In the vast sky,
The swirling vortex capable of traversing time and space dissipated completely.
As a figure emerged, all the forces of the Heavenly Dao in the void surged toward it in a frenzy.
They knew—this was his weakest moment.
And the only moment they might stand a chance to defeat him.
Xiao Yuyan felt the Heavenly Dao's power creeping toward his core, yet he remained motionless.
He lowered his gaze to his hands, then slowly clenched them into fists.
A single tear slipped through his palm and fell upon his heart:
He no longer wished to wait.
Abruptly, he closed his eyes, and in an instant, everything in the void froze.
Despite his body being at its most fragile, he still held power beyond the defiance of the entire cultivation world.
The remnants of the Heavenly Dao's power within him sensed impending destruction and fought back recklessly, surging toward the core of his condensed spiritual energy.
If the core shattered, his manifested form would disperse, and he would return to the void.
All his spiritual energy would scatter like snowflakes, nourishing all things.
Everything would return to its original state.
Yet, these instinct-driven forces of the Heavenly Dao failed to notice—
Their actions within Xiao Yuyan's body seemed… too effortless.
As if he had been waiting for this very moment all along.
In the quiet of her room, Xu Wanci opened her eyes, her gaze dull with lingering confusion.
Almost instinctively, she turned her awareness inward—to her dantian.
It was empty.
The spiritual essence imbued with immortal energy had vanished completely, along with the end of the dream.
The dream… had truly ended.
She would never see that person again.
Xu Wanci sat up, her expression seemingly composed. Yet, her hands resting on the wooden table trembled faintly.
She forced herself to breathe slowly, to steady her heartbeat.
She had never allowed herself to dwell in the past. Compared to inevitable loss, the future was the only thing worth considering.
Besides, she had known this outcome the moment she chose to lose herself in the dream.
She had to accept it. She could only accept it.
Yet, no matter how much she reasoned with herself, the dull ache in her chest made her frown slightly.
Just then, a ripple of barrier energy swept over her.
The third layer of the barrier had opened.
Though the treasure within called to her, Xu Wanci felt no joy—only a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
One hour.
Just one hour too late.
When had fate ever truly favored her?
She stood, refusing to grant herself another moment of sorrow.
Step by step, she walked toward the barrier:
She had to move forward. She could only move forward.
Outside the third barrier, dozens of Transcendent Realm cultivators waited eagerly.
Others, who had returned to their sects, sensed the treasure’s emergence and reappeared within moments.
Every gaze fixed on the barrier burned with unrestrained greed.
An opportunity tied to ascension was far rarer than even the legendary Formless Divine Stone.
No one could resist such temptation.
Yet, the greater the opportunity, the more it demanded of one’s fortune.
Seeing how the barrier remained unyielding despite their probing spiritual energy, many sighed and shook their heads:
This treasure was never meant for them.
Then, a faint ripple of spiritual energy stirred behind them.
Under the collective gaze of the crowd, Xu Wanci, clad in blue robes, approached the barrier step by step.
Despite standing before an unparalleled opportunity—one seemingly within her grasp—
Her expression remained calm, devoid of joy. Even the aura around her carried a trace of… sorrow.
Watching her, many cultivators furrowed their brows in suspicion:
Could there be something amiss with this opportunity?
None suspected it had anything to do with the day of the Immortal Venerable’s sacrifice.
Even if they knew of Xu Wanci’s deep affection for him, who would cling to mere emotions in the face of such a chance?
There would be time for grief later.
Only those from the Taiqing Sect understood the truth, averting their eyes with quiet sighs.
Xu Wanci stood before the barrier, sensing the immortal energy pulsing within. She suppressed all emotions ruthlessly.
The third barrier still held unknown dangers. She had to remain vigilant.
She reached out, her fingertips brushing the barrier’s surface. Spiritual energy shielded her silently, ready to retreat at any moment.
The moment her fingers made contact—
A blinding light erupted.
The barrier dissolved, revealing the Jade Radiance Immortal Stone within.
