Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World-Chapter 1248 - 553: Surviving the Fourth Tribulation, Methods to Defeat the Enemy (Part 2)
His Dao Fruit and his thoughts, like flowing water, poured out relentlessly.
Zheng Fa’s final thought was—Daojijie has arrived.
Daojijie, as even the Nine Nether Emperor had mentioned, is the tribulation following the Vacuum Tribulation, and it is the most perilous one.
In this tribulation, a cultivator’s Dao Fruit will completely shatter, losing any sense or control over it.
Zheng Fa’s Immortal Body exploded like fireworks, transforming into Spirit Talismans, wandering aimlessly through the void.
After an unknown duration, the dead universe suddenly seemed to split open.
Chaos silently seeped through the crack, swallowing Zheng Fa’s exploded Spirit Talismans in one gulp.
Zheng Fa had already lost all sensory perception, or rather, in some sense, he was already dead, completely unable to resist.
In the entire universe, there was no longer a trace of Zheng Fa’s aura, only a vast, lifeless Chaos remained.
...
In the Jiushan Sect, the Heavenly Emperor Body’s expression changed.
"What happened?"
The most anxious person was not anyone else, but rather the Water Mother’s phantom.
She now felt as though the sky was falling—how could Taiyin and Qingnv be inside the All Heaven Stars Formation!
From this perspective, it seems that Rangsui and Paradise aligning with Leiyin Temple was a blessing in disguise—at least they were still alive.
"The main body seems to have died..."
The Heavenly Emperor Body remained silent for a moment and finally expressed his perception.
The Sword Dao Body beside him nodded gently.
"Died?"
The Water Mother grew more anxious.
"Water Mother, no need to worry." The Nine Nether Emperor remained lucid, "Perhaps the main body is undergoing a tribulation."
The Water Mother was stunned, then seemed to realize: "Daojijie? It’s indeed possible..."
"We didn’t have this division method before, so we didn’t know that during the Daojijie, the division would feel as though it had died." The Nine Nether Emperor seemed to be explaining, or perhaps consoling, "Think about it, when we undergo tribulations, isn’t it equivalent to dying and being reborn?"
"What the Emperor said is true." The Water Mother, having undergone the Loose Immortal Tribulation herself, finally understood the cause and effect, "It’s concern that causes chaos in my mind."
Everyone could understand that if Zheng Fa were dead, Taiyin and the others might not have a good outcome.
The Water Mother came here to save Taiyin and the others—she had only a few surviving members at her Turquoise Pool!
Master Pang stared at the Water Mother for a long time, then suddenly communicated to Elder Yuan, "I’m beginning to think accepting disciples isn’t such a good thing after all."
"What?"
Elder Yuan was contemplating Zheng Fa’s tribulation and was a bit puzzled by this statement.
"Look at the Water Mother, worried to death, almost selling herself out." Master Pang sighed, "Seeing her like this reminds me of my disappointing disciples. It really hits home, I can empathize."
Elder Yuan raised his head, thought for a moment, and slowly shook it: "I don’t feel anything."
Master Pang’s expression changed.
"My disciples..." Elder Yuan sighed, his tone full of disappointment, "are too accomplished for their own good, I can’t even find things to worry about... I envy you."
"..."
Just as Master Pang cast a sidelong glance at Elder Yuan, his eyes full of murderous intent, the Heavenly Emperor Body shouted, "I’ve felt something!"
Elder Yuan heard this, let out a soft chuckle, reclined against the chair, took up the tea at his side, sipped a small mouthful, then showed Master Pang a leisurely smile.
...
Although swift, the Chaos Tribulation that Zheng Fa experienced was not easy, and there was even some luck involved.
Before the tribulation, the Nine Nether Emperor had told Zheng Fa the words "My Dao comes into being".
Now he understood—he felt like a snake, greedily devouring the countless Spirit Talismans in Chaos, searching for the Spirit Talisman that belonged to his Dao Fruit, then linking them one by one.
Gradually, the number of Spirit Talismans coming together increased, the snake’s body grew larger, and its absorption of Spirit Talismans accelerated.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally regained his consciousness.
