Chapter 71 : Under the Tribulation Lightning
Yun Qingyue's cultivation had been stuck at the peak of Golden Core for three years.
Although three years meant little to cultivators—many remained trapped at the Golden Core to Nascent Soul breakthrough for over a decade, and some never advanced at all—this only applied to ordinary people. For exceptional talents, this was already a considerable period, long enough for those left far behind to see hope of catching up.
Yun Qingyue also wanted to break through, but she had never found the right opportunity, her anxiety gradually giving way to a calm mindset. Taking advantage of her stagnant cultivation, she began refining her sword intent, gradually finding her own sword way.
Though her ice frost sword intent seemed only recently comprehended and mastered, it represented three years of accumulation. Such sudden enlightenment, coupled with tempering, brought her only benefits without drawbacks—this was why Qingxu mentioned Yun Qingyue using Bei Chen as a whetstone; she truly was using him as such, constantly forging her sword intent through his fierce and domineering blade momentum.
In this battle, she not only achieved a resounding victory but also made her sword intent more harmonious and complete, making her expression of gratitude to Bei Chen entirely appropriate.
The elder presiding over the arena stepped forward, lightly coughed, and was about to announce the result when he suddenly found the victor had vanished. After looking around, he discovered Yun Qingyue had already gone to the high platform behind.
At this moment, the little white tiger, excited to see Senior Sister triumphantly victorious once again, wanted to pounce into her arms as soon as she returned. However, before she could push off with her hind legs, she felt the hand gripping her destined neck scruff not only hadn't released but pressed down more firmly. Consequently, the little white tiger's pouncing motion remained incomplete, and she remained firmly pressed on the chair.
The little white tiger was extremely dissatisfied and had just attempted to struggle when she heard Senior Sister's cool voice: "Master, this disciple is about to breakthrough."
Qingyu remained very calm. Feeling the little white tiger's struggling movements pause under her palm, she didn't even glance down. She seemed to have anticipated this, and looking at her disciple, she nodded and said: "Go to Mount Tianyang."
The back mountain of Mount Tianyang had the Lightning Bramble Forest, which could help tribulation-crossing cultivators absorb a portion of the celestial lightning's power. The lightning power would then be stored in the bramble forest, and those following the body cultivation path, or those simply wanting to temper their bodies with lightning power, could cultivate there—of course, such people were rare; most avoided the Lightning Bramble Forest, as nobody enjoyed being struck by lightning.
Yun Qingyue came only to inform her master, then immediately turned and flew toward the back mountain on her sword. As for the preparations needed for crossing tribulation, she had begun three years ago, and Qingyu had already given her everything she would need.
Only after Yun Qingyue left did the little white tiger struggle free from Qingyu's control, anxiously pacing in circles. She wanted to follow and watch Senior Sister cross tribulation, but her short legs couldn't keep up, and she couldn't fly on a sword or use any similar techniques. She could only turn back and hug Qingyu's arm, "aowu-ing" repeatedly: "Senior Sister is going to cross her tribulation! Master, aren't you going to protect her? Let's go, let's go, take me with you!"
Fortunately, Qingyu wasn't truly indifferent to her disciple after providing the necessary items. After informing Sect Leader Qingxiao, she glanced at the anxious little white tiger and finally swept her sleeve, bringing her along to the back mountain.
The speed of a Fusion realm cultivator and a Golden Core cultivator couldn't be compared. By the time Qingyu brought the little white tiger to the Lightning Bramble Forest on the back mountain, Yun Qingyue hadn't even arrived. The person and tiger waited for a few breaths before seeing a sword light shoot over, finally stopping above the lightning forest... With the wind brushing against her robes, who else could it be but Yun Qingyue, about to cross her tribulation?
The Frost-Blue Sword emanated white light, hovering in midair.
Yun Qingyue sat cross-legged, casually tossing out several formation flags to arrange the most common spirit-gathering formation in the cultivation world. Then, without looking at her master who stood guard nearby, much less the worried little white tiger, she closed her eyes and began regulating her breath, both recovering the spiritual energy consumed on the arena earlier and absorbing more spiritual energy to break through her barrier.
