Only at the Mahayana Stage Does the Reversal System Appear - Chapter 501

Chapter 499: The End of Life

. Ao Chengcheng sensed that the old Dragon King was not in good condition and tried to stop his daughter from going.

Jiang Li extended his hand, signaling Ao Chengcheng not to rush.

Recalling Li Er’s frequent praise of Jiang Li as “far superior to an earthly immortal,” Ao Chengcheng calmed down.

Even if something unexpected did happen, Jiang Li could intervene.

“Grandpa Dragon,” Li Nian’er sat obediently beside the old Dragon King, her posture reserved. She showed no repulsion to his rancid odor, not even a frown.

Seeing her father lose interest in the gift-giving segment, the East Sea Dragon King moved on to the next segment: the dancers.

The sea creatures continued to eat, drink, and enjoy the dance.

“Can the old Dragon King be saved?” Mo Ruoyu quietly asked Jiang Li. This was the question everyone was concerned about.

“It depends on his luck. It’s difficult for outsiders to help him with this kind of situation.” The Tribulation Crossing Stage is a hurdle that no one can help. If Jiang Li could help someone reach the Tribulation Crossing Stage directly, then the number of people in the Nine Provinces who would have reached that stage would be greater than the number of statues of the Human Emperor.

…

“Grandpa Long didn’t have time to mention it when we met just now, but you’ve grown up so fast, little girl.”

“I heard you’re a candidate for Human Emperor? Not bad, not bad.” The old Dragon King grinned, letting out a silent laugh.

“Seeing you reminds me of Qingluo back then. You two are so alike. Same talent, similar personality. No, but you’re definitely not as strong as Qingluo.”

The old Dragon King lost to Qingluo, narrowly missing the title of the 52nd Human Emperor, but he accepted the defeat wholeheartedly.

He knew Qingluo was superior to him, more suited to the position, and her excellence made the old Dragon King jealous.

Originally, the old Dragon King wasn’t this way. In his youth, he was also a boisterous person, the most stimulating of the candidates for Human Emperor, a stark contrast to the quiet Qingluo.

Later, as he interacted more with Qingluo, the old Dragon King gradually realized his own shortcomings and wanted to be as close to Qingluo as possible, to emulate her.

Qingluo’s death in battle left the old Dragon King heartbroken, and his desire to emulate her grew even stronger.

By imitating Qingluo, he hoped to remind the world of a former female emperor named Qingluo.

This imitation lasted for over two thousand years.

“Grandpa Dragon, how do you feel now?” Jiang Li asked her via voice transmission.

“What do you feel?” the old Dragon King muttered to himself. He felt nothing, even his consciousness nearly fading.

“I’m jealous of you. I’m jealous of your youth, your vitality, your potential to become the Human Emperor.” The old Dragon King stroked Li Nian’er’s small head.

When he was with young people, the old Dragon King felt time pass more slowly.

“Why are you so young and have such a bright future, while I’m so old and frail, on the verge of death?”

“I’m afraid of death, I really am.”

“There were times when I wanted to do bad things to prolong my life, but I was afraid that after death, I would go to the underworld and be ashamed to face Qingluo.”

At this point, the old Dragon King’s jealousy faded and disappeared.

“Qingluo often said that jealousy makes one ugly, especially since I’m the head of a dragon. If I were still jealous of others, I’d be the ugliest dragon in the world.”

“Now I understand. This world is yours, and I’m just an old, outdated man.”

The old Dragon King stood up, like a towering mountain poised to collapse at any moment.

“I’ve lived for two thousand eight hundred years. What could I possibly be dissatisfied with?”

“Qingluo is in the underworld, and all my old friends have been there. I’m only weaker than Qingluo, but I’m stronger than the other candidates for the Human Emperor. They don’t fear death, so why should I?”

The old Dragon King’s breath gradually weakened, but his eyes grew brighter.

“Rather than waiting for death in several hours, it’s better to die immediately and save a lot of trouble.”

