At high noon, on the back mountain of Little Qiong Peak, in that clearing among the trees that had been chosen years before.
Old Taoist Qi Yuan held his fly whisk, standing within the now-thoroughly-sturdy wooden cage. A few gleams of treasure-light floated around him; the brand-new robe of cyan-blue silk he wore was a passable defensive treasure, and made the old Taoist look a few years younger.
About to cross a tribulation, his face could hardly help but turn grim.
Threads of obscure, nameless aura wreathed Qi Yuan. Now and then a petal drifted past him, dissolving into the mountain wind.
The old Taoist's two disciples stood in the treetops a hundred zhang away. Blue Ling'e watched her master nervously, slim fingers toying with a lock of her dark hair that hung down before her.
Over these years, Ling'e's figure had grown out a little more. Her bound waist was so slender one could almost circle it with a hand; a long skirt with trailing tassels set off her soft curves — flawless from near or far. Her pretty face had gained a fraction more gentle charm compared to two years ago, though fresh vivacity and purity still dominated.
From a treetop not far from Blue Ling'e, Li Changshou wore his usual plain robe as ever, a bamboo slip in his left hand and a carving knife in his right, his spiritual sense wrapped around their master, studying the omens of the approaching tribulation.
There was nothing left to advise.
Everything that could be done had been done. The next step was for the master to survive the first tribulation bolt; after that, the master himself would decide when to use that "precious medicine."
For now, Li Changshou's chief task was to observe and record, up close, the process of his master's tribulation-crossing.
Because Du Xian Sect recruited disciples once every two hundred years, Li Changshou had entered the sect just as the previous generation's tide of ascensions was ebbing. Most of those disciples who, hampered by talent and comprehension, could never become immortals had left the sect and returned home. For the past hundred years Du Xian Sect had been nurturing this new generation; among the previous generation, those who ascended were now few.
This tribulation was the sixth qi-refiner's immortal-crossing tribulation Li Changshou had observed in his century of cultivation — and this time he could stand so close, record the whole process, and analyze it in detail afterward.
Hwoosh—
A fierce wind rose among the trees. The old Taoist Qi Yuan in the wooden cage looked up at the sky, and threads of faint light began to gather around him.
In but the blink of an eye those threads converged into a pillar of light that shot up into the air!
Here it comes — the omen before ascension!
Li Changshou, knife in hand, bent over the bamboo slip and began writing with quick fury, recording every detail.
The pillar of light lasted the span of a cup of tea, and then the skies over Little Qiong Peak shifted their colors!
Li Changshou could feel spiritual energy streaming endlessly from every direction to hover a hundred zhang above his master's head, where in an instant it congealed into one grey tribulation cloud after another.
At that moment, silhouettes shot up from the various peaks beneath the grand mountain-protecting formation, rising into the air to gaze toward Little Qiong Peak...
Beneath the tribulation cloud, a bright silver-white lightning-spot appeared, and faint arcs of electricity began to crawl around the old Taoist Qi Yuan.
Li Changshou did a quick calculation with his fingers, then looked up and sent his voice to his master:
"Master, judging from the area and thickness of the tribulation cloud, this should be the common immortal-crossing tribulation of five bolts of heavenly thunder."
The old Taoist Qi Yuan frowned slightly. He had thought it would be the weakest three-thunder tribulation; he never expected to face five.
— An ascension tribulation never exceeds nine bolts; the common counts are four, five, or six.
There is a saying: according to the tribulation-crosser's aptitude and the potential he would gain upon ascension, Heaven's Way sends thunder of different might. The more bolts of tribulation thunder, the wider the immortal road and the deeper the potential of this person — and the harder the tribulation is to survive.
After the message was sent, Li Changshou lowered his head and kept writing with his knife.
Rumble-rumble —
The tribulation cloud began to tremble, the lightning-spot growing ever more distinct, until it hit some critical threshold and at once transformed into a blazing pillar of thunder crashing down straight at the old Taoist Qi Yuan's head!
The moment heavenly thunder emerged, heaven and earth seemed to dim!
