Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

The dark clouds of the heavenly tribulation were as black as ink, covering ten miles. Lightning bolts, like silver dragons, surged within the clouds. The terrifying pressure caused the earth to crack and all vegetation to wither.

The leaves of the little purple flower curled up under the pressure of the lightning tribulation, looking frightened.

"Little Zi, this tribulation is a test for you. If you can't stand up, even a saint can't help you."

Upon hearing Sun Wukong's words, Xiao Zi's curled-up leaves gradually unfurled, and purple light flowed around her, transforming into a giant purple flower bud that sheltered her delicate branches and leaves within.

Sun Wukong stood aside, looking at Xiao Zi, whose aura was weak but showed a certain tenacity, and a gratified smile appeared on his face.

The three immortals stood in mid-air, looking down at Xiao Zi. Yun Xiao remained calm, while Qiong Xiao and Bi Xiao whispered to each other from time to time, their eyes filled with both surprise and anticipation.

Soon, the first bolt of heavenly lightning pierced the sky like a spear, striking down with an aura of destruction.

The purple buds protecting the little purple flower burst forth with dazzling light, forcefully blocking the lightning.

The lightning exploded, and the flower bud trembled slightly, dissipating the lightning tribulation into nothingness.

Seeing this, Yunxiao nodded and said, "Heavenly lightning is a catastrophic disaster for the spirits of plants and trees. It is rare that this little purple flower has a way to deal with the lightning tribulation."

Nine more bolts of lightning followed, each stronger than the last, their light turning from silvery-white to crimson, their roar shaking the mountains.

The little purple flower buds began to crack under the bombardment of lightning, but they were quickly repaired. However, each time the buds were repaired, the little purple flower's vitality would wane a little.

"The first nine tribulations were passed relatively easily. How many tribulations are there this time?" Bixiao said, calculating.

Upon calculating, Bixiao frowned: "This little demon's tribulation is actually the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulation? Her talent is truly extraordinary."

Upon hearing this, Qiongxiao said calmly, "So what if she has extraordinary talent? Her aura is already disordered, and the following lightning will be even more ferocious. I'm afraid..."

Yunxiao waved his hand, his gaze still deep: "Let's see."

The second round of heavenly lightning descended, the lightning transforming into a giant purplish-black python, carrying the momentum to devour everything.

The little purple flower bud was almost torn apart, and its leaves overlapped, looking as if it was forming a hand seal. All the spiritual power in its body was poured into the purple flower bud, which managed to completely dissolve the second round of eighteen lightning bolts.

However, after the second round of lightning tribulation, Little Purple Flower's body trembled slightly, and a figure was already manifesting within the lightning tribulation.

“Normally, a demon of her level would be ready to be struck by twenty-seven heavenly lightning bolts upon transformation. If she can withstand twenty-seven heavenly tribulations, she will be qualified to become my disciple.”

No sooner had Yunxiao finished speaking than another bolt of lightning struck.

Nine bolts of tribulation lightning, several times thicker than the previous ones, fell one after another, engulfing the summit of Flower Fruit Mountain.

After the blinding lightning dissipated, Little Purple Flower had transformed into the form of an innate Dao body, with a head of dreamlike purple hair that cascaded down to her waist, shimmering with a delicate luster under the lightning.

She was tall and slender, with a graceful figure. Her elegant purple gauze dress fluttered in the wind, and every gesture she made exuded elegance.

A silver ribbon was tied around her waist, which further accentuated her slender waist.

"It took human form after twenty-seven lightning tribulations? It's truly rare to take human form before the heavenly tribulation is over." Even the usually aloof Qiongxiao couldn't help but praise it.

Sun Wukong was already very satisfied that Xiao Zi could withstand 27 bolts of heavenly lightning. With a thought, his golden cudgel grew larger.

At this moment, the twenty-eighth heavenly thunderbolt had been prepared, and the final nine heavenly thunderbolts were even more terrifying in power, so much so that even true immortals would have to retreat.

The terrifying lightning tribulation pressed down like a mountain, with golden runes appearing within the lightning, carrying the oppressive power of the rules of heaven and earth.

Having just taken human form, she gritted her teeth, her body glowing with blood-red light. The purple flower bud burst open, and she, bare-handed, transformed into a streak of purplish-black light to meet the lightning.

The lightning and purple light collided, and a loud bang erupted in the world. The little purple flower was blasted dozens of feet away, spitting out blood and its aura was extremely weak.

The twenty-ninth bolt of heavenly lightning coalesced, and a phantom image of a thunder god faintly appeared in the thunderclouds, wielding a giant hammer and exuding overwhelming power.

Xiao Zi staggered a step, a hint of despair flashing in her eyes, but she still gritted her teeth and prepared to endure it.

"That's about enough!" As he spoke, Sun Wukong swung his golden cudgel, which shone with a dazzling golden light, from which the faint sounds of countless human prayers could be heard.

That was the human merit accumulated by the Golden Cudgel since the era of the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle, as vast as the sea and as radiant as the sun.

