When the afterglow of the final tribulation thunder faded from the horizon, the summit of Kunlun fell into deathly silence. The tens of thousands of li of tribulation clouds slowly dispersed, revealing mountains and rivers that had been ravaged beyond recognition. The Kunlun main peak, once covered in eternal snow, now revealed only scorched black bedrock. The ten-thousand-year glacier had completely melted away, exposing fierce and jagged mountain ridges.
The Hall of Enlightenment had ceased to exist, replaced by a bottomless giant crater. At the crater's bottom, lava flowed faintly, giving off an acrid smell of sulfur. The land within a thousand li in all directions had turned into scorched earth, vegetation withered completely, rivers dried up, and even the hardiest snow lotuses had been reduced to ashes.
"Is... is it over?" A foreign cultivator asked tremblingly. His Daoist robe was in tatters, his face covered with burns from thunder and fire.
No one answered. Everyone was too stunned by the scene before them to speak. This was the power of the Spirit Transformation Heavenly Tribulation—not merely a trial for the one undergoing tribulation, but a test for the entire world.
Mu Qingfeng was the first to react, forcing himself to stand up. "Quick! Find the Temple Master!"
The cultivators guarding the tribulation finally came to their senses and rushed toward the giant crater. However, the closer they got to the crater's edge, the stronger the residual Heavenly Dao pressure became. Several disciples of slightly lower cultivation had yet to reach the edge when they were pushed back by invisible force, vomiting blood.
"Let me try." Liu Yun, the Third Senior Sister, drew her sword. The Sinister-Slaying Sword cleaved through the air, temporarily splitting the pressure field ahead.
Only then could the group approach the crater's edge. Looking down, the crater was bottomless, with only the red glow of lava flickering in the darkness—no trace of Xiao Qi could be seen.
"Temple Master he..." Zhao Tiezhu's voice carried a weeping tone. "Could he possibly..."
"Shut up!" Liu Yun shouted sternly, but her hands were trembling slightly as well.
Just as despair was about to overwhelm everyone, a tiny point of light suddenly appeared at the crater's bottom. The glow was faint at first, like a candle flame in the wind, but it quickly grew brighter. Green, crimson, and chaotic multicolored radiance alternated in succession, ultimately condensing into a golden lotus bud about to bloom.
The lotus rose slowly, its petals unfurling one by one. Within the heart of the lotus, Xiao Qi's figure gradually manifested. His eyes were tightly closed, and an entirely different aura radiated from his body—a kind of Dao rhythm that merged with heaven and earth, as if he himself was a part of this world.
"He succeeded..." Ouyezi murmured to himself. "Spirit Transformation... This is the Spirit Transformation stage!"
Xiao Qi slowly opened his eyes, and within his gaze, it was as if stars were being born and dying. His eyes swept across everyone, finally settling on the scarred earth, and he sighed softly.
"Congratulations to the Temple Master for achieving Spirit Transformation!" Mu Qingfeng was the first to kneel.
Immediately afterward, everyone knelt down, including cultivators from overseas sects. Spirit Transformation stage—this was a realm unseen in the cultivation world for a thousand years, worthy of reverence from all cultivators.
But there was no joy on Xiao Qi's face, only heaviness. He raised his hand gently. "Rise. The immediate priority now is to address the destruction caused by the tribulation."
He spoke correctly. Kunlun Mountain, as the patriarch of all mountains, had its geographical veins connected to the entire cultivation world. The damage to Kunlun caused by this tribulation had already affected spiritual veins throughout various regions. Many sects' protective formations had fluctuated, and some small sects had even been forced to relocate their entire sect due to depleted spiritual veins.
More severely, the law power that had leaked during the tribulation had caused permanent changes to the surrounding environment. Vegetation in some areas had begun mutating, some animals had awakened spiritual intelligence but with distorted minds, and spatial rifts had appeared in other places, with occasional extraterritorial demons peering through.
"Let's return to Qingxu Temple first." Xiao Qi made an immediate decision. "This is no place to linger."
On the return journey, everyone witnessed firsthand the chain reaction caused by the tribulation. Famous mountains and great rivers that were once rich in spiritual energy now showed greatly diminished spiritual resonance; bustling cultivation markets that had once thrived were now deserted; even mortal towns had been affected, crops withered, livestock died suddenly.
"This tribulation has probably set the cultivation world back three hundred years." Ao Qin sighed. The dragon clan controlled the four seas, and they could most keenly feel the decline of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy.
Feng Qingyin was more concerned about another issue. "The commotion of the tribulation was too great. I'm afraid it has already alarmed certain dormant existences."
She was correct. During everyone's return to Qingxu Temple, continuous news arrived: seals on ancient demons in the Western Regions had loosened, a ten-thousand-year Corpse King in the Northern Wastelands had awakened, deep-sea beasts in the Southern Sea had become restless... it was as if all the monsters, demons, and ghosts in the cultivation world had been startled awake by the tribulation's energy.
Upon returning to Qingxu Temple, the situation was equally grim. Multiple sections of the protective formation had been damaged, the main spiritual vein had weakened by thirty percent, and even the medicinal herb garden in the back mountain had withered badly. Although no disciples had been injured, everyone wore worried expressions.
"Temple Master," the executive elder presented a damage report, "preliminary estimates show the sect's direct losses include five million high-grade spirit stones, various heavenly treasures and earthly riches..."
Xiao Qi waved his hand to interrupt. "None of that matters. Issue orders—open the sect's treasure vault and devote everything to aid the damaged affiliated families and mortal towns."
"But..." The executive elder showed hesitation. "Our reserves are running low as well."
"Then take it from my personal share." Xiao Qi did not hesitate. "Additionally, send word to all sects—a grand alliance conference will be held at Qingxu Temple in three days to discuss reconstruction matters."
Orders were issued one after another, and the entire Qingxu Temple bustled with activity. But amid this bustle, everyone could sense that the golden age of the cultivation world had ended, and a difficult era was approaching.
That night, Xiao Qi ascended the Star-Gazing Terrace alone. Gazing at the scarred mountains and rivers, he fell into deep contemplation. Achieving Spirit Transformation was certainly gratifying, but the price paid was too great. And he clearly knew this was merely a beginning—the demonic entity would never let things go. The true trial still lay ahead.
"Do you regret it?" The demonic entity's whisper sounded in his heart, clearer than ever before.
Xiao Qi did not answer, but his eyes gave the answer.
No matter what, he would continue down this path. For those who trusted him, for this world he had sworn to protect.
Under the moonlight, his silhouette appeared particularly lonely, yet also particularly steadfast.