Chapter 30 Ascension Ahead of Schedule?

While the Dragon Clan warriors were completely bewildered, the firmament stretching for hundreds of millions of miles suddenly tore open.

A supreme pressure crashed down.

The thick ice layer of the Far North Ice Field spread frantically in all directions, centered on Gu Heng.

Immediately after, a golden pillar of light, thick beyond measure, poured down from the depths of the torn firmament.

The golden light was blinding, piercing through the Nine Heavens.

The Divine Light of Induction was about to descend!

It was the ultimate miracle that countless Cultivators spent their entire lives not even daring to dream of.

And yet, it just slammed into the Far North Ice Field.

Prime Minister Turtle buried his head between his two forelimbs, the patterns on his shell shimmering with fluorescent light.

He panted heavily, his turbid eyes filled with ecstasy and extreme fear of the unknown.

He had bet correctly.

This young man in white, who could effortlessly erase Bing Kui as if brushing off dust, was absolutely not some Half-step Tribulation Transcendence.

Only a True Immortal who had broken the shackles of this realm and was about to undergo Ascension could trigger the Divine Light of Induction!

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Province, at the Qingyun Sect.

In the Forbidden Ground at the back of the Sect, an old man sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed suddenly opened them.

"This aura..."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan stood up abruptly, tilted his head, and gazed straight toward the distant horizon.

Even though the golden radiance was hundreds of millions of miles away, with only a faint afterglow remaining, it still made this pillar of the Qingyun Sect, who had lived for nearly ten thousand years, feel palpitations.

"Wentian."

In less than three breaths, a beam of sword light tore through the sea of clouds and appeared beside him.

Ye Wentian didn't even have time to straighten his clothes before hurriedly bowing in salute.

"Old Ancestor! This Disciple is here!"

Ye Wentian raised his head, his eyes unable to hide his confusion, "Old Ancestor, just now there was a drastic change in heaven and earth, a golden phenomenon appeared in the sky, and even our Sect's protective formation operated to its limit on its own. What... what exactly was that?"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's Daoist robe fluttered loudly in the mountain wind.

He did not answer directly, but stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant northern sky.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid Qi, his tone somewhat grave, "That's right, it is the Divine Light of Induction."

"The Divine Light of Induction?!"

Ye Wentian exclaimed in shock, taking a half-step forward, his voice trembling, "Old Ancestor, are you saying... someone is about to undergo Ascension? But, didn't you explain a few days ago that you were still some time away from your Ascension date?"

Ye Wentian's mind raced.

There were only a handful of Tribulation Transcendence Stage mighty figures in the Five Great Provinces.

His own Old Ancestor was considered the one with the oldest seniority and the most unfathomable cultivation.

If it wasn't the Old Ancestor, then who else could it be?

Old Ancestor Qingxuan frowned slightly, his lips pressed into a straight line.

In truth, he was also a bit confused.

Logically speaking, the Divine Light of Induction should still be some time away from descending.

However, the moment that golden pillar of light descended, the spiritual energy that had been dormant in his body for a hundred years actually resonated.

This feeling was as if, in the dark, it was coming for him.

"The Heavenly Dao is hard to predict."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan withdrew his gaze, his eyes becoming deep and unfathomable once again.

He turned around, looked at the worried Ye Wentian, and said in a deep voice, "This Divine Light of Induction has, in the dark, formed a mysterious connection with my Divine Soul. Perhaps it is because I touched upon the heavenly secrets a few days ago, and my Ascension date is to be moved forward."

Ye Wentian was stunned.

Moved forward? Could it really be that casual?

He swallowed his saliva, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the distant sky.

"But... Old Ancestor..."

Ye Wentian hesitated for a moment, then braced himself to speak, "This Disciple dares to be bold. I observed the direction where the divine light descended, and it seems... it seems to have come from the Far North Ice Field. You are in the Eastern Province; isn't this divine light a bit absurdly off-course?"

The atmosphere instantly froze.

The mountain wind blew through the forest, making a rustling sound.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's eye twitched slightly.

His hand behind his back clenched slightly, then slowly relaxed.

"Ahem."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan cleared his throat, raised his hand, and patted Ye Wentian's shoulder heavily.

"Wentian, you are still too young, your vision is limited!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan said earnestly, "The Divine Light of Induction is the manifestation of the rules of the Heavenly Dao; how can it be measured by mundane directions? It covers the entire Five Great Provinces; it is just that the Far North Ice Field has a very high terrain, and the firmament is weakest there, so it is only reasonable for the divine light to appear from there."

Ye Wentian's brow was still tightly locked, "But the Far North Ice Field..."

"It is absolutely impossible for anyone to undergo Ascension in the Far North Ice Field!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan interrupted him directly, his tone resolute, "Apart from that Dragon Clan ancestor who ascended years ago, the only thing left in the core of the Far North is that simple-minded and brawny Bing Kui. Three thousand years ago, I and several other Tribulation Transcendence Cultivators fought against that Bing Kui. In that battle, he damaged his Origin and was left with an indelible hidden injury. What could a demon Cultivator with flaws in his Dao Foundation possibly use to trigger the Divine Light of Induction?"

Looking at Ye Wentian, who still looked worried and hesitant to speak, Old Ancestor Qingxuan suddenly laughed.

A confidence of overlooking all living beings welled up within him.

"Wentian, you have cultivated the Dao for a thousand years, do you still not understand?"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan pointed at the firmament, "The Tribulation Transcendence Stage mighty figures of this world all have names and reputations. The path of immortal cultivation is fought step by step; how can there be any logic of overnight success? It's impossible for a Tribulation Transcendence Peak expert to suddenly pop out from a crack in a rock in this desolate Far North Ice Field, right?"

