Chapter 354: Senior Brother, Heavenly Tribulation!
Boom boom—
Rolling thunder coursed through the vast, dark clouds. Gale-force winds, carrying goose feather snow, raged and swirled on the mountain peak.
A youth with disheveled long hair sat with closed eyes at the mountain peak, beneath the eye of the storm. The howling winds and crackling thunder around him did not disturb his calm, seated posture.
“Hoo…”
Ye Anping slowly exhaled, looking at the surging Heavenly Tribulation with a hint of helplessness in his deep purple eyes.
He had actually planned his Core Formation Tribulation after he and his junior sister had killed Wu You and survived his fated first death tribulation.
He had originally intended to form a second-grade Golden Core, just like Ye Ao, and when the time was right, go to Hantian Kingdom to marry Xiyue. He would then live a life of leisure with his junior sister and Xiyue at the Hundred Lotus Sect.
However, that was contingent on him avoiding Feng Yu Die.
But now, he and Feng Yu Die were inextricably linked by the Heavenly Dao.
Earlier, at the Imperial Sect, he had noticed that Feng Yu Die had encountered an unexpected bottleneck due to his cultivation.
Although he wasn’t certain, it was better to be safe than sorry.
If he formed a second-grade Golden Core and burdened Feng Yu Die, she would inevitably die at the hands of Gu Mingxin in the future. And he, his junior sister, Xiao Yunluo, and the others would have no chance of survival.
Ye Anping disliked taking risks, but could life be lived without facing danger?
Rather than regretting yesterday tomorrow,
it was better to take a risk for the sake of peace and well-being tomorrow.
Crackling thunder—
The golden lightning coursing through the storm was reflected in his deep purple eyes.
Ye Anping formed a hand seal with his sword finger at his chest, his lips slightly parting as he exhaled a puff of white spiritual mist:
“Ha…”
Then, he took a deep breath through gritted teeth.
“Hiss—”
As Wood and Water spiritual energy flowed from his mouth and nose, a faint blue-green glow emanated.
Concurrently, the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword, forged from dark ice, flew out of his storage bag. It hovered directly overhead like a sword suspended from the ceiling, its blade pointing downward.
Boom—
Golden lightning struck the hilt of the spirit sword with a roar, and was instantly frozen by the majestic ice spiritual energy within the sword, resembling an ice tree reaching into the heavens.
Its bark was dark ice, and its core was dazzling golden lightning.
Crackling thunder—
Guided by the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword, the Heavenly Lightning descended without reservation from the sword’s tip, landing directly above Ye Anping’s head. The immense spiritual energy poured into his meridians and dantian like a waterfall, then gathered in his chest, condensing into a thumb-sized sphere.
His bones and internal organs felt as if they were being torn apart and reassembled.
Even Ye Anping, who had endured harsh cultivation since childhood and was accustomed to pain, could not help but grit his teeth, a thought of escape surfacing in his mind.
But he also knew that if he fainted now, or even harbored the slightest thought of retreat, the Heavenly Tribulation would instantly turn him to ash.
Boom boom—
The Heavenly Thunder, like a serpent, dispersed from the spirit sword, striking the grass, trees, mud, and stones around Ye Anping, blasting out charred pits.
“Haa—!”
With a shout, blood vessels bulged on Ye Anping’s forehead. The immense spiritual energy that fell upon him dispersed outward in a ring, blowing away the storm clouds above.
Boom—
Birds and beasts took flight in alarm, and the storm abruptly ceased.
Dawn broke through the clouds, once again bathing Ye Anping in its light.
He looked up with a pale face, a wry smile on his lips.
Then—
With a “plop,” he collapsed, and the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword above his head suddenly fell from the sky, crashing onto the muddy ground.
… …
When Ye Anping awoke, the first thing he saw was a wooden ceiling.
A girl with a silver hairpin in her hair peeked out from the corner of his vision, raising her hand to wave in front of him:
“Young Master Ye, do you still recognize me?”
Ye Anping turned his eyes to look and saw Ye Wan’er. He breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment, with Ye Wan’er’s help, he sat up in bed:
“Miss Ye, how many days have I slept?”
— “Three days.”
A deep male voice echoed from the corner of the room. Ye Anping turned to see Liang Zhu, dressed in the sect elder’s robes of the Hundred Lotus Sect, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his face a stern, impassive mask as he looked at them.
Ye Anping smiled and asked:
“Brother Liang, why the long face?”
Liang Zhu shook his head slightly, walked over, and looked up at him, frowning.
“Number Six, you’re overestimating yourself. Insisting on forming a Heavenly Dao Golden Core, and this is only the first lightning tribulation. You’re already half dead. There are seventy-one more. How many can you endure?”
Ye Anping replied:
“The power of each lightning tribulation is comparable. Since I could endure the first one, why can’t I endure the remaining seventy-one?”
Liang Zhu narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of anger in them.
