He desperately wanted to escape the bloody smell here, yet instinctively drew closer. Distressed and flustered, he ran out in a random direction.
"Young Master!" Jiang Zhongming immediately gave chase but lost him.
"Boom—"
The thick, sturdy lightning was thicker than Bai Shengyi’s entire width, completely enveloping her. She, who had been sitting cross-legged, had turned into a pile of stark white bones. If not for the spiritual fire in her dantian, which remained unextinguished beneath the lightning, still actively beating, the three people nearby would have assumed she was dead.
"Why hasn't it ended yet?" Daojun Hongyi frowned deeply.
Ever since the last bolt of lightning struck Bai Shengyi five days ago, this heavenly tribulation had seemed endless, even forming a thick "line" of lightning that continuously struck Bai Shengyi.
Bai Shengyi was almost reduced to ashes, yet the "line" showed no signs of disappearing.
Qinglan no longer sensed the lurking presence from the shadows. His eyes were fixed on Bai Shengyi, fearing any mishap.
Venerable Feiyun, who had left midway, returned. Accompanying him were Yue Bufan, Qian Ying, and others.
This ascension tribulation was not only being observed by them; all Mahayana cultivators in the Divine启 world were paying attention. Although many felt the Ascension Ladder being repaired, they harbored doubts about whether ascension was truly possible.
It could be said that if Bai Shengyi successfully passed the tribulation, she would be the first person to ascend in the Divine启 world in three thousand years, proving that the rumor of hopeless ascension was false!
"Boom!"
With a crisp clap of thunder, the lightning "line" vanished. The thunderclouds in the sky instantly dissipated, leaving a clear, cloudless expanse.
"It's over?" Daojun Hongyi immediately stepped forward, intending to check on Yue Miaomiao and Bai Shengyi's condition, but saw Yue Bufan and Qinglan reach her first.
Venerable Feiyun said coolly, "Junior brother, you should prepare yourself."
Unfamiliar yet familiar presences wafted through the surroundings. Daojun Hongyi could sense many people waiting nearby for the outcome. With his master and Daojun Qinglan going to check on Bai Shengyi, Daojun Hongyi stopped, guarding the perimeter.
He looked indifferently at Venerable Feiyun, "What does senior brother mean by that?"
Venerable Feiyun did not mind his cold demeanor. Looking at the pile of bones that was Bai Shengyi, which clearly indicated failure in the tribulation, he felt a secret joy.
"If she had successfully ascended, the commotion wouldn't be so quiet. Junior brother, do you understand?"
Daojun Hongyi said sternly, "Senior brother!"
He was deeply displeased that Venerable Feiyun harbored such ill wishes for junior Bai.
"Senior brother, junior Bai is master's direct granddaughter," Daojun Hongyi couldn't help but say. "You shouldn't speak such nonsense."
"Heh, I'm merely stating the facts," Venerable Feiyun said dismissively, even letting out a laugh. "Junior brother, you are too serious. But don't worry, from what I see, Miaomiao still has a breath left."
Indeed, with their cultivation, they could sense the presence of the White Tiger at the center of the lightning tribulation, but Bai Shengyi's aura seemed to have dispersed beneath the lightning.
"Ayi?"
Yue Bufan called out, his voice trembling. The pile of bones sitting cross-legged on the ground showed no reaction.
"Ayi? Bai Shengyi!"
Still no response or movement.
Yue Bufan was completely panicked. He tried to move closer to examine Bai Shengyi's condition but was stopped by Daojun Qinglan.
"Move aside!" Yue Bufan roared at him, his expression one of reckless madness.
Daojun Qinglan: "Mountain Lord Yue, calm down. Shengyi is fine."
He used his innate divine ability as a spiritual being, his voice carrying a refreshing calmness that instantly cleared Yue Bufan's mind, bringing him back to his senses.
"Really?" He looked at Qinglan. If Qinglan had shown even a hint of hesitation, he would have unhesitatingly pushed him aside and rushed forward again.
However, Qinglan did not need to reply. Anomalies descended from heaven and earth.
"Chirp chirp!"
"Roar!"
Phoenixes fly in harmony, their calls resounding; dragon roars shake the heavens, soaring upwards!
Beautiful illusions slowly unfolded before everyone's eyes like a vast painted scroll...
Immortal flowers and grasses carpeted the ground, celestial music lingered endlessly, and spiritual beasts frolicked lively among the immortal grasses and flowers.
A resplendent, multi-colored phoenix swirled in the sky, its long tail feathers swaying, while powerful golden dragons coiled through the clouds. Ten thousand rays of golden light cascaded grandly from the firmament, illuminating the world with divine radiance, as if bestowing sweet dew and myriad auspicious signs.
"Is this an ascension anomaly?"
Venerable Feiyun's eyes widened in shock, disbelief etching his features!
Bai Shengyi had actually endured the ascension tribulation?
A female cultivator who ascended before even reaching one hundred years old?
But no matter how much he disbelieved, the phenomena in heaven and earth would not cease due to his doubts.
A bridge, pure white and lustrous like jade, suddenly curved from one end of the sky to where Bai Shengyi was sitting. Then, the bridge transformed into a ladder, shimmering with celestial light and exuding an ethereal aura.
The Ascension Ladder!
By stepping onto the end of this ladder, Bai Shengyi would become an immortal!
At this moment, the bones on Bai Shengyi's body suddenly twitched, as if shedding the ashes from the lightning strikes. Soon, as the celestial dew descended, spiritual light enveloped her, and flesh and blood grew on her skeleton... within a few breaths, she had returned to her original state, no, even better than before.
Her skin was smooth and tender like snow, as if veiled in divine radiance. Her eyes suddenly opened, rippling like the waters of the Yaochi Lake, or like a goddess gazing down upon the mortal world, making it impossible to look directly at her.
"Grandfather." Bai Shengyi spoke softly, her voice like the chime of jade stones. It was not loud, but it struck the hearts of those who heard it, causing many Mahayana cultivators observing from a distance to tremble.
Even many who harbored impure thoughts directly spat blood, suffering internal injuries.
Was this the power of ascending to immortality?
Not far away, Venerable Feiyun wiped the blood from his lips in a flustered manner. If Daojun Hongyi had not quickly supported him, he would have collapsed to his knees.
As Bai Shengyi rose, the immortal illusion continued to shine brightly. The verdant Nine Revolutions Rebirth Brush, the azure Dream Grasping Vine, the White Tiger that had grown larger, and the Crescent Moon Cat, which had awakened and become a ninth-tier spirit beast, along with several divine fires, all quickly flew towards her, circling around her.
She was brimming with auspicious light, drawing everyone's attention.
Yue Bufan breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good that she's fine, it's good that she's fine."
The worry that had consumed him was replaced by immense pride and self-satisfaction.
This person ascending was his granddaughter!
His granddaughter was the first person to ascend in three thousand years!
The more Yue Bufan thought about it, the more excited he became. "Ayi, don't delay, quickly ascend the ladder!" Only by stepping onto the ladder would she be guided to the Immortal Realm, also known as the Middle World.
However, Bai Shengyi remained rooted to the spot.
She looked around.