People are in the magic card, instigating rebellion against the world.

Chapter 123 Zhi Shi's Sorrows ~ Tribulation Crossing! Achieving the Golden Core! (Bonus Chapter)
"Let's go ride that!" Sakura suddenly pointed to the Ferris wheel not far away, her eyes sparkling. "The view from that high up must be amazing!"

"Okay."

Tomoyo smiled and nodded, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused, and when they landed on the Ferris wheel cabin, there was a hint of hesitation that was barely perceptible.

Ye Hui naturally wouldn't object.

The enclosed space and the atmosphere at the top of a Ferris wheel may be the perfect opportunity to unlock the secrets of the world.

The three of them lined up under the Ferris wheel. There were many tourists on the weekend, and the line was quite long.

Sakura has a lot of energy.

He would tiptoe to peek at the line ahead, then point to the cotton candy stall next to him and exclaim in a low voice, "How did that person stretch the cotton candy so big?"

In short, she was full of curiosity about everything around her.

Tomoyo stood quietly beside Ye Hui, occasionally chiming in with a few words to echo Sakura's words, but mostly just keeping her eyes down.

Ye Hui could clearly sense that Zhi Shi's mood had dropped even further than before.

A thin mist seemed to veil those beautiful purple eyes, concealing a faint sorrow, and even her usual gentle smile seemed to have faded somewhat.

"Chiyo, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" He couldn't help but lean closer to her and ask in a low voice with concern.

"I'm fine, Yezi." Tomoyo shook her head gently and gave him a reassuring smile, but the smile seemed cold.

【Daodaiji Chiyo’s Emotion Value +6】

Ye Hui sighed inwardly.

Tomoyo-chan, when are you finally going to tell the truth?

Anyway, it's finally their turn.

The three of them entered a pink elevator car, which slowly rose upwards with the soft sound of mechanical operation.

The view outside the window gradually opened up.

The blue roof of the aquarium, the streets in the distance, and even the woods on the edge of Tomoeda Town slowly came into view.

"Wow! It's so high!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly, leaning against the window and pointing down. "Ye-kun, Tomoyo, look! Isn't that red-roofed building our school?"

Tomoyo walked to the window and looked in the direction Sakura was pointing. She replied softly, "It does seem so. The school looks much smaller from here."

Ye Hui didn't go over; he just sat quietly in the sedan chair, watching the backs of the two girls.

Now is not the time to speak; we need to wait for a more suitable moment.

For example, when the elevator car reaches its highest point, all that's left is the sound of the wind and each other's breathing.

Soon, the elevator slowly reached its highest point and stopped in mid-air.

A cool breeze blew in through the cracks in the window.

Just then, Ye Hui stood up, walked to Zhi Shi's side, and softly called out, "Zhi Shi."

Tomoyo turned her head, her eyes filled with doubt, waiting for him to continue.

Ye Hui looked into her eyes and said seriously, "Is something on your mind? You've been acting strange ever since we were in the souvenir shop."

Sakura, upon hearing this, was completely unaware that Tomoyo was acting strangely.

But since Ye Zi said that, there must be something wrong!
She immediately turned her head, her face showing concern: "Tomoyo, what's wrong? Did something upset you? If so, we can figure something out together!"

When two people were looking at her with concern at the same time, Tomoyo's eyes visibly darted away.

She instinctively wanted to shake her head and deny it: "I didn't..."

"Zhi Shi." Ye Hui no longer gave her a chance to escape, but gently interrupted her, taking a small step forward to close the distance between them.

He looked directly into her eyes, his tone gentler than ever before: "If you'd like, you can talk to us. We're friends, aren't we?"

"We may not be able to solve your problem immediately, but at least we can listen to you quietly."

Looking into Ye Hui's sincere eyes and then at Sakura's worried face beside her, Tomoyo's tense emotions suddenly eased a little.

She has always been used to keeping her thoughts to herself.

She is the daughter of the Daidouji family. She must always maintain elegance and perfection, without any worries or weakness. She must face everyone with a gentle smile.

But she was, after all, just an ordinary girl. She would feel confused, insecure, and sometimes want to confide in someone.

"I..." Tomoyo opened her mouth, her voice a little tight.

She took a deep breath, as if making up her mind, and said softly, "I'm just... a little scared."