“You’re suicidal!! You barely survived this first lightning tribulation with your body at its peak. You’ll surely die in the second tribulation nine days from now.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Wan’er nodded in agreement and advised:
“Young Master Ye, Brother Liang is right. Although the power of each lightning tribulation is similar, the injuries will accumulate. Once the injuries become too severe, both your state of mind and body will deteriorate. Young Master Ye, you won’t be able to withstand the Heavenly Dao Golden Core tribulation.”
“Number Six, it’s best you listen to me. Break the core you’ve just formed. Shattering your core now will only cause you to drop one or two minor realms. You can then spend another year cultivating back to the Quasi-Core stage and re-undergo the tribulation for a second or third-grade Golden Core.”
Ye Anping knew they were concerned for him. He smiled, shook his head, and clasped his hands in thanks:
“Thank you, Sister Ye and Brother Liang, for your concern. Indeed, this Heavenly Tribulation was slightly beyond my expectations, but not enough to make me change my plans.”
Liang Zhu gazed intently at Ye Anping’s eyes. Seeing that he was truly not hesitating at all, he remained silent for a moment and asked:
“Number Six, you’re not the type to take risks. Where has your cautious nature gone?”
“Some things cannot be avoided.”
Ye Anping shook his head and moved to get off the bed, but he stumbled and couldn’t stand steady. Fortunately, Ye Wan’er quickly supported him with her shoulder, preventing his fall.
“Young Master Ye, please reconsider this matter… With your dual-element spiritual root aptitude, there’s no need to pursue Heavenly Dao Core Formation. Even forming a second-grade Golden Core would make you a top cultivator among the cultivators of the Four Domains. Why bother?”
“I will not do anything I am not confident about.”
Ye Anping took a deep breath, stood straight again, and then took out an old map of the Western Regions from the corner of the room, spreading it out on the table.
“If I say I can do it, then I can.”
Liang Zhu and Ye Wan’er, seeing his confidence and stubbornness, walked to the table with grave expressions and looked down at the map of the Western Regions he had produced.
The map was yellowed with age, marked extensively in red and black ink. However, the ink had cracked in many places, suggesting it had been drawn over ten years ago.
Ye Wan’er glanced at it, a hint of confusion on her face, and asked:
“Young Master Ye, what is this…”
“There are a few things I hope Brother Liang and Sister Ye can help me retrieve.”
Ye Anping leaned on the table and pointed to a mark on the map, saying:
“There is a fifth-tier demonic beast here, and in its lair grows a rare spiritual plant called the ‘Cold Snow Lotus.’ With Brother Liang’s cultivation level, it shouldn’t be difficult to deal with. I hope Brother Liang can retrieve it for me.”
Liang Zhu’s eyes flickered with surprise.
“Someone in the black market is offering a high price of one hundred thousand spirit stones per plant. It is said to have the effect of breaking through spiritual barriers, but it is still rare and unobtainable.”
“Yes, the Cold Snow Lotus can temporarily increase a cultivator’s realm by a small level, but its toxicity and coldness are extreme. If the dosage is wrong, it’s no different from being poisoned, and it’s almost incurable.”
“…”
As he spoke, Ye Anping pointed to another location marked with a triangle on the map and looked at Ye Wan’er.
“Sister Ye, your遁術 (escape technique) is exceptional. This is the hideout of a band of impoverished mountain bandits. Their highest cultivation level is only at the early Core Formation stage; there are seven of them in total. One of them possesses a blood-red pill.”
“A blood-red pill?”
“It originates from the Gu Poison Sect in the Eastern Domain. It is a potent poison, but it also has the effect of stabilizing spiritual consciousness.”
“Poison…” Ye Wan’er twitched her brow, a hint of worry on her face, and asked, “The Cold Snow Lotus you mentioned earlier is also poisonous… This is…”
“When my junior sister and I were cultivating harshly in our childhood, we had already tasted all sorts of poisons in the world. These two poisons alone won’t kill me.”
Ye Wan’er pouted, looking at Ye Anping’s pale face.
“Then if Brother Liang and I leave, who will take care of you? Why don’t I bring your maidservant Xiao Die here?”
“No, Xiao Die is rather timid. If she sees me taking such a great risk, she will undoubtedly inform my parents. That would only cause them unnecessary worry, and I would be distracted.”
“Then…”
Liang Zhu shook his head, not continuing to listen. He turned and walked towards the door, pushing it open. He looked back at Ye Anping:
“Number Six, after you die, I’ll place your tombstone with your second, third, fourth, and fifth brothers.”
Ye Anping shook his head and smiled, retorting:
“…Will Brother Liang be buried with us later? Six brothers will have company down there, won’t we?”
“Heh.” Liang Zhu rolled his eyes and looked at Ye Wan’er. “Miss Ye, let’s go. We’ll be quick.”
Ye Wan’er sighed slightly, giving Ye Anping one last look:
“Then Young Master Ye, please rest well. We will return with the items as soon as possible.”
“Mm.”
As Ye Wan’er stepped out of the room, Liang Zhu held the door and turned to look at the pale-faced Ye Anping. He was silent for a moment, seeming as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately did not.
Seeing this, Ye Anping smiled.
“Brother Liang, are you that worried about your sixth brother?”
