Ascension
This was the splendid era belonging to the Sacred Continent.
Ribbons of rosy hues cascaded from the horizon, and in an instant, thunderclouds surged forth, vaguely revealing silhouettes composed of thousands of lightning.
It was the first time that the heavens manifested such imposing pressure upon the earth.
There was a sect with saints in the earth—Eternal Sect.
The rosy hues shed on a small courtyard nestled in the hinterlands of the mountain behind the sect.
The celestial phenomena drew sighs of awe from the onlookers.
Nobody would have ever thought the foremost figure of the Eternal Sect would be Li Daocheng.
Stepping out from the courtyard, he wore the attire of a scholar, unremarkable in appearance yet possessing eyes that seemed could see through everything.
At that moment, he looked up at the sky.
Amidst the rosy light and thunderclouds, an irresistible will descended from the deep, comprised of countless lightning bolts.
Like a waterfall, the lightning lashed onto Li Daocheng, resembling seafoam crashing against a rock.
Undeterred, he took a step, ascending into the sky just as the second and third waves of thunderstorm simultaneously unfolded.
In the sky, the thunderstorm transformed into two generals—one wielding an iron tower, the other standing on a longsword.
Two luminous clashed upon Li Daocheng, emitting a muffled resonance.
Nevertheless, he stood firm beneath a waterfall, serene as a Buddha.
"It's the visage of Buddha!"
Exclaimed a cultivator present.
Though they knew Li Daocheng and the disciple of Buddha shared an intimate connection, little did they expect that he would be imparted to the esoteric Buddhist Technique.
Envy arose among the spectators as they contemplated Li Daocheng's journey from cultivation to enlightenment, and finally, to saint—all accomplished within a mere five hundred years.
In the vast expanse of time, he rightfully earned the chance to be the foremost figure.
Many merely observed, while lower-ranking cultivators, inspired by the thunderstorm, sat down to meditate on the spot.
The ancient ancestor of the Eternal Sect almost unheard of for centuries, also descended from seclusion to guard the small mountain.
Meanwhile, atop this modest peak, the third wave of thunderstorms arrived, marked by a grandiose spectacle.
Thunderbolts, numbering beyond count, converged to construct a fortress of soldiers in the sky.
The lightning densely shrouded the heavens, obscuring the sunlight.
Before the thunderstorm even commenced, the small mountain housing Li Daocheng descended underground.
Countless figures fled the scene, and even those observing from a distance couldn’t bear the oppressive force.
At the foot of the mountain, the ancient ancestors of the Eternal Sect also retreated.
But they couldn’t take their eyes off the spectacle even from hundreds of miles away.
As the lightning-formed fortress began its motion, an indescribable sensation pervaded, leaving everyone feeling as insignificant as ants facing an imposing mountain.
Li Daocheng frowned slightly and extended a hand.
A door materialized before him, inscribed with a single word: "Seal".
The Taoist Sealing Technique, which was the most potent method of sealing, doubled as the most formidable defensive technique.
However, even this supreme technique faltered in the face of such celestial might.
With a thought, several more doors arose, causing a momentary pause in the thunder tribulations.
Li Daocheng sighed and hurled a small sword.
Like a nimble fish, the sword pierced the thunderclouds, absorbing and radiating flashes of lightning.
He... surprisingly, was using the Cloud Robbery Sword.
This is ... He is sharpening the sword with the thunder cloud!
Yet, the might of the thunderstorm remained undiminished.
The kilometer-long fortress diminished as it approached Li Daocheng, ultimately condensing into a pitch-black sphere that fell at his feet.
Li Daocheng lowered his head, and then...
—Bang!
The ground fractured as though struck by a colossal hammer.
The eardrums of the onlookers seemed on the verge of rupture, and all eyes turned toward Li Daocheng, where a terrifying, vaguely visible crater now resided.
People craned their necks, desperate to catch a glimpse of this extraordinary cultivator and witness the extent of his capabilities.
They yearned to ascertain whether he could truly grasp the secrets of the immortals, which obscured since the era of the divine.
In just a few breaths, golden radiance emanated from the deep pit where Li Daocheng stood, rising into the air.
His attire shattered by the thunder tribulations revealed a crystalline, translucent form, resembling glass.
Faint lightning flickered within his body.
"What kind of luck this is," praised by many old ancestors.
However, as the thunderclouds gradually dispersed in the sky, an irreversible force of cosmic law extended across the heavens.
In the sky, a "heart" word gradually materialized.
It was immediately noticed by the onlookers.
Li Daocheng saw it too.
He stood motionless and gazed into the heavens with a trance-like expression.
It was the heavens inquiring into his heart.
You, Li Daocheng, have cultivated for five hundred years.
Can you face people, events, objects, yourself, emotions, and the heart without shame?
The onlookers assumed that he would promptly respond, yet he stood there in quietude, unmoving for a considerable time.
His half-transparent figure shimmered with a golden glow, exuding solemnity and majesty.
In a location barely perceptible, a faint sound of fracturing emanated.
Li Daocheng, with tightly shut eyes, contemplated faintly.
The moment his eyes closed, an entire month passed, feeling as enduring as millennia. He remained steadfast like a mountain throughout.
Suddenly, his tightly closed eyes opened, unbeknownst to anyone.
His eyes gleamed brightly, reminiscent of the sunrise in the eastern sky, ascending gradually like the sun.
"I, Li Daocheng, can face my heart without shame."
The "heart" word in the sky gradually dissipated, and Li Daocheng faded away along with it.
Even though all eyes were fixed on the spot, no one saw when or how he disappeared.
"Could it be... he... transcended into an immortal from a saint?"
No one could provide an answer to whether he had achieved ascension.
However, on that day, the shock he brought like a dream reverberated through their memories.
On that day, he invoked the will of the heavens, stirring the spiritual energy of the entire continent.
In Baoping State, Central Land, Eastern State, the Frigid Regions, and the Demonic Domain, numerous young talents began to emerge.
The era of Li Daocheng slowly transformed into a legend as time weathered its impact.