That surge of Great-Dao fluctuation, carrying the profound truth of heaven and earth, came hammering down with the thunderbolt!
But — the immortals and qi-refiners observing this tribulation watched in stupefaction: the tribulation, which by all reason could not be deflected by any treasure, was being entirely "swallowed" by the wooden cage around the old Taoist Qi Yuan!
Lightning blazed along every part of the cage, yet Qi Yuan stood within it unscathed. Save for his grey-white hair streaming wildly, not a trace of lightning clung to his frame!
Blue Ling'e immediately shouted in excitement: "Senior Brother! The birdcage works!"
Li Changshou was beaming too — but before his smile could fully bloom, that obscure Dao fluctuation abruptly surged, and the lightning-blazing birdcage burst apart in every direction...
Ah well. Heaven's Way really does forbid cutting corners.
But it was something, at least it had helped the master resist the first bolt of tribulation thunder.
Then Li Changshou noticed a problem — because the master had not taken the tribulation face-on, no immortal qi had appeared around him.
The birdcage had dodged one bolt for the master, and in return had cost the tribulation-crosser some of his reward. Gain and loss go hand in hand; such is the constant law of the Great Dao.
Good thing the master had not popped the Immortal-Dissolving Pill into his mouth all at once — or Li Changshou would have poisoned his own master with his own hands...
Above the tribulation cloud, a larger lightning-spot began to brew, its tribulation power even more abundant than before.
The old Taoist Qi Yuan's face grew graver still. He channeled all his mana to every part of his body and rose slowly into the air.
An ascension tribulation can only be endured head-on!
Krak!
Sizzle —
The second bolt of tribulation thunder fell with murderous intent, and the pillar of gathered thunderbolts engulfed Qi Yuan's figure entirely!
Li Changshou and Blue Ling'e both squeezed a fistful of sweat. When the two saw their master hold only an instant before being crushed to the ground by the pillar of thunder, Blue Ling'e squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to watch.
Only when the sizzling discharge faded away, and she heard her senior brother let out a breath, did she dare open her eyes.
The old Taoist Qi Yuan sat up in a dusty shallow pit, bloodied and bedraggled, turned and coughed up a mouthful of blood, then swallowed a few pills and rose to his feet.
His mana was still fairly plentiful; a faint wisp of immortal light was coiling around him.
So the second bolt of heavenly thunder had been endured.
Li Changshou stopped writing, hiding his left hand in his sleeve as he pressed a paper charm figure and a pill between his fingers.
Judging by the master's state, he would still try to face the third bolt — but he could never survive the fourth.
If the master were struck crippled by the third bolt and could no longer move, Li Changshou would have to stuff the Immortal-Dissolving Pill into his mouth in time.
A still larger lightning-spot gathered in the tribulation cloud. The old Taoist Qi Yuan gritted his teeth and rose, his hands forming seals in quick succession, layering barrier upon barrier of mana defense before him.
But it was useless.
This time a thunderous boom came first — within the tribulation cloud it sounded as if ten thousand troops and horses were stampeding — then a thunderbolt as thick as a millstone slammed down, charged with a killing austerity, shattering the many barriers Qi Yuan had raised almost in the same instant it descended, pinning Qi Yuan into the shallow pit and grinding away without mercy...
Facing the gale that rushed toward her, Blue Ling'e cried out in spite of herself: "Master!"
But her cry was soon swallowed by the wind.
Qi Yuan barely managed to endure the third bolt of tribulation thunder...
In truth there was little to be done: the number and quality of tribulation bolts were fixed by the aptitude he had shown when he first began cultivation. Later, because the injury to his Dao foundation had kept Qi Yuan from reaching the "strength" he should have had at the ninth stage of Return to the Dao, he faced the tribulation in such straits — even the third bolt, he could only just barely survive.
The thunderblast gouged a great crater out of the ground. Qi Yuan lay at the bottom, and with his last shred of mana slowly floated upright, standing again beneath the tribulation, gazing up at the far more terrifying, far larger lightning-spot...
Blood soaked him from head to toe, yet his eyes remained resolute!
Fate, fate — how unjust was fate!
