Chapter 253: Chapter 248: The Various Uses of the Heavenly Tribulation
"Boom!"
Just as Jiang Li’s words ended, another Heavenly Wood Divine Thunder, identical to the ones before, crashed down, with green thunder light darting about, engulfing Jiang Li’s figure in an instant.
Heavenly Tribulation descended once again.
"Is this even possible?"
Everyone present was astonished beyond words. Mu Lingyi, the girl from Mo Sect with the least experience, now had her eyes wide open as a cry of shock escaped her lips.
"In theory, yes, it is possible," Yan Hanqing barely managed to keep his composure and said, "The Heavenly Tribulation hasn’t dissipated, and if there is another burst of the Earth Element, it’s possible to trigger the tribulation again, as long as one isn’t afraid of death."
"He most certainly will not die."
Xuanming, who had been previously at odds with Yan Hanqing, couldn’t help but interject, "The Heavenly Tribulation arose because of Fellow Daoist Yun; it was specifically designed to counter him. However, now that it’s Jiang Li who is facing the tribulation, a cultivator of the Fire Destiny Chart, the selective suppression effect is lost. Besides, from wood comes fire; there is an eighty to ninety percent chance that Jiang Li will emerge safely from the tribulation. It remains to be seen whether he can refine away the Yin Dregs like Fellow Daoist Yun, or if he’s simply using the wood-fire interaction to enhance his power."
Yun Jiuye also noticed this.
His body emanated golden light, shielding him from the aftermath of the thunder, his Primordial Spirit fully purged of Yin, having thoroughly refined away the dregs, now carrying the Dao Fruit back to his body as it cleansed his flesh, nearing the state of an immortal and the realm of the fifth rank.
Yet Yun Jiuye’s mood was not so pleasant.
Because someone had hitched a ride on his effort and took advantage of the Heavenly Tribulation.
Yun Jiuye had put in immense effort to achieve a successful tribulation and ascension, and now, someone else managed without doing anything at all. Even with Yun Jiuye’s shrewd mind, he felt a sudden urge to lash out.
But he could not afford to be impulsive, nor could he allow Ling Wujue, who was also getting worked up, to act rashly.
"Prepare for ascension," Yun Jiuye sent out a beam of golden light, stopping Ling Wujue, and said.
He could not make a move, and neither could Ling Wujue.
Just as Jiang Li could not act against Yun Jiuye, so too could Yun Jiuye not act against Jiang Li.
Both were true disciples of their Sect, equals in status, and the Sect would not tolerate any interference with Yun Jiuye’s tribulation, nor would they allow Jiang Li’s tribulation to be compromised.
If an accident were to befall Jiang Li, as Sect brothers, Yun Jiuye and Ling Wujue were obligated to assist in his rescue.
This moment was akin to that previous one.
"Let him cross," Yun Jiuye stated in a deep voice.
That was all they could do.
"What a robust display of power..." Yun Qiuchi sensed the enduring energy and smiled slightly, "This time, our eldest brother’s ascension is likely to be somewhat overshadowed by Sixth Brother. Honestly, had the eldest brother ascended a year or two later, we might have had to rely on him to maintain balance."
If that were to happen, their master would definitely have something to say, since both their master and the eldest brother were devout followers of Elder Tianxuan.
"Jiang Li, huh..." murmured a female disciple from Kunxu Immortal Palace.
The focus of the scene had suddenly shifted.
"Boom!"
It was as if thunder roared in his mind, and Jiang Li could acutely feel every Heavenly Wood Thunder as it pierced into his body like a plant rooting itself into the earth.
At this moment, his Innate Qi had been transformed into Earth Qi, which was susceptible to the might of the Heavenly Wood Tribulation, and this particular tribulation, tailored for Yun Jiuye, was powerful enough to destroy any cultivator who had reached the perfection of the sixth rank.
However, Jiang Li’s Qi Tomb was actually based on the refinement of the Fire Element, and, with the assistance of the Wind Queen’s Strange Gate, he could clearly discern the interplay of life and death. Not to mention the Demon Cleansing True Qi serving as his final line of defense.