"Scared?" Sakura frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Tomoyo, what are you scared of? Are you scared of heights? But you didn't say you felt uncomfortable just now."

Ye Hui: “.”

Sakura, you
Upon hearing this, Zhi Shi smiled and looked out the window at the small group of people slowly moving in the distance. Her voice was as soft as a breeze.

"I'm afraid... that one day, we'll all grow up."

"grow up?"

"Yes, when we grow up, we may go to different cities to study, make new friends, and have our own lives."

She paused, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. "By then, will we... still be each other's best friends like we are now?"

Sakura was completely stunned.

She had never thought about such a distant issue.

For her, being able to play with Tomoyo and Yoko and collect the Clow Cards is already enough to make her happy.

As for what the future holds, she has never delved into it, nor has she ever thought about it.

Ye Hui understood instantly.

Tomoyo's inner conflict is neither a complicated emotional entanglement nor a secret that is difficult to talk about.

Rather, it stemmed from her delicate and sensitive heart, her fear of "separation," and her unease about "relationships fading."

Growing up in a privileged but somewhat isolated environment, I didn't have many friends my own age.

And Sonomi was raised by Tomoyo according to the Nadeshiko she remembered.

It's hard to say how parents' expectations will affect their children's feelings.

The child may be very cooperative, but people are still people, and they will always have their own considerations.

Perhaps Tomoyo doesn't care about becoming the gentle person her mother sees her as.

Because she is very sensible and well-behaved, and doesn't want to cause trouble for others.

But deep down, she probably felt lonely, more or less.

At least Ye Hui had never heard of anything about Zhi Shi's father.

She may be gone, or something else, while Yuanmei is busy every day, spinning around like a top.

So how could Zhishi not be lonely?

Now, Xiaoying and his appearance are undoubtedly a rare source of warmth in her life, and she is terrified of losing this precious friendship.

“Tomoyo…” Sakura saw the disappointment in Tomoyo’s eyes and her heart clenched. She held Tomoyo’s hand tightly and said in an extremely serious tone, “Of course we will always be best friends!”

"I promise! No matter where we go or what we become in the future, I will always consider you my best friend! And when we grow up, we can try to go to school together and work together!"

She paused, then added forcefully, "I love Tomoyo the most!"

“Sakura…” Tomoyo could no longer hold back and reached out to hug Sakura tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Ye Hui didn't really mean to spoil the fun, but listening to Xiaoying's words, he suddenly thought of something.

Having a wealthy best friend since childhood, if you maintain the relationship well, how can you not directly work for her company when you grow up?

Then we can still stay together, right?
cough cough.

Come to your senses.

Ye Hui walked over to the two of them, reached out and gently patted Tomoyo on the back, his voice gentle: "Sakura is right, we will always be the best of friends!"

"Moreover, the future may not be as you fear."

He relaxed his tone, with a hint of teasing: "Maybe when we grow up, we'll still be in the same place. I'll continue to make croquettes and pudding for you guys, Tomoyo will continue to record our daily lives with the camera, and Sakura... you'll continue to be in charge of eating delicious food, and occasionally getting into some minor trouble with Kero, so we can help clean up?"

"Pfft—" Tomoyo was amused by him and laughed out loud, and her original slight worry gradually dissipated.

She released Sakura, wiped her eyes, and a long-lost, genuine smile appeared on her face.

"Ye Zi, how come you always manage to make people so happy?"

【Daodaiji Chiyo’s Emotion Value +25】

[Kinomoto Sakura's emotional value +10]

Ye Hui shrugged: "Because I don't want to see you sad. Your smile is more beautiful than the scenery outside the Ferris wheel."

Tomoyo's cheeks flushed red instantly, but it wasn't very noticeable in the sunlight.

【Daodaiji Chiyo’s Emotion Value +30】

Sakura watched the two of them from the side. Although she didn't quite understand what had happened, she saw Tomoyo finally smile and started jumping around happily as well.

"Yes, yes! Tomoyo's smile is the most beautiful! You should smile more often from now on!"

As Sakura jumped, the private room they were in started to shake.

"Sakura! Stop jumping!" Ye Hui said immediately. "Do you want us to experience a Ferris wheel roller coaster?"

"Ah! Enough, enough!" Sakura realized what had happened, touched her head sheepishly, apologized immediately, and then sat back down in her seat.

Zhi Shi's eyes held a smile.

