Soul Emperor Awakening

A tribulation cloud for someone at the Spirit Pill Stage—this was completely unexpected. Tribulation clouds were typically reserved for breakthroughs to the Core Formation Stage, yet one had formed now.

’Does this mean he has to face a tribulation cloud just to break through to the Spirit Pill Stage? Do the heavens truly want him gone this badly?’ Tuo Shengfeng was utterly shocked.

Typically, a cultivator would face a tribulation cloud when breaking through from the Spirit Pill Stage to the Core Formation Stage. Success meant becoming a Core Formation Stage expert. Failure, on the other hand, would lead to a regression in one’s Cultivation—and that was a light punishment. A severe outcome would be grievous injury! After all, this lightning was far more powerful than what was on the Divine Martial Platform.

One had to pass this tribulation cloud to reach the Core Formation Stage. Of course, the difficulty usually wasn’t that high, so most passed it with relative ease. The crucial point was that Lin Xuan was only at the Spirit Pill Stage, yet he had to endure this tribulation. It was something they found hard to believe.

If he couldn’t withstand it, he would be severely injured by the lightning. Not only would he fail to reach the Spirit Pill Stage, but he would be grievously wounded. That was the real danger!

Upon entering Flame Heart Cave, Tuo Shengfeng saw the dark cloud looming over Lin Xuan’s head, crackling with lightning, ready to strike at any moment. From the aura radiating from Lin Xuan, he could sense that he was on the verge of stepping into the Spirit Pill Stage. He just needed to pass this tribulation, and he would officially break through!

The problem was, Lin Xuan remained perfectly still, deeply immersed in his Cultivation, paying no mind to the tribulation cloud above his head.

’Why hasn’t he woken up? He’ll be injured if he doesn’t face this tribulation!’ Tuo Shengfeng was frantic. He wanted to help, but he couldn’t. One could not simply interfere with a tribulation cloud. Any outside help would not only increase its intensity, but the helper would also be struck and severely wounded.

Thus, while Tuo Shengfeng wanted to help, he was completely powerless to do so.

In addition to Tuo Shengfeng, the other Elders had also been drawn over. This wasn’t the first time they had witnessed such a scene, but it was absolutely the first time they had seen someone below the Core Formation Stage undergo a tribulation.

"Island Master, what do we do now?" Tuo Zhanhong approached, his expression grim as he took in the scene.

If they let this continue, the situation would only grow more dangerous. Lin Xuan could be grievously injured, or even killed! They wanted to help, but it was difficult. Shouldn’t they at least wake him up?

But right now, they didn’t even dare to get near him, as approaching could easily cause problems.

"Elder Lin, wake up!" Tuo Zhanhong roared, his voice empowered by Elemental Power. It was a shout that could undoubtedly shake the entire Divine Martial Island, yet it failed to stir Lin Xuan in the slightest.

Lin Xuan remained in his meditative Cultivation, utterly oblivious to the encroaching danger.

BOOM!

The lightning writhing within the dark clouds seemed to sense Lin Xuan’s contempt. It roared in fury, preparing to coalesce into a tribulation bolt and cleave him in two!

Finally, after gathering its power for a moment, the tribulation lightning could no longer hold back and crashed down from the sky, striking Lin Xuan’s body with brutal force.

CRACK! The entire Flame Heart Cave was instantly illuminated by a flash of lightning, bathing the area in a deathly white glare and blinding Tuo Shengfeng and the others to the scene before them.

The flash of lightning came and went in an instant, and in the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal. Yet Lin Xuan remained seated on the ground, completely unmoved, as solid as a rock! A patch of Dragon Scales had emerged on his body, allowing him to directly withstand the terrifying tribulation bolt.

His body was completely unharmed. In fact, the Dragon Scales covering him shone even brighter, seemingly having been strengthened by the blast.

CRACK!

Another tribulation bolt struck down viciously, slamming into Lin Xuan. The result was the same as before; he weathered it with ease. His body was perfectly fine, without so much as a single scratch.

Only faint arcs of lightning danced across the surface of his skin. The ground beneath him, however, had been blasted into a deep crater. He was completely unharmed. The toughness of his Physique left them dumbfounded.

Had the tribulation cloud’s power weakened? Clearly not. Its might was the same as what they had faced, perhaps even slightly stronger. It was just that Lin Xuan’s Physique was so absurdly powerful that he simply tanked the tribulation bolts.

Those who claimed Body Refining had no benefits were often the first to die. When facing a tribulation like this, a weak body was a death sentence.

But Lin Xuan was so Heaven-Defying he didn’t even need to move. He just took the hits, making it look astonishingly easy. He felt no pressure at all. No matter how dense the lightning became, he remained perfectly still, completely untroubled.

The ground all around him was blasted to bits, yet the spot directly beneath him was untouched. The sight left them absolutely speechless.

"Is his body too powerful? Even the lightning tribulation can’t touch him. No wonder he didn’t wake up—he didn’t need to!"

"How in the world does he cultivate? Why is his body so strong? Could it be that absorbing the Coiling Dragon Ginseng strengthened his body to a whole new level?"

...

The Elders broke into a flurry of discussion, all of them profoundly shaken by the scene. They had truly never witnessed such a powerful Physique. He had weathered the lightning tribulation with an ease that was simply unbelievable.

They had been worried that Lin Xuan would be injured, but now it was clear their concerns were unfounded. He had no problems at all; for him, it was as easy as breathing.

Finally, the lightning tribulation dissipated, perhaps out of sheer futility. No matter how it struck, Lin Xuan remained unmoved, as if it were merely scratching an itch. It was pointless.

The moment the tribulation dissipated, a formidable aura burst forth from the meditating Lin Xuan. The presence of the Spirit Pill Stage swept out in all directions, kicking up a fierce whirlwind!

Simultaneously, within Lin Xuan’s body, the Elemental Power that had been circulating rapidly condensed, forming a transparent pearl. This was the Elixir Core Pearl, a hallmark of the Spirit Pill Stage! It made his Elemental Power more condensed and far more powerful.

With this, Lin Xuan now possessed three pearls within his body: the Soul Pearl, the Yulan Pearl, and the Elixir Core Pearl. They orbited within him, creating a rather peculiar sight.

Then, Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes. He felt as if he had entered an entirely new Realm. He no longer needed his eyes to perceive his surroundings; he could sense every change, even the ants scurrying in the corners.

This was the enhancement of his perception; his entire body had been drastically improved. This was the Spirit Pill Stage, a completely new Realm. It gave him an unprecedented sensation, and he felt he now possessed a much more formidable power—enough to shatter the heavens and sunder the earth with a mere wave of his hand.

’So this is the Spirit Pill Stage... It’s so powerful... The Spirit Pill Stage truly is the real threshold. Anyone below it can’t even be called a Cultivator. Only upon reaching the Spirit Pill Stage does one become a true Cultivator!’

Lin Xuan took a deep breath. "This time, I can finally go back. And I’ll be able to help!"

He had jumped three levels in a row, reaching the First Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage in a single go. The leap was so astonishing it had even triggered a tribulation cloud. This time, his return would be the true return of a King. The trip to the Demon Cloud Sea had not been in vain.