The Pillar To Heaven.
There existed a flight of stairs on the edge of the pillar which gradually spiraled upward through the sky.
In ancient legends, whenever a person tried to scale this flight of stairs, supernatural phenomena would manifest from above the sky, with a resounding heavenly aria and countless heavenly beings would appear to bear witness.
But that was in the past.
At present, never mind heavenly beings, the Pillar To Heaven itself had already been broken.
Which was followed by a fact that caused many cultivators to feel despair——
There were fewer and fewer cultivators who successfully broke through and became a Sumeru Lord realm cultivator.
For the past few thousand years, there essentially hadn’t been any cultivator who achieved Sumeru Lord realm.
The civilization of cultivators seemed to have entered an era where advancement gradually became harder.
In the middle of the night.
Xie Dao Ling had brought a total of 11 cultivators along with her, flying from the ground to the air following the direction of the broken Pillar To Heaven.
Not too long after that, the cultivators saw a lake above the clouds.
The lake reflected the sky above it, which overlapped with itself and obscured any and all senses of limits.
Xie Dao Ling didn’t say a single word, she only formed a hand seal and flew into the lake before everyone else.
The others quickly chased after her.
As the cultivators entered the lake, they flew straight downwards until the light slowly turned dim.
Until finally, the lake itself became completely dark and nothing could be seen anymore.
A dim light flickered for a brief moment.
This flicker of light was basically unnoticeable, but since the cultivators had released their inner sights for searching, they recognized it immediately.
“Over there” Young Tortoise called out right away.
Xie Dao Ling swiftly moved and brought the group towards the direction of the flicker of light.
A few moments later, their surroundings went from pitch black to full of light once again.
Rays of light were peering through the surface of the water, moving about as waves traveled across the surface of the lake.
The lake water gradually became clearer and clearer.
Until the group leapt out from it.
Only to find that the vast lake and everything around them to be nothing but boundless emptiness, smoke and mist that lightly drifted above the lake, and a tall empty sky.
Everyone glanced at Xie Dao Ling with complicated expressions, apparently anxious.
No one really knew what would happen to them next.
Indeed, to be able to reach this realm, all of them were determined, resolute, and enlightened Combatants.
But it had been a few thousand years since someone last successfully faced this Tribulation.
Anyone would feel anxious.
Especially for the past few hundred years, when fewer and fewer people were willing to face the {Mahesvara King} realm Tribulation.
Because those who had the courage to were basically all dead.
Only very few lucky cultivators had the chance to recede their cultivation and return with their lives.
Even then, it would take them a few hundred years of recovery to slowly return to normal.
——what Gu Qing Shan used was a highly advanced cultivation diffusion technique to minimize the injuries that he would sustain.
But the origin of that technique was from a cultivation world that had been destroyed countless years ago, so it was already a lost art.
If Gu Qing Shan didn’t inherit the Dance of Worlds Offering and could communicate with the world fragments, he would most likely not have been able to obtain this technique.
Furthermore, Gu Qing Shan had the Demon Dragon power.
After receding his cultivation for just a bit, he immediately released the great power of the Demon Dragon pushing himself back to his peak, which allowed him to enter the Heaven’s Tribulation almost immediately.
“We’ve passed the Immortal Lake of Inversion, sect master Xie” a cultivator reminded her in a whisper.
Xie Dao Ling nodded.
She turned towards a certain direction and peered into the void.
“A grand mountain that connects heaven and earth, a brightly glazed world” Xie Dao Ling sighed.
Everyone followed her gaze but found nothing.
Mount Sumeru was a mountain manifested from the Laws of Reality, so only great cultivators who came to face the Sumeru Lord realm Tribulation could see it.
A cultivator praised: “To witness Sumeru with one’s own eyes is the difference between mortal and immortal, I wonder how long would it take until we would also reach this point”
Everyone remained silent.
The {Mahesvara King} realm and Sumeru Lord realm Tribulations were linked to one another.
If no cultivator could break through to Sumeru Lord realm, then similarly no cultivator would be able to break through to {Mahesvara King} realm.