The Ferris wheel slowly descended to the ground.

The elevator doors opened, and the three of them stepped out side by side.

As they reached the exit, Tomoyo suddenly stopped, turned around, and bowed deeply to Sakura and Ye Hui in a solemn tone.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan and Yoko-san. I'm so grateful to be able to come out with you all today and to be able to say what's on my mind."

Sakura quickly stepped forward to help her up, waving her hand and saying, "Tomoyo, why are you being so polite? We're best friends. Your troubles are my troubles. I'm happy to help you!"

Ye Hui added with a smile, "That's right, if you keep being so formal, I won't make you any croquettes next time."

Looking at their sincere smiles, Tomoyo felt a warmth in her heart and nodded, "Yes, I understand."

She paused, then turned her gaze to Ye Hui, her voice softening slightly: "Ye, was what you said on the Ferris wheel just now true?"

"Hmm? Which sentence?" Ye Hui tilted his head.

"It's... you said that even when we grow up, we'll still be together." Tomoyo's cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's hum.

Seeing the undisguised expectation in her eyes, Ye Hui blinked.

Tomoyo-chan is just so adorable and makes me want to melt.

He nodded earnestly, his tone firm: "Of course it's true!"

After a pause, Ye Hui added, "Moreover, we cultivators have a much longer lifespan than ordinary people, so we can spend more time together than you can imagine!"

Their future is still long.

They've grown old enough to go on many more adventures together, capturing the Clow Cards.

Growing up enough to witness each other's growth.

Long enough for this friendship to last.
【Daodaiji Chiyo’s Emotion Value +35】

[Detection indicates that the Dharma Protector Daodao Temple's inner conflict has been resolved, and the Dao heart is stable! The host's karmic ties are now clear, and the path of cultivation is flawless!]

[Congratulations, host, on completing the side quest "Relieving the World's Worries"! Reward: Golden Pill x1!]

Golden elixir!

Ye Hui pursed his lips.

In the cultivation system, the Foundation Establishment stage is merely the initial stage of embarking on the path to immortality.

The Golden Core stage is the real dividing line.

Once you break through, your entire being will undergo a transformation!
But he did not take the elixir immediately.

The scene of my last breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage is still vivid in my mind.

Twenty-one bolts of lightning struck down, blasting a large crater in his backyard.

If he hadn't chosen a secluded spot beforehand and hadn't been protected by a magic circle, he probably would have made headlines in Tomoeda Town the next day.

This breakthrough to the Golden Core stage will undoubtedly cause a greater stir than the last one, so we must be fully prepared.

When Ye Hui returned to the villa, his mood was brighter than ever before.

From Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, he had already experienced the awe-inspiring transformation of his power.

What kind of earth-shattering changes will occur when one leaps from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core?

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately decided—to break through right now!

He went to the backyard again.

This place is not only spacious, but also has the Dongxu Spiritual Field nearby.

It can both absorb the tribulation lightning and the residual spiritual energy after successfully transcending the tribulation, and nourish the spiritual field, achieving two goals at once.

As for the facilities in the backyard... well, they're destroyed, it's not like he doesn't have the money to rebuild them.

Ye Hui stood on the bluestone slab in the backyard and first raised his hand to open the light blue light screen in the system backpack.

The array of items he had prepared were neatly displayed on the light screen.

He tapped the light screen with his fingertip, and the three items "whooshed" into his palm.

Eight half-foot-long bamboo banners, with dark blue silk surfaces and different runes drawn on them in cinnabar. The banner in the Qian position has three horizontal lines, and the banner in the Kun position has six broken horizontal lines.

A palm-sized brass array plate, its surface engraved with densely packed small grids, with a white spirit stone the size of a pigeon egg embedded in its center.

There was also a small jar of ground cinnabar, the mouth of which was sealed with oil paper.

Instead of rushing to plant the flag, he first squatted down, dipped his finger in cinnabar, and flicked his spiritual power to place a small red dot in each of the eight directions on the bluestone slab.

These are the key markers for the formation; their positions must be determined first to ensure the formation's stability.

After marking the last red dot, he picked up the first Qian position flag, aimed it at the red dot in the northeast, and planted it. The bamboo flag went into the ground three inches deep, and the flag surface immediately trembled slightly.

Next, the flag for the Kan position is placed in the due north, the flag for the Gen position is placed in the northwest, and the eight flags are placed in order according to the eight trigrams.