Looking back, from Zheng Fa’s perspective, this was a reassembly of Dao Fruit, or rather, a classic emergence of life—
The endless Spirit Talismans in Chaos collided and combined with each other, but only those capable of self-reproduction and self-growth could gain dominance, eventually developing consciousness.
This process was a major test for cultivators:
First, whether your Dao Fruit is unique—if it belongs to someone else, you will never be yourself, only becoming part of someone else, or someone else’s Dao Fruit.
Second, whether your Dao Fruit possesses sufficient vitality, and whether it can grow on its own.
Third, and most crucially, whether your Dao Fruit is complete—if incomplete, it will devour other Spirit Talismans, thus affecting the cultivator’s consciousness.
Zheng Fa’s Immortal Body slowly manifesting in Chaos, bit by bit, it became whole. He felt that after the Chaos Tribulation, he had gained new insights into the Yellow Court Scripture and his own Dao Fruit—the Yellow Court Scripture was him, and he was the Yellow Court Scripture, inseparably intertwined.
Or in other words, he had become a walking Taoist Scripture, to some extent, the embodiment of a Daoist skill.
Just as he realized this, the deathly silent universe suddenly began to vibrate violently, and a bright red light emerged, making the whole universe resemble a sea at sunrise, bright and warm.
"The Red Bright rises, the heavens and earth are restored..."
Zheng Fa recalled the Nine Nether Emperor’s description of the Red Bright Tribulation. It was not truly a tribulation but a stage—where cultivators would accumulate mana and completely transform into a True Immortal.
The red light filled the entire universe, and then it began to contract. The universe itself also started to shrink.
A vast universe grew smaller and smaller until it became a tiny point of light, which flew into Zheng Fa’s Mud Pill Palace at the brow, landing in his Sea of Consciousness, forming a red ball of light.
Zheng Fa was slightly startled, and upon sensing it further, he was amazed—this was, in some sense, a world creation seed, used by True Immortals to pioneer worlds, paving the way to becoming a Golden Immortal.
When this seed of the world matured, when that once lifeless universe gave birth to life, it would mark the day Zheng Fa achieved the status of a Golden Immortal.
Zheng Fa sensed the world creation seed for a moment and mused that every True Immortal probably had such a thing. As he hadn’t completely transformed into a True Immortal yet, this world creation seed currently paid no heed to Zheng Fa, merely staying beside the Yin Yang Jade Pendant, somewhat aloof.
Having traversed the tribulation, Zheng Fa was about to open his eyes, but upon receiving a message from the Heavenly Emperor Body, he resumed his comprehension eagerly.
...
In the Jiushan Realm. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"I have trapped the Evil God within the All Heaven Stars Formation." Water Mother explained with a frown, "But this is merely a temporary measure; the All Heaven Stars Formation is incomplete, and the Evil God’s power far exceeds that of a Golden Immortal, perhaps even that of a Half-step Daluo..."
Everyone exchanged looks, and Zhang furrowed her brows asking, "Then how exactly were you planning to deal with that Evil God?"
"Two methods, one relies on my seeds achieving the Dao." Water Mother explained, "They, together with me, and that Evil God, are intrinsically one.
"In this process of ebb and flow, the Evil God’s power will weaken, ultimately dropping to the level of an ordinary Golden Immortal."
The group glanced at Mu Qingyan.
Water Mother shook her head slightly: "She needs to become at least a True Immortal to affect that Evil God’s power."
Speaking here, Water Mother seemed rather frustrated, stating, "From my perspective, there’s no way Taiyin and the others could enter the formation’s interior. Even if trapped inside, if they don’t encounter the Evil God, it shouldn’t be a problem."
"I have enough time to await the seeds I left behind to achieve the Dao."
"Who knew it would happen so soon..."
Zhang and the Heavenly Emperor Body exchanged a glance. Could it be that our predictive powers are too strong?
They could understand Water Mother’s frustration; her arrangements were nothing if not thorough, yet unforeseen events kept occurring, forcing her to now rescue her disciples remotely...
"And the second method?"
"To complete the All Heaven Stars Formation." Water Mother sighed, "I have comprehended the complete array, but years ago, I took a wrong step, rendering myself unable to control it, much less perfect the formation."
