Chapter 270: Simulated Heavenly Tribulation, Chance of Escaping the Seal Soon!

The moment heavenly might descended, dark clouds gathered above Mount Pingdu, and fierce winds surged across a hundred

li

.

In the Small Nether Realm, wails of countless spirits echoed from all directions.

Within Fengdu City, Lady Meng sat quietly in meditation. Her expression turned solemn as she seemingly saw through the veil of the Small Nether Realm and gazed upon the Earth Qi Seal, which was under Hell.

"This is..."

Her expression flickered with emotion, but it was quickly suppressed. She fell into contemplation. Once the heavenly might faded, she immediately closed her eyes.

Simultaneously, Mu Wanxuan stood atop a massive block of celestial crystal outside the Earth Qi Seal. She felt the strange disturbance in heaven and earth as well, but she simply pursed her lips. Despite the tightness in her chest, she paid it little attention and just kept gazing at the crystalline mountain before her.

The discomfort quickly faded, and the surrounding chaos quieted. After sighing softly, Mu Wanxuan stood in a daze, like a jade statue that the heavens had painstakingly carved. Given her lifeless state of mind, she could not even draw any conclusions from the abnormal signs around her, let alone react.

One could only imagine what Wang Sheng, who was currently vomiting blood inside the seal, would think if he knew what was happening.

***

What exactly is a heavenly might warning?

Wang Sheng had never heard anyone speak of such a thing.

Though only at the Golden Core Realm, he still pondered how to trigger a heavenly tribulation, hoping to use it to let those outside know that he was alive. To that end, he analyzed the relationships between tribulation and primal qi. He had been searching for the possible presence of tribulation particles within primal qi when he felt a gaze fall upon him.

A deep, inexplicable fear rose from within him, but it wasn't his. It was strange and otherworldly, as if someone had forcibly implanted it in him to prevent him from thinking or focusing.

Any other cultivator who was unaware of heavenly might's existence would have immediately stopped meditating and withdrawn to protect themselves. However, Wang Sheng reacted differently. While still making his analysis, he opened his eyes and met the gaze head-on.

At that moment, Wang Sheng's mindset took a peculiar turn.

If some existence is interfering with my comprehension, then perhaps what I'm contemplating really is the correct path to producing a tribulation.

In response, the heavenly might pressed harder, and the gaze grew angrier. Thunderous drumbeats reverberated, and the chanting of sutras filled the air. Faint battle cries echoed from beyond.

Wang Sheng's mind began to falter. He turned to Yaoyun and asked her a question. Upon hearing that he had caused a significant disturbance, he finally stopped defying the heavenly might.

The heavenly might did not directly make him vomit blood. Rather, the backlash of surging enchanted power caused it once the pressure had withdrawn.

Having just barely recovered, the ordeal made him collapse into a deep slumber once more. Half a month passed before he struggled to rise again. He clutched his aching head, slumped back down, and sighed deeply.

"The Great Dao punishes even comprehending the Dao?"

"

Reckless cultivators are common. One as reckless as you, however, is truly rare.

"

Yaoyun reappeared. Now over a foot tall, she stood quietly atop the hilt of the sword and met Wang Sheng's gaze.

"Fairy Yaoyun, where's my senior sister?"

Yaoyun quietly sensed her surroundings.

"

She's asleep in her thatched hut.

"

Wang Sheng nodded slowly, unsure whether his senior sister had received the signal that he had "sent out." He then recalled his earlier reflections.

Seems like I stumbled upon an interesting Daoist art...

"Fairy Yaoyun, what were those pair of eyes earlier?"

"

Heavenly might, or rather, a manifestation of the Great Dao.

"

Seemingly already prepared for the question, Yaoyun telepathically gave him a long explanation. The more Wang Sheng listened, the more unbelievable it all seemed.

Primordial creation, endless starfields, and the operation of the Great Dao all served to maintain the stability of the universe.

Cultivation was the path by which living beings pursued the Dao and sought to transcend themselves. Still, once one had reached profound realms, they would often brush against the very edges of the Dao and come into contact with many taboos.

"

To put it simply, when your comprehension threatens the balance that the Great Dao maintains, you are given a warning.

" Yaoyun paused briefly, then continued, "

Heavenly might is merely the mildest reaction. If you ignore it and continue down this forbidden path, you will suffer endless misfortunes. Your fate will deteriorate, everything will go wrong, and your realm will regress. In short, the Dao will forsake you.

"

If even then you still refuse to repent and continue chasing forbidden knowledge, the Great Dao will strike you with its lightning tribulation.

"

Wang Sheng asked, "How is the Great Dao's lightning tribulation different from the heavenly tribulation?"

After thinking for a moment, Yaoyun answered, "

To put it in a way you can understand, the power of a Great Dao's lightning tribulation is fixed. It's strong enough to wipe out the entire galaxy you're in.

"

Meanwhile, heavenly tribulations are trials that the Great Dao gives cultivators to test them. Its strength depends on your realm and cultivation. The stronger the tribulation, the greater the rewards if you survive. This is common knowledge.

