Chapter 455: Chapter 397: Achieving Success and Passing the Fire Tribulation, Moonlight Fairy
Eight Sceneries World.
Song Lin pointed at the millions of beings beneath the clouds and said:
"From now on, you shall be the Lord of Eight Sceneries!"
"Lord of Eight Sceneries?" Wu Chen blinked her big eyes, somewhat confused. "Is it fun?"
"Uh... well, it’s alright. Like Xiao Mao True Monarch, you’ll have both power and responsibility!"
Song Lin realized he had made another misstep.
Wu Chen understood nothing of the world. In both her past and present lives, she had been protected too well, completely oblivious to the sufferings of mortal life.
As a result, she couldn’t empathize with humans, and might even utter jokes as absurd as "why not eat minced meat?"
At this thought, Song Lin took Wu Chen and descended to the mortal world of the Eight Sceneries.
The Eight Sceneries now housed over three million people, organized into eight cities and numerous villages for settlement.
After five years of development, stability was finally achieved. As most of the population were young men and women, the population grew rapidly—estimated to double within ten years.
With cultivators providing abundant crops, there was no concern about food and clothing.
Whenever the Human Clan found themselves in a comfortable and stress-free environment, their population grew exponentially. It was estimated to reach over ten million within one Jiazi (60 years).
This didn’t even factor in migrations from outside. Song Lin’s goal was fifty million within one Jiazi.
Nowadays, the Eight Sceneries World resembled the outside mortal world, without any division based on spring, summer, autumn, winter, or ephemeral beauties like flowers and moonlight.
The forces of spring, summer, autumn, and winter were sealed within four palaces using Earth Evil’s Secret Technique, as were the forces of flowers and moonlight.
Song Lin arrived at the Spring Palace.
This place was atop a thousand-fathom-high mountain, with white clouds obscuring the true face of the peak. At the summit stood a vine-covered palace.
Tree-men guarded the palace gates.
As soon as they saw Song Lin, they stepped aside to make way.
Creaaak!
The large door slowly opened.
In the courtyard stood a young maiden, her loose cyan robe fluttering, her hair casually tied into a ponytail, and a touch of heroism between her brows.
The maiden’s starry eyes met Song Lin’s gaze.
"Qingyu, it’s been a long time."
Song Lin smiled.
Since the previous turmoil in Ziyun, Qingyu had taken a brief stint in a position of authority before resigning to focus on cultivation.
"Greetings, Palace Master." Qingyu gave a slight bow, her cheeks dimpling with a faint, sweet smile.
"How much longer until you break through the Heavenly Hero (Purple Mansion) stage?"
"The Eight Sceneries Divine Sword and this Spring Sword... I don’t know. It could be as short as three to five years, or as long as several decades."
Qingyu had changed a lot. According to Song Lin, she now carried the demeanor of a true expert, becoming a top cultivator of the Donghua Sect.
"Your cultivation is solid, but you’re lacking some experience. Alright then, I’ll entrust you with a task."
Song Lin stepped aside to reveal a curious young girl standing behind him.
"And this is?"
Qingyu looked at the young girl, feeling a peculiar sense of kinship in her bloodline.
"She’s Wu Yi’s daughter. Your niece. Born with a Ziwei Fate."
"Come here."
Qingyu crouched down, called the little girl over, and gently stroked her head, exclaiming in delight, "What remarkable innate talent!"
"Here’s your mission: take her to experience the mortal world, understand its sufferings, and do not teach her any spells or use them casually. Let her truly perceive as a mortal. This will benefit not only her but you as well."
Song Lin instructed.
"Alright."
Song Lin then left and went to a mortal city.
Song Lin strolled through the streets, flanked by vendors shouting to hawk their wares, as the aroma of food wafted through the air.
This place had no Taoist Temples, nor any demons or ghosts—only a purely mortal world.
This was the Donghua Alliance’s Grotto Heaven, but in truth, it was also Song Lin’s experimental field.
He was testing his envisioned concept of the Three Realms.
Humans, Immortals, and demons and ghosts were distinct yet interconnected.
Also referred to as Heaven, Earth, and Humans.
Immortals resided in the Upper Realm, demons and cultivators lived amidst rivers and mountains, while mortals dwelled in cities.
The term "Immortal" was reserved for those who reached the Core Formation stage and above.
Upon breaking through, one would be ushered to live within the eight cities of heaven or the region surrounding the Mother Tree of All Things.
Demonic beings couldn’t be wholly eradicated either. So long as there was nature’s spiritual energy, demons would emerge.
Similar to human cultivators, when they reached Core Formation, they were immediately led away.
Their residence was located in less populated regions—areas at the edge of turbulent primordial energy.
If the territory expanded further, one might consider designating regions overseas, separated by barriers made of eighteen types of Xuanying Qi.
Song Lin also instructed the Spirit Prohibition Mansion and Liqi Mansion, along with the Mother Tree of All Things, to regulate the concentration of primordial energy in the world, keeping it suitable only for cultivation below Core Formation.
