Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)

Chapter 1124: Successive Visits

“What? Junior Brother Lu is now at the Transcendent Tribulation Stage?”

“Isn’t the limit of the Void Refinement Stage the Fusion Stage?”

“No clue.”

The Dao-Seeking Sect disciples grew restless again. Even Ao Ling, Jiang Lianyi, and the others looked utterly astonished. None of them had encountered such a situation when they were at the Void Refinement Stage.

The Heaven Mandate Immortal fell silent, a rare occurrence for him.

Ever since I met this kid, Lu Yang, I've always encountered the unexpected, just like the unpredictable Everlasting.

As expected of the Everlasting Lineage.

The Heaven Mandate Immortal carefully assessed Lu Yang’s cultivation realm. It was indeed the Transcendent Tribulation Stage.

“Heavenly Venerable?” Lu Yang looked at the Heaven Mandate Immortal expectantly. He wasn’t trying to look for trouble; he genuinely wanted to know the source of the issue.

The Heaven Mandate Immortal pondered for a moment before replying unhurriedly, as if Lu Yang’s situation had long been within his expectations. “As the saying goes, every sip and every bite is predestined. You have surpassed your predecessors, enduring three impossible heavenly tribulations in succession, accomplishing a feat unprecedented since ancient times. Only thus were you able to break through the limits of the Void Refinement Stage. This is an opportunity that one bestows upon you on behalf of Heaven.”

Lu Yang mentally translated the Heaven Mandate Immortal’s words. The heavenly tribulation was so powerful that it created a new situation.

This was roughly in line with Lu Yang’s conjecture. After all, Meng Jingzhou had also reached the Transcendent Tribulation Stage, though he had quickly fallen back down.

Although it was a new situation, it was a good thing. According to ancient legends, the sages who created the Void Refinement Stage had hoped it would help cultivators get accustomed to subsequent cultivation realms in advance.

If one could experience the power of the Transcendent Tribulation Stage while still at the Void Refinement Stage, when they truly reached the Transcendent Tribulation Stage, their cultivation would see twice the result with half the effort.

“Did you hear what the Heaven Mandate Immortal said? Our two junior brothers have obtained an immortal affinity!”

Passing an immortal’s trial, having an immortal appear, and receiving an immortal affinity—this would be a glorious tale told for generations in any dynasty.

“So that’s really how it is?” Yun Zhi raised an eyebrow.

Back when she had faced the Qian-Heaven Lightning Tribulation, she had felt that the Void Refinement Stage still had untapped potential. Unfortunately, she couldn’t control the lightning tribulation to prove her hypothesis. The changes in Little Junior Brother and Junior Brother Meng confirm it.

“See, Xiao Yangzi? What did this immortal tell you? The harder the strike, the greater the gain!”

Lu Yang had succeeded in his tribulation and experienced a new transformation. The Everlasting Immortal Fairy seemed even happier than Lu Yang himself.

Watching the Everlasting Immortal Fairy bounce around, then looking at Qing He standing nearby emotionlessly, Lu Yang’s expression grew odd.

Immortal Fairy, you don’t look like you’ve just woken up at all.

Come to think of it, that makes sense. The commotion of my tribulation was so huge that even if the Immortal Fairy had been hibernating, she would have woken up. How could she possibly still be asleep?

That is to say that Qing He had blocked me outside the imperial palace on the Immortal Fairy’s orders?

A chill ran through Lu Yang’s heart. As the saying goes, accompanying a sovereign is like accompanying a tiger. Is this move by Her Exalted Majesty meant to drive a wedge between an important minister like me and the duplicitous scribe to achieve balance in the court? Is this an emperor’s art of manipulation?

Noticing that Lu Yang’s gaze toward her was off, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy smiled sheepishly, as if her little scheme had been exposed.

She knew the principle that the stronger the tribulation, the greater the gain. However, her heart ached when she saw Lu Yang struggling under the heavenly tribulation, looking so pitiful and vulnerable. Worried that she would relent if he came to her for help, she had Qing He intervene.

