The forms and spirits condensed from the wishes of the common people carried the immense power of widespread veneration, and it was the first time Ji Xiang had seen someone manifest in such a form in the world.
It was indeed rare.
While Journey to the West was widely circulated in the world and predated Investiture of the Gods, and there were temples to the Great Sage, he had never seen anyone appear in the world in the image of Sun Wukong. Perhaps it was because the original prototype of Sun Wukong was no longer in this world?
Within the blood-red sky curtain, the candidates' information was laid bare, with no room for concealment under the watchful gaze of Heaven.
Ji Xiang saw the immortal form appear, and a beam of white light truly erupted from the gourd in its hand.
"Treasures, please turn around?"
There were many ways to use wishes, and this was merely one of them, astonishingly so.
Lu Xixing, a great Daoist master from the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, could be considered a golden figure. At this moment, he displayed a technique befitting his status. Besides the Lu Ya immortal form, his body radiated immense yang energy, forming five pure white suns that emitted blazing flames and brilliant light.
It was said that in the Jiajing era, Patriarch Lü descended to impart the Dao to him. Lü Dongbin was one of the Five Yang Emperors, the Pure Yang Emperor. The term "Five Yang Emperors" was a designation within Quanzhen Dao, referring to the Five Patriarchs of the Northern Quanzhen School. By this reckoning, Lu Xixing before him was among the first disciples of their grandmaster's lineage, making his seniority immeasurably high.
Ji Xiang's hands conjured the Scarlet Script Jade Characters, activating the Three Lives Heaven-Opening Tribulation Law. He immediately expanded the blood-red sky curtain where Lu Xixing was located, revealing a 황색 hue and countless figures flickering within, as if a real world were enveloping him. The power of great tearing began to act upon that realm!
"Yellow Heaven Tribulation Law!"
Compared to the previous punishment, this time the power was even greater. Ji Xiang's thoughts spanned thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, his eyes accurately reflecting Lu Xixing's situation within the blood-red sky. He saw the five suns encircling Lu Xixing, and the white light within the gourd continuously circled him like planets around a star. The power of great tearing was blocked by his magical power, while he remained calm and composed, seemingly far from his limit.
Many of the immortals before could not withstand even a trace of the tearing force, but Lu Xixing's current performance was like a gentle breeze brushing a mountain, as unmoving as a rock. Compared to the fallen immortals before, the difference was as vast as that between heaven and earth.
"With the power of five suns, a purple-gold elixir, and the veneration of myriad people after ascending to immortality, I wouldn't doubt his ability to contend with flying immortals."
Ji Xiang praised this sight. Such formidable figures, given a little time to develop, could overturn veteran flying immortals. While the immortals from the inner realms were strong, their spells often lacked Daoist rhyme. They possessed magic but not the Dao, which was their hallmark. Those who could unleash Daoist rhyme were generally those who had escaped from the outer realms into the inner ones.
The first round of great tearing was endured, but the first round of the great tribulation was not yet over.
The so-called Three Lives Heaven-Opening naturally involved three types of tribulation laws, corresponding to the formation and transformation of the Three Realms.
Simultaneously, it corresponded to the "Upper Three Heavens" of the initial opening of the world!
When Ji Xiang obtained this Dharma, the tidal wave of scriptures, usages, and their intricacies had already been transmitted into his mind. The advantage of powerful immortal scriptures was that they could be used immediately, and subsequent cultivation merely served to familiarize oneself with these immortal methods.
As for the Scarlet Script Jade Characters, a legendary immortal scripture that opened an era, even a small portion of its Dharma was enough to crush most spells and divine abilities in the world.
It was not that there would be no existence surpassing these scriptures in later times, but for now, the Scarlet Script Jade Characters were far from becoming stepping stones for other immortal scriptures.
At the same time.
Lu Xixing's performance, seen through the blood-red sky curtain, had already darkened the faces of many immortals, especially those who had spent their sect's immense resources to ascend. They had been easily struck down after flying up, yet the person who ascended with them was now strolling leisurely within.
Truly, the gap between immortals was greater than that between humans and dogs.
As the immortals witnessed the scenes of collapsing heavens and sinking earth, their spirits began to waver violently. However, Lu Xixing, relying on the blessings of the common people, now saw phantom figures of mortals passed down through generations appear around him. Countless worldly wishes blocked the erosion of the illusions, and the incense of the world reforged his golden body after its form was damaged.
"Azure Heaven Tribulation Law."
