"Hold on—I must endure this!"
Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed with unwavering determination. The moment the crushing force of Heaven and Earth descended, it wasn't just the Violet Qi Dao Altar that suffered the assault. His mind and will were also slammed by a force as if struck with a divine hammer. It felt like his consciousness was suffocating—as if he were a small, broken boat drifting on a vast, stormy sea, at risk of being capsized and torn apart at any moment.
If he couldn't endure the pressure and maintain the altar's shape, even slightly, it would collapse instantly, vanishing without a trace.
This was the key: to preserve the altar's form amid Heaven's pressure—no matter the cost.
Heaven's crushing force was aimed solely at the Violet Qi Dao Altar. Without the altar, everything would naturally dissipate.
But maintaining the altar under such pressure was no small feat. It required the will of steel. Any wavering of intent would result in utter failure.
Wave after wave.
Crash after crash.
The altar, initially spanning 30,000 kilometers, visibly shrank after the first strike from Heaven and Earth, halving in size to just 15,000 kilometers. It was as if some celestial force had squeezed it violently.
And yet—it did not collapse or deform.
Instead, the Violet Qi was compressed, not dispersed. The once-vast altar, which looked vague and misty, like vapor, now condensed and intensified, its color growing more vivid, its form more compact and stable.
"According to the records, Heaven and Earth deliver a total of nine strikes during the first phase. After that, I can choose whether to continue. The highest possible test is eighty-one strikes."
Yi Tianxing recalled the ancient texts.
There were five known stages of Heaven's tempering tide:
Nine strikes – The most common threshold. Enduring these meant a successful forging of the altar. The cultivator could then continue on their path of cultivation.
Eighteen strikes – For those who dared endure more. The altar forged in this process would be stronger, more refined, allowing faster Dao comprehension.
Thirty-six strikes – A top-tier altar, the hallmark of peerless talent.
Forty-nine strikes – Considered the apex among elite altars, incredibly rare and potent.
Eighty-one strikes – The ultimate trial. Only those with supreme destiny, unmatched will, and overwhelming accumulation could dream of surviving this ordeal.
At each checkpoint, one could choose to stop and safely complete the breakthrough. However, once a decision to continue was made, there was no turning back. You either endured to the next checkpoint—or perished.
There was no third option.
"Good. What is Heaven's tempering, if not a true trial by fire? Come at me."
Yi Tianxing inhaled deeply, and with a resolute shout, prepared himself.
BOOM!!!
The golden tide surged again—like an ocean wave crashing ashore, terrifying in scope and pressure.
This was the second wave, and it was twice as powerful as the first. Each wave doubled in might. As expected, the second strike was fiercer, heavier—its pressure boundless.
It struck!
The Violet Qi altar shrank again, its form distorted under the weight of Heaven, threatening to shatter.
But Yi Tianxing held firm. His will dominated everything, forcing the altar to maintain its shape, refusing to bend or break.
"Still holding... good."
The second strike passed. The altar shrank from 15,000 kilometers to 10,000 kilometers, but its condensation deepened. It was now much more stable, no longer a vague mass of Qi, but clearly forming a proper altar.
"True gold must endure countless strikes."
Yi Tianxing knew—these trials were calamities, but also blessings. Only through relentless tempering could one forge true permanence.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He stabilized his spirit, facing one tidal surge after another. The altar endured.
Strike after strike—
Three,Four,Five...
Each time, the altar shrank, condensed, and grew more crystalline, transitioning from mist into liquid—a pool of violet essence slowly forming a solid shape.
Unknowingly, Yi Tianxing had already withstood the first nine waves.
The altar was now 5,000 kilometers in diameter—reduced by more than half, yet still massive. At that moment, he could sense it in the void: he had passed the first stage and could end the test and complete his breakthrough.
But Yi Tianxing didn't even consider it.
The pressure was intense—but bearable.
"Continue!!"
Without hesitation, he chose to forge ahead.
The waves resumed—one stronger than the last. This was the Tide of Heaven and Earth. A true tsunami of divine judgment.
He stood motionless—unshakable as a mountain. Let the tides rage; he remained firm, meeting each wave with silence.
As he withstood the next nine waves—eighteen in total—the altar shrank again, now just 1,000 kilometers wide. It had become viscous, like molten crystal, sticky and dense, on the verge of solidifying.
"Continue!"
The second stage was complete. Yi Tianxing didn't even pause.
The third stage began.
Each wave was more terrifying than the last. The feeling was like being lost in a violent thunderstorm, the heavens constantly trying to rip him apart.
But with each wave, Yi Tianxing's will was tempered, his resolve hardened like divine iron.
After enduring thirty-six waves, he witnessed a miracle:
The liquid altar began to crystallize. Tiny violet crystals formed throughout it—like miniature stars scattered across a galaxy. It was beautiful. Otherworldly.
And the altar shrank again—this time to 100 kilometers in diameter. The force required to compact it this far was unimaginable.
"Continue! This still isn't the limit. If I'm to forge this altar… then I will forge the strongest altar!"
Yi Tianxing's heart surged with fiery determination.
If it's worth doing—then do it to the very peak.
The altar was still too large. It could be refined further.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The next round of waves came again—each breath a test of survival, each moment like being carved with blades or scorched by fire.
Until, finally…
Forty-nine waves passed.
The altar—now just 100 zhang wide (about 330 meters)—had reached a new stage.
The Violet Qi Dao Altar was now a solid crystalline platform, gleaming like a purple crystal. Its shape had stabilized—round and flat like a divine altar carved from amethyst.
The heavens were round. This circle represented Heaven itself.
Even monstrous talents, upon reaching this stage, would usually stop. It was already a supreme Dao foundation, perfect and beyond reproach.
"Continue!!"
Yi Tianxing did not hesitate.
Since more waves remained—why stop?
He would not settle for less than the best.
But this next stage was far more dangerous.
The waves came again.
Golden tides surged, swallowing the altar whole, crashing over it like divine oceans, like tidal undercurrents eroding everything…
The final trial had begun.