Chapter 116 Ascension

Yao Sisi's elaborate deception wouldn't completely fool the spirit. Regardless of how much the spirit believed her, as long as the spirit couldn't do anything about her, it would feign compliance and eventually pry something out of her.

The human and the spirit deceived each other until the day of ascension drew closer, and all the high-ranking cultivators of the entire sect came to witness Yao Sisi's ascension tribulation.

In the sky, the once clear and bright sky was now shrouded in a thick layer of gloom. The dark clouds were as thick and black as flowing ink, churning in an almost frenzied manner. This was even more terrifying than the tribulation clouds of the predecessors who ascended in the sect. Even in the special venue within the sect, with special formations to cover it, the air pressure still spread outward.

The air grew increasingly heavy and oppressive, bending the surrounding trees low, their branches trembling and rustling in the wind, and pressing the flowers and grass on the ground against the powerful air pressure.

Others didn't understand why, and they were all whispering among themselves. They all agreed that this Peak Master Yao's ascension age was too young, making him a prodigy, so it seemed understandable that his tribulation was more intense.

At this moment, Yao Sisi, who was directly below the tribulation clouds, knew what was going on. After all, she was not from this world. Normally, she was fine, and the Heavenly Dao was too lazy to bother with her. But once she was involved in the tribulation, she would be the focus of the Heavenly Dao of this world, and it would definitely deal with her severely.

However, she had prepared a considerable number of lightning-avoiding magical artifacts to prepare for the impending terrifying lightning tribulation. She slowly took a deep breath, looked at the angry thunderclouds, and forcibly suppressed the tension in her heart.

The upcoming tribulation would be a life-or-death test, but her gaze grew ever more resolute…

Her tribulation lasted for three whole days, with the thunderclouds gathering power for more than a day. The first lightning bolt was unusually different from others. While others' first lightning bolts were merely tests, relatively weak and giving the person undergoing the tribulation ample time to recover, her first lightning bolt was extremely powerful, sweeping down with an all-encompassing force, as if it wanted to devour her.

The powerful impact made Yao Sisi feel as if she had been hit hard by a mountain, and her body was instantly thrown away by a huge force.

She felt as if all the bones in her body were about to fall apart, and her internal organs were violently shaken. She couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

She wiped her mouth, looked up at the sky, and thought to herself: Okay, so this is how you play it.

The second lightning tribulation gave Yao Sisi no time to catch her breath. The two lightning tribulations struck one after the other, like two fists landing one after the other. The surrounding air was distorted and deformed by the impact of the lightning tribulation, forming visible vortexes.

Yao Sisi directly channeled the lightning tribulation into her personal space.

A moment later, she heard the mournful wails of the spirit inside, cursing at her: "Liar! May you die a horrible death..."

Yao Sisi touched the blood at the corner of her mouth and said slowly, "How can you blame me? Didn't you see that this tribulation came almost at the same time? It was completely different from other people's ascension tribulations, and it disrupted all my previous plans."

While keeping an eye on the lightning tribulation, she searched for the location of the artifact spirit within the space. The lightning tribulation itself would lock onto its target, and being struck so suddenly caught the artifact spirit off guard. Already weakened, it exposed its location and was immediately locked onto by Yao Sisi.

Her expression was cold and stern as she cast a complex spell. Immediately, a transparent ripple appeared out of thin air in the space. This ripple spread outwards in circles like the ripples on a lake after a boulder has been thrown in, carrying a strange rhythm. This was actually a forbidden technique—the Soul-Binding Array.

Yao Sisi doesn't like using blood or violence, but that doesn't mean she lets others exploit her. When necessary, she must be tough, even if it means using extreme measures.

This Soul-Binding Array was originally a technique of evil cultivators, extremely bloody and violent, forcibly extracting souls and refining spirits. She found several masters who studied arrays to improve it. The array masters she knew were basically among the top figures in the world. Their values ​​had long been formed, and they had even seen more evil. They had their own methods of judging Yao Sisi's requests.