Ye Wentian followed the Old Ancestor's line of thought and felt it was indeed impeccable.

The world of immortal cultivation was not a storybook; how could there be such a monster who could silently cultivate to the Peak of Tribulation Transcendence and even directly trigger the Divine Light of Induction?

"Old Ancestor is wise; it is this Disciple who is foolish." Ye Wentian finally breathed a sigh of relief and bowed.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan nodded with satisfaction, "Tomorrow at the hour of the Rooster, at sunset, will be the time for me to follow the mandate of heaven and ride the wind to depart. Wentian, go make the arrangements."

"Summon all Disciples who are training outside; they must return to the Sect by tomorrow. Additionally, draft invitations and notify all top-tier Cultivators of the Five Great Provinces who have a reputation to come to my Qingyun Sect tomorrow afternoon to observe together."

Ye Wentian was shocked, "Old Ancestor, didn't you say a few days ago that an Ascension ceremony would be too ostentatious, that you prefer quiet, and that everything should be kept simple and not be a grand affair?"

"Ahem!" Hearing this, Old Ancestor Qingxuan's old face stiffened.

He walked to Ye Wentian's side, reached out a large hand, patted his shoulder, and put on an earnest appearance.

"Wentian, having said that. I am about to ascend, and before I leave, I must leave something behind for the Sect and for the juniors of this world."

"Nowadays, the Demonic Path is rampant, and forces like the Blood Fiend Sect are restless. I am inviting the heroes of the world; firstly, observing the Ascension can indeed help those Body Integration and Mahayana Stage Cultivators improve their insights and build good karma; secondly... it is also to use this magnificent heavenly might to deter those with ulterior motives and ensure a thousand years of peace for my Qingyun Sect!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Wentian's eyes instantly turned red.

Ah! So the Old Ancestor was going against his own nature of preferring quiet and organizing a grand ceremony all for the sake of the Sect's future!

"Old Ancestor is righteous! This Disciple cannot repay you even with death!" Ye Wentian fell to his knees and kowtowed loudly.

"Go, time is tight; do not neglect the fellow Daoists from all sides." Old Ancestor Qingxuan waved his hand, turned around, and sat down cross-legged again.

Then Ye Wentian bid farewell and left.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan glanced at his hand, which was still trembling slightly, and felt some doubt in his heart.

"Strange... why do I always feel a sense of heart-palpitating dread from the direction of the Far North..."

He shook his head, cast aside these distracting thoughts, and began to adjust his internal breath, preparing to welcome tomorrow's Great Tribulation of Ascension.

Meanwhile. The Far North Ice Field, outside the Dragon Palace.

The golden light had gradually converged, turning into a halo, silently suspended above the Nine Heavens, as if waiting for something.

[Ding, the Divine Light of Induction has been locked and will officially descend at the hour of the Rooster the next day. According to the host's wishes, please prepare to refuse.]

Gu Heng stood in place, looking up at the golden halo in the sky, lost in thought.

Behind him, the group of Dragon Clan warriors led by Prime Minister Turtle were looking at his back with reverence, as if looking at a god.

"Chan... Chancellor, you... you are truly brilliant and far-sighted!" a young Dragon Clan guard said, stuttering.

"Yes, yes!" another Dragon Clan warrior echoed, "Just now I thought you were afraid of death, but I didn't expect that you had long since seen through the supreme power of this Senior! If not for your decisive action in leading us to kneel and surr... oh no, to respectfully welcome the Senior, we would probably have ended up like that Bing Kui!"

The Dragon Clan warriors nodded one after another, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Prime Minister Turtle.

Anyway, the Old Dragon Emperor had already "ascended," and it was understandable that they, as the younger generation, lacked the strength to protect the inheritance left behind.

Presumably, that Old Ancestor who had already gone to the Upper Realm would not mind if he knew.

Prime Minister Turtle listened to the flattery of the crowd, his old face flushing, but he still straightened his back, looking as if everything was under his control.

He thought to himself: Brilliant my ass! I was genuinely scared out of my wits just now!

Gu Heng heard the discussion behind him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

He turned his head and glanced at Prime Minister Turtle, who was trying hard to maintain his image as an expert, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

Hmm, not bad, he is a man of insight.

"Alright, stop with the flattery."

Gu Heng waved his hand and pointed to the Dragon Palace in the wind and snow, "Lead the way; I am in a hurry."

"Yes! Yes! Senior, please!"

Prime Minister Turtle nodded and bowed, about to step forward to lead the way.

Just then. Hum— The jade pendant at Gu Heng's waist suddenly lit up and began to vibrate slightly.

An urgent voice rang in his mind. It was a sound transmission from Sect Master Ye Wentian.

"Gu Heng! Where are you? Listen to my order immediately!"

"The Sect Old Ancestor will undergo the Ascension tribulation at the Peak of Qingyun tomorrow at the hour of the Rooster! This is a once-in-ten-thousand-year Opportunity. If you are outside, no matter what urgent matters you have, you must return to the Sect before sunset tomorrow! Come and observe!"

"Remember! Remember! Observing the Old Ancestor's Ascension will have huge benefits for your future cultivation; you must not miss it!"

The sound transmission stopped abruptly.

In the wind and snow, Gu Heng stood frozen in place, the expression on his face solidified.

He blinked, blinked again, picked his ear, suspecting he had misheard.

What the hell?

He looked up at the halo covering the firmament, then looked down at himself.

For a moment, his brain crashed.

"Our Sect's Old Ancestor is going to ascend?"