Chapter 261: This Time, Definitely Tribulation Crossing?

I only meant to give a few instructions. How did these two nosy junior sisters get called over as well?

Above Three Immortals Island, Grand Master Xuandu looked at the three notorious and famous Jie School junior sisters before him, feeling a slight hesitation in his heart.

He had only intended to ask Yunxiao to come; he also knew of Qiongxiao and Bixiao's playful nature.

Yunxiao softly said, "Senior Brother Xuandu, my two younger sisters also wish to go and see. Why not bring them along?"

It was clear that Yunxiao was also in a difficult position, unable to resist her two sisters' pleas.

"Senior Brother Xuandu, please don't worry!" Qiongxiao quickly interjected. "My Fourth Sister and I will absolutely not cause any trouble; we'll just hide and watch. We're just curious deep down, wanting to see what kind of disciple could make Senior Brother Xuandu go to such lengths."

Bixiao, standing nearby, also nodded obediently, her large eyes showing a hint of anticipation.

"Very well."

Grand Master Xuandu responded with a smile, not worried that the two of them would cause trouble in his presence. "Since that's the case, let's depart now. Don't let him wait too long."

With that, the Yin-Yang flow circulated in Grand Master Xuandu's palm, and a wisp of smoke appeared around him. Grand Master Xuandu placed his left hand behind his back, made a gesturing motion with his right hand, and then stepped into the smoke first. His figure vanished, but the smoke remained where it was. This was not just a divine ability; it also borrowed the power of the Taiji Map.

Qiongxiao and Bixiao were about to step forward, but Yunxiao made a gesture for them to wait, and stepped into the smoke first. Finding nothing unusual, and realizing it was merely a spatial passage, she then allowed her two sisters to follow.

Grand Master Xuandu chuckled softly, the smoke quickly dissipated, and vanished from Three Immortals Island.

At the same time, above the desolate mountain where Li Changshou had chosen to undergo his tribulation and where his main body was located, this wisp of smoke quietly appeared, and four figures emerged from within. No sooner had they appeared there than they sensed the immense heavenly might gathering in the sky!

Had the tribulation already begun?

Instinctively, the four were about to move away from the spot to avoid incurring heavenly punishment unnecessarily, but then, they sensed a profound fluctuation of Dao rhythm, and all looked towards the large formation on the desolate mountain below.

Among the four, one was Grand Master Xuandu, the sole disciple of Grand Supreme Elder, and the Eldest Senior Brother of the Dao Sect. The other three were disciples of the Master of Heaven, renowned figures from the Primordial Era, counted among the four greatest outer disciples of the Jie School—the Three Sisters of the Cloud.

The singular formation Li Changshou had set up there, though capable of resisting the probes of Golden Immortals, could not block the gaze of these four. Their gaze didn't cause any immediate issue, but it made Grand Master Xuandu frown, Yunxiao couldn't help but gasp softly, and Bixiao and Qiongxiao blinked rapidly.

Within the large formation, in an inconspicuous rock crevice, the young Qi Refiner who was supposed to undergo tribulation at that moment was holding a golden treasure sword and fiercely bringing it down onto his own forehead!

Yunxiao almost blurted out, "The method of Dao Severing?"

Grand Master Xuandu acted even faster, his figure vanishing in a flash, appearing directly within the large formation below! Fearing accidental harm to Li Changshou, Grand Master Xuandu dared not casually intervene at such a moment, and could only hastily call out: "Stop! I am here!"

The golden sword in Li Changshou's hand had already fiercely struck his own forehead! As if he held a grudge against himself. In an instant, golden sparks scattered and golden light flashed wildly, the 'Dao Severing Sword' condensed by Li Changshou directly shattered, leaving his rather full forehead completely unharmed!

Meanwhile, Li Changshou's already perfected Dao rhythm transformed into three bowl-sized, twelve-petaled green lotuses, which now gathered around him, gently trembling. From those clean, transparent, almost crystalline petals, tiny threads of impurities shook out. Li Changshou's aura slowly dropped, perhaps by a thousandth—no, less than a ten-thousandth. Following that, the three green lotuses vanished, and the Dao rhythm around Li Changshou quickly receded.

Even the usually composed Grand Master Xuandu was somewhat stunned watching from the side, his lips twitching slightly. By the heavens, what had he just witnessed?

