From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 370 Tao Hongchen (Part 2)
The grand hall was magnificent, with a high platform standing in the center, and the steps were as if carved from white jade.

As Chen Xuan followed the ferocious tiger into the hall, he saw more than a dozen "external evils" of various shapes and sizes.

On the white jade platform, there are three prayer cushions in purple, gold and green, while below the platform, there are three thousand straw prayer cushions, just like the scene of the Taoist patriarch preaching in ancient times.

Most of the straw cushions had rotted.

However, a few remain intact, radiating light, with indistinct human figures sitting or standing on them.

Please take your seats!

The ferocious tiger sat on a straw cushion, swept the dust off the ground with its sleeve, put down the lantern, and muttered, "My destined substitute, with its boundless good fortune, actually has an old immortal hiding behind it. I'm instantly killed the moment I show my face, and it's impossible to take over..."

The battered and bruised spirit fox and nine phoenix found their places and sat down. The spirit fox sneered, "What kind of challenge is that? We're facing the infamous Xinzhai, whose difficulty is on par with the underworld."

If Xinzhai hadn't intervened, the two destinies of the Six Desires Heaven and the Lord of the Two Realms would have been his for the taking long ago, roaring across the world and shaking the heavens.

"Xinzhai? Ha, a defeated dog. Don't forget that big shot, who has already killed two of them." The fierce tiger sneered, lifting his chin and pointing to a purple futon on the left side of the platform.

Chen Xuan was shocked. He had entered a dangerous place. He immediately found a clean, secluded straw mat near the ferocious tiger and sat down.

This mysterious force seems to be the mastermind behind the scenes, secretly coveting the chosen one.

"It's a pity that the useless Xinzhai didn't set his sights on Xinzhai's remains; otherwise, he would have witnessed what true despair is like," Jiufeng said, her tone filled with disappointment.

"It's all because you two newcomers have big mouths and are always so smug that you almost ruined Lord Xiangliu's important plans on the ancestral land."

The ferocious tiger said coldly, then turned its head and scolded unhappily, "Number Thirteen, what exactly are you doing, this newcomer who is fortunate enough to inherit the [Extreme God]? Don't sit in a position that isn't yours, you have no manners at all!"

"Hmm?" Chen Xuan was stunned when he heard the voice. He had been scolded again, but how could he know where he was?
What a hassle.

Chen Xuan scanned his surroundings and saw a clean and bright futon in the distance. Suddenly, a white beam of light shot up, and countless mysterious runes appeared like a waterfall.

Immediately afterwards, a masked figure of an evil spirit emerged from the straw cushion.

"Why aren't you sitting down yet? I've noticed that you, the new number thirteen, are behaving a bit too arrogantly." Fierce Tiger was furious when he saw Chen Xuan still sitting in the same spot, not moving at all.

He pointed to a straw mat not far away and asked in a tone of incomprehension.

The ferocious tiger had already felt disdain for the other party's previous actions, and now it was even more furious.

"Fortunately summoned by the Mandate of Heaven, you immediately became smug and ignorant. Someone of your level actually got the chance to enter the Crossing Hearts Abode!" On the other side, the spirit fox mocked coldly, showing great hostility towards Chen Xuan, who had taken advantage of her for some unknown reason.

"..."

Chen Xuan stood up expressionlessly and walked to the straw cushion that was probably related to the [Extreme God] and sat down.

He secretly observed his surroundings, listened to the conversations between the "external evils," and tried to gather information.

He was cautious because he was unsure of the strength of these "external evils".

"Ah Hu, the appointed time has passed. Why hasn't Xiang Liu, number three, arrived? Why are you so disrespectful to us?" an outsider asked, his tone impatient.

"This time, the summoning of us, the chosen ones, is contrary to the rules. Is it because something terrible has happened in our ancestral land that Lord Xiangliu cannot resolve?" someone asked.

Inside the palace, more than ten masked figures all turned their gazes toward the ferocious tiger, asking questions one after another.

"Please don't worry, everyone. Lord Xiangliu must have been temporarily delayed by something. Please wait a moment, he will definitely arrive," the fierce tiger quickly replied.

He was also puzzled. This was the first time that Lord Xiangliu had ordered the recruitment of all members but had not shown up.

Upon hearing this, the other evil spirits immediately began to discuss among themselves.

“It must be that the [Eternal Venerable] of the ancestral land has made another mistake. I don’t understand what Xiang Liu was thinking. He even secretly passed on that person’s ‘Heart-Avoiding Fasting’ method to the Eternal Venerable.”

"Yes, how can a mere 'stand-in' compare to us true Destiny Walkers?"