The lightning collided with the golden light, instantly shattering into countless arcs of electricity that scattered in all directions.

"Huh? This monkey can actually draw upon the human merit within the Golden Cudgel?" Bixiao said in surprise.

“No wonder he is valued by Master; he truly has extraordinary qualities,” Qiongxiao said.

Sun Wukong laughed heartily, wielding his golden cudgel with impenetrable skill, blocking seven bolts of lightning in succession.

With each collision, golden light and lightning intertwined, and the world seemed to be filled with only gold and purple colors.

Sun Wukong remained motionless, but a hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes: "This heavenly tribulation is indeed quite ingenious!"

The thirty-sixth bolt of heavenly lightning coalesced, thunderclouds rolled like a tsunami, and a city of thunder appeared in the lightning, carrying an aura of destruction.

Little Purple Flower struggled to her feet, her breath nearly exhausted. She looked at Sun Wukong with a hint of apology in her eyes: "Monkey, I... I did my best."

"Enough with the nonsense!" Sun Wukong grinned, raised his golden cudgel high, and unleashed the power of human virtue to its fullest extent, transforming it into a golden pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.

Thunder City crashed down, golden light colliding with lightning, unleashing a deafening roar. The Golden Cudgel trembled violently, its power of merit suppressed by the lightning. The remaining force of the lightning continued unabated, heading straight for the little purple flower!

"Not good!" Qiongxiao exclaimed, "This lightning contains the laws of heaven and earth, and even human merit cannot stop it!"

At the critical moment, Fairy Yunxiao raised her hand and pointed, a beam of azure light bursting from her fingertip. With a gentle touch, Thunder City instantly became illusory, as if all its power had been drained away. Then, it landed on Xiao Zi. The illusory lightning tribulation naturally could not cause any harm to Xiao Zi. She successfully passed the tribulation!
Heaven and earth returned to silence, the dark clouds dispersed, and after the heavenly calamity dissipated, spiritual rain fell to nourish all things.

Little Purple Flower stood there blankly, her body covered in wounds, yet radiating a faint purple light. A seven-colored ray of light descended upon her, and Little Purple Flower's wounded body was quickly repaired. Her aura gradually strengthened, and she slowly broke through to the level of True Immortal.

It seems that Xiao Zi also benefited greatly from surviving this seemingly insurmountable tribulation; her eyes held a mixture of joy and exhaustion from the ordeal.

Sun Wukong put away his golden cudgel and asked curiously, "Did you withstand the final lightning tribulation by yourself?"

Xiao Zi shook her head blankly. She had seen the lightning strike her, but it had no power at all.

"Never mind, it's a good thing you survived the heavenly tribulation. Now that you can take human form, it's time to give yourself a name."

"Xiao Zi!"

"So casual?"

“You used to call me Little Purple Flower.”

Sun Wukong was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Alright, then you shall be called Little Purple."

Afterwards, Sun Wukong led Xiao Zi to the Water Curtain Cave and introduced her to the monkeys. Xiao Zi quickly became familiar with the monkey troop, and for the next ten years or so, she lived and ate with Sun Wukong and the monkeys, having a wonderful time.

While Sun Wukong was living a carefree life, the fortunes of the various schools of thought in the human world underwent new changes.

More than 70 years have passed since Sun Wukong was born.

Over the years, the various schools of thought have each displayed their talents and devoted themselves to assisting the ruler and strengthening the nation.

But no matter how hard the other feudal lords tried, they could not shake the position of the seven hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period. The seven states of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin became increasingly prosperous.

Even though Qin was the weakest of all the states, no other small state could bully it.

Over the past seventy years, a hundred schools of thought have contended, plundering the fortunes of the nation as follows.

Confucianism, founded by Confucius, is a school of self-cultivation. It has seventy-two great sages under its command, surpassing Taoism and becoming the foremost school of thought among all philosophers, occupying thirty percent of the overall fortune.

After Confucianism came Taoism, which occupies 20% of the fortune.

The Legalists, Mohists, and Military Strategists each divided up 20% of the fortune.

Next, the four schools of thought—the Agriculturalists, the Yin-Yang School, the Buddhist School, the School of Names, and the Medical School—each received one-tenth of the fortune.

The other schools of thought from various periods occupied the remaining 20% ​​of the fortune.

The Spring and Autumn Period was a time of great turmoil, during which the various schools of thought reached their zenith and then gradually faded away.

The biggest event was the death of Zhuang Zhou, the second leader of Taoism. After Zhuang Zhou's death, a continuous stream of fortune flowed into Kunpeng's body.

Within the Demon Master's Palace, the aura of the Kunpeng rose steadily, soaring all the way to the level of a Quasi-Saint.

Kunpeng let out a long sigh, his eyes gleaming: "This is awesome! This saves me from billions of years of arduous cultivation. I wish there were more opportunities like this."

And that stone monkey, he truly doesn't know what's good for him. If he could accept me as his master, I might be able to use this opportunity to break through to the Saint realm!

