Diagram Formation, circling the Ascension Platform to check for any weaknesses. Lin Qinghan and Madam Baoxiang each summoned their natal magic weapons, absorbing tribulation power to refine their primordial spirits.

As time passed and the first three tribulations came to an end, everyone had left the Tongxuan Realm, and the ascension platform beneath their feet transformed into a light screen with a Bagua diagram, slowly rotating.

The nine people were in a void, ascending from the Lesser Thousand Worlds to the Middle Thousand Worlds, the Earthly Immortal Realm.

The fourth tribulation was the weight of the Earth Divine Mountains. Nine chaotic divine mountains, condensed from pure Earth essence and bound by countless chains of Earth-based laws, crashed down with immense force!
The fifth tribulation is the azure wind of withering and flourishing. This wind embodies the principles of birth, death, withering, and flourishing; it can erode skin and bones, disintegrate the primordial spirit, and shorten lifespan!
The sixth tribulation is the demonic sound and thunder that annihilates the soul. The formless and shapeless destructive sound waves penetrate directly into the sea of ​​consciousness, enough to shatter the soul and obliterate the true spirit!

Ascension involves nine tribulations, and with each subsequent tribulation, the power increases exponentially. By the time the sixth tribulation was reached, even Lu Cheng's twenty-four transformations of the Profound Heaven could no longer withstand it, and twenty-four demonic god phantoms appeared, causing destruction and collapse.

Just then, something appeared in Lu Cheng's hand: the Seven-Cultivation Primordial Spirit Pearl! This treasure, which took a thousand years of painstaking effort and incorporated the soul of the Returning Void Beast, was now radiant with light, and thirteen powerful primordial spirits of different forms roared and floated within it.

Without hesitation, Lu Cheng retrieved a massive arm from the void, completely intact, covered with dark gold demonic patterns, and bulging with muscles!

The claws flickered with dark light, and the gaps in their scales seemed to be filled with bloodstains from thousands of years ago. The terrifying power contained within, even though it had been sealed by numerous runes, still caused the surrounding space to distort slightly.

This object is the arm of the demonic dragon Long Su who returned to the void!
"The time has finally come to completely finish you. Swallow it." He formed a profound hand seal and pressed it sharply towards the front!
The dragon's arm was completely devoured by the Seven Cultivation Primordial Spirit Pearl.

"Xuantian will die in his place, and the Seven Cultivators will take his place! Pardon!"

hum!
The Seven-Cultivation Primordial Spirit Pearl erupted with overwhelming demonic energy and divine light, suddenly transforming into a sky-covering demonic hand that slapped left and grabbed right, fiercely meeting the seventh tribulation.

The seventh tribulation is the tribulation of inner demons and illusions. Countless phantoms, whether it be the calls of old friends, divine skills and secret treasures, the temptation of bliss, or terrifying nightmares, intertwine and revolve, piercing straight into the heart of the Dao. Once one falls into it, one is forever drowning in it.

However, at this moment, the two demons devoured each other, which turned into the simplest and most direct collision of magical power.

Boom! Snap!

An earth-shattering collision erupted!
The demonic hand that the Seven Refined Primordial Spirit Pearl had transformed into shattered and returned to the form of a spirit pearl. Even the spirit pearl itself was greatly damaged and cracked in many places!

However, the seventh tribulation, the tribulation of inner demons and illusions, was forcibly broken. Besides purple qi, true fire, and thunder magic, if there's really no other choice, using demons to subdue demons is also a good option in combating demonic forces.

The eighth tribulation is a chaotic torrent that distorts space and time. Time is out of place, space is torn apart, and the laws are reversed, threatening to sweep everyone back into the rift between time and space!
Faced with this calamity, Lu Cheng had no other choice but to use a spell to send out one of the twenty-four demonic god phantoms around him. One of them leaped out and transformed into a human figure, identical to Lu Cheng, and went straight to meet the chaotic current.

