Translator: CinderTL
Tribulation.
The Thunder Tribulation for Nascent Soul cultivators ascending to the Primordial Spirit Realm is considered one of the most crucial trials in any Nascent Soul True Lord's life.
Success means the clash of Yin and Yang, the birth of Divine Sense, a smooth Divine Transformation, and the formation of a Divine Power Incarnation entirely composed of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
It signifies continued longevity and freedom, the manifestation of the Primordial Spirit, and the ability to travel from the Northern Sea in the morning to the Cangwu Mountains by night.
Failure...
Essence, Qi, and Spirit are annihilated by the Thunder Tribulation, leading to death and the dissipation of one's Dao—everything becomes nothingness.
But...
This tribulation, this hardship, only applies to ordinary Nascent Soul Perfection Great True Lords.
With the advancement of the era, the refinement of cultivation systems, and the evolution of practices, the Heavenly Thunder that once posed a life-or-death threat to cultivators has become less lethal.
While not the majority, at least two or three out of every ten Nascent Soul Perfection cultivators can successfully overcome the Thunder Tribulation and ascend to the Primordial Spirit Realm if properly prepared.
Those who fail to advance are typically those with shallow foundations, those practicing crude Cultivation Techniques, or those who lack even a decent Spirit Treasure.
For Nascent Soul prodigies from Great Sects, wielding powerful Great Mystic Powers and possessing multiple Spirit Treasures, the Thunder Tribulation has become a valuable opportunity on their cultivation path.
They often fortify their foundations before the tribulation, treating its dangers with disdain.
Sage-level Nascent Soul prodigies even seize the moment when the Thunder Tribulation descends and the Laws of Heaven and Earth manifest to deepen their understanding of the profound mysteries of the Laws, rapidly accelerating their cultivation and comprehension of these mysteries.
Some Heavenly Prodigies even proclaimed that the Thunder Tribulation was a blessing for Primordial Spirit Cultivators.
Sage-level Nascent Soul geniuses could treat the Thunder Tribulation's dangers as nothing.
Li Chunjun, ranked first on the Star Brilliance List, surpassed Sage-level geniuses by several tiers. When he announced his intention to undergo the tribulation to advance to the Primordial Spirit Realm, not a single Primordial Spirit True Monarch or Nascent Soul True Lord worried about his ability to survive the Thunder Tribulation. Instead, they eagerly speculated on how many profound mysteries of the Laws of Heaven and Earth he would comprehend during this Thunder Tribulation.
Of course, Zuo Cheng, Su Fang, and others who had rushed to witness the event understood that Li Chunjun's foundation wasn't yet fully mature. They wanted to dissuade him.
But...
In the current environment, with the Heart Demon lurking outside and the threat of Cosmic Aftershocks looming, and with the surrounding environment filled with unknown dangers, Li Chunjun had chosen to advance his cultivation to gain power quickly. They truly didn't know how to advise him.
They could only hope that Li Chunjun wouldn't miss opportunities to confront the Laws of Heaven and Earth and comprehend their profound mysteries by advancing to the Primordial Spirit Realm too early, hindering his future advancement to the Void Refining Realm.
As Li Chunjun began his tribulation, not only did numerous Primordial Spirit True Monarchs return, but many Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Taixu Sword Sect also appeared.
Some came to observe the Thunder Tribulation to gain experience, while others...
Li Chunjun was undergoing his tribulation right outside the Taixu Sword Sect. They couldn't avoid witnessing it even if they wanted to.
High above in the Heavenly Vault, Li Chunjun's Lifebound Flying Sword had manifested.
Countless divine power patterns flickered incessantly, causing the Flying Sword to undergo a Primordial Spirit transformation.
During this metamorphosis, it seemed to trigger some kind of punitive mechanism within the Light of the Great Dao.
Guided by the Dao, a vast amount of purple lightning rapidly coalesced in the Heavenly Vault.
These bolts of lightning were directly formed by the Dao's intervention with the laws of reality, making them far more terrifying than thunder produced by atmospheric disturbances.
Even though everyone present had unwavering faith in Li Chunjun, the sheer scale and terrifying aura of this Heavenly Thunder still stirred a sense of unease and dread within them.
