Boom!

Another beam of heavenly tribulation struck!

It was Honorable Xuan Qi's seventh heavenly tribulation now.

The surges of tribulation were beyond powerful that even the Thundersoother Rods could not direct them all into the ground anymore.

When the seventh heavenly tribulation struck, the impact of the blast leveled the whole mountaintop and dislodged the Thundersoother Rods too, leaving Honorable Xuan Qi exposed to the surges of tribulation.

The crowd looked at him intently.

That included Linghu's Third Forefather too.

His plan may have failed, but he was in no hurry to leave. He wanted to see if Honorable Xuan Qi would successfully ascend.

“Hey, old friend. Fight with me again.”

With his Purple Star in hand, the Sword-based Daoist Rhymes surrounding Honorable Xuan Qi continuously grew, pus.h.i.+ng his Heavenly Crepe-myrtle Sword Art to its limits.

He looked at the acc.u.mulating eighth surge of tribulation solemnly.

When the surge emerged, it locked onto Honorable Xuan Qi.

The eighth surge immediately struck him with such violence that Elder Ruyan and the others felt their pulse race.

“Come at me!”

Honorable Xuan Qi lifted his sword and let out an attack!

The terrifying purple sword ray then gushed out in a frenzy. It was the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique!

He had gained full insights into this Sage Ruler Technique, and with his Honorable Supreme cultivation base, the world seemed like it was about to be torn apart.

The sword ray and lightning suddenly clashed in the void.

Terrifying shockwaves were sent out like the tide, wave after wave, in all directions.

Trees, rocks — everything around him was destroyed.

The blow sent Honorable Xuan Qi flying, and upon landing, the impact created a huge hole in the ground that left cracks spreading everywhere.

Honorable Xuan Qi laid in the hole with a tattered robe and blood running from the corners of his lips. There were pulses of electricity on his body that were continuously destroying him.

“The eight surge… it exceeded my expectations.”

Honorable Xuan Qi muttered.

One hit was all it took for him to sustain such injuries.

“Looking at his condition, he might not be able to handle the final surge!” A glint flashed in Linghu's Third Forefather's eyes.

Deep down, he wished for Honorable Xuan Qi's ascension to fail.

However, he watched as Honorable Xuan Qi stood up and took a golden medicinal pill. A burst of healing energy then spread throughout his body, and as Daoist Rhymes emanated, his injuries rapidly recovered.

Linghu's Third Forefather was stunned.

“Isn't that a Sage Healing Pill?!”

“No, even regular Sage Healing Pills don't have such an effect! It has to be a Sage Supreme Pill that's above the seventh grade!” Linghu's Third Forefather said dumbfoundedly.

There were only a handful of alchemists in the Firmament Star who were capable of making Sage Supreme Pills, let alone Sage Seventh Grade Supreme Pills and above!

Where did the Black Heaven Sect find such an alchemist?

“As expected of Kuangren's medicinal pills. It is very effective.”

Honorable Xuan Qi laughed before he channeled the sword qi within him, ready to face the ninth surge of tribulation with a victorious att.i.tude.

Rumble, rumble…

Dark clouds swirled as the lightning churned wildly.

The beam of tribulation locked onto Honorable Xuan Qi once more!

From the dark clouds emerged a vicious dragon-like beast that was formed from the condensed electrical energy.

The lightning dragon roared, filling the atmosphere with a domineering aura.

It then charged towards Honorable Xuan Qi, and everywhere it pa.s.sed, the void trembled and the earth shook.

The attack was on par with that of a Sage's!

Worry flashed in Elder Ruyan and the others' eyes.

“It's no wonder so many people are terrified of ascension. What kind of Honorable Supreme could block such overwhelming power from the ninth surge?”

“Only an experienced Honorable Supreme could block that! But don't forget, there were eight surges before this as well.”

“Ascension is truly a matter of life and death!”

Even Chu Kuangren broke out in a cold sweat as he watched Honorable Xuan Qi from the sidelines. He had to suppress the urge to rush in and take his place.

With his abilities and immortal body, he had nothing to fear.

However, even if he did rush in, the surges of tribulation would not let Honorable Xuan Qi go just like that. If anything, the both of them would end up suffering from a warth that was more terrifying.

