Chapter 338: Forced to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage
“Lingxi Calendar Year 4281, February 4th, Heavy Snow.”
“Everything was proceeding smoothly. I told Yanyan this was just acting for the occasion, and I would rescue it after the trial concluded.”
“The trial was conducted publicly, broadcast worldwide. Yanyan admitted guilt and was sentenced to death.”
“Tomorrow is the execution day. Everything should end then.”
“What should I do after retirement? Become an honorary professor at the Imperial Capital University? Wander around to see this beautiful world? Or take in some promising disciples and teach them… I have a long life ahead, so there’s no rush to decide.”
…
“Lingxi Calendar Year 4281, February 5th, Cloudy.”
“When Yanyan learned it would be executed, it looked at me in confusion. Don’t you know you killed people and ruined my life?!”
“Damn it damn it damn it! Why isn’t Yanyan under my control anymore? The Master-Servant Contract has failed!”
“Fortunately, the highest leader was prepared. He gathered eight Unity Stage contract beasts that surrounded Yanyan under their masters’ orders.”
“Somehow Yanyan managed to dissolve the Master-Servant Contracts binding those eight contract beasts too.”
“Yanyan told them they were free now. Unfortunately, the servile nature of contract beasts runs too deep—even without contracts, they still obeyed. Yanyan miscalculated.”
“Yanyan never considered how all demonic beasts are raised in captivity by us humans. From birth, they’re brainwashed as contract beasts, indoctrinated to obey humankind while being told humans treat them as friends.”
“This way, even if contract beasts reach the Divine Transformation stage and gain reason, they’ll still follow old habits, trusting and seeing us as friends.”
“Who knows why Yanyan became an exception and developed rebellious thoughts. What an embarrassment to its master.”
“Contract beasts are still demonic beasts at their core—their savage nature can’t be changed, and their combat lacks any elegance.”
“The battle lasted from afternoon till midnight. Fights between Unity Stage beings rarely conclude quickly, and Yanyan was absurdly strong, only slightly disadvantaged against eight contract beasts. But the outcome was inevitable—this was a death trap Yanyan couldn’t escape.”
“A sleepless night awaits.”
…
“Lingxi Calendar Year 4281, February 6th, Unknown Weather.”
“Why did Yanyan break through to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage during battle?!”
“If our contract still existed, wouldn’t that mean I could reach Tribulation Transcendence Stage too, maybe even ascend?!”
“You must have known you’d break through, Yanyan! You deliberately severed our Master-Servant Contract beforehand, didn’t you?!”
“No time for this now—survival comes first. Yanyan has gone berserk, hating both servile beasts and humans.”
“It began slaughtering indiscriminately. The highest leader died. All eight Unity Stage contract beasts died. Their masters fled in all directions. I’m next on Yanyan’s list.”
“Father was right—demonic beasts can’t be trusted. Thankfully, we humans built bomb shelters in advance. The No. 93 Shelter Father constructed is the most hidden and sturdy. I hope Yanyan can’t find it.”
…
“Lingxi Calendar Year 4281, March 15th, Unknown Weather.”
“Fewer shelters remain reachable. Who knows how many Yanyan has destroyed already.”
“Many in these shelters lost loved ones to Yanyan. I must never reveal my identity.”
“What a calamity… How many must Yanyan kill before this ends? Unless… it won’t stop until finding me? I must be going mad to think this way.”
…
“Lingxi Calendar Year 4281, March 29th, Unknown Weather.”
“Yanyan breached this shelter. People are fighting back, but gunfire grows fainter. I feel Yanyan approaching… It’s coming for me… It’s coming for me…”
The diary ended here. Jiang Li pieced together scattered bones in the room—belonging to a Unity Stage cultivator.
This was likely Xiaodong, the diary’s owner.
After finishing the diary, the group remained silent, no one speaking.
Though the bomb shelters and murals revealed Lingxi World’s former prosperity, it was all built upon humanity’s enslavement of demonic beasts.
Rather than human wisdom creating Lingxi World, it was humanity’s exploitation of demonic beasts that built it.
Despite calling beasts “friends,” actions proved otherwise—trading them freely, caging them, enforcing Master-Servant Contracts, teaching students to use beasts arbitrarily, treating them as money-making tools, even making them take blame…
Masters always maintained slightly higher cultivation than their beast servants. However strong a beast grew, its master stayed stronger.
Yet humans never truly trusted beasts, constantly guarding against them—banning them from schools, building bomb shelters… All revealing their true stance.
Ultimately, Lingxi World’s humans reaped what they sowed, driving Zhu Yan to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
Perhaps as Xiaodong guessed, Zhu Yan didn’t seek human extinction—just Xiaodong’s death.
If Zhu Yan killed everyone after Xiaodong died, where did current humans come from?
Xiaodong epitomized Lingxi humanity—treating Zhu Yan as a “friend” (really a pet called “friend”) in youth, then gradually viewing it as a tool upon growing up.
This was the environment’s influence.
“Executor of Karma—him again.” Jiang Li noticed the Executor visited Zhu Yan before Xiaodong’s betrayal.
Jiang Li reasoned the method to break through Tribulation Transcendence Stage couldn’t be disclosed—the Executor likely only taught Zhu Yan how to dissolve Master-Servant Contracts.
Outer Realm Demons were indeed involved, but their actual influence remained unclear.
Perhaps the Executor merely ignited existing tensions.
As Immortal Elder Changcun theorized, Outer Realm Demons only attacked worlds after severing the Celestial Ladder—having no connection before then.
Timeline-wise: Old Lingxi Era lasted 4,300 years, New Lingxi Era 2,000 years—totaling 6,300 years, equivalent to 12,600 years in Jiuzhou.
Thus when Old Lingxi Era began, the Celestial Ladder still existed, and Outer Realm Demons hadn’t arrived.
Xia Chao couldn’t comprehend: “If Zhu Yan caused the current situation, why make beasts mentally disabled? Isn’t it a beast itself?”
Jiang Li sighed: “Perhaps its fury at beasts’ servility—still obeying humans post-contract—made it disable them at the source.”
“Beasts became disabled, humans became beasts’ servants—disgusting both sides.”
“Jiuzhou is better.” Baixue Ling felt relieved. Even after the Celestial Ladder’s severance, with humans dominant, Jiuzhou never abused demons—even Beast Taming Sect used equal contracts.
Consider: In Lingxi World, Zhu Yan controlling the world upon reaching Tribulation Stage, while in Jiuzhou, even if Baixue Ling—with her supreme talent—reached Tribulation Stage or immortality, she couldn’t oppose Jiang Li.
Demons could only submit to humanity’s will.