Above Qianlong City, nestled deep in the mountains of Yun Province, a massive ship slowly descended through the churning sea of clouds.

Boom!

The ship’s hull suddenly shuddered as if striking a reef.

In the skies above Qianlong City, a protective “shell” materialized, blocking the uninvited guest from above.

The moment the Wind-Riding Ship encountered the defensive formation, a white-robed figure wearing a hood rose from the vessel, gazing down at the entirety of Qianlong City.

“This formation consists of seventy-six Earth Fiend Arrays. Even a Fourth-Rank warrior couldn’t break through it. Rather troublesome,” Yang Qianhuan remarked casually.

At the edge of the Wind-Riding Ship, Nangong Qianrou frowned and asked, “Can you handle it?”

Yang Qianhuan stood with his hands behind his back, speaking in a tone that suggested unrivaled mastery: “Child’s play!”

Just because a Fourth-Rank warrior couldn’t break it didn’t mean a Fourth-Rank artificer couldn’t. He deliberately emphasized this point to highlight his exceptional abilities.

As his words fell, Yang Qianhuan’s feet lightly touched down on the defensive formation, circular arrays lighting up beneath his feet.

To others, these circular arrays might have seemed identical, all based on the Eight Trigrams, forming intersecting lines and twisted mystical symbols.

However, when Yang Qianhuan’s expanding circular arrays merged with the defensive formation, the protective barrier encompassing Qianlong City began to violently shake. The structure of the formation seemed to malfunction, and the seventy-six smaller arrays comprising the greater formation rapidly collapsed.

In the realm of formations, these fixed grand arrays were the easiest to break, as their structure was predetermined. One simply needed to identify the weak points and breach them directly.

This had nothing to do with the rank of the formation’s creator. A fire array was a fire array, a water array was a water array—even a high-ranked artificer couldn’t transform a fire array into a water array.

At most, the structure could be more complex.

Every formation had its corresponding method of destruction.

Just as Xu Pingfeng could break the formations left by the Supervisor, Yang Qianhuan could break the formations he laid down.

Chen Ying, standing alongside Nangong Qianrou, breathed a sigh of relief. Without Yang Qianhuan’s accompaniment, this defensive formation alone would have given them a severe headache.

Lord Wei’s lightning warfare strategy might have failed to take effect.

Chen Ying immediately realized his thinking was wrong—there was no chance of the lightning warfare failing. Yang Qianhuan had been specifically requested by Lord Wei to accompany the army’s surprise attack on Yun Province.

This meant Lord Wei had anticipated the presence of defensive formations.

“Heh, if Lord Wei had been revived earlier, Qing Province wouldn’t have fallen,” Chen Ying muttered.

As he spoke, the defensive formation below shattered with a thunderous boom.

War drums immediately sounded throughout Qianlong City. After a brief moment of chaos, the garrison troops quickly restored order, using the drum signals to gather in the city.

The soldiers on the city walls adjusted their artillery, aiming skyward.

“Like fish in a barrel!” Chen Ying sneered, about to give the order to descend when he suddenly spotted a white-robed figure outside the Wind-Riding Ship.

The figure wore an iron mask without facial features, silently watching them before extending a hand and pushing outward forcefully!

Circular arrays instantly expanded, colliding with the Wind-Riding Ship.

Within the arrays, the elements of earth, wind, water, and fire illuminated one after another, emanating terrifying energy.

Chen Ying, Nangong Qianrou, and the other Fourth-Rank warriors simultaneously received danger warnings, their expressions changing as their hearts sank.

It wasn’t that the array’s offensive power threatened them personally, but rather that the Wind-Riding Ship beneath their feet couldn’t withstand an attack of this magnitude.

If the ship were destroyed, the soldiers aboard would fall to their deaths.

At this moment, the warriors’ limitations became apparent. While they weren’t afraid of the arrays’ killing power, their single-minded approach left them without methods to break the formations, nor could they cast spells to protect the Wind-Riding Ship.

In this critical moment, the man who plucked stars from the heavens arrived.

Yang Qianhuan appeared at the ship’s rail, extending his hand to lightly press against the circular array. The formation pushing toward the Wind-Riding Ship silently collapsed and disintegrated.

A transmission array lit up beneath Yang Qianhuan’s feet, instantly bringing him before the white-robed puppet. He reached out, grabbing for the puppet’s head.

The puppet attempted to teleport away, but once Yang Qianhuan’s palm grasped its face, all formations failed.

“Xu Pingfeng?” came Yang Qianhuan’s deep voice from beneath his hood. “I heard you sealed away that old thief of a Supervisor. Well done.”

A fire array condensed in his palm, spewing forth flames that formed a tongue of fire over ten meters long.

