334: Chapter 334 Triggered

"So that's how it is..."

In a spacious and elegant courtyard in Xunxian City, Zhang Huaiyuan set down a jade slip, a look of realization appearing on his face.

Half a year had passed since he arrived here under the escort of two cultivators from the Black Demon Sect.

As expected, not only did these two not make a move against him, but they also generously gifted him quite a few supplies.

After arriving in Xunxian City, to avoid the trouble his mortal identity might bring, he crafted a shielding device based on the principles of spiritual energy detection, and subsequently lived in seclusion here, secretly gathering information.

This cultivation-oriented world was unlike technological worlds where systematic historical records could be found everywhere.

Even if they existed, they were generally kept within major sects.

Without revealing too much of his strength, Zhang Huaiyuan had gone through quite a bit of trouble to obtain this intelligence:

Legend had it that countless years ago, a powerful cultivator appeared in this world, capable of breaking through the world's limitations.

Before ascending, he used great divine abilities to imprint his cultivation techniques into the laws of heaven and earth, allowing every intelligent being to obtain relevant cultivation memories upon birth.

He was a rogue cultivator by origin, and his intention was to completely break the monopoly on cultivation held by sects.

Mortals would no longer need to spend their entire lives searching for immortality without result.

Rogue cultivators would no longer need to grovel for a single cultivation technique.

He wanted everyone in this world to be able to cultivate and become immortals.

At first, it was indeed so. The world's cultivation culture flourished unprecedentedly; from ninety-year-old men to children just learning to walk, everyone began to cultivate.

With the blessing of that great expert's techniques, in just a short thousand years, over a dozen people ascended.

Thus, it was named the Ascension World.

Many among them were originally rogue cultivators, and in gratitude for that predecessor's achievements, they similarly imprinted their own cultivation insights into the laws.

Making cultivation easier and easier.

But following this, a huge problem was exposed: the growth of the world's resources could not keep up with consumption.

With heavenly treasures and spiritual energy exhausted.

A group of powerful cultivators, seeing their lifespans coming to an end, set their sights on other ordinary cultivators.

Those cultivators who had fasted since childhood and been infused with spiritual energy were practically natural treasures; once refined into pills, they could completely replace spiritual items.

For a time, the slaughter was rampant, and the entire world was left riddled with holes by the battles of powerful cultivators.

Until one day, perhaps because the world's will was forced to seek self-preservation, the laws of heaven and earth changed drastically.

Every time a cultivator broke through a realm, they had to undergo a Heavenly Tribulation.

From stepping onto the path of cultivation to becoming an immortal, one had to experience a total of 49 terrifyingly powerful Heavenly Tribulations.

Furthermore, if one committed slaughter or other crimes, the power of the Heavenly Tribulation would increase exponentially.

Even two months ago, Zhang Huaiyuan had seen from afar outside Xunxian City an old man with nearly exhausted lifespan helplessly attempting a forced tribulation, only to be struck to death alive.

Later, after exploring for long years, the cultivators of this world finally discovered that doing good deeds to gain merit could reduce the power of the Heavenly Tribulation.

Furthermore, it was easiest to obtain merit from mortals who had not yet stepped onto the path of cultivation.

Some great experts speculated that it might be because the Heavenly Dao encouraged following the normal life of birth and death, while cultivators acted against heaven; to the world, they were takers, and thus were not favored.

To this day, powerful cultivators either died in the Heavenly Tribulation or exhausted their lifespans. The new generation was also mostly stuck at low realms, afraid to break through.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually returned to abundance.

As for why mortals were rare in this world, it was also easy to understand.

Even with the threat of the Heavenly Tribulation, as long as one stepped onto the path of cultivation, one could live at least a hundred years longer than a mortal.

"The laws of heaven and earth changed drastically... It must have been taken over by the Association. Familiar methods, identical to the previous fifteen worlds."

Zhang Huaiyuan recalled the data in the jade slip, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Having experienced so many worlds, even a fool would have realized that almost all of them were, in different forms, persuading living beings to be good.

"So, the means to escape this world must be through cultivation and ascension."

Thinking this, Zhang Huaiyuan felt a little more at ease.

This at least proved that everything was still operating according to the rules set by the Association.

"So I must cultivate to ascension as quickly as possible."

Zhang Huaiyuan took out a few 'Immortal-Grade Techniques' he had bought for half a spirit stone.

People in this world would awaken the cultivation techniques left by great experts upon birth, so those techniques were unbelievably cheap.

"According to the strength of this world, escaping requires power roughly equivalent to the Third Rank, similar to the Sect Master of the Xuanjian Sect."

"Even without considering the Heavenly Tribulation, those peerless geniuses would need at least several hundred years of step-by-step cultivation... I don't want to wait that long."

Zhang Huaiyuan flipped through those classics and shook his head slightly.

Moreover, his cultivation talent was not high; he had always relied on genetic drugs to strengthen his body.

"However, looking at it from another angle... from a physics perspective, the judgment rules for the so-called Heavenly Tribulation are probably like this..."

"When a life form's energy intensity or information complexity is about to exceed the current spacetime threshold, it triggers a dimensional collapse for the sake of equilibrium, attempting to eliminate or expel that existence..."

"Therefore, I just need to forcibly gather spiritual energy until its density and intensity reach a certain level."

Zhang Huaiyuan quickly calculated the feasibility of the plan in his mind.

"However, to be rigorous, I should study it carefully before acting."

"Let's begin."

...

One year later.

In a mountain range with abundant spiritual energy outside Xunxian City.

This place used to be a place contested by many cultivators, but ever since the changes in heaven and earth, the vast majority of cultivators had avoided such places with abundant spiritual energy, fearing they wouldn't be able to control their realms.

"That actually makes it convenient for me to act."

Zhang Huaiyuan activated True Sight to confirm the locations of various spiritual eyes, then placed the polyhedral prism-like devices one by one.

With his current knowledge and abilities, mastering this level of cultivation-side knowledge was as simple as breathing.

Soon, as the placement was finished, an invisible magnetic field began to interfere with the flow of spiritual energy.

Spiritual energy within a thousand miles almost simultaneously surged, rushing toward the location of the devices and converging into a sphere Zhang Huaiyuan had specifically crafted to store spiritual energy.

At the same time, the entire sky instantly darkened, and a pitch-black tribulation cloud rolled in.

However, perhaps because the gathered energy intensity was constantly rising, this tribulation cloud did not descend immediately but instead continued to expand, accumulating power.

In just a moment, it had almost covered the ten thousand miles of clear sky.

"Heavens... which cultivator with a nearly exhausted lifespan is so crazy to dare to force a tribulation... This intensity is almost approaching the Ascension Stage."

"It seems another great expert is about to fall; perhaps there will be a chance to obtain the treasures they leave behind..."

Many cultivators noticed this scene from afar, discussing it with their own thoughts in mind.

On the other side, Zhang Huaiyuan, who was at the center of the spiritual energy storm, naturally did not care about their thoughts.

"It's exactly as I expected; the tribulation cloud can descend, and I can head to the last world. So far, this mission has been quite easy..."

Zhang Huaiyuan revealed a relaxed smile, and just as he was about to further activate the device, the integrated device on his wrist suddenly lit up violently:

"Sir, the detection device in the first world has been triggered!"