My son is about to break through.

Xuan Tian Immortal Dynasty.

Within the fairy palace.

Gu Qingfeng sat cross-legged on the Chaos Futon in the center of the secret room.

The black wooden box floated in front of him.

The box lid was already open, and the chaotic-colored leaf of the Enlightenment Tea Tree lay quietly inside, radiating a dreamlike starlight.

The void surrounding the leaves continues to naturally evolve the phenomena of the world's birth and death, and the cycle of the Great Dao.

"The Chaotic Spiritual Root Enlightenment Tea Tree!"

Gu Qingfeng spoke softly, a serious look flashing in his eyes.

Even with his current state of mind, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion at such a priceless treasure.

He took a deep breath and adjusted himself to his peak condition.

then.

He reached out and gently picked up a leaf from the Enlightenment Tea Tree.

The leaves feel warm and smooth to the touch, with a unique texture that is both as hard as jade and as soft as flowing water.

Even more mysteriously, the moment the leaf touched his fingertips, Gu Qingfeng felt his soul and every wisp of consciousness begin to tremble violently.

That wasn’t a tremor of fear, but a resonance!

Resonance with the Tao!
Without hesitation, he slowly put the leaf into his mouth.

"Om-"

The moment the tea tree leaves touched the tip of the tongue, time seemed to stand still in the entire secret room.

next moment.

An indescribable, terrifying power erupted from the leaves.

That was not an impact of energy, nor a disturbance of laws, but a more essential and fundamental torrent of Daoist principles.

Gu Qingfeng's sea of ​​consciousness trembled violently at this moment.

"Rumble--"

In the darkness, it seemed as if three thousand great Daos appeared simultaneously.

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth; yin and yang; time and space; life and death; reincarnation; cause and effect; destiny—all these great laws and rules descend like tangible chains from the depths of nothingness, piercing through the sea of ​​consciousness and linking the soul.

Furthermore, a vast and boundless illusory river of the Great Dao surged forth above the sea of ​​consciousness.

That long river has no beginning and no end. Its water is formed from countless Dao runes, and each drop of water carries a Dao truth.

As the river flows on, worlds are born and grow, then rise to their peak and fall; civilizations rise to glory and eventually fade into oblivion.

Gu Qingfeng's soul and consciousness were standing above this great river at this moment.

He looked down at the surging river, its myriad streams rising and falling.

An unprecedented realization welled up from the bottom of my heart.

"So this is the true Tao—"

He muttered to himself.

In my past cultivation, I encountered countless obscure and difficult-to-understand profound mysteries of the Great Dao, and countless profound mysteries of the Great Dao that I knew how to do but not why.

At that moment, it was as if ice and snow were melting away, and I understood naturally.

There was no deliberate attempt to understand, no painstaking deduction.

Everything fell into place.

It was as if he was supposed to understand these things all along, but they had been obscured by some kind of fog, and now the fog had dissipated.

"Wow--"

In the long river of the Great Dao, the power belonging to the Netherworld Great Dao became incredibly clear at this moment.

Gu Qingfeng's soul and consciousness involuntarily sank into it.

In an instant, he seemed to transform into the Netherworld itself.

He saw the source of the Yellow Springs River—the purest deathly power in the chaos, every drop of water containing the power to end everything.

He touched the foundation stone of the Bridge of Helplessness—a stone formed from the obsessions of countless souls with their past lives; the deeper the obsession, the more solid the bridge.

He experienced the true meaning of the tortures of the eighteen levels of hell—it was not just simple torment, but a way to cleanse sins with extreme pain and to balance the chaotic order with the ultimate evil.

He even glimpsed the core of the Six Paths—the manifestation of the Great Dao of Reincarnation, which existed since the beginning of chaos and determines the destiny of all living beings in their next life.

Everything was crystal clear.

He was no longer a practitioner, but had become part of the Tao.

To be in harmony with the Way, to walk with the Way.

This is—to unite oneself with the Dao!
True harmony between humanity and nature!

……

Time lost its meaning at this moment.

It may be just a moment, or it may have been tens of thousands of years.

Gu Qingfeng was completely immersed in this mysterious state, forgetting himself, forgetting the outside world, forgetting life and death, forgetting everything.

The only thing he remembered was the Netherworld Road.

The Great Way is me, and I am the Great Way.

……

I don’t know how much time has passed.

It may take ten years, or it may take a hundred years.

a moment.

Gu Qingfeng's soul and consciousness suddenly broke free from that state of Dao integration.

It's like surfacing from the deep sea, returning to reality from a dream.

"call--"

He slowly opened his eyes.

Deep within his eyes, the illusory image of yin and yang reincarnation is reflected, and the true meaning of the Great Dao is naturally conceived.

Sometimes the Yellow Springs flowed into his pupils, sometimes the Bridge of Helplessness appeared, and sometimes the eighteen levels of hell appeared. In the end, all the strange phenomena subsided and returned to a deep calm.

An invisible wave spread out from the sealed room.