"I heard that Raven Number Nine was lost in the hands of the Eternal Venerable..."

"Why don't we just have that lord recruit another one?"

"Easy for you to say..."

The words of the "external evils" echoed in Chen Xuan's ears, and his heart was filled with shock. No wonder that during the Mountain and Sea Banquet, the [Eternal Venerable] found a way to avoid the fasting of the mind and had some effect in just a few days.

This evil organization called "Duxinzhai" is up to no good behind the scenes!

Moreover, according to them, the chosen ones in the world are actually substitutes? They are the true chosen ones?
"I wonder if the Black and White True Lords are also members of this organization..." Chen Xuan secretly pondered the background of the evil beings while sensing his own mortal tribulation state.

He was certain that he was currently undergoing a tribulation in the mortal world, and that this tribulation was inextricably linked to Xinzhai.

But how can one overcome this tribulation?
Soon after, the evil spirits grew even more impatient.

"Is Number Three deliberately toying with us? I've been fighting ten battles a day on the Heavenly Road recently, I don't have time to waste here." A figure wearing a celestial dog mask said angrily.

“Yes, it’s a complete mess. Not long ago, a sage of the Dou clan was suspected of falling, and his Dao fruit flew back to the ancestral land. The 'Dou' path he carried will have to be taken over by a new person.” Another external evil spirit spoke up.

"I'm leaving now. Lord Xiangliu, please call me again when you arrive!"

Someone spoke in a cold tone, staring at a blue futon on the high platform. Then, the figure disappeared on the futon.

"Then I'll leave too." Another person chose to depart.

"Everyone, please wait a little longer!" Seeing this, the ferocious tiger spoke up to persuade them to stay, his voice filled with anxiety.

However, the evil spirits ignored them and left one after another.

“Brother Tiger, my contact is number two, so I didn’t need to come.” Someone pointed to a purple futon on the left side of the platform.

"This..." The ferocious tiger was speechless.

Soon, most of the evil spirits had left.

“Within this mysterious force, there are numerous factions.” Chen Xuan stared at the three high-grade futons on the high platform. Within this [Du Xin Zhai], which was composed of external evil forces, there seemed to be three people with very special identities.

Moreover, Chen Xuan felt that this force was not as "ancient" as he had imagined.

"Are they the true owners of this ancient temple, or merely temporary occupants?" he wondered.

However, from the few words spoken by these external evils, one can vaguely discern that among them there are indeed beings of unimaginable power.

Soon, many of the evil spirits departed, their whereabouts unknown.

"How should I overcome this tribulation? Should I eliminate an external evil spirit?" Chen Xuan looked at the increasingly empty hall.

He felt troubled; the tribulation he was experiencing in the mortal world was completely different from that of other ascended gods, filled with strange occurrences.

How can one overcome this tribulation?

To overcome the tribulations of the mortal world, one must simply uphold one's true nature and not be misled by the three thoughts of greed, anger, and ignorance. However, the tribulation he is experiencing now is truly bizarre.

On the other side, the ferocious tiger, seeing this, was filled with rage and its eyes widened in fury.

"Bastards, a bunch of old bastards, how dare they not take Lord Xiangliu seriously!" he roared.

"Ah Hu, everyone is busy and doesn't have time to wait any longer. Let's call it a day." Someone replied apologetically, and then disappeared from the straw cushion.

"Tiger, if there's no definite news in the future, don't rush to summon us old folks."

As the evil spirit departed, it said, "Number Two is in deep slumber. Over the years, everyone has cooperated with Xiang Liu enough. The incense offerings accumulated because of that person are running out."

Soon, only five or six figures remained in the hall, including Chen Xuan, the fierce tiger, the spirit fox, and the nine phoenixes.

"Sigh!" Fierce Tiger sighed helplessly, but he was surprised to find that Chen Xuan had not left, and that the other party was secretly observing the others.

"Why don't you, the newest Destiny Walker, leave? Are you deliberately trying to make a fool of us seniors?!" he demanded sharply.

He had a very bad impression of the dragon mask. At this moment, everyone else had left, but the arrogant and lecherous dragon mask remained in the same place, secretly scrutinizing the others. This "blatant" behavior was particularly conspicuous at this moment.

"This toad is trying to eat swan meat, he's been spying on us, he's extremely rude." On the other side, the spirit fox cursed in a low voice, pointing at Chen Xuan to the nine phoenixes beside her.

"..."

Chen Xuan remained expressionless.

