In that instant, a riot of colours shattered, passing by Li Qingshan.
In a daze, the mountains, rivers, and seasons flowed, all merging with the tree. Every single leaf flowed with light.
Li Qingshan gained a whole new understanding of the laws of the World of the Nine Provinces. Knowledge and experience could not replace power, but they did serve as an important foundation for power.
“Just like that, all that remains is the Dragon province.”
At the apex of the Dragon province, on the altar, a verdant vine twisted and climbed upwards, plunging into the depths of the sky.
The atmospheric winds were like blades and axes, yet they failed to even cut off a single leaf. The Heaven Climbing Vine was like a growing world, climbing into space after reaching an unfathomable height.
Qian Rongzhi stood in the centre of the altar as she felt an unprecedentedly pure spiritual qi surge into her body. Coupled with the many benefits that the Great Xia empire had given her over the past few days, she neared the third heavenly tribulation.
Under the watch of the entire imperial court, a golden shoe with embroidered clouds stepped out of the space there, landing on a leaf. Everyone shuddered inside. Only the emperor of Great Xia, the religious preceptors of the left and right, and a small number of people knew what was happening. The others had actually been kept in the dark about this, so they were rather unsure about what was going on.
The Heaven Climbing Vine was like a staircase that led up to the heavens. Each leaf was like a stair. A man descended the stairs, emerging from space. Behind the tassels, his appearance was obscured. His attire was basically identical to the emperor of Great Xia’s, but his bearing was even more natural, graceful, and poised.
On the altar, the true emperor of Great Xia bowed deeply. He lowered his head. “Welcome, founding emperor.”
The officials all said, “Welcome, founding emperor.”
Only the Guardian Hawk God raised his head and met his eyes. There was a surge of emotions through his eyes. Who knew what he was thinking about.
In the distant Frost province, the Heavenly Frost Wolf King murmured, “Master.”
The man completely emerged from space. He swung his hand. “All rise.”
His voice was swallowed by the wind and lightning, like a rock cast into a lake, kicking up a series of turbulent waves.
The atmospheric winds surged recklessly, condensing into tornados. The lightning criss-crossed together and formed a blend of blue and violet, turning into a sea of lightning. The mountains swayed, and Dragonshead mountain shook violently. The earth quaked and split open as magma spewed out from the cracks. Columns of fire rushed into the sky.
The world was like an infuriated beast. The wind was its roar, the lightning was its claws, and the fire was its teeth, lunging towards the man.
“What’s going on?”
Li Qingshan stood on the great banyan tree and gazed into the distance. Even from over fifty thousand kilometres away, he could clearly sense the disturbance in the Dragon province.
He murmured, “The Profound Light Illuminates All!”
The pieces of the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell overlapped and pulled the scene on Dragonshead mountain right before his eyes.
Li Qingshan’s face changed. Against such might of the world, even he could not contend against it. He could only last for a moment. The strength possessed by individuals and worlds were on completely different levels.
The emperor of Great Xia lifted the Dragon Province cauldron high into the air. It shone brilliantly, leaving it absolutely blinding.
The winds and lightning settled down slightly, but it was still fierce. The wind, fire, and lightning slammed against the man viciously.
The man seemed to be under heavy shackles, walking very slowly yet very firmly. He allowed the wind and lightning to smash apart the crown on his head, scattering his hair. His dragon robes were burnt to a crisp by the fire, revealing his chest, but he continued to make his way down step by step.
The Great Banyan Tree King was alarmed. “It’s him!”
“Who?” Li Qingshan already had an idea about what was going on.
“The first emperor of Great Xia, Si Long.” The Great Banyan Tree King’s voice was filled with a sense of uneasiness.
Li Qingshan nodded. That was the legend he had constantly heard about ever since he emerged from the mountains. Compared to how distant and blurred the legend of the Five Absolutes Immortal had become, the great feats of the founding emperor were basically at arm’s length to him.
He could not help but pull closer to the Profound Light Illuminates All so that he could see more clearly.
Si Long seemed to sense it. He looked back.
With fifty thousand kilometres between them, two legends met eye to eye.
Li Qingshan raised his eyebrows and stared fixedly, while Si Long curled the corner of his lips. His pitch-black eyes seemed to be able to take in everything.
