Eight thousand years — to a mortal, it was an unfathomable span of longevity. To those ancient True Spirits who slumbered for millennia at a stretch, it was nothing more than a few long naps. And to the beings of an entire world, it was barely a fleeting moment.
After eight thousand years, on a single day, the countless ordinary mortals in every city and town across the Human Race's territory — which had already become a first-rate power on the Feng Yuan Continent — poured out from their homes and gathered in droves at plazas, teahouses, and other such places, their faces alight with excitement as they chatted animatedly about something.
Along the major streets, fully armed guards could be seen patrolling back and forth, while formations of cultivators flew overhead on routine patrol.
In several of the great fortress cities along the Human Race's borders, every manner of restriction had been activated to full power. At the same time, massive flying artifacts rose into the sky one after another, their decks packed with ranks of armored soldiers, all on high alert for any disturbance beyond the walls.
Atop a colossal mountain tens of thousands of miles beyond one of these fortress cities, three Mahayana elders of different races — each in distinct attire — sat cross-legged on a massive boulder, facing one another.
One was a fierce, hulking man draped in five-colored beast hides who drank deeply from a jug. Another was a pale-faced youth in white robes who held a scroll. The third was a green-robed elder with eyes shut tight, his face a mask of deep wrinkles.
"Lord Bi, by my calculations, the time should be about right," the fierce man said abruptly after an indeterminate period.
"To undergo the Tribulation of Ascension, one naturally chooses midday when the yang energy is at its peak. That man calls himself the strongest in the entire Spirit World — surely he wouldn't lack such basic knowledge. All you need is a bit more patience." The green-robed elder finally opened his eyes and spoke in an unhurried tone.
"That's true enough. At this distance, if the Tribulation of Ascension truly descends, how could we fail to sense it? Still, when I think that so many years have passed and someone has finally dared to attempt the tribulation, I can't help but feel a stir of excitement." The fierce man ran a hand over his short blue hair and broke into a grin.
"When was the last time anyone from the Spirit World successfully ascended to the Immortal World? I can't recall exactly — only that it was a very, very long time ago. But this Lord Han of the Human Race, to have built up such a reputation in so short a time, and to make no effort whatsoever to keep his tribulation secret — now that takes real boldness. Every previous attempt at ascension was carried out in the utmost secrecy, as if terrified that a second soul might learn of it." The white-robed youth set down his scroll and spoke with a note of admiration.
"Over the years, quite a few of our old acquaintances have disappeared. It seems more than a few attempted the tribulation in secret. A pity we sensed nothing at all — which means they all must have failed and ceased to exist," the elder continued, still in his measured, unhurried manner.
"We old monsters suppress our Magical Power with all our might on a daily basis, terrified of attracting a heavenly tribulation. Yet this Lord Han dares to voluntarily undergo the tribulation less than ten thousand years after entering the Mahayana stage. Heh — putting everything else aside, that kind of courage alone earns my genuine respect. By the way, Lord Bi, I've heard you once met this Lord Han several thousand years ago. What sort of person is he, really?" The fierce man chuckled and posed another question.
"Indeed, I've been in seclusion all these years and have never had the chance to meet this Fellow Daoist Han," the white-robed youth added, his interest clearly piqued.
"I did indeed meet Fellow Daoist Han once at some grand gathering back then, but I find it difficult to put the impression into words," the elder replied after a moment's hesitation, his brow furrowed.
"Then what about his cultivation and abilities? With your perception, Lord Bi, you must have been able to gauge something," the white-robed youth pressed with a light smile.
"If you're asking purely about strength, then all I can say is that he is powerful — immensely powerful. Even though I never directly tested him in combat, I am absolutely certain that three or four of my kind would not be his match." The elder's facial muscles twitched before he finally answered in a slow, deliberate voice.
"WHAT? Lord Bi, surely you jest! Three or four of you wouldn't be his match?" The white-robed youth's eyes went wide before he immediately shook his head in disbelief.
The fierce man beside him wore an equally skeptical expression.
"On a matter like this, would I joke with the two of you? The moment you see him in person, you'll understand that not a word I've said is an exaggeration. Put it this way — a single glance from Lord Han is enough to make my heart tremble with dread. Unless his spiritual sense is several times greater than mine, how could such a thing possibly happen?" The elder answered with a bitter smile.
The white-robed youth and the fierce man exchanged glances, momentarily speechless.
"Forget it. The stronger Lord Han is, the greater his chance of passing the Tribulation of Ascension. If he truly succeeds, then at the very instant of his ascension, the ripple of Immortal World energy that flows through the passage will be perceptible to every powerful being across the entire realm. If we can manage to gain even a partial insight into the Laws from it, the benefits would be immense. And of course, being so close at hand, our chances of comprehending something should be that much better," the fierce man said, letting out a long breath as he regained his composure.
"Heh, exactly so. Otherwise, why would we have traveled tens of thousands of miles to be here?" The white-robed youth also let out a quiet laugh.
The three exchanged a few more words before falling silent once more to wait.
Similar scenes were playing out in several other hidden locations beyond the fortress city.
Before anyone realized it, a staggering number of Mahayana cultivators from across the Spirit World had gathered near the Human Race's territory — many of them old monsters of other races who normally remained in seclusion, suppressing their Magical Power with all their might whenever they ventured outside.
……
On a cluster of rocks at the edge of a barren island in the Human Race's Boundless Sea, a man and a woman stood side by side.
The woman was dressed in white, her beauty striking — none other than Fairy Bing Po. The man was an imposing figure with a commanding bearing, tiger-like eyes, and a thick beard, dressed in splendid robes.