Chapter 4

In the vast expanse of the heavens, there are countless cultivators, but those who achieve immortality are few, even since the beginning of time. Even if they attain great power and freedom for a time, it is difficult for them to achieve eternal life and escape the cycle of rebirth.

For any extraordinary being to become immortal, they must endure the heavenly tribulations.

Thunder rumbled incessantly, striking the giant carp, causing it to cry out in pain, blood splattering, and scales flying.

The clouds were torn apart by the carp but quickly mended.

Yu Duxiu, seated in a secluded cave, fell into deep thought. In the boundless void, he seemed to sense a strange force that had locked onto the carp in the sky.

Black chains, composed of countless black mists, spread like vast nets across the heavens, binding the carp tightly.

This black mist permeated the heavens and earth, omnipresent, but only the mist around the carp transformed into chains, binding it firmly.

It seemed like a chain reaction; more and more mist was drawn to the area, absorbed by the chains, making them stronger and unbreakable.

In the void, Yu Duxiu's consciousness seemed to connect with the chains, exchanging thoughts with all the mist in the world, drawing countless black mists into his body.

"This carp is finished; it cannot survive this great tribulation," the old ancestor of the Taiping Dao said, his eyes shimmering with boundless starlight, as if containing a world.

The leader of the Taiyi Dao's eyelids twitched slightly: "This carp is just one step away from immortality, and its entire body is full of valuable things; it cannot be missed."

At the same time, the leaders of various sects sighed lightly, lamenting the hardships of the path to immortality and the fall of another great being, one who was almost a step away from the gates of immortality.

In the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, the four Dragon Kings clenched their claws, their eyes filled with helplessness: "How unjust is the heavens? Why must our demon race endure such great tribulations to achieve immortality?"

The Western Sea Dragon King closed his eyes, his breathing erratic. After a while, he said: "Brothers, mourn for a while. We have lived from the beginning of time to today, witnessing the fall of countless half-step immortals. This is the way of the heavens; what can we do but sigh?"

"The body of this fellow demon carries the blood of our dragon race. Whether it falls or not, its remains must not be desecrated. We must bring its body back and send its immortal soul to reincarnate, perhaps to rise again in the future," the Northern Sea Dragon King said, touching the jade belt at his waist.

In a small village, Yu Shiniang trembled as she watched the lightning in the sky, her eyes filled with determination: "Brother, come back quickly."

At this moment, Yu Duxiu entered a strange state, watching the carp struggle in the chains, its eyes filled with despair. He could not help but feel compassion: "Heaven is merciful, all beings are equal, why must they suffer such great tribulations?"

Thinking this, Yu Duxiu's consciousness involuntarily approached the carp.

The carp had cultivated for countless years and had already despaired in the vast heavenly power, even abandoning its defenses. But suddenly, it was stunned, its eyes filled with shock as a consciousness appeared in the thunder tribulation.

It must be understood that in the heavens, even the Dao Ancestors who had achieved immortality would not dare to release their souls during another's tribulation.

"I can feel your sorrow, is it the despair of countless years of cultivation?" Yu Duxiu's consciousness fluctuated.

The carp spirit moved its throat: "Who are you?"

"Look at that cave."

The carp spirit, a mighty being in this world, naturally had the ability to see through illusions. It saw the figure in the cave, surrounded by the aura of the mundane world, clearly not a cultivator.

Yu Duxiu also saw his own body but did not pay attention to it at this moment. His emotions seemed to be erased, leaving only a dazed, primal consciousness.

"What a pity," Yu Duxiu muttered. In the next moment, he subconsciously communicated with the black chains, and in the carp spirit's astonished gaze, the chains gradually dissipated.

"Bang" The void trembled, the chains dissipated, and the carp spirit took the opportunity to break free from the black mist's lock.

The void instantly changed color, and Yu Duxiu's soul was jolted awake by the powerful shock. The next moment, the world spun, and he returned to his body.

