There are no ancestors at all; I made them all up.

Chapter 213 Completed in an Instant
"Such a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy!"

A dozen miles away, in the temporary headquarters of the Demon Suppression Guard, Liu Shuang'er suddenly looked up, her beautiful eyes turning towards Chen Qing's courtyard, her expression changing slightly.

"That's where he's in seclusion!"

She immediately tensed up, and without regard for what was happening at hand, she put down the file in her hand and got up.

"Wait a minute." A voice came from the side.

The speaker was dressed in the uniform of an inspector, and his face bore a resemblance to Liu Shuang'er, but his expression was distant. He was her cousin, Liu Yuanchen, who had been newly transferred here. He knew that Liu Shuang'er had gained the upper hand here, but she couldn't do it alone, so he was brought here by the clan to assist in managing the affairs of Blackwater City.

"Shuang'er, where are you rushing off to?" Liu Yuanchen stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping over the strange phenomena outside the window, his brows furrowing slightly. "Is it because of Mingxia Chen Qing? I heard he's been in seclusion recently, and it seems he's made a breakthrough. However, the city's defense patrols are at a critical juncture right now, and the movements of demons and evil cultivators are unclear. As the commander, how can you let personal matters interfere with your duties?"

Liu Shuang'er paused, raising her eyebrows: "Brother, you are mistaken. Sect Leader Chen has rendered great service in the city and is an important ally of our Demon-Slaying Guard. Now that he is about to break through to the next realm, unusual phenomena are appearing, which could easily attract the attention of villains or cause unforeseen dangers. My going to protect him is both fulfilling my duty as an ally and taking precautions to ensure that there is no trouble in the city. How can you say that I am putting personal interests before public duty?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuanchen sighed and said, "I heard that you asked the special envoy of the Nanbin Road Garrison to arrange a spot for you in the Ruins Trial, intending to give it to this Chen Qing?"

"Oh?" Liu's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "You even know about this, which means Gao Qinhu did a good job."

Liu Yuanchen said, "The reason I know this is because when he applied, he said that Chen Qing was recommended by him and you together. That's how the Liu family found out. I was transferred here this time because I wanted to give you some advice on this matter."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuang'er immediately said impatiently, "Don't be so short-sighted! My regard for Chen Qing is not out of personal feelings, but because he is indeed worth befriending. He hasn't gained power yet because Nanbin is in a remote area. If he appeared in the heart of Dongling, it wouldn't be our Liu family's turn to befriend him!"

"Since he has such extraordinary abilities, would he be willing to form a marriage alliance with my Liu family?" Upon hearing Liu Yuanchen's words, Liu Shuang'er was stunned.

Liu Yuanchen said, "If he is truly a hidden dragon in the abyss, then marriage is the fastest and most reliable bond."

Liu Shuang'er's red lips parted slightly, her thoughts a jumble of emotions.

She took a deep breath and shook her head, saying, "Brother, Chen Qing is a man of great ambition and is by no means willing to be manipulated or become a pawn in a marriage alliance. This matter... is probably just wishful thinking."

Liu Yuanchen sighed: "If we can't bring him into the Liu family through marriage, why are you so eager to push him onto the stage? If other powerful forces see him, do you think we can still be close in the future? If he's really capable, which one wouldn't extend an olive branch? By then, you might not even be able to see him!"

Liu Shuang'er's mind was in turmoil.

Seeing this, another message was released: "Moreover, the situation has changed. That palace and dojo, which is suspected to be jointly built by the Taiyin Sect and Yuehua Prefecture, has somehow deviated from its course and is now crossing the Nanbin River. It will arrive soon!"

"Huh?" Liu Shuang'er had clearly just learned of this news. "Doesn't that mean..."

"Not only that, but there are also two great ancient ruins in Nanbin now!" Liu Yuanchen continued, "At that time, geniuses from all sides will gather in Nanbin, along with the existing Xuyuan Mountain and Haiwo ruins. Three opportunities will converge, and a storm will rise! Even if your Chen Qingzong has an invincible foundation, can he stand up to those true geniuses who have been nurtured by major sects and have already reached the Golden Core stage or even touched the Nascent Soul bottleneck? In fact, several geniuses have already gone south in the past few days..."

As he spoke, he took out several envelopes from his pocket and tossed them to Liu Shuang'er.

Liu Shuang'er took it, unfolded it, and frowned.

