Chapter 995: Holy Body Slash Path

This was a small hill, unremarkable except for a few thatched cottages. For the past three years, Ye Fan had spent most of his time living on this unknown hill.

In front of the cottages, a vibrant green grape vine was laden with clusters of green grapes. Next to it was a medicinal field, planted with ancient herbs and spiritual plants, their fragrance filling the air.

In the distance was a pine forest. Little Pine, like a mischievous monkey, spent his days darting in and out, searching for pinecones and playing joyfully.

Zhang Xiaoyang had practiced asceticism for three years, spreading his teachings across the land. Ye Fan had witnessed all this and knew he had sacrificed a great deal; the changes in the Mother Qi Cauldron of All Things were the most significant proof.

Now, the cauldron had become sentient. Pure spiritual energy continuously flowed into it, thread by thread, shimmering with celestial radiance and steaming with holy light, becoming extraordinary and nearly divine.

The Heavenly Court was taking root and flourishing in the world. Every day, the power of faith was imprinted into the cauldron, a sacred transformation that forged an immortal artifact.

"Crack!"

In the sky, a bolt of lightning flashed, followed by a deluge of rain. Ye Fan stood motionless by the window, gazing at the serpentine lightning in the clouds.

Little Pine peeled a Fire Phoenix fruit, revealing its fresh, red, tender flesh. He blinked his big eyes and dutifully offered it to Ye Fan and Zhang Qingyang.

"CRACK!"

Silver electric snakes darted forth, swimming through the dark clouds. They tore through the sky, unleashing an aura that made one tremble. For cultivators, this kind of weather was extremely dangerous.

"Xiaoyang, are you ready?" Ye Fan asked.

"Master, I am ready," the young Daoist Celestial Master replied. In recent years, he had traveled around spreading his teachings, yet his cultivation had not fallen behind; he had made continuous progress, which was partly due to Ye Fan's special care.

"Then enter the lightning. Relax your body and mind, and accept the baptism. Do not worry or fear; I will ensure your safety," Ye Fan murmured.

In recent years, whenever there was a thunderstorm, Ye Fan would selectively protect several of his disciples, allowing them to use the heavenly thunder to temper their bodies.

All major ancient sects possessed secret techniques. Generally, disciples of ancient lineages were considered good if they could attract one or two bolts of lightning; any more would lead to great disaster.

This was not a true Heavenly Tribulation, as no one in this era could summon it. However, one could borrow lightning for body tempering through ancient methods, which was also considered undergoing tribulation. Yet, it often led to the complete annihilation of both body and spirit, so most people dared not attempt it.

Over the past three years, several of his registered disciples had undergone tribulation eight or nine times. Zhang Qingyang had gone through it eleven times and was now about to undertake his twelfth.

These individuals all possessed rare bones; placed in the Big Dipper region, they would be considered paragons. Unfortunately, they were born at the wrong time, unable to sense true Heavenly Tribulations in this Era of Dharma Decline. Therefore, Ye Fan had them temper their bodies with lightning every year.

For ordinary people, two times was the limit. Yet, they underwent lightning tribulations every year, each more immense than the last, almost comparable to a true Heavenly Tribulation.

After several years, their cultivation had advanced significantly. Each step they took was steady, and their foundation in Dao had been forged to be incredibly firm and solid.

During this process, Ye Fan discovered something unique. Zhang Qingyang, through his ascetic travels and preaching, and being constantly with the cauldron, had accumulated considerable power of faith. This allowed him to face the tribulations much more calmly than others, hence his higher number of successful tribulations.

"Master, I'm going up," Zhang Qingyang said to him.

He soared into the sky, meeting a bolt of lightning and entering the dense clouds to begin his tribulation. Lightning from all directions converged, striking him directly.

In that instant, electric light blazed fiercely, and silver serpents danced wildly. The area seemed to be engulfed in a great battle as he resisted amidst the pervasive brilliance, using the lightning to temper his body.

"Indeed, he is several times stronger than before," Ye Fan murmured to himself.

When lightning was used to temper the body, regardless of one's cultivation progress, one would be several times stronger than the previous attempt. It was as if Heaven kept a record, which was why even astonishing cultivators dared not ascend to the sky every year.

