Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 293 Crimson Lotus Blaze
The Crimson Lotus Hellfire Tribulation, like the Annihilation Lightning Tribulation just now, is also a combination of two tribulations.

Many people didn't recognize the previous lightning tribulation; after all, lightning is lightning, with only minor differences in color, and it's not as distinctive as the red lotus. The red lotus hellfire tribulation, however, is extremely well-known because of its beauty.

Few heavenly tribulations are as spectacular as this one. The wrath of Buddha and demon is transformed from the lotus throne into a hell of death, hence the name Red Lotus Hellfire.

It is also a double tribulation because, in addition to the normal burning flames, it also contains a very clear meaning of judgment and sentencing.

I believe you are deeply tainted by evil intentions, and therefore require judgment and purification.

However, based on experience, not everyone who encounters this calamity is an utterly wicked person. Often, it is good people who have done wrong who are more likely to encounter this calamity than truly wicked people.

The truly evil ones often consume other types of things, and their sense of destruction is stronger than their sense of judgment.

Giving you a trial means that we believe you can still be saved.

Therefore, this calamity did not give people the impression that "this is an evil person." Instead, they whispered among themselves, "Does this mean he is good by nature? But what wrong thing did he do to cause this?"

Ah Nuo poked her head out from behind the mountain of books.

Ye Tinglan lowered his head, while Xiaobaimao stared intently.

Everyone has a different understanding of the wrongdoings they have done.

Ah Nuo truly witnessed his darkest and most vicious period, and the number of demonic acts he committed was far from over. Moreover, he forgot his disciple after having a mistress, so it's not surprising that he encountered this calamity. Heaven has eyes, let's see if you dare to forget your disciple again in the future.
Ye Tinglan felt that he still harbored feelings for Yuan Muyu, who had adopted him, which was against human ethics and deserved this calamity. But this was more Yuan Muyu's fault... He was only a few years old then, Yuan Muyu, are you even human?
Dugu Qingli felt it was hard to say what kind of human ethics he had violated. His master was his teacher, wasn't he? Wasn't this a clear case of disrespecting one's master and rebelling against one's teacher?

Then the three of them reached a consensus that he was a womanizer and no good.

Yes, this is a good one, interrogate them thoroughly!

"If I need to judge and purify even this little thing... then where were you all this time?" Amidst the flames of calamity, Lu Xingzhou spoke softly: "In Danxia Mountain, tyrants ran rampant, and villagers died unjustly. Where was your judgment? In Menggui City, infants were refined into ghosts, and thousands of households wailed. Where was your purification then?"

As he spoke, he moved his hands slightly, creating numerous afterimages amidst the flames, as if forming a magic seal.

The last rays of sunset suddenly appeared on the horizon, as if a raging fire had appeared in the sky, trapping the setting sun within it, creating a scene resembling a prison of flames, except that it was the setting sun that was imprisoned.

The hand seal transformed into a palm, which slowly slapped towards the ground.

Despite the seemingly gentle movements, her long hair suddenly flew wildly, the ribbons snapped, and she appeared like a god or a demon in the fiery hell.

To onlookers, it seemed as if the rosy clouds of the sky were enveloping her, forming a new prison outside the red lotus, trapping her in even greater flames of calamity.

"I'm just going through a mere minor tribulation, and you're already judging me? What... do you think I'm easier to bully? Well, sorry, I'm not buying it." As she spoke, the crimson glow gradually tightened, and the red lotus seemed to be plucked from the palm of a giant fiery hand, swaying and struggling.

"It should be you... to come and taste my furnace fire, and see what kind of shape I can refine you into?"

"Boom!" The Crimson Lotus Hellfire clashed with Lu Xingzhou's Fiery Hellfire and was completely suppressed, transforming into a red lotus-shaped fire seed that swayed in his palm.

"A spark!" an elder exclaimed. "He refined the heavenly tribulation into a spark!"

"The Crimson Lotus Calamity Flame originated from this; he wasn't the first to do it." Ye Tinglan spoke softly, her eyes filled with undisguised love, which she concealed only by lowering her gaze: "But those who have succeeded in doing so are extremely rare throughout history."

There was something else she didn't say aloud—Lu Xingzhou shouldn't have been a supporting character at all. His desire to dominate was extremely strong; he wanted the world to become his alchemy furnace, to have his alchemical fire refine the universe. How could such a person be content to remain a mere assistant forever?

However, in matters of the heart, his romantic nature makes him quite willing to be a kept man, even if it means being a submissive puppy. Even so, he often reveals, "I don't want to be a kept man." But if you mistakenly believe that his romantic gestures or concessions will forever make him a dependent puppy, you'd be making a mistake…

"He might be able to suppress the heavenly tribulation into a spark, but what about subduing it? Can he really succeed in subduing it?"

"Anyway, given my current strength, I definitely cannot do it at the third-grade level."

"Regardless of whether he can subdue it or not, he has already completed the second tribulation. Even if he cannot subdue the fire seed, he can hand it over to someone else to handle."

"Why isn't it over yet? Is there a third level?"

While others may experience the triple tribulation, it is rare, but not unheard of; Dugu Qingli is one of them.

But if Lu Xingzhou has it again, that would be very strange.

Because his first two tribulations were double-layered tribulations, appearing to have passed two, but actually counted as four tribulations, which is beyond many people's comprehension. If it comes again, a fifth tribulation would be unheard of. If this last one is also double-layered, then it would be a sixth tribulation. Throughout history, no one has ever heard of a lunatic passing a sixth tribulation during the Lesser Cloud Ascension Tribulation. This isn't an Ascension Tribulation, why would you go to such lengths?