Liu Yuanchen said meaningfully, "Those people have been cultivated by major sects since childhood, showered with all kinds of elixirs and miraculous medicines. In terms of foundation, they are far superior to those of minor sects in Nanbin. People from minor sects and remote areas, no matter how talented, are always inherently deficient, especially when they form their core, the difference will become even more apparent! Poor past accumulation is like malnutrition. If you don't eat well, no matter how good your foundation is, you will still be thin and short when you grow up. If you want to befriend this person, you have to invest in his foundation and make up for his lack of potential. How long will that take?"

Then he said bluntly: "You think that Chen Qing has good talent and is a promising talent, but as far as I know, although he has a Golden Core level protective technique, he is still a Yin Spirit cultivator. If he encounters a true genius in the trial and becomes impatient, and rushes to break through before his foundation is complete and forcibly forms a core, then he will be stuck and his potential will be wasted!"

At this point, Liu Yuanchen revealed his true thoughts: "If I were you, I wouldn't let him step onto the stage so early. Instead, I would keep him hidden away, nurture him slowly, get close to him, and invest in him, step by step, slowly!"

After listening, Liu Shuang'er hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "I have already mentioned to him that there will be a good job soon, but after listening to my cousin's words, I realize that there are indeed some things I haven't thought through. However, in any case, I will explain the pros and cons to him, but whether it works out or not is up to him, not me. My Liu family needs to show full sincerity, rather than just treating him as a bargaining chip."

After saying that, she took a step away, but after a few steps, she suddenly stopped, then stared wide-eyed at the clouds where Chen Qing was, feeling the soaring spirit and boiling spiritual energy contained within them!
Clouds and mist gradually gathered in the sky!

"This is……"

She was a little unsure.

"This is the sign of Core Formation!" Liu Yuanchen sighed. "He couldn't hold back after all. I heard you provided him with some resources for Core Formation? It hasn't been long, and he couldn't resist taking this step. In the end, he's from a small, insignificant family, without proper lineage or understanding of the principles of accumulation. What a pity."

Liu Shuang'er ignored all of this and instead quickened her pace.

"There are risks involved in forming the Golden Core. I'll go protect him!"

At the same time, on the main street of Blackwater City, a man and a woman walked side by side.

The man was dressed in a brocade robe, with a handsome face and a smile on his lips. He seemed easygoing, but when he turned his eyes, there was a disdainful look in his eyes, as if nothing in front of him could catch his eye.

The woman was dressed in a white dress, with a slender figure and a cool temperament. Although she did not speak, a faint spiritual light flowed around her, indicating that she possessed a rare treasure.

The two appeared to be walking at a leisurely pace, but in reality, they were moving so slowly that ordinary passersby could hardly even notice them passing by.

"Huh?" The man suddenly stopped and looked up. He saw that the spiritual energy in the sky was gathering wildly, forming a huge funnel-shaped vortex, with the sound of wind and thunder faintly emanating from it.

“Interesting,” the man’s smile deepened. “We’ve only just arrived in this southern border town and we’ve already stumbled upon someone who has formed their core. It seems this place isn’t entirely populated by mediocre people.” The woman beside him narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke in a cool tone: “The southern border is barren, with depleted spiritual veins, far inferior to the heartland of the Eastern Spirit Realm. Anyone who can form their core here must have extraordinary character and talent, and can be considered a local hero.”

"Perhaps he is a talented individual, but it's a pity," the man chuckled and shook his head. "To form the Core here would waste a lot of potential. You and I can cultivate using the sect's small spirit-gathering array, but what do they have? After forming the Core, every step requires a massive amount of spiritual energy to refine it. This place is a trap for dragons. Apart from those who have no hope for the future or shallow foundations, who would want to stay here for long?"

He changed the subject, becoming somewhat interested: "Senior sister, why don't you guess whether this person will succeed?"

The woman said calmly, "Why not guess how many levels of Golden Core this person can form if he succeeds?"

The man sighed and said, "It's not that I underestimate the heroes of the world, but without abundant resources, the assistance of spiritual arrays, and the protection of a master, relying solely on one's own talent to form a high-level Golden Core in such a barren place is as difficult as ascending to heaven! Ancient texts record that in the past, when spiritual energy was at its peak, there were some extraordinary talents who could borrow the power of heaven and earth to form the fifth or sixth level in one fell swoop, but those legends are now difficult to achieve even with the help of resources. I only reached the third level back then..."

