Chapter 214

"Isn't this the calamity that only appears in ancient times?"

"Legend says that only the most supreme prodigies, after completing their heavenly tribulation, experience the Fire Tribulation, which forges their physical bodies."

"Forge the physical body? This… just seeing it feels like a life-or-death crisis; if it's used to forge the body… the consequences must be dire."

"Brother, you feel it well. This Fire Tribulation wasn't something even average prodigies could enjoy in ancient times—nine out of ten supreme prodigies perished within it."

"Fire Tribulation!" Zhang Taixuan frowned. "Something's wrong. Records from this world say the Fire Tribulation hasn't appeared in ages?!"

His thoughts shifted, beginning to deduce the cause and effect.

"So it's the Tribulation of Creating a Dao. Of course—though Taihua Yixing is powerful, it still cannot escape Heaven's scrutiny when facing tribulation."

This world is a top-tier great universe, its essence extraordinary.

Even the most powerful divine arts cannot match it.

When an avatar of the Immortal Martial Dao undergoes tribulation, it naturally affects the original self and other avatars.

"But what do I have to fear?!"

His expression turned icy; he unleashed a divine art—not dodging, but charging straight into the Fire Tribulation.

The other avatars did the same.

The next instant, all four individuals undergoing tribulation were engulfed in blazing flames.

0 ····Requesting flowers······ ······

This fire is no ordinary flame, nor karmic fire, nor any kind of immortal fire—it is the primordial Dao-fire from the dawn of creation, the one speck of Hongmeng fire that only the most extraordinary experts can summon after creating their Dao.

This tribulation is both trial and supreme opportunity.

Those who survive it gain from this fire an unmatched physical body and a foundation for the Great Dao—even those born postnatally can rival primordial divine beings.

Those who fail? All is lost—they turn to ash.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

The moment the Hongmeng Dao-fire touched him, Zhang Taixuan and his avatars felt all three Tribulation Curses within their bodies shatter.

The Three Tribulation Curses were supreme divine arts.

Human Tribulation, Heavenly Tribulation, Earthly Tribulation—all were fully triggered at once.

Once he passed this tribulation, he could refine the profound and mysterious power into strength, propelling him further.

But now, he had no mind for that.

This was the most perilous moment of his entire cultivation.

His formidable body burned in the Dao-fire, his magic power ignited, his soul transformed into a blazing fireball.

Even the Star Measuring Ruler, forged from the world's primordial essence and ten divine immortal metals, glowed red-hot under the Dao-fire.

If a cultivator cannot control body, magic power, soul, or spiritual treasure—what remains?

Zhang Taixuan remained utterly calm, his mind racing.

"Only with an unshakable Dao-heart, fearless of the myriad paths of the mortal world, fearless of countless tribulations, can one reach the other shore."

To cultivators, magic power, body, soul, and spiritual treasures are all external things.

All external things are ultimately unreliable.

As soon as the Hongmeng Primordial Dao-fire ignited, Zhang Taixuan understood its purpose—for a cultivator, the most precious thing is a steadfast Dao-heart.

So long as the Dao-heart remains firm, one day one will reach the pinnacle.

Of course, this applies only to those enduring the Hongmeng Primordial Dao-fire Tribulation.

For others, a Dao-heart alone is not enough.

Surviving this fire tribulation itself proves one's talent is among the absolute peak of this universe.

They need only one final awakening.

Others who imitate them? Merely the ugly mimicry of Dong Shi.

Zhang Taixuan closed his eyes, no longer resisting the torment of the Dao-fire, as if the agony of burning flesh did not exist—he activated his magic power, his body began to glow, his soul retracted, condensing the flames into the center, transforming them into his own foundation.

In moments, his previously withered body gradually regained vitality, muscles swelling, surpassing even his former state.

His magic power condensed to an unimaginable degree—where once he needed divine arts to condense chaotic qi, now a single strand of purple Dao-fire descended into his sea of bitterness, and chaotic qi surged forth like water without roots.

His body now radiated an aura of eternal imperishability, as if he had emerged from Hongmeng's dawn, a primordial divine being walking in this world.

His soul became supremely agile; behind him appeared a purple luminous wheel, exuding supreme nobility.

"Now my body carries a trace of Hongmeng aura. With diligent cultivation, my future is boundless."

Beyond his own transformation, even the Star Measuring Ruler had grown ancient and primordial, like an artifact from Hongmeng's dawn—its Hongmeng aura swirling, infused with a strand of Dao-fire, radiating infinite power.

"This is a supreme opportunity."

Zhang Taixuan was stunned—he saw his Creation Tribulation end, yet his other avatars still endured theirs; he immediately opened Shangcheng and initiated a lottery draw.

His Phoenix avatar has yet to forge its weapon—now is the time, when else?

External things are unreliable—that's the prestige of supreme experts; but he is still a mere shrimp, so he must fully exploit the Dao-fire to forge the Phoenix avatar's Dao-certifying weapon.