Only by achieving the Great Dao Realm is one qualified, possessing the potential, to enter the Central Celestial Dynasty. The Central Celestial Dynasty is said to be the vital core of the heavens and earth, its spiritual energy reputedly ten times, perhaps even more than ten times, that of other regions. If this place were open, everyone would surely flock there, abandoning the remote wilderness.

But alas, the Central Celestial Dynasty long ago restricted entry; only those at the Great Dao Realm qualify to proceed after passing a certain series of trials.

Note that being qualified to proceed does not guarantee entry; an examination is still required.

With the Heavenly Court long vanished, the Central Celestial Dynasty now serves as the de facto Heavenly Court upon the surface world.

Flipping the perspective, Lu Yuan unleashed his sword qi, instantly piercing one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. The intensely saturated spiritual energy flooded the Spirit Sealing Array, a breath of such profound richness. Lu Yuan unapologetically swallowed the Great Dao Law Pill. Only after it entered his belly did he feel the world he perceived become slightly more substantial.

It seemed as if invisible conduits coursed between heaven and earth.

These intangible threads appeared to induce subtle shifts in the world around him.

Strike while the iron is hot, Lu Yuan thought, swallowing the second Phoenix-Crested Chicken Comb without hesitation. This comb was quite substantial. Lu Yuan consumed it with a force akin to a whale’s suction. As soon as it hit his stomach, he felt the power of the ocean diffuse throughout his body, wave after wave of sea-like hot currents washing over him, bringing such comfort that he nearly cried out.

When he reopened his eyes, there were even more conduits woven throughout the cosmos.

Wind had no form, clouds possessed no shape.

But now, the wind had begun to acquire a definite form, and the clouds, a discernible essence.

Lu Yuan understood: these were the faintest traces of the Great Dao he was finally able to perceive.

Only upon reaching the Great Dao Realm could one behold the vestiges of the Great Dao.

He felt something now, yet success remained distant. An indescribable surge of excitement filled Lu Yuan’s heart—to witness the traces of the Great Dao meant he was nearing the Great Dao itself. Now for the final component: the Elixir of Immortality.

Holding the warm Elixir of Immortality, seized only recently, a slight tremor of emotion passed through him before he swallowed it whole. Upon ingestion, it felt as though he had swallowed a torrent of fire. The immensely potent medicinal essence instantly surged through his entire being, an endless stream of Dharma power welling up from the elixir.

Regrettably, this was not what he truly sought.

He desired the traces of the Great Dao. Just as Lu Yuan held this thought, lines and marks of every description began to materialize around him, clearer than anything he had ever witnessed.

The wind blew gently, tracing the contours of the heavens and earth.

The clouds drifted softly, their passing imprints stirring the air.

But this was underground; though wind and clouds existed, the sky remained unseen. Lu Yuan gazed upward toward the ceiling—the earth, the stone walls overhead, and the ground itself were etched with profound, mysterious markings, intricate and subtle, as if all of existence, all the laws binding the universe, were concentrated and unified within them.

He saw so many laws of heaven and earth laid bare.

The sky was no longer merely sky, the earth no longer just earth; stone was no longer just stone, mountains no longer mere mountains.

Lu Yuan reached out into the void to grasp these impressions. At first, the markings were like the moon reflected in water—they shattered upon the slightest touch, utterly intangible. Lu Yuan remained undeterred, continuing his attempts. After a moment, he finally managed to grasp them; the traces could now be held within his hands.

Rumble! A colossal sound of thunder roared in Lu Yuan’s ears.

This was… the Heavenly Tribulation.

Cultivators pursuing Qi Refining, Body Tempering, and Longevity constantly grow stronger, but not to a degree perceptible to the cosmos. However, once one begins to challenge the Great Dao Realm, one becomes known to heaven and earth. To grasp the laws of heaven and earth by mortal means inevitably disrupts the natural order, thus triggering a Heavenly Tribulation.

If one fails this tribulation, only death or complete annihilation awaits, signifying the cosmos’s rejection; one will be forever barred from wielding the laws of heaven and earth.

But if one survives, the heavens acknowledge the individual, granting the potential to wield those laws in the future.

Generally, however, ordinary Heavenly Tribulations are not exceptionally powerful; most cultivators find avoiding them relatively easy. Sometimes, if one hides deep underground, the tribulation lightning cannot penetrate the thick soil—such incidents happen frequently. The safest place to avoid the tribulation was historically underground, but since the depths belonged to demons and devils, cultivators generally avoided this perilous retreat.

Lu Yuan happened to be attacking the depths when the time came, so he decided to weather the tribulation here.

These standard tribulations usually held little destructive force; Lu Yuan approached them casually.

Once he overcame this, he would achieve the Great Dao Realm. An overwhelming sense of exhilaration washed over him.

Booming crash! This tribulation was surprisingly intense; visible even through such thick soil. Lu Yuan paid it little mind. In fact, other seasoned cultivators who sensed the sound of this tribulation were equally unconcerned, reasoning that the thick earth would dampen most of its power.

CRACK!