But this poor Taoist bears you no grudge. The Great Dao turns full circle, heaven and earth hold all things in order, and all of this is but my allotted fortune. And if it means my death, what of it!
Yet there is one thing!
Let me never die lying on the ground, a sorry spectacle for the disciples watching beside me — even if their master is a useless failure, even if he cannot give them the shelter that disciples of other peaks enjoy!
Then let this poor Taoist die standing!
With the bearing of a human qi-refiner!
And earn some face for Changshou and Ling'e, so they may know their master does not lack this very resolve, this very heart set upon the Dao!
More than that — I still have the precious medicine my eldest disciple prepared with such pains, enough to carry me through one bolt of tribulation thunder!
The old Taoist Qi Yuan produced the brocade box, took out the pill within, and without a moment's hesitation put it into his mouth and swallowed it whole.
Come, Heaven's Way!
Even if I know this is but a futile struggle, still I will gamble once — I must see the last bolt of tribulation thunder through!
To die beneath the final bolt — that should count as a death not too shameful, shouldn't it...
Inside the lightning-spot, tribulation power surged madly as the fourth bolt readied itself to fall!
"Aaaaah—"
The old Taoist Qi Yuan tipped back his head and roared, beard and hair bristling, his whole body—
"Cough!"
The old Taoist abruptly ducked his head and coughed, spitting out a fountain of blood, then stared down at himself in astonishment — streaks of bloodlight were crawling over his entire body.
Wh-what is happening?
How am I beginning to dissolve?
Supreme Pure Grand Master above, what is this?
What did this treacherous disciple feed me......?
Overhead, the madly churning lightning-spot suddenly ran out of steam, and the tribulation cloud ceased its spin.
This tribulation, like a middle-aged mortal man who had pinned high hopes on himself and meant to show off before his beloved, only to realize all at once that he was flagging with exhaustion — simply had nothing more to follow...
In his final instant, Qi Yuan turned to look at his eldest disciple, who stood smiling.
The old Taoist's consciousness dissolved with astonishing speed, his body like a snowman set before a furnace — and instantly melted away!
Soul, body, even his garments, all turned into that puddle of "blood-water," floating in the air...
The tribulation cloud shuddered and dispersed into wisps of pure spiritual energy; rays of sunlight spilled down onto Little Qiong Peak.
On every side, the viewers watched in bafflement, staring blankly at the place where Qi Yuan had dissolved, at that puddle of blood-water.
All at once a murky vapor surged up from the ground, and three-hued immortal light descended from the clouds, both pouring into the blood-water.
From somewhere came the tinkle of strings and flutes, beautiful to the ear.
The clear and the turbid began slowly to converge, and the puddle of blood-water gradually took the outline of a human figure;
then came a crackling burst of sound, and the old Taoist Qi Yuan's form reappeared in the air — even the clothes torn to rags by the heavenly thunder still hung on his body...
The bloodlight faded. Petals drifted around the old Taoist; beneath his feet a murky auspicious cloud bore him up, and faintly above his head a lotus bloomed open, then merged into his form.
Opening his mouth, the old Taoist Qi Yuan breathed out a wisp of clear aura, and his whole presence began to surge slowly upward.
Such an ascension spectacle — truly poverty-stricken.
The old Taoist Qi Yuan had by now understood what had happened. He turned to look at Li Changshou, his gaze full of helplessness, yet glinting with a trace of tears.
Setting aside the bond of master and disciple for a moment—
His face full of tangled emotions, Qi Yuan made a Dao salute toward Li Changshou.
Li Changshou hastily set away his bamboo slip, carving knife, paper charm, and pill, and returned his master's salute with a Dao salute of his own, holding the position long, not daring to straighten for some time.
From the wind drifted a noisy chatter of discussion...
"It's a sword-release! A sword-release into a muddy immortal!"
"That was the Immortal-Dissolving Pill! Can anyone still refine such a pill?"
"Junior Brother Qi Yuan chose this road — not a bad one, and it saves his life."
"A muddy immortal, after all, is little different from most immortals. Heavenly Immortal isn't so easy to break through anyway; the majority of us stop at True Immortal, don't we?"