Beneath the gathering storm, Li Chunjun seemed to sense something. He glanced in a certain direction—toward the Taixu Sword Sect's contingent.
Among them were Sect Leader Huan Ming, Shadowless True Lord, Qi Qian Yu, Jiang Yuqiu, and others. Also present was Jiang Wanyu, who had offered him invaluable assistance on Flaming Phoenix Peak, even dispelling the lingering malevolence that had nearly driven him to the brink.
Having seemingly refined the Myriad Spirits Divine Light he had given her, she was now close to Golden Core Perfection.
Li Chunjun nodded at her.
Then, he raised his head to face the approaching storm of Heavenly Thunder.
As the lightning locked onto him, he could clearly sense the profound mysteries of the laws that had summoned it.
As the Thunder's power grew more intense, the profound mysteries of the Laws became increasingly clear.
Among these, the Destruction Dao and the Void Law stood out most prominently.
This was because Li Chunjun possessed the Void and Destruction Dao Bodies.
His Dao Bodies resonated with the profound mysteries of the Laws in the Heavenly Vault. In an instant, Li Chunjun grasped six Void Mysteries within the Destruction Dao triggered by the Thunder Tribulation.
His understanding of the Void Law Mysteries also surged from 37 to 38, rapidly approaching the 39th.
Boom!
At that moment, the Thunder struck.
Containing the Profound Mysteries of Heaven and Earth, the lightning tore through the Heavenly Vault and crashed onto the Scarlet Sky Sword Li Chunjun had summoned.
The Scarlet Sky Sword was currently in a peculiar state of resonance with Li Chunjun's Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Under the Thunder's impact, this vibration seemed to trigger a strange transformation.
Everything in the world seemed to slow down.
Like how pushing one's speed to the absolute limit can cause time to freeze, Li Chunjun's Essence, Qi, and Spirit experienced a similar sensation.
This was...
The "Lightning Flash Stone Fire" state induced by the Thunder Tribulation.
His 32nd-level Life Level had not only granted Li Chunjun the Void and Destruction Dao Bodies but had also significantly enhanced his comprehension.
Leaving aside the distant past, Li Chunjun believed his comprehension wouldn't be any less than that of previous Star Brilliance First Rank Heavenly Prodigies.
The reason he hadn't yet grasped as many Void Mysteries as Li Hentian's 108 Dao of Death Mysteries was simply because he hadn't cultivated long enough.
Now, in the "Lightning Flash Stone Fire" state, he quickly grasped the true essence of Divine Sense.
Divine Sense was the ability to instantly immerse one's spirit in this "Lightning Flash Stone Fire" state, allowing one's neural and cognitive signals to reach light speed.
The relative stillness of time at light speed unlocked the full potential of one's mind.
However, since "spirit" was a unit smaller than a cell, Cultivators couldn't precisely perceive it, preventing their consciousness from truly entering a state of "relative time standstill."
Instead, Cultivators experienced the sensation of answering a question they'd been pondering in the blink of an eye.
This is where the "thought" (念) in Divine Sense comes from.
"No wonder they say Divine Sense is a catalyst for Divine Consciousness, yet its essence originates from Divine Consciousness itself... It's like a person glancing at a building—because they only glanced, they only know it's a building. But if they stared at that building for decades, they'd know not just how many windows it has, but even how many tiles make up its walls."
Li Chunjun suddenly understood.
Similarly, when their Divine Sense reached two thousand miles, it wasn't that it couldn't extend further. It simply became incredibly blurry, like a fleeting glance—impossible to see clearly.
But the existence of Divine Sense could clarify these blurred images, pushing the image quality to its limit.
This was why Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators, whose Divine Sense originally extended only a thousand miles, could now perceive several thousand miles away.
"Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators cultivate Laws and Divine Sense. Each tribulation strengthens their Divine Sense, evolving from 'one thought' to 'two thoughts,' 'three thoughts,' and more... As these 'thoughts' multiply, the Primordial Spirit's efficiency in utilizing Divine Sense naturally increases..."
In theory, Nascent Soul cultivators could also cultivate Divine Sense.
But this required not only exceptional comprehension but also a certain understanding of "time"—either living long enough or encountering a time-related treasure.