Most people, especially those who aspire to ascension, are unwilling to get involved in too many negative karmas and have their own philosophy of life.

For example, Yao Sisi has been refining artifacts for many years and has long discovered that the process of refining artifacts requires mastering the art of balance. After all the materials have been melted down, it is necessary to maintain a balance in order to better integrate them. It is as if this is not refining artifacts, but rather that the treasure itself should be like this.

To achieve balance, one must protect one's energy and prevent it from being polluted by negative external influences. How can one not be affected by killing when surrounded by it?

When the Soul-Binding Array was improved, it was no longer like before, forcibly causing people pain and torment to obtain strange energy through torture. It could only be used to fix the soul.

Within the formation, a chilling aura permeated the air as if it were a tangible substance, every wisp of air seemingly soaked in icy malice. At this moment, the spirit of the artifact finally revealed its appearance, its shape resembling neither human nor human, with horns on its head, somewhat similar to an orc. Its soul was black with a bloody glow, and it was not annihilated even when struck by lightning.

Even Yao Sisi's own soul couldn't withstand such a powerful lightning strike, yet the artifact spirit still existed, which shows how powerful it must have been when it was intact.

She brought her divine sense closer to examine it. The surface of the dark artifact spirit's soul was covered with fine cracks, from which black smoke constantly seeped out, emitting a pungent, putrid stench, as if it were miasma from hell.

Yao Sisi asked curiously, "Why are you so ugly?"

The spirit's face contorted with rage: "..."

Yao Sisi knew, of course, that what she said was infuriating, but she was willing to accept it. Being cruel to the enemy was being kind to herself; she was just too kind.

The spirit roared, its nose flat and twisted, its nostrils wide open, constantly spewing out black mist, its mouth stretched to an exaggerated degree, revealing two rows of sharp teeth.

Yao Sisi: "Your teeth aren't growing very well either."

The most vicious insults are often the simplest forms of greeting.

Yao Sisi seemed to still have a touch of naivety in her tone: "You weren't being chased because you were too ugly, were you? There's a popular joke around here: it's not your fault you're ugly, but it is your fault you go out and scare people."

The spirit said, "In the face of such a calamity, you only care about my appearance. Isn't judging others by their appearance the most lowly thing to do?"

Yao Sisi: "Yeah, but you're not human. I was wondering why you were always hiding before. I finally found out about you this time!"

Just as the two were talking, the third lightning tribulation was once again drawn into the personal space, while Yao Sisi herself suffered very little damage. Sometimes she felt that the lightning tribulation itself was not aimed at her, but rather at the artifact spirit.

The dark spirit of the artifact was terrified by the sudden lightning and let out a sharp scream. It tried to dodge, but its body seemed to be bound by an invisible force, and it could only watch helplessly as the lightning drew closer and closer.

Yao Sisi's tribulation also left outsiders bewildered. They couldn't understand why the tribulation was so strange, let alone the way she was undergoing it.

Yao Sisi, caught in the midst of the tribulation, had no time to care what others thought. Since she was going to leave once she successfully passed the tribulation, she was even less inclined to explain.

Moreover, given her status, there's no need for her to explain anything to others.

The lightning bolt, after striking down, was drawn into the personal space and instantly hit the dark spirit of the artifact. The powerful current surged into its soul like a raging tide, causing it to tremble violently. The black mist on its surface was instantly shattered, revealing the twisted and deformed soul inside.

The soul was still covered with fine cracks, from which black blood seeped out and dripped onto the ground, making a "sizzling" sound and corroding small pits.

However, this was only the beginning. Immediately afterwards, bolts of lightning struck down one after another, like the wrathful whips of the gods, mercilessly lashing at the dark spirit of the artifact.

The dark spirit's body gradually disintegrated under the violent lightning strikes. Its limbs were cleanly severed by lightning, purple electric light flashing at the cuts, and black smoke continuously emanating from the wounds.