These external evils are really inexplicable, they have been deliberately targeting him... Could it be that the other party is afraid to get angry at the other "seniors", so they are taking out their anger on him, the "newcomer"?
Or rather,

Is the other person the key to breaking through his mortal tribulation? Is he the so-called "inner demon" within the tribulation?
"Hmph! Lord Xiangliu has something come up, everyone disperse!" The fierce tiger suddenly stood up cursingly, pointed at the spirit fox and the nine phoenix, and said, "Let's go, I'll tie you up and take you back to continue your punishment."

Both the spirit fox and the nine phoenix trembled with fear, but they had no choice but to obey and follow.

Chen Xuan silently stared at the three figures leaving the temple.

"If Xiang Liu doesn't come, the gathering of external evils will have to be interrupted halfway and end here? But what about my mortal tribulations?"

Chen Xuan pondered this sudden encounter and wanted to immediately take action against the "external evil" to see if he could use it to overcome the tribulations of the mortal world.

But he couldn't; he hesitated greatly.

Although the young evil spirits like Fierce Tiger are probably not much stronger than the evil spirit with the Heavenly Dragon Mask in [Extreme God].

But if he does that, the consequences will be severe.

"This [Du Xin Zhai] is unfathomable. Some of its evil influences may be those chosen ones recorded in ancient history, which is extremely terrifying."

Therefore, if he takes action, he is likely to be noticed by some ancient beings, which could lead to unpredictable consequences.

After all, Chen Xuan's identity as a Celestial Dragon was just an imposter.

Moreover, the crucial point is that he doesn't know whether eliminating the ferocious tiger, this external evil, will allow him to overcome the tribulations of the mortal world.

"Forget it, it's just a few words of scolding from the ferocious tiger and other evil spirits. I can just bear it and it will pass. It's a small matter... Even the Immortal Shangyang can't figure out the secrets here. I can't act rashly... I should find another way to overcome the tribulations of the mortal world."

Chen Xuan was troubled. He sat in the empty hall, watching the ferocious tiger and other evil figures gradually disappear outside the door, and fell into silence.

……

……

"boom!"

The ferocious tiger was struck on the head with a club, its face covered in blood.

He swayed, his tiger-shaped mask shattered, bursting forth with a white light, blood and flesh splattered on his face, and everything before him was shaking.

puff!
He lost his balance and fell to the ground. The lantern in his hand rolled to the ground, and the candle flame flickered violently.

"You dare attack me at [Duxinzhai]?! Do you know who I work for...?"

Bang!
Another blow landed, the Chaos Iron Rod slamming down hard on his forehead, causing his entire face to hunch over.

The ferocious tiger fell backward, his vision filled with blood. He pointed at the dragon-masked man who had emerged from the mist, his form blurred. "You...you, Brother Dragon, please spare me!"

His legs trembled, and his vision went completely gray.

This is the territory of [Du Xin Zhai]. Only those who accept the second summons of the Heavenly Mandate can enter. He had no doubt about Chen Xuan's identity.

He was preparing to take the spirit fox and the nine phoenixes to continue their punishment before leaving via the straw cushion.

Unexpectedly...

In the midst of this disorienting fog, the newly arrived chosen one actually came out and attacked him because of a few words of reprimand!

"Ah! I'll fight you to the death?!"

Beside her, Jiufeng let out a scream, like an angry female leopard, and reached out with both hands to scratch Chen Xuan's face.

"Huh?!" Chen Xuan focused his mind. What kind of supernatural power was this? He was on high alert, his palms were sweating, and he swung the Chaos Iron Cudgel horizontally. Jiu Feng's two arms were broken, and black blood splattered everywhere.

"Ah!" Jiufeng screamed and flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

Chen Xuan immediately stepped forward and struck out with his stick, severing the opponent in mid-air. The two severed bodies fell to the ground, spraying blood everywhere.

Wow!
The nine-phoenix's body landed on the ground, turned into a wisp of black mist, and disappeared.

Is this gone?

Chen Xuan was stunned by what he saw, seemingly having misjudged the situation; the quality of the external evil was far lower than he had imagined.

She is weak because she did not possess the Mandate of Heaven.

Or were they originally a special kind of extremely fragile creature?

"No!" The fox spirit fell to the ground in terror, clutching her clothes and crying, "Brother Dragon, spare me! I'll get rid of it for you, please spare me..."

"boom!"

Chen Xuan struck her on the head with a stick, causing black and red splatter to erupt and kill her instantly.

"You..." The fierce tiger was stunned. He was terrified. He originally thought the other party was a hot-tempered fool who chased after him just to teach him a lesson. But he did not expect the other party to be so extreme.

Killing a Celestial Walker is absolutely forbidden in the [Du Xin Zhai].