Xie Dao Ling simply observed it for a while without saying anything.
The lake water was gradually becoming unsettled.
A gigantic entity was swimming under the water, quickly approaching them from afar.
A few moments later.
A monster appeared from below.
It was about 5-story tall with the head of a lion, antlers of a deer, as well as a body covered with dragon scales. As soon as they saw it, someone exclaimed: “A Qilin!”
Qilins were a type of ancient divine beast that had already gone extinct in the infinite worlds.
Everyone remained cautious while a flash of greediness passed in their eyes as they observed the Qilin.
——this was a mythical divine beast!
The Qilin observed Xie Dao Ling and spoke in human language: 「 Who has come to face the Tribulation? 」
“Bai Hua sect, Xie Dao Ling”
「 Very well, follow me and enter the glazed world 」
“Wait”
The Qilin stopped and asked: 「 What else is there? Do you wish to recede your cultivation now and give up on this Tribulation? 」
“Not at all” Xie Dao Ling casually replied: “I still need to wait for another person before I can begin the Tribulation”
「 Who are you waiting for? 」
“My disciple, Gu Qing Shan”
…
At another location.
Gu Qing Shan had returned to Heaven Pillar world, flying all the way across the desert to reach the city walls again.
“Hah—-” he let out a long sigh.
「 Hah—– 」the Earth sword also let out a resounding sigh.
“What?”
Luo Bing Li doubtfully asked.
Both he and the sword didn’t answer her.
Luo Bing Li could only follow their gazes.
Only to see that there was a bird with a beautiful coat of feathers sitting on top of a balcony, blankly staring at them.
Gu Qing Shan quickly clasped his fist at the bird and said: “Shifu, I was a bit busy with my own matter, so I originally didn’t want to interrupt your Tribulation”
The bird narrowed its eyes and asked: “Who’s bullying you?”
“It wasn’t that” Gu Qing Shan gradually answered, “Someone with too much time on their hand was just bothering me… I’ve just guided him on the way to Huang Quan”
The bird’s presence completely vanished and sighed: “That is how we of Bai Hua sect should act, if Xiao Lou could be like you, I would be a lot more assured”
“I’ll have a talk with him when I return” Gu Qing Shan replied.
“Are you still heading to this time’s Tribulation or not?” the bird asked.
A bit embarrassed, Gu Qing Shan replied: “Ah, I still haven’t finished my matter yet… perhaps Shifu should go ahead, I’ll catch up soon”
“Do you need Shifu to act for you?” the bird said.
“It’s ok, it’ll be over very soon” Gu Qing Shan replied.
“Hm, then I will be waiting for you”
After saying so, the bird vanished.
——-this incarnation returned to where Xie Dao Ling was.
Gu Qing Shan stood still, cupping his hand to look at the sky.
“Should be soon… yeah, they aren’t quite as fast as the Azure Dragon, but there shouldn’t be any issues”
While he was muttering to himself, a few dozen black dots appeared in the sky.
Boom!
The black dots all descended around the wall where Gu Qing Shan was standing.
—–Abyssal monsters.
These fierce monsters were fully equipped and gave off a terrifying presence.
One of them stepped out and spoke in the softest voice it could manage: “Lord of [Order], please take a look”
The dozens of monsters raised their hands to display strings of grey light.
These strings of grey light were weaved together to form a cage.
Inside the cage was a man fully clad in azure clothing with wounds all over his body, both his arms and feet were tightly bound by the grey light, ensuring that he couldn’t move.
The Azure Dragon.
He was already drawing his last breaths, his life like a candle in the wind that could be snuffed out at any point.
Even so, as soon as he saw Gu Qing Shan, he began squirming intensely.
「 Scoundrel! Damn vile devil! You are not a true fighter! 」
「 You’re more sinister than any wraiths! 」
「 The Wraith realm will definitely cut you down and into numerous pieces! 」
The Azure Dragon roared in its frenzy.
It had never felt humiliation like it did today.
Gu Qing Shan tilted his head a bit and said: “Makes no sense”
The Azure Dragon froze.