"Summoning lightning to this extent can indeed be considered a Heavenly Tribulation," Ye Fan nodded.

"Boom!"

Between heaven and earth, the lightning became furious, growing even more intense. A silver sea of electricity descended, engulfing Zhang Qingyang and tearing apart the fabric of the universe.

Ye Fan watched carefully, protecting his disciple. However, he did not intervene; unless there was a risk of complete annihilation of body and spirit, he would never step in.

Little Pine, blinking his big eyes, also stared at the clouds. Over the past few years, he had survived several true Heavenly Tribulations, progressing from crying loudly at the start to his current calmness, which was quite an improvement.

He deeply understood the terror of Heavenly Tribulations, which shook heaven and earth and were boundless. Especially the lightning descending in the Era of Dharma Decline, which was beyond imagination. Every time he thought of it, he would duck his head, covering his chest with his little paws, feeling waves of lingering fear.

"Hmm, it's working again," Ye Fan muttered, staring at the sea of lightning. Zhang Qingyang's body emanated threads of pure power of faith, which neutralized the vast lightning, allowing it to be absorbed into his body without causing harm.

At the most perilous moments, this holy light played an inexplicable role. It was truly profound and unfathomable, captivating the mind and prompting deep thought.

Half an hour later, as the last nine layers of lightning descended, Zhang Qingyang's skin was torn and his bones were almost scorched, but he had finally managed to pass through the tribulation.

He descended and entered the cottage, his expression incredibly excited, for his physical body was stronger, his magic power surged, and his inner power had also grown.

"Very good," Ye Fan nodded. Before undergoing his Dao-Severing Tribulation, he had arranged certain matters to prevent chaos should anything happen to him, so he was not in a hurry to ascend to the heavens.

In the following months, Ye Fan successively protected several of his disciples, ensuring they all experienced a baptism of Heavenly Tribulation, leading to significant advancements in their cultivation.

"You must walk your own path. I cannot define a direction for you," Ye Fan said, patting Little Pine's head. "Whether it's undergoing tribulation, comprehending the Dao, or making choices, you must experience them fully."

He did not want this little fellow to be constrained by his way of thinking; he wanted him to break free. He did not arrange everything for him or guide his future direction, unlike with his other disciples.

A month later, Ye Fan ascended to the heavens, departing alone, allowing no one to accompany him.

Little Pine was afraid and chased after him, crying bitterly. He wanted to give Ye Fan the small stone buddha to ward off the tribulation, but Ye Fan refused.

Zhang Qingyang even shouted, urging Ye Fan to absorb all the power of faith into himself. He said it would yield twice the results with half the effort, allowing him to safely sever the Dao and pass the tribulation. The other disciples also called out.

Ye Fan did not look back. He poured out all the power of faith from the cauldron, letting it cascade down like a vast waterfall, temporarily settling on the small hill.

This pure spiritual energy undoubtedly had great uses, but at this moment, he did not want to rely on it. Since his path was set to "sever the Great Dao in reverse," he needed no external aid.

Besides the Dao-proving artifact, the cauldron, he would bring nothing else with him to face the tribulation. This had been his choice from the beginning, unwavering.

"The power of faith is used by all beings for me now, but in the future, it's uncertain..." This was a faint concern of his, and thus he did not borrow it.

Ye Fan ascended to the heavens, reaching beyond the terrestrial realm, far from mountains and land. He feared that once his tribulation began, it would destroy vast, magnificent landscapes and shatter continents.

No one knew better than him how terrifying his tribulation would be. Once it erupted, it would be destructive, and this time, unlike before, he himself had no certainty of success.

Standing alone in the cold, dark universe, he was met with a deathly silence. The immense pressure from Earth, stretching far and wide, reached him, as if an ancient Celestial Emperor lay dormant beneath.

"It's time. Let the tribulation begin," Ye Fan murmured.

He began to activate his cultivation, no longer suppressing his power. He released his body and mind, connecting with the universe and expressing a will that transcended the Great Dao.

"Boom!"

The void of the universe had been empty, but at that instant, a vast ocean appeared—a divine sea formed entirely of lightning!

In just an instant, Ye Fan was submerged within it, subjected to the interrogation and punishment of the Great Dao of the heavens. One massive bolt of lightning after another, as thick as rivers and seas, struck his body.

