Chapter 190: I’m Flying First, Let’s Gather in the Celestial Realm!
As everyone watched Ye Xi proclaiming his confidence with all the sincerity of a seasoned politician, some of their unease faded away.
The Grand Elder of the Jade Pool Sacred Land, Wei Yuan, thought for a moment and then asked, “Well, it doesn’t matter what we say now, but we need to figure out how to face what comes next.”
He paused dramatically and added, “This time, with Shen Baixiu and his crew leading the charge, many practitioners from the Nine States are getting a bit too…excited.”
At this moment, the Prime Minister of the Liyue Celestial Dynasty, Yang Mu, stood up, sounding like he’d just received an unsolicited fortune cookie message: “That’s right!”
“Now everyone is starting to buy into the Infinite Celestial Realm idea. They’re all itching to transcend!” He gestured wildly. “And not just the other practitioners; even within our Nine States’ Immortal Alliance, many are feeling a bit…inspired.”
Yang Mu pondered for a brief moment and continued, “We need to do something, or at least prove that the Infinite Celestial Realm isn’t just a trap. Otherwise…”
He leaned closer, his tone darkening. “If most practitioners transcend, it’ll surely be a disaster for us! Not to mention facing the upcoming Three Realms Merge after this!”
These questions had been weighing on their minds for some time now. Now that the moment to confront them had arrived, there was no turning back.
Silence fell over the hall like a lead balloon.
All gazes converged on Ye Xi, who had become their unlikely hero. They could only trust him – and the Eternal Emperor – at this point!
Ye Xi took a deep breath, shook his head, and cheerfully declared, “Proving the Infinite Celestial Realm is a trap? I, my friends, am not equipped for that!”
A sigh ran through the crowd. This was indeed a concern for them. They held onto a thread of hope…
If the Infinite Celestial Realm was indeed trap-free, then the situation for the Nine States practitioners would suddenly look much brighter. At the very least, they wouldn’t be fighting on two fronts.
But after their experience with the Celestial Court’s harvesting of their hopes, it was obvious they were too scared to take risks. Once they transcended, there would be no way back.
Everyone felt a weight in their hearts.
“But!” Ye Xi exclaimed, breaking the tension with another smile, “Whether there’s a trap or not, we’ll only know once we transcend!”
The crowd gasped collectively.
Wei Yuan asked, “Ye Xi, you’re going to transcend too? Isn’t that a bit reckless?”
The others looked worried, their faces etched with concern. In their eyes, Ye Xi was indeed powerful, but transcending into the Infinite Celestial Realm was another beast entirely.
When surrounded by enemies, two fists are no match for four hands!
If there was a trap waiting, wouldn’t that just be a one-way ticket to disaster?
Zhuang Hongyi wore a concerned expression, but she already knew of Ye Xi’s stubborn mindset and understood that she couldn’t change his mind.
Ye Xi, however, remained calm, a determined glint flickering in his eyes—was that excitement?
Ever since returning from the Qiongying Celestial Mansion and catching up with Qing Dai, he’d learned some rather intriguing information from her.
This solidified his desire to transcend!
“Think of it as an experiment; perhaps it will yield surprising results!” he thought, mentally patting himself on the back. He then confidently addressed the crowd, “Don’t worry; I’ve got this all planned out!”
“Besides, we don’t have any better options!”
He paused, noting the seriousness in the room, and continued, “You all, for now, should calm the practitioners from the Nine States. Tell them to hold off on transcending until I’ve had a go and figured things out!”
“Even if they’re itching to leap, what’s the rush?”
As his words hung in the air, the hall fell silent again. Moments later, everyone nodded in agreement, coming to a quiet consensus.
This was, indeed, the safest route for everyone.
Only Wei Yuan, Yang Mu, and the Pei Family Ancestor exchanged worried glances with Ye Xi. Their forces were deeply intertwined with the Eternal Emperor, and they certainly didn’t want his disciple getting into a pickle!
But after contemplating for a bit, they were at a loss for words.
Wei Yuan lowered his head, sighed dramatically, “Alas… it’s all this man’s fault!”
————
At the Purple Origin Celestial Mansion.
The Xiao Family!
At that moment, inside the Xiao Family’s council hall, the expressions of the dozen or so elders were equally grave.
Within the vast hall, sighs floated like petals in springtime.
“Qin Jian actually dares to lead all the emperors of the Nine Heavens Sword Sect to transcend? Is he out of his mind?” one elder frowned, incredulous.
In their view, this was akin to placing a bet—huge rewards for those brave enough to win. But what if they lost?
Then it would be a catastrophe!
If a major force lost all its emperors at once, it would be a catastrophic blow.