Before he finished speaking——

"Boom!"

The vortex of spiritual energy in the sky suddenly changed dramatically!
The originally bluish-white clouds turned inky black, piling up layer upon layer, instantly filling half the sky!
A heavy, oppressive pressure suddenly descended!

Within the pitch-black clouds, streaks of purple lightning crisscrossed, and an aura of destruction permeated the entire city!

"This is... a pill tribulation?!" The man's smile froze. "To form a core in a place like this, where the spiritual energy is extremely thin, it should be difficult to even form a complete tribulation cloud, let alone cleanse the core. How could this person actually trigger a heavenly tribulation? What kind of foundation does he have?!"

The woman stared at the core of the thundercloud: "It has triggered a heavenly tribulation; the quality of its golden core is extraordinary! It's definitely more than two cycles, and three cycles are possible! But it won't be easy for it to take shape! It all depends on this person's fate!"

This earth-shattering phenomenon instantly alarmed the entire Blackwater City!

Liu Shuang'er, who was on her way to the courtyard, suddenly looked up, her face pale: "Dan Jie?!" Then, without further hesitation, she transformed into a streak of light and rushed off.

Inside the Demon Suppression Guard's headquarters, Liu Yuanchen stared out the window in astonishment, his regret replaced by shock: "Triggered the Pill Tribulation? I misjudged it?!"

On the other side, Ling Juefeng and Yan Ruoshuang were adjusting their breathing in their respective quiet rooms when they opened their eyes almost simultaneously and flashed into the courtyard.

"What terrifying tribulation clouds!" Ling Juefeng's expression turned solemn. "Brother Chen, this time..."

Yan Ruoshuang's icy eyes gleamed with a strange light as she murmured, "Extraordinary people do extraordinary things."

Inside the city lord's mansion, Zhou Chen was handling official business when he suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. He opened the window and saw this scene. He was first taken aback, then smiled bitterly: "Can't we have two days of peace?"

In a dark corner of the city, Shi Chen, shrouded in demonic energy, suddenly sprang up, peering at the sky through a crack, his eyes wide: "Tribulation of Pills?! Why?! No, calm down! This might be my opportunity! Yes! If I can take advantage of his weakened state during his tribulation..." His eyes blazed with greed.

at the same time.

Outside the city, in the desolate countryside, a figure in red suddenly landed; it was none other than Hong Feihuang, who looked travel-worn.

As she gazed at the astonishing phenomenon in the sky above Blackwater City, her pretty face instantly turned frosty.

"We finally managed to identify the murderer, but then we ran into someone undergoing tribulation to form their core here! I heard that Mingxia Chen Qing has amazing talent, could it be him? Well, better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!"

Once she had this thought, she didn't hesitate any longer. With a flick of her wrist, a blood-red jade talisman appeared in her palm.

She forced out a drop of her essence blood, which fell onto the jade talisman. Her expression was resolute yet respectful. She whispered urgently, "Ancestor, your eyes are like lightning! Look in this direction! Your disciple, Hong Feihuang, begs you to send down a wisp of your divine power to help me slay this fiend and avenge my brother's death! To settle this karmic debt!"

The jade talisman burst forth with dazzling blood-red light, and a dark wave surged into the sky, disappearing into the void.

"Boom!"

Lightning flashed across the sky!

Beneath the clouds of calamity, in the small courtyard.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged, his spiritual energy surging like a tide. Three inches above his head, a blurry golden core was slowly rotating, absorbing and exhaling massive amounts of spiritual energy and heavenly tribulation power. Dao patterns appeared on it, faintly forming the image of the sun, moon, mountains and rivers.

The might of heaven and earth stirs the clouds in all directions, and a calamity lurks in the shadows.

"Perhaps the times are different and the steps have changed slightly, but the general principles are the same."

Chen Qing, however, was quite familiar with the process. He opened his mouth and swallowed, and the nascent golden core entered his stomach, then solidified and took shape!

Immediately, he spread his divine sense.

"With the Purple Mansion already formed, the Pill Tribulation is weakened by three points. It's just waiting for the Heavenly Tribulation to temper it. However, the spiritual energy in this world is so thin that the Human Tribulation is stirring up trouble." In a flash, Chen Qing locked onto several figures. "Alright, let's see which demons and monsters jump out and have a showdown before we finish this task."

(End of this chapter)