「September 15th.」

“I’m just glad you’re out,” Yan Huang said with a smile, ruffling his daughter’s hair. “Nothing else is that important. It’s not a big deal that you couldn’t bring out any documents.”

Yan Jiangxue pouted, her expression quickly turning to one of concern.

“I’m worried that once word gets out about what happened in the Peach Blossom Spring, Xiaolu will be thrust right into the eye of the storm…”

Yan Huang smiled gently, his gaze growing deep.

“Don’t worry. Even if Xiaoxuan really is the reincarnation of the Ancient Lu Zi, the pros ultimately outweigh the cons.”

He added after a pause,

“Actually, word has already spread among the higher-ups of the various powers. Most remain skeptical, but more are leaning toward believing it.”

“Really?” Xiaoyan blinked in surprise. “I thought most people wouldn’t believe it. It’s just too fantastic—an ancient Great Power from over a hundred thousand years ago, standing right in front of them, alive…”

Yan Huang waved his hand with a light chuckle.

“That’s not the right way to look at it. Reincarnation is part of the natural order. And with the world’s spiritual energy reviving, everyone is already speculating that the ancient Immortal Gods are about to return. Compared to that, the idea that Lu Xuan was one of the Ancient Sons isn’t so hard to accept.”

He continued after a moment,

“According to the information you brought back from the Peach Blossom Spring, among the ancient Sages, Great Virtues, and Great Sages—the status of Great Sage isn’t a measure of cultivation, but at most, they’re on par with a True Immortal.”

“A Great Virtue can rival a Grand Grade, while a Sage is unfathomable. If the Ancient Lu Zi were a Sage, it would truly send shockwaves through the world. But if he was a Great Virtue, then it’s manageable—within an acceptable range for all the major powers. After all…”

“After all what?” Xiaoyan asked, craning her neck curiously.

Yan Huang let out a slow breath and smiled.

“After all, everything Xiaoxuan has done in the last six months has been increasingly shocking. From slaying prodigies and rebuking an Earth Immortal at the start, to being personally greeted by a True Immortal at the Kongtong Mountain Range, and then to Taishan, where he slayed Sakata Shindo…”

“Who?” Yan Jiangxue exclaimed in shock. “Sakata Shindo? The chairman of Sakata Heavy Industries?”

“Mm-hm.”

Yan Huang nodded.

“But Xiaoxuan has already slain him, using the Dragon Corpses on Taishan. A supreme expert of our time, a Grand Grade master, just like that… gone. With that as a precedent, it’s no wonder most of the major powers believe Xiaoxuan is the reincarnation of one of the Ancient Sons.”

He remarked with a sigh,

“After all, a boy in his teens slaying a Grand Grade master is just too absurd. But if he’s an ancient Great Power reborn in this era, it all suddenly makes perfect sense.”

It dawned on Yan Jiangxue.

After thinking for a moment, she suddenly asked,

“Oh, right, Dad, how are things at Taishan? Those Dragon Corpses and the Coffin and Casket… Xiaolu can control them?”

“I’m not sure of the specifics of how Xiaoxuan can control those nine Dragon Corpses, but judging from the situation at the time, he faces immense restrictions when using them to fight.”

An uncontrollable look of awe surfaced on Yan Huang’s face as he recalled the scene. He then continued,

“As for Taishan, in the last few days, other powers sent Earth Immortals to investigate. At first, it was fine; the Dead Immortals there didn’t react. But after one of the Earth Immortals touched the Coffin and Casket, they went berserk and slaughtered all the intruders. Golden blood then flowed from the Coffin and Casket, transforming the fallen Earth Immortals into more Dead Immortals!”

His expression grew grim as he continued,

“Now, more than ten Dead Immortals roam the area around Taishan, attacking anyone who approaches. The place has been designated a restricted zone, a new Forbidden Land.”

Yan Jiangxue’s expression shifted. ‘A new Forbidden Land…’

She seemed a bit dazed and said with regret,

“I was hoping to visit Taishan again. What a shame…”

“Don’t even think about it!” Yan Huang warned. “That place is getting more and more bizarre. It’s best you don’t set foot there. We can talk about it again after Xiaoxuan returns. By the way, did he tell you when he’ll be back?”

“It shouldn’t be too long, right?” Yan Jiangxue said, though her tone was uncertain. But the moment the words left her mouth, her phone rang.