Amidst the chaotic spatial turbulence, the illusory primordial spirit actively spread its arms, unleashing bizarre spatial fluctuations and actively drawing in the turbulence. In the midst of the spatial distortion and tearing, it broke apart and disappeared inch by inch! Most of the power of the Eighth Tribulation was actually diverted and neutralized by it!
"Hoo!" Lu Cheng's face paled slightly, and he let out a long breath. Back then, he fought against the Demon God Jialuo without losing his life. The Demon God Jialuo never knew what his true trump card was until his death. He never expected that he would have to give up his life before even facing the Ninth Tribulation.

At that moment, the nine people rode the Bagua Ascension Platform, which was very close to the Middle Thousand World Earth Immortal Spirit Realm.

However, the ninth tribulation of the Nine Tribulations of Ascension is a bolt of unimaginably thick, deep purple lightning containing the supreme will of heavenly punishment, representing the ultimate judgment that erases all existence that defies the rules!

This heavenly tribulation was unleashed by the power of the Heavenly Dao of the Earthly Immortal Realm. It was not merely the ninth heavenly tribulation; the eight heavenly tribulations that had already been overcome suddenly arrived simultaneously, their majestic heavenly might seemingly intent on destroying everything.

At the same time, Lu Cheng made two consecutive moves. One was to sacrifice another life force to actively meet the tribulation and dispel the chaotic current of the eighth tribulation. Otherwise, this chaotic current might have brought everyone back to the Tongxuan Realm, or even to an even more terrifying place.

Secondly, he fully activated the Xuanhuang Merit Pagoda, which spun wildly, its body radiating boundless Xuanhuang merit light, transforming into layers of light shields to withstand all kinds of calamities!
This place is extremely far from the mortal realm and very close to the immortal realm. The restraining effect of the Heavenly Dao power of the mortal realm on the Xuanhuang Merit Pagoda itself has been greatly weakened.

With two movements, all kinds of heavenly tribulations arrived. Although Lu Cheng did his best to support the Xuan Tian Divine Art and even summoned his natal flying sword, the Five Elements Flying Sword, many tribulation forces still passed through. This was because at this moment, most of Lu Cheng's mind was focused on the ever-gathering - the Annihilation Purple Heaven Tribulation.

The third tribulation, the Fiery Furnace, slammed into the protective light barrier, unleashing a towering wave of fire. Sisters Xiao Yuhong and Xiao Yuxue, their minds in perfect harmony, simultaneously formed a hand seal: "Demon-Refining Golden Pagoda, Suppress Demons and Protect the Path!"

The Demon-Refining Golden Pagoda flew out from behind them again, traversing the void and growing larger with the wind, transforming into a hundred feet tall. The pagoda's gates opened, and chains of demon-refining energy swept out from within, actively devouring and dissolving the blazing fire. The two sisters poured their primordial spirits and magical power into the golden pagoda without reservation, causing the incantations on the pagoda's body to flow and shine as brightly as the rising sun.

As the fourth tribulation, the Wutu Divine Mountain pressed down, Miao Chuyun roared, "Disperse its form with the sword!" She and the Netherworld Daoist simultaneously unleashed their natal flying swords, and the two intertwined sword lights temporarily altered the trajectory of the divine mountain's impact!
Amidst the deafening roar, the sacred mountain was slowed down and shifted slightly by the sword light.

The sixth tribulation, the Soul-Destroying Thunder, is formless and directly penetrates the sea of ​​consciousness.

Even with the protective light shield formed by the combined magical power of everyone present, Xue Yuzhen, Yun Ling'er, and Madam Baoxiang all felt a splitting headache and their minds were unstable.

Upon seeing this, Lu Cheng frowned and whispered, "Concentrate your mind and guard the One; all phenomena are but illusions!"

A profound Daoist sound resonated directly in their minds, dispelling the demonic influence. At the same time, Lu Cheng separated a wisp of his divine sense and merged it into the protective Xuanhuang Qi, shielding them from most of the impact.

The seventh tribulation, the Illusionary Desire of the Heart Demon, is the most insidious, silently enveloping everyone. The Xiao sisters, with their pure and clear Daoist hearts, are impervious to the Illusionary Desire. Lin Qinghan's heart is like ice, devoid of all emotions and desires. Miao Chuyun and the Netherworld Daoist, having endured trials, possess unwavering resolve.