Each time a flag is inserted, the cinnabar runes on the flag light up briefly, the pale red light flashing and disappearing.

"First, set up the Spirit Gathering Array." Ye Hui stood up, his thumb hooked around the second joint of his middle finger, his index and ring fingers straightened, and his little finger bent, forming a Spirit Gathering Seal.

He aimed his hand seal at the spirit stone in the center of the array plate, and the pale golden spiritual energy in his dantian flowed out along his arm.

"Buzz!"

The spirit stone instantly lit up with a white light, and the grids on the array plate lit up one after another.

At the same time, the runes on all eight array flags emitted a red light, which intertwined in the air to form a fine net that slowly enveloped the entire backyard.

Soon, Ye Hui sensed that the surrounding air had changed.

The originally sparse spiritual energy of heaven and earth was drawn in from all directions, condensing into tiny white specks of light in the air. These specks fell down along the red light net and eventually all flowed into the spirit stones of the array plate.

He reached out and touched the points of light, feeling a slight coolness. He inhaled the cool air, and even his lower abdomen warmed up.

After setting up the spirit-gathering array, he took out four black Xuan Iron flags and a black defensive array plate from his backpack.

The Black Iron Banner is much heavier than the Green Bamboo Banner. Its surface is made of fireproof black cloth and decorated with golden guardian characters.

This time, he didn't use cinnabar. He simply placed the four flags in the four corners of the spirit-gathering array, then formed hand seals and injected spiritual power into the black array plate.

Instantly, the four black iron flags emitted golden spiritual light, which surged upwards and finally condensed into a semi-transparent golden light curtain outside the red light net of the spirit gathering array.

Golden runes flowed on the light screen, and when tapped, it felt hard and solid; this was used to withstand the aftershocks of the Golden Core Tribulation.

Finally, there's the illusion array.

He took out three silver silk flags, which had no runes on them, only a thin layer of silver powder.

He didn't put the three flags in conspicuous places; instead, he hid them in three corners of the courtyard.

Then, bring your index and middle fingers together, bend the other three fingers, and point your fingertips toward the ground to form a concealment seal.

As spiritual energy was injected, the three silver flags emitted a faint silver light, which spread out and slowly merged with the golden light screen.

From outside the courtyard, the entire backyard seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, making the green bamboo flags, array plates, and even Ye Hui's figure appear blurry.

With only flickering light and shadow, the actual scene was completely obscured.

Ye Hui breathed a sigh of relief after all the formations were set up.

He walked to the center of the spirit-gathering array, sat down cross-legged, straightened his back, and placed his hands on his knees with his palms facing up.

The moment he closed his eyes, he deliberately slowed his breathing.

When you inhale, the spiritual energy gathered by the spirit-gathering array enters your body through your nasal cavity, bringing a refreshing sensation.

When you exhale, you expel the stale air from your body.

After repeating this several times, my initially agitated state of mind, caused by the formation, gradually calmed down.

But to say I wasn't nervous would be a lie.

The Golden Core Tribulation is the first life-or-death hurdle in cultivating immortality. He had read many ancient texts about how some people's bodies were burned to ashes by the tribulation lightning, while others' spiritual power dissipated and they fell back to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Some even had their souls scattered.

He had never cultivated immortality before, so he couldn't be too cautious.

Slowly opening his eyes, Ye Hui suddenly remembered Zhi Shi.

A few days ago, the cuff of one of his shirts got worn out, and Tomoyo offered to mend it for him.

The mended clothes had fine stitches, and a small "leaf" character was embroidered on the inside of the cuff.

Thinking of this, Ye Hui felt a warm feeling rise in his heart.

"I will form my core first, so that I can better assist Zhi Shi later."

Ye Hui chuckled to himself.

He closed his eyes again and formed the Nadan mudra with his palms.

[You're finally going to harm your own Dao heart! You're attempting to force a breakthrough, which is a grave taboo in cultivation! Do you realize that this is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst, and will inevitably lead to endless troubles!]

[If Sakura Kinomoto, a disciple of the Heavenly Spiritual Root, knew how little you cherish your own path, she would be heartbroken for you! You are the nemesis who has caused her so much worry!]

