**Chapter 5: Mastering the Void Scroll, Preparing for the Immortal Ascension Tribulation**
"Master, Master, what cultivation stage are you at now?" A young girl in a white dress rested her chin in her hands, blinking up at Yun Han.
Yun Han set down the Void Scroll and looked at Xue Yue in her white dress. His furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and a smile tugged at his lips as he reached out to ruffle her hair.
"Your master has already reached the Great Ascension Stage, Yueyue. You need to work harder now."
Unbeknownst to them, another six hundred years had passed. During this time, no other spiritual herbs or beasts had transformed into human form.
Xue Yue, perhaps due to her origins, had only reached the mid-Core Formation Stage in her cultivation.
When Xue Yue first appeared in a red dress, Yun Han had deemed it inauspicious and told her it didn't suit her.
Since then, Xue Yue had never worn red again, instead opting for white dresses.
However, perhaps because she was a transformed spiritual herb—a Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng—her cultivation progressed slowly, and her growth was equally gradual. She still retained the appearance of a young girl.
Yet as a transformed spiritual herb, and a Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng at that, her lifespan was exceptionally long—nearly five times that of ordinary human cultivators.
"Wow! Master, does that mean you're about to undergo the Immortal Ascension Tribulation and become an immortal?" Xue Yue's eyes sparkled with starry admiration.
"Heh, not quite yet," Yun Han chuckled, ruffling her hair again.
"Master..." Xue Yue's voice suddenly turned somber.
"What's wrong?" Yun Han noticed her change in mood.
"If Master becomes an immortal, I heard you'll ascend to the Immortal Realm. Master... will you abandon Xue Yue?" She lowered her head, her spirits sinking.
Yun Han paused, then patted her small head.
"Silly disciple, what are you saying? How could Master ever abandon you? Of course I'll take you with me when the time comes."
*A spirit herb that has taken human form should be able to ascend to the Immortal Realm, right? At worst, I'll have her revert to her true form. That should work... right?*
"Really?" Xue Yue suddenly looked up, her eyes shining.
"Really!"
"Okay, okay! Then we have a promise, Master! You absolutely can't abandon me!"
"Alright, alright, we have a promise."
Under the golden glow of the setting sun, master and disciple made their vow once more. Their shadows stretched long and thin across the twilight landscape...
***
Time flowed like a river, a thousand years passing in the blink of an eye, like a white horse galloping past a crack in a wall.
During this millennium, Yun Han finally comprehended one-third of the Void Scroll, allowing him to effortlessly cast teleportation formations and various spatial magic. His cultivation realm reached the late Great Ascension Stage.
Xue Yue, meanwhile, had advanced from the Core Formation Stage to the late Nascent Soul Stage—remarkable progress, considering how exponentially more difficult cultivation becomes at higher realms.
Xue Yue's innate spiritual herb body had always hindered her cultivation progress. However, Yun Han's abundant resources had forcibly propelled her forward. By now, she had consumed nearly every type of pill from the Qi Refining Stage to the Nascent Soul Stage, developing resistance to most of them.
Through this process, Yun Han finally understood why Xue Yue's cultivation had been so challenging. Her true form was a mutated Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng, explaining why she had manifested into human form so early among all spiritual herbs.
Upon reaching the late Great Ascension Stage, Yun Han sensed the impending Thunder Tribulation. This time, he began preparations well in advance.
Regardless of their effectiveness, Yun Han spent a full century deploying every Formation from the Qi Refining Stage to the Great Ascension Stage—defensive, offensive, spirit-gathering, and damage-transferring formations.
In total, he arranged 9,750 Formations and stockpiled hundreds of each type of Great Ascension Stage pill, amassing over 3,000 pills. He also prepared numerous talismans, including ten First-Grade Immortal Talismans granted by the System upon breaking through to the Great Ascension Stage.
The over three thousand Magic Treasures he had were all he had left, aside from those he kept for himself and Xue Yue.
"Xue Yue," Yun Han called her over.
"When Master prepares to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation, you must stay in Master's Beast Pet Space."
This space, a reward from the System for reaching the Great Ascension Stage, spanned five hundred square meters and contained a miniature ecosystem, though it currently housed no Spirit Pets.
"Master, I want to watch you face the Heavenly Tribulation," Xue Yue said, gazing at him.
"Nonsense! The Heavenly Tribulation will affect all sentient beings within range, and it will automatically increase in power if it detects any assistance. If you truly want to help Master, obey me! Hide in the space."
Yun Han's expression darkened as he rebuked her sternly.
"Alright," Xue Yue replied, shrinking back slightly, seeing her Master's anger for the first time.
