The Great Wei Music Bureau

Chapter 124 Heavenly Tribulation

Last time we talked about Li Yi asking Tao Zhongwen about matters related to heavenly tribulations. So we have talked about five of the nine kinds of heavenly tribulations, namely the five elements of thunder tribulations AKA the five elements of heavenly tribulations. This time let’s learn about the remaining four kinds of heavenly tribulations.

Tao Zhongwen then explained to Li Yi the remaining four types of heavenly tribulations, namely the longevity tribulation that those who practice immortal cultivation must go through; the life and death tribulation that those who are favored by heaven or those who are gifted with special abilities must go through; the heavenly response tribulation that tests new and unknown things; and the last one, the highest punishment sent down by heaven, the heavenly wrath tribulation, also known as heavenly punishment.

Let's talk about the longevity calamity first. There are nine levels of longevity calamity, from the 19th to the 99th longevity calamity, all of which are divine thunders sent down from heaven, from nine divine thunders to ninety-nine eighty-one divine thunders. Taoist monks have to go through the longevity calamity from the fourth-grade golden elixir stage onwards, which means that Taoist monks below the fourth grade cannot achieve immortality. Even if they have reached the golden elixir stage, they cannot achieve immortality if they have not resisted the longevity calamity.

In other words, if a Taoist wants to enter the extraordinary realm, he must go through the test of the longevity tribulation. Once a Taoist decides to accept this test, there is no turning back. He cannot stop the tribulation. The heaven will send down a tribulation every three years, and the power of the tribulation depends on the potential of the cultivator. If a genius with excellent qualifications is facing the longevity tribulation for the first time, he may have to withstand the eighty-one lightning strikes of the nine-nine heavenly tribulation, and every tribulation after that will be a nine-nine heavenly tribulation, and the power will naturally be stronger each time.

It is for this reason that so many talented Taoists died while trying to overcome the calamity, and this is also why the heavens do not allow too many people to live forever. Tao Zhongwen practiced both Confucianism and Taoism, and his Taoist cultivation had reached the Golden Elixir Realm, but he knew that his heart was not pure, and his Taoist cultivation path would end here, so he never thought about living forever, but his Taoist cultivation naturally ensured that he would live longer.

This life-destruction catastrophe is very interesting. As the name suggests, it is a kind of catastrophe of mutual generation and mutual restraint. Heaven is impartial and will not be partial. Therefore, if you are given abilities that ordinary people do not have, you will naturally be given corresponding catastrophes. If you can survive this life-destruction catastrophe, you can use the abilities given to you by heaven at will.

It should be noted here that the boys and girls people often talk about do not mean that all little boys or girls are boys and girls. Boys and girls specifically refer to children aged three, six, and nine. When the ancients faced a disaster, they would offer sacrifices to the gods and offer boys and girls to ask for God's blessing, which meant that they would put these poor children in pig cages and throw them into the mountains to be eaten by wild beasts or throw them into the river to drown.

This cruel sacrificial method is not without basis, because people with extraordinary talents are often blessed by God during these three age groups, and their minds are awakened, their intelligence is awakened, or they are given supernatural powers. The same is true for reincarnated powerful people, who will regain their abilities, memories or other things from their previous lives at this age.

The purpose of this kind of living sacrifice is to tell the heaven: we have submitted, we dare not have any intention to violate the laws of heaven and earth, and we do not want to cultivate any great figures. We are willing to be ordinary people. Please open your eyes, stop punishing us, and let us get through the difficulties! This kind of sacrifice is sometimes effective, but not always, because some disasters are not sent by heaven, but man-made disasters. In this case, sacrificing boys and girls will naturally be ineffective.

In other words, those natural disasters sent down by heaven that caused people to sacrifice young boys and girls were a kind of calamity. Aren't you blessed by heaven? Aren't you different from ordinary people? Well, the one who gave birth to you was an ordinary person, and the one who killed you was also an ordinary person. Do you have any place to complain? Sometimes heaven is so willful.

Of course, the heavens would not use this method to deal with all people with special powers. For example, for someone like Princess Longyun, even if the heavens sent down a disaster and asked people to sacrifice boys and girls, it would be impossible to sacrifice a princess. So the heavens have other ways to deal with such people, that is, to arrange an enemy who can control you to death, and use him to get rid of you. Tathagata and Mara are the enemies in the life and death, but these two are special and have too strong abilities, so the heavens arranged for them to collide, and no one will be good.