The cultivators’ eyes burned with fervor:
The Jade Radiance Immortal Stone!
A treasure infused with immortal energy, capable of increasing one’s chance of ascension by half!
Possessing it practically guaranteed the possibility of becoming an immortal.
Unable to resist, one cultivator sent a surge of Transcendent Realm energy toward the stone:
An unclaimed opportunity belonged to the strongest.
A sizzling sound pierced the air as his energy corroded instantly.
The cultivator recoiled, blood trickling from his lips—his dantian and divine sense severely wounded.
Witnessing this, the others suppressed their greed, though their divine senses still stirred restlessly:
What if?
What if the treasure chose them instead?
Xu Wanci sensed the commotion behind her.
Seeing how the treasure rejected everyone else, she flicked her fingers, sending a wisp of spiritual energy toward the Jade Radiance Immortal Stone.
Before she could do more, the stone’s energy eagerly entwined with hers, as if begging to be taken.
A treasure that could grievously wound others was now… carefully courting her.
The onlookers’ eyes reddened with envy:
If only they were the chosen ones!
Yet, Xu Wanci felt no joy—only wariness.
Every opportunity she had ever obtained came at great cost, through life-and-death trials.
The Jade Radiance Immortal Stone was a once-in-a-millennium treasure. Could it truly be this easy?
Before she could hesitate further, the stone merged into her body.
A warm current surged through her meridians, nourishing her divine sense.
Immortal energy enveloped her, reshaping her body with the surrounding spiritual energy.
Her cultivation soared—from the mid-stage of the Great Ascension Realm to the late stage, just a step away from the Transcendent Realm.
Finally, a faint sound echoed from her dantian.
The bottleneck shattered, the Great Perfection dissipated, and the Tribulation Transcendence coalesced.
Xu Wanci became like a vortex, drawing in all the spiritual energy from hundreds of miles around.
As her cultivation advanced, what followed was not the thunderous tribulation that struck fear into countless cultivators, but an extraordinary phenomenon—spiritual energy condensing into clouds.
The surrounding spiritual energy gathered densely, forming layers of white mist that swirled around her as she underwent her tribulation.
Within the clouds, droplets of spiritual rain began to fall.
Enveloped by the mist, Xu Wanci’s Tribulation Transcendence cultivation visibly solidified.
Once the phenomenon faded, she would successfully ascend to the Tribulation stage.
With her cultivation and divine sense, few in the cultivation world could easily harm her.
Yet…
Xu Wanci sensed the immortal qi coursing unrestrained through her meridians, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind:
The spiritual clusters carrying immortal essence within her had always obeyed her control.
So why was the immortal qi from the Jade Brilliance Immortal Stone so… unruly?
As time passed, her control over her own body weakened further—she couldn’t even open her eyes.
The moment drowsiness crept in, Xu Wanci knew something was wrong.
She fought to stay conscious, struggling to guide the immortal qi within her.
Below, countless venerable experts watched with envy.
One reached out to catch a droplet of spiritual rain falling from the clouds—its energy so dense it bordered on discomfort.
Everyone present knew that after this, Xu Wanci would stand as their equal.
And how long had it been since she first emerged as a talent?
Back then, she was merely a Golden Core disciple. Now, she had reached the Tribulation stage—a feat that had taken them centuries, even millennia, to achieve.
What stung most was their certainty: Xu Wanci’s future would surpass them all.
She was the cultivation world’s most likely candidate for ascension.
Just as they sighed in resignation, the spiritual rain grew heavier.
Many looked up—through the mist, Xu Wanci’s figure became clearer.
Sensing the energy within, their eyes narrowed in contemplation:
Why was the heavenly phenomenon accompanying her breakthrough so… harmless?
As if their own spiritual energy could pierce through it and reach her at any moment.
Then, a voice like thunder resonated in the minds of all present:
"Xu Wanci, thief of fortune, harbors wicked ambitions."
"Slay her, and the path to ascension shall be yours."
