The strongest warrior of the Great Qian Dynasty

At this moment, Dongxuan still had that pale face, but now, his calm face showed a hint of shock.

Looking at Li Qingshan, Dongxuan, a powerful figure whose level of cultivation was unknown, finally felt a great deal of unease within him.

"Mid-stage Grandmaster? That's absolutely impossible. How long has he been gone?"

"How could he possibly break through so quickly? Even with unparalleled talent, it's impossible."

Many thoughts arose in Dongxuan's mind, yet he still found it difficult to calm them down.

After all, even in ancient times, that ruthless empress did not achieve the same level of terror as Li Qingshan.

"That's right. After I obtained the Nine Yang Sword, Yang energy flowed through my body, cleansing my flesh, which is why I broke through to the mid-stage of the Grandmaster realm."

Once I completely refine the Nine-Bend White Deer Ginseng, I will be able to break through to the late stage of the Grandmaster realm, and may even be able to break through the restrictions within it and reach the Celestial Realm.

Li Qingshan said, exuding a faint sense of confidence, as if he had everything in the world under his control.

However, this is not wrong. After all, given Li Qingshan's breakthrough speed, as long as he doesn't perish, he will eventually be respected in this world.

"The Celestial Realm..."

Dongxuan murmured these three words softly. Normally, she would have scolded Li Qingshan for being too ambitious.

But at this moment, she suddenly had this thought in her mind.

"Perhaps, but since you're already getting involved in the Heavenly Realm, I'll tell you another ancient secret."

That is, the Celestial Realm is your first step in transcending the mortal realm, not the end, while achieving Divine Martial Arts is the crucial node that unlocks this transcendence.

With a slight wave of his hand, Dongxuan once again led Li Qingshan to that bustling street.

Same location, same ingredients, but the difference lies in Dongxuan's mindset and Li Qingshan's realm.

Ignoring the hawking from the window, Dongxuan said:

"Everyone knows that one must go through three tribulations to reach the Celestial Realm, but they do not know that these three tribulations are an important step in shedding one's mortal body."

Heavenly lightning to annihilate evil, earthly fire to burn the body, and human calamity to destroy me—all three are indispensable. After these three calamities, one can attain divine martial arts prowess and possess power capable of shaking the heavens.

Li Qingshan nodded slightly. He probably already knew about these things, but he had never been so detailed about them.

After all, he knew nothing about heavenly thunder and earthly fire or human tribulations; he only knew that there were three great tribulations.

Dongxuan did not pause, but instead began to explain the mystery.

"Among these, the most important is not heavenly thunder or earthly fire, but the human tribulation. This tribulation is the most difficult to overcome and the most dangerous."

Because you can't withstand it, and you can't force your way through it, you can only dodge. If you can dodge, everything will be fine; if you can't, you'll surely die!

Escape from calamity?

This was the first time Li Qingshan had heard of this, and he couldn't help but ask curiously:

"What does it mean to avoid calamity? Shouldn't it mean to face it head-on and confront it directly?!"

Dongxuan laughed and said:

"Heavenly thunder and earthly fire are tests from heaven and earth for you, but human tribulations are not; they are tests for yourself."

In the past, a powerful figure once survived two tribulations of heaven and earth in a single day, but ultimately failed because of his own Dao heart.

Some people survive the two tribulations of heaven and earth unscathed, but go mad, because the tribulation of human life comes from their childhood sweetheart who cheated on them.

So, do you understand?

Upon hearing this, Li Qingshan couldn't help but gasp.

He finally understood why this person's tribulations were so difficult to overcome; it turned out that these tribulations came from within oneself, from one's own heart, and there was no solution to them.

For example, if someone is verbally abused, they will inevitably feel angry.

However, if this anger is unleashed, one will inevitably face calamity, be tormented in every way, and ultimately die.

However, if one avoids the calamity, then the anger will be calmed down and eventually disappear without a trace.

"So, when you stepped into the ancient battlefield, I asked you that question."

It seems that for you, the most difficult of the three tribulations—Heaven, Earth, and Man—has been overcome. What follows is a steady, step-by-step cultivation journey.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingshan nodded as if he understood.

Then he asked his question.

"Senior Dongxuan, I encountered that ruthless empress in the mysterious space of the Nine Yang Sword, and discovered a white space within it. Why is that?"

Upon hearing this, Dongxuan paused slightly, then regained his composure and slowly spoke:

"When the Empress created the Nine Yang Sword, it was for the purpose of passing on her legacy, so naturally she left her spiritual remnants in the Nine Yang Sword."

As for space, I'm not sure either. If you can't control it now, perhaps you can try it when you reach the Celestial Realm.

After all, the Celestial Realm is just the beginning of everything.

After speaking, Dongxuan slowly dissipated the environment around him, as if he had never existed, leaving only a jade box on the spot.

Inside was none other than the Nine-Bend White Deer Ginseng that Li Qingshan had left over.

"Thank you for keeping this item safe for me, senior."

After bowing to his surroundings, Li Qingshan put away the Nine-Turn White Deer Ginseng and returned to his secluded cultivation place to continue refining its medicinal power.

Anyway, he lacks everything now, except time.

Moreover, there are heavy guards outside to protect him, so he doesn't have to worry about being disturbed.

Li Qingshan cultivated for several years.

Feeling tired, he rested on the stone bed he had carved with the Nine Yang Sword.

When he was hungry or tired, he would ask Dongxuan to take him to the outskirts of the imperial city, where he would find some food to fill his stomach.

As for the grandmasters and Celestial Realm experts who had been occupying the area outside the ancient battlefield, they had long since slowly dispersed out of impatience.

After all, although the Fourth Miss Xiao Ruohan was secretly urging them, the entire Great Qian Empire seemed to be in turmoil. First, there was a rebellion in Shuozhou, and then other states were infiltrated by the White Lotus Pure World Sect, which raised the White Lotus flag and declared rebellion.

The Northern Wolf Clan took the opportunity to launch a large-scale military offensive. Although they did not attack Zhenbei Pass, they were still sharpening their swords and constantly exerting pressure.

In the western deserts, monks from Nalanda Monastery frequently appear, secretly spreading their doctrines, bewitching people, and attempting to overthrow the court.

The southern barbarian lands did not have much impact on the Great Qian Dynasty, but the country was still plagued by internal wars and continuous fighting, making it impossible for the Great Qian Dynasty to collect enough tax revenue.

It can be said that the Great Qian Dynasty is now in a precarious state, and even with a Celestial Realm expert in charge, it is still of no use.

Unless a peerless expert with unparalleled martial arts prowess emerges, we can only watch helplessly as the Great Qian Dynasty, a dilapidated ship, slowly fades into history.

But all of this was unimportant to Li Qingshan, who had been in seclusion for several years.

Importantly, at this moment he was reciting the Yellow Court Scripture, and the inner and outer landscapes were constantly flashing around him, as if the inner landscape was about to completely solidify into the outer landscape.

"Recite the Yellow Court Classic with your mouth, and let there be no right or wrong in your heart. Let your inner vision merge with your outer vision, and let the inner and outer become one..."

As Li Qingshan chanted the Huangting Sutra, bustling cities began to appear around him.

In the very heart of this city, a cauldron imbued with the energies of Yin and Yang is faintly visible.