The cultivator he saw was Feng Dengxian.
This did not come as a surprise to Li Qi.
Back when there were only three cultivators at the Soul Transformation stage among humans.
Feng Dengxian was already the strongest of the three, and also the most senior.
With so many years passing, and after that genuine life-and-death battle a few years ago.
It was reasonable for him to be the first to break through now.
The last person to undergo the Void Returning tribulation was two thousand years ago.
Feng Dengxian could be considered the first to undergo the Void Returning tribulation in millennia.
"Rumble."
A muffled sound echoed from the lightning clouds in the sky.
Destructive lightning bolts struck down at Feng Dengxian.
Qi Youhuan and Chen Tu'an, the other two peak Soul Transformation cultivators, watched with grave expressions, observing quietly. Perhaps it would be their turn in a few years.
Li Qi was also watching from the side.
However, what appeared to others as a terrifying lightning tribulation posed no danger to Li Qi.
He could have easily survived by simply standing still.
This tribulation lasted for several days.
Until after several days.
Feng Dengxian, beneath the tribulation clouds, was covered in injuries and utterly exhausted.
As the last bolt of lightning fell from the tribulation clouds, Feng Dengxian withstood it head-on.
The Void Returning tribulation in the sky finally dissipated slowly.
And on Feng Dengxian's body, an aura surpassing the Soul Transformation stage emerged.
Li Qi and the others instantly appeared beside Feng Dengxian.
Qi Youhuan and Chen Tu'an were even more eager.
"How is it, Old Feng, do you feel the call from the upper realm?"
Feng Dengxian closed his eyes and sensed for a moment.
Then, he opened his eyes, looked at the boundless sky for a while, and finally came back to himself, saying.
"I do seem to feel something guiding me to a certain place, urging me to go quickly."
Feng Dengxian paused, then continued.
"However, the reason why cultivators need to ascend might not be solely this."
Everyone was slightly stunned.
Then, Li Qi's eyes flickered slightly.
As the Lord of the Plane.
He could clearly perceive the details around Feng Dengxian.
From the moment Feng Dengxian became a Void Returning cultivator just now.
The space around Feng Dengxian had tiny cracks.
This world could no longer withstand the pressure of Feng Dengxian's power as a Void Returning cultivator.
Chen Tu'an and Qi Youhuan also noticed the anomalies around Feng Dengxian at this moment.
At this, Feng Dengxian gave a wry smile and nodded.
"Yes, with the strength of the Azure Void Realm, it seems unable to fully support my power. If my cultivation were any higher, the spatial distortion around me would be far worse than this."
Compared to this ethereal guidance, the fact that his own world could not bear the pressure of his strength seemed to be a more pressing reason for cultivators to ascend.
Otherwise, if they forcibly did not ascend and continued to cultivate until their strength made their original world shatter, they would still have to ascend in the end.
At this moment, Qi Youhuan, who was beside them, suddenly said with some confusion.
"That's not right, the previous Lord of the Plane reached the peak of the Void Returning stage, yet after entering the Azure Void Realm, the Azure Void Realm did not..."
But before he could finish, he realized it himself.
That's right, the Lord of the Plane.
This might be one of the privileges of the Lord of the Plane, no matter how high their strength, they would not cause their own small world to collapse.
Li Qi also thought of this and felt relieved. He had been afraid that he would also be forced to ascend.
At this moment, Li Qi looked at Feng Dengxian and flicked his finger.
A mysterious pressure appeared between heaven and earth, and then, the space around Feng Dengxian stopped shattering.
Li Qi said.
"I am using my authority to temporarily reinforce the space around you. Use this time to make any arrangements you need to."
"Yes, thank you, Daoist Friend Li."
Feng Dengxian cupped his fists in gratitude.
For the next half month, Feng Dengxian spent his time making arrangements for matters after his ascension.
At the same time, many cultivators learned of Feng Dengxian's impending ascension.
The entire human race was grateful for Feng Dengxian's long-term protection.
Many cultivator families came to pay their respects.
They each brought numerous treasures with them.
The less affluent families prepared thousands of spirit herbs and hundreds of thousands of spirit stones.
As for the more opulent families, the number of spirit stones they prepared to gift Feng Dengxian reached a million.
Although the Azure Void Realm was tight on resources.
It was still the ascension of one of the three original Soul Transformation cultivators of humanity, so he deserved a grand send-off.
The total spirit stones prepared by all these families added up to an astronomical sum.
"Senior Feng, we do not know the situation of the upper realm after you ascend. Although low-grade spirit herbs and stones may not be of much use then, they might help in an emergency. Please accept them."
To this, Feng Dengxian waved his hand, refusing sternly.
"These are treasures that can only be born from the Azure Void Realm over a long period. When I take them to the prosperous upper realm, they may only be the lowest-grade herbs. But in the Azure Void Realm, they can greatly improve your strength. Absolutely not."
In the end, faced with the goodwill of other cultivators, Feng Dengxian only accepted a small amount of spirit stones, the most basic of necessities, for emergencies.
And even then, Feng Dengxian did not take much. He only had a hundred thousand spirit stones in his storage ring.
After all, as mentioned before, spirit stones might be the most basic items in the upper realm and not of much use. It was better to leave them here, perhaps to cultivate more strong individuals in this realm.
A few more days passed, and on a certain day, Feng Dengxian finally could delay no longer. He broke through the void and departed, following the ethereal guidance towards the so-called upper realm.
And in the following years.
With Feng Dengxian, the first ascendant, leading the way, the enthusiasm for cultivation among cultivators across the land grew even higher.
Another eight years passed.
This time, Qi Youhuan, one of the three peak Soul Transformation cultivators, successfully broke through to the Void Returning stage. After making arrangements for his ascension,
Just like Feng Dengxian that day, he did not take much, only a hundred thousand spirit stones, and broke through the void.
As for Li Qi, he came to see everyone off each time someone ascended.
In short, you ascend if you ascend, and I'll continue to lie low.
...
And in a certain void of utter desolation.
Two figures were flying at breakneck speed.
Simultaneously, one of the figures, while flying, cursed loudly.
"Damn it, the spiritual energy in this void is too sparse. I don't want to stay here for another moment."
At this, the other figure beside him turned his head and said somewhat helplessly.
"Alas, there's nothing we can do, second brother. Just hold on a bit longer. The Chen family's ancestor at the Mahayana stage has found a meteor containing a small spirit mine at the border again, so they are recruiting a few spirit mine workers."
"There are so many cultivators at the Void Returning stage who want to mine spirit ore that they're practically breaking their heads to get in. If it weren't for our grandfather having some face, with our two peak Soul Transformation stages, how could we compete with them? This is a job that pays fifty spirit stones a month!"
"Fifty spirit stones!"
Hearing this amount, the cultivator at the peak Soul Transformation stage, addressed as second brother, perked up.
If this were the Azure Cloud Realm, without any background, even a peak Void Returning cultivator might not be able to earn so many spirit stones in a month.
Especially with the increasing number of "ascended brats" from the lower realms, it was even harder to earn a living.
"Damn it, for fifty spirit stones a month, I'll go for it! If I work for a hundred years, after expenses, I'll still have a decent amount saved up."