Chapter 328: Long Liu’s Journey (2)
Like countless others before and after her, Long Liu had been trapped at the peak of the Transcending Tribulation Realm—a bottleneck that defied time, talent, and even bloodlines.
Fifty thousand years had passed since she touched that threshold. Despite the ancient power running through her veins, despite the strength she had painstakingly built, the next step eluded her… until now.
After the war with the Obsidian Court, something within her had changed. For millennia, her Dao had been a path forged in blood and vengeance. She had never once doubted it, but now, for the first time, she saw beyond it.
Not a flaw, but a horizon. What she once believed to be the end of her journey was merely a wall hiding the sky.
She no longer sought victory through violence. Her soul, long sharpened into a blade, yearned for stillness, for balance. The rage that once fueled her ascension had faded into clarity. And with that clarity, the door to the heavens creaked open.
Her journey in the Mortal Realm had reached its final chapter. What came next would begin far beyond its bounds.
High above, the storm finished taking shape, an impossibly vast maelstrom of black clouds and crackling purple and blue arcs. Compared to the Heavenly Tribulations she had previously endured, this one was on an entirely different level. It was not a storm of punishment—it was a gatekeeper, standing at the threshold of immortality.
Long Liu looked skyward, unflinching. Whether she lived or died, she was at peace. If she perished beneath the wrath of heaven, she would finally reunite with her long-departed Senior Brother. If she triumphed, she would walk the path of her Dao into eternity.
Either path brought no sorrow.
As the first bolt of divine lightning tore through the heavens, Long Liu's body began to change. Her small frame expanded, her skin shimmered and hardened into gleaming crimson scales, and a pair of magnificent draconic wings unfurled from her back. Her bloodline had fully awakened.
Then, the storm struck.
A pillar of lightning, the width of a mountain, descended. Rising to meet it was the phantom of a red dragon, a hundred meters tall, coiling behind Long Liu like a guardian spirit. The dragon roared—a deafening, sky-shaking cry that defied the heavens themselves.
Long Liu roared alongside it and threw a punch that split space and time.
The first bolt of heavenly lightning shattered under Long Liu's punch, but the storm was far from over. One after another, bolts rained down from the heavens. But her hands never stopped moving. With each flash, a punch. With each punch, defiance.
Arcs of lightning danced across her crimson-scaled body, crawling over her skin like wild serpents. Even with her formidable attacks and defense, it was impossible to completely resist the might of the heavens. The pain was immense—burning, searing—but beneath it, something stirred.
The very force trying to destroy her was also tempering her flesh, bone, and spirit. She could feel it; her body growing stronger, her soul growing clearer. Every heartbeat brought her closer to the next realm.
Then, it happened.
A sudden silence fell as the final bolt dissipated into harmless sparks. The storm unraveled, its fury spent, and the skies cleared. She had done it. Long Liu had stepped beyond the Mortal Realm. She was now an Immortal Ascension cultivator.
The tribulation faded, not in defeat, but in acknowledgment. As if the heavens themselves had bowed their heads to her will.
Those who ascended were granted a final grace: a short time to remain in the mortal world. An hour, a day, perhaps more. But there was one sacred rule. Kill, and you would be forcibly exiled to the Immortal Realm. The heavens granted you a moment to say farewell, or to settle a single score.
But Long Liu no longer sought vengeance. There was no one left for her to fight. Her story in the Mortal Realm was complete. The enemies of her past were long dead, and the legacy of the present would be carried by the younger generation.
Her journey lay ahead.
She turned her gaze to the horizon. Dozens of kilometers away, she spotted Feng Fan, his mouth curled into that familiar, infuriatingly dumb grin.
She couldn't help but smile.
Her lips moved silently. No sound crossed the distance, but the words reached his heart.
"I'll be waiting for you."
Feng Fan's grin faded. His eyes sharpened with resolve as he gave a firm nod. She returned it quietly
Then, without another word, Long Liu stepped forward, tearing through the fabric of space. The void opened before her, and she vanished into it, leaving the Mortal Realm behind.
Xue Qiang, standing quietly beside Feng Fan, couldn't tear her eyes away from the sky. Even from dozens of kilometers away, Long Liu's presence felt overwhelming. The air still crackled faintly with residual lightning, and the space where the red dragon had roared seemed to shimmer with lingering divine energy.
Her heart pounded, not from fear, but from awe. She had watched a woman ascend beyond the mortal world.
A woman who had crawled out of the ashes of tragedy, carved her name into history with blood and perseverance, and reached heights that most could only dream of. A woman who, despite all the heavens had thrown at her, never bent. Never broke.
Long Liu was not just strong. She was living proof that fate could be defied. Xue Qiang didn't know Long Liu's history, but she could feel it. Her Dao resonated with Long Liu.
A warmth bloomed in her hand. She realized she had been gripping Feng Fan's hand tighter without noticing. She turned her head slightly and met his gaze.
Feng Fan raised an eyebrow, curious. "What is it, Qinqin?"
Xue Qiang smiled softly, her expression tinged with determination. She stepped closer, her eyes locking with his, unwavering. "Fanfan… one day, we'll go together to the Immortal Realm, right? I want to live forever by your side."
He smiled.
Not the usual mischievous grin or careless smirk, but a genuine, heartfelt smile. "Of course," he said simply.
But inside, his thoughts were already racing.
'Go to the Immortal Realm… together?'
'What if I took the entire White Crow Sect? Grow my sect in the Immortal Realm…'
Feng Fan's eyes sparkled with a dangerous kind of ambition.
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