Immortal Road.

The Nine Heavens Thunder Pool was not unfamiliar to him.

Because this is the very name of the Golden Palace, a place to temper every cultivator who has just broken through to a higher realm, where success means passing the test smoothly, while failure means death and annihilation!

This is a screening mechanism used to maintain a balance between spiritual energy and cultivators in the universe.

If there were no such barrier, the cultivators in all the heavens and myriad realms would continue to cultivate, and their numbers would increase without limit, eventually draining the spiritual energy of all the realms!

At that time, the world will enter the Dharma-ending Age ahead of schedule. The immeasurable calamity caused by the depletion of spiritual energy will cause the change of eras to come quickly!
That's why such a protective umbrella was set up, and people were sent down to the Golden Palace to protect the common people. The Nine Heavens Thunder Pool has also become a household name.

When Layman Jinglian saw this scene, especially the atmosphere brewing within it, his expression changed drastically!
"Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation!"

This is an unparalleled heavenly tribulation that only appears after breaking through to the Void Realm, yet it has been summoned by a cultivator from the lower realm.
In the past, he might have had a chance to try, since the peak of the primordial spirit realm was qualified to make a gamble. But now his condition was terrible, how could he withstand such a tribulation?

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

The Pure Lotus Hermit lay on the Heavenly Ladder, screaming in horror as he felt a powerful aura lock onto him. This was indeed the Nine Heavens Thunder Pool of the Golden Palace, without a doubt!
But why would the Thunder Pool of the Golden Palace listen to this kid?

Who is he? !

Even one's superior, the Palace Master, has no authority to arbitrarily mobilize the Thunder Pool to bring calamity upon others. Otherwise, wouldn't it become a tool for abusing power for personal gain, allowing one to strike down whomever one dislikes?

The Nine Heavens Thunder Pool is a public resource that cannot be used for private purposes. It is an equal instrument for all beings in the myriad realms, not a weapon of privilege for anyone.

Unless this kid secretly summoned it through special means, and the Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation he received wasn't a proper procedure but a Black Thunder Tribulation, which is a serious crime in the Upper Realm!

If you get caught, you could be sentenced to thousands or even tens of thousands of years!
"Do you know what it means to abuse the Heavenly Tribulation Sin?"

Layman Jinglian shouted towards the back of the Gate of All Wonders, his eyes filled with a stern warning, trying to make him stop and withdraw his supernatural powers.

But who is Lin Shan?

He's a repeat offender!
After the Golden Core stage cultivator was given the Heavenly Tribulation Divine Power by the enhancement panel, he started to attract tribulations for others everywhere. He borrowed the Nine Heavens Thunder Pool countless times, and no one seemed to care about him!
At first, I might have been a little uneasy, but now that I've done it so many times, I've become bolder. Anyway, the higher realms won't find out, so I can just use it!
"My lord, I respectfully bid you farewell on your journey."

Lin Shan bowed from afar, and the Nine Heavens Thunder Pool trembled, beginning to unleash a relentless tribulation of wind and thunder!
The raging wind blew him so hard he couldn't stand up, and the ladder beneath his feet was blown further and further away. He lay on it, his clothes fluttering wildly, his long hair flying everywhere.

Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Ladder was not fixed in the starry sky; it could actually be moved. Lin Shan's eyes narrowed as he noted this.

One lightning tribulation after another struck. At first, things were alright, as Pure Lotus Hermit managed to withstand them with his powerful divine energy.

But after passing the hurdle of the sixth-nine lightning tribulation, it became incredibly difficult when it came to the seventh-nine lightning tribulation!
Because this already falls within the realm of the Void Transformation stage, it was like adding insult to injury for him, who was already severely injured. Each time, he was cleaved in two, his skin torn open, and he screamed in agony.

Lin Shan observed from outside and discovered that the power of this storm's prison break was several times stronger than the last time he dealt with Shui Lingchuan, the Supreme Elder of Penglai Holy Land!
Because this supernatural power becomes stronger when facing a stronger opponent, it is determined by the balance between his own cultivation level and the opponent's cultivation level. It is obvious that the Pure Lotus Hermit is much stronger than Shui Lingchuan, so the power of the heavenly tribulation also increases accordingly.

Moreover, the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation doesn't care whether you're injured or not; it shows no sign of holding back. Even Lin Shan, separated by the Gate of Myriad Wonders, could feel that palpitation!
If it were him, he definitely wouldn't be able to withstand even the Seven-Nine Tribulation!
But Layman Jinglian always surprised people with his strange and unusual methods and his profound knowledge was dazzling. He managed to withstand the eighth and ninth tribulations!

"hiss"

Doesn't that mean that I am still very likely no match for Layman Jinglian?

Lin Shan was startled, but then calmed down.

His methods are not limited, and he also has the support of a domain, as well as world-class derivative spiritual treasures. In a real fight, he would have the advantage against a seriously injured immortal envoy, but when it comes to transcending tribulations, he is indeed no match for his opponent.