Xue Yuzhen, Yun Ling'er, and Madam Baoxiang, whose cultivation levels were relatively low, couldn't help but feel their minds waver at this moment. Madam Baoxiang even saw the figure of her deceased husband beckoning to her!
However, in reality, Huanglongzi Daoist is living a good life in the mortal world, while Baoxiang Lady's memories have been altered by her inner demons.

Just as she was about to step forward in a daze, the Xuanhuang Pagoda in Lu Cheng's hand flashed slightly. A vast, pure light, imbued with the will to protect, swept across everyone's hearts, like sweet rain descending upon the world, instantly cleansing away all illusions and demonic thoughts.

"Foolishness!" Lu Cheng's cold rebuke was like a thunderclap, completely shattering his inner demons.

Just then, the final ninth tribulation, the Annihilation of the Purple Heaven! The deep purple ultimate heavenly punishment lightning, carrying an undeniable will to annihilate, pierced down!

Lu Cheng's eyes flashed with divine light. He took a step forward, leaving the protective range of the Ascension Platform, and stood alone facing the deep purple tribulation lightning!

At this moment, the blood of the twenty-four gods and demons within his body boiled completely, his bloodline roared like an ancient war drum, and a vast fighting spirit that wanted to compete with heaven and earth soared straight into the sky!
"I'll shatter a thousand layers of cloud-covered peaks, and I won't return until I reach the summit. I yearn to pluck stars from the azure sky, how could I be content to spend my years in the mortal world!"

Lu Cheng clenched his fists and suddenly slammed them upwards!
The twenty-four phantom images of gods and demons roared in unison, transforming into twenty-four torrents that merged into this punch! The Xuanhuang Pagoda shone brightly, condensing into a mysterious and solid pillar of light that enveloped Daoist Lu Cheng!

Boom! ...

An indescribable roar! It was like a violent collision between two worlds!
Lu Cheng's fist slammed into the destructive, ethereal Purple Sky!

He died in an instant.

The torrent of Zixiao swept past with overwhelming magical power.

At this moment, the most rational course of action for Lu Cheng would be to directly steal the heavens and deceive the heavens with his death. With three thousand years of arduous cultivation, he has mastered the Twenty-Four Transformations of the Profound Heaven to the point where he has no trace of fire left. Lu Cheng can control the timing of his resurrection.

As long as it is delayed, even if the power of the Annihilation Purple Heaven Tribulation is inexhaustible, it cannot accumulate for so long. Twenty-odd lives will exhaust all its power.

However, if that were the case, Lu Cheng shouldn't have taken the others with him to ascend in the first place, otherwise he wouldn't have encountered such a powerful ascension tribulation.

If the tribulation of ascension under normal circumstances were half as strong as this, there would probably be no more legends of cultivators ascending from the lower realms in the Earthly Immortal Realm.

Therefore, in the next moment, boundless brilliance erupted!

The blinding purple aura intertwined, devoured, and annihilated with the heavy primordial yellow! Space was completely torn apart into a chaotic mess, and terrifying shockwaves swept in all directions at the speed of light!

At the forefront of that purple lightning, a beam of spiritual light remained condensed and unwavering, blocking the path to the Ascension Platform and pushing back the Annihilation Purple Heaven Tribulation against the Earthly Immortal Realm.

The Xuanhuang Pagoda resonated with a humming sound, and the light emanating from its body flickered erratically, clearly indicating that it was also under immense pressure.

The fourth life, the fifth life, the sixth life, the seventh life... the twenty-first life, the Annihilation Purple Heaven Thunder Pillar representing the ultimate will of Heavenly Punishment, shattered under the profound mystery of this Transformation Ascension Technique!
It transformed into countless streaks of purple lightning, which were ultimately smoothed out and refined by the endless primordial yellow light!
From the depths of the calamity clouds, a cry of resentment, seemingly carrying both boundless majesty and a hint of helpless resentment, rang out.

In an instant, the wind stopped and the thunder ceased! The endless darkness that had enveloped the surroundings was as if a curtain had been suddenly torn open by an invisible hand!

A myriad of rays of light once again illuminated the sky!