Array formations would detect those breaking through to Core Formation, and impart varying degrees of Heavenly Tribulation based on the Blood Qi Tribulation Power unique to each individual.
Those who successfully passed the tribulations would naturally ascend to immortal rank.
Failing to pass would mean death.
This rule applied equally to demons, immortals, and gods. If a demon or immortal lacked Blood Qi or possessed only minimal amounts, recognized by Song Lin as belonging to the Righteous Path, they could ascend to immortal rank without enduring tribulation.
These demons wouldn’t be exiled overseas but would coexist with the other immortals within this realm.
"The era of Donghua laws shall not only provide the Human Clan opportunities for redemption, but also offer diligent demons chances to follow the Righteous Path."
This was the conclusion Song Lin had reached recently.
Demons emerged from nature, purely formed by its essence. They were inherently neither good nor evil; their primal animal instincts merely dominated their rationality.
For the wickedly stubborn, they should naturally be eliminated. But some should be integrated, and the idea of encouraging more demons toward virtue should be promoted.
If massacred indiscriminately, it would lead to endless blood feuds.
"Leave these matters to time."
Song Lin thought to himself.
Afterward, he returned to his secluded cultivation.
At this point, he had converted all the Xuantian Eight Techniques into Cloud Seals, leaving only the practices of cultivation, Divine Medium Immortals, Five Qi, and Qimen.
The cultivation skill resembled Qigong, capable of commanding all things with one breath. Even if not used as a foundational Dao, it could serve as a powerful Divine Skill.
The Five Qi and Qimen required no explanation—one involved the transformation of internal organs into divine powers, while the other manipulated mechanical formations. Both were exceptionally potent Divine Skills.
He had five years left.
If he could fully convert these methods within five years, he would cross tribulation and compete for succession, securing victory.
Afterward, he would need another five years to prepare for battle with Tianhe, dominating that Taoist Sect and fulfilling the grand vision of Donghua Taoist Sect.
The countdown began: five years.
Year One.
In the Eight Sceneries World, Song Lin condensed one Cultivation Cloud Seal.
Year Two.
He condensed two Cloud Seals, leaving only the last one remaining.
Year Three.
Progress was rapid—he ascended one realm in a short stretch of time.
Year Four.
Perfect completion.
The setting was Donghua Jungle.
That day, auspicious clouds and radiant golden light filled the skies.
The sound of the Great Dao lingered endlessly.
Twenty-four Mysterious Runes flashed momentarily.
In the Taiyi Jinhua Palace in the center of Donghua Jungle, Song Lin secured his Divine Skill.
"The twenty-four Cloud Seals are complete. It’s time to cross the Fire Tribulation."
With clear eyes, Song Lin murmured to himself.
After the Fire Tribulation came the Thunder Tribulation.
Becoming a Thunder Tribulation cultivator would make his bid for succession practically guaranteed.
Song Lin ordered a lockdown of the Donghua Jungle and invited Zhonghuang Zi, Zhengxin, and others, saying, "I request the honored seniors to act as protectors while I attempt another tribulation crossing."
"Very well!"
The group had grown numb to Song Lin’s speed at crossing tribulations.
The Wind Tribulation took 365 years; the Fire Tribulation, 500 years.
While most begrudgingly faced their tribulations near their deadlines, Song Lin was eager to challenge it as soon as possible.
Zhengxin’s thoughts were especially complex—he hadn’t crossed the Fire Tribulation yet, and now this young cultivator he had watched grow step-by-step from Divine Establishment was about to surpass him.
Even Zhengxin contemplated attempting the tribulation crossing sometime soon, since his own state had stabilized.
"Don’t worry. With me here, I guarantee nothing will go wrong."
Zhonghuang Zi reassured him confidently.
With the support of the protectors, Song Lin felt secure enough to retreat and prepare for the tribulation crossing.
The clouds above Donghua Jungle darkened ominously.
...
Meilin County.
A merchant carriage entered the city. The curtain parted slightly, revealing half of an exquisite face. Bystanders by the roadside were captivated, their souls seemingly snatched away by the woman’s beauty, regaining their senses only after a long while.
The carriage halted at an inn.
A woman in white stepped out. She wore a veil, her eyes flowing with charm, making it hard for anyone to meet her gaze directly.
Accompanied by two maids, the woman entered the inn, radiating a mysterious force that kept others at bay.
In the private room on the top floor, Qu Ying removed her veil, revealing a stunning face brimming with elegance and heroism.
Gazing through the window at the bustling city below, this woman, known as the Moonlight Fairy, sighed and remarked:
"Song Lin is indeed capable, governing the mortal world with remarkable order. But such efforts are merely trivial. For the sake of Qingchen Heavenly Master’s Great Dao, he must be sacrificed."
"Are you planning to kill him, Senior Sister?" one of the maidservant-like women asked.
"I cannot kill him. Rumor has it he’s crossing tribulations. Destroying his foundation will suffice."