As an aside, the relationship between men and women, sometimes the man has the upper hand over the woman, or the woman has the upper hand over the man, is also similar to this kind of life and death relationship, but it has not reached the level of a heavenly calamity. God still has a melodramatic side. Maybe he likes to watch melodramas or he has some psychological distortion.

After listening to Tao Zhongwen's explanation of the life and death calamity, Li Yi couldn't help but look at his right hand and asked Tao Zhongwen: "Sir, do you think this purple thunderbolt given to me by God will..."

Tao Zhongwen smiled and said, "Yes, you are also a person who will face disaster, a son chosen by heaven, but I can't tell what kind of disaster you will face."

Li Yi's heart sank: Damn it, damn it, damn it! What the hell is going on? I am also a person who is destined to be calamity. What on earth is God thinking? Is he playing tricks on me? Alas, traveling through time and space with calamity, it seems that there is no good, what should I do?

Anyone could see the worry on Li Yi's face. Tao Zhongwen comforted him, "Xiuyuan, you don't have to worry about the calamity. This calamity of life and death is the second easiest calamity to overcome among the calamities of heaven."

Li Yi immediately asked, "What is the easiest calamity to overcome?"

Tao Zhongwen stroked his beard and smiled, "The Heavenly Tribulation is the easiest to overcome, and you've already overcome it once."

Li Yi wondered, "I have survived a catastrophe. When? What happened? What happened?"

Li Yi, who usually could stay out of the matter, was panicked when it was his turn to personally participate. Tao Zhongwen said: "When you decided to establish a new sect, when you helped Bailing become the pioneer of the Confucian and Taoist Song School, the seeds of the disaster were sown."

Li Yi recalled for a moment and asked, "Sir, are you saying that Zhai Baishan is my Heavenly Tribulation?"

Tao Zhongwen nodded and said, "Yes, it was him. The Purple Sky Divine Thunder that you struck him with also verified your body and mind. If your intentions are not right, you will be strongly attacked by the Purple Sky Divine Thunder. At the least, your cultivation will be lost, and at the worst, you will die from the thunder piercing your chest."

Li Yi broke out in a cold sweat on his back, and he was scared at the thought. At that time, he did not think much about it. He just wanted to defeat Zhai Baishan, so he used his strongest killing move. Now he realized how dangerous it was that time. If he had the intention to kill, the result would have been very different.

Tao Zhongwen patted Li Yi on the shoulder and said, "Do you think this heavenly tribulation is not as terrible as you imagined?"

Li Yi sighed and said, "Sir, it's easy for me to say that. Now when I think about it, I'm still scared."

Tao Zhongwen smiled and said, "It's normal for you to be a little scared at first, but you will get used to it soon."

Li Yi said unhappily: "So the heavenly tribulation has come true on you, so of course you are not afraid..."

Li Yi looked at Tao Zhongwen's amused expression and suddenly asked, "Could it be that you are also the one who will be robbed?"

Tao Zhongwen stroked his beard and said, "This is natural. All the extraordinary realms have to face the calamity, and I am no exception. It's just that I don't know when, where, and how this calamity will come, so I just let everything take its course. The saints said that at thirty, one is established, at forty, one has no doubts, and at fifty, one knows the will of heaven. I am already over sixty this year, so the will of heaven has faded a lot in my opinion."

Li Yi couldn't help but ask after hearing these familiar words: "Did the Three Saints say this?"

Tao Zhongwen was stunned and said, "Nonsense, isn't it written in the Sacred Teachings?"

Li Yi considered his words and said, "I know this sentence, but I remember more than this one. What I learned is 'At fifteen, I set my mind on learning; at thirty, I stood firm; at forty, I had no doubts; at fifty, I knew the will of heaven; at sixty, my ears were obedient; at seventy, I followed my heart's desire without transgressing the rules.' I learned this sentence."

As soon as Li Yi finished speaking, purple air rose up, and Tao Zhongwen was filled with fear, because the purple air attracted by Li Yi actually resonated with the Junzi Pavilion, and the entire Junzi Pavilion flashed a lavender light. Li Yi looked around and stretched out his right hand. The purple air was not absorbed by him but continued to gather in his hand, and finally turned into a purple-gold brush.

Tao Zhongwen sighed, "This, this, is this something used by saints? Is this a holy weapon?"