Above the Three Heavens, above the Great Luo, all is emptiness.
There are natural five-colored clouds, their colors 황색 and yellow, called Yellow Heaven.
Above the Yellow Heaven, its color is azure, called Azure Heaven.
Above the Azure Heaven, its place is profound emptiness, accumulating emptiness to form blue, called Blue Heaven.
Above the Blue Heaven is the Heaven of Beginning Blue, the Great Fuli Realm.
The Upper Three Heavens, described in the Scripture of Delivering People as surpassing the thirty-two heavens, are the three great heavens that existed from the beginning of creation. They are Yellow Heaven, Azure Heaven, and Blue Heaven, ascending in order. Yellow Heaven is the heaven visible to mortals, Azure Heaven is half-hidden, and the true Blue Heaven in the Daoist sense has reached a level inaccessible to mortals, only touchable by those who have become immortals.
Compared to the tearing force of the Yellow Heaven Tribulation, the Azure Heaven Tribulation does not focus on the physical body.
Within the illusion of great tearing, the yellow and blood-red hues faded.
A vast Azure Heaven appeared.
All things collapsed and fell, even essence and spirit began to detach from the body. But this was a powerful illusion. When beings with immense power ascended to immortal status, their greatest fear was falling from the immortal realm. Such scenes of essence and spirit detaching and the world collapsing were extremely realistic... because they were what happened during the demonic trial!
If one could not overcome the Azure Heaven Tribulation, their immortal energy would dissipate completely, rendering them a cripple!
Those who had just endured the Yellow Heaven Tribulation found it difficult to discern if they had succeeded. Upon seeing the Azure Heaven Tribulation, it had already been subtly operating for some time. The collapse of the spirit happened in an instant, and after the collapse of the spirit, their physical bodies and immortal forms would be destroyed simultaneously.
This demonic trial lasted for three hours. The azure heavenly fire did not consume the five-sun radiance. The power that could be wielded within the demonic trial was limited, and Ji Xiang knew this was the demon king's restriction.
After all, it was an examination, not a genuine killing. This blood-red sky curtain retained the true names of these individuals. Their entry into the blood-red sky curtain for demonic trials was also a form of protection, preventing them from being annihilated by the tribulation law.
The Azure Heaven Tribulation passed, and the final great tribulation arrived.
"Blue Heaven Tribulation Law."
The core of the Blue Heaven Tribulation's technique was to destroy the foundation of becoming an immortal.
The voices of the common people's prayers could not reach here, and the golden body reforged by incense instantly dimmed. At this point, Lu Xixing completely merged the Lu Ya immortal form with himself, and the five-sun flames around him blazed fiercely.
However, although immortal light blazed around him, his life essence began to weaken at an extremely terrifying rate. The surrounding immortal energy receded, not emanating from him, but rather seeking to refine him, returning him to a part of heaven and earth, forever becoming a facet of the world's yin and yang.
As the immortal light gradually dimmed, it seemed the final hurdle was difficult to overcome.
And at this moment.
The power of myriad virtues began to mend Lu Xixing's withered form. The surrounding Blue Heaven Tribulation, influenced by the merit, also began to recede.
"It only takes effect during the demonic trial. Over ten thousand good deeds are life-saving."
This was the rule of the demonic trial. Good deeds would play an important role within it. However, even Ji Xiang himself had not fully grasped some of the nuances of the demonic trial. After all, it was his first time. He would become more proficient after tormenting a few more immortals.
Using the Three Lives Heaven-Opening Tribulation Law was a more lenient version, but it still caused Ji Xiang to sigh with satisfaction.
Similarly, the other immortals beneath the blood-red sky curtain.
They now understood what these ten thousand good deeds were for. Some of them felt despair.
Because they had previously heard the demon king state another rule.
If one committed a great evil deed before passing the demonic trial, their true name would be destroyed, and their immortal body would be greatly damaged, requiring one hundred thousand and five thousand good deeds to start anew!
Without good deeds, one would inevitably perish in the final Blue Heaven Tribulation. Any blessings, any buffs, any widespread veneration, any immortal elixirs, were all useless in this final hurdle.
Therefore...
To perform ten thousand good deeds was already difficult. If even one evil deed occurred, all previous efforts would be in vain.
Once a single evil deed occurred.
These one hundred thousand good deeds.
It would take ages to accomplish!
"What kind of demonic trial is this!"
"This is clearly a tribulation for immortals, a [Tribulation of Myriad Virtues]!"