Dark clouds gathered densely upon a great mountain outside the Imperial Capital.
The auras of powerful experts could be sensed probing the area from all around, and numerous cultivators were present to observe the proceedings.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Heavenly Light! Your personal disciple has broken through to the Divinity Transformation realm—truly a joyous occasion!"
"Number one on the Nascent Divinity List! Observing his aptitude, he broke through to Divinity Transformation before the age of five hundred. Fellow Daoist Heavenly Light truly found himself a fine disciple."
"One look tells you Fellow Daoist Heavenly Light has trained him well. This personal disciple is quite robust, tsk tsk..."
The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor was deeply respected. He hadn't emerged from the Heavenly Light Sect in many years, and now that he had, cultivators from all directions had come to offer their congratulations.
Li Yaoqing, who was standing nearby, was stunned.
She had been in the Heavenly Light Sect for many years and had thought the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor was the type of reclusive senior who rarely appeared in the world.
Seeing the many powerful auras, she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "The Grand Ancestor is truly formidable, having so many old friends."
"Did you think I have no friends just because I don't go out? When I have free time, I also use my avatars to go discuss the Dao and drink tea with my many fellow cultivators."
The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor's face darkened as he listened to the congratulations coming from all directions.
Blowing on his whiskers and glaring, he muttered, "Damn it all! I wonder which bastard spread the news of Yaotie's breakthrough. I'm going to lose face!"
These cultivators observing the ceremony were all his old friends. With his personal disciple breaking through but not to the fifth-tier Divinity Transformation, he truly didn't know where to put his old face.
His face remained dark.
The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor responded to the greetings one by one, his voice clearly strained.
Sure enough.
As the lightning tribulation descended from the sky, bolt after bolt surged into Li Yaotie's body, and his Nascent Soul emerged from within him.
Li Yaotie cultivated the Azure Cloud Undying technique, so his Nascent Soul resembled his Dharma Body.
His Nascent Soul was like a Vajra image, appearing as if cast entirely from metal, shining with a silvery gleam. Along with the lightning tribulation, the Primordial Spirit tribulation associated with the Divinity Transformation advancement also descended—it took the form of a furnace made of lightning, seemingly intent on melting Li Yaotie's Vajra image.
Heaven and earth changed color, and a fierce wind rose, yet the scene paled significantly in comparison to when other members of the Li family had broken through to the Divinity Transformation realm.
In an instant.
Aside from the rumble of thunder, the voices that had been congratulating the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor suddenly fell silent.
"Ah? Old Heavenly Light has really fallen on hard times."
"A third-tier Divinity Transformation tribulation? Old Daoist Heavenly Light, your disciple isn't even five hundred years old! If you don't know how to teach him, just give the disciple to me!"
"You're ruining the boy's potential, Old Heavenly Light!"
"..."
The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor's old face flushed crimson. Gritting his teeth, he sent a voice transmission in all directions, "Hmph! What do any of you know? The path my disciple cultivates isn't something you..."
But before his voice could fade.
Li Yaoqing, who was standing nearby, saw her expression change drastically. "Third Brother, what are you doing?!!"
Within the thunderclouds, the furnace formed of lightning—part of the Divinity Transformation tribulation confronting the Vajra image—suddenly grew even more tyrannical.
Fourth-tier.
This was a fourth-tier Divinity Transformation tribulation, different from what had been discussed with Li Yaoqing.
Even the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor's face showed utter shock.
The voices of the surrounding experts immediately sounded once more.
"Good one, Old Heavenly Light! Having your disciple delay like that, deliberately trying to make us lose face."
"Tens of thousands of years old, and Old Heavenly Light still has this kind of temperament."
"Fellow Daoist Heavenly Light..."
But the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor showed not the slightest hint of joy. His face was grim.
He brought two fingers together before his eyes, and when he opened them again, runes shone brightly within them as he scrutinized the tribulation cloud, which grew even more intense.
"Grand Ancestor, what's happening?"
Li Yaoqing's face grew grim. She saw the change in the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor's aura, then looked at her Third Brother beneath the tribulation cloud, drenched in cold sweat.
She knew instantly that something was terribly wrong!
It wasn't that Third Brother had deliberately exceeded the third-tier Divinity Transformation tribulation, but rather...
"Someone is trying to harm my disciple."
The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor's gaze was ice-cold. He saw spiritual Qi, from some unknown origin, interfering with the tribulation cloud from above.
"Someone deliberately spread the news of Yaotie's breakthrough far and wide. This way, these old friends of mine would come to offer congratulations with their auras. Their auras interfere with my perception, allowing the person in the shadows to make a move against Yaotie."
As he spoke, the Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor vanished from his spot, leaving only his chilling voice behind.
"To harm my disciple right before my eyes—I'll make sure they die a horrible death!"
"Jinhu, now! Return immediately to the Heavenly Light Sect, seize Mingkong, and find out who is behind this!"
Daoist Mingkong, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Light Sect!
Li Yaoqing's face turned cold.
Wang Jinhu's expression changed. "Grand Ancestor?"
The Heavenly Light Grand Ancestor's voice echoed in the air, "It could be no one else but him. Your power struggles cannot escape my eyes. I simply chose not to interfere, but that doesn't mean my old eyes are truly dim. To think he could deceive me right under my nose and collude with outsiders—Mingkong is being too clever for his own good!"
"Yes, Grand Ancestor!"
Wang Jinhu replied, then took a deep look at Li Yaotie within the lightning tribulation; the Divinity Transformation tribulation had already reached the fifth tier.
But... no one could interfere with the breakthrough itself. He bowed toward the pale-faced Li Yaoqing, then returned to the Heavenly Light Sect without hesitation.