Chapter 1348

At the Dao Sect's Mission Hall, Tang Chuanwu and Tang Qiaoqiao, a brother and sister, submitted a blood-stained storage ring. "Inside the ring is the corpse of the two-headed evil dragon that snuck into the outer realms and wreaked havoc there," Tang Chuanwu explained.

The siblings looked travel-worn, their eyes showing a hint of weariness; that two-headed evil dragon had certainly not been easy to deal with.

The senior sister on duty at the Mission Hall inspected the storage ring. After confirming it was indeed the two-headed evil dragon from the wanted poster, she began processing the mission completion and calculating their contribution points.

As their contribution points were being calculated, Tang Chuanwu looked around and noticed that there were significantly fewer people in the Mission Hall today than on other days.

"That two-headed evil dragon was actually vanquished? I heard many on the Genius Ranking tried to deal with it and failed."

"Don't you see who did it? Those are the Tang Chuanwu siblings, whom Senior Brother Lu brought back from the Buddhist Kingdom. It's rumored that Senior Brother Tang even received the true inheritance of the Immortal of Time. Such experiences are quite rare in our Dao Sect!"

The two newly initiated Dao Sect disciples discussed excitedly. Upon joining the Dao Sect, they found that legendary figures were surprisingly common.

"Senior Brother Tang is back at just this time. Could he have returned specifically to observe Senior Brother Li's tribulation?"

"Which Senior Brother Li is going to undergo tribulation?" Tang Chuanwu's voice echoed as he suddenly appeared before the two new disciples.

A legendary figure had spoken to them, and the two were so excited they stammered, "It's... it's Senior Brother Li Haoran. He's about to ascend to the Tribulation Transcending stage."

"Senior Brother Li Haoran?" Tang Chuanwu's eyes lit up, and his weariness instantly vanished.

He and his sister had received considerable help from Li Haoran; his sister's natal artifact, in particular, had been refined by him.

"Yes, it's said that many senior brothers and sisters who were out of the sect have returned, such as Senior Sister Tao, who founded the Dream Bubble Group; Senior Brother Man, the Prime Minister; and Senior Brother Meng, who has been setting up stalls to tell fortunes."

"Old Meng, you dare to show your face here!" On Tianmen Peak, Lu Yang pounced on Meng Jingzhou as soon as he saw him. How could a mere half-immortal be a match for a true immortal? Meng Jingzhou was immediately pinned to the ground by Lu Yang.

"You twisted my words! How dare you tarnish this Immortal's reputation!"

Lu Yang looked utterly outraged. While he was recovering, Old Meng had seized control of the newspaper office and maliciously edited interview content; he deserved to die a thousand deaths.

By the time Lu Yang found out about it, Meng Jingzhou had already vanished to play "Half-Immortal Meng" somewhere.

He only returned this time because Li Haoran was about to undergo his tribulation.

And he was caught red-handed by Lu Yang as soon as he returned.

"Bah, who forgot to invite *me* to the celebration banquet? You deserve this!"

"Junior Sister Tao, note this down: Lu Yang subdued Meng Jingzhou in one move," Lu Yang said, turning to Tao Yaoye beside him.

"Junior Brother Man, note this down: Lu Yang retaliated against a reporter afterwards," Meng Jingzhou said, turning to Man Gu beside him.

Tao Yaoye and Man Gu had just run into Meng Jingzhou at the sect entrance, so they had returned together.

The two wrestled on the ground for a while before getting up. Though one was a half-immortal and the other a full immortal, both remained pristine, saving them the trouble of brushing dust from their clothes.

"Junior Sister Tao, you've done quite well in the outer realms. I heard you've become the largest film and television company in the universe, and you've even cultivated to the Tribulation Transcending stage?" Lu Yang chuckled. Indeed, other film and virtual entertainment companies were no match for Dream Bubble; Tao Yaoye had effortlessly crushed her competition.

It was a well-deserved interstellar monopoly.

"I had originally intended to return to the sect for my breakthrough," Tao Yaoye said with a sweet smile. "Unfortunately, I couldn't suppress my cultivation, and the heavenly tribulation arrived while I was still on my way back."

"Oh, by the way, I have a script here for you to look at," Lu Yang said, taking out a small booklet from his identity jade pendant.

Tao Yaoye took it and flipped through, her expression one of surprise. "Is this about the nine ancient immortals?" she asked.

Lu Yang nodded. "After all, these nine seniors pioneered the cultivation realms for humanity. Their deeds shouldn't be forgotten. See if you can turn it into a film."