Green lotuses are considered a symbol of the Dao Sect; the Three Flowers taking the form of lotuses signifies practicing orthodox Daoist traditions and receiving the protection of the Dao Sect's fortune. The more petals a lotus has, the more complete the Dao foundation, the greater the potential, and the higher the future ceiling. The more transparent and clear the lotus, the more stable the Dao foundation and the more thorough the understanding of the Dao.

But these three twelve-petaled green lotuses, so clear they were almost transparent... This was simply excessive!

Grand Master Xuandu suddenly understood why his Master paid such special attention to this junior disciple. This fellow Changshou was not only clever, articulate, skilled in strategy, and good at planning, but also possessed the potential to become one of the top experts in the Dao Sect!

In a mere instant, before Li Changshou could even speak, Grand Master Xuandu's thoughts had already shifted in another direction. He needed to find a way to let Junior Sister Yunxiao know about Changshou's potential!

On the other hand, Li Changshou was feeling a bit awkward at the moment. If Grand Master Xuandu had appeared a few breaths earlier, he wouldn't have struck himself with that sword! Nine is the extreme of odd numbers. Nine times of Dao Severing, shaking the Heavenly Dao nine times—the tenth time triggering a heavenly tribulation would very likely result in heavenly punishment descending.

Uh... why are there more people?

Li Changshou watched the three descending figures in the air, and several question marks slowly appeared above his head. At this moment, using the paper effigy outside the formation and his own immortal sense, he had already detected the three graceful figures. The other party had not deliberately hidden their forms, nor had they cast any 'mosaic' spells. They simply descended gracefully from the sky on clouds.

The immortal maiden on the left was the first to catch Li Changshou's eye. She was slightly tall and slender, her plain white long dress was very elegant, her fair skin seemed to be condensed moonlight, and her beautiful face was utterly captivating. Wasn't that Yunxiao?

Beside Yunxiao, a girl in a light green silk dress and a woman in a light red short skirt both had charming faces and were quite adorable. They were, of course, Bixiao and Qiongxiao.

Speaking of which, every time Immortal Yunxiao appeared, her clothing and hair ornaments were slightly different, but each time she was equally beautiful, a sight one could never tire of.

However, the current focus seemed to be... Why were the Three Sisters of the Cloud here?!

Li Changshou quickly said, "This disciple acted a bit too fast just now, Master, please don't mind. Please wait another hour or two for this disciple; I will now meditate on the Dao and undergo the tribulation as quickly as possible. But Master... what's going on up there?"

"Ahem, it's like this," Grand Master Xuandu said with a smile, "to ensure you can safely pass your tribulation and gain the benefits of the Golden Immortal Tribulation, I specially invited Junior Sister Yunxiao to lend you a hand. Junior Sisters Qiongxiao and Bixiao are just here to watch the excitement. Junior Sister Yunxiao's Primordial Golden Dipper is quite extraordinary..." Then, Grand Master Xuandu briefly explained the function of the Primordial Golden Dipper to Li Changshou.

Li Changshou's heart was instantly filled with gratitude, so much so that he wanted to secretly complain about Grand Master Xuandu for a few words. Later, during the tribulation, he would inevitably have to reveal all his trump cards. It would be fine if Grand Master Xuandu saw them, as Grand Master Xuandu was his own strong support. But what if the Three Immortal Sisters of the Cloud saw them? Wouldn't that be a huge disadvantage?

Li Changshou then reconsidered. Any trump card he had before becoming a Golden Immortal, in front of experts of this caliber, was essentially just a joke. Revealing them wouldn't matter much. Given that Grand Master Xuandu could think so deeply for a junior disciple like him, what more could he ask for?

Li Changshou bowed to Grand Master Xuandu and sighed, "This disciple is useless and has caused you much trouble."

"Hahaha, no need for such formalities." Grand Master Xuandu chuckled a few times, somewhat self-consciously, and once the Three Immortal Sisters of the Cloud entered the great formation, he introduced them to Li Changshou.

Fortunately, Li Changshou's main body was currently in the form of a minor Human School mage, temporarily preventing the exposure of his final identity as a disciple of the Immortal Du Sect. However, during the upcoming tribulation, he would very likely—no, certainly—have to reveal his true appearance before the Three Immortal Sisters of the Cloud. This made Li Changshou feel a little uneasy.

He stepped forward and performed the disciple's bow, Yunxiao turned slightly, partially accepting it, and nodded at him with a smile. Bixiao and Qiongxiao also knew that Li Changshou was a Human School disciple highly regarded by their First Senior Uncle and Senior Brother Xuandu, so they naturally spoke kindly to him—a stark contrast to the reception the Old Immortal, the Paper Effigy, received upon his first visit to Three Immortals Island.

