The earth rumbles, the heaven shook. Neither the land nor sky were calm as it once was. The ground trembles uncontrollably causing the mountain to rise and another to fall. The wind brought down many hurricanes which heavily change the landscape beyond recognition forevermore. It all happened in one instant and still, showing no sign of stopping.

The scene was the very epitome of hell, it's just like...the beginning of the end of the world.

The sky gradually darkens until thunders heavily fell on the top of the mountain at the behest of Heaven's Will, ferociously, yet the man at the mountaintop remain undisturbed while he sat on a huge boulder with his eyes closed and the face embodied of serenity. With his white hair fluttering from the fierce wind, the man gives off a unique yet mysterious aura that makes people want to spontaneously worship him if they ever gaze at his figure.

He appeared divine and untouchable.

Though this man has the appearance of a young man in his mid-20s, don't be deceived, he is NOT by any means 'young.' He had lived long enough to witness mortals growing older and weaker until they eventually succumbed to their fate...for more than 3 generations. He had stopped counting since then, as in the end, it didn't matter.

When lightning descend, a protective barrier emerged and protect him from harm, but it wasn't far from enough. Another lightning appeared, and it doesn't seem like an ordinary one judging by the color it emitted. As to be expected, the barrier was broken apart like fragile glasses, though, before the purple lightning could ravage the man, another layer of protection suddenly arose and stop its advance. 

"There he is! Kill him!" Suddenly, a loud voice could be heard in the distance. Then, a small group of eccentric people flew toward the mountaintop by utilizing the sword they stood upon. Their strange garment aside, one wondered how could they hold so much hostility for but one single man. Did the man massacre their entire clan so they come to seek vengeance? What sought them to end this man's life?

Without as much as uttering any words, they unceremoniously launch heavy attacks while ignoring the occasional lightning striking down the ground leaving behind scorched dirt. There wasn't any need for word, this is their only and final chance to retaliate while the man is busy protecting himself from the lightning tribulation. They only need to break his concentration, so long as they succeed, he would fail his ascension and while he was weakened, that will be the time they will call for backup and end him once and for all!

But to their anguish, their combination attacks weren't strong enough to shatter the protective layer surrounding him. The man was still in full concentration as if the matter in the outside world couldn't move him at all. And indeed, he had only a single purpose in his life since he found himself in this world, that is to ascend to immortality and nothing else matters.

There was once a legend that if one ascended to Immortality, the peak cultivation, they could cross beyond stars with only their dominant body that was known to be indestructible. And the said Immortal could also destroy a mountain with just a sneeze, a true Celestial above Heaven! 

The man cares less about the destructive strength, but more about the ability to cross star. If it was as he believe, he will be able to go back to his homeworld, Earth! 

Every legend in this world isn't mere fiction told to frightened children before bed. Just like the famous quotation in his previous world goes, there won't be smoke without a fire. He determined the legend to be at the very least, 80% valid, which was more than enough to make him concentrate his every being on reaching the peak. 

And since then, he has never stopped cultivating. Every night, he would use his sleep time to cultivate till morning. As one already knows, cultivating is like meditating. If sleep is required for a mortal to rest their tired body, cultivation is no different than sleep when one is deep in concentration. Of course, that doesn't mean exhaustion will completely be blown away, no, that's why it is better to do it in moderation or one's health might get affected in the long run. 

On his journey to Immortality, he had met many people, be it enemies and allies alike, he didn't remain too long in one spot, or too close to anyone so as to not affect him when that time comes for him to leave. Yet no matter how much he tried distancing himself from others, there are bounds to be stubborn people. Those that once hold affection to him, and those who hate him to the bone, all of them eventually departed from the world. Even those who choose to remain by his side to the very end...had fallen in front of his eyes.

While they come and go, his will grows more solid each time he became used to the feeling of emptiness. He wasn't complete cold-blood though. Those that blessed him with precious memory he could never forget, he always pay respect to them in his heart. 

Before he faces the tribulation for his ascension to Immortality, he had done a bit of preparation to increase his probability by planting karma left and right. So, he left precious treasures to a sect that once took care of him when he was fledging. The stubborn girl who wouldn't stop chasing him even when he had rejected her plenty of times, her ending was quite unfortunate, but at least he had taken vengeance in her place.

Now, the only thing that remains in his head is his long-cherished wish to return to his homeworld, Earth. No matter how strong the tribulations evolved to be, he had done plentiful preparation to confront it—it was the only element that will likely ruin his chance of returning home, he would never underestimate it.

He could feel it. Deep within his soul, something seems to be budding. Upon sensing it, his hope burns fiercely. Slowly, the man who had been quiet in face of tribulations suddenly open his eyes. With just a simple action, yet those that were close to him, the ignorant assaulters, were forcefully sent hundreds of meters away by unseen attack.

He stood up, and look up at the dark and ominous sky in silence. 

"I know this isn't your very bestest, are you looking down on me?" He whispered, but no one respond to him other than the lightning that occasionally strike down the ground around him. 

"So in the end, Heaven's Will is nothing much after all." He coldly stated with a clear tone of disappointment in his voice. 

Heaven's Will. 

