450: Many cultivators gathered around to watch and divine the secrets of heaven.

"Who is causing the Heavenly Tribulation! Quickly leave Fengdu—!"

"Leave Fengdu—!!"

Thunderous roars exploded from high in the sky, carrying an undeniable pressure that echoed throughout the entire city of Fengdu.

Several figures with formidable aura hovered above the Imperial City, their robes fluttering. They were the powerhouses of the Imperial City Guard.

The leader was a Tribulation Crossing Realm mighty figure, and the others, whose cultivation was at least at the Integration Stage, all looked solemn, as if facing a great enemy.

In the Nirvana Realm, the Heavenly Tribulation was almost synonymous with ascending to become an Immortal.

Aside from the Great Feng Emperor, who was about to take that step, how could a Quasi-Immortal about to undergo Tribulation suddenly appear in Fengdu?

This illogical scene filled the Imperial City Guard with doubts, yet they had no choice but to shout with all their might, urging people to leave.

Normally, no one would dare to undergo Tribulation in a large city filled with powerful Cultivators and a dense population! That would be tantamount to seeking death!

Once the city's powerhouses were caught in the Heavenly Tribulation's aura, not only would the one Undergoing Tribulation face a disaster of escalating power, but those affected would also face near-certain death!

"Where on earth did this madman come from?!" An Integration Stage commander of the Imperial City Guard, hovering high in the sky, frowned deeply, his voice suppressing anger and confusion.

His colleagues beside him smiled bitterly and shook their heads, their Divine Sense constantly sweeping downwards: "Heaven knows! But apart from our boss, all Seniors above the Tribulation Crossing Realm in the city have already evacuated outside the city, yet these tribulation clouds remain motionless... This person, I'm afraid, is up to no good!"

"Could it be that he has a grudge against our Great Feng Royal Family?" Another person guessed.

"Enough! It will take at least another half an incense stick's time for the tribulation clouds to fully gather. According to the original plan, immediately organize manpower to urgently evacuate the civilians!"

The order was given, and the Imperial City Guard Cultivators scattered like shooting stars, carrying out the task of relocating the populace.

Everyone felt a little relieved—fortunately, the person who caused the tribulation had not truly shown himself yet. Otherwise, if that person had clashed with them, their wives and children would probably be sweeping their graves this time next year.

North wall of the Imperial Palace, inside a small courtyard's quiet room.

Xiao Zhuo's figure solidified from virtual (empty/illusory), and the surging aura of his recent Breakthrough rose like a tide, only to be instantly contained by him without a single leak.

The Free and Natural Heavenly Art had been finely tuned by him, perfectly matching his newly born Space-Time Spiritual Root.

With his ability, modifying the Cultivation Technique he himself created was effortless.

At this moment, he stood firmly at the Peak of the Quasi-Immortal Realm; to truly ascend to become an Immortal was but a thought away.

The process of Spiritual Root Fusion was extremely compressed within the White Mist Space, almost completing synchronously with the Cultivation Technique's advancement.

Surging Immortal Spiritual Qi roared in, pouring into his limbs and bones.

Xiao Zhuo felt refreshed and incredibly exhilarated.

With the augmentation of the Space-Time Spiritual Root, his Divine Soul level had completely entered the Immortal Realm. With a slight movement of his Divine Sense, he effortlessly enveloped the entire Fengdu.

He looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the roof, directly at the sky.

He saw above the firmament, tribulation clouds like ink, churning ceaselessly.

Vast heaven and earth energy continued to gather frantically, making the clouds even heavier and darker, and their oppressive might was in no way inferior to a true Immortal ascension Heavenly Tribulation.

No wonder the Imperial City Guard misjudged it.

He had sensed that he was locked onto by the ethereal tribulation Qi, but at this moment, the Heavenly Tribulation had not officially begun, and the surrounding space had not been completely sealed.

Xiao Zhuo's mind stirred slightly, and his figure instantly vanished from the small courtyard without a trace.

Almost simultaneously, the massive tribulation clouds looming over Fengdu also began to slowly move north.

"Gone?! That person left!" The Imperial City Guard Cultivators, who were urgently evacuating civilians, collectively breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, then a strong curiosity arose.

Countless Divine Senses immediately pursued the tribulation clouds.

Deep within the Imperial Palace, a burly middle-aged man in black and gold Dragon robes slowly retracted his gaze from the sky, his taut nerves relaxing slightly.

If that person hadn't left, he, the lord of the Changfeng Imperial Dynasty, would probably have had to temporarily avoid his sharp edge—though it would be inglorious, it was better than being caught in the Heavenly Tribulation.