"Sigh..." Yun Han sighed, feeling a headache coming on. He finally understood how it felt to have someone holding him back. *Well, she's my disciple after all,* he thought. *I'll just have to discipline her more strictly later.* He resolved to do so.
Determined not to become one of those protagonists in his past life's novels who were dragged down by others, Yun Han vowed that from this day forward, anyone who tried to hinder him would face his full "attention."
Taking a deep breath, Yun Han entered the Cultivation Grounds, preparing to refine his cultivation to perfection before undergoing the Immortal Ascension Tribulation!
***
In the blink of an eye, thirty years had passed...
On this day, a startling phenomenon suddenly appeared above the once tranquil island.
The sky seemed to tear open, revealing massive fissures from which countless ink-black Tribulation Clouds surged forth in an endless torrent.
Like a raging black tide, they rapidly converged and spread across the heavens.
In an instant, a violent gale erupted without warning, roaring like the fury of hell itself.
The overwhelming force of the wind swept across the entire island, making it nearly impossible to stand. Simultaneously, the boundless might of the heavens descended like Mount Tai crushing an egg, exerting an irresistible pressure.
In the blink of an eye, the entire region was plunged into darkness, the sunlight completely obscured, leaving the surroundings dim and lifeless.
This sudden cataclysm left everyone stunned, as if the end of the world were imminent.
"Yueyue, come here," Yun Han called out.
"Master..." Xue Yue approached him, gazing worriedly at the apocalyptic scene unfolding above.
"It's alright. You should go into the Beast Pet Space first," Yun Han said with a gentle smile. A white vortex materialized beside him, opening the System's Beast Pet Space.
"Mm. Master, be careful," Xue Yue nodded, understanding she couldn't help him. She stepped into the white vortex, which then vanished with her.
***
Meanwhile, beyond the Endless Sea, several gazes turned toward that direction once more.
"I've never felt anything like this before," the wise eyes revealed a deep solemnity.
"A variable?" the cold eyes inquired.
"I wonder if this will rouse *that one*?" the thoughtful eyes mused.
***
High above, a dormant gaze slowly opened, its gaze fixed on the island. After a long, silent stare, the eyes closed again...
***
"The Immortal Ascension Tribulation... its threat is far greater than anything I've faced before. I wonder if I can truly overcome it."
Yun Han raised his head to gaze at the dark, swirling Tribulation Cloud overhead. His figure slowly ascended into the sky, arriving at the location where the Formation had been prepared.
Entering the Formation, Yun Han began activating all the Formations.
"Formation, activate! Control the Formation!" Yun Han's voice rang out like a thunderclap, reverberating across heaven and earth.
"Five Directions Heaven and Earth Manual! May the spiritual energy of heaven and earth be at my command! Activate the Formation!"
His hands moved with lightning speed, forming seals as if weaving a mystical tapestry in the void.
Countless streams of spiritual energy surged from all directions, converging upon the Formation.
In an instant, countless dazzling lights erupted, shining as brilliantly as stars in the night sky.
Nine thousand seven hundred and fifty Formations activated simultaneously, creating a spectacle that left onlookers speechless.
Each Formation radiated a unique aura and power, intertwining and merging to form an overwhelmingly powerful torrent of energy.
This torrent swept forward with the force of a mountain collapsing and the fury of a tidal wave, distorting the void and altering the very colors of the sky and clouds in its wake.
In a heartbeat, the entire sea was enveloped in this blinding light, as if transported to a dreamlike realm.
Strange and profound lights intertwined, creating a dazzling display of vibrant colors.
These were not mere flashes of light; they contained boundless mysteries and profound secrets, captivating all who beheld them.
Within this ocean of light, Yun Han seemed like a deity commanding heaven and earth. His figure blurred, yet his presence permeated every corner of the formation.
His will merged with the formation, resonating with its every pulse, allowing it to operate with seamless fluidity. Each flicker of light, each surge of energy, responded to his thoughts, perfectly executing his commands.
As the formation continued to operate, its power gradually revealed itself.
The surrounding seawater, influenced by the formation, erupted into towering waves, surging with violent force.
In the sky above, lightning flashed and thunder roared as dark clouds churned, heralding an earth-shattering storm.
Yet amidst this chaos, Yun Han's mind remained remarkably calm. He focused all his attention on manipulating the formation, merging his soul with its essence.
Under his control, the formation's transformations grew increasingly wondrous and unpredictable, revealing infinite possibilities.
He intended to harness the combined power of these nine thousand seven hundred and fifty formations to break through his current predicament and withstand the overwhelming force of the Immortal Ascension Thunder Tribulation.
....................
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