He slowly rose to his feet, his bones emitting a crisp clang, every inch of his flesh and blood seemingly tempered by the Great Dao, radiating a faint chaotic glow.

"Mid-stage of the Ninth Tribulation".

Gu Qingfeng uttered these four words softly, and a look of amazement finally appeared on his calm face.

Breakthrough.

It's a real breakthrough.

After only 300,000 years of seclusion, he rose from the initial stage of the Ninth Tribulation to the middle stage of the Ninth Tribulation.

Moreover, his foundation was incredibly solid, without the slightest sense of emptiness, as if this realm was something he had attained through countless years of arduous cultivation.

"A single leaf from the Enlightenment Tea Tree has such miraculous effects!"

Gu Qingfeng was shaken.

He originally thought that this leaf could help him break through the bottleneck and reach the threshold of the middle stage of the Ninth Tribulation, which would be his limit.

Unexpectedly, he not only broke through in one fell swoop, but also directly stabilized at the intermediate level.

"As expected of a Chaos Spiritual Root!"

He sighed again.

Without this leaf, it would have taken him countless years to break through from the initial stage to the intermediate stage through his own arduous cultivation.

But now, it has only taken 300,000 years.

Three hundred thousand years is but a fleeting moment for the Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable.

The difference between them is like heaven and earth.

"If the Enlightenment Tea Tree were still here, the number of immortals among the human race would probably be several times greater."

A hint of regret flashed in Gu Qingfeng's eyes.

Judging from the terrifying effects of this leaf, the power of a fully enlightened tea tree is definitely enough to allow a half-step immortal being to truly take that step and condense an immortal Dao fruit.

"pity……"

He shook his head.

Such an extraordinary chaotic spiritual root was destroyed in a battle in ancient times.

Gu Qingfeng's eyes narrowed slightly.

He suddenly thought of a possibility—

"The existence of the Enlightenment Tea Tree has already threatened the very foundation of the Evil God Clan."

"Therefore, they will destroy it at any cost."

"Once the human race masters such a treasure, the speed at which immortals are born will increase dramatically. At that time, how will the evil god race have the qualifications to contend with the human race?"

Once the thought crossed his mind, Gu Qingfeng felt it was increasingly possible.

After all, from the perspective of the evil god clan, destroying the Enlightenment Tea Tree was an inevitable course of action.

"Severing the path of humanity and cutting off the destiny of humanity, the evil god clan is indeed ruthless."

He muttered to himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

However, the cold light quickly disappeared.

The deceased is gone.

Since the Enlightenment Tea Tree has been destroyed, no amount of regret will change anything.

The most important thing now is to seize the moment.

……

Gu Qingfeng composed himself and focused his attention back on himself.

A single leaf from the Enlightenment Tea Tree allowed him to advance to the middle stage of the Ninth Tribulation.

If he had enough Enlightenment Tea Tree leaves, he might truly be able to break through the Nine Tribulations and reach Immortality in a short time. But soon, Gu Qingfeng shook his head, suppressing this unrealistic thought.

Greed must not be allowed to arise.

"To obtain even a single piece of such a treasure is an immense stroke of luck; how can one possibly desire more?"

"Moreover, since the Enlightenment Tea Tree has been destroyed, there are probably only a handful of leaves left in the world. It is already a miracle that the Celestial Venerable of Mountains and Seas was able to keep one leaf. Finding a second leaf would be as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Gu Qingfeng was well aware of this.

Therefore, he quickly adjusted his mindset.

if I get it I am lucky, but if not, it is fate.

Being able to break through to the middle stage of the Ninth Tribulation is already an unexpected joy; one should not have any further unrealistic ambitions.

……

"It's time to get out of seclusion."

With a thought, Gu Qingfeng completely concealed his aura.

The immense Daoist aura that had just broken through was instantly contained like an abyss; unless actively released, outsiders would be completely unable to perceive his true realm.

He took a step out, and his figure disappeared from the secret room.

Outside the celestial palace, time remains unchanged.

The news of Gu Qingfeng's emergence from seclusion did not cause much of a stir.

After all, to the outside world, only a mere 300,000 years have passed since he went into seclusion.

For a Nine Tribulation Celestial Venerable, this wouldn't even qualify as a formal retreat.

No one knew that Gu Qingfeng's cultivation had undergone earth-shattering changes in the past 300,000 years.

Even Crown Prince Gu Yang and the others could only sense that their father's aura seemed to have become more profound, but they could not see any specific changes.

……

for the rest of the time.

Gu Qingfeng, as usual, handled court affairs and occasionally guided Gu Yang and others, as well as some of the more outstanding younger members of the Gu family, in their cultivation.

At his level.

Every word contains the profound truth of the Great Way.

For the other Great Emperors in the Gu family who had not yet reached the Heavenly Venerable Realm, Gu Qingfeng's guidance was undoubtedly an unparalleled opportunity.

Under these circumstances, in just tens of thousands of years, the Gu family gained five more Heavenly Venerables.

but--

Gu Qingfeng remained calm and unmoved by these matters.

The Nine Tribulations of the Heavenly Venerable.