Because Layman Jinglian is a reincarnation of an immortal!

People who have experienced the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation in their previous lives, and those who have become immortals must also pass the Immortal Tribulation! Naturally, they have incredibly rich experience and possess many secret techniques and targeted skills, which cannot be confused with combat strength.

No matter how much effort he put in, his raw strength and condition remained unchanged. Despite holding his breath and struggling to survive, Master Jinglian was unable to endure until the Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation.

"Boom! Crack!"

A massive bolt of lightning swept across the sky and crashed down!

His aged body collapsed to the ground with a thud, kneeling on the steps bleeding profusely, his chest charred black, a truly tragic sight.

"Ah!!! I hate it so much!!!"

He was unwilling to accept this. He was about to ascend to immortality and could have escaped back to the celestial realm to report back, but he just happened to run into this freak, the leader of the Ancient Search Sect.

Why did the seemingly peaceful plan to ambush and kill Fairy Qinglian turn into this?
Everything stemmed from his breaking the strange Dharma form of that Daoist of Nirvana.

"If I had pretended to be confused back then, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way."

He was filled with remorse and muttered to himself. The lightning above his head showed no mercy. In his eyes, there were no privileged classes or immortals. It just descended straight down!
"Boom~~~"

Layman Jinglian lay prone on the steps, another scorched gash appearing on his back from the impact.

But his physical body was not dead yet; it was twitching and trembling as it reached into its mouth, trying to take something out.

Lin Shan, with his sharp eyes, noticed that its main body seemed to be transforming into something, as if it was burning its essence and blood to perform some secret technique, but he was too far away, separated by the Gate of Mysteries, to reach it!

Fortunately, the speed of the tribulation was fast enough. One lightning tribulation after another gave him no chance to breathe. Finally, when the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation descended, the huge lightning enveloped his whole body. The powerful annihilation property drained all his essence and divine energy, until his primordial spirit was completely destroyed!
"No! I haven't returned to the Immortal Realm to report back yet."

With misty eyes, bathed in lightning, Layman Jinglian stretched out his hand into the distance and uttered his final swan song!

His figure froze at that moment, recalling before his death his mission to descend to the mortal realm and investigate the major case of incense burning that had shaken the upper realm!

Since his reincarnation, he lived in ignorance and confusion for hundreds of years. After being instigated and besieged by the Black Lotus Sect for so many years, he finally managed to slowly develop to the pinnacle of this world. He then united most of the holy lands to launch a faction war and witnessed the fall of the culprit, the Azure Lotus Fairy.
But before they could even savor the joy of victory, the native leader of the Ancient Search Sect stole the prize!

He died with his eyes wide open, just one step away from ascending to heaven!
Under the lock of the Nine Heavens Thunder Pool, the target died as if a lamp had been extinguished, and no trace of life could be detected anymore; the target began to gradually fade away.

After the lightning dissipated, only a withered and charred three-foot-long green lotus remained!

That was the object that the Pure Lotus Hermit entrusted to in the mortal realm. Now, his primordial spirit has been scattered and completely shattered by the lightning tribulation, revealing his true form.

The ascension failed, and the Heavenly Ladder seemed to sense it too; the two steps gradually became transparent, eventually disappearing and leaving only a withered blue lotus.

Lying quietly in the starry sky.

Lin Shan watched this scene in silence, and finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

The portal before them vanished without their knowledge, and a magnificent journey of ascension vanished into nothingness in the hidden fragments of the outer void.

Unfortunately, the masses of the main world were unable to witness the failed ascension of the immortal envoy. Perhaps many years later, in the chronicles of cultivation, it will be recorded:
The celestial inspector descended to the mortal realm to eradicate an evil cult and restore order, after which he disappeared without a trace, ascending to heaven alone in a ethereal aura.
Perhaps when future generations ascend to heaven, after passing through the Gate of Myriad Wonders, on their lonely journey through the starry sky, they might inadvertently see that charred and withered three-foot-long green lotus, but they will not recognize it as the legendary patrolling immortal envoy from the mortal realm.

"it's over"

Lin Shan closed his eyes and murmured, "The Azure Lotus Fairy is dead, and the Pure Lotus Hermit is gone too. These two great mountains, which did not belong to the lower realm, have collapsed. He no longer needs to worry about them."

The Azure Lotus Fairy was mysteriously devoured and disappeared without leaving any trace. The Pure Lotus Hermit was struck dead by a heavenly tribulation, and no investigation could trace it back to him.

He cleaned up the mess perfectly, and he believed he had done it flawlessly.

As for the so-called 'heavenly nobles' who were supposed to descend to the mortal realm, he felt it had nothing to do with him and was completely unrelated, so he simply stayed indoors and didn't go out.

The Yuan Sha Domain has also quieted down at this moment.

