"Brother Mo, you mean..." Han Li immediately caught the underlying meaning in the old man's words and asked with some surprise.
"Brother Ao's next Heavenly Tribulation will probably descend in just a few years. When that time comes, you and I may need to personally provide some protection." Mo Jianli sighed and said gravely.
"What? Fellow Daoist Ao's Heavenly Tribulation is approaching?" Even though Han Li was normally exceptionally calm, his expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, and his gaze immediately turned toward Patriarch Ao Xiao.
"Grandfather, is this true?" Yin Yue, who had been smiling just moments before, immediately turned pale.
"Heh heh, the Heavenly Tribulation was originally supposed to arrive over a thousand years ago, but I used a special technique to delay it until now. This approach, while it gave me some extra buffer time, also meant that when the tribulation does arrive, it will certainly be more intense than it would have been originally. However, I never had high hopes for surviving this tribulation in the first place, so this method was still more beneficial than harmful. With these extra thousand years, Ling'er, you've finally advanced to the Body Integration stage, and with Young Master Han looking after you, I can rest easy going forward." Patriarch Ao Xiao was silent for a moment before speaking with a chuckle.
"So you did this — drinking poison to quench your thirst — because of me, Grandfather?" Yin Yue's voice trembled slightly.
"Ling'er, this doesn't have much to do with you. Even without you, the Devil Realm was already showing signs of wanting to invade our Spirit Realm back then. I would have made the same choice regardless." Patriarch Ao Xiao's expression turned serious as he spoke.
Yin Yue shook her head repeatedly, clearly not believing his words.
"Fellow Daoist Ao, is there truly no hope at all of surviving this Heavenly Tribulation? If any treasures are needed, I can try to help you find them." Han Li furrowed his brow and said thoughtfully.
"If I hadn't used that secret technique to delay the tribulation, I might still have had a one-in-ten chance. Now? Probably less than half of that. As for tribulation-survival treasures, I naturally prepared those long ago. I've gathered about eighty percent of what I need. The few remaining items are things that can only be found by chance, so I'm no longer harboring any hopes." Patriarch Ao Xiao sighed and said.
"Half a chance in ten? That's far too low — this won't do. Grandfather, is there really no other way to improve the odds of surviving the tribulation?" Yin Yue's eyes reddened as she shook her head repeatedly.
"A way? If Fellow Daoist Han's hidden lightning root disciple were a Grand Ascension cultivator, that might have helped me gain another ten percent. But right now, he's of no use whatsoever against my Heavenly Tribulation." Patriarch Ao Xiao replied without hesitation.
Hearing this, Yin Yue's face turned even paler.
Han Li and Mo Jianli exchanged a glance and could only smile bitterly in silence.
If it were a matter of temporarily boosting Hai Dashao's cultivation to the Body Integration stage, they as Grand Ascension cultivators could probably manage it with some effort. But raising him to the same Grand Ascension stage? That was completely out of the question.
As for Han Li's several Extreme Mountains, while they were remarkably effective at resisting Heavenly Lightning tribulation, they had long since been refined into his own use and naturally could not be lent out.
"There is one thing that might help Ao Xiao with his tribulation — it could potentially increase the chances of survival by ten to twenty percent." After his expression shifted back and forth, Mo Jianli suddenly spoke up.
"Senior Mo, what is it?" Yin Yue's spirits lifted immediately upon hearing this.
Patriarch Ao Xiao, however, showed a flicker of surprise, as though Mo Jianli had never mentioned this before.
After a subtle change in his expression, Han Li also adopted a look of focused attention.
"Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao, you should know Patriarch Stone Heart." Mo Jianli didn't directly answer the question, instead turning the topic toward Patriarch Ao Xiao.
"Patriarch Stone Heart, of course I know him. Wasn't he that Grand Ascension cultivator from the Yungang Clan who entered the Primordial Devil Domain with us? I exchanged a few words with him, but he ultimately perished in the ancient seal. What? The thing you're referring to is related to him?" Patriarch Ao Xiao pondered briefly before responding.
"While Patriarch Stone Heart didn't have any treasures to withstand Heavenly Tribulation, the news about that item came from his lips. It should be somewhere among the Spirit Clan." A strange look flashed across Mo Jianli's face as he offered a brief explanation.
"Those foreign Grand Ascension cultivators did indeed visit the Spirit Clan before entering the Devil Realm and stayed there for a period of time. It seems this information is likely true. But Brother Mo, after all that talk — what exactly is this treasure?" Patriarch Ao Xiao's eyes flickered as he asked.
"It's the Three Purities Thunder Firmament Talisman!" After a slight hesitation, Mo Jianli finally spoke the name.
"What? That talisman? Isn't that the legendary supreme secret talisman? Does such a talisman actually exist in the lower realms?" Patriarch Ao Xiao's expression finally changed dramatically as he grew agitated.
Han Li stroked his chin with one hand, equally moved.
The Three Purities Thunder Firmament Talisman was one of the rare few secret treasures that were remarkably effective even against Grand Ascension tribulations. It was recorded in various texts and renowned across the myriad realms.