Perhaps with the formation flags' assistance, the spiritual energy near the Lightning Bramble Forest visibly began to gather toward Yun Qingyue. As more and more spiritual energy accumulated, it gradually formed a spiritual vortex.
The little white tiger was extremely excited, both happy for Senior Sister's advancement and thrilled to witness a tribulation crossing. However, with her heart and eyes full of Yun Qingyue, the little white tiger failed to notice that apart from Peak Master Qingyu, none of the other Sect Leaders or Peak Masters had come—Yun Qingyue's arena match had been scheduled last, and today's competition had temporarily paused with her victory, so they had time to come. Moreover, as elders, it would be appropriate to come and protect their junior during tribulation.
But none came. Not one.
Not just the Sect Leader and Peak Masters, but even the elders and disciples who had been at Little Spirit Peak plaza—none came!
This was highly unusual, as tribulation crossings were always attractive events. Observers could gain insights and experience, and when the tribulation crosser successfully crossed and the heavens bestowed spiritual rain to compensate and restore them, the closer one was, the greater the benefits.
The little white tiger knew nothing of these details and thus didn't notice anything amiss. Until, in her excitement, she realized night had fallen. Then, still excited, she noticed the moon had risen. Then, continuing her excitement, she found dew had gathered on her whiskers. Then... oh, dawn had broken, the morning sun was rising, the clouds were spreading across the land, and her Senior Sister still hadn't begun crossing her tribulation.
The little white tiger, who hadn't slept all night, could no longer remain excited. She lay dejectedly at Peak Master Qingyu's feet, unconsciously opening her mouth for a long yawn, wanting to ask Master: When will Senior Sister's tribulation crossing actually begin?!
However, Qingyu, who had stood here all night, hadn't even furrowed her brow, as if she had transformed into a stone statue.
After an unknown amount of time, when the morning glow bathed the entire Mount Tianyang, a bell sound suddenly rang out from the distance.
"Dong," "dong," "dong," one after another, deep and resonant, seeming to cleanse one's heart.
This bell sound had become familiar to Jiang Mo recently—it was the bell from Little Spirit Peak plaza, signaling the start of the sect competition. In other words, a night had passed, and the sect competition at Little Spirit Peak plaza was about to begin again, yet Yun Qingyue, who had said she would breakthrough and cross tribulation, had been preparing all night without even a trace of lightning. Who knew if she would make it to today's competition?
The little white tiger, who had high expectations for Yun Qingyue, immediately stood up, looking at Yun Qingyue still sitting cross-legged in meditation, then glancing in the direction of Little Spirit Peak, her golden tiger eyes showing slight anxiety.
Just then, a cold voice came: "Breakthrough is crucial; other matters are insignificant."
It wasn't clear whom Qingyu's words were intended for, but upon hearing them, the little white tiger's heart calmed considerably. She lay down again, her front paws crossed, chin resting on them, her tiger eyes still fixed on the figure in the spirit-gathering formation.
Suddenly, the weather changed dramatically, with large dark clouds beginning to gather above them, blocking the golden morning sun.
The little white tiger sat up straight, and looking skyward, her first thought was that it would rain. Then, feeling the unusual pressure from heaven and earth, she realized this wasn't merely a weather change but likely Yun Qingyue's Nascent Soul lightning tribulation finally arriving.
Qingyu also looked up, and when she lowered her gaze, several people had appeared beside her—the Peak Masters who hadn't come yesterday.
Sect Leader Qingxiao naturally led them. He glanced at Yun Qingyue, still sitting cross-legged in the spirit-gathering formation, seemingly somewhat surprised: "So quickly? I thought it would take a few days." As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, and a stream of light suddenly flew toward Yun Qingyue in the formation—some unknown object that landed directly in front of her.
Seeing this, the other Peak Masters didn't waste words and likewise threw treasures toward Yun Qingyue. Although the little white tiger didn't recognize any of these items, from their actions she could understand that they were likely treasures capable of resisting lightning tribulation.
Soon, Yun Qingyue in the spirit-gathering formation opened her eyes, her glassy pupils radiant with divine light.
