Beyond the borders of the Demon Spirit Land, at the Eastern Sea Gate, where the ancient passage once lay, stretched an abyss of unending night. Far above, distant stars glimmered, a tapestry of celestial fire against the void.

Then, from that immeasurable nothingness, a crimson streak descended. Its velocity defied all mortal understanding, exceeding the limits of any spell or cultivator’s speed.

There was but one word to capture such swiftness: **Arrival**.

Arrival transcended the very notion of speed, for it was not measured in distance or time. Across the Heavens, the Earth, the myriad realms, its essence could manifest in a single thought!

This crimson luminescence, born from the infinite celestial expanse, pierced the void without origin or known destination. As it approached, an aura washed over the universe, a wave of power that sent tremors through countless souls and primordial landscapes.

On the world of Tian Yun, Tian Yunzi sat in meditative silence, preparing for a grand design two centuries hence. But in that instant, his eyes flew open, burning with an otherworldly light. He gazed into the void, a flicker of unease crossing his face. His fingers danced through mystic gestures, calculating, divining. “The Heavens stir with tribulation,” he murmured, a furrow deepening between his brows. “Celestial interference clouds my sight, yet I perceive its destination: the Demon Spirit Land. And it is… linked to Tian Yun? Strange indeed!”

Upon Da Luo Star, within the Great Luo Sword Sect, the esteemed Ling Tianhou stood beside a colossal alchemical furnace. His eyes, when they opened, gleamed with hidden brilliance.

“But a few more ingredients are needed for this Grand Creation Pill…” Yet, abruptly, his expression shifted. He stamped his foot, vanishing from sight. When he reappeared, he hung in the star-strewn void beyond Da Luo, his gaze fixed on the distant crimson light. A look of astonishment filled his eyes.

“A Heavenly Tribulation!” He frowned, his face a mask of contemplation. After a long, searching look, as the crimson afterglow faded into the cosmic dark, he muttered to himself, “The Tribulation descends upon the Demon Spirit Land of the Eastern Sea? Ill tidings! Could some misfortune have befallen the Star Wolf?” Anxiety tightened his brow.

At that very moment, far beyond Tian Yun, on a planet bathed in perpetual crimson light – a Blood Star – within a blood-soaked pavilion, a man with hair and brows of burning scarlet sat in serene meditation. He was clad in robes of deep crimson, handsome and appearing to be in his prime. As he inhaled the essence of the universe, his eyes snapped open, and within them, a flash of bloody light exploded.

Without looking up, he silently absorbed the lingering echoes of the celestial impact. After a long while, he closed his eyes once more.

“The Heavenly Tribulation strikes the Demon Spirit Land. I wonder… how fares my child, Xixue?”

It was not just these three who were awakened by the advent of the Heavenly Tribulation; countless ancient beings felt its passing.

No barrier could impede the descent of the crimson light. The Eastern Sea’s Demon Spirit Land, though sealed, was pierced without resistance. The light plunged directly into its heart.

Within the Heavenly Demon County, at the capital city of Tian Yao, Wang Lin stood upon the vast plaza, having struck the fifteenth beat upon the Demon Drum. His spirit was undergoing a metamorphosis, his understanding deepening at an unimaginable pace.

To Ascend the Throne, one must achieve perfection in both Immortal Force and Dao Heart. When both are complete, they must merge – and this merging is the act of Ascension!

This was the legendary *Hearing the Dao in the Morning!*

The fusion was a cataclysmic clash between Dao Heart and Immortal Force, a collision of spirit and flesh. It was an evolution from mortal to celestial. The most perilous obstacle in Ascension lay within this very clash. Either it succeeded, transforming the aspirant into an Ascended One, or… it brought about utter obliteration, leaving no chance for survival. This was *Death in the Evening!*

*Hearing the Dao in the Morning, Death in the Evening!*

Even the path of the rogue Immortal was unattainable by those who failed here.

The only recourse was to remain forever at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, refusing to take that final, fateful step.

With the fifteenth strike of the Demon Drum, Wang Lin’s Dao Heart released all sorrow, rapidly approaching true perfection.

Around the immense plaza, the crowd was spellbound. In the span of a single day, Wang Lin had gifted them wonders beyond measure. His image was forever etched into the souls of all who witnessed his deed.

Then, as if the Heavens themselves were moved, the thunder and lightning that had filled the capital vanished in an instant. Suddenly, the whole world was washed in an inferno of crimson.

Looking upward, the red light was boundless, seemingly enveloping the entire sky.

Upon a painted boat in the Tian Yao city river, the young man’s face paled, then twisted into a wry smile. “How could I have forgotten? This lad is a cultivator, unlike myself. When I tempered my Reverse Heart, I needed the aid of elders and years of ancient demon sacrifices in Dragon Pool to mask it, thus avoiding the Heavenly Tribulation.”

“Still, this serves as a trial for the boy. Should he withstand the Heavens’ wrath, he will face no more celestial interference in his future ascensions. And judging from the nature of this tribulation, its power seems… manageable.”

The celestial anomaly was instantly observed by everyone within Tian Yao City, especially by those gathered in the vast plaza, who stood stunned and silent.