"Roar~~~" A joyful cry echoed through the heavens, and golden flowers descended from the void, spreading across the world.

Countless lightning essences descended from the lightning, absorbed by the carp spirit. A powerful aura brewed within the carp spirit, bursting forth like a tidal wave, causing the entire world to pause for a moment.

"Brother, this, this, this," the Northern Sea Dragon King stuttered.

"His fate has been changed, actually changed. How is this possible? Why was it destined to fall in the great tribulation, yet now it has achieved immortality?" the Eastern Sea Dragon King was shocked, his mouth agape.

"A fifth true dragon is about to appear in our dragon race. Is this real, Second Brother, give me a slap to see."

"Slap."

"Did you really hit me?"

"You said it."

At this moment, not only were the four Dragon Kings shocked, but the leaders of various sects also stood up suddenly. The heavenly tribulation was irreversible, a law since ancient times. But now, the carp spirit's fate had been reversed, or perhaps the heavenly tribulation had been altered. What had happened?

The eyes of the leaders of the sects glowed with excitement. They looked at each other, wondering if they could understand how to reverse the tribulation. If so, wouldn't they have an advantage in the future?

But now, the carp spirit was still undergoing the tribulation. After the carp spirit completed the tribulation, they would need to investigate thoroughly, the leaders thought.

Yu Duxiu stood up, looking at the giant carp in the void, his eyes filled with surprise: "Earlier, the carp seemed helpless and resigned to death. Why is it now so lively? Was what happened earlier not an illusion, but real?"

Yu Duxiu was now somewhat confused. Did he really see the black chains and black mist? But why couldn't he see them now?

Countless essences of the heavens and earth appeared in the void, falling onto the carp spirit. Some were absorbed by the carp spirit, while others were stored in a jade bottle.

The void rippled, and a gate seemed to slowly open, shimmering with endless colors, illuminating the heavens.

"Dragon Gate, the legendary Dragon Gate? I never thought the Dragon Gate of our dragon race was real," the Eastern Sea Dragon King said, shocked. The Dragon Gate, a mystical gate that could purify the blood of countless dragon kin and transform them into divine dragons, had only been a legend since ancient times, never seen.

"Don't think about it. The Dragon Gate is a manifestation of the laws of the heavens; no one can take it, or they will suffer heavenly punishment," the Eastern Sea Dragon King said coldly, his voice echoing through the heavens. The various sect leaders, who had been eyeing the Dragon Gate greedily, were stunned and reluctantly withdrew their gazes. No matter how good the Dragon Gate was, with those four old guys guarding it, forcibly taking it would mean an endless battle with the four Dragon Kings.

They had already achieved immortality; no matter how good the Dragon Gate was, it was of no use to them. Offending five immortal cultivators would be absolutely not worth it.

Indeed, you didn't misread; there were five. In addition to the four Dragon Kings, the carp spirit had also achieved immortality.

Immortality, the realm of true eternal life.

The carp spirit did not rush to jump through the Dragon Gate but turned its head, its two lantern-sized eyes looking at Yu Duxiu, filled with an indescribable meaning.

The carp spirit was now puzzled. Earlier, this person had reduced the tribulation for it, but why was this person surrounded by the aura of the mundane world, showing no signs of being a cultivator? It was truly strange.

The body of the carp spirit gradually shrank, transforming into a human form, a monster with a fish head approaching Chen Jiu. Perhaps it was the nature of fish eyes to be unsettling, but to Yu Duxiu, the fish-headed creature's eyes were filled with coldness, showing no gratitude. Recalling the stories of demons from his past life, they were all cold-blooded, cruel, and ungrateful. Even with two lifetimes of experience, Yu Duxiu couldn't help but tremble slightly.

The carp spirit was somewhat depressed, looking at the trembling mortal, a question arising in its heart: "I may not be as handsome as a jade tree, but I'm not ugly. Why is this person so scared of me?"

The carp spirit didn't consider that human aesthetic standards and those of demons could be different.

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