「 What do you mean? 」
Even though he was furious, he still couldn’t help but ask.
Gu Qing Shan put up one finger and said: “If you think I’m more sinister than any wraith, how could the Wraith realm chop me into pieces?”
The Azure Dragon coldly said: 「 Brat, with your little bit of strength, don’t—– 」
Gu Qing Shan cut him off: “Sorry, but I’m in a hurry”
Black strands of black aura started to spread from his body into the cage.
The Demon Dragon’s bloodline.
Under the help of the Living Being Sacrificial Dance, Gu Qing Shan had fully grasped the Demon Dragon power, so he could naturally use this unique ability.
The Azure Dragon was slowly being corrupted by the Demon Dragon power.
「 This is… such power! 」
He started trembling on the ground, absorbing the Demon Dragon’s bloodline while muttering in shock.
A few moments later.
The Azure Dragon understood.
「 Are you giving me this power in order to force me to work for you? 」he narrowed his eyes and asked.
——-firstly, he beat me up to this terrible degree, then gave me power, this is the typical carrot and stick tactic.
Seems like…
This brat understands the value of a dragon and knows how great having the support of a dragon is.
Within the infinite worlds, having a dragon fight for you is the fantasy of countless people.
This brat wants me to follow and work for him!
The Azure Dragon realized this.
However… such thoughts are much too naïve.
—–does he really think he can force anyone to follow his orders and become his subordinates?
I’ll agree to him first, even if I become restrained by lock seals or am forced to sign covenants, it wouldn’t matter.
When the Master arrives, he’ll definitely be able to remove those things.
What I need to do now is…
Act subservient, then secretly tell the Master of this Huang Quan Devil King’s actions.
The Azure Dragon instantly decided his plan of action.
“Work for me? Is that what you think?”
Gu Qing Shan asked in surprise.
The Azure Dragon nodded: 「 Your wits are truly worth admiration, I’m willing to sign any covenant with you. It’s ok even if you wish to brand lock seals on my soul, I’ll follow your every order and work for you——- as long as you spare my life 」
Gu Qing Shan paused.
He displayed a complicated expression and finally said: “That is… I’m really sorry, but it seems like I need to explain a bit”
“——also, did you know that in the art of cooking, there are ways to make a single fish into many dishes?”
The Azure Dragon was stunned, then shook his head: 「 I don’t understand what you’re talking about 」
Gu Qing Shan cleared his throat and slowly explained: “It’s like this, a fish can be cooked in many ways, for example: the flesh of the fish can be made into sushi; the bones and tail of the fish mixed with various spices to make soup; while the fish head can be turned into a spicy braised fish head with a bit of chili and pepper”
“Although, I usually like to prepare red-roast fish head and slow braise the body—– when making seafood, I always prefer to make it this way”
“This way, the entire fish would be used without any wastes”
“And so…”
Gu Qing Shan drew his sword and lightly slashed the inside of the cage.
The Azure Dragon was already close to death, all of his powers were also being restrained to their limits, so he naturally couldn’t resist against such an attack.
Sha——-
A head flew.
Gu Qing Shan put his sword away.
When the head fell to the ground, it was still looking at Gu Qing Shan with a confused expression.
He completely couldn’t understand what Gu Qing Shan was thinking.
He died without even being able to close his eyes.
Gu Qing Shan sighed and explained again:
“I’m sorry, I don’t usually have a habit of soliciting friendship with an enemy, nor am I so naïve that I can convince an enemy to be my subordinate”
“Usually, I just kill them outright—— only when I run into an enemy with value do I try to wrack my head to reach the state of ‘one fish many dishes’ and guarantee that I would not waste anything”
As he said so, lines of glowing text appeared on the War God UI:
[You’ve killed a Demon Dragon bloodkin]
[As the Demon Dragon, all of the Demon Dragon bloodkin’s powers will be consumed by you]
[You’ve killed a mythical creature: the Azure Dragon]
[This combat had been judged as above your current level; you will obtain the corresponding Soul Points]
[Soul Points are being calculated…]