At the Tribulation stage, cultivators could faintly perceive the workings of heavenly law.
So the moment they heard this voice, every venerable expert recognized it—
This was the Voice of Heaven!
The Heavenly Dao does not lie.
Thus, Xu Wanci’s meteoric rise? Stolen fortune.
Even the heavens were enraged.
The elders of the Taiqing Sect reacted first. Unlike the others, they trusted Xu Wanci—their eyes and hearts could discern truth from falsehood.
Had she truly stolen fortune, the Taiqing Sect’s luck would have long been drained.
Yet the sect flourished, and those who showed her kindness received blessings tenfold in return—
Thousand Returns Pills, spirit veins, Mystic Cloud Orchids, Lifebloom Flowers…
Priceless treasures emerged because of her, yet she never kept them for herself.
To accuse her of theft? Absurd!
Jiang Ze and Ji Wang harbored no doubts either.
Spiritual energy gathered in their palms as their gazes turned icy with vigilance:
At worst, it would be like the day of the Formless Divine Stone.
They would protect her, no matter what.
Within the clouds, Xu Wanci heard the voice echoing across the desert.
Her heart sank.
This was a killing move—inescapable.
So this was why everything had gone so smoothly.
She had altered fate, defeated the protagonist Chu Qingchuan, and now…
Heaven itself sought to correct the error, marking her for slaughter.
And here she was, mid-breakthrough, utterly defenseless.
A dead end, scripted and inevitable.
Xu Wanci forced herself to seize control of the immortal qi and spiritual energy within her:
But she had never bowed to fate.
Even in a dead end, she would carve a path to survival.
If she could defy destiny once, she could do it again—and again.
She couldn’t stop the phenomenon, so she accelerated it—forcing her body to absorb the immortal qi faster.
She had to be quick.
Even if it meant severe injury, there was no other choice.
Only by gambling her life could she grasp a sliver of hope.
In the desert, some venerables already gathered energy in their hands:
Kill Xu Wanci, ascend to immortality.
No one could resist such temptation.
Besides, everything she had gained was stolen anyway.
This wasn’t murder—it was divine justice.
Those who knew her hesitated, recognizing flaws in the heavenly decree.
But faced with such an opportunity, who could remain impartial?
The Bai family struck first.
Profit-driven as always, one of their elders acted without hesitation—
With so many experts present, speed was key.
But the instant his hidden weapon was about to be unleashed, everything froze.
A terrifying pressure descended.
The stronger the cultivator, the sharper their instincts for danger.
No one knew when this energy had appeared—only that upon sensing it, their bodies locked in place, unable to move.
Under horrified gazes, the Bai elder’s body disintegrated into dust, vanishing without a trace.
Nearby, spiritual energy coalesced, revealing a figure clad in moonlight-white robes.
He stood with his back to them, gaze fixed solely on the woman ascending mid-air.
Power beyond the Void-Shattering stage radiated outward, so overwhelming that none dared look at him twice.
Instinct forced them to their knees, heads bowed.
Their divine senses detected nothing—as if they knelt before emptiness itself.
Such power had surpassed their understanding.
Amidst the clouds, Xu Wanci had no idea what was happening.
She only suddenly felt as though everything around her had become controllable—the immortal and spiritual energies now flowed peacefully within her.
The aura around her finally settled into calm.
As the strange phenomena dissipated, she had ascended to the rank of Tribulation Transcendent.
She had prepared herself to face the pursuit of countless enemies, yet when she opened her eyes, only one figure remained in her sight.
The man from her dreams gazed at her with a light smile, his eyes brimming with a tenderness that nearly brought her to tears.
Watching this scene, Xu Wanci's breath trembled slightly.
Step by step, she walked toward him—only to pass him by without a word the moment he reached out his hand.
Surveying the crowd prostrating before her, her voice carried a trace of bewilderment:
"What are you kneeling for?"
Then, lowering her gaze, she murmured:
"Can you all... see that illusion too?"