"Enough with the nonsense." Ye Hui's fingertips condensed, and a pill the size of a longan, wrapped in pale golden spiritual energy, appeared in his palm. This golden pill was entirely golden, its surface covered with cloud patterns the size of a fingernail, each pattern inlaid with spiritual light, flickering slightly with his breath.

Without the slightest hesitation, he tilted his head back, opened his mouth, and the pill slid down his throat guided by the spiritual energy.

The pill dissolved as soon as it went down my throat.

A burst of scalding energy exploded instantly.

It's not a gradual warmth, but rather like a red-hot iron, directly burning into the meridians!

The energy first surged down the meridians of the neck, and a sharp pain shot through the Tanzhong acupoint in the chest, as if someone had hit it hard with a blunt object.

Then, he felt a sharp pain in the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin and Heart Meridian of Hand-Shaoyin on the inside of both arms at the same time, and the pulse in his wrists was pounding fast and hard, as if it was about to burst through his skin.

Ye Hui groaned, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead.

He gritted his teeth, forcibly concentrated his mind, and guided the violent energy to surge into his dantian.

However, as the energy flowed through my side, it brought with it another tearing pain.

He could clearly feel his meridians swelling and his tiny capillaries starting to bleed, leaving faint red marks along his skin.

Within the dantian, the spiritual energies of water, wood, and metal, which were originally flowing gently, suddenly became like a flock of startled birds, scattering wildly when struck by this golden energy.

Ye Hui focused his mind, suppressed his agitation, and urged his spirit to squeeze the three-colored spiritual energy towards the center.

With each contraction, his dantian throbbed with pain, as if a hand was clenching inside his body.

About fifteen minutes later.

A faint golden light finally emanated from the depths of his dantian, smaller than the tip of a needle, yet remarkably stable.

This is the prototype of the Golden Elixir!

Ye Hui dared not relax and continued to compress his spiritual energy, pouring it into the light spot. The light spot slowly grew larger, becoming the size of a grain of rice.

But with each tiny increase in size, his temples would throb and his brain would ache.

"Holy crap, is breaking through to the Golden Core stage really this torturous? Isn't this supposed to be a cultivation game? Shouldn't breaking through realms just be a matter of adding points??"

The process of condensing the elixir is fraught with pain and danger.

If you are not careful, your spiritual power will get out of control.

If this progress continues, and it ultimately fails...

At best, it might shatter the dantian and ruin one's cultivation; at worst, it could cause the body to explode and the soul to be destroyed!
Just then, the wind in the backyard suddenly stopped.

The leaves, which had been swaying in the wind, froze in mid-air before suddenly plunging to the ground.

Ye Hui slightly opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.

The sky, which was clear just a moment ago, has suddenly become covered with dark, heavy clouds.

The clouds were so low that you could see the swirling air currents inside; they were grayish-purple and felt oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

At this moment, the spiritual energy in the air became turbulent, the light of the spirit stones in the spirit gathering array flickered, and the runes on the array flags began to flash violently.

"They're here!" Ye Hui clenched his fist.

A tingling sensation spread across his skin; the oppressive force of the tribulation lightning had descended upon him.

He could sense that the nascent golden core in his dantian was still unstable.

But the laws of heaven and earth had already locked onto his aura, leaving him no way out!
The lightning bolts in the dark clouds grew brighter and brighter. At first, they were silvery-white, darting around the bottom of the clouds, gradually turning deep purple and becoming thicker and thicker. Finally, in the center of the clouds, they gathered into a column of lightning as thick as a bucket.

"Boom—" A muffled thunder rolled out from the depths of the clouds, first with a low rumble, then with a sudden explosion!

The shockwave caused several pieces of rock to fall from the artificial mountain that Ye Hui had just crafted in the corner of the courtyard!
The purple lightning bolt, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, struck straight down towards Ye Hui's head!

The moment the purple lightning struck, the entire backyard became blindingly bright, even the bluestone slabs on the ground reflected a purple light.

The golden light shield of the defensive array tightened instantly, and all the flowing runes on its surface lit up, like countless small golden snakes crawling.

"boom!"

The purple lightning slammed into the light shield, causing it to sink sharply.

The originally translucent gold color became dull and even somewhat distorted.

Followed by.

"Crack!"

A thin line appeared on the top of the light shield, spreading outwards from the center like a spider web, and in the blink of an eye, it covered the entire light shield.

The thickest crack already revealed raindrops splashing outwards.