The spirit said, "We can negotiate what you want. I have treasures in the outer heavens, enough for you to use after you ascend, as long as you release my soul."

Yao Sisi remained unmoved. She didn't eliminate the fake artifact spirit for the sake of treasure, but only for her own safety. It was a huge hidden danger that could explode at any time. As long as the artifact spirit existed, she would have another knot in her heart, making her dare not fully immerse herself in cultivation.

During the tribulation, the spirit kept trying to persuade Yao Sisi, throwing out countless baits, many of which Yao Sisi really wanted, but she resisted them all. This spirit was still restless even when struck by lightning, and at the same time, such great temptations made Yao Sisi's mind more steadfast.

As the tribulation continued, the dark spirit's body became riddled with holes and was almost dissipating. But it was still unwilling to die like this. With its last bit of strength, it let out a deafening roar, a sound filled with resentment and unwillingness.

It tried to gather its shattered soul and make a final stand, but Yao Sisi would never give it that chance!

Finally, after the most dazzling bolt of lightning struck, the dark spirit's body completely dissipated into the air, leaving behind only a pungent stench and a wisp of black smoke that gradually dissipated.

The black smoke twisted and turned in the air a few times, as if it were the last struggle of a dark spirit, before disappearing completely.

Yao Sisi was silent for a moment: I used to treat you well, but ever since I learned that you are evil by nature, this relationship has finally ended. As the saying goes, those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. If I were a bad person, I could be with you, but being with a bad person is like asking a tiger for its skin. Where can you find peace? In the end, you will only be eaten by the wicked.

The spirit of the artifact bore at least half of the tribulation lightning, while Yao Sisi bore the rest herself. She was well-prepared and finally passed the tribulation lightning perfectly. Only when the sky was sprinkled with sweet dew did she step onto the ascension ladder in front of everyone's eyes.

The celestial ladder stretched upwards, leading to the endless depths of the universe. With each step Yao Sisi took, she felt her body become lighter, as if she were about to lose contact with this world.

She looked back at the land that had accompanied her growth, as well as her fellow disciples and friends in the sect, her eyes filled with reluctance, but even more so with anticipation and expectation for the future.

She addressed the crowd, saying, "Fellow disciples, I am so fortunate to have embarked on this path of ascension before you all. Along the way, I have benefited greatly from the sect's meticulous cultivation, the seniors' earnest teachings, and the companionship and support of all of you. I will never forget this land, nor will I forget your kindness."

She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping across each person's face as if trying to etch their features deeply into her heart. "Ascension is only a temporary separation. I will be waiting for you all on the other side!"

After speaking, she bowed deeply to everyone, then resolutely turned around and stepped onto the golden ladder of ascension, moving step by step toward a future full of unknowns and hopes.

She believed that as her strength increased, she would be able to do more things, such as time travel, which would not be difficult. As time went on, she would understand more and know better how to improve herself.

In short, in order to become a better version of herself and to explore the endless path of cultivation, she secretly vowed to keep striving and never stop.

With this unwavering belief, she stepped onto the ladder to heaven, disappearing from the sky and leaving behind only a dazzling light.

Beneath the sky, a solemn and dignified scene unfolded. All the fellow disciples participating in this grand ascension ceremony stood in neat and orderly rows. They had witnessed the indomitable souls under the tribulation lightning, which had inspired them deeply. The disciples, dressed in their uniform sect attire, tilted their heads slightly, their eyes fixed on Yao Sisi, who was about to step onto the ascension ladder.

Suddenly, someone whispered, "Respectfully bidding farewell to Peak Master Yao."

Immediately afterwards, a series of low shouts spread like a tide, and they all shouted in unison, "Respectfully bidding farewell to Peak Master Yao!"

"Respectfully seeing off Peak Master Yao."

"Respectfully seeing off Peak Master Yao."

"..."