Chapter 780 - 775: The Dao-Opening Tribulation
Above the Sea of Suffering, Progenitor Tingyou stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
By now, the point of light he had planted in the Sea of Suffering had grown a size larger, completely enveloped by the vibrant five-colored light of the Five Elements: cyan, yellow, crimson, white, and black.
It had already taken on the appearance of a multi-stage rocket.
After explaining the secret to becoming a first-class True Monarch, Progenitor Tingyou smiled faintly. Then, without a moment’s delay, he formed a Daoist Hand Seal, and the Qi trace of his entire body changed dramatically!
RUMBLE!
In an instant, the Five Elements light surrounding the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven abruptly exploded. At last, a Position manifested from the imagined Fruit.
The process was incredibly fast.
Lü Yang’s eyes widened. He pushed his spiritual perception to its very limit to finally see Progenitor Tingyou’s technique clearly, and a sense of dread washed over him.
’How is this possible...’
Progenitor Tingyou had said before that no matter what kind of Fruit one imagined, the foundation was always the Fruit of Sorrowless Heaven. Therefore, in essence, there was only one Position.
Theoretically, no matter how things changed, the Position itself should not.
Yet, Progenitor Tingyou had devised a wildly imaginative method, the principle of which was exactly the same as Lü Yang’s earlier metaphor of a multi-stage rocket.
First, ascend to a higher Position.
Then, suddenly retract the Position below and, before one’s own Position can fall, use the phantom Fruit to ascend a second time from the original spot...
It was literally stepping on his right foot with his left foot!
’No, the key lies in the phantom Fruit... Without this layer of transformation, using the same Fruit over and over wouldn’t allow for such an absurd maneuver.’
’The combination of Five Elements Fruit Positions is inherently something that can be used to continuously ascend one’s Position. The Progenitor is exploiting this fact, which is how he can take off by stepping on his own feet... But because there’s no foothold during the transition, his Position will still fall. Therefore, it’s impossible to reach the Other Shore this way...’
This was not difficult to understand.
Under normal circumstances, one could ascend to the Other Shore with a complete set of Five Elements Fruit Positions. However, Progenitor Tingyou’s method of "stepping on his own feet" created a time lag.
Just like now.
Progenitor Tingyou had already used the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth to elevate his Position, but as he switched to the Fruit of Spring Water to continue his ascent, his Position was already falling.
It was unavoidable.
He couldn’t actually achieve such a Position. He had no foothold at that height, so falling was natural. All he could do was delay the fall.
’The Progenitor can’t use this to ascend to Heaven in a single step and reach the Other Shore.’
’It’s not just the Other Shore—he probably can’t even reach the Position of a Great Perfected Lord... But just as I predicted, becoming a first-class True Monarch is practically guaranteed.’
As these thoughts raced through Lü Yang’s mind, the look of joy on his face had already vanished.
Because a much greater problem now presented itself.
BANG!
With a loud crack, Progenitor Tingyou’s figure suddenly trembled. His Dharma Body, once flawless as white jade, began to split, and a fissure appeared between his brows.
It was an injury from his falling Position!
Seeing this, Lü Yang instinctively took a step forward.
He knew why Progenitor Tingyou was injured. How could one not be hurt after forcibly climbing to a height that wasn’t one’s own and then falling from an unstable foothold?
But in the next second, Progenitor Tingyou spoke, stopping him in his tracks.
"Don’t come any closer!"
"It’s just a minor injury... How can one seek the Dao without taking risks? Besides, this is an internal matter that I can handle. The external tribulation is when you must act!"
Progenitor Tingyou’s voice was incredibly stern.
In fact, it was the first time Lü Yang had ever heard him speak so severely.
After a moment of silence, Lü Yang took a step back. He didn’t speak or move forward again, simply watching as Progenitor Tingyou continued to ascend his Position, step by step.