Unfortunately, Kunpeng only had one chance to fleece Sun Wukong, so Sun Wukong refused to become his disciple, and the power dynamics of the human world changed once again.

During the more than ten years that the seven kingdoms devoted themselves to development, they provided the best environment for the growth of Buddhism.

In just over a decade, the number of Buddhist disciples has increased more than fivefold, and the Buddhist community's fortunes have soared like oil on a raging fire.

Secondly, the Legalists also saw their fortunes soar, doubling in value!
In contrast, the fortunes of Confucianism, Taoism, and Mohism have declined considerably.

In particular, the Legalist school saw its fortunes rise continuously, and in the state of Wei, at the city of Diqiu, a child was born.

The child was born surrounded by the great aura of Legalism. He was born in the State of Wei, hence the name Wei Yang.

Soon, Wei Yang grew up and both his parents died of illness. After burying them, Wei Yang began to travel around the states to acquire knowledge.

Wei Yang was deeply influenced by Li Kui's Legalist thought and was extremely interested in Legalist doctrines. When he was twenty years old, Wei Yang officially changed his name to Shang Yang.

Shang Yang traveled to various states and eventually settled in the State of Qin, during the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin.

Duke Xiao of Qin was a very decisive and capable ruler. He recognized Shang Yang's abilities and strongly supported Shang Yang's reforms.

With the support of Duke Xiao of Qin, Shang Yang implemented the Legalist ideology led by Li Kui within the territory of Qin, and carried out sweeping reforms.

First, the well-field system was abolished, the fields were opened up, private land ownership was recognized, and free buying and selling was allowed. At the same time, agriculture was emphasized while commerce was suppressed, agricultural production was encouraged, commercial activities were inhibited, and farming and weaving were rewarded.

Shang Yang's reforms brought about a significant improvement in the Qin Dynasty, both economically and militarily.

Under Shang Yang's leadership, Legalism flourished and its fortunes soared, even surpassing Taoism and Confucianism at one point.

Duke Xiao of Qin reigned for more than 20 years before passing the throne to King Hui of Qin. King Hui then passed the throne to King Wu of Qin. In order to demonstrate the power of the Qin state, King Wu gathered a crowd to lift the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great.

The Nine Tripods of Yu the Great are surrounded by the supreme human destiny, weighing as heavy as ten thousand jun, and only a human emperor can lift them.

King Wu had not yet unified the country and was too weak to lift the cauldron. He lost his grip, the cauldron tipped over, and King Wu died.

When King Wu passed away, the throne passed to King Zhaoxiang of Qin. During the period from Duke Xiao of Qin to King Zhaoxiang of Qin, the Qin state emphasized the rule of law and its national strength rose daily, making it the strongest of the seven states.

With the rise of the Qin Dynasty and the rise of Legalism, the Chan School benefited greatly from the positive influence of the times.

However, nothing lasts forever. One thing ends and another begins. A scarlet streak of light streaked across the sky and landed in a small village in the Qin Kingdom.

The woman carried her baby for ten months, and the baby was born with a loud cry. "Wah!" The loud cry resounded through the sky, and the originally gloomy weather, which looked like it was about to rain, changed instantly. A gust of wind blew in, the dark clouds were all dispersed, and a ray of golden sunlight appeared and shone on the ground.

From the mud-brick and thatched hut, a strong and powerful man emerged, holding an infant in his arms. His face beamed with excitement as he exclaimed, "This child's cry is so loud; he's sure to amount to something in the future. Let's name him Bai Qi!"

At the same time, in the city of Handan in the State of Zhao, another loud cry of a newborn baby rang out.

Above Handan, the aura of the Purple Star surged forth, transforming into a true dragon ninety-nine thousand feet long.

Bai Jing, who was in seclusion on Yingzhou Immortal Island, slowly opened his eyes. With a thought, the true dragon was concealed, completely escaping the attention of the saints.

In a secluded courtyard in Handan City, a newborn baby opened its eyes wide and curiously looked around.

His eyes were dark and bright as he observed the world around him. The midwife picked up the baby and brought him to the bedside, smiling broadly as she said, "Congratulations, Madam, on the birth of your little prince."

Although the woman on the bed had just given birth and her face was pale and she looked unwell, her beauty was still undeniable. Her fair skin, delicate features, gentle charm, and pitiful appearance made her even more alluring.

The woman in labor ordered her maid to fetch copper coins and generously rewarded the midwife.

The midwife took the heavy copper coin with a beaming smile, gave a few more instructions, and then left the inner room.

A short while later, two tall men walked into the front yard.

One was slightly younger, and the other was slightly older.

At this moment, the young man changed into a robe, warded off the chill, and went into the inner room.

The man was Ying Yiren, grandson of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. He was being held hostage in Qin by Zhao after the war between Qin and Zhao.

The slightly older man beside him was Lü Buwei, who regarded the strange man as a "rare commodity".

And this newborn baby was undoubtedly the future First Emperor, Ying Zheng.

(End of this chapter)