Almost at the instant she opened her eyes, the increasingly dense black clouds overhead completed their formation, and a lightning bolt as thick as a bowl's mouth abruptly struck down!
It was a blue-purple lightning bolt which, though not particularly thick or terrifying to behold, emanated a fearsome pressure that could be sensed from afar. The Peak Masters with their profound cultivation were fine, but the little white tiger was almost suffocated by this pressure. It was the seemingly cold Qingyu who proved attentive, noticing the little white tiger's discomfort with a glance and waving her hand to set up a barrier in front of her, allowing the little white tiger to feel somewhat better.
If even bystanders felt this way, Yun Qingyue under the lightning would face even greater pressure. However, her expression remained unchanged, and facing the lightning, she chose to draw her sword and meet it head-on—seeing this, the little white tiger opened her mouth, wanting to say that at this moment, the sword was no different from a lightning rod.
However, cultivators crossing tribulation weren't merely encountering a thunderstorm; the celestial lightning was destined to strike. Realizing this, the little white tiger hurriedly closed her mouth.
The cultivation world was indeed unscientific. As Yun Qingyue boldly struck with her sword, she actually dispersed the falling lightning. The bowl-mouth-thick lightning was split into countless tiny threads, some dissipating in the air, some absorbed by the Lightning Bramble Forest below, and others traveling through the Frost-Blue Sword into Yun Qingyue's body, bringing her pain while also tempering her body.
The lightning tribulation descended rapidly, one bolt after another, each with double the power of the previous. This was evident even through the barrier that blocked the pressure, visible in the increasingly thick lightning bolts.
When the first tribulation lightning fell, Yun Qingyue used one sword strike, handling it with composure. The second bolt was the same, as was the third. By the fourth tribulation lightning, her composure began to waver, her ceremonial robes showing damage, and her previously flawless skin bearing several wounds. Yet her expression remained calm, and facing the successive lightning bolts, her gaze remained steady and determined.
Then came the fifth and sixth bolts. After six tribulation lightnings, the figure above the Lightning Bramble Forest was covered in wounds. Her ceremonial robes were tattered, with drops of fresh blood falling from her hemline, a heart-wrenching sight.
When cultivators cross lightning tribulation, the number of lightning bolts varies with different realms. Typically, Foundation Establishment requires one bolt, Golden Core three bolts, Nascent Soul nine bolts, increasing layer by layer until the tribulation-crossing ascension's nine-times-nine, eighty-one bolts.
Currently, Yun Qingyue was advancing to Nascent Soul, so her tribulation required nine lightning bolts, of which more than half had already passed.
Yun Qingyue had her own calculations for crossing tribulation. She had dispersed the first three lightning bolts and endured the middle three, but relying solely on her physical body to resist the last three would be extremely difficult. Thus, despite her numerous wounds, after the sixth lightning bolt, her movements remained swift. This time, she brought out a set of superior-grade defensive formation disks, deploying the formation with a wave of her hand, then began using the treasures the elders had given her earlier.
These included pills for rapidly healing wounds and treasures for resisting lightning. Yun Qingyue instantly recognized their uses with a glance and unhesitatingly used everything that could be useful.
The seventh tribulation lightning arrived as expected, shattering the defensive formation she had hastily deployed with a single strike, but fortunately, after being weakened, it was no longer fearsome.
Next came the eighth tribulation lightning, which shattered the defensive treasure gifted by Qingyuan. Fortunately, before breaking, the treasure had almost completely blocked the tribulation lightning, preventing Yun Qingyue's slightly recovered injuries from worsening.
Then came the ninth and final tribulation lightning. This bolt was the culmination of all previous tribulation lightnings, a barrel-thick lightning bolt that crashed down fiercely, causing such a blinding flash that people could barely keep their eyes open, their hearts sinking.
The little white tiger resisted closing her eyes, but the scene before her suddenly turned completely white, making it almost impossible to see anything.
Just at this moment, she suddenly heard the system's frightened voice by her ear: "Host, be careful!"
The next moment, she felt her body suddenly go numb, followed by intense pain...