The earth suddenly ruptured, and countless colossal structures formed of wood energy materialized into immense spells. Each beam was dozens of meters thick, requiring several people to encircle them. Ancient and vigorous, they resembled primeval sacred trees, tearing through the earth and crashing toward him with the force of absolute lightning.

“The Ten Jiazi Divine Wood Tribulation!” Chu Duan roared. He recognized these colossal timbers. These must not be underestimated; they were condensed from the innate Zao Yi essence from beyond the heavens, weighty as mountains, descending with a force no less than several hundred thousand jin. The tribulation Chu Duan had faced was the Ten Jiazi Divine Wood Tribulation.

Heavenly Tribulations are unique to each individual.

Generally, the higher one’s cultivation and the deeper one’s mastery of the Dao of the Sword, the more formidable the resulting tribulation tends to be.

Most cultivators face lesser tribulations.

But the Ten Jiazi Divine Wood Tribulation is counted among the Great Heavenly Tribulations of this world. Chu Duan had faced this very trial and was reduced to a sorry state despite his power then. Now, Lu Yuan faced the same—a tribulation of extraordinary difficulty.

No—that wasn't quite right. It wasn't just the Ten Jiazi Divine Wood Tribulation.

Interspersed among the giant timbers were enormous metallic lances and swords, each dozens of meters tall—this was the Zi Yan Metal Weapon Tribulation, capable of summoning endless armaments against the victim. These weapons were condensed from the innate golden qi of the outer heavens, impenetrable and impossibly sharp.

Furthermore, this tribulation did not stop there. These blades, spears, swords, and clubs, all formed from innate golden qi, possessed terrifying individual might, but they could also coalesce into ancient battle arrays. Just then, arrays began forming in the void, some resembling the Ancient Azure Nether Sword formation, others the Primordial Chaos Shattering Array. These formations were anything but ordinary. When Song Qingqiao underwent his trial, he encountered the Shui Yan Metal Weapon Tribulation; he had deployed the Nine Great Sword Techniques of the Wudang Sword Array, borrowing the power of heaven and earth, yet he was still nearly broken by the Zi Yan Metal Weapon Tribulation and barely survived. This trial was no less severe than the preceding one.

Above, countless fire snakes, fire crows, fire tigers, fire cranes, and fire lions danced—these monstrous flame beasts were dozens of zhang long, and even divine generals wielding fiery weapons emerged from the inferno, surging toward Lu Yuan’s position.

Flame Divine Generals were deployed! This was the Heavenly Fire Divine Generals Tribulation. Witnessing this stage, Ren Bining, the Sect Master of Qingcheng Immortal Sect, couldn't help but change expression. Years ago, her senior brother, whose talent surpassed hers, died instantly during his own attempt when confronted by the Heavenly Fire Divine Generals Tribulation. Ren Bining remembered this event vividly.

And what was that! The surrounding earth itself began to warp, and countless earth serpents writhed forth from the ground. These earth serpents twisted and churned by the billions—this was the Earth’s Nurturing Soil Tribulation, slightly weaker than the previous three.

But what was that?

In the sky above, colossal Water Gods and Water Generals manifested, and in the void, a gigantic palace appeared. Within this incomparably vast palace resided an Emperor of supreme nobility, whose bearing was utterly extraordinary, as if the ultimate authority of heaven and earth rested in his hands. It was the phantom of the Water Emperor—the Water Emperor’s Heavenly Palace! Someone cried out in astonishment: a Great Emperor, the power of a Heavenly Palace manifesting between heaven and earth.

Yet, in all these years, the most severe tribulation seen was the Ten Jiazi Divine Wood Tribulation, like Chu Duan’s. No one had ever triggered an Emperor-level tribulation; yet now, one had appeared. Such a level of trial would tax even a cultivator at the first stage of the Great Dao Realm—no, perhaps even the second stage of the Great Dao Realm could not withstand it.

An Emperor-level Heavenly Tribulation! This was fundamentally impossible under normal circumstances, yet here it was.

The Ten Jiazi Divine Wood Tribulation, the Zi Yan Metal Weapon Tribulation, the Heavenly Fire Divine Generals Tribulation, the Earth’s Nurturing Soil Tribulation, and finally, the Water Emperor Tribulation.

Five major tribulations, all manifesting simultaneously.

The first four were already terrifying enough, but the final one surpassed them all—an Emperor-level tribulation unseen in the thousands of years of Jin Kingdom history.

Chu Duan drew a deep breath. Song Qingqiao could no longer maintain his composure. The ancient, wrinkled Zhuge Ge wore a strange smile. Ren Bining was stunned into silence. If the masters of these four superior Immortal Sects reacted this way, what could be said of the masters of the middle-tier sects? They were utterly shaken, consumed by profound terror.

Who could possibly withstand such a tribulation?

Could Lu Yuan endure it?

The demons and devils in the Black Water River were startled by the sight of this tribulation. It seemed a figure like Yan Cangtian was about to emerge. However, perhaps even Yan Cangtian back then could not have survived such a trial. If Lu Yuan, this anomaly, were to be annihilated by it, the underground demon clans would have one less great enemy to fear in the future.