As the Heavenly Wood Thunder permeated his body, although it targeted the Earth Qi, it did not harm his essence. Jiang Li harnessed the Demon Cleansing True Qi from his Lower Dantian to subdue the thunder, and with the alchemy of the Qi Tomb, his True Qi and power increased unceasingly, as would a fierce fire fueled by oil.
In the blink of an eye, the thunder light engulfing Jiang Li weakened from fierce to pale, revealing his figure standing open-armed, assuming the posture of one embracing the heavens and earth.
He easily overcame the first wave of thunder.
However, after that, nine more thunders fell, each thunder ball gathering potent Wood Qi, like meteors from the sky, striking the earth with force.
Jiang Li did not block the thunder mid-air like Yun Jiuye. This thunder was even more potent than before, every flash scouring the earth with its intense power, leaving scorched traces—and exerting considerable pressure on the others.
One after another, nine thunder balls struck Jiang Li’s body, countless green electric snakes surged over him, thundering against flesh and bone.
Three Flowers had quietly bloomed atop Jiang Li’s head, deploying the Dao Fruit Ability "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top," further fortifying his form. On his arms, Red Patterned Dragon Scales had silently appeared, and the Yinglong Transformation manifested in response.
"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!"
With the Heavenly Wood Thunder growing even more violent, Jiang Li’s Qi Mechanism soared even higher.
"Boom!"
The third wave comprised twelve thunders.
When green thunder light exploded on the ground, the domineering barrage forced everyone except Yun Jiuye to retreat.
Such furious thunder was not something they wanted to confront head-on.
And this showed that there was indeed a gap in strength between Jiang Li and Yun Jiuye.
Previously, the residual effects of Yun Jiuye’s tribulation were weak, not because the heavenly tribulation he induced was weak, but because he shattered the heavenly thunders, single-handedly dissipating most of their power. Now, Jiang Li was passively enduring, allowing the thunder to burst forth, resulting in residual power several times greater than before.
Then came the fourth wave.
As sixteen thunderballs plummeted down, streaks of thunder and lightning also fell from the sky, furiously bombarding the earth, to the point where Jiang Li’s figure was about to be submerged once again.
With Jiang Li at the center, the Array Plate expanded on the ground, slowly rotating, evolving the cycle of life and destruction.
The Wind Queen’s Strange Gate had already revealed itself.
At the same time, True Qi surged within his body, washing over his meridians, pouring into the Qi Sea at the lower reaches pass, reversing its flow straight upwards, and with a roar, burst open the acupoint at the Jiaji Pass, incessantly forging a new Qi Sea with Innate Qi, linking the two major passes along the spine.
A series of crisp sounds suddenly issued from his back, his spine like a dragon, unleashing astonishing strength, with his vitality surging in response. A faint blood light flashed over the Blood-colored Dragon Seal imprinted on his right palm by Elder Kaixiang.
As the fifth Qi Sea was formed and the two spinal passes were connected, Jiang Li’s power grew once again, his Qi so vigorous it reminded people of the scene with the surging Yellow Clouds before.
Afterward came the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh waves.
The number of Heavenly Wood Divine Thunders kept increasing, and as the thunderballs descended, they subtly conformed to the laws of heaven and earth; the electrical radiance expanded like the roots of a plant growing, in line with Wood’s Curved and Straight.
Jiang Li continued to operate the Array Plate, using the Li position to aid in the refinement, using the Xun and Shock positions to weaken the Divine Thunders, overcoming and restraining them to further refine the Divine Thunder for his own growth, and with the Dao Fruit Ability of Five Qi Chaoyuan, he transformed True Qi, nourishing his Divine Essence.
All five of his Qi Seas were brimming with True Qi, with Innate Qi surging like rivers through his meridians, truly unable to accommodate any more.
The remaining four Qi Seas were still in need of stabilization and adaptation due to the recent opening of the fifth Qi Sea; forcibly opening them could potentially lead to unstable foundations.
"His body will soon reach its limit," Feng Ziyang suddenly said.