It also goes by Heaven's Mandate, a hidden force that has governed over the cultivation world for eons. Something akin to a God, and despite being called Heaven's Will or the Will of Heaven, it has no actual will other than enforcing rules upon the world. Cultivators, in general, are those who violate the law of nature by robbing the energy that flows through the world to strengthen their bodies. That is why they will be forced to face tribulations when they ascend to another level. After all, only those who are worthy deserve the power.

Although mortals often referred to them as Immortals, they are nothing but only in names. They do live longer than mortals, but they will eventually turn to dust once their lifespan came to an end. Though, they do have the power that could obliterate a mountain or two. But it is nothing in comparison to a True Immortal.

In legends, True Immortal couldn't just soar between stars. They are also known to be indestructible, although only in rumors as no one has witnessed a real one yet. Perhaps they do exist, and they most likely had long travel to another star long ago before mankind even walk out of their cave. So in other people's eyes, what the man was about to do is nothing short but the work of a madman. Even so, if those legends are true, they will do everything in their power to stop him.

Boom!

Though try as hard as they could, their cultivation level was too low to even put a dent on him. After all, he isn't called 'Genius among Geniuses' for nothing. It's like an egg facing a boulder—no matter how much they threw themselves at him, they only hurt themselves from the impact.

Rumbles!

As if angered by his words, the situation above and below gradually worsen. The ground suddenly separated from one another, so deeply that one could see magma oozing under it. The man could also feel something gathering at one point in the dark sky, something so ominous. 

"That's right, that's how it should be from the start." In the beginning, the man had noticed the strangeness of the tribulation. It's definitely stronger than anything he had faced, but that's about it. For something like Immortality, it feels a bit underwhelming. Which was why he tried provoking Heaven, though he didn't think it would work. 

The residents of this world might think he is reckless and courting death by angering Heaven. It matters not to him. The stronger the tribulation, the better chance he has to ascend to Immortality—that's just how the rule of this world works.

Boom!

The sky that has been dark for a while now suddenly shifts to crimson red, and in the blink of an eye, red lightning began striking severely at him without a stop. It seems like Heaven won't stop until it eventually killed him. 

Even though blood already seeping out of the corner of his lips, the man remains calm and steady as if everything is within his expectation. He could feel the pain assaulting his hardened body to the cellular level every second he breathe. Each time a new cell is generated from the dead cell, it was then destroyed the next second by the red lightning. No matter how fast his regeneration is, it also has its limit. And that limit, the man could tell is nearing the end.

But despite that, how could he still remain calm? The answer is simple, really. Just as much as the pain hurts him, he also notices the budding feeling within him is growing stronger, he feels it. He couldn't stop himself from smiling amidst the grueling pain. 

Finally, his whole broken body shines...and exploded to pieces. The people observing from the distance let out a relieved sigh upon seeing that, they immediately concluded that he had failed his ascension. After all, who could still survive after only pieces of them are their only remain left? They didn't even bother burning those pieces to ashes when they were leaving, and those who waited for a few more minutes also arrive at the same conclusion when there's no sign of him coming back to life. 

Once all the spectators were confirmed leaving the scene, as if waiting for this exact moment, those pieces laying on the ground suddenly shoot up. They remain afloat for a moment when suddenly, they quickly flew to a single spot as if gathering all the pieces without missing a single one. 

"After facing the harshest tribulations, reborn anew, that is the way to ascend to Immortality." A voice resounds through the once beautiful but now ruined of what was left of the mountain. After the pieces gathered up to a full figure, it was enveloped with a bright light, and onto the next second, it was replaced by the figure of the man who supposedly died from failed ascension. 

There wasn't any aura around him like what one expected from a cultivator. His energy feels so small, no different than a mortal. But it was without a doubt that he is a True Immortal—only the man himself sense the big change within him. 

"Indeed, with this much power, I can definitely—" without finishing his words, he suddenly snapped his finger. And in response to his action, the space in front of him went through a sudden shift until a few moments later, a mysterious portal appeared. Beyond this portal, there exists another world, he could tell that much just by simply gazing into it. 

Though, he isn't confident that the world inside the portal is the Earth of his homeworld. Without knowing the correct coordination, he could only go with random and hoped he got it right. Despite knowing he might get on the wrong world, the man didn't show any sign of fear. 

"If I get it wrong this time, I can simply open another portal." He muttered before waving his hand and his outfit quickly change from that of a cultivator into more comfortable clothes of the modern age. He couldn't bother cutting his long hair, rather, he quite likes it. 

Taking one final look at his surrounding, the memories of his time in this world suddenly flashed through his eyes. In the end, he did grow a bit of fondness for this world and its inhabitants. A few minutes later, he turned back and look into the portal with a determined look on his face. 

There wasn't really any need to get emotional now, it isn't like he couldn't return to this world. Perhaps he might come back here in the future, so he memorized his location—the coordinate he needed for the portal. Although he wish to have a little bit of time to get used to his newfound power, he also wanted to return to his homeworld as soon as possible. He doesn't know how long time has passed in his previous world since he came to this world after all. 

Even though he had spent hundreds of years over here, there's still a chance that only a year or even a few seconds passed on Earth. Although very low, he couldn't let go of it—It's better than nothing at least. Or perhaps, with his newfound power, maybe he could travel to the past. A bit of hope dwells within his heart.

"Alright, enough distraction. Let's see where this portal takes me," taking a few deep breaths to calm his eager heart, the man finally flew into the portal, and the portal then dispersed like magic.