His appearance was soon blocked by the wind and lightning. He still possessed the appearance of a young man.
Li Qingshan was taken aback. He asked the Great Banyan Tree King, “What’s this guy coming back for? A beating?”
The founding emperor’s cultivation clearly was already beyond what the world could tolerate. Did he potentially have a bad time in the Human realm? But that did not seem to be the case!
There was a flash of dark-azure light, and Gu Yanying returned to the Great Banyan Tree King with Rāhu Xiaoming. “Originally, I thought they were going to borrow the power of the Human realm to contend against the Hungry Ghost realm. I didn’t expect him to come down in person. He seems… to have undergone the fifth heavenly tribulation already!”
It had already been five thousand years since the founding emperor of Great Xia’s ascension, but the flow of time in the Human realm was much slower, so it had probably only been a few centuries or even less. Despite that, he had actually managed to undergo another heavenly tribulation. Just how startling was his talent?
Li Qingshan said, “Another sovereign Li!?”
Rāhu Xiaoming said, “No, the Human realm does not have the ability to devour other worlds. He’s just using the Heaven Climbing Vine as a passageway. He has to endure the might of the world. If it were not for the fact that he was born in this world, so the rejection he faces isn’t that severe, he probably would have been reduced to ash already.”
And that is supposed to be rejection that is not that severe!?
Li Qingshan gazed at the terrifying sight that resembled the end of the world. The rejection from the World of the Nine Provinces was much more frightening than the small world. It was basically out to kill by force.
Apart from that, there must have been numerous invisible restraints and misfortunes as well. It definitely was not something an individual could resist.
The Great Banyan Tree King fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, he seemed to realise something. “I’ve walked into a trap!”
Li Qingshan was stunned. He had never seen the Great Banyan Tree King lose his composure like that. He had always seemed like he was in control of everything with his great wisdom. Even if he made a miscalculation once in a while, it was not his fault.
This feeling was like Zhuge Kongming calling out in the middle of the battle formation, “Oh no, there’s an ambush!” It was very unusual.
Note: Zhuge Kongming, also known as Zhuge Liang, is a strategist from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This paragraph basically gives off the same energy as Admiral Ackbar’s “It’s a trap!” from Star Wars.
Before Li Qngshan could even ask the Great Banyan Tree King what kind of trap he had walked into, the founding emperor had already made it to the altar. Covered in wounds, the Formation of Gathering Dragons that protected the imperial court of Great Xia had been torn apart in the blink of an eye.
The tremendous winds and lightning surged forth as the flames set the imperial court alight like it was the end of the world. Everyone paled. Clearly, the might of the world did not care about accidentally harming the innocent at all. In another moment, all of them would have been doomed.
With a dragon’s cry, the five-clawed golden dragon coiled around the mountain rushed out of the sea of fire, rose up to the top of the mountain, and rushed into his chest.
Si Long pressed down on the Dragon Province cauldron gently. The cauldron shuddered and emitted a dragon’s cry. A dragon cry also emerged from his mouth.
Before anyone had realised it, his appearance had already changed. Dragon horns grew from his head, and his body was covered in dragon scales. He had become a mix between a dragon and a person. Only his smile remained exactly the same.
Immediately, the sky full of wind and lightning dispersed as if it had never existed in the first place.
On the altar, at the top of the mountain, Si Long fiddled around with the exquisite Dragon Province cauldron with a single hand. He murmured softly, “It’s been a long time, nine provinces.”
Rāhu Xiaoming said, “So he’s a dragon descendant. Yeah. He’s probably become a true dragon already!”
So-called dragon descendants were creatures that possessed the bloodline of the Dragon clan. The trichiliocosm possessed a great variety of strange bloodlines. The most widespread one was the dragon bloodline, and the one with the most descendants were dragon descendants. The bloodline of the Dragon clan could merge with other bloodlines. If dragon descendants cultivated arduously, they could purify their dragon blood and become true dragons.
Li Qingshan was stern. It was no wonder why he could obtain the support of so many Daemon Kings. He had never been a pure human in the first place. “This guy doesn’t seem to be easy to deal with.”
The Great Banyan Tree King let out a great sigh. “Sigh, you’re not his opponent. Get ready for ascension quickly!”