Xiaoyan answered the phone, her usual cool and distant expression instantly replaced by a sunny smile, her eyes curving into happy crescents.

“Okay, okay… Mm-hm, I know… Okay!”

After she hung up, Yan Huang asked in a playfully sour tone,

“That was Xiaoxuan, wasn’t it?”

“Yep! He’s out too. He said he sensed some matters of cause and effect connected to East Sea City… so he’s heading back there first to take a look!”

“Cause and Effect…?” Yan Huang froze for a second, then his eyes widened in alarm. ‘Don’t tell me he’s already starting his Karma Tribulation?!’

‘So soon?!’

But on second thought, he remembered that Xiaoxuan was very likely the reincarnation of one of the Ancient Sons, and he relaxed. The second, third, and fourth tribulations of the Earth Immortal Realm were all tests of one’s mental state. For an ancient Sage of Great Virtue, they were hardly an issue.

Yan Huang let out a breath, suppressing his complicated feelings. “Oh,” he said,

“By the way, the Grand Speaker seems to want to pay Xiaoxuan a visit. Ask him when he has some free time.”

“Okay!”

…

‘Karma Tribulation… Interesting.’

The young man mused to himself as he began to walk, his slow steps covering hundreds, even thousands, of meters in a single stride. With each step, though no auspicious phenomena like blooming lotuses appeared, he left entire mountains and rivers far behind him.

It was a minor Divine Technique: Shrinking Inches.

An ordinary Earth Immortal at the Heaven Ascending Gate stage would gain vast Magical Power with each tribulation they passed. But for Lu Xuan, who cultivated the Supreme Tribulation Chapter, each tribulation he overcame not only blessed him with immense Magical Power but also caused various profound principles to manifest within him.

He would comprehend all sorts of Divine Techniques, their countless methods and wonders becoming perfectly clear in his mind.

After overcoming the Physical Tribulation, he obtained the Divine Technique of Shrinking Inches. A single step could cover thousands of meters with ease, and even thousands of miles were not impossible. If he reached the Perfection stage, the farthest horizon would feel as close as if it were right before him—truly Close But Far Away.

After overcoming the Greed Tribulation, he obtained the Divine Technique of Celestial and Earthly Laws, allowing him to shrink to the size of a particle or grow as large as a star. At the Perfection stage, his very being could become an entire galaxy.

After overcoming the Desire Tribulation, he gained the Divine Technique of Stone-to-Gold… This was rather useless to Lu Xuan. The ability to transmute and reconstruct matter sounded profound, but compared to his Mediation of Creation, it was less than a pale imitation.

And after overcoming the Red Dust Tribulation, he acquired a Great Divine Technique called Scattering Beans into Soldiers. With a single thought, he could create tens of thousands of Celestial Soldiers. Although they were puppets, Lu Xuan suspected that by combining this ability with his Mediation of Creation, he might even be able to grant them sentient life.

As he walked among the mountains and rivers, each step an application of Step-by-Step Shrinking Land, he contemplated his current might. The sheer scope of his power was staggering, filling his mind with Thoughts of Alarm!

‘The Sanqing Temple has now developed Profound Mysterious Traits. It is practically Everywhere, able to appear in multiple places at once, following my will…’

‘My two Acupoints now contain entire worlds. The Peach Blossom Spring, in particular, constantly provides me with the Thoughts of All Living Beings, making the Sanqing Temple more profound with every passing moment. If this continues, it might truly become a Profound Mysterious Daoist Palace!’

‘Hmm, if I encounter an enemy, I could just hit them with the Peach Blossom Spring. The weight of an entire Little World… I’m afraid even a True Immortal would be crushed. It’s just… something feels a little off.’

Muttering to himself, Lu Xuan frowned. The Peach Blossom Spring resided within the Acupoint in his right hand, operating and evolving. Day and night cycled, the four seasons shifted, but something about it felt wrong, jarringly out of place.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was…

Meanwhile, inside the Acupoint, beneath the world’s sky.

“So heavy…”

The chairman of Aotao Organism was holding up the entire Peach Blossom Spring, his voice weak and drained.

“Where am I now…? How much longer do I have to hold this up?”

He wanted to cry but had no tears, his suffering unspeakable. At the same time, his heart was filled with utter terror. He, along with this entire Little World, seemed to have been transported to some unknown location.

That would have been bad enough, but the crucial thing was that he could feel this unknown place had a master, and he himself was being assimilated, bit by bit…

If this assimilation continued, he feared he would become a servant, or even a puppet, to the master of this unknown domain!

