This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

Li Daoxuan finally completed the last entry in Lingxi's genealogy.

"go..."

With a flick of his wrist, a golden light instantly flew across the void and landed on Lingxi's forehead.

Immediately afterwards, a golden pattern resembling a lotus flower appeared on Lingxi's forehead.

A golden beam of light pierced through the thunderclouds and enveloped Lingxi.

Lingxi's body, which was about to dissipate, began to rapidly condense, and the last bit of life essence from the large tree beside him entered and merged into his body.

The spiritual energy between heaven and earth is like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, all of which is absorbed cleanly.

Finally, the third thousand strands of magical power were condensed, and Lingxi's primordial spirit and physical body began to transform simultaneously.

In just a few breaths, he grew from a two- or three-year-old to a five- or six-year-old child.

That golden pillar of light is a blessing bestowed by the merits and fortune of the Taoist sect. As a disciple of the Taoist Ancestor, one is bound to receive this blessing.

However, this world seemed not to recognize it and still refused to give up.

A thunderous roar shook the earth, and a third bolt of lightning followed immediately.

Lingxi suddenly opened her eyes and looked up at the sky.

There was not a trace of fear in his eyes.

He sensed the will of heaven and earth trying to prevent him from entering the Dao, which instead fueled his desire to rebel.

Regardless of fate, no living being should sit idly by and wait for death.

Fate is predetermined, and so is resistance.

"Come..."

Lingxi's clear, childlike voice echoed between heaven and earth, and her small figure possessed an aura that commanded respect.

He slowly bent his knees, leaped, and rushed directly towards the thunderclouds in the sky.

"boom..."

Lightning flashed, and terrifying thunder roared in all directions.

Lingxi was enveloped in emerald green magic power and charged fiercely towards the third bolt of lightning.

The powerful energy swept outwards, creating a huge wave on the surface of the nearby swamp.

A streak of turquoise light crashed down from the sky.

The thunder in the sky finally dissipated, but the lightning within the clouds still surged, seemingly unwilling to give up.

"Disperse. We, the disciples of the Daoist sect, are obligated to uphold the righteous path of heaven and earth. Three strikes of lightning are enough..."

Just then, Li Daoxuan's voice rang out, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, but the lightning never struck again.

Gradually, the thunderclouds began to dissipate.

The sun shone on the earth again, and the low hills were already a scene of devastation.

The towering ancient tree was reduced to a stump, half of its trunk remaining, standing there, charred black and lifeless.

Li Daoxuan flew down and saw Lingxi lying in the deep pit, barely alive. A smile appeared on his lips.

"Excellent, excellent. Only after overcoming this tribulation can you truly embark on the path of cultivation..."

With a casual wave of his hand, spiritual energy was drawn in and landed on Lingxi.

The injuries sustained from the lightning strike began to heal rapidly.

As a being born from a spiritual spring, Lingxi can quickly recover from any injury as long as there is a supply of spiritual energy, and she doesn't need any spiritual talismans or pills at all.

After doing all this, Li Daoxuan walked to the half-tree stump, casually drew a stream of water, and poured it down from mid-air, extinguishing the remaining sparks on the stump.

Looking at the charred and lifeless tree stump, Li Daoxuan sat down cross-legged, his divine sense slowly spreading out, gradually penetrating the trunk of the tree along the lines of the stump.

Not only on the surface, but the inside of the tree stump was also a scene of withering and decay.

The lightning struck and damaged his physical body, but that wasn't the most fatal thing. The most fatal thing was the life essence that Ling tide had devoured.

Such a huge tree, from trunk to roots, shows almost no signs of life.

Li Daoxuan's divine sense penetrated deeper and deeper, spreading little by little, flowing through every meridian and root of the tree.

Finally, he sensed a faint pulse of life.

It was a tiny root of that big tree, almost buried at the base of this low hill.

The towering tree, hundreds of feet tall, had only this last, insignificant bit of life force left, and it was rapidly fading away.

If left unattended, this last bit of vitality will wither away in less than fifteen minutes.

Li Daoxuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled slightly:

"A life-or-death crisis is both a danger and an opportunity."

The magic flowed down the tree trunk and into the ground, connecting with the last remaining life-giving root.

"Manipulating fate..."

With the help of supernatural powers, a meridian that can absorb nutrients from the earth was opened.

Li Daoxuan formed hand seals and recited the "Spirit Awakening Incantation".

"The Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine, one is hidden away, and all things cut off a thread of life and seize the creation of Heaven and Earth..."

With the help of the divine incantation, that tiny meridian began to transform, containing a trace of spirituality.

The faint spiritual energy contained within the low hill beneath their feet slowly gathered towards the tree stump.

At this point, the big tree was finally saved.

We can wait for the sun to rise and the moon to set, and for the years to pass, and then we can celebrate the New Year again.

As for whether it can seize that bit of the creation of heaven and earth and transform into something extraordinary in the future, that can only depend on its own fortune.

After doing all this, Li Daoxuan stood up, patted the charred tree trunk, and said gently:

"If fate allows, I'll come to see you again in the future..."

After saying that, he left with the unconscious Lingxi.

Not long after Li Daoxuan left, a piece of charred charcoal fell off the spot on the tree trunk where Li Daoxuan had patted earlier, revealing the original wood underneath.

A wisp of emerald green slowly emerged, barely visible amidst the charred blackness.

But that tender green shoot seemed to be full of boundless vitality, the underlying color of hope.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On the vast, boundless lake, a small boat drifts with the wind.

Lingxi suddenly woke up, her eyes still filled with fear.

He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Li Daoxuan's figure.

"Master...I thought..."

"What did you think? That you'd been struck dead by lightning?"

Li Daoxuan asked with a smile.

Lingxi nodded slightly and gave an awkward smile.

Although he did display fearless courage when facing that bolt of lightning at the end.

But after truly experiencing the power of heavenly lightning, all that remained was lingering fear.

This is perhaps a perfect description of the fearlessness of a newborn calf.

"Congratulations! Taking this step will make things much easier for you in the future."

Lingxi nodded, stood up, and cupped her hands in greeting:

"Thank you, Master, for protecting us."

Li Daoxuan shook his head.

"I didn't interfere much, so you should thank that big tree. Of course, you should also thank yourself; the key is that you didn't give up."

Lingxi grinned, all the gloom in her heart vanishing.

After entering the Dao, the world before my eyes seemed to have changed.

Intuitively, I feel joyful and free, as if the world is vast and I can roam freely.

"No wonder all living beings in this world are pursuing the word 'transcendence'; I, your disciple, have now come to understand it as well."

Li Daoxuan sighed and said:

"Transcendence... is easier said than done. Alright, let's not talk about that. Now that you have entered the Dao, I will also register you in the Daoist genealogy. You..."

Halfway through his sentence, Li Daoxuan suddenly looked up into the distance, his eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.

Lingxi was taken aback and followed Li Daoxuan's gaze, only to find that the vast swamp had nothing particularly unusual about it.

"Master, what are you looking at?"

Li Daoxuan silently got up, raised his hand and waved it, and the small boat beneath him vanished, leaving the master and disciple standing on the water.

Li Daoxuan gazed into the distance and said:

"Master is watching...the karmic connection..."

Lingxi was puzzled, and Li Daoxuan didn't explain. He lightly stomped his foot, and a magic array appeared. A divine dragon rose from the water, carrying the two of them as it transformed into a rainbow and flew into the distance...