Yunxiao asked with some concern, "Daoist, you just self-severed your Dao realm. Did you find your own Dao unsatisfactory?"

"Not at all," Li Changshou quickly replied. "This disciple cultivates the Grand Pure Wu Wei Dao, and fortunately received Master's wonderful methods, achieving the Heavenly Immortal Dao today. Previously, it was just because my Dao foundation was somewhat unstable, so I used the method of Dao Severing to stabilize myself." Naturally, he couldn't say that he used Dao Severing to stall for time.

Qiongxiao chuckled softly from the side and sighed, "So with that one self-severing, didn't we come all this way for nothing? When you next undergo tribulation, who knows when that will be?"

Li Changshou hesitated slightly in his heart, not daring to say directly that he could trigger the next one immediately, lest the Three Immortal Sisters of the Cloud think he was boasting and leave a bad impression. However, just as Li Changshou had carefully considered his reply, he heard Grand Master Xuandu speak with a laugh from the side.

"Junior Sister Qiongxiao, please don't worry. If we wait another hour or two, he will naturally be able to undergo tribulation again."

"Eh?" Qiongxiao was immediately puzzled.

Grand Master Xuandu chuckled, "Changshou, display your Three Flowers that have yet to bloom."

Li Changshou: ... Master, you just called this disciple by his true name, didn't you? The Three Flowers are merely a manifestation of the Dao foundation. Can they also be displayed for others to examine? Appreciate... appreciate flowers?

Upon hearing Grand Master Xuandu's words, the Three Sisters of the Cloud were all a little curious, especially Yunxiao, whose eyes held a gentle smile as she watched Li Changshou, wondering what other surprises he could offer her.

Grand Master Xuandu urged, "Why are you being so coy? This isn't something to hide from others."

"Yes, this disciple obeys." Li Changshou complied, pondering slightly in his heart, and a twelve-petaled green lotus condensed on his chest. Grand Master Xuandu must have other considerations. All in all, Li Changshou still felt like he had been subtly tricked.

A short while later;

Li Changshou sat cross-legged in the great formation, quietly meditating, an jade talisman clutched in his left palm. This was the second part of the Immortal Du Sect's 'Wu Wei Sutra'. If the 'Grand Pure Dao Compendium' was considered the Human School's advanced cultivation scripture, then the 'Wu Wei Sutra' could be considered of upper-middle quality. Li Changshou only needed a single trigger at this moment to once again summon a heavenly tribulation.

Most of the 'Wu Wei Sutra' content was covered within the 'Grand Pure Dao Compendium', and what Li Changshou intended to comprehend was not the 'Wu Wei Sutra' itself, but rather... the subtle evolution of the Grand Pure Dao within it, from the 'Wu Wei Sutra' to the 'Grand Pure Dao Compendium'. Hidden within were the faint shifts a saint experienced when comprehending the Great Dao, making it an excellent point of insight for achieving sudden enlightenment. Sudden enlightenment was not entirely without a trace, nor was it simply accumulated effort leading to an outburst. The most important factor was not effort, but inspiration.

Li Changshou had not yet finished reading this half-chapter of scripture when a slight smile appeared in his heart, and he closed his eyes in concentration, entering a state of Dao comprehension. He was seen:The Five Qi in his chest formed a pearl-like ring,his Three Flowers on the verge of blooming, gathering true essence.His precious body was clear and pure, unstained by dust,awaiting the tribulation's fall to become a Golden Immortal.

Outside the great formation, Grand Master Xuandu and the Three Immortal Sisters of the Cloud conjured a wooden table and four chairs, quietly drinking tea on the clouds. Qiongxiao and Bixiao continuously praised the Human School's profound foundation and how stable this disciple's Dao foundation was. However, Yunxiao and Grand Master Xuandu were both slightly frowning at the moment, deep in thought. In terms of strength and insight, Grand Master Xuandu and Yunxiao were naturally several levels above Qiongxiao and Bixiao. At this moment, both grand figures realized a problem: Li Changshou's Dao foundation was simply too stable! Perhaps even excessively so!

"With such a Dao foundation, I wonder what kind of heavenly tribulation it will attract," Immortal Yunxiao sighed softly. "Since ancient times, how many talented individuals who amazed heaven and earth have fallen before the Golden Immortal Tribulation."

Grand Master Xuandu slowly nodded and also said, "Perhaps this time, we must invoke the power of Master's supreme treasure."