When the flames subsided, the metal puppet in his hand had been burned red-hot, its head melted into bright liquid iron.

This puppet was merely at the early Fourth-Rank boundary, capable of using only the formations Xu Pingfeng had inscribed during its creation—limited in both number and power.

Yang Qianhuan, on the other hand, was a veteran artificer capable of challenging the Third-Rank Heaven Mechanism Master and held the advantage of rank within the same system.

Nangong Qianrou immediately gave the order to descend. The four thousand soldiers aboard stood ready for battle, while the heavy cavalry inside the city held the advantage. As for street fighting, they could simply dismount if necessary.

Even without horses, they were still heavy infantry immune to blades and spears.

At the hilltop, among the sprawling mansion compounds filled with pavilions and towers, a purple-robed middle-aged man climbed a tower. Under the protection of shadow guards, he gazed at the giant ship slowly descending from the sky.

“Immediately send word to the surrounding strongholds to return and reinforce Qianlong City,” the purple-robed man commanded gravely.

He wasn’t particularly panicked. Yesterday, news of victory had arrived from the front lines—the Yun Province army had taken Yong Province’s capital without bloodshed, completely occupying Yong Province.

The army could immediately push toward the imperial capital and decide the outcome with Great Feng, ending this war for supremacy.

Although Qianlong City was now facing an enemy invasion, it might well be Great Feng’s final death throes.

Over the past year, Great Feng had first suffered the Battle of Jingshan City during the autumn harvest, with a hundred thousand elite troops dying in the north. Before they could recover, the winter disaster struck, followed by his proclamation as emperor in Yun Province and a northern campaign against the court.

How many strong soldiers and fierce generals did Great Feng have left today?

Qianlong City still had five thousand elite troops, and adding those from the surrounding mountain strongholds brought the total to over ten thousand soldiers.

Enough to resist the enemy.

“My lady, my lady…” In a quiet courtyard, a maidservant hurriedly rushed in, pushing open the door to the meditation room.

Inside was only a beautiful matron in meditation, dignified in bearing, fair-skinned and beautiful.

“My lady, quickly come with me to hide in the basement, the enemy has broken through!” the maidservant cried in panic.

The beautiful matron was stunned for a moment, then showed a complex expression, unclear whether of joy or sorrow.

Long confined to the inner chambers, forbidden from leaving this place, she could only receive and transmit news through her serving girls, maintaining some understanding of the Central Plains’ war situation.

After yesterday’s news arrived, all of Qianlong City had been in fervent celebration, from the highest officials to the common people, drinking through the night, eager to leave Qianlong City and enter the imperial capital.

The Lord of Qianlong City had promised the city’s people that after conquering the realm, every citizen of Qianlong City could relocate to the imperial capital and become noble residents under the Son of Heaven.

“Do you know who leads the army?” the beautiful matron asked urgently. “Is it Xu Qi’an?”

The maidservant’s expression was anxious: “How would this servant know? Quickly, let’s hide—if those soldiers break in, they’ll start killing indiscriminately, regardless of your status.”

As she spoke, she pulled her mistress hurriedly toward the basement.

The various mountain strongholds outside Qianlong City were now caught in fierce battle.

Groups of heavily armored infantry advanced through arrows and musket fire. Bullets and arrows struck their armor, creating sparks but proving useless against these soldiers who, with their face guards lowered, showed almost no vulnerabilities.

After observing Qianlong City’s position, Yang Qianhuan used his art of reading qi to draw a simple map marking the locations of Qianlong City and its surrounding strongholds.

Nangong Qianrou and the other commanders had conferred and split the heavy cavalry into two forces. One was quietly deployed and hidden in the outer perimeter, ready to attack the various strongholds around Qianlong City once battle began.

The other force accompanied the Wind-Riding Ship, ready to drop directly into Qianlong City.

This was also due to the Wind-Riding Ship’s limited capacity, unable to transport both horses and riders of an entire heavy cavalry unit to Qianlong City. Even the vanguard force being air-dropped had to be transported in two batches.

In the Northern Borders, the tribulation clouds formed gorgeous sunset hues. Fire spirits in the air condensed at a terrifying rate, temperature rapidly warming to blazing summer heat before continuing to climb, transforming this corner of the world into a massive furnace.

The most violent and terrifying Thunder-Fire Tribulation was approaching.

The groundwater rapidly evaporated with a hissing sound. One moment there was mud everywhere, the next it had dried and cracked.

White Emperor narrowed its eyes and retreated a short distance, uncomfortable in such high temperatures.

The water spirits in the air had been almost completely dispersed, making its water spirit techniques impossible to use in such an environment. Fortunately, it could still control lightning.

Between its horns, a lightning ball that collapsed inward took shape, ready to strike.

