Daytime Ascension

Bai Xuanling tried to twitch the corners of her mouth but found herself unable to do so. Her voice was cold.

"Why are you bothering with me? You'll easily get yourself killed like this."

"If I don't bother with you, you really will die."

Bai Xuanling raised her hand, and Qingming spun back. She took two heavy breaths.

"I thought you understood."

"I thought you understood, too."

Chu Xingchen tried his best to maintain a calm expression. Bai Xuanling really hadn't held back her strength in that punch, but fortunately, it was thrown in a moment of urgency while her mind was clouded, so she hadn't used any extra techniques.

Streaks of crimson laced Bai Xuanling's eyes. Her voice was hoarse.

"At a time like this, you shouldn't let your emotions dictate your actions."

Chu Xingchen grabbed Bai Xuanling's wrist and retreated. They were within the attack range of the heavenly demons. As he moved, he asked,

"How much longer can you hold out?"

Hearing this, Bai Xuanling casually took out a pill from her spatial ring and tossed it into her mouth. After waiting for a moment, she said,

"The effects of your medicine aren't of much use anymore. If I am to keep my divine sense clear, I probably won't last until reinforcements arrive."

"What if you stop fighting?"

"Stopping makes no difference. I might as well let the world witness the glory of the Yama of the past once more."

Hearing these words, Chu Xingchen grinned.

"What's so great about that kind of glory? Do you want to try an even better one?"

Bai Xuanling sneered.

"You couldn't be talking about your master-acknowledging grand technique, could you? I, Bai Xuanling, have been wise my entire life. I don't want to die as a massive joke."

Chu Xingchen looked back, casting a glance at Huang Miao, and then smiled, answering a question that wasn't asked.

"I am no saint. Since you trust me, then I should trust you too."

Chu Xingchen had already formed a plan in his mind—since she couldn't hold on until the end of the battle, then naturally, the sooner they acted, the better!

Bai Xuanling was stunned. Listening to Chu Xingchen's baffling words, for a moment, she didn't know if she had misheard due to her clouded mind.

Chu Xingchen took the Spirit-Shattering Butterfly Jade out of his system space. At this moment, the jade flowed with brilliant light, and a pure aura of the Great Dao slowly spilled from it.

After absorbing the scattered Heavenly Principles, the Spirit-Shattering Butterfly Jade had gained an additional use.

Although the system prompt didn't state it explicitly, it was as good as stated.

The fact that Bai Xuanling allowed him to get this close meant that, at the very least, she truly trusted him.

Chu Xingchen stared intently at Bai Xuanling.

Target: Bai Xuanling

Cultivation: Tribulation Transcendence Great Perfection

Orange Trait: Posture of an Immortal

Purple Trait: Decisive in Killing

Purple Trait: Combat Instinct

Blue Trait: Exceptionally Astute

Black Trait: Murderous Intent Entering the Soul

Fulfills Disciple Acceptance Conditions

Bai Xuanling's current black trait had changed from her initial Murderous Nature Entering the Heart.

Although it was still a black trait, it had clearly worsened.

Chu Xingchen asked with a smile,

"Sister Bai, do you know what every cultivator looks forward to?"

Bai Xuanling looked at the spiritual treasure he had suddenly pulled out, momentarily confused, and subconsciously answered,

"Spirit stones and spiritual treasures?"

"Wrong." Chu Xingchen used his divine sense to trigger the Spirit-Shattering Butterfly Jade and laughed loudly.

"It's ascending in broad daylight!"

Chu Xingchen looked at Bai Xuanling, and also at the line of text floating above her head.

Spirit-Shattering Butterfly Jade target selected — Bai Xuanling

Although countless immortal classics recorded that to transcend tribulation and ascend, one needed to endure a boundless heavenly tribulation.

But now that the Heavenly Dao was shattered and the path to ascension was completely severed, whether or not there would even be a heavenly tribulation for this ascension was debatable.

Moreover, this ascension was an opportunity provided by the system. Of all his cultivation progress up to this point, at most only a tiny fraction was due to his own effort.

Chu Xingchen didn't say it, but he actually had backup plans arranged that might allow them to safely hold on until the end.

Naturally, he relied on his wealthy and noble good brother, Yuyang.