Yunxiao said, "If it's merely a Golden Immortal Tribulation, my Primordial Golden Dipper can certainly help him. Senior Brother Xuandu, you can rest assured."

Grand Master Xuandu performed a quick divination with his fingers and whispered, "I fear it's not as simple as a Golden Immortal Tribulation."

Qiongxiao, standing nearby, thought for a moment and asked, "Senior Brother Xuandu, is this perhaps the legendary Great Perfection before establishing one's Dao?"

"It should be so." Grand Master Xuandu said calmly, "I had overlooked this matter before, thinking he had only cultivated for a few hundred years, and at most would attract nine Golden Immortal tribulations, showing the potential of a Grand Unity Immortal. I never imagined that this fellow Changshou would silently and stealthily achieve a Dao foundation of Great Perfection. I am truly starting to wonder now if this fellow Changshou is perhaps the reincarnation of some ancient senior expert, to be able to reach such a level..."

Yunxiao said, "If he were the reincarnation of a mighty figure, I'm afraid First Senior Uncle would not tolerate it."

"That was just a jest," Grand Master Xuandu chuckled softly.

Qiongxiao mumbled softly, "Didn't they say that Qi Refiners who achieve such Great Perfection are not tolerated by the Heavenly Dao...?"

"No matter," Grand Master Xuandu said with a smile, "Let's see what fortune Changshou creates." With such confidence in his words, Grand Master Xuandu was clearly prepared to intervene with all his might, to snatch Li Changshou from under the heavenly tribulation.

Just then, a ripple of Dao rhythm appeared within the great formation. Like a stubborn seedling pushing through rain-soaked soil, a Great Dao, born from Grand Pureness yet unique to Li Changshou alone, burst forth from the great formation at this moment!

Bixiao exclaimed happily, "It's really happening again! Is his comprehension of the Dao truly this fast? It hasn't even been half an hour!" No sooner had Bixiao's words fallen than a thunderous roar suddenly echoed in the sky, and immense heavenly might surged wildly from high above and all directions! This heavenly might alone made Grand Master Xuandu and Yunxiao frown slightly, and caused all living beings within tens of thousands of miles to tremble in fear.

At this moment, Li Changshou leapt onto a large rock, standing with his hands behind his back. Just as he was about to recite a pre-tribulation speech of gratitude, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared high in the sky: a gray cloud, a hundred zhang in diameter, appeared out of nowhere, coalescing into the blurry face of an elder, gazing down at Li Changshou below.

Yunxiao wondered aloud, "Why is there an image of the Dao Ancestor..."

However, this was already Li Changshou's second encounter with such a phantom image. Before Li Changshou could speak, he suddenly had an epiphany in his heart. It seemed someone had asked him a question, but he could neither hear a voice nor feel any Dao rhythm from the other party. He only knew what the question was.

"Mm!" Li Changshou nodded heavily. "Undergo!"

The gray cloud instantly dissipated, and within a radius of ten thousand miles, the entire world suddenly darkened, as boundless spiritual energy surged forth. It was impossible to see where the tribulation clouds originated; in almost an instant, the sky was filled with dark clouds, nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine li in diameter, fiercely pressing down towards the ground! A surge of heavenly might directly locked onto Li Changshou, as if fearing he would escape.

Li Changshou took a deep breath, and the speech of gratitude he had long since memorized slipped out, his expression, tone, pauses, and accent all meticulously refined.

Meanwhile, a thousand li away, several black panthers crouched in the jungle. Having initially been alarmed by the heavenly might, they instinctively tried to flee into the distance, but before they had run a few hundred li, another overwhelming surge of heavenly might pressed down, leaving them utterly paralyzed. Among this family of black panthers, the one with the highest cultivation, who had formed a demonic core, was barely standing, gazing towards the epicenter of the heavenly might. Its gaze was incredibly complex.

Another Golden Immortal Tribulation? Are Golden Immortal tribulations so common in the Primordial Era? It had just sensed one earlier. This heavenly might, why is it so terrifying... Could it be one of the top three, legendary Golden Immortal tribulations? Uh, where did it even learn all this from... If it truly was a legendary Golden Immortal Tribulation of some kind, it would be impossible for anyone to survive it. That would already be a disguised heavenly punishment, incurring the envy of Heaven.

'Incurring the envy of Heaven...' That phrase sounds so familiar. Where did these memories and insights even come from? Never mind, it doesn't matter.

With such a great tribulation today, the creature undergoing it is sure to die. If it manages to survive, then this Panther Lord will chew on tree bark for three years!