Luo Yuheng raised her head, her eyes like black pearls reflecting the crimson clouds. A flash of melancholy and sorrow crossed her eyes.

The previous generation’s Human Path Patriarch, her father, had died in the final Thunder-Fire Tribulation.

Among the Four Phase Tribulations, the Thunder-Fire Tribulation was the most tyrannical and terrifying. Unlike the Golden Core Tribulation with its eighty-one levels or the other three of the Four Phase Tribulations that started weak and gradually intensified, this one had only a single strike.

Survive it, and one becomes an Immortal of the Mortal Realm. Fail, and all one’s cultivation would dissipate, soul and spirit scattered.

“That hurt like hell…”

The charred ash fell from Xu Qi’an’s skin, revealing tender white flesh beneath.

White Emperor’s water tornado and lightning strike had nearly killed him on the spot, sending him straight to ascension.

Fortunately, a warrior’s resilience was no joke—dead cells were replaced by new ones, and his injuries quickly healed. Not a major problem.

However, such repairs consumed his physical strength and qi, weakening his energy somewhat.

Nearly a third of the spiritual essence he had collected from his diligent flower-plugging remained dormant within his body, not yet fully activated.

His strength had already reached the peak of second rank, and the next step would be the threshold of first rank—clearly something the Flower God’s spiritual essence alone couldn’t achieve.

Xu Qi’an wiped the ash on his hands onto Luo Yuheng’s feather robe, then took her small hands in his, smiling: “Don’t be afraid. Once we pass this tribulation, we’ll be an immortal couple roaming freely between heaven and earth.”

Feeling the warmth of his palms and seeing his brilliant smile, Luo Yuheng decided not to pursue the matter of him dirtying her robe, and softly asked: “What if we fail?”

She had some psychological trauma regarding the Thunder-Fire Tribulation, having witnessed her father turn to ash within the tribulation flames that year.

“Then we’ll be dao companions in our next life,” Xu Qi’an smiled.

If one died and one survived, he would become an undead knight… In this critical moment, his mindset was surprisingly stable.

Their eyes met.

Luo Yuheng’s otherworldly, flawless immortal countenance was no longer aloof, showing a touch of tenderness.

Just then, from the layered tribulation clouds above, a dazzling pillar of fire as thick as a water tank descended from the heavens.

It was so powerful that it distorted the surrounding air, its heat wave igniting the clothes and manes of all the transcendent experts present.

It instantly engulfed Luo Yuheng and Xu Qi’an, this “pair of passionate lovers,” turning the ground beneath their feet into churning, surging magma.

Now… Between White Emperor’s horns, the fully charged lightning ball suddenly shot forth.

With a flash of electricity, the bright lightning ball streaked forward, leaving trails of electric arcs in its wake.

Boom!

The lightning ball scattered the fire pillar, sending tongues of flame shooting in all directions. In a brief moment, the fire pillar was dispersed, The White Emperor couldn’t see Xu Qi’an and Luo Yuheng—they had vanished.

The next moment, the fire pillar restored itself, continuing to scorch the earth.

At that moment, a resounding dragon’s roar echoed through the sky. The transcendent experts present looked up and vaguely saw a massive golden dragon within the fire pillar, ascending against the heavenly flames.

Up there?

What was he trying to do?

White Emperor and the Karura Tree furrowed their brows, the latter pausing momentarily, temporarily sparing the thoroughly beaten Asura.

Within the flames, Xu Qi’an embraced Luo Yuheng as they ascended against the fire pillar, climbing higher and higher.

Though Luo Yuheng possessed an indestructible body, remaining intact within the fire pillar, this didn’t mean she was unharmed. She was enduring indescribable pain, her Four Phases and physical body on the brink of collapse.

Once she could no longer endure, she would turn to ash.

It hurts so much… Luo Yuheng’s fair skin grew increasingly pale, no, not pale—transparent. Her entire being appeared like a statue cast in crystal.

If this continued, her life force would be completely consumed, and she would scatter to ash and smoke, just like her father.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here!”

Xu Qi’an’s low whisper reached her ears.

Luo Yuheng’s heart instantly steadied, like a small boat in a tempestuous ocean finding shelter in a windless harbor.

She turned to look and saw a charred human form.

Xu Qi’an’s skin rapidly carbonized, the outer layer of ash peeling away to reveal raw, bloody flesh, which would then carbonize again and peel away as ash. After several repetitions, Luo Yuheng could see his scorched skull glowing red.

Next would be the burning of his primordial spirit… Just as she was about to manifest her dharma body to shield him from the tribulation flames, she suddenly sensed a vigorous life force rising from within him.

This massive, pure life force was like a spring of clear water, flowing into both Luo Yuheng and Xu Qi’an’s depleted bodies.