Just as the lightning struck, raindrops began to fall from the sky. The cold rain pattered against the light shield, making a "crackling" sound.

Ye Hui sat in the center of the formation, and was swayed by the aftershocks of the trembling light shield, feeling a tightness in his chest.

Before he could catch his breath, he immediately formed a hand seal.

He forcibly extracted most of the spiritual energy that had just been gathered in his dantian, and it surged up his fingertips along the meridians on the inside of his arm.

Instantly, his fingers glowed with a pale golden light.

He aimed at the thickest crack on the light shield and poured his spiritual power into it continuously.

The golden light shield at the crack slowly thickened again, and the originally dim runes lit up, moving along the crack and gradually filling the gap.

But just as one crack was repaired, two new fine cracks appeared on the edge of the light shield.

Ye Hui took a deep breath, letting the cold sweat on his forehead trickle down his cheeks and drip onto his clothes, leaving a small wet patch.

At this moment, he could feel the spiritual energy in his dantian being rapidly depleted.

The process of forming the initial form of the Golden Core had already taken a lot of mental effort.

Forcibly activating spiritual energy to repair the formation now causes a throbbing pain in my temples.

What made him even more uneasy was that the dark clouds overhead were still churning, and the lightning bolts inside were even denser than before, clearly indicating that the second tribulation lightning was already brewing.

We must hold on!

Ye Hui never expected that the tribulation lightning during the Golden Core stage would be so many times stronger than when he broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage!
In comparison, the previous tribulation was like a joke!
He gritted his teeth, and tasted a hint of blood on his tongue.

The violent surge of energy had caused some bleeding in his throat.

He adjusted his breathing and divided the remaining spiritual power into two streams: one to continue repairing the cracks on the light shield, and the other to inject into the Xuan Tie flag of the defensive array.

The character "守" (shǒu, meaning "guard") on the flag lit up instantly.

Golden light climbed up the flagpole and merged into the light shield, slightly restoring its color.

The crack finally stopped spreading.

But Ye Hui knew that this was only temporary.

He looked down at his dantian, where the tiny golden core, no bigger than a grain of rice, was still shimmering slightly, though its light was much weaker than before.

The withdrawal of spiritual energy just now slowed down the condensation process.

He knew in his heart that the tribulation lightning that followed would only be more powerful. He wondered if the defensive array could hold up, and whether he could condense a complete golden core while undergoing the tribulation.

It all depends on whether we can withstand the next blow!
The rain grew heavier, and the sound of it hitting the light shield became more frequent. The cold raindrops seeped through the cracks and pelted Ye Hui's face.

The dark clouds in the sky churned more and more violently, and the originally scattered purple lightning bolts twisted into thick rope-like pillars of electricity, crashing and colliding within the clouds.

With each impact, the ground trembled.

Three of the eight bamboo array flags in the backyard were tilted, and the runes on the flags flickered erratically, as if they were about to go out at any moment.

The defensive array was partially destroyed, and the scattered golden specks of light were swept away by the gale before they even hit the ground.

"Boom!"

The second bolt of lightning struck down, nearly twice as thick as the first, its purple lightning wrapped in a black vortex, crashing straight to the ground.

Just as Ye Hui condensed his sword energy, he felt his arm become heavy.

The moment the sword energy collided with the tribulation lightning, he was thrown back three steps by the shockwave, leaving two white marks on the bluestone slab with his heels.

His chest heaved even more violently, and he covered his mouth, a little blood seeping through his fingers.

The force he had just endured was so strong that it made his lungs ache.

Before he could even catch his breath, the third bolt of lightning struck down!

This time, the purple lightning struck the artificial hill next to it, and the hill cracked in two with a "crack," scattering rubble all over the ground.

The protective array's light shield was already riddled with cracks, and when swept away by the aftershocks of the third tribulation lightning, the golden runes instantly went out one by one.

The light mask looked like a burst soap bubble.

It shattered with a "pop," then turned into tiny specks of light, scattered in the rain, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Without the barrier of light, the pressure of the tribulation lightning pressed directly onto Ye Hui's shoulders, feeling as if he were carrying a thousand-pound boulder.

His knees trembled slightly, but he stubbornly straightened his back.

When he looked up, the fourth bolt of lightning had already solidified in the clouds. The purple lightning, as thick as a bowl, flashed so brightly that people couldn't open their eyes, and crashed down with a sharp whooshing sound.