With just one sentence from Chu Xingchen—"You can't just let your brother wait here to die"—he had won over his good brother Yuyang.

Beneath this place lay an alternative mountain-protecting grand array built by the Supreme Dao Sect. It was something Dao Child Yuyang had gone out of his way to procure. It was said to be based on the very first draft of the Supreme Dao Sect's mountain-protecting grand array.

Even though it was a draft, it was still top secret, and it was the item with the highest clearance that Dao Child Yuyang could get his hands on. Chu Xingchen hadn't even seen how this grand array was constructed.

It had all been personally set up by the Tribulation Transcendence cultivators of the Supreme Dao Sect.

He only knew how to trigger it.

The spirit veins here were weak, or rather, the spiritual energy of the entire West Ox He Continent was weak.

Although Chu Xingchen had siphoned some over using the supreme treasure of the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect, it was all too faint. The array's energy had to be sustained by spirit stones and highly spiritual treasures to keep it running. Right here, Chu Xingchen had also poured in quite a lot of the spirit stones he had saved up over the past few years.

Naturally, if he made it out safe and sound, he would definitely ask the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect for reimbursement.

He didn't know exactly how long it could hold out, but at the very least, it could stall for time, giving them some room to maneuver.

However, the fact that Bai Xuanling had come in person showed her deep affection, and she could better protect him and keep him safe.

Chu Xingchen did not hesitate and decisively activated the array.

Spiritual energy surged and rolled, a golden curtain rose to cover them, and a tyrannical Dao foundation began to revolve.

Bai Xuanling looked at Chu Xingchen with a shocked expression. She saw the energy surging within the Spirit-Shattering Butterfly Jade in his hand, and then a wisp of purple qi poured out from it, rushing straight into her body.

The next moment.

Bai Xuanling could clearly feel that her originally sealed cultivation foundation was being pried open. She could neither stop it nor control it. After all, the path ahead had previously been cut off, making the Tribulation Transcendence Great Perfection the absolute pinnacle of combat power in this world.

All almighty Tribulation Transcendence cultivators had methods to subconsciously prevent their cultivation from increasing any further.

Bai Xuanling felt no joy in her heart; she merely smiled with considerable helplessness.

"What ascension in broad daylight? Don't you know that Lv Xuan read my fortune? I have no hope of ascending in this lifetime; facing the tribulation means certain death for me."

"Since you have such a good item, you'd be better off keeping it for yourself, or even giving it to Ling Yu."

Although Bai Xuanling had always belittled Lv Xuan's Heavenly Derivation Technique as nothing but blind guesses.

However, the Heavenly Derivation Technique was, after all, the foundational art of the Heavenly Derivation Sect.

She had also genuinely studied and researched it. Though her talent for it was poor, she made up for it with a sharp mind, so she understood the general gist of it.

The Heavenly Derivation Technique was real.

As the sect master, Lv Xuan claimed to have cultivated the Heavenly Derivation Technique to the absolute pinnacle.

The destiny he divined for her was not as vague as his predictions for other matters.

Perhaps the Heavenly Dao had long predestined Bai Xuanling's fate, for the answer it provided was profoundly moving and straightforward—perish.

Chu Xingchen's gaze was calm, and he broke into a grin.

"Heaven's mandate is right in front of your eyes. Will you believe in me, or Sect Master Lv?"

Bai Xuanling paused upon hearing this. Her expression softened significantly, and she no longer resisted the extension and breakthrough of that power. She smiled and said,

"Your mouth, kid, is truly more bewitching than my inner demons."

Ascension in broad daylight?

Bai Xuanling swept her gaze across the area.

Of all those who cultivated the Dao in this world, who didn't seek ascension in broad daylight?

Not to mention, with so many cultivators present here, she had been silent for a long time. Wouldn't her return this time be all the more magnificent?

As for whether what Chu Xingchen said was true or false, Bai Xuanling had no interest in asking; she simply took it as the truth.

Bai Xuanling's aura continued to climb, until it surpassed the limit of Tribulation Transcendence.

Her oppressive might condensed into something tangible, already distorting the space around her.

At this moment, whether they were demons or humans, everyone present turned their attention to look.

To witness this scene.

An ascension in broad daylight.