“Heh…” Liang Zhu sneered. “Big brother here wishes you’d die in this tribulation. Then all the spirit stones you lent me, Big Brother will gladly accept. Those spirit stones will be enough for A’ting until she reaches Nascent Soul stage.”
Slam—
Liang Zhu closed the door, exhaled, and looked at Ye Wan’er, who was waiting for him.
“Miss Ye, shall we go?”
“By the way, if Young Master Ye really dies under the lightning tribulation, where will Big Brother Liang go?”
“Find a place to live in seclusion.”
“I haven’t even thought about that.” Ye Wan’er pursed her lips, pondered for a moment, and then gave up. “Forget it, I’ll worry about it when it happens!”
“… …”
The two summoned their flying swords simultaneously, leaped onto them, and then flew off in separate directions towards the two locations Ye Anping had designated.
… …
The sun set and the moon rose, then the moon set and the sun rose.
After four cycles, Liang Zhu and Ye Wan’er had successfully retrieved the two medicinal ingredients Ye Anping had requested.
Afterward, Ye Anping arranged for them to go to two more locations to retrieve items for him. Without rest, they immediately continued to help Ye Anping retrieve the herbs or pills he needed.
As for Ye Anping, he spent these days meditating and cultivating, supplemented by the pills he had prepared earlier to repair the meridians that had been shattered by the first lightning tribulation.
Seventy-two lightning tribulations, one every twelve days.
A total of eight hundred and sixty-four days.
… …
… …
The moon was bright and the stars were numerous, with a silver moon hanging high in the sky curtain.
The Golden Crown Parrot spread its wings and, carried by the night wind, landed on the windowsill of the tiled house. It looked at the sleeping youth on the bed inside and chirped:
“Here! Here!!”
Immediately, a purple starlight fell on the windowsill with the wind, condensing into a girl with a pair of Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes.
Jingle—
Si Xuanji landed lightly barefoot into the room, the ankle bells on her feet emitting a clear, melodious sound.
A hint of anger flashed in her eyes as she mentally chided Ye Anping for his reckless decision, but upon seeing him lying on the bed, covered in sweat, she felt a sense of helplessness.
Si Xuanji scanned the room, noticing the collection of spiritual herbs on the table. She walked over, stood on tiptoe, and lightly dipped her slender finger into one, bringing it to her nose to sniff.
“Cold Snow Lotus, Yellow Reed, Mysterious Yellow Fruit… all potent poisons… Who taught him to concoct medicine like this?”
She was somewhat indignant and raised her hand to sweep all the medicinal ingredients off the table, but just as her hand was about to touch the herbs, she stopped.
Si Xuanji was silent for a moment, then turned and walked to the bedside, her Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes gazing at Ye Anping on the bed.
Ye Anping seemed to be having a nightmare, his closed eyes trembling slightly, his teeth clenched tightly. His bedding and hair were soaked with sweat.
She formed a sword finger and lightly tapped Ye Anping’s forehead, then closed her eyes, sending her spiritual sense into Ye Anping’s body to investigate.
However, upon seeing the condition of Ye Anping’s body, Si Xuanji could not help but feel a sense of dread.
Ye Anping’s body was like a battlefield, with dozens of poisons fighting each other in various parts of his internal organs and meridians.
The poison had already penetrated to the bone, making it utterly incurable.
However, the meridians, which should have been permeated by the potent poisons, were becoming increasingly sturdy due to the “battle” of these toxins.
Si Xuanji immediately understood that Ye Anping intended to use these potent poisons he had consumed to help him bear the pressure of the Heavenly Tribulation on his body.
Was it feasible? Naturally, it was.
But ordinary cultivators could not use this method. Any one of the nearly twenty poisons Ye Anping had ingested was enough to kill a Core Formation stage cultivator.
Si Xuanji looked at the medicinal powders on the table and couldn’t help but sigh.
Could a four or five-year-old boy truly endure such harsh cultivation for decades to come for the sake of events decades later?
She slowly raised her hand, took out a handkerchief from her storage bag, sat by the bed, and gently wiped the sweat from Ye Anping’s forehead.
Ye Anping no longer needed to contend with the lightning tribulation. The potent poisons he had ingested would help him resist the Heavenly Tribulation.
What he needed now was to fight for his life against these twenty potent poisons.
Ye Anping had cleverly turned his shortcomings, his spiritual root aptitude, into his strengths.
“Young Master Ye, you are very clever, but even you might not be able to withstand the combined effect of these poisons…”
Si Xuanji squinted, pursed her lips, smiled, and stood up, walking to the windowsill of the room. She looked up at the black, retrograde star accompanying the moon in the sky.
After a moment of silence, she stood on tiptoe to close the window, latch it, and then turned back towards the bedside.
Rustling—
The purple gauze clothing slid from Si Xuanji’s shoulders, pooling around her bare white feet.
Jingle…
Jingle…
The subtle sound of bells echoed in the room.
A’ying, who had been driven out of the room, landed on the trunk of a nearby tree. It tilted its head, looked at the tranquil tiled house, and then spread its wings to fly.
“Ye Yunluo!! Ye Yunluo!!”
… …
