Afterward, several days passed, and time quietly arrived at the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Wuzhiqi had several times fiercely assailed the Golden Dam these past few days, and each attempt was personally thwarted by King Shu. That Golden Dam stood like a heavenly rampart, blocking the floodwaters and preventing Wuzhiqi from advancing even half a step beyond the Thunder Pool.

Moreover, the Golden Dam itself was connected to the earth's veins, making the surrounding mountains able to be damaged but not destroyed, which meant Wuzhiqi would find it difficult to divert the river's course. Unless he could move the river to the sky, directly causing a deluge from the clouds to submerge Shu County.

However, such a feat would greatly deplete Wuzhiqi's own power, and with the likes of King Shu, Yuxu Temple, and the Dinghu Sect not only defending but also capable of counterattacking, if he dared to do so, Wuzhiqi would become a sitting duck. He would likely lose his life before Shu County could be flooded.

And so, both parties were at a stalemate for several days.

However, that was only the situation in Shu County. Elsewhere, water demons wreaked havoc, and as it was the twelfth lunar month, the water was bone-chilling like ice. Temperatures plummeted wherever the floodwaters went, and countless people died in the harsh winter.

Recently, rumors had also sprung up within Shu County, with some speculating that the Princess Shu was associated with the Kunxu Immortal Palace, conspiring with demons to destroy the Golden Dam, leaving King Shu in a rather passive position.

Ordinary folks, on the other hand, didn't believe the rumors and would even attack the spreaders en masse, given that Shu County's current state was entirely thanks to King Shu's defense of the Golden Dam.

But for those who knew the situation that night, there were all sorts of speculations.

Especially on the side of the Dinghu Sect, as the wronged party, Elder Kaixiang always thought about breaking into the Prince Manor for investigation but feared he might rashly cause trouble and forced himself to stay put.

As for Tianxuan, the archenemy of the Kunxu Immortal Palace, he had been busy helping Jiang Li heal these past days, with no idle time to concern himself with the Kunxu Immortal Palace.

Until this day, in the chamber, the two individuals sitting opposite each other simultaneously withdrew their hands, severing the connection of their Qi mechanisms.

Jiang Li gently exercised his left arm, aligning it with his right hand, both palms facing up, as he circulated his breath. Innate Qi flowed through the meridians of his arm and the left half of his body, allowing blood and Qi to circulate freely and bones to knit together.

Over the past few days, with one Yellow Dragon Pill every day, plus Tianxuan personally channeling his energy to help Jiang Li refine the medicinal strength and heal the wound, what would have normally taken over half a year to recover was now greatly improved in just a few days.

Now, as Jiang Li circulated Innate Qi, a faint luminescence emerged from his brow, his blood and Qi blazing like flames, cleansing his entire body. With Three Elements merging, his Qi mechanism began to tend towards perfection.

Although there were still some minor areas that required healing, his power was about to return to its peak condition.

"It's been a full six days, and Yun Jiuye hasn't made a move. He really can endure," Jiang Li commented while circulating his breath, revealing a look of intrigue. "My injuries will soon be completely healed, and yet he still hasn't acted. Is he truly hoping to become a turtle in its shell or is he banking on my Promotion Ceremony failing?"

If it were the former, Jiang Li would be amazed by his forbearance.

If it were the latter, Jiang Li would scoff at his naivety.

Putting one's hopes on an enemy's mistake was not a concern if that was what Yun Jiuye was thinking.

"You can try to divine it," Tianxuan suggested, her cherry lips slightly parted.

With that statement, Jiang Li knew that this old demon had already guessed or seen through Yun Jiuye's plans. Internally praising the old for their cunning, Jiang Li shook his head and said, "The Sect Leader is my master's direct disciple. Their Qi Shu are connected. Moreover, he is versed in an esoteric and ineffable Mystical technique that can sever Heavenly Mechanisms. As a disciple with incomplete learning, I am unable to discern affairs concerning him."

"Indeed," Tianxuan nodded. "He even possesses a Dao Artifact on his person that can suppress Qi Shu. While it's not as powerful as the Divine Farmer's Cauldron, it is extraordinary nonetheless. Even I cannot fully penetrate the Sect Leader's secret technique. To forcefully divine would be possible, but if detected..."

So, Tianxuan knew through observation, not divination?

Jiang Li pondered within his mind, while his power traveled through the Grand Circulation, nearing the restoration of its full glory.

At that moment, an intuition abruptly struck him. His spirit merged with heaven and earth, and before his eyes, an Illusion Realm seemed to manifest, as if he saw towering waves and the Canghai Hengliu.

"So that's how it is."

Jiang Li couldn't help but smile. "The Sect Leader can truly provide surprises, coming up with such a method to hinder me."

...

...

"Heavenly Tribulation."

On a high peak outside Shu County, Yun Jiuye looked down upon the land and rivers, his gaze falling upon the incessant surging floodwaters. "The Dao Fruit that Jiang Li accommodates makes him highly akin to Qi Refiners before the End of Dharma. He cultivates the supreme study 'Qi Tomb,' which when reaching Sixth Grade Perfection, his power will be so immense that if it had been before the End of Dharma, it would definitely cause a disturbance in the balance of Essence Qi."