No one could escape from the heavenly tribulation, and there was no subst.i.tuting either.

Faced with the final surge, Honorable Xuan Qi bellowed and took out a bronze s.h.i.+eld instead of a sword.

The s.h.i.+eld placed before him grew larger and blocked the lightning dragon. All that was heard after was a crash, followed by a loud boom!

Then, the s.h.i.+eld started to crack.

Honorable Xuan Qi's eyes narrowed. He did not expect that his preparations for the ascension would be insufficient to block the ninth surge of tribulation.

With the s.h.i.+eld broken, the lightning dragon slammed easily into Honorable Xuan Qi's body. Although he urged the sword qi within him to fight back, the overwhelming amount of lightning energy was still destroying his body.

Honorable Xuan Qi was at his wit's end, so he bit into the two Vibrant Rejuvenation Pills that he had kept in his mouth, activating the medicinal power and healing in his body.

His body was being destroyed and healed at the same time. It was like a tug-of-war, pulling him back and forth on the fine line between life and death.

Finally, he made it. Honorable Xuan Qi survived the final surge thanks to the large amounts of spiritual energy that he had stored and the medicinal power from the Vibrant Rejuvenation Pills.

“He did it!”

“Haha! Marvelous!”

The weight on Elder Ruoyan and everyone else lifted, and they were utterly glad

With that, the dark clouds in the sky dissipated, revealing a boundless blue sky with cl.u.s.ters of fluffy purple clouds dotting the horizon. Daoist Rhymes echoed across the firmament.

Honorable Xuan Qi stood on the spot. An inexplicably mysterious feeling welled in his heart as the Daoist Rhymes around his body continuously grew stronger.

At that moment, powerful cultivators from all over the world looked towards the Black Heaven Sect as if they had felt something.

“Oh, someone survived the ascension.”

“The world will witness the birth of another Sage as long as they don't die. Looks like they hail from the Black Heaven Sect.”

“Hmph. Black Heaven Sect sure is lucky.”

Within the Black Heaven Sect, Linghu's Third Forefather's face was as dark as the abyss. He let out a cold huff before he turned to leave.

Right then, a Sage Daoist Rhyme locked him into place and a murderous aura loomed over him. Deep inside, he could not help but chuckle.

It was the Black Heaven Sect's Third Forefather.

“You really thought you could just come and go as you please? The Linghu family really looks down on us a lot.”

“Hmph. Take it.”

Linghu's Third Forefather tossed a Yin and Yang Ring in Chu Kuangren's direction.

“Oh. There are over sixty million high-grade soulstones and thirty drops of Heaven Spiritual Marrow in it. Do you take me for a beggar?” The face of Black Heaven Sect's Third Forefather turned cold.

“Don't you try to push me. All these items would cause a b.l.o.o.d.y fight amongst countless sage orthodoxies if left there. Isn't this enough for you?”

“No. Far from it.”

“Then what the f*ck do you want?!”

“The Black Heaven Sect wants an extra position in the Sword Gauntlet's quotas!”

“Absolutely not!” Linghu's Third Forefather spat out coldly.

“Then so be it. Today, the Linghu family will lose a Sage.” Black Heaven Sect's Third Forefather's tone was ice cold. In the distance, deep within the sect, a horrifying vital force erupted and locked onto Linghu's Third Forefather.

“Black Heaven Sect's Second Forefather?! That old bat is still alive?”

Linghu's Third Forefather's face fell as he gritted his teeth. He said with an aching face, “Fine. The Linghu family will give you another position in the quota.”

“Words mean nothing. Swear it on your Daoist core.”

Swearing on one's Daoist core meant that one invoked an oath with the dharma as one's witness. Going back on said oath would crumble the Daoist core, leaving one unable to progress with cultivation and it would plague one's heart with demons. As such, they would never rest in peace.

Even demonic cultivators feared the taboo that came with swearing on one's Daoist core.

Linghu's Third Forefather was left with no choice. All he could do was obediently swear on his Daoist core and left frustratingly.

Not only did the Linghu family fail in stopping the Black Heaven Sect from gaining another Sage, but they also lost an Honorable Supreme, a lot of soulstones, and a very important quota.