However, Ye Hui did not retreat but advanced!

"Well done!"

He gave a low shout, his right hand making a grasping motion, Qingfeng in hand!
Then, a pale blue light emanated from his fingertips, and spiritual energy surged out from between his fingers, enveloping the green blade and slowly gathering into the shape of a semi-transparent sword.

With a flick of his wrist, his sword energy met the tribulation lightning head-on!
"Shh!"

An invisible sword aura burst forth and collided with the purple lightning in mid-air.

"boom!"

The white light exploded, brighter than ever before.

Ye Hui's robes were whipped up by the gust of air and clung to his body, his hair stood on end, and the rain on his face evaporated instantly.

He felt a sharp, needle-like pain on his skin, and was so jolted that he staggered back four or five steps.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The bright red blood dripped onto the ground and was instantly diluted by the rain.

But he still didn't back down. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and gripped the sword aura tightly again.

The sword-shaped spiritual energy was still there, but its light was weaker.

He could feel his spiritual energy being rapidly depleted, but the nascent golden core in his dantian was still slightly warm, reminding him that he couldn't stop.

The subsequent lightning strikes were increasingly fierce.

The fifth strike cleaved a tree in the corner of the yard, and the sixth strike cracked the bluestone slabs on the ground.

But he persevered.

By the eighteenth strike, Ye Hui's sword energy had become unstable, his arms were shaking violently, and several holes had been burned into the back of his clothes by lightning, leaving his exposed skin covered in burns.

At that moment, he suddenly withdrew his sword aura.

The golden elixir has been formed.

He now intends to draw lightning into his body and use the power of the lightning tribulation to refine his golden core!

"Get here!"

He looked up at the dark clouds and shouted, just as the tribulation lightning struck, the purple lightning striking straight at his head.

"Fuck!"

Ye Hui's hair instantly turned scorched and curled, black smoke rose from the back of his robe, and his skin felt a tearing pain, as if countless red-hot needles were piercing his meridians!

Ye Hui gritted his teeth, biting his tongue until it bled, and forcefully activated his cultivation technique, guiding the raging lightning down his spine.

Bypassing the fragile meridians surrounding the heart and dantian, it gradually squeezes into the embryonic form of the golden elixir.

As soon as the lightning touched the nascent golden core, the tiny golden light, no bigger than a grain of rice, suddenly shone brightly.

But Ye Hui's arm had begun to twitch, his nails digging deep into his palm, drawing blood.

The nineteenth, the twentieth... tribulation lightning struck one after another, each one hitting him.

His figure swayed amidst the lightning, yet he maintained the hand seal posture.

Rainwater mixed with blood streamed down his cheeks.

Ye Hui's vision began to blur, and he could only rely on his divine soul to lock onto the golden core in his dantian, guiding the lightning to temper his body again and again.

By the time the forty-fourth lightning strike came, Ye Hui was almost unable to stand. He had to be supported by Yu Feng to stay upright.

His clothes were tattered, and his exposed chest and arms were covered in bloodstains. Some of the scabs had formed, but they were then ripped open by new lightning strikes, and blood dripped down his arms, leaving long red streaks in the rain.

His spiritual energy was becoming increasingly sluggish, and it took him several breaths to even raise his hand to wipe away the sweat.

Ye Hui's body had reached its limit.

However, the golden core in his dantian had already grown to the size of a soybean.

The three-colored spiritual energy flowed slowly within.

"Just one last step..."

Ye Hui, panting, looked up at the sky.

The dark clouds had stopped churning and instead gathered in the center into a huge vortex.

At the center of the vortex, a bolt of purple lightning, as thick as two people could hug, was gathering, surrounded by countless tiny electric threads.

At this moment, everything seemed to fall silent. The rumbling stopped, and even the barking of dogs in Tomoeda Town in the distance could be heard clearly, along with the occasional hissing sound of a streetlight tripping.

Ye Hui could feel that the golden core in his dantian was about to be formed!
And this is the final tribulation lightning, and also the most ruthless one!
Ye Hui dispersed the wind, stood up straight, opened his arms, and deliberately dissipated the last bit of protective spiritual energy.

His eyes were bright as he stared at the increasingly thick purple lightning bolt, without flinching in the slightest.

"Boom——!"