"Since it's Senior Brother Lu's request, of course I can," Tao Yaoye said, smiling as she carefully put away the script about the nine ancient immortals.

"Junior Sister Tao, if you're short on good material lately, you could always film Junior Brother Man," Lu Yang teased. "He's now the youngest Prime Minister in our Great Xia."

To become the Prime Minister of Great Xia, one's cultivation must be at least at the Tribulation Transcending stage, a level which Man Gu had naturally achieved.

However, becoming Prime Minister was not so simple; Great Xia's officialdom also valued ability and seniority. Man Gu's ascension to the position at such a young age was the result of a series of exceptional, rapid promotions.

"Junior Brother Man, I've heard that your path to promotion has been exceptionally smooth, with anyone standing in your way mysteriously encountering unfortunate incidents?" Tao Yaoye asked curiously. Man Gu's experiences were indeed legendary, and all sorts of rumors circulated among the populace.

No one from the Dao Sect had ever served as Prime Minister before; at most, they had become provincial governors. Man Gu was the very first.

Man Gu scratched his head awkwardly. "Senior Sister Tao, you're joking," he said. "I've risen so quickly only because His Majesty values me highly."

Great Xia's officialdom certainly valued seniority, but also cherished life. When encountering someone like Man Gu, quickly vacating one's position was the surest way to preserve life. What else could Emperor Xia do but allow Man Gu to ascend?

"Junior Brother Man, you don't harbor any thoughts of becoming emperor, do you?" Lu Yang suddenly asked.

"No," Man Gu replied, puzzled. Why ask such a question out of the blue? He was a loyal subject of Great Xia.

"I thought as much."

Currently, Emperor Xia was terrified whenever he saw Man Gu, fearing that Man Gu harbored imperial ambitions and that he himself would suffer misfortune as a result. For this reason, he had recently visited Lu Yang, hoping to subtly gauge Man Gu's intentions through him.

Lu Yang thought Emperor Xia was simply overthinking the matter, but a promise made to the Emperor still had to be fulfilled.

As the four continued chatting, they heard a muffled thunderclap from a distance.

"Senior Brother Li must be undergoing his tribulation. Let's head down the mountain and get a closer look."

Boom—Boom—

The rumbling thunder was incredibly familiar to the disciples of the Dao Sect.

"Senior Brother Li is about to ascend to the Tribulation Transcending stage!"

In recent years, numerous individuals from the Dao Sect had successfully advanced to the Tribulation Transcending stage, making the disciples very familiar with heavenly tribulations. They could now discern a Tribulation Transcending stage thunder tribulation simply by its sound.

Atop Artifact Refining Peak, Li Haoran merged with nature, achieving a state of unity between heaven and man, ensuring his condition was optimal.

He had already awakened eight lifetimes of memories; upon successfully ascending to the Tribulation Transcending stage, he would finally awaken the memories of his first lifetime!

"Let the tribulation come!"

Li Haoran broke free from his state of unity, stood up, and roared, summoning the heavenly tribulation!

Heavenly thunder rolled down from the nine heavens, a manifestation of the might of heaven and earth, striking directly towards Li Haoran!

"Is Haoran alright?" Su Yiren asked, her voice laced with worry. At such a critical juncture in Li Haoran's life, it was only natural for his family to be present.

"How could Junior Brother Li be in trouble? After all, he is..." Lu Yang, standing nearby, started to comfort Su Yiren, but then he suddenly remembered that if the reincarnation of the Heavenly Responsive Immortal were to be struck dead by lightning, it would be quite the spectacle.

Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly recalled that Li Haoran's previous incarnation, Qin Haoran, had died precisely in that manner. The comforting words simply wouldn't come out.

Fortunately, Su Yiren and Qin Yanyan, mother and daughter, were entirely focused on Li Haoran, who was undergoing his tribulation, and thus did not notice Lu Yang's subtle reaction.

Li Haoran flipped his right hand, and a green lotus petal appeared in his palm. It split into two, then four, rapidly forming a complete lotus that hovered above his head. He activated his profound techniques to resist the lightning tribulation.

A lotus, a treasure gourd, a jade pure bottle, a Buddha platform, an azure silk umbrella... various magic treasures flew out of his identity jade pendant as if by magic. All were top-tier defensive treasures he had personally refined.

Everyone marveled. Even Tribulation Transcending cultivators would find it exceedingly difficult to acquire these artifacts. Only Li Haoran, being an artifact refiner himself, could produce such ultimate treasures.

