Chapter Fifteen: The Ninety-Nine Tribulations of Heaven

Heaven is divided into nine realms: Qingxiao, Bixiao, Danxiao, Jingxiao, Yuxiao, Langxiao, Zixiao, Taixiao, and Shengxiao.
Those who practice cultivation defy heaven’s will, and thus must endure its trials—known as the heavenly tribulations.
Qu Yi has already passed through the third and sixth sets of tribulations and is now about to face the final trial in the world of cultivation—the ninety-nine tribulations.
The first six of these tribulations are similar to the sixth set, only with doubled intensity. The subsequent three—Taixiao, Shengxiao, and the final tribulation—test Qu Yi’s soul.
At this moment, Qu Yi stood on the ground, quietly waiting for the thunderous bolts from the clouds above.
Undoubtedly, the ten beings from the upper realm—Zong Xi, Feng Qu, Yan Xuan, Qiu Rui, Yi Xi, Chen Yan, Rong Han, Jun Wei, Zhuo Hong, and Qi Jia—were also watching Qu Yi closely, ready to seize him the moment the nine tribulations struck.
In the area of the multicolored tribulation clouds, five vortexes suddenly formed, from which beams of light shot forth.
This was the first tribulation: Qingxiao.
Qu Yi was already familiar with it. He allowed the energy to strike his body, using his physical form to absorb it and quickly refine it, strengthening his body further.
He easily passed through the first thunderbolt, but the ten beings above were stunned upon seeing this.
“How can there be five types of energy attacking at once in a heavenly tribulation?”
“Could it be that Qu Yi practices all five elements simultaneously and has even reached an advanced stage in tribulation cultivation? Such a thing has never been heard of!”
“I heard he practices the ‘Five Energies and Three Flowers’—could he truly master all five elements?”…
Many thoughts flashed through their minds, and they once again sought to uncover Qu Yi’s secrets.
Undoubtedly, their determination to capture him grew even stronger.
The Qingxiao tribulation passed quickly, and the second cloud formed swiftly. Five more vortexes appeared in the multicolored clouds, and five beams of light struck Qu Yi—this was the Bixiao tribulation.
Qu Yi once again used the Xingluo Ding to absorb the entire energy of the cloud, while the hidden green light was shattered by his Liuhe Sword.
Soon after, the third tribulation formed rapidly—Danxiao descended from the five vortexes.

As for the energy of the calamity clouds, Qu Yi, as before, absorbed it using the Star Luo Ding. After refining it, he used it to consolidate his body. It could be said that his body was now fully integrated with the natural energy of heaven and earth, achieving a state of unity between man and nature.

As for the swirling energy in the Dan Xiao Calamity that could destroy the Yuan Ying, Qu Yi once again took out the Liu He Sword to resist it, swinging it repeatedly until the invisible swirling energy was completely eliminated.

In just a few breaths, the fourth heavenly calamity, the Jing Xiao Calamity, quickly formed and descended fiercely.

Qu Yi still used the Star Luo Ding to absorb the energy of the calamity clouds, while his Yuan Shen focused on dealing with the whispers of the heart demons mixed within that energy. These whispers of the heart demons were meant to “erode” his Yuan Shen, pushing Qu Yi into a state of decline, decadence, and possession by demons.

This time, the whispers of the heart demons were even stronger than during the Liu Jiu Heavenly Calamities. If during those times the whispers were like five voices urging Qu Yi to “decline, become decadent, and be possessed by demons,” then now they were like ten voices constantly tempting him.

However, Qu Yi’s determination in his cultivation was already firmly established. He ignored the whispers as if they were just wind passing by his ears.

The Jing Xiao Calamity was quickly overcome, and the subsequent Yu Xiao Calamity and Lang Xiao Calamity were also easily passed by Qu Yi.

……

The ten people from the upper realm had been observing carefully. They were shocked to see that Qu Yi could so easily overcome the first six heavenly calamities.

“This Qu Yi is truly remarkable. Such a genius has emerged in the realm of cultivation. It’s a pity he’s destined to be eliminated by us.”

“He absorbed all six calamity energies directly. It seems he has fully mastered that Star Luo Ding he obtained.”

“The Liu Jiu Heavenly Calamities are not so easy to overcome. The next three calamities target the soul. A single mistake could lead to death.”

“Regardless of whether he can overcome them, if he does, we’ll capture him. If not, we’ll take his magical treasures and complete our mission.”

……

The ten people expressed their thoughts and continued to wait for Qu Yi to overcome the next three calamities.

At that moment, Qu Yi was completely immersed in overcoming the calamities and had no attention for the activities of those ten people outside.

Suddenly, the spirit consciousness of the artifact deity transmitted a message: “Qu Yi, don’t worry about the energy of the calamity clouds in the subsequent Zi Xiao Calamity, Tai Xiao Calamity, and Shen Xiao Calamity. The most important thing is to deal with the soul hearts mixed within those clouds. To successfully overcome the Liu Jiu Heavenly Calamities, you must discover your true self, find your identity, and achieve self-transcendence.”