With unnatural speed, the crimson light coalesced into vast, ponderous crimson clouds, pressing down from the heavens. Centering over the plaza in the capital city, the dark energies continued to gather and condense.

Standing beside the Demon Drum, Wang Lin lifted his head, exhaling a deep breath.

“The Heavens cannot obstruct my Dao Heart, but they can deliver retribution, erasing my very existence… This, then, is the Heavenly Tribulation. Years ago, in the Qilin City of the Cultivation Sea, I witnessed its power. This time, compared to then, it is… far greater.”

As the crimson clouds solidified, a red bolt of lightning took shape within them. Though it had yet to strike, and emanated no discernible aura, the spectacle overhead was awe-inspiring, beautiful in its terrifying grandeur.

The young man on the painted boat, gazing at the lightning within the crimson clouds, breathed a sigh of relief. “Celestial punishment manifested in lightning form… there are two types. By its appearance, it could not possibly be the fabled second form. I wager, with ninety percent certainty, that this is the first, and simplest. Wang Lin is a fortunate child, indeed!”

Wang Lin gazed into the heavens. At that moment, all else faded into insignificance. The red lightning was the only thing that remained in his sight.
Seven centuries and more have etched themselves upon my soul, a life intertwined with the trials of Celestial Tribulation. I defied fate in the Sea of Demons, forging forbidden banners and inviting down the heavens’ wrath, all to alter the destiny of Li Muwan and summon the emissaries of the celestial Dao. Now, I stand defiant, clinging to my desires and cultivating against the very will of the heavens, drawing down the tribulation once more.

Wang Lin’s eyes held a serene gaze, yet within them burned a resolute fire.

Above, crimson clouds churned and coalesced, a maelstrom of furious energy. The heavens transformed into a sea of crimson, waves crashing inward toward a central vortex. There, the light of scarlet lightning blazed, illuminating all creation!

Then, a roar echoed from the depths of antiquity, emanating from the red clouds. The ground trembled, resonating with the heavens’ fury. In that instant, a bolt of crimson lightning descended!

It fell like a blazing star, hurtling from the sky towards Wang Lin. A chilling aura, the very essence of celestial slaughter, spread across the world, the heavens’ intent to obliterate.

It was the season of burgeoning life in the city of the Sky Demon, yet snow fell thick and heavy, each flake laden with the heavens’ killing intent!

Amidst the swirling snow, the crimson lightning screamed its descent.

All the world was now consumed by a single sound: the thunderous rage of the heavens!

All the world was now bathed in a single color: the blood-red hue of the tribulation’s lightning!

All the world was now permeated by a single intent: the celestial slaughter, far greater than the murder of a billion souls!

The heavens sought death!

Wang Lin’s eyes snapped open, unleashing a torrent of inner light. His three thousand, seven hundred, and more Seals of Life coalesced within him. With a swift motion, he retrieved the Forbidden Banner from his storage, and unfurled it. Around him, black mist erupted, swirling with the arcane glow of countless forbidden seals.

“Heaven, rage as you may, you cannot extinguish my existence!” Wang Lin roared, his right hand rising to meet the crimson lightning’s descent!

At that moment, Wang Lin stood like the sun and moon. His hair streamed, his robes billowed, and his eyes blazed with defiance. He was a man who stood against the very heavens!

With a single gesture, a torrent of black energy erupted skyward, the countless forbidden seals forming a colossal vortex of darkness to meet the celestial tribulation!

The crimson lightning struck the black hurricane. The resulting cataclysm tore through the heavens, a deafening roar echoing across the land. Within the Sky Demon City, countless souls bled from their ears, collapsing into unconsciousness.

Even those observing from the grand plaza suffered, though to a lesser extent. The Demon Generals struggled to control their powers, as though the very sound of the tribulation threatened to shatter them.

Only the Demon Commanders could stand unyielding, their gazes fixed upon the celestial tribulation.

The black hurricane, woven from all the seals within the Forbidden Banner, met the crimson lightning head-on. Then, with a deafening crack, the hurricane shattered as if crushed from within.

The crimson lightning pierced through the remnants, cleaving the hurricane asunder. The forbidden seals dissolved into nothingness.

“Heaven seeks to slay, but I shall extinguish the heavens!” Wang Lin roared, a potent force surging from his being. As the crimson lightning broke through the Forbidden Banner’s defenses, he raised his right hand, and the Finger of Extinction flared to life!

Not just one, but ten, a hundred Fingers of Extinction!

Wang Lin’s left hand plunged into his storage, and mountains of immortal jade rained down upon the ground beneath him.

He stood upon the summit of this jade peak, the great Demon Drum looming behind him. He gazed skyward, and torrents of immortal energy surged into him through his feet.

A hundred Fingers of Extinction merged into one, unleashing a black beam thrice the height of a man, tearing towards the descending crimson lightning!

“I dare to defy the heavens! I dare to cling to my desires! I shall struggle against the heavens! Celestial Tribulation, you may shatter my body, but my Dao heart, you shall never break!” His gaze pierced through the crimson lightning, reaching the heart of the crimson cloud above.

From the heavens, a greater roar erupted, as if in reply to Wang Lin’s declaration!