As the process continued, the cracks in Progenitor Tingyou’s Dharma Body became more and more pronounced. Torrents of blood flowed from his brow, his hands and feet, his shoulders and back, spilling down and turning the Sea of Suffering beneath him into a pool of blood. Yet, despite it all, neither his gaze nor his body wavered.
’It’s nothing...!’
If he shed a little blood now, perhaps Lü Yang would have an extra life in the future because of what he was doing. In his eyes, it was a more than worthwhile trade.
.......
「Meanwhile, at the Immortal Pivot.」
The Foundation-Stage Cultivators felt nothing. Even among the Perfected Lords, figures like True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde and the Three Ministers of the Daoist Court had no sense of what was happening.
Only those at the Middle Stage of Golden Core had the clearest perception.
They couldn’t see specifically who was doing what, but they could sense that someone was stirring the Immortal Pivot, and through it, the entire Void Sea of Light.
At once, many of them began to perform divinations.
Soon, they all beheld the same vision: in a vast ocean, a young Daoist stood in a pool of blood with his hands behind his back, his back turned to all living beings.
His true face? His title? His origins? None of it could be divined.
All they could divine was this single image of light and shadow. The knowledgeable among them knew it was taking place in the Sea of Suffering, but they couldn’t pinpoint the exact location.
「In the North, at the Sea of Clouds.」
World Purger Fei Xue looked up, surprise filling her beautiful eyes. "This is... an Ascension Ceremony! It’s not the same person as before. Where did this one pop out from?"
After speaking, she rubbed the bridge of her nose.
She had to admit, even she was getting a bit of a headache... The Immortal Pivot was truly brimming with talent. How did such figures keep appearing out of nowhere?
Not long ago, one appeared to face off against Ang Xiao.
Now, another one has shown up.
Each one was an undeniable Variable, throwing the world’s power structure—which had seemed relatively clear to her—into utter chaos and forcing everyone to adapt.
But soon, World Purger Fei Xue’s frown vanished, replaced by a look of soaring fighting spirit. "Fine, fine. Change is a good thing! What’s the point if the world is just a pool of stagnant water? Let there be change, let there be fighting... Only when the world is thrown into turmoil, until karmic links themselves cease to exist, will there be a true opportunity to seek the Dao!"
......
「The Sea of Suffering.」
A figure shrouded entirely in mist looked up, sensing the formless karmic links. As he performed a divination, a cold glint appeared in his narrow eyes.
"It’s related to that animal..."
Among the current Perfected Lords of the Immortal Pivot, his cultivation was the highest. Therefore, the information he could divine from the Great Net of Karma Links far surpassed that of other Perfected Lords.
In the visions divined by others, there was only Progenitor Tingyou.
However, in the vision he divined, besides Progenitor Tingyou, there was another figure standing not far away, hands tucked into his sleeves, acting as a Protector.
He would never forget that silhouette, even in death.
That nameless animal!
"An Ascension Ceremony is not tolerated by Heaven and Earth... Good, good. This time, he won’t be able to run away. He’ll be forced to face me in a direct confrontation!"
Ang Xiao laughed heartily.
Then, following the guidance of the unseen karmic links, he rode the wind and broke the waves, speeding toward the area of the Sea of Suffering where Progenitor Tingyou was carving his path!
Almost at the same time, Lü Yang abruptly raised his head, a cold light in his eyes. The Holding Candle in his hand flared with brilliant light, illuminating the karmic links and allowing him to see the approaching malice clearly.
"...Ang Xiao?"
"The world is full of impermanence. I never thought he’d be the one drawn here by the karmic links. But it makes sense. He and I are mortal enemies. It seems a battle is unavoidable after all."
Lü Yang’s expression was calm.
He felt no fear. In fact, he was slightly thrilled. Although he suspected he might not be a match for Ang Xiao, Combat was never just a matter of theory.
Who could know the outcome without a real fight?
This was perfect. He would use his opponent, Ang Xiao, to test his current strength and see if he had truly reached the Critical Point of a first-class True Monarch!