The newly promoted First Tribulation Celestial Venerable is utterly insignificant to the veteran Celestial Venerables.

Given the current status of the Xuantian Immortal Dynasty and the problems it faces, these issues cannot be resolved by a few ordinary Heavenly Venerables.

To truly exert any influence, one must at least reach the seventh level of the tribulation.

just.

Breaking through to the Heavenly Venerable level is easy, but advancing from a First Tribulation Heavenly Venerable to a Seventh Tribulation Heavenly Venerable is not so easy.

Even so, Gu Qingfeng was still generous with his guidance.

The more celestial beings who aspire to immortality there are, the more hope there is.

Who can guarantee that these Celestial Venerables will not reach the level of the Seventh Tribulation, or even the Eighth or Ninth Tribulation in the future?

Anyway.

Having one more Celestial Venerable is ultimately a good thing.

……

And so, tens of thousands of years passed peacefully.

Gu Qingfeng spends his days handling government affairs, giving lectures and guidance, and occasionally goes into seclusion to comprehend the Great Dao of the Netherworld. His cultivation is steadily consolidating at the mid-level of the Nine Tribulations stage, and he is even faintly moving towards the higher level.

Everything appeared peaceful and orderly.

until--

This day.

Gu Qingfeng was instructing Gu Yang on his cultivation.

suddenly.

He paused, then suddenly looked up into the depths of chaos.

at the same time.

An indescribable wave of terror, like a chaotic tsunami, swept in from the endless depths of the void.

"boom--!!!"

Wherever the fluctuations passed, the void collapsed, stars vanished, and the Great Dao wailed.

The entire Xuantian Immortal Dynasty, its four and a half million immortal domains, countless stars, and countless worlds trembled violently at this moment.

"what happened!"

"Has the sky fallen?"

"What a terrifying aura—"

Within the Immortal Dynasty's territory, countless cultivators looked up in terror, their faces ashen.

Those low-level cultivators were directly forced to the ground by this fluctuation, making it difficult for them to even breathe.

Even beings at the Celestial Venerable level felt like ants facing the might of heaven and earth, their blood and qi churning, and their very foundations shaking.

"Father!"

Gu Yang's expression changed drastically as he looked at Gu Qingfeng.

But Gu Qingfeng's expression was extremely solemn.

"This fluctuation—"

He murmured something, and the next moment, his figure vanished from the Xuan Tian Immortal Realm. When he reappeared, he was already in the chaotic void.

He stood in the void, gazing in the direction from which the fluctuations originated—

That is the deepest part of chaos, billions of miles away from here, possibly even spanning countless galaxies.

Even from such a distance, the fluctuation was still clearly perceptible, and even grew stronger.

"Rumble--"

The void groans, and chaos churns.

Gu Qingfeng could clearly sense that this fluctuation contained an aura of supreme tribulation!

That was not a heavenly tribulation, nor an earthly tribulation, nor a human tribulation.

But...

"The Immortal Divine Tribulation!"

Gu Qingfeng's pupils contracted sharply, and he uttered those four words one by one.

This was a tribulation that could make even someone at the mid-stage of the Ninth Tribulation feel palpitations and even a sense of being unable to resist it.

Only beings at the immortal level can trigger the Immortal Tribulation when attempting to reach a higher realm.

Moreover, judging from the direction from which the fluctuations came—

"The Territory of Evil Gods!"

A cold glint flashed in Gu Qingfeng's eyes.

It is an immortal being of the evil god race, undergoing tribulation.

……

at the same time.

The Purple Crape Myrtle Celestial Court, the Central Celestial Palace.

The Heavenly Emperor Ziwei slowly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through the endless void and landing in the depths of chaos.

"here we go."

The Heavenly Emperor Ziwei spoke calmly, his voice serene, yet it caused the temperature in the entire celestial palace to drop several degrees.

"Your Majesty, could this fluctuation be..."

A celestial official standing nearby couldn't help but ask, his voice trembling.

The Heavenly Emperor Ziwei nodded slightly: "The Blood Sun God Lord of the Evil God Clan is about to undergo his fourth Immortal God Tribulation."

If that person succeeds, the evil god race will have another immortal being at the fourth level.

But what if we can't get through it—"

The Heavenly Emperor Ziwei did not finish speaking.

But everyone understands—

The Immortal Tribulation: if one cannot overcome it, one will perish and one's cultivation will vanish.

But if they manage to overcome this, then the evil god race will gain another immortal being at the fourth realm.

This news.

This naturally alarmed many celestial beings in the Celestial Court.

But the Heavenly Emperor Ziwei only glanced at it casually before looking away.

to him.

Whether or not the Blood Sun God Lord succeeds in transcending the tribulation, it is of little significance.

After all, even if the other party successfully transcends the tribulation, they will only reach the fourth level of immortality, which will not be able to truly affect the overall situation.

unless.

If another immortal being of the tenth realm or above appears in the Evil God Clan, then the Ziwei Heavenly Emperor will have to take it seriously.

As for the other immortals, at this point, they can no longer exert much influence. (End of Chapter)