Xu Qi’an closed his eyes and began focusing on tempering his physical body, blood essence, and spirit.

His flesh continuously burned away and regenerated. During this process, his essence, qi, and spirit underwent repeated refinement, swiftly merging. In mere moments, he completed a journey that would take others decades.

This tribulation crossing was a battle with nine deaths and one life—no, ten deaths and no life. The transcendent experts of both Yun Province and Great Feng believed this, and reality proved them correct.

Without a backup plan, the Thunder-Fire Tribulation would have been the end of Xu Qi’an’s life. If Luo Yuheng hadn’t brought him within the tribulation’s range, Xu Qi’an would have already died at the White Emperor’s hand.

And Luo Yuheng would have had no chance to consolidate her cultivation. After passing the Golden Core Tribulation, she would either help Xu Qi’an resist the enemy and then await the next heavenly tribulation, failing due to excessive spiritual power consumption.

Or she could ignore the fate of Xu Qi’an and the others, and hide away to consolidate her cultivation, at the cost of Xu Qi’an and other transcendent experts falling, and Great Feng’s destruction.

Luo Yuheng herself might have survived.

She chose the former, but that path still led to death.

Therefore, they had to seek life in the face of death.

But how to live?

Xu Qi’an’s proposed idea was to use the tribulation to advance to First Road.

He advanced to First.

When Asura, Golden Lotus, and Zhao Shou heard his proposal, they almost thought the young man had lost his mind.

He’d only reached Second-Rank half a month ago, and now he was thinking of entering the ranks of First-Rank warriors.

This was disrespect toward cultivation, disrespect toward all transcendent experts in the world, and disrespect toward Kou Yangzhou.

But Xu Qi’an’s subsequent words convinced them, making them decide to risk everything and gamble alongside him.

Xu Qi’an’s inspiration to advance to First-Rank came from the night when the transcendent experts discussed the heavenly tribulation, specifically Luo Yuheng’s detailed description of the Thunder-Fire Tribulation. When she mentioned it, a bold idea formed in his mind.

Before the tribulation battle, he had visited the Southern Borders to ask Shenshu how to advance to First-Rank and received his answer.

Normally, using one’s body as a furnace to refine and merge essence, qi, and spirit into one, achieving a First-Rank physique, was a lengthy process. This path was inevitably fraught with danger and limited by talent—not all First-Rank warriors could become semi-divine warriors.

As one blessed by national fortune, Xu Qi’an certainly didn’t lack talent; what he lacked was time.

Whether advancing from early Second-Rank to peak Second-Rank, or refining essence, qi, and spirit, all required time.

But through his diligent flower-plugging, he had received the Flower God’s blessing, carrying spiritual essence and comprehending the “Way” of growing stronger through battle, which could perfectly compensate for his insufficient cultivation.

Although peak Second Rank wasn’t his normal state he would eventually fall back to his regular realm.

He planned to seize this temporary state, using the Thunder-Fire Tribulation to temper his body, merging essence, qi, and spirit to successfully enter First Rank.

This operation was equivalent to completing the gradual tempering process in one step—essentially suicide.

At this point, the benefits of diligent flower plugging manifested again. As long as he conserved his spiritual essence consumption, keeping some within his body, the Flower God’s spiritual essence would be his greatest support during the tribulation’s tempering.

This was, after all, the spiritual essence of the Undying Tree.

Furthermore, he had dragon qi—all the dragon qi he had acquired during his travels.

Dragon qi entering the body meant profound fortune!

Adding this to his original half of the national fortune, Xu Qi’an felt it was worth the gamble!

The reason Asura and the other two agreed was also that they felt it was worth betting on.

Within the repeated scorching of thunder and fire, the substantial golden dragon entered Xu Qi’an’s body. As he gradually carbonized, his weakening body renewed with vitality, continuing to endure the tribulation’s tempering.

Luo Yuheng gripped Xu Qi’an’s hand tightly, never letting go even in the most painful moments.

After another dozen breaths, the terrifying thunder and fire began to weaken. The water tank-thick pillar of fire slowly contracted, becoming bowl-sized, then fist-sized, then chopstick-thin, before finally dissipating completely.

High in the sky, Luo Yuheng wore a feather robe conjured by magic, her hair and robes billowing, holding the hand of a charcoal-like human form showing no signs of life.

“I have ascended to Immortal of the Mortal Realm,” she whispered to herself.

Crack! The charred exterior split and fell away, revealing an immaculately pure body white as jade before everyone.

Xu Qi’an looked down at the Karura Tree, Xu Pingfeng’s puppet, and the White Emperor below, his lips curling up, his gaze cold:

“I have entered First-Rank!”