Qing He had been standing silently like a statue with her hands before her, not thinking about anything.

An immortal who had descended to the mortal realm couldn’t appear for too long. Immortals must always maintain an air of mystery and minimize contact with the people.

The Heaven Mandate Immortal had proposed this theory, so he would naturally follow through with his own ideas.

“Your achievements today are but a small step on the path of cultivation. Do not be complacent in your cultivation.

“One cannot interfere too much in the affairs of the mundane world. You’re on your own.”

“Yes!” Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou shouted.

A gentle breeze rose from below, causing the Heaven Mandate Immortal’s dragon robe to billow. The golden dragon on the robe blinked and swam across the fabric before flying out. Expanding with the wind, it turned into a divine dragon that was ten thousand zhang long, eliciting exclamations from the crowd.

Everyone could feel the faint oppressive pressure emanating from the divine dragon. It wasn’t intentional, but it was simply too overwhelming to be restrained fully, with a trace of it seeping out. Even this tiny bit of oppressive pressure made it clear to everyone that it had originated from the distant ages.

The divine dragon lowered its proud head. Only one being in the world could make it bow—their master, the Heaven Mandate Immortal.

The Heaven Mandate Immortal stepped onto the dragon’s head and rode it back, disappearing into the horizon.

With the Heaven Mandate Immortal’s departure, the dark clouds finally dispersed, revealing the warm sunlight.

“Big Brother Heaven Mandate’s entrances and exits are different every time.” Ao Ling was caught between laughter and tears. I haven’t seen this divine dragon before. Did he just refine it recently?

“It’s finally over!”

Lu Yang grimaced. Undergoing a tribulation was truly no easy feat, and the pain was real.

Even if the sweet dew that descended from the heavens could heal wounds, the two were not fully recovered. They were injured inside and out; even the slightest movement hurt terribly. They would need at least a month of recuperation.

“Old Meng, see? I didn’t lie to you, did I? The stronger the tribulation, the greater the gain. I did all of this for your own good.”

“Get lost! You clearly didn’t expect this change either!” Meng Jingzhou didn’t fall for it.

As great contributors to history, the two were escorted by the Dao-Seeking Sect’s disciples to their respective beds to convalesce in peace.

“Xiao Yangzi, this immortal has to leave for a while to take care of something,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy said.

“Ah, oh.” Lu Yang didn’t think much of it.

~~~

“Shifu, have you finished with your business?” Jinghong noticed that the smile on her shifu’s face hadn’t faded since he returned. In fact, it was even wider than when he had left.

Since becoming his disciple, Jinghong had never seen her shifu smile like this.

The news took some time to spread. The events at the Dao-Seeking Sect had not yet reached the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace.

“I’m satisfied this time.”

Considering that constantly smiling was not conducive to maintaining an imposing image, the Heaven Mandate Immortal turned his back to Jinghong, adopting an air of mystery.

Making my entrance before countless people, announcing my return to the world, and riding away on a dragon amid reverent gazes—it makes me feel as if I have returned to the ancient era where I dominated the world and could summon the wind and clouds.

After holding it in for three hundred thousand years, I have finally found this feeling again.

Jinghong’s surprised voice came from behind the Heaven Mandate Immortal. “Eh? Senior Everlasting, what brings you here?”

“Little lass, please step out for a moment.”

“Oh.”

“Heaven Mandate, who told you to strike so hard?!” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy came to him furiously, demanding an explanation.

The Heaven Mandate Immortal turned around and looked at the Everlasting Immortal Fairy as if seeing a ghost. “You agreed when I said I would strike with greater force.”

“So what if I agreed?”

“Can you be reasonable—hey, hey, hey, don’t self-detonate just yet—”

Boom!

After the violent explosion, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy vanished without a trace, leaving behind a dazed Heaven Mandate Immortal.

Suddenly, space warped, and another visitor arrived.

“Whoa, Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi, how can you attack without even an opening line...”