Ye Tinglan watched as the Crimson Lotus Flame struggled in Lu Xingzhou's palm and whispered, "Can't you all see? He's already undergoing the tribulation of inner demons."

The elders were horrified: "There really are five tribulations? Maybe even six?"

Ye Tinglan stared intently, then shook her head slightly.

The tribulation of the heart is the most difficult for outsiders to observe. She could only tell that it had begun, but it was hard to determine what type it was or whether it was a dual tribulation. But to try to subdue the Crimson Lotus Tribulation Flame while simultaneously undergoing the tribulation of the heart demon—wasn't that a bit too demanding?

Ye Tinglan had always been certain that her lover's abilities were sufficient to safely overcome the Heavenly Tribulation, but at this moment she couldn't help but feel a little worried. She wondered if she should tell him not to be too strict with himself, and if he could just discard the Red Lotus Tribulation Flame and safely overcome the Heart Tribulation.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lu Xingzhou controlled the fire with one hand and took out a book from his pocket with the other.

Those with sharp eyes have already recognized it: the first-grade water-based spell from the Tianyao Holy Land, "Azure Water Cleansing Dust".

What's going on here? I've seen breakthroughs made on the spot during battle, but I've never seen someone studying a book during a tribulation.

Funny?
When you're struggling with inner demons, it's already a miracle if you can even focus on reading the words clearly, let alone studying.
Ye Tinglan knew what Lu Xingzhou was learning... The inner demons he was suffering from must be related to lust, as could be seen from the fleeting desire in his eyes.

Besides healing wounds, the clear water also has a purifying effect on the soul. He learned this technique on the spot and used it to cleanse himself.

As for this method of multitasking, it is quite familiar to someone who is used to practicing Yin and Yang separately.

From another perspective, it's not that there's no way to subdue the Crimson Lotus Blaze.

The Crimson Lotus Hellfire Tribulation is also a form of judgment and purification, while the Azure Water Cleansing Dust is also a form of washing and purification. The two have similarities and are clearly a pair of yin and yang.

Lu Xingzhou was trying to use the Azure Water Cleansing Technique to guide his body and reunite the Yin and Yang of the Crimson Lotus Calamity Flame, which was also part of his Yin-Yang Ultimate Intent Technique cultivation.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lu Xingzhou's eyes, which had been tormented by the inner demon tribulation, gradually regained their clarity. As his eyes cleared, the fire in his hand was also absorbed into his body. Almost visibly, the red and blue energies intertwined within his body, clashing and fighting from his bones, meridians, and flesh, and finally converging at his spiritual platform.

The dark clouds dispersed, and the rain stopped, revealing a clear blue sky.

Lu Xingzhou crossed the Cloud Tribulation, which consisted of five tribulations in total.

The library was completely silent, and many people were still staring wide-eyed, hardly able to believe what they had witnessed that day.

What is this...? You've turned the heavenly tribulation into a seed of fire and then absorbed it?
You'd be more believable if you said you captured the female assassin and turned her into a slave.

Moreover, no one knows how they overcame the final inner demon tribulation. It seems that they actually learned the methods from books on the spot and got through it just like that... and it even helped them absorb the Heavenly Tribulation Fire Seed?

The female assassin was carrying out an assassination when you were studying erotic art on the spot, and after capturing her, you had sex with her. Is that what you mean?

Both inside and outside the stadium, people felt as if they were in a dream.

Lu Xingzhou stood up and did a few stretching exercises.

He immediately noticed that his hair tie had come undone and his hair was disheveled, so he simply ignored it, strode out of the building, and said to Zhang Qingxiang, who was the leader of the onlookers, "I just heard this senior brother say a lot of things to me?"

Zhang Qingxiang said calmly, "What do you intend to do?"

"My name is Lu Xingzhou. I am seeking your guidance, senior brother. Please do not hesitate to teach me."

His tone was refined, and his manners were impeccable. However, with his long, flowing hair, his usual gentlemanly demeanor appeared unusually unruly, much like his act of challenging the direct descendant of the Tianyao Holy Land as an outsider.

Zhang Qingxiang sneered, "Who gives you the right to ask me for guidance? A mere outsider?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "I have my own mentor... not the so-called self-made man you were just chatting about, but a first-rank teacher of the Great Qian Dan Academy. You insulted me... insulted the self-made man, and I won't say much; but you insulted my teacher, so don't blame me for asking for a few moves, to see what qualifications you have to spout such nonsense."

A smile appeared on Ye Tinglan's lips.

Zhang Qingxiang's master was bowing and asking Ye Tinglan, "Sect Master, this..."

Ye Tinglan waved her hand: "It just so happens that I need to test their abilities. Isn't this a complete waste of time? Just watch. What, Elder Xu, are you worried that Zhang Qingxiang, a dignified third-rank upper level cultivator, might really be no match for someone who has just entered the third rank? You told me before that you would definitely be able to defeat Qingli."

Elder Xu hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Yes, one is at the upper level of the third rank, and the other is just entering the third rank.

But this newcomer to the third rank is too strange. He turned the Heavenly Tribulation into a seed of fire, learned the techniques to overcome his mental tribulation in battle, and turned a mere Cloud Ascension Tribulation into five minor Heavenly Tribulations... These things are unheard of in all of history!

Before he could say anything, Zhang Qingxiang responded, "You mean you're not an outsider? Then you're just an unofficial disciple. Figure out your place..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Xingzhou interrupted him: "Even a menial disciple is a person of the Holy Land. What, Senior Brother, as a direct disciple, doesn't even dare to accept Junior Brother's challenge?"

Zhang Qingxiang stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "If that's the case, draw your sword. I'll give you three moves."

(End of this chapter)