As Chen Xuan approached, carrying the Chaos Iron Cudgel, a glint of spiritual light shot from his fingertip, flying into the other's mind to quickly search his memories for specific information about the [Crossing Hearts Studio].

"Hmm? I can't check." He frowned and found that the other person's body was completely empty, there was nothing there.

"You are killing yourselves, violating the highest and inviolable rules of the [Crossing Hearts Hall], and you will surely be punished with annihilation!" the ferocious tiger roared.

He couldn't understand why the other person, though a newcomer, would still choose to commit such a suicidal act, even though they must know the rules of [Du Xin Zhai]!

"Annihilation punishment?" Chen Xuan looked at the ferocious tiger lying on the ground, raised the Chaos Iron Cudgel, and smashed it down with a bang, killing it casually.

He is not an external evil spirit of [Du Xin Zhai].

After killing the three evil spirits, Chen Xuan suddenly sensed that this area was losing its stability and was rapidly collapsing.

"Killing external evils, really effective?" He was pleasantly surprised to find that it seemed he was about to overcome his tribulation in the mortal world!

but.

Seeing how unexpectedly weak the ferocious tiger and its companions were, Chen Xuan grew bolder. He immediately picked up the lantern from the ground and hurried back to the main hall at the back.

He quickly searched the entire dusty, empty hall, then climbed the white jade steps to the central platform, where he studied the three high-class prayer cushions in purple, gold, and blue.

"What external evil, what Xiangliu? If they dare to show their faces, I will kill them."

A moment later, Chen Xuan sat cross-legged on the golden futon in the very center, holding the Chaos Iron Rod in one hand and the Black True Monarch Sword in the other, staring intently at the blue futon belonging to "Xiang Liu" on his right.

"Long..."

The area continued to crack, the gray fog dissipated, and even the palaces began to shake, sending down large amounts of dust.

Chen Xuan's body glowed, radiating a dazzling light and exuding an aura belonging to the Divine Ascension level, like a golden sun.
The tribulations of the mortal world are about to end.

"Buzz!"

Suddenly, the blue futon on the left glowed, creating a hazy, flowing starry sky. Then, a head wearing a snake mask slowly rose up.

The next moment, the Xiangliu head froze, looking at the golden futon in the center, where a luminous figure, like a god or immortal, was looking down at it with a serene gaze.

"You... Number One?"

"boom!"

Chen Xuan raised the iron rod and, with a loud bang, smashed it down on the snake-masked man's head, like hitting a whack-a-mole.

The head of the snake mask exploded, turning into a cloud of black immortal energy that vanished back into the blue futon.

Chen Xuan gazed at the blue futon radiating black light, and with his other hand, he swung the True Monarch Sword and slashed down without hesitation. The White Emperor Sword Qi poured in like a vast river, and the sword qi traversed the universe.

Boom.

The whole world is collapsing, turning into fragments, and evaporating completely.

……

……

Meanwhile, in the Qingnang Mountain area.

The universe resonates with each other.

The terrifying energy fluctuations spread wildly outwards from the Two Realms Market.

“Woo…” On Mount Qingnang, the earth element rose within all the young disciples, their eyes were dazed, as if they had turned into clay sculptures, and they knelt down respectfully.

“Spiritual journey to the mortal world…” On the other side of the Yunmeng land, countless Qi practitioners turned around, their immortal Qi boiling within them, as if they had transformed into wooden sculptures and puppets, their expressions solemn, all kneeling down in the same direction.

Within the universe, the nine elements of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, yin and yang, and the elements of fighting and plague violently vibrate, connecting all things, both tangible and intangible.

Thousands of Qi practitioners felt as if they had been given an inviolable imperial edict and had no choice but to kneel.

Within a short period of time, all the cultivators of the Nine Qi within a radius of three thousand miles knelt down, and this area continued to expand, with the chaotic fluctuations of immortal Qi spreading to even more distant areas.

"That's it?" Inside the teahouse, Yan Yushu looked dazed.

What about the tribulations of the mortal world?

What happened at this moment caught her off guard. Chen Xuan had successfully advanced to the Divine Realm without experiencing the tribulations of the mortal world. How could she, a mere mortal from the Six Desires Heaven, possibly bestow a divine position upon him?
On the summit of Qingnang Mountain.

Hua Liuli and Zhang Dongxuan gazed at the endless strange phenomena in the sky: the sun and moon shining together, flying out from the market and hanging high in the sky, scattering the light of dawn and moonlight.

Water falls from the heavens, and saplings of terrestrial trees sprout from the earth. Stubborn stones transform into priceless gold and jade, and phantom figures, both god and demon, wield weapons and wear armor... Various wondrous scenes, colorful and dazzling, appear one after another.