Fortunately, that person had, after all, left.

To the north, atop a verdant mountain Peak.

Xiao Zhuo casually picked a spiritual fruit from a nearby fruit tree and took a bite.

Sweet juice burst in his mouth, and Spiritual Qi permeated, making him feel refreshed and comfortable.

He paid no attention to the increasingly terrifying Heavenly Tribulation above his head.

Such might was less than one-tenth of what he encountered when he ascended to become an Immortal in the World Sea back then.

And now, although he lacked the augmentation of various divine bodies from his past, the Space-Time Spiritual Root was profoundly mysterious, and its enhancement to him was in no way inferior to several divine bodies.

He slowly walked onto a moss-covered giant rock at the highest point and sat down leisurely, his posture relaxed and comfortable, as if he had merely come to enjoy the scenery.

At this time, the powerhouses from Fengdu who had followed the tribulation clouds also finally saw Xiao Zhuo's figure.

Everyone was astonished.

The one who had caused such a terrifying Heavenly Tribulation was actually such a young man!

Although they couldn't accurately perceive his bone age, judging by his demeanor and actions, he was definitely not an old monster who had lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years!

"Who is this person? When did such a young Quasi-Immortal appear in our dynasty?"

"Never seen him! Among the ten Quasi-Immortals of our Changfeng Imperial Dynasty, this person is definitely not one of them!"

"Could it be someone passing through from another Imperial Dynasty?"

"Absurd! Who would wander around when they are about to ascend to become an Immortal?"

"Strange, truly strange!"

Discussions arose one after another, yet no one could discern Xiao Zhuo's origins.

No one could imagine that from the Awakening of his memories until now, it had been just over a year, and he had gone directly from Foundation Establishment to Quasi-Immortal!

If this were to be said, it would probably be dismissed as the ravings of a madman.

Xiao Zhuo paid no mind to the increasing number of Cultivators gathering in the distant sky.

In the Quasi-Immortal Realm, he was invincible below an Immortal!

As for above an Immortal... if he couldn't win, he could always run.

He surmised that in this Nirvana Realm, Immortal-level existences should not casually appear in mortal Imperial Dynasties.

After this Undergoing Tribulation, he would inevitably become famous in Fengdu, which would be a good opportunity to test the Ninth Prince.

In the sky, the tribulation clouds had gathered to their extreme.

The sky for hundreds of miles around was completely dyed a heart-palpitating purplish-black, with heavy clouds pressing down, turning the daytime into a gloomy, desolate land, as if the end of the world had arrived.

In the distance, a magnificent carriage, pulled by several Flood Dragons, broke through the air and hovered outside the range of the tribulation Qi.

The surrounding Cultivators, seeing this, respectfully gave way, clearly recognizing the owner of the carriage.

On the carriage, the Ninth Prince Feng Changge's face was ashen. His gaze swept over the leisurely figure on the Peak, then turned to an old man in Daoist robes beside him, who had an Immortal-like demeanor, white hair, and a youthful face.

The old man was Great Master Mo Xiu, a Mahayana Realm Cultivator skilled in the Dao of divination, whom he had invited with great expense.

Mo Xiu's expression was solemn, his emaciated fingers rapidly performing calculations at an astonishing speed, and fine beads of sweat had already seeped from his temples, clearly indicating that this divination was extremely taxing on his mind.

They had originally followed Mo Xiu's earlier guidance to the north wall of the Imperial City, but then coincided with the abnormal Heavenly Tribulation, and had followed it all the way here.

However, with so many onlookers here, precisely identifying the target still required Mo Xiu to continue his calculations.

Suddenly—

Mo Xiu's rapidly moving fingers abruptly froze!

His eyes suddenly widened, fixed intently on the young man on the distant Peak who was eating a fruit, the color instantly draining from his face, replaced by a strange black Qi.

"Pfft—!"

A large mouthful of bright red vital blood spurted from his mouth without warning, splashing onto the luxurious carpet of the carriage.

"Master Mo!?" Feng Changge exclaimed in alarm, rushing forward.

Mo Xiu, however, seemed to not hear, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with a trembling hand, pointing his finger at the mountain Peak, at that figure, his voice hoarse and trembling from extreme shock and backlash:

"Your... Your Highness... It's him! The person you are looking for who stole the map... It's him!!!"

Feng Changge abruptly turned his head, his gaze like a sharp sword following the trembling finger, staring intently at the young figure bathed in the increasingly dense tribulation light.

In that instant, his pupils constricted, and the aura around him surged uncontrollably.