A purple sea of lightning submerged Li Haoran, intensely hot and causing even space itself to become fractured and broken. Within the vast lightning sea, only Li Haoran's ultimate treasures emitted a radiant white glow.

"Could it be that Senior Brother Li can safely pass the tribulation simply by relying on his artifacts?!" someone gasped softly. The effects of these defensive treasures were utterly heaven-defying; they had sustained only minor damage so far and appeared capable of lasting until the very end of the heavenly tribulation.

"Wait, why did Senior Brother Li put away his artifacts?!"

Li Haoran, unexpectedly, put away his artifacts and opted to endure the lightning tribulation with his physical body alone.

Li Haoran recalled the tribulation transcending experience Lu Yang had shared: relying solely on artifacts to cross the tribulation was not a wise move, as it would negate the tempering effect of the heavenly tribulation.

He abandoned his usual strengths and actively welcomed the lightning tribulation!

Boom—

Li Haoran was struck by the lightning tribulation, his skin tearing open and his bones audibly cracking, sounds that could be heard from a considerable distance.

Witnessing this scene, everyone's hearts clenched in dismay.

"Why did Senior Brother Li close his eyes?!"

Everyone exclaimed in shock, having never heard of a cultivator daring to close their eyes during a tribulation!

Li Haoran closed his eyes, entering a profoundly mysterious state. The lightning tribulation struck not only his body but also threatened his divine soul.

However, this was beneficial for Li Haoran. The lightning tribulation acted like a key, cleaving his divine soul and unlocking long-sealed memories.

The nascent form of the Samsara Dao Fruit, hidden deep within his soul and previously undetected, began to stir. Fragments of ancient history flashed through his mind like a string of kites, gradually awakening the memories of Li Haoran's first lifetime.

The lightning tribulation that enveloped him, tearing his skin open, now felt incredibly intimate to him.

Li Haoran ceased resisting the lightning tribulation. He spread his arms wide, allowing the full force of the tribulation to engulf him.

Everyone watched in horror, wondering if he had lost his mind.

Only a select few discerned the truth: the lightning tribulation flowed through Li Haoran's body, tempering his physical form and soul without harming him in the slightest. His control over the lightning tribulation had reached an absolute pinnacle, a feat that, throughout history, only Li Haoran had achieved among those who transcended tribulation!

He wore the sea of lightning like a cloak, golden electrical arcs crackling from his eyes as he pointed towards the sky.

The heavenly tribulation directly above his head began to dissipate from the inside out, revealing the clear blue sky.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on Li Haoran, as if he had become the most radiant being between heaven and earth.

He gazed at the seemingly insignificant beings below and slowly began, "I remember now. I am the Heavenly Responsive..."

Boom—

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden change occurred.

The lightning tribulation, having dissipated halfway, suddenly ceased dispersing and began to gradually mend its breaches.

The heavenly tribulation returned, and three magnificent figures suddenly materialized.

"What's going on?!"

"Who are they?"

"Th-those three are the Ninefold Immortal, the Immortal of Time, and the Qilin Immortal!" someone shouted, recognizing the identities of the three figures.

"What? Those three ancient immortals? How could they possibly appear?"

This was an unprecedented situation!

Upon seeing his three friends, Li Haoran revealed a faint, knowing smile, full of profound meaning. "The three of you..." he began.

"Youngster, how can you pass the lightning tribulation so easily?" the Ninefold Immortal said with a chuckle, making the first move. "We three seniors are here to test you!"

The other two immortals followed suit, having waited for this day for a very long time!

Li Haoran's expression abruptly changed. *These three scoundrels have no shame!* he thought.

"Why did they suddenly start fighting?" the onlookers below wondered, confused.

"Has it attracted the legendary lightning tribulation?" Gu Junye stood with his hands behind his back, faintly smiling as he watched the chaotic battle of the four immortals.

"Do you know what's happening?" the Congenital Daoist asked, startled. Gu Junye always seemed privy to ancient secrets no one else knew.

"This is the legendary lightning tribulation test. The immense power of the Ninefold Immortal and the other two immortals is etched into history and thus carved into the heavenly tribulation itself. Senior Brother Li's own power has drawn this immortal test; if he can pass it, he will gain an unparalleled opportunity!"

The Congenital Daoist was still puzzled. "Then why didn't the Heavenly Responsive Immortal appear in the heavenly tribulation?" he asked.

"Naturally, it's because the Heavenly Responsive Immortal wasn't as powerful as the legends claim," Gu Junye stated confidently.