His voice clearly penetrated the thunderous roar, reaching Yun Qiuchi’s ears, causing her to start slightly, then feeling somewhat relieved.
If Jiang Li, at Seventh Rank, managed to perfectly overcome the Heavenly Tribulation like Yun Jiuye, completely refining the Yin qualities in his physical body and Primordial Spirit, then he would be altogether too monstrous. Even standing on the same side, one couldn’t help but feel a chill in the heart.
Now, reaching his limit during the eighth wave of heavenly thunder actually gave Yun Qiuchi a sense of relief.
On the other hand, Yun Jiuye also noticed that Jiang Li’s Qi mechanism had reached its limit, and faint Qi mechanism was even spilling out from his seven orifices.
His gaze flickered, bathed in golden light inside and out, ready to act.
As an immortal body was soon to be formed, with fifth-rank at hand, Yun Jiuye had the ability to intervene, giving Jiang Li a chance to transform Innate Qi and escape the tribulation.
Since there was no avoiding the fact that Jiang Li was taking advantage of the situation, why not do a favor in passing, showing the magnanimity of a future Sect Leader and avoiding any ridicule from outsiders.
However, just as Yun Jiuye was about to act, Jiang Li moved again.
With a swift turn, he transformed from man to dragon, with Qi forming shape, a dragon with wings emerged, majestic and soaring through the sky.
This was the form of the Yinglong Dragon.
But this Yinglong Dragon was not golden, but wholly azure, a Azure Dragon indeed.
Innate Qi transformed, turning from Primordial Earth Qi into Wood Qi, changing from being constrained by the Heavenly Tribulation to being in harmony with it.
Around the azure Yinglong Dragon, the Array Plate rotated, evolving into "one of the escapees," allowing Jiang Li to temporarily evade the lock of the Heavenly Tribulation, then entering the tribulation under another identity.
At that moment, he was not the one undergoing the tribulation, but rather acting as an enforcer of the tribulation on behalf of heaven.
"That can work too?" Mu Lingyi once again gaped, exclaiming in astonishment for the second time.
"Theoretically..." Yan Hanqing paused, then shook his head helplessly, "this theory has never come up before."
At least, it wasn’t found in the scriptures of his Mo Sect.
"I happen to know that before the End of Dharma, within the Mystic Sect, there were Divine Skills and wonderful methods that could transform to avoid the Heavenly Tribulation, but those methods have long been lost. And even if..." Xuanming also shook his head, "even if one mastered such wonderful methods, they wouldn’t use them to deceive the Heavenly Tribulation."
One could only say that Jiang Li’s action was indeed innovative.
The Azure Dragon harmonized with the Heavenly Tribulation, circling and roaming freely in the sky, moving with the thunder, exuding an indescribable boldness and exhilaration.
From undergoing tribulation to complying with heaven, Jiang Li was relishing the virtue and blessings of heaven and earth. As the object he had to punish had vanished, now he was enjoying the fruits of victory.
At this moment, Jiang Li truly felt at one with heaven. Wood’s Curved and Straight, Wood’s Generation, Thunder’s Birth and Destruction, these notions became clear in his mind. Innate Wood Qi moistened his limbs and bones, awakening vigorous vitality, nurturing his Essence Element.
Due to the ability of the Qi Refiner’s Dao Fruit, Jiang Li could transform True Qi into Divine Essence, and now with the realization of Wood Qi’s principles, he used True Qi to strengthen Essence Element, hence the three elements became even more intimately connected, further increasing his power.
However, the most important aspect was the comprehension of Innate Wood Qi.
Qi in the wood transformed to life, shifting from opposition to union. Jiang Li reaped the benefits of two waves of Heavenly Tribulations and ultimately grasped the formative concept beyond form, the very life of Wood Qi, the generation of Wood Qi.
At the same time, the Karma Collection also responded.
"Suddenly, Jiang Li felt a sensation of metamorphosis, as if some bindings within him had dissolved, merging into his body."
"He knew that his Qi Refiner’s Dao Fruit had reached Perfection."