And yet, Qin Jian was bold enough to try!
Xiao Xinghe, the family leader, wore a dark expression, his eyes flickering with suspicion like a candle in a draft. He could smell a conspiracy brewing.
“There has to be something sinister going on here!”
After battling Qin Jian so long, he knew his opponent’s nature all too well—calculating and narrow-minded.
But he certainly wasn’t stupid enough to take such a massive risk and drag the entire Nine Heavens Sword Sect down with him.
At this moment, another elder in a blue robe spoke up, “Recently, the Nine Heavens Sword Sect has been getting cozy with Shen Baixiu and his crew!”
“Exactly!”
“Shen Baixiu and Shen Tu Lie are leading the charge to transcend, and coincidentally, Shen Baixiu learned the news about the Infinite Celestial Realm first! These coincidences aren’t normal.”
“Hmph! Perhaps this is all Shen Baixiu’s scheme!”
As Xiao Xinghe listened to the string of accusations hurled back and forth, the weight in his heart only grew heavier.
The rift between the Xiao Family and the Nine Heavens Sword Sect had thoroughly deepened.
Both sides were now embroiled in covert battles, especially fiery and intense.
Once Qin Jian transcended, with no definitive outcome… it would be a disaster!
Of course, aside from them, the Ten Thousand Immortal Sect and the Purple Garment Sect were in no better shape.
“Cough—”
Xiao Xinghe lightly coughed, cutting through the elders’ debates, turning serious as he said, “So what do you all suggest we do?”
He scanned the room sharply and continued, “Transcend, or should we hold our ground for now?”
“Um…”
The hall grew abruptly silent.
After a moment, the oldest elder, all beard and wisdom, finally stood up, slowly suggesting, “I think we could allow some of our powerful emperors to transcend while keeping the rest back to observe!”
“That way, at least we’ll have a backup plan!”
The gathered elders mulled it over and ultimately nodded in agreement with this approach.
Xiao Xinghe nodded as well, “I was thinking the same! Since everyone is on board, let’s make it official!”
He paused, then said, “Next, let’s discuss who will be among those transcending!”
Immediately, the hall buzzed with chattering discussions.
The Xiao Family’s situation was merely a microcosm of a vast, chaotic landscape among the celestial mansions dwindling.
At this very moment, every celestial mansion with emperors was grappling with similar dilemmas.
They dared not transcend together—but they could not afford the luxury of doing nothing.
Aside from a handful of forces like the Extreme Ice Celestial Palace, no news of anyone transcending had emerged.
Time, like a cat on a hot tin roof, slipped silently by in this tense and bizarre atmosphere…
Before anyone knew it, another day had rolled by.
And on this day!
Boom!
The sky suddenly erupted with the deep rumble of thunder, the previously clear sky turning dark as ominous black clouds quietly gathered.
Someone was transcending!
The first to sense the impending tribulation was Shen Baixiu.
At the Azure Mystic Celestial Mansion, Shen Baixiu stood atop the celestial mountain, gazing up at the gathering calamity clouds, an electrifying sparkle in his eyes. “Finally, I can see the Celestial Realm! Bring it on!”
Right after, other celestial mansions began to witness their own calamity clouds forming.
Those were Shen Tu Lie, Qin Jian, and the others.
In no time, the skies above were filled with clouds of tribulation, rumbling like an orchestra in chaos.
Boom!
Silver lightning danced like a serpent among the clouds.
Hundreds of practitioners simultaneously transcended, summoning lightning, creating a spectacle that was nothing short of breathtaking.
In ancient times, practitioners usually transcended in remote, desolate places, rarely attracting attention. A scene like this was unprecedented.
“It’s begun!”
“They’re about to transcend?! Is this the Thunder Tribulation? This is unbelievably thrilling.”
“I’m fired up! I’m going to start grinding against the grindstone! Who knows, maybe one day I might get struck by lightning!”
“Transcending! What a life goal! Even if I can’t fly, at least I can say I witnessed it! No regrets!”
“Thunder Tribulation truly is the bane of practitioners—it’s too powerful!”
The commotion stirred by the thunder attracted countless curious practitioners, all flocking to watch the unfolding transcendence from a safe distance.
As the tribulation clouds grew wilder, standing in a meditative posture, Shen Baixiu abruptly opened his eyes, casting a surveying glance around. He declared loudly, “Fellow friends, I’m transcending first!”
“Let’s meet again in the Celestial Realm!”
His voice, imbued with magical energy, carried far and wide.
Many were inspired and resonated with his boldness, returning the sentiment from afar, “Haha, good luck! We’ll meet again in the Celestial Realm!”