Qu Yi nodded quietly. The process of the Ninety-Nine Heavens Tribulation had been explained many times by the God of Tools, and Qu Yi had also heard a great deal about it from other powerful beings who had gone through the later stages of the tribulation.

During the Purple Sky Tribulation, when the soul is attacked by the Soul Heart within the tribulation clouds, one must discover one’s true self and stabilize the soul.

During the Great Sky Tribulation, when the soul is attacked by the Soul Heart within the tribulation clouds, various thoughts surge like the sea; one must find oneself in order to survive.

During the Divine Sky Tribulation, when the soul is attacked by the Soul Heart within the tribulation clouds, one must strengthen their resolve in cultivation to achieve self-transcendence.

Soon, five vortexes formed in the area of the multicolored tribulation clouds in the sky, from which five beams of light emerged—gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow.

Qu Yi could handle the energy in those five beams of light with just the Star Luo Ding; no matter how much there was, the Star Luo Ding could absorb it all. As for the Soul Hearts mixed within the energy, they were invisible and silent. It seemed that when the beams hit Qu Yi, those Soul Hearts directly entered his primordial spirit and then wrapped around his soul.

The Purple Sky Tribulation had arrived!

Qu Yi’s body instantly became motionless, as if he were a statue.

Inside his soul, however, chaos reigned—various instincts, impulses, and desires surged through his soul space.

“Kill, kill, kill! Whoever dares to attack me, I’ll kill them!”

“Anyone who dares to bully me, I’ll kill them. Don’t ask for reasons—because all I want is to kill you.”

“Kill all enemies, conquer the entire cultivation world, and live in leisure in the immortal realm”……

Countless thoughts shouted out in Qu Yi’s soul space, expressing his most primal desires.

Suddenly, a glimmer appeared in Qu Yi’s eyes; it seemed he had regained clarity, and his mind calmed down.

“So, my heart has always been violent. Anyone who dares to stand in my way must be eliminated. Good. The path of cultivation is full of hardships and dangers, with brutality everywhere. Then I’ll carve out my own world,” Qu Yi said with a faint smile.

He successfully passed through the Purple Sky Tribulation.

※※※

Before long, five more vortexes appeared in the area of the multicolored tribulation clouds in the sky, once again spewing five beams of light.

The Great Sky Tribulation had also arrived.

Naturally, Qu Yi used the Star Luo Ding to deal with the energy from those tribulation clouds. These energies also contained a large amount of primordial energy of the five elements. By absorbing them all, Qu Yi would have enough to use the Boundless Stars extensively in the future.

At the moment the tribulation clouds descended, Qu Yi’s body stood motionless on the ground, like wood.

“Use extreme measures to eliminate all enemies, lead the people of San Ding Gate, sweep through the entire cultivation world, and live a carefree life from then on.”
“When attacked by enemies, confront them with brute force and utterly exterminate them.”
“Challenge powerful opponents and engage in a great struggle with the world.”……
In Qu Yi’s soul, he was now in a state of clarity. His most fundamental inner selves kept flashing into view, while his soul had previously been in chaos, indicating that he had not yet fully found himself.
“Powerful, stronger, ever upward striving—I must continuously improve my strength.”
Suddenly, a glint appeared in Qu Yi’s eyes, and with a soft utterance from his lips, he seemed to have found himself even amidst his confusion.
※※※
After some time, in the area of the five-colored calamity clouds in the sky, all the clouds converged together, transforming their energy into a single mass to attack Qu Yi.
The strongest calamity of the Divine Sky descended, with all the clouds merging into a two-meter-tall brilliant light column that struck Qu Yi’s body.
Although the energy of the calamity clouds seemed powerful enough to shatter the entirereincarnation Star, in Qu Yi’s eyes, it was merely a nourishment, which he let the Xing Luo Ding handle.
Qu Yi himself stood firm on the ground like a rock, oblivious to everything around him.
“Can San Ding Gate monopolize the entire cultivation world? After ascending to the Immortal Realm, how shall I forge my path and fulfill Emperor Hao’s mission? According to the Voice of the Divine Vessel, there are other powerful worlds above the Immortal Realm—how shall I cultivate then?”
“The path of cultivation is so elusive; where exactly lies its ultimate goal?”
“Cultivators claim to pursue immortality, but even the strongest among them have a lifespan limit of just a few tens of thousands of years. Can this truly be called immortality? The Voice of the Divine Vessel says that if one’s body is completely transformed into a Primordial Body, their lifespan can be endless. But how can those at the Human-Immortal level ensure they won’t be hunted by others? To achieve true immortality, to what extent must one cultivate?”
“Among the strong, there are even stronger ones. Only by becoming the strongest can I achieve immortality.”……
In Qu Yi’s soul space, another tide of thoughts emerged, filling the entire space and causing chaos.
But it wasn’t long before Qu Yi opened his eyes again, his gaze calm. His demeanor seemed to have changed greatly, as if he had grasped the true essence of cultivation.
“Power—there is never the strongest person, but everyone needs a heart that strives for strength. With this heart, I will pursue the path to immortality throughout my life,” Qu Yi said softly.

At this moment, Qu Yi has transcended the ego, free from worldly constraints, looking down upon all beings.