Li Yi had a puzzled look on his face as he carefully examined the brush in his hand. The purple-gold light gradually dissipated, revealing its original appearance: a very ordinary and somewhat worn brush, with even the wolf hair on the tip of the brush becoming uneven. He looked at the pen shaft and saw a line of small words engraved on it: A gift from the student Wan Zhang to his teacher.

Li Yi replayed the memories of his two lifetimes of studying in his mind, searching for the name Wan Zhang. He suddenly asked, "Could it be that this brush was given by Wan Zhang to Confucius, the third generation sage? Is it the brush used by the sage?"

When Tao Zhongwen heard this, he didn't care about etiquette. He reached out and snatched the pen and checked it over and over again. He looked at it over and over again for a stick of incense. Then, regardless of what Li Yi thought, he stretched out his hand and made a pen holder appear out of thin air. He respectfully placed the brush on the holder, and then placed the pen holder on the table under the wooden tablet "Encouraging Learning" in the main hall.

He looked at the table and felt not very satisfied. With another wave of his hand, the table turned into a desk with only a pen holder and a brush on it. Then he showed a satisfied smile and bowed deeply to the brush.

Li Yi was stunned by the smooth operation of Old Silver Coin. He thought: What does that mean? What are you doing if it's not Old Silver Coin? Didn't I make this? Why did you put it up for sale? Do you have any shame? It is said that a gentleman does not take away the beauty of others, but you are just robbing it! If I can't beat you, I will definitely press you to the ground and rub you! Repeatedly! Let's see whether your face is thicker or this brick is thicker!

Li Yi just stared at Tao Zhongwen's operation. After Tao Zhongwen finished his greetings, he looked at Li Yi with a serious expression and immediately put on a flattering expression and said, "Ah, Xiuyuan, you come to ask me for advice, just say whatever you want to say, why do you need to give me a gift? I can't accept or not accept such a valuable thing. Oh! Forget it, since you have already taken it out, it would be bad to ask you to take it back, so I will accept it with reluctance, but this will not happen again! This will not happen again! Don't do this again in the future!"

Li Yi had no intention of indulging Old Silver Coin's bad habits, and he directly scolded him: "Old Silver Coin, can you please have some shame! When did I say I gave it to you? It was obviously you who snatched it from me, and you even put it up for worship in front of me. Do you think you deserve to be a gentleman?"

The old silver coin continued to smile and said: "Ah, Xiuyuan, what did you say just now, 'At sixty, one's ears become obedient', yeah, that makes sense! It makes sense. I have a deep understanding of it now. Look, no matter what you say to me now, I find it pleasing to the ear. This sentence is so right! And what is seventy?" Li Yi was amused by the old silver coin's shameless behavior and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Tao Zhongwen said without any shame, "Oh, yes, I remember now. You said that at the age of seventy, one can follow one's heart's desire without breaking the rules. That's very well said. You see, I am almost seventy now. I do have the awareness of following one's heart's desire, but it seems that I am still a little short of not breaking the rules. It doesn't matter. I think I will be able to do it when I am seventy! Ah, Xiuyuan, well said, well said! Come on, come on, sit down, sit down!"

Tao Zhongwen shouted to the servants, "Go! Bring us the best tea bestowed by His Majesty, and buy the best and most expensive cakes from Dingfeng Tower! Bring them all up here, what are you looking at, go quickly!" Old Silver Coin almost kicked the servant on the butt, he was so anxious, then turned around and immediately had that flattering expression again, and Li Yi was stunned.

Tao Zhongwen smiled as he sat opposite Li Yi and said, "Xiuyuan, I'm happy today. How about this? You stay at my place for dinner. I'll invite the best chef in the capital to cook you the best dishes. Don't refuse! It's settled!"

Li Yi shook his head and smiled: "Old Silver Coin, Old Silver Coin, I feel that this title is not suitable for you now."

Tao Zhongwen smiled flatteringly and said, "Oh, then what name did Xiuyuan give me?"

Li Yi pointed at the brush, and Tao Zhongwen immediately reached out to stop Li Yi's hand and said, "Xiu Yuan, you can't just point at it casually! It's disrespectful! It's disrespectful!"

Li Yi laughed and scolded: "Well, old silver coin is definitely not appropriate. Seeing your despicable and shameless behavior just now, I will call you old despicable from now on!"