This was a magnificent sight. If it were ever depicted and shown to the world, it would surely astound for ages and strike fear into the hearts of all cultivators.

This Heavenly Tribulation was a terror unique throughout history. Each individual ray of tribulation light far surpassed an entire grand Heavenly Tribulation for others. Thousands upon thousands of these tribulation lights converged to form just the first wave of electric bolts striking Ye Fan.

This was a doomsday divine punishment, a great destruction, unbearable for anyone, vast and boundless. A mere wisp of electric light would be enough to destroy a heaven-defying genius.

Yet, Ye Fan bathed within it, his hair disheveled, single-handedly resisting this immense Heavenly Tribulation. His strong, bare physique used the lightning as water to cleanse his body and spirit.

This was a great cataclysm; even the cosmic void was torn apart, revealing terrifying black abysses. Only the point of light at the very center remained unchanged, Ye Fan's bronze-colored physique shimmering with precious light as he accepted the thunderbolts and baptism.

Vast and boundless, without limits, it seemed that all the Heavenly Tribulations from thousands of years had converged upon him alone. Lightning from all ages, past and present, merged into one, tempering his body.

Every inch of his skin was dazzling, and every pore was inhaling and exhaling electric light. From between his brows, a small golden figure stepped forth. With a single inhale, it devoured a pillar of heavenly river, absorbing the boundless, endless sea of lightning into its mouth, a terrifying and boundless sight.

On this day, Ye Fan did not inform anyone from the Central Lands' Daoist sects or Western orthodoxies that he would be severing the Dao. No one knew; he wanted to pass through it quietly.

Yet, at this very moment, every cultivator sensed that something extraordinary was happening beyond the terrestrial realm. Their hearts were filled with dread and unease, as if a great disaster was imminent, or the end of the world had arrived. It felt like a sharp sword hanging over their heads, or a great mountain pressing down on their hearts.

This was an aura of world-ending destruction, causing all those of similar cultivation to tremble. Anyone who cultivated the Dao could undoubtedly sense it. Everyone trembled in awe and fear, gazing horrified towards the distant reaches of the cosmos.

However, no one could see anything; it was too distant. They were all ignorant of the situation and could not deduce its cause.

Because this kind of tribulation had only been seen rarely, if at all, throughout history. It was impossible for them to have heard of it, let alone witnessed it.

"Boom!"

As the first layer of the lightning sea receded, strangely anomalous bolts of lightning appeared in the void. There were Fuxi Dragon Stele lightning, Nuwa Dao Stone lightning... one after another, all incredibly mysterious.

This was even more terrifying. Some lightning bolts resembled ancestral artifacts, boundless in their ferocity, and when they descended, they could virtually shatter an ancient star!

These were traces of the Great Dao between heaven and earth, representing the ancient Heavenly Dao. Each time they struck down, it was world-shattering, capable of annihilating a region of the world.

Ye Fan aimed to "sever the existing Dao in reverse," to break free and transcend the Great Dao. Naturally, he had to withstand the impact and crushing force of various ancient sacred Daos.

"Boom!"

In the void of the universe, blazing electric light caused world-ending destruction. Amidst the humanoid lightning and ancestral artifacts, ancient stars seemed to shatter, and historical scenes reappeared in a blur.

Endless, boundless lightning struck him, but Ye Fan resisted it alone. His black hair was disheveled, and his bronze-colored physique glowed with precious light. Even if his bones were broken and tendons snapped, he could quickly recover.

The small golden figure stood before his brow, looking down upon all under heaven. Like his physical body, it remained unyielding, accepting the baptism and tempering of countless bolts of thunder.

The cauldron, forged from the Mother Qi of All Things, underwent further refinement by the sea of lightning. It endured tempering by lightning akin to that striking ancestral artifacts, remaining undamaged and becoming even more solid and immortal.

Ye Fan stood amidst the sky-filling tribulation light, every inch of his body shimmering. He bathed in endless thunder and lightning, tempering his immortal Saint Body, baptizing his golden spirit, and refining his Dao-proving cauldron through countless trials.

Although he could withstand it at the moment, he dared not relax in the slightest, for the true great tribulation lay ahead.