The thought made Chairman Ao Tao even more terrified. He wanted to flee, but he was pinned down by the weight of the entire Little World, completely unable to move. He was simply stuck…

「Back in the outside world.」

Lu Xuan pondered for a moment but still couldn’t figure it out. He could sense that the strange point within the Peach Blossom Spring was slowly being refined by his Acupoint, so he decided not to dwell on it and returned to assessing his own condition.

‘Right now, without even counting my Supreme Treasures, just based on my physical body, which has nearly achieved a Reverse Innate state, I could probably fight an ordinary Earth Immortal of the Sixth or Seventh Tribulations,’ he thought.

‘If I add my Vast Legal Principles and various Divine Techniques, I estimate I could even fight an eighth-tribulation Earth Immortal, or perhaps even a Nine Tribulation Earth Immortal, provided they aren’t actively undergoing their tribulation.’

‘And if I factor in my ‘Reasonable Words’ trait and the two worlds inside my body, I might even be able to kill a True Immortal by catching them off guard. It’s a shame my Position of Great Virtue didn’t come with me; it’s still only effective inside the Peach Blossom Spring.’

‘However…’

Lu Xuan narrowed his eyes, a thoughtful look on his face.

‘I wonder if I can pull enemies into the Peach Blossom Spring during a fight. If I can, then with my Position of Great Virtue combined with my status as master of that world, killing a Grand Grade master would be no harder than slaughtering a chicken.’

He felt a twinge of regret at the thought. A Grand Grade master probably wouldn’t be stupid enough to willingly dive into his Acupoint. It was a nice fantasy, though.

‘So, without relying on my Supreme Treasures, I have a chance to slay an ordinary True Immortal. And if I do use them…’

‘Well, an unprepared Grand Grade master could be easily incinerated by the Jade Void Glaze Fire. But with Sakata Shindo as an example, the other Grand Grade masters are on alert. It’s unlikely anyone else will be foolish enough to throw themselves into my flames.’

As he lost himself in thought, the surrounding mountains and rivers gradually grew familiar. He was nearing East Sea City.

‘I’m back.’

Gazing at the hazy silhouette of East Sea City in the distance, Lu Xuan felt a wave of emotion and was lost in thought for a moment.

He had only been gone for two or three months, yet it felt like several years, even decades, had passed. The city was the same, and its people were the same, but the changes within himself were staggering!

When he left, he had just become a Celestial Human, having just set foot on the path of Climbing the Divine Ladder. Now, he was an Immortal who had overcome five tribulations and could even slay a True Immortal!

Back when he was still in East Sea City, an Earth Immortal had seemed like an untouchable figure to him. Thinking about it now…

Lu Xuan gave a low chuckle. Just as he was about to walk on, someone suddenly called out from not too far away.

“Hey, young man! You here to hunt for treasure in the Immortal Pit, too? Want to team up?”

Lu Xuan glanced over. It was a few Junior Cultivators at the Jade Tower level, led by a Grandmaster.

He glanced around and suddenly realized where he was. This was the place where he had first used the Keeper of the Records’ command, slaying two Earth Immortals. The baleful aura of their Immortal Blood still lingered, turning this place into a Forbidden Land.

But within it were also the corpses and treasures of Immortals, so it was no surprise that many Junior Cultivators came here to try their luck.

As he was lost in his thoughts, the small group of cultivators walked up to him. The Grandmaster in the lead spoke in a gentle voice,

“This place is treacherous. It’s not a good idea to go in alone, young man. How about joining up with us?”

Lu Xuan was about to smile and politely decline when the Grandmaster added,

“We have a few other Grandmasters in our group, like Grandmaster Wu from Tongshan City and Grandmaster Chu from the neighboring East Sea City. In fact, Grandmaster Chu is on the verge of becoming a Celestial Human… What do you say? Care to join us?”

‘Grandmaster Chu?’

Lu Xuan froze. A thread of Cause and Effect stirred, and the world itself seemed to whisper the name. He instantly knew who it was.

Chu Shuangtian, the head of the East Sea City Martial Arts Alliance. An old acquaintance… ‘No wonder it triggered my Karma Tribulation.’

He thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded, accepting their offer.

His Karma Tribulation consisted of four threads of Cause and Effect, and three of them were in East Sea City. By resolving these karmic ties and purifying himself, he could pass this tribulation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep