dùjié
Also written: dujie; undergo a tribulation; pass a heavenly trial; lightning tribulation
In cultivation and xianxia fiction, to undergo and survive a major heavenly or fated tribulation required for advancement, transformation, ascension, or fulfillment of destiny.
Literal meaning
to cross or survive a calamity
Cultural context
The tribulation may involve lightning, fire, inner demons, karmic consequences, emotional trials, or mortal suffering. Modern fantasy often turns it into a formal test imposed by heaven or the world’s spiritual laws.
How dramas use it
A cultivator prepares to dùjié before a breakthrough, allies protect the surrounding area, enemies exploit the character’s vulnerability, or a failed tribulation damages cultivation and changes the plot.
Usage & formality
劫, jié, can mean calamity or fated trial more broadly. 渡劫 specifically emphasizes undergoing or passing through that trial.