As expected, the Holy Lord of Vastness and the Sword Daoist were all killed in the siege of numerous Yuan Sha puppets, and became new puppets in the domain.

The most surprising thing was the countless Earth Spirit Pills!

It turns out that these people were rewarded with a large number of Earth Spirit Pills while following Layman Jinglian, but before they could take them back, Lin Shan seized them all!

Now look what's happened, it all went into his pocket.

It's like this whole faction war has lasted for so long, and these people got nothing. They lost their Yuan Nian avatars for nothing, and all of them benefited him!

"Oh dear, look at this! This won't do! What am I supposed to do?"

Lin Shan, his face etched with worry, sighed as he held hundreds of Earth Spirit Pills.

If you just blindly pile up so many pills, you could probably reach the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, right?

Killing the two great immortals was not his original intention, and now he has even pocketed the remaining payments from his subordinates. Such a despicable act is truly unsettling!
But if we send it back, wouldn't that expose us?

"Gentlemen, you have caused me so much suffering."

Left with no other choice, they had to reluctantly accept it. It's likely that those people died without ever knowing who the great thief who intercepted their Earth Spirit Pill was!
After lingering for half an hour, they thoroughly cleaned up all traces of the world's fragments, meticulously cleaning the battlefield to ensure no flaws were left behind.

Lin Shan then left with peace of mind.

The Celestial Realm, the Golden Palace.

On a tall watchtower, a towering figure stood silently, leaning on a golden spear, like an ancient, unmoving sculpture.

He gazed at the vast, celestial realm, where the setting sun slowly sank below the mountaintop.

He couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Brother Ji Guan, why do you sigh? Is it because you are unhappy with your job as a sentry on the city wall, and you lament that your talents are being wasted and your career is unsuccessful, which is why you are expressing your feelings?"

A loud laugh came from behind, followed by the crisp clanging of armor plates clashing together, and a burly figure, also dressed in golden armor, walked over.

The man turned around, shook his head with a wry smile, and gave up his seat.

"Brother Hou Ran, it's your turn to be on duty."

In the afterglow of the setting sun, two figures intertwined, a tacit understanding that had been practiced for over a hundred years.

"I'm just a lowly immortal guard in the Golden Palace. How can I talk about any official career? I'm just trying to make a living in the system and will just muddle through like this."

Looking closely at his face, he appeared to be middle-aged, but his features subtly resembled those of the hermit Jinglian.

The immortal guard named Hou Ran, who was changing shifts, laughed upon hearing this:
"Brother Ji Guan, don't be modest. Others may not know, but how could I, your partner, not know? Your father works in the Heavenly Palace! If you weren't so stubborn and had accepted your father's arrangements, you would have entered the palace long ago. Why would you need to guard the city tower at the Golden Palace?"

"Don't mention my father. He's just a lowly old eunuch in the palace, without any official position. He's just a senior eunuch. What help can he possibly give me?"

"Hey~ that's not quite right!"

Although Hou Ran had switched posts with him, they could still chat for a while. Chatting during the handover was one of the few sources of amusement in the otherwise monotonous life of a celestial guard.

“Even if your father isn’t an official, he’s still a close advisor in the palace, someone who can speak with powerful figures in the Jing clan. That’s far more important than any official position!”

"As his only son, how could he not do everything in his power to plan and arrange things for you? If you happen to catch the eye of the big boss, you'll definitely soar to great heights!"

"Brother, I'm counting on you to give me a hand!"

The immortal guard named Ji Guan smiled and tapped his helmet, telling him not to talk nonsense, lest gossip spread in the Golden Palace.

"You want me to mentor you? When you actually enter the palace, you won't have a choice! If the prerequisite is castration, then I ask you if you have the guts to castrate yourself?"

"Ah this."

Hou Ran scratched his head awkwardly, smiled wryly, straightened his posture, and began his sentry duty for the day, but he still kept talking.

"Then forget it. I'll endure another thousand years. Maybe I'll have a chance to become an immortal and have a better life. Why would I want to become a eunuch in the palace?"

"Hmph, being a eunuch isn't so easy!"

A glint flashed in Ji Guan's eyes. He seemed to have developed a resistance to castration without realizing it. He didn't know where this change in feeling came from, but there was something he needed to report.

"Did you see the Palace Master taking his roll call in front of the palace before you came this morning?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

Hou Ran stood upright, holding his gun, looking like a statue, motionless on the city wall.

"Have you thought it through and decided to resign and enter the palace?"

"No, in the area I was in charge of back then, one of my avatars in the lower realm perished. This was a task personally assigned by the Palace Master. I had to report it when something unexpected happened."

"Oh, you mean when you were an inspector celestial messenger? Ugh, that job was exhausting, grueling, and thankless. I told you to switch positions a long time ago, but you wouldn't listen. Now you regret it, don't you? Go away, go away!"

Ji Guan, carrying his golden spear, strode down the city wall and headed straight for Chenghua Palace. (End of Chapter)