The melodious ancient divine music swept across the sky, reaching the ears of all living beings on the vast land. Such a grand spectacle of ascending to divine travel was truly awe-inspiring.

"The world is about to change."

Zhang Dongxuan gazed at the sky and slowly spoke.

……

The entire world trembled, and centered on Qingnang Mountain, more and more people realized that a divine being had been born.

In no time.

The Great Void trembled, and a void rift appeared. Immediately afterwards, a golden stream of light descended, and the divine soul of an old man appeared.

It was 30,000 miles away, in Yunmeng City, that Yuan Chongshan, the patriarch of the Yuan family.

"Congratulations on Your Highness's ascension to the divine throne and your mastery of the Nine Qi. On behalf of Yunmeng City, I offer my congratulations and wish Your Highness to inherit the supreme skills of Qingnang, comprehend the secret methods of Shangyang, govern Yunmeng with the Dao, quickly attain the status of a True Lord, and have a smooth path to immortality!"

Yuan Chongshan's deep voice rang out. Two months ago, when the news of Chen Xuan killing more than thirty Taixu Gods in Yunmeng Daze spread, Yunmeng Prefecture was shaken. He began to pay close attention to the neighboring Qingnang Mountain day and night.

Unexpectedly, Chen Xuan's advancement to the Divine Realm was faster than anticipated.

At that moment, upon discovering the divine aura appearing, he immediately carried congratulatory gifts and rushed over at breakneck speed to offer his congratulations.

"Senior, you're welcome."

In the marketplace between the two realms, a pair of enormous golden eyes lit up, reflecting the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth.

Immediately afterwards, a tall and handsome young man appeared. His body seemed to encompass everything, with all his supernatural powers contained within his physique. His magnificent aura and vast divine power were so overwhelming that no one could look directly at him.

"Such an unprecedented physique is truly domineering," Yuan Chongshan thought to himself. Even as an old divine traveler, he felt a stinging pain in his pupils just by looking directly at it.

Chen Xuan appeared, suppressed his aura, and returned the greeting to the senior who had returned to the Qingnang Dojo.

"Your Highness is the only legitimate successor of Qingnang. Now that you have advanced to the Divine Travel realm, the entire Yunmeng land will be shaken. Your Highness will be very busy from now on," Yuan Chongshan said with emotion.

In fact, while the advancement of beings like the Six Desires Heaven and the Lords of the Two Realms to the Divine Realm had attracted much attention, few people offered their congratulations.

But Chen Xuan is different. He has lost Xinzhai, and in many people's eyes, he is already a worthy direct descendant of the immortal sect!

He was the only disciple of Zhongxing Qingnang in everyone's mind. Although he was only a guest elder, his status was actually far more important than that of Qingnang Xuan Nu Hua Liuli.

Chen Xuan turned his head, and in the void to the north, the Great Ruins split open, and a clear sword cry emerged. A woman with an ethereal beauty stood on the black and white twin swords, her chest high and her gaze complex as she looked over.

"Su Fuyao... On behalf of all the True Lords of the Sword Inquiry Dojo, I congratulate you on your breakthrough in the mortal world and your advancement to the ranks of the superior cultivators."

This boy, who once emerged from the barren mountains, has risen above others and today attained the Divine Travel Realm, stepping into the ranks of true advanced cultivators.

Su Fuyao arrived quickly because, on the land of Yunmeng, everyone knew that Chen Xuan, a world-renowned figure, was about to ascend to godhood, and they were all secretly watching.

In the void, more Taixu auras emerged, and various divine beings from all directions appeared one after another on the Yunmeng land.

A direct descendant of the immortals ascended to godhood.

All the sects came to pay homage!

Chen Xuan stood in the void, and in his field of vision, various divine beings constantly appeared. This was probably the noble regalia that only direct descendants of immortals who ascended to godhood possessed.

Further north in the sky, earth elemental energy descended from the Great Void, transforming into auspicious clouds. Celestial maidens scattered flowers, and the Ji family prince, dressed in a Qilin robe, appeared. Ji Youbing stood in the clouds, his face pale, his expression complex, and spoke:
"Zhongzhou, the Great Ceremony Dynasty... I am the Crown Prince of Great Ceremony, the successor of the Yellow Emperor's lineage, and I have come to offer my congratulations on the imperial decree of the six Great Ceremony Emperors!"

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on your ascension to the Heavenly Official of Earth Virtue, may you forever guard the vast lands and rivers of the mortal world!"

(End of this chapter)