After a deafening roar, purple lightning crashed down like a giant dragon, instantly engulfing his figure!

The entire backyard was enveloped in a dazzling purple light, the ground began to collapse, and gravel and soil flew in all directions!
The surrounding shelves were overturned by the blast wave, and the broken branches and leaves of the trees caught fire!

After an unknown amount of time, the purple light gradually dissipated, leaving only a huge crater more than ten meters deep, its walls charred and still steaming.

Rainwater turns into white mist when it falls in.

Ye Hui had also disappeared.

The dark clouds in the sky lost their support and slowly dispersed, revealing the starry sky behind them. A few bright stars hung in the sky, making it seem exceptionally quiet.

"Master? Master!" A blue figure flew down from the roof of the villa; it was Qingque.

Its wings trembled slightly, clearly frightened by the loud noise. It circled the crater three times, screeching, occasionally peering into the pit with its little claws clenched tightly and its eyes filled with anxiety.

at this time.

A faint golden light suddenly shone from the bottom of the giant pit.

Then, the golden light grew brighter and brighter, and a figure slowly rose from the bottom of the pit.

It was Ye Hui!

His clothes were still charred and tattered, his hair was burnt and curly, and his face was covered in ash and blood, but his eyes were clear.

"Master! You're not dead!"

"You're really hoping your master gets struck by lightning, aren't you?" Ye Hui glanced at it sideways.

"No way! I was just thinking how great it is that you're alright, Master!" Qingque exclaimed, her small eyes wide.

Ye Hui smiled.

"All things return to their origin."

The voice just fell.

A mysterious aura emanated from him.

First, the clothes. The charred marks started to fade from the collar, the holes slowly closed, and it turned back into the blue Taoist robe it had before the tribulation.

Next came the huge crater in the ground. The rubble and soil at the bottom of the crater slowly floated up and piled up again into a flat bluestone slab. The fine cracks that had appeared earlier gradually healed, and even the old tree that had been split up stood up again.

The artificial mountain that Ye Hui had previously split apart was now restored.

Only a faint scorch mark remained on the tree trunk, proving that the danger just now was not an illusion.

Ye Hui was suspended in mid-air when a wisp of gentle spiritual energy from heaven and earth suddenly descended from above, like fine raindrops, sprinkling on him.

The moment the spiritual energy touched his skin, he couldn't help but sigh comfortably.

The previous fatigue and pain are slowly dissipating.

The golden elixir in the dantian spun even faster.

He closed his eyes and clearly felt the changes deep within his dantian.

The three-colored golden pill was already the size of a longan, perfectly round, with three patterns—water ripples, wood leaves, and gold—slowly rotating on its surface.

The three spiritual energies of water, wood, and metal circulate and blend within the elixir without any stagnation, making it more than ten times more potent than during the Foundation Establishment stage!
"Is this... the power of the Golden Core?"

He muttered to himself, and with a slight movement of his suspended body, he landed lightly on the ground, his toes touching the ground without making a sound.

He raised his right hand, his palm glowing with spiritual light, and tried to activate the water control technique.

In an instant, the surface of the pool water a hundred meters away swelled up and then surged upwards, condensing into a three-meter-high wall of water. The surface of the water wall was smooth, and his shadow could be clearly reflected.

He then pointed to a wild grass in the corner of the yard and activated a growth-inducing technique. The grass first swelled at the base, then sprouted green shoots, with the tips growing upwards at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It quickly grows to half a foot tall, unfolds tender green leaves, and blooms with tiny white flowers in the center. After the flowers wither, it produces tiny black seeds. The whole process takes only a few seconds.

Finally, he wanted to try out the sword aura.

He loosely clenched his right hand, and spiritual energy surged forth, making him several times faster than before!
The sword energy shone even brighter, almost solidifying into a physical form!

With a casual wave of his hand, an invisible sword aura flew forward, leaving a tiny crack in the air that slowly disappeared after two seconds.

At the same time, the newly restored artificial rockery next to them was swept away by the sword energy.

With a "crack," another small piece fell off.

"Master, you're amazing!"

Upon seeing this, the bluebird immediately flew over, landed on his shoulder, rubbed its little head against his cheek, and chirped twice, full of joy.

Ye Hui stroked its feathers, and a smile finally appeared on his lips.

The Golden Elixir has finally been formed.

(End of this chapter)