Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

"That’s true," Mu Chen said. "But we have to deliver Elder Ling’s letter first. If it’s urgent, it’s best we let them know as soon as possible."

Chu Aoqing nodded and took the initiative to hold Mu Chen’s hand. In that moment, she was no longer the mature and noble young lady of Hidden Sword Manor, but rather a young maiden who had fallen in love. Although nothing had happened between them and nothing had been said, they both understood what was in their hearts.

As for Mu Chen, thanks to the Profound Old Ghost’s prodding, he was no longer so passive and restrained. ’If she wants to hold my hand, then so be it,’ he thought. ’Being favored by such an outstanding woman is my good fortune. As for status, Master said I’m not inferior to anyone!’

Downstairs, the reception hall was just as familiar as ever, as was the receptionist. The only difference was that the moment the receptionist saw Mu Chen, she froze on the spot.

Chu Aoqing squeezed Mu Chen’s hand and smiled. "See? It’s quite effective."

Mu Chen rubbed his nose with a wry smile. ’This wasn’t my intention at all. It was all Master’s doing. I just put on a new set of clothes.’

"Miss Ai."

The receptionist didn’t snap out of it until Mu Chen was standing right in front of her. Blushing slightly, she gave him an embarrassed nod, tucked a lock of long hair behind her ear, and said apologetically, "I’m sorry, your attire today is..."

"Strange, isn’t it?" Mu Chen gave an awkward smile.

The receptionist, Miss Ai, waved her hands in a hurry. "No, no, no! I was going to say, it suits you very well."

"Is that so?" Mu Chen smiled faintly. "Thank you for taking care of Qing’Er these past few days."

Miss Ai shook her head repeatedly. "Not at all. It’s my honor to be of service to you."

Mu Chen nodded gratefully once more, then placed two bags of Purple Elemental Crystals on the counter. "I’m not sure how many Purple Elemental Crystals are needed for a month’s stay, but these two bags should be enough. If there’s any left over, please consider it a gift of thanks for you, Miss Ai. Please don’t refuse, or it will be very awkward for me."

The receptionist accepted with a smile. There was no pretense in her actions, nor a trace of greed or satisfaction in her eyes—only sincere gratitude. She nodded. "I will accept it. Thank you. But... are you leaving?"

"Yes," Mu Chen replied. "We’ve been in Ghost City for over a month, and I have urgent matters to attend to, so I can’t linger. Farewell."

With that, Mu Chen led Chu Aoqing toward the exit of the Guest Manor. Just as they reached the door, he suddenly turned back. "Oh, and... the nightscape of Ghost City is truly beautiful."

Then, with a WHOOSH, the two of them vanished from the manor’s entrance. Staring at the spot where Mu Chen and Chu Aoqing had disappeared, Miss Ai murmured to herself, "What a handsome and gentle man. But if they’re in love, why did he ask me to help that beautiful woman with her washing?"

...

Outside Ghost City, Mu Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, a look of terror on his face. Chu Aoqing, on the other hand, was covering her mouth and giggling, much to Mu Chen’s annoyance.

"What are you laughing at?"

If Mu Chen had kept quiet, it might have been fine, but the moment he spoke, Chu Aoqing burst out laughing even louder, completely shedding the airs of a high-born lady. Her laughter made his skin crawl. He didn’t even have to ask to know why she was laughing. The moment he’d stepped out of the Yuelai Guest House, countless maidens, women, and ladies had swarmed him. He would never forget the looks in their eyes. Meanwhile, the other men and boys had glared at him with such hatred and hostility that it seemed they wanted to kill him.

He’d been the center of attention before, but this was on a completely different level. He finally understood the dire consequences of standing out. As the thought crossed his mind, however, he couldn’t help but wonder, ’What kind of situation would Qin Shang face if he went out in public?’

But the thought had barely formed before Mu Chen couldn’t help but chuckle. ’With that guy’s looks, people would probably go crazy for him wherever he went.’

Meanwhile, in the Inner Cabinet of Tingyu Pavilion, Qin Shang, who was in the middle of his Cultivation, suddenly felt his nose itch. He suppressed the sensation with sheer willpower, his sword-like brows knitting together. ’Someone just mentioned my name.’

But on second thought, far too many people knew him, so it wasn’t strange for someone to mention his name. As he considered this, a particular figure suddenly surfaced in his mind.

’I wonder how that fellow Mu Chen’s strength is progressing. There’s still a year and a half until the Nine Clans Competition. With his Martial Arts Talent and aptitude, securing a spot for Holy Tomb Mountain shouldn’t be an issue. Still, I’ve already put enough pressure on him. If he’s constantly bogged down by it, it will affect his Martial Arts Enlightenment. When I come out of seclusion this time, I’ll have Dark Shadow go tell him the plan has been delayed.’

Having said this to himself, Qin Shang once again entered a state of Cultivation...

On the road from Ghost City to Medicine City, Mu Chen and Chu Aoqing didn’t talk much. The journey was also rather tedious. Normally, Mu Chen would have taken advantage of this idle time, using his Dual Tasking technique to cultivate whenever he could. This time, however, he didn’t. He was no longer the person he once was.