The old Dragon King gave up hope of life and willingly submitted to death.

The union of mind and will, of person and Tao, of body and form, is the state of fusion.

When a person in the fusion stage gives up life, their body begins to disintegrate, and their spiritual energy leaves their body, returning to the heaven and earth.

This is how the old Dragon King is today.

As the old Dragon King’s body disintegrated, his thoughts became clearer than ever. Techniques he had previously struggled with now became instantly apparent. Principles he had previously struggled to grasp were now crystal clear. Faces he had forgotten with age were now revisited.

“Qingluo, so this is what you look like… So this is the true meaning of the Tribulation Crossing Stage…”

At that moment, the old Dragon King understood everything.

To reach the Tribulation Crossing Stage, one must overcome the Tribulation of Death. And the greatest Tribulation in the world is the Tribulation of Lifespan!

Lifespan exhaustion is a calamity everyone faces, yet it’s also one that everyone tends to overlook.

The old Dragon King raised his hands to the sky, and his disintegrating flesh, his lost spiritual energy… all returned to his body.

“No wonder the Human Emperor said facing death is the only way to survive. Not daring to face death means I passively accept the Tribulation of Lifespan exhaustion, and I’ll never reach the Tribulation Crossing Stage.”

Jiang Li’s seemingly insignificant words became the key to changing the old Dragon King’s fate.

“… Cross the Tribulation… Cross the Tribulation!”

“Heavenly Tribulation, come!”

the old Dragon King roared, as if commanding the Heavenly Tribulation.

Rumble!

The calamity arrived.

Pillars of cyan lightning plunged from the sky into the sea, roiling the East China Sea’s surface and creating whirlpools beneath its surface.

The calamity, like a sledgehammer, disrupted the East China Sea’s order.

The old Dragon King basked in the calamity, a look of relish, even finding strength to protect Li Nian’er.

The old Dragon King’s body gradually reached perfection, its former weaknesses now irreparable.

Having overcome the mortal calamity, the old Dragon King officially entered the stage of transcending the calamity.

“So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is, so that’s how it is!”

The old Dragon King uttered these three “so that’s how it is,” feeling as if he had suddenly attained enlightenment.

This was the first time Li Nian’er had witnessed someone transition from a fusion state to a tribulation-crossing state, and at such close range.

This was her great fortune.

“Congratulations, Grandpa Long, on reaching the Tribulation-crossing stage. May you live a thousand years!”

“Congratulations, Grandpa Long, on reaching the Tribulation-crossing stage. May you live a thousand years!”

“Congratulations, Grandpa Long, on reaching the Tribulation-crossing stage. May you live a thousand years!”

The sea creatures couldn’t believe what they saw. They had hoped to celebrate Grandpa Long’s funeral with joy, to let him rest in peace, but they hadn’t expected him to achieve a breakthrough at the last moment.

They looked at Jiang Li’s calm face again, feeling that the Human Emperor was truly unfathomable, possessing everything under control.

“Thank you, Human Emperor, for your help. I’ve entered the Tribulation-crossing stage, my strength surpasses Zhang Konghu’s, and I’ve reached the intermediate stage of ‘Jiang Li Human Emperor Power.’ Come, let’s give it a try.”

The old Dragon King struck an arm wrestling pose, celebrating his new life.

Jiang Li, enjoying a local fruit from the East China Sea, stepped forward and knocked the old Dragon King to the ground.

The old Dragon King, along with his chair, fell over.

“Hahaha, what a delight!” The old Dragon King didn’t feel embarrassed in front of the sea creatures.

“Here, this is my gift for you.” Jiang Li handed the old Dragon King a book.

“Experiences of Cultivation in the Tribulation Period.”

The old man flipped through two pages and found the handwriting was barely dry.

“When did the Human Emperor write this book?”

“Just now, when you were pulling Li Nian’er to reminisce about Qingluo.”

“…”

(End of this chapter)