"

A traditionally dressed beauty talking about galaxies in a place like this...

Because Yaoyun had shared deep soul contact with Wang Sheng, she had naturally gained much of his knowledge as well.

A little worried, Wang Sheng asked, "Then... has the Great Dao already forsaken me?"

"Heavenly might has to appear three times before one is truly forsaken," Yaoyun replied. She almost added that lightning wouldn't strike the same place thrice, but recalling what had just happened, she swallowed the words.

Wang Sheng rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Can I still use the theory I already developed?"

Yaoyun grew curious. "

What exactly did you comprehend that triggered heavenly might?

"

Wang Sheng grinned sheepishly and glanced upward with some guilt. He then sat down cross-legged and slowly opened his left hand. A wisp of dark-golden enchanted power gathered in his palm, forming a small cloud that looked like cotton candy dusted with golden powder. With a slight shake of his hand, a streak of cyan mist appeared within it. The mist then spiraled and released fine lightning bolts as thin as hair.

He waited for a while. When the heavenly might did not reappear, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He had already found the answer. As long as he did not probe too deeply, he could use the knowledge that he had already grasped without angering the Great Dao again.

He noticed the tiny fairy's dazed expression. "It's probably because I used Pure Yang Enchanted Power to simulate the heavenly tribulation."

With a hint of astonishment, Yaoyun asked, "

How did you manage that?

"

"I—"

"

Don't answer that, or the heavenly might could return.

"

"

Mm.

" Wang Sheng nodded and clenched his hand, merging the cyan mist with his dark-golden qi. The lightning instantly vanished.

Now that he thought about it, his new ability was useless in combat. There was no way he could inject his true essence into an enemy and then simulate a tribulation cloud. If he had that kind of power, it would've been easier to simply unleash his enchanted power and wipe his enemies out with it.

Yaoyun stood in silence for a long while. Finally, her gaze softened. "

You do not have to take such risks. Simply cultivating safely is enough.

"

Wang Sheng smiled bitterly. "I was just trying to get a message to my senior sister."

The commotion had spared him the trouble of having to find another way. Considering his senior sister often boasted about her cleverness, he assumed she could deduce his situation from the heavenly might.

Now, he could focus on his next problem.

"Would it really take two thousand years to get out?"

"

With my guidance and support, you'll reach the True Immortal Realm if you cultivate here for two thousand years. Once you become a True Immortal, you can break the seal yourself.

"

You are sitting on the Earth Qi Immortal Spring, an extraordinary realm that is more abundant in primal qi than most other immortal realms. To top it all off, the primal qi that has accumulated over the past thousand years has all gathered here, ready for you to use. If you still fail to reach the True Immortal Realm in two thousand years, even with all that, then...

"

"Then what?"

"

You are too dense.

"

Wang Sheng fell silent. After a moment, he asked, "Is there any other way?"

"

Yes, I thought of one just recently.

"

Yaoyun smiled gently.

"

I know you wish to reunite with Hua Qing, so I won't let you remain trapped here too long. Using this method, you could leave in less than twenty years.

"

Wang Sheng's spirit lifted. He stood up as he lit up with joy.

"What do we have to do?"

"

It's simple. We slowly unseal the Earth Qi Seal,

"

Yaoyun explained.

"

Let the primal qi within slowly dissipate, and it will pass through the Small Nether Realm into the mortal world.

"

Based on my calculations, the primal qi in here will rival that of the original Immortal Realm for the next fifteen hundred years if we fully release the Earth Qi Seal's stored qi and combine it with the Heavenly Qi Seal, which I have already opened.

"

From there, the qi will begin to wane. In another fifteen hundred, it will return to what it was a millennium ago.

"

Wang Sheng's eyes sparkled. "What can I do to help?"

"

Nothing. The core of the Earth Qi Seal is on me... well, technically on your sword.

" Yaoyun's tone then softened. "

You only have to wait patiently. I will slowly release the qi, bit by bit. Are you sure you want to do this, though?

"

Wang Sheng blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"

If we release the qi in here, you will lose the privilege of having this blessed land all to yourself. You will have to share primal qi with other cultivators again.

"

Wang Sheng chuckled. "Primal qi comes from heaven and earth. It's not mine alone. Shared wealth leads to prosperity."

Yaoyun could not help but laugh lightly. "

That metaphor is oddly amusing.

"

The hilt of Spiritless swayed gently as a wisp of immortal light drifted from a corner, revealing a ring with a cold glow.

"

This is my Qiankun Ring

[1]

. Inside are many treasures I've collected. There are twelve layers in total, but at your level, you can only open the first. You'll find some clothing in there. Choose something to wear.

"

Wang Sheng's eyes lit up. He thanked her and immediately grabbed the ring. Following the method that Yaoyun had implanted in his mind, he easily unlocked the first seal.

His jaw then fell as he stared at the clothes. Hundreds, possibly even thousands, of immortal dresses floated in the first layer of the Qiankun Ring's grand palace.

1. A storage artifact with a pocket dimension that’s designed like a grand palace. ☜