In the Heavenly Dragon Sect's territory— 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

After half a year of accumulation, a vast aura swept through the lesser realm. Combined with the impact of immortal runes, Hua Feiyu would soon welcome his life-and-death tribulation. However, because he made his breakthrough inside the lesser realm, no one in the outside world knew about it.

The moment the life-and-death tribulation arrived, Dong Wu and the Heavenly Dragon Sect's elders entered the lesser realm and stood guard nearby. This was an enormous opportunity for them to witness the birth of an immortal and gain significant experience.

The life-and-death tribulation stood as a blockade before every quasi-immortal. Many quasi-immortals had died under the tribulation because they lacked sufficient accumulation.

In the Lingqiong Clan—

The Lingqiong Clan was also carrying out a major task, having successfully established communication with the celestial realm.

A violent spatial fluctuation spread out, and a beam of light descended from the sky, landing in the main hall.

"We welcome our Ancestor!" Once the light beam faded, it condensed into a figure. This was an avatar clone, not merely a projection. A clone possessed power far beyond that of a projection and retained seventy percent of its owner's strength.

Lingqiong Gong and the other members of the Lingqiong Clan knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe loudly.

"Who is currently governing the Lingqiong Clan?" The immortal swept his gaze around, his tone carrying unquestionable authority.

"Ancestor, I am currently serving as the patriarch," Lingqiong Gong said, rising to his feet.

"These are the elites of the Lingqiong Clan?" That immortal looked around. Apart from the white-haired elder in the distance, everyone's cultivation looked rather ordinary. Although Lingqiong Gong served as the patriarch, he had only reached the Quasi-Immortal Realm.

"That's right!" Lingqiong Gong said, not hiding anything. He could naturally hear the displeasure in his ancestor's tone.

"Three hundred thousand years have passed, and there are only a handful of quasi-immortals? What the hell have you people been doing?!" The immortal flew into a rage. He had ascended to the celestial realm three hundred thousand years ago, and all these people were his descendants.

"The ancestor's reprimand is right!" Lingqiong Gong said, forcing a smile. He did not dare to refute him. Although he held a high position in the clan, he was merely the ancestor's junior brother.

The ancestor sat on the highest seat, radiating a faint golden light that none of the clansmen dared to look at directly.

"Did something happen? Why does the entire Lingqiong Clan feel so lifeless?" the immortal asked, his aura easing slightly.

After Lingqiong Tian had ascended to the celestial realm, the Lingqiong Clan's status had declined sharply. Three hundred thousand years ago, while Long Xiao had fought their enemies, they had used the opportunity to send their disciples into the celestial realm. From that alone, it was easy to see that the clan’s standing would fall even further afterward.

"After the Immortal Path closed three hundred thousand years ago, Long Xiao forbade anyone from the Lingqiong Clan from participating in the Heavenly Dragon Sect's internal affairs. He drove us out, and we could only survive here," Lingqiong Gong said furiously. That was the reason the Lingqiong Clan had fallen so far, like rats.

"What audacity! I'll go and kill him immediately!" The immortal said, slamming his palm on the table. He unleashed a powerful aura that many low-level disciples could not withstand, forcing them to drop to their knees.

"In that battle three hundred thousand years ago, two immortals came from the Grand Unity Sect and inflicted heavy injuries on Long Xiao, who died shortly after," Lingqiong Gong said quickly.

With Long Xiao dead, the Heavenly Dragon Sect only had one immortal left, who had broken through one hundred thousand years ago and currently resided in the Skyfall Realm.

Upon hearing that Long Xiao had fallen, the immortal's expression finally eased.

"Tell me everything that has happened throughout the years," the immortal said with superiority.

Back then, he had been among the disciples chosen to enter the celestial realm, and after so many years, he had finally established himself there.

Lingqiong Gong did not dare to hide anything and recounted in full detail everything that had happened over the past hundreds of thousands of years. Nothing remarkable had occurred during those hundreds of thousands of years, and the four astral domains had returned to a brief calm after that great battle. But ever since Liu Wuxie had emerged, storms had risen once more across the four astral domains.

He spoke for an entire day and night before finally stopping. His mouth had become dry.

......

For an entire day and night, Hua Feiyu endured eighty-one tribulations and finally survived. Wounds covered his body, leaving him hovering at the brink of death.

Once the tribulation ended, a powerful surge of primordial power erupted within him, and dense immortal runes began spreading out.

The elders stationed around him all benefited from it, especially those at the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm. They used the opportunity created by their sect master's breakthrough to reach the Quasi-Immortal Realm.

As for the elders who had already reached the Quasi-Immortal Realm, their cultivation rose even further.

......

Back in the Lingqiong Clan's main hall—

The immortal closed his eyes and sorted through everything that had happened over the past three hundred thousand years.

"Liu Wuxie... I recall hearing this name somewhere..." The immortal suddenly opened his eyes, but he could not recall the details. He spent most of his time cultivating and rarely interacted with the outside world.

However, Liu Wuxie's name had resounded through the celestial realm in the past few years. As a newly emerging Immortal Emperor, his presence naturally could not compare with veteran Immortal Emperors, so outsiders naturally knew little about him.

"Ancestor, do you know Liu Wuxie?" Lingqiong Gong asked, shocked. They wondered whether Liu Wuxie truly came from the celestial realm rather than the mortal realm.

"I don't know him," the immortal replied, shaking his head.

"Ancestor, can I ask how Ancestor Lingqiong Tian is doing after ascending to the celestial realm?" Lingqiong Gong asked.

