Chapter 51: An Unorthodox Ascension, I See the Bright Moon

Chapter 51: An Unorthodox Ascension, I See the Bright Moon (Please Follow!)

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a thousand years have passed.

Shao Hua, who has lived for nearly nine thousand years across two lifetimes, has only just begun this one. In her long existence, a thousand years is but a fleeting moment.

Although she has severed all ties to her past, her lifespan, having pierced through myriad paths to ascend as an emperor, far exceeds that of ordinary enlightened beings. Living for twenty thousand years is no problem.

A thousand years may not seem long, but the mortal world has seen many generations come and go.

Those who were once contemporaries have all passed away. The Great Sages have turned to ashes, and the Quasi-Emperors are no more. Only she remains.

"Boom!"

In the depths of the universe, an endless sea of tribulation light engulfs the heavens and earth. A graceful figure rises into the sky, her pale golden eyes radiating an awe-inspiring brilliance.

She is Lan Ling, finally willing to make one last attempt, triggering the great tribulation to try and ascend through an unorthodox path.

As Shao Hua would say, if there is a chance, why leave behind any regrets? Even if she fails, she will have no regrets in the end.

Of course, this wasn't a suggestion but a command!

Endless lightning strikes rain down, a brilliant sea of thunder engulfing her. This is a grand heavenly tribulation, almost on par with the tribulation of enlightenment.

"Master, will Sister Lan succeed?"

Li Xing, after experiencing the divine source's isolation, had long returned to the mortal world to continue her cultivation. She has now steadily reached the Great Sage realm.

This pace of cultivation is not slow, for this is no longer the Grand Era of prodigies. The absence of powerful Quasi-Emperors means that a Great Sage can dominate the starry sky.

To be precise, Shao Hua is actually from the same era as her parents, differing by only a century. Otherwise, the Western Emperor would always think he had stolen his daughter's chance at enlightenment.

Moreover, although she was born before the Western Emperor's enlightenment, she was still greatly influenced by it.

The path of the Western Emperor, which united all paths, was acknowledged by heaven and earth, naturally exerting a suppressive effect on all beings.

This is a manifestation of the laws of the universe, and even if someone seals themselves away for the future, this influence does not disappear, as it has left an indelible mark.

Others are affected in the same way, and even more so for a mother and daughter who spend much time together. Over time, the influence becomes profound.

Shao Hua did not answer Li Xing's question. Success or failure, the outcome will reveal itself.

Based on her calculations, with Lan Ling's accumulated efforts over two lifetimes, this attempt should be successful. After all, this is not true enlightenment.

"I believe she will succeed."

Nan Jinping also came to observe, as did the other holy sages from the Jade Pool Holy Land. All who could come have gathered to watch in silence.

In the current world, there is no other Quasi-Emperor besides Lan Ling. She is truly the one below the emperor.

For the people of the Jade Pool Holy Land, witnessing such a grand tribulation for an unorthodox ascension is a once-in-a-lifetime memory, if not a profound benefit.

"Wow, this heavenly tribulation has a taste of the Eastern Emperor's enlightenment!"

On the other side of the star domain, a plain-looking man watches the tribulation with excitement.

"What incredible power! If I ever had the chance to face such a tribulation, even dying in it would be worth it!"

In his hand, he clutches a crystalline bone fragment, continuously etching the scenes he sees into it.

A thousand years have passed, and Chun Sheng's cultivation has not progressed; he remains at the Holy Sage King realm.

But he is not without gains. He has married a holy sage from the Jade Pool Holy Land, which is how he knew the exact location of this tribulation.

Countless tribulations flash by, and eventually, the heavens themselves begin to collapse.

Thunder and fire light up the sky, divine principles shock the world. Lan Ling bathes in the tribulation, a great dragon rising along her spine. The dragon's claws, exerting force from the four extremities, stir the Sea of Wheels and grasp the Five Elements Dao Palace, aiming to seize the Immortal Platform.

"Roar!!!"

The Great Dragon roared, its four major cultivation realms—the Sea of Wheels, Dao Palace, Four Extremes, and Dragon Transformation—merged into one, connecting seamlessly. Finally, the latter half of its body ascended to the Immortal Platform!

The terrifying aura was vast, causing the entire Eight Wastes to tremble.

There was no doubt that Lan Ling had achieved Alternative Ascension. After two lifetimes of effort, she had finally succeeded, which brought great relief to Shao Hua.

Achieving Alternative Ascension meant she had become a Daoist, and now Shao Hua was no longer alone.

The Grand Era was in decline, and having someone of similar strength by her side would be a great comfort.

"Lord, I have succeeded", Lan Ling took a moment to adjust her breathing before approaching Shao Hua.

"You don’t seem very happy", Shao Hua looked at her deeply, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.

"I see, you’ve achieved Dao and realized your true self. Now you understand the foolish things you’ve done."

Clearly, Lan Ling had emerged from the distorted state of mind that led to her easy defeat, returning to her original self—a kind of rebirth from the ashes.

"Thank you for your care over the years. I am deeply grateful", Lan Ling bowed stiffly.

"There’s no need for that. You’ve helped me a lot as well", Shao Hua waved her hand, feeling a bit dispirited. "If you want to leave, I won’t stop you."

No matter what, the years they spent together had formed a bond, and she wouldn’t make things difficult for Lan Ling.

"No, that’s not what I mean!" Lan Ling panicked, her pale golden eyes widening, her lips parting slightly, feeling as if the sky was about to collapse.

Heaven help her, she never wanted to leave.

"Oh? Then what do you mean?"

Shao Hua tilted her head, her silver hair cascading down. Could it be that she was too concerned and misread the situation?

"I want to challenge you!" Lan Ling declared loudly.

"Fine, I accept your challenge. No matter the outcome, I will grant you your freedom", a dangerous glint flashed in Shao Hua’s eyes.

"Hmph, I will take my freedom myself. If I lose, I will continue to serve you, no matter what", Lan Ling closed her eyes and steeled herself.

Shao Hua’s face showed a hint of surprise, and she couldn’t help but press her hand to her forehead, her eyebrows twitching.

Are you serious? It feels like you’re just giving it away.

Woman!

What kind of Dao have you achieved?

What have you truly realized?

Shao Hua’s expression remained neutral as she waited for Lan Ling to recover. She then extended her hand, her long, fair fingers glowing with a radiant light, shattering the great Dao laws and shaking the eternal heavens.

Lan Ling’s heart raced with fear as she struggled to resist with all her might, but it was futile. She couldn’t slow down Shao Hua’s hand by even a fraction.

"Slap!"

The blow was earth-shattering, turning the desolate star domain into cosmic dust, leaving nothing behind.

"Ugh~ So strong, just as expected of my lord!" Lan Ling swayed her hips, biting her lip, her face blushing slightly.

If one looked closely, they would see a faint palm print on her buttocks.

Shao Hua clapped her hands, the dangerous light in her eyes finally fading.

Daring to toy with an Emperor comes with a price.

Lan Ling felt no bitterness or regret; she had long anticipated this outcome.

She just didn’t expect to be unable to withstand even one strike. The gap between them was too vast.

When her lord hadn’t yet achieved Dao, and Lan Ling had broken into the Ninth Level of Quasi-Emperor, she had seemed as distant as the moon, seemingly within reach.

Now, having lived two lifetimes and achieved Alternative Ascension, standing at the peak, she realized the moon was millions of miles away!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end