Li Chunjun's previous inability to cultivate Divine Sense ultimately stemmed from his youth.
However, now, with the aid of Heavenly Thunder and the interaction of Yin and Yang, Divine Sense had finally emerged.
With the help of Divine Sense...
The Void Law and Destruction Dao before him seemed to become even clearer.
Or perhaps it was because his computational power, learning ability, and receptiveness had all improved, making it easier for him to comprehend the profound mysteries of these laws.
Li Chunjun didn't pay much attention to the mysteries of the Destruction Dao, focusing his entire Heart-Mind on the Void Mysteries.
Suddenly, all the doubts he had previously encountered while comprehending the Void Law were completely resolved and understood under the direct demonstration of the Laws of Heaven and Earth.
His existing mastery of the Void Law also rapidly advanced during this process.
40 types, 42 types, 45 types, 49 types, 53 types...
With each strike of the Thunder Tribulation against the Scarlet Sky Sword, his understanding of the Void Law grew exponentially.
However, by the time the fifth bolt of lightning struck, Li Chunjun had to confront a problem: he had already found answers to all the Spatial Mysteries he had comprehended so far.
In other words, he had no further questions about what he had learned.
In just five bolts of lightning, his mastery of the Void Law had skyrocketed from 37 types to 76. Even the Destruction Dao, which he hadn't paid much attention to, had climbed to 29 types.
For a moment, Li Chunjun couldn't help but feel regret.
He could have used this Thunder Tribulation to comprehend the Void Law to 100 types or even beyond 110, but his insufficient foundation had forced him to stop at 76.
In the end, after four more bolts of lightning struck, Li Chunjun barely managed to push his understanding of the Void Law to 77 types.
As the Thunder Tribulation ended and the tribulation clouds dissipated, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.
Whoosh!
A flash of brilliant light.
The Scarlet Sky Sword returned to Li Chunjun's body.
Tempered by the Thunder Tribulation, the divine power patterns on the Scarlet Sky Sword had now completely fused with the Flying Sword itself. With only Essence, Qi, and Spirit infusion, the Void Heaven Flash Mystical Power could be activated at any moment, its release speed dramatically improved compared to before.
Moreover, Li Chunjun had already grasped this Mystical Power to the brink of minor mastery. Now that the Dao patterns and Flying Sword were inseparable, forming a unified whole, he naturally achieved minor mastery.
A Void Heaven Flash at minor mastery could incorporate more Dao patterns, enhancing its stability.
With greater stability, he could channel more Sword Qi and Qi, resulting in a comprehensive increase in speed and power.
Just as Li Chunjun retracted his Flying Sword, Su Fang, Zuo Cheng, True Monarch Huang Tian, and others stepped forward, their faces beaming as they clasped their hands in congratulations.
"Congratulations to Sword Prodigy Li... Congratulations to True Monarch Li! For achieving the Primordial Spirit, Void Refining is now within reach!"
"Sword Prodigy Li, having ascended to the Primordial Spirit as the Solar Radiance First Rank, your path ahead will surely be smooth and unhindered!"
"All cultivators in the Azure Star Minor Realm should join in unison to offer their congratulations, chanting the name of True Monarch Li!"
It wasn't just the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs who stepped forward.
The Nascent Soul cultivators of the Taixu Sword Sect, along with Golden Core cultivators like Qin Zhou and Jiang Yuxue, also approached, each offering their heartfelt congratulations with profound emotion.
The Primordial Spirit!
It was the ultimate goal that nearly every cultivator pursued throughout their entire lives!
Even Nascent Soul cultivators like Huan Ming, You Long, Bai Lian, and Jiang Yuqiu were no exception.
Yet here they were, after centuries of cultivation, still stuck in the Nascent Soul Realm, their cultivation barely inching forward. Meanwhile, Li Chunjun had leaped from a Qi Refining cultivator straight to the Primordial Spirit, achieving in just three years what they had spent their entire lives striving for.
This scene left every Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivator of the Taixu Sword Sect deeply moved and filled with mixed emotions.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MI) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c340. [+4k Words]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3K+) Chapters, (4.2M+) Words.
💥Flat 30% Discount on All Tiers Available Till 26th July, Use Code 3KCHAPTERS to Avail.