Within the Nine Heavens and Nine Earths, normal cultivation methods could only advance to the ninth stage of the Dao Path.
Upon reaching this realm, the spiritual energy within a person's body would be highly compressed into a spiritual crystal containing terrifying power.
The transformation of spiritual energy, from gaseous to liquid, then to solid, and finally reaching the pinnacle of the ninth stage of the Dao Path, seemed to have reached its limit, with no further progress possible.
Anyone who dared to attempt to advance beyond the peak of the Dao Path would incur the wrath of the Heavenly Dao, unleashing incredibly fearsome tribulations!
This was the Heaven-Defying Dragon Gate between the Dao Path and Ascension—the Great Ascension Tribulation!
The power of this tribulation, even a slight brush against it, was enough to instantly obliterate ninety-nine percent of Dao Path cultivators in the world within a century.
For a long time, humanity even believed that the peak of the Dao Path was the end of cultivation, and any attempt to go further was defying heaven, a guaranteed failure.
But with the continuous research and development of protective cultivation methods, it wasn't necessarily true that predecessors were weaker than ancient figures. As the entire spiritual energy civilization flourished with the accumulation of time.
The first being to cross the Great Ascension Tribulation appeared, a time so distant it was impossible to ascertain. However, everyone knew the name of this first ascendant—Yuan Shi.
Yes, after him, this land acquired its name: the Yuan Shi Continent.
Following that, the spiritual energy civilization entered a period of vigorous development. Countless humans, relying on powerful protective cultivation methods to confront the Great Ascension Tribulation, were able to shed their mortal coils and ascend, enjoying infinite lifespans.
For the current era, that was already a time of myth. Legends spoke of a time when the spiritual energy civilization reached its zenith, and the world rejoiced.
That was the moment the 129,600th Ascended Great Master was born. On that day, the world expanded to a new realm.
But the ninth heaven—Kàng Lóng Yǒu Huǐ (Dragon Soaring Regrets)! When things reach their peak, decline also begins.
In this era, cultivators on the Yuan Shi Continent generally had no knowledge of what truly happened in those mythical times.
But the one thing they did know was that the Great Ascension Tribulation had changed.
All who relied on protective means to overcome the tribulation would face an even more terrifying tribulation!
To pass meant shedding mortality and becoming an immortal; to fail meant death and the dissipation of the Dao.
Moreover, what was even more terrifying was that ascension was not a one-time, permanent solution.
The altered Heavenly Dao required all Ascended Masters to undergo another immortal tribulation every thousand years!
The mortal True Immortals, with their infinite lifespans, began to drastically decrease in number.
By now, even existences like the Ten Great Sects rarely possessed more than a hundred Ascended Masters.
Of course, the immortal tribulation was both a trial and an opportunity. Dao Path cultivators at the ninth stage who passed the immortal tribulation would shed their mortality and ascend.
And for Ascended Masters, each tribulation they passed would increase their cultivation by one level, until they reached the ultimate ninth level of Ascension!
The realm of Ascension was too distant. What Linglong had to face at this moment was her impending Great Ascension Tribulation.
The Ten Great Sects naturally had special methods for dealing with this. Among them, utilizing top-tier cauldrons to enhance spiritual energy supply was the simplest method.
Linglong's true reason for attending the auction was the secret spiritual inscription method of the Cauldron Path:
"Plum blossoms replace peaches! The method of substitution death!"
Upon saying this, Long Ji paused her narration, her vertically slit pupils, characteristic of dragons, fixed on the young man before her:
"You, are you not afraid, nor angry?"
The young man's expression remained calm, as if the matters Long Ji was recounting had nothing to do with him.
Chen Luo gently shook his head:
"I promised to help her cultivate, so helping her break through the immortal tribulation is also expected."
"In exchange, she gave me cultivation methods, and I have obtained a portion of them."
"Furthermore, Empress Long Ji, the reason Linglong is not present now is that you have something else you wish to tell me, correct?"
Chen Luo's gaze pierced Long Ji's chest like a sharp sword. She had never imagined that one day she would feel guilty due to the gaze of a human.
"Although Long Ji and I have only known each other for a few days, we have talked quite a bit. I understand her personality. She gave up, didn't she?"
Long Ji's expression turned grim as she nodded: "Yes, she gave up the Plum Blossoms Replace Peaches method. She only intends for you to supplement her spiritual energy, and then she will face the tribulation herself!"
"But, it's impossible for her to pass the True Dragon Tribulation! If she doesn't use the substitution death method, Linglong will surely die!"
A flicker of realization flashed in Chen Luo's eyes. Although they had only met a few times, they had exchanged nearly a thousand pages of messages on the communication jade slips, and Chen Luo had a general idea of this girl's thoughts.
In the subsequent narration by Long Ji, Chen Luo understood the entire reason.
Linglong was a human-dragon hybrid. Chen Luo had sensed this upon their first contact through her aura.
But the root of all problems lay here.
The Great Ascension Tribulation took into account all protective cultivation methods and then intensified itself.
The True Dragon bloodline, within the rules of the Heavenly Dao, was the ultimate protective cultivation method! If one merely had a trace of this bloodline, the ensuing tribulation would be enough to make even the true disciples of top sects find it troublesome.
As the daughter of a True Dragon, Linglong's dragon bloodline was so potent that the Heavenly Dao would directly recognize her as a True Dragon.
True Dragons were naturally blessed with ten thousand years of lifespan, their bloodline talent reaching an exaggerated level. In terms of spiritual energy aptitude, they were born with the ultimate True Dragon Body, and upon ascension, they could be called the Dragon Immortal Body, the King of Ten Thousand Demons.
True Dragons would spend a thousand years growing to their peak, at which point their physical bodies would be capable of confronting Ascended Masters!
And this incredibly powerful True Dragon physique was the greatest reliance for passing the special Great Ascension Tribulation known as the "True Dragon Tribulation."
However, Linglong did not possess the True Dragon physique at all!
What Chen Luo saw was her true form. Apart from her silver hair and dragon horns, she was no different from an ordinary human woman!
And if such a Linglong were to face the True Dragon Tribulation? It would be a path to certain death.
Even Ascended Masters like Long Ji would have no room to intervene.
Because if an Ascended Master were to act, the True Dragon Tribulation would become so terrifying that it would severely injure Long Ji. In such a situation, Linglong would likely turn to ashes in an instant!
What was even more despairing was that Linglong had not inherited the powerful True Dragon physique of the True Dragon bloodline, but instead inherited extreme spiritual energy aptitude!
Even if Linglong did not cultivate, as long as she was alive, spiritual energy would automatically integrate into her body, cultivating for her and bringing her closer to the brink of death!
The so-called Plum Blossoms Replace Peaches technique had extremely strict requirements. It demanded a cauldron with spiritual energy aptitude no less than that of the person being substituted.
But behind the extremely difficult conditions, the effect was also incredibly terrifying! The most basic usage was substitution death!
If the tribulation-taker unfortunately died during the Great Ascension Tribulation, the bound cauldron, with spiritual energy aptitude no less than the tribulation-taker's, would take their place in death.
The tribulation-taker would then be able to live another life.
At that point, with their condition intact and having just been resurrected, the tribulation-taker's chances of passing the great tribulation would increase by several notches.
However, this method held no value for Linglong.