Writing demanded time, and the dwindling minutes only heightened the tension. Writing too much risked failure, and that fact explained why deep worry furrowed He Yingwu's face. Only Elder Ding showed no impatience. Anticipation gleamed in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on Liu Wuxie.
Back in the teleportation array, Liu Wuxie had left a deep impression on him. Even when death loomed, he exhausted his true essence to protect his companion. His willingness to sacrifice and that unyielding resolve commanded Elder Ding's respect.
At last, Liu Wuxie exhaled slowly and lowered his hand to write. The trial neared its end, and the moment his brush moved, all attention turned toward him.
As each word flowed forth, the air trembled violently, as though space itself could not withstand the weight of his thoughts. The valley quaked, and cultivators looked on in disbelief.
"That's strange..." the southern elder muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Why do his words cause such violent fluctuations? It feels as if an invisible force is trying to tear the universe apart."
He had overseen many assessments, but never had a candidate's words stirred such upheaval.
The Astral Domain's cultivation system had long since solidified. Past assessments produced countless writings that merely reworked ancient doctrines. But Liu Wuxie's words were entirely new, something no one had ever seen before.
"This is interesting. Look above him!" the northern elder exclaimed. Ancient runes shimmered into existence above Liu Wuxie's head.
Even the other participants felt it. The palpable change in the laws struck He Yingwu, who stood closest. Invisible ripples spread from Liu Wuxie, currents so profound they lifted his body into the sky.
Legends told of cultivators ascending to the Celestial Realm upon sudden enlightenment, regardless of cultivation. Just as the Buddhist Clan spoke of monks who attained sudden awakening and became Buddhas, Liu Wuxie displayed a phenomenon reminiscent of those tales.
"That's impossible!" voices cried out from the valley. "How can mere words gain heaven's recognition?"
Even before his writing merged with the light pillar, the heavens responded. This left the three elders deeply shaken.
Elder Ding had always known Liu Wuxie was extraordinary, but he hadn't expected such a profound grasp of mortal, immortal, and dao.
Liu Wuxie's writing was not long. Yet every word resounded with the cadence of the dao, echoing through heaven and earth like cosmic truths.
Time bled away until only five minutes remained. Fifty-six words floated before him, luminous and distinct, while others had written hundreds with far less impact. With a wave of his hand, Liu Wuxie released them into the light pillar. This content belongs to novel-fire.net
Silence fell as three breaths passed with no response. The pillar gave no reply.
"Hahaha!" jeers burst from the crowd, their laughter carrying both mockery and relief. The contrast was stark, especially after the commotion Liu Wuxie had caused earlier.
"What a joke! After all that commotion, he failed? He doesn't even understand mortal, immortal, and dao!" Mockery poured from the surroundings.
Mu Heng and Shen Yue smirked, and their contempt was clear. They didn't bother speaking, but their disdainful gazes declared their verdict—Liu Wuxie was trash.
The elders frowned. They had felt the laws shift and had seen the runes appear, yet the pillar did not change. None of it made sense.
"Brat, get lost!" exclaimed a cultivator at the eighth-level Transcendent Realm, his voice heavy with ridicule.
"That's right!" The others echoed. "How dare trash like you compare yourself to Young Master Mu Heng?"
Faces twisted with derision, eager to curry favor with Mu Heng.
After all, Mu Heng's talent was undeniable. Heir to endless resources, his future was limitless. By contrast, Liu Wuxie had no background, no protection—just a raft adrift in the vast sea of Indigo Bamboo Star, one wave away from sinking.
Yet amidst the storm of jeers, Liu Wuxie's expression never wavered. He stood firm, staring at the pillar. He did not fear receiving heaven's recognition—his concern lay beyond the far end of the light pillar. Each word he wrote carried his will, a direct rebuke to the heavens themselves.
Just when the mockery reached its peak, the valley shook with a deafening rumble.
The light pillar erupted. Boundless waves of energy surged outward, blinding brilliance sweeping across the valley. The sheer force sent cultivators sprawling, trembling in terror.
Even the three elders staggered in the air, nearly losing their footing.
"What's happening?!" voices cried out in panic.
The light pillar trembled furiously as beams of light cascaded from the heavens. Auspicious clouds descended, billowing above Liu Wuxie like a divine mantle.
"A celestial phenomenon... auspicious clouds!" The southern elder gasped, paling. The Heavenly Dragon Sect had not witnessed such an event in countless years.
The northern elder and Elder Ding stared, shaken to their cores. They knew what the phenomenon meant. The Celestial Realm had bestowed auspicious clouds upon Liu Wuxie. Receiving their baptism meant the heavens recognized them. The phenomenon had already opened the path to immortality for Liu Wuxie.
"No... impossible!" Mu Heng's voice cracked, his fury unrestrained.
"This must be fake!" other self-proclaimed prodigies shouted, unable to accept that a Heaven Profound cultivator had surpassed them.
The pillar shook again, and phoenix cries rang from the distant Astral Domain. Visions filled the sky—immortals standing on auspicious clouds, each blowing into conches as celestial music drifted down, enchanting all who heard it.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect itself stirred as experts broke their seclusion, drawn by the anomaly.
In that moment, Liu Wuxie felt himself fuse with the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm. Closing his eyes, he glimpsed his homeland.
"One day, I will ascend the nine heavens and trample the Celestial Realm beneath my feet," he vowed, his will blazing into the void.
At that very instant, upheaval struck the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm. Countless ancient beings jolted awake from their slumber.
"It's his aura! He isn't dead!" An ethereal old man scanned the realm for the source, but the aura vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"I sensed it as well... Could he still be alive within the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm?" Another ancient being, cloaked in the aura of an Immortal Emperor, emerged.
Through countless years, many Immortal Emperors had risen, and people had long forgotten Liu Wuxie's name, but now, whispers of him returned like a storm.
"Find him! He must not be allowed to return!"
Reincarnations of Immortal Emperors were not rare, but Liu Wuxie was different. Among the ten Immortal Emperors of the past, he alone had ascended purely through his own strength.
He once stood alone against countless foes. When they besieged him, he ultimately unleashed the Bloodfiend Disintegration and dragged tens of thousands of enemies to death with him.
And now, the truth became unmistakable—Liu Wuxie was still alive. His will had touched the Celestial Realm itself, and that was enough to terrify them. That declaration proclaimed that he was alive and would return one day.
Liu Wuxie hadn't expected his writing to reach the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm, and exposing that he was still alive was dangerous. The immortals' methods were boundless. Though they couldn't enter the Astral Domain themselves, they could still use countless means to kill him before he grew strong.
However, it had already happened, and there was no use regretting it now. He could only do his best to grow strong fast.
In the valley, dazzling radiance engulfed the world. The phoenix phantom appeared again, circling Liu Wuxie with divine grace.
It was fitting. He bore the Divine Dragon's bloodline, and he had tempered his body into the True Dragon Physique.
Since time immemorial, the dragon and phoenix had always appeared together. The very foundation of the Heavenly Dragon Sect probably traced back to the dragon clan.
No one envied him now. They could only sigh bitterly. What point was there in comparison? The gap was too vast.
Then came the rush of power. The impossible sight drew experts from every corner of the sect, and they descended.
"Celestial auspicious clouds!"
"The Heaven Profound Realm? How could this be?"
"This is a phenomenon of heaven and earth!"
Five Primal Origin Realm experts hovered above the valley and spoke in voices filled with disbelief.