And once the balance of Essence Qi was disturbed, it could provoke a Heavenly Tribulation.

This mechanism of natural operation would automatically evolve counteracting Essence Qi, transforming into a tribulation to balance this overpowering Qi, unless its possessor could fully grasp and sublimate their True Qi. Otherwise, the tribulation would be relentless, aiming to annihilate the one who caused it until its objective was accomplished.

After the End of Dharma, the world changed, and to summon a Heavenly Tribulation could no longer rely on the automatic workings of heaven and earth – one had to actively create and guide the Tribulation in order to cross it.

Just as when Yun Jiuye faced the Heavenly Wood Tribulation for his ascension to fifth-rank, he fashioned the Tribulation himself instead of waiting for the heavens and earth to bring it upon him.

Yun Jiuye intended to use the Heavenly Tribulation against Jiang Li.

"Wuzhiqi continues to summon winds and call forth rain, causing endless water disasters. I use this momentum to embed the spiritual mechanism, setting up the Creation of Tribulation Technique to form signs of tribulation. Should an excess of Fire Element arise, then the tribulation shall descend."

Yun Jiuye turned to look in the direction of Jun City and spoke with a grave voice, "And you, Jiang Li, you are aligned with fire, and the essence of 'Qi Tomb' is also Fire Element. You are the most likely person to draw down the Heavenly Tribulation."

Jiang Li had reached Sixth Grade Perfection during that battle, but because he was severely injured, he had never reached the pinnacle of his full strength. As soon as his injuries healed, his Qi and momentum would reach the absolute peak, very likely to trigger the signs of tribulation and bring about the descent of Heavenly Tribulation.

Of course, this was not a certainty. There was also the possibility that Jiang Li might not trigger the tribulation signs, and Yun Jiuye's plans could fail.

"If you do not face the tribulation, I will return directly to the Sect with Fifth Brother. Until I reach fourth-rank, I will not clash with you; but if you do face it, let me, your eldest senior brother, see the abilities of you, Sixth Brother," Yun Jiuye stared into the distance, his voice growing more solemn, "The course of events will be decided by the heavens."

Taking human action and leaving the rest to destiny, Yun Jiuye chose the safest course of action.

If Jiang Li did not respond to the tribulation, then all would come to rest, and this matter would be put on hold for a while.

Conversely, if Jiang Li did face the tribulation, then he could take advantage of the situation and proceed to strike.

Affected by tribulation signs, and tainted Qi, if he did not rely on his own strength to overcome the Heavenly Tribulation, even if Tianxuan intervened to disperse the Heavenly Tribulation, Jiang Li would face a situation where his Qi Mechanism was impure and constantly disturbed. In the future, faced with similar circumstances, he might trigger the tribulation signs again.

Under such conditions, the likelihood of failing to ascend would significantly increase, and Jiang Li might not be able to ascend for many years. Even worse, if Jiang Li's crossing failed, he could even die in the tribulation itself.

Of course, there was also the possibility that Jiang Li would successfully cross the tribulation, but whether he could succeed or not would depend on their respective methods.

And with such arrangements, even if he should fail, there would still be a way out, and it would be difficult to be held accountable – his security was at its maximum.

Everything was ready; they just needed the east wind.

Yun Jiuye stared into the distance, awaiting the outcome.

Around half an hour later, the wind suddenly changed, and the surging floodwaters also became increasingly turbulent.

A vast amount of Essence Qi emerged from underground, joining the force of the river waves and flood, growing mightily before ascending into the clouds.

The tribulation had come.

······

······

"A Heavenly Tribulation... Such an ingenious plan indeed."

Jiang Li lightly laughed as he released his own Qi Mechanism, actively responding to the tribulation, while gently raising his hand, a Blue Butterfly fluttering at his fingertips.

He would face the tribulation, ascend, and take lives.

There was no evidence more favorable than this.

"Master, I will trouble you to protect the law."

Jiang Li said to Tianxuan and then actively poured his Divine Sense into the Dream Butterfly, calling forth the Dao Fruit within.

A deep blue light suddenly dispersed, shedding like falling feathers around Jiang Li.

He felt as though his soul had left his body, his consciousness freed from constraints, devoid of physical form or even Primordial Spirit, directly facing the vastness of heaven and earth – as an eagle soaring in the sky, a fish plunging into the sea, completely unfettered and free.

Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, fluttering about happily, fulfilling his wishes with ease! He did not know he was Zhuang Zhou.

Now Jiang Li, like Zhuang Zhou, transformed into a butterfly, roaming freely between heaven and earth, uncertain if the butterfly was him or if he was Jiang Li, gleefully gliding through the vast sky, experiencing boundless freedom and ease.

'This is the Promotion Ceremony of Zhuang Zhou's Dao Fruit? It is truly fantastical.'

This thought flashed through Jiang Li's mind while his consciousness continued to ascend, leaving the chamber, officially sensing the heavens and earth, and observing the clouds above gradually spinning into a vortex.

The Heavenly Tribulation had arrived.

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