’Master.’

Calling out softly in his mind, Mu Chen sent a wisp of his Spiritual Power into his Sea of Souls.

The Profound Old Ghost’s voice quietly emerged. "You want to ask about the third finger of the Xuanming Three Fingers, don’t you?"

Hearing the Profound Old Ghost’s words, Mu Chen wasn’t the least bit surprised. He simply grunted in affirmation. "That was the power of a Thunder Tribulation, wasn’t it?"

The Profound Old Ghost said, "Didn’t you have an insight into it yourself? That’s right. It is indeed the power of a Thunder Tribulation."

"But... how can you command the power of a Thunder Tribulation, Master? That’s a power wielded by gods to punish the mortal world. Don’t tell me you used to be a god?"

The Profound Old Ghost chuckled. "A god? Now that’s the most novel thing I’ve heard in a long time. But I can tell you this clearly: I am not a god, but I am not human either. As for what my true form is, at the rate you’re progressing, you’ll find out one day. However, wielding the power of a Thunder Tribulation is by no means exclusive to gods!"

"People—or rather, all sentient beings—can be divided into two types: mediocrities and geniuses. A mediocrity will suffer a setback once, then a second time, and after the second, a third. They are what you would call ’those who fall into the same pit over and over.’ After falling enough times, they finally learn their lesson and avoid the pit next time. But in my eyes, they are still mediocrities."

"A genius, however, after falling into that pit once, not only never falls in the same place again, but goes even further. They’ll figure out how to fill the pit. They’ll even start to think, ’Since I could fall into this pit, if I learn the technique for setting this trap, can’t I use it to trip up others next time?’ *That* is genius. To learn from one’s mistakes and master the method behind them—that is wisdom. Do you now understand why I can command the power of a Thunder Tribulation?"

After those words, it dawned on Mu Chen, and his eyes filled with profound shock. How could he not understand his Master’s meaning? He was clearly saying that the reason he could wield the power of a Thunder Tribulation was because he had experienced it himself—and not just once. While enduring the tribulation, he hadn’t just thought about how to resist it; he had gone so far as to deconstruct it, comprehend it, and make its power his own! To accomplish such a feat! What terrifying wisdom and perseverance that must have required! What incredible intellect and courage!

Just imagine an ordinary person encountering a Thunder Tribulation. Their first reaction would be to panic, their only thought being how to survive. Who would have the presence of mind to think of anything else?

And yet, it is precisely this mentality and disposition that separates Martial Artists into three distinct tiers: geniuses, mediocrities, and failures.

"Behind every tribulation lies a great opportunity. The Thunder Tribulation is no exception."

’That’s right,’ Mu Chen thought. ’Behind every tribulation lies a great opportunity. Isn’t that a perfect description of my own path of Cultivation?’

"But Master, I haven’t mastered the power of a Thunder Tribulation," Mu Chen said regretfully. "I’m afraid I won’t be able to use the Xuanming Three Fingers."

"Why wouldn’t you be able to?" the Profound Old Ghost chuckled. "The only reason I used the power of a Thunder Tribulation is that I can’t use Thunder Attribute Elemental Power. You, on the other hand, possess the Thunder Power from the ancestor of the Ancient Lightning Kai Dragon. While the might of your Xuanming Three Fingers won’t match an actual Thunder Tribulation, it will still be incredibly effective against Martial Artists of similar strength. That’s precisely why I taught it to you. Besides, don’t forget you still have one Celestial Tribulation you’ve yet to face..."

Mu Chen’s pupils constricted. In a heavy voice, he said, "The Nine Venerable Thunder Tribulation!"

"But you don’t need to be too concerned. With my abilities, I can ensure that the Nine Venerable Thunder Tribulation won’t descend, at least not before you break through to the Venerable Realm. However, once you do break through to the Venerable Realm and cross the second threshold of the Martial Dao, the Heaven and Earth Will will notice you. The Nine Venerable Thunder Tribulation will descend then, and at that point, even I won’t be able to help you much. Everything will depend on you alone."

"Then... can I survive it?" Mu Chen’s expression fell. He had seen the Profound Old Ghost’s shock and alarm with his own eyes the day the Nine Venerable Thunder Tribulation appeared. It was an existence that surpassed even the strongest of its kind, the Venerable Thunder Tribulation!

The Profound Old Ghost shook his head with a wry smile. "I don’t know. The Nine Venerable Thunder Tribulation exists only in legends. It’s a trial that only gods should have to face, yet it unexpectedly descended upon you. I don’t know what this means, but your chances of surviving it are minuscule. At least, not with your current strength."

"Not possible?"

"You don’t have to be so disheartened. I said it’s not possible with your *current* strength. So far, you’ve only fused with two Ultimate Attribute Spirits. Once the number of Attribute Spirits in your body reaches four, I believe you will have at least a fifty percent chance of surviving this tribulation. A fifty percent chance is already considerably high. Besides, your Master is no pushover. While I can’t help you directly, my indirect assistance can still raise your chances by another twenty percent. That brings your odds of successfully Crossing the Tribulation up to seventy percent. Are you still worried now?"