Throughout the entire Lingqiong Clan, only Lingqiong Tian had ascended to the celestial realm. As for the ancestor before them, he had only ascended by relying on the Immortal Path.

At the mention of Lingqiong Tian, reverence filled that immortal's face.

"I have descended today to tell everyone the good news," the immortal said, a trace of pride and arrogance flashing through his eyes.

Upon hearing that tremendous good news awaited them, everyone craned their heads upward, unwilling to miss a single word.

Lingqiong Tian had ascended to the celestial realm three hundred thousand years ago. He had founded the Heavenly Dragon Sect alongside Long Xiao. But not long after the Heavenly Dragon Sect's establishment, he had chosen to ascend while Long Xiao had remained in the mortal realm.

"After Ancestor Lingqiong Tian ascended to the celestial realm, he spent one hundred thousand years establishing the Spirit Jade Heaven. It now holds a lofty status in the celestial realm, and Ancestor Lingqiong Tian has also become Immortal Emperor not long ago," the immortal said with pride.

The entire hall erupted in celebration upon receiving such wonderful news. This meant that anyone from the Lingqiong Clan who ascended in the future could directly enter the Spirit Jade Heaven to cultivate.

"This is great! We didn't expect our Ancestor to have reached such heights in the celestial realm!" Lingqiong Gong and the others burst into tears of joy.

"The ancestor has ordered me to bring a batch of clansmen to the celestial realm this time to reproduce so that the Lingqiong Clan's bloodline can flourish there," the immortal said.

Everyone in the hall instantly grew restless upon hearing the immortal's words.

The keeper of the Lingqiong Clan's lineage register brought out a thick record and finally found the immortal's name. The immortal was called Lingqiong Jing, and the Lingqiong Clan's upper echelons had chosen him to enter the Immortal Path three hundred thousand years ago.

Although the Lingqiong Clan had sent more than a hundred people on the Immortal Path, fewer than one in ten had survived, as most disciples had died there. Among the dozen or so who had survived, Lingqiong Jing was one.

"Ancestor, what should we do now?" Lingqiong Gong asked anxiously. After they resolved matters in the mortal realm, they would send a group of clansmen to the celestial realm.

"Ancestor Lingqiong Tian founded the Heavenly Dragon Sect. Now that Long Xiao is dead, the Heavenly Dragon Sect naturally has to fall under the Lingqiong Clan's control. Come with me to take over the Heavenly Dragon Sect!" Lingqiong Jing said, leading the clansmen to seize control of the Heavenly Dragon Sect.

"Ancestor, we have to be careful of one person," Lingqiong Gong said.

After all, news had already spread that Liu Wuxie had defeated an expert at the fourth-level Heavenly Immortal Realm from the Grand Unity Sect. If the ancestor acted recklessly, danger could arise.

"You're worried about that brat called Liu Wuxie?" Lingqiong Jing asked unhappily.

"We should be careful. Even an expert at the fourth-level Heavenly Immortal Realm failed to kill him, and I'm worried that..." Lingqiong Gong said. Although he did not state it directly, he had already made his meaning clear. He was worried that the ancestor wasn't likely to be Liu Wuxie's match.

"You're doubting me?" Lingqiong Jing asked, releasing an overwhelming aura that sent Lingqiong Gong flying.

"Ancestor, please calm down! The patriarch doesn't mean it that way," Lingqiong Ye said, rushing forward to explain.

"The immortal who descended from the celestial realm was only an avatar projection, and it weakened each time it was attacked. I have descended as a clone, so how can a mere projection compare to me?" Lingqiong Jing snorted.

Everyone from the Lingqiong Clan held their breath and nodded in agreement. Who would dare defy an immortal?

"The ancestor is right! Liu Wuxie's time is already running out, and we'll kill him today!" Lingqiong Ye echoed.

......

In the Divine Star—

Liu Wuxie successfully collected the Ancestral Tree's trunk and then injected a golden imprint into the Divine Son's soul sea. It contained the Great Samsara Mythical Art that he had comprehended.

The Divine Son closed his eyes and immersed himself in comprehension.

As time passed, the Divine Son's aura grew increasingly terrifying. Although he had yet to reach the Immortal Realm, the aura he released became several times stronger than before.

"Farewell!" Liu Wuxie said after collecting the trunk.

Once he returned to True Martial Star, he entered Nightmare City and activated the time laws within. Now that one day outside equaled one year inside, he had enough time to make his breakthrough to the Quasi-Immortal Realm.

The Ancestral Tree had already grown restless, its branches swaying wildly.

"Let's prepare to refine it!" Liu Wuxie brought the Ancestral Tree's trunk into the desolate world.

The moment the trunk entered, countless branches swept over. When the branches came into contact with the trunk, the trunk seemed to return to its mother's embrace, allowing the branches to envelop it.

As the enormous trunk began fusing into the Ancestral Tree, boundless energy swept out and fed back into the desolate world.

The Ancestral Tree began growing wildly and soon reached three thousand feet in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, the desolate world was large enough. If someone were to place it in the outside world, its branches and leaves alone would cover more than half the planet.

From that alone, one could imagine how tall the Ancestral Tree had grown. Its roots extended into every corner of the desolate world, and a pure-white flower suddenly emerged from one of the branches, resembling a lotus but not quite one.

This shocked Liu Wuxie, who could not believe that a flower had bloomed on the Ancestral Tree.

A faint ink-green stamen rested between the petals. When the flower bloomed, Liu Wuxie immediately felt a sense of comfort spreading throughout his body.

He instantly fell into a daze. He knew little about the Ancestral Tree and only that it was the Divine Race's nemesis.