A portal, incomparably holy and magnificent, exuding the aura of the eternal Dao, slowly opened in the center of the sky where the rosy light was most dazzling!
The portal was shrouded in colorful clouds, with countless strands of celestial light and auspicious energy cascading down. Within the portal, one could vaguely see floating immortal mountains, jade palaces, and soaring cranes, while mysterious celestial music drifted in, cleansing the soul.

The vast and dense celestial spiritual energy from the upper realm, so intense that it shook the souls of all mortal cultivators, surged down like a celestial river overflowing its banks!

The Heavenly Gate has opened, and the path to immortality is unobstructed!
On the ascension platform, the survivors were bathed in celestial light and spiritual energy. Their bodies felt as if they had been parched for a long time and had received sweet rain. Every inch of their flesh and blood and every strand of their soul were filled with joy.

The hidden injuries sustained during the tribulation lightning were quickly repaired, and Xue Yuzhen, Yun Ling'er, and Madam Baoxiang felt their cultivation levels stirring under the influence of spiritual energy, their bottlenecks teetering on the brink of collapse.

Lu Cheng Daoist, who had already transformed into a frantically growing skeleton of flesh and blood, slowly withdrew his fists. The few remaining phantoms of gods and demons behind him quietly disappeared, and the Xuanhuang Pagoda spun around and shrank, falling back into his palm.

If even the Twenty-Four Transformations of the Mysterious Heaven cannot cope with this final tribulation, Lu Cheng still has one last move: the Profound Sword, to cleave the heavens in reverse.

Fortunately, we weren't pushed to that point.

Because the Tongxuan Sword's power increases the longer the internal and external sword energy circulates (within the range that the mind and body can withstand), Lu Cheng would only use it when he had only one life left.

At that time, the power of the Tongxuan Sword was at its greatest.

Lu Cheng looked up at the open gate to the immortal realm, his gaze calm, only a trace of melancholy for the mortal world flickering in his deep eyes. His injuries were rapidly healing under the nourishment of the Xuanhuang Qi and the spiritual energy of the earth immortals, though this was only on the surface; the internal damage would require a long period of dedicated cultivation to repair.

"Congratulations to all fellow immortals on your ascension to the upper realm! May you enjoy eternal immortal blessings and live as long as the heavens! I, Yun Hezi, have been ordered to guard the Welcome Platform and greet all fellow Daoists."

As the golden light touched the ground, Lu Cheng and nine others appeared on the Welcoming Immortal Jade Platform.

A Taoist priest in white robes appeared before them. He was dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, holding a whisk, and had a refined and elegant demeanor with an excellent appearance.

Judging from his cultivation level, he had already reached the perfect Nascent Soul stage.

After briefly observing the Taoist Lu Cheng's cultivation level, the Taoist's expression suddenly became solemn, and he no longer showed any disrespect.

At the peak of the ninth level of the Nascent Soul realm, although cultivators at this level can ascend instantly without needing an ascension platform, most Nascent Soul cultivators still prefer to use one for the sake of absolute certainty. After all, with an ascension platform, there is also the upper realm's welcoming platform to guide them, greatly increasing their safety.

If not, even a cultivator at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage could be swept into the void storm and turned to ashes in vain.

Of course, there are also some Nascent Soul cultivators with deep roots who, having learned of the strict rules of the Receiving Immortal City from their ancestors in the Upper Realm, would rather risk everything to avoid the Welcoming Immortal Jade Platform. Such cases also exist. These cultivators, upon successfully ascending, will randomly appear anywhere in the Earthly Immortal Realm.

'What's going on with these people? Ascending together is one thing—it's rare, but it has happened before. But why are some of them at the Nascent Soul stage? Were their cultivation levels knocked down by the ascension tribulation?'

With a cultivator on the other side whose magical power was no weaker than his own, Yun Hezi could not go any further to investigate the situation of Xue Yuzhen, Yun Ling'er, and Madam Baoxiang.

Several Nascent Soul cultivators from the same era, who share deep feelings and have gone through many tribulations together, may choose to ascend together and overcome the Ascension Tribulation together. If they can cooperate, they can indeed increase their chances of passing the tribulation. However, when they are only one step away from becoming immortals, their inner demons can cause tragedies.

(End of this chapter)