He began his journey to becoming a true immortal by causing others to fail their tribulations.

Upon seeing the figures, Xun Yan initially thought they were reinforcements brought by the man in black robes.

He was even prepared to crush the jade token he used to plead for help from the sect.

These jade tokens were also issued uniformly by the Misty Sect.

Although an outer disciple's plea for help might only summon an outer sect steward, at least there's still hope for survival.

However, when Xun Yan saw the person's clothes and appearance clearly, he paused slightly.

Because these figures were also wearing the attire of outer disciples of the Misty Sect.

He had met them all before; they were the very people who had previously sought his advice on overcoming tribulations.

His roommate, Lu Ge, was among them.

"Brother Yan, what's going on?" Lu Ge asked loudly.

"You all stay away, Junior Sister Mu is about to undergo her tribulation, don't get caught in the crossfire."

Upon hearing Xun Yan's reminder, Lu Ge and the others realized that the clouds gathering in the sky were thunderclouds indicating a tribulation.

They had initially thought it was just going to rain.

After the group had moved a few steps away, Xun Yan asked, "How did you get here?"

"We happened to be on a mission nearby when we saw lightning strike and received a distress signal from our fellow disciples, so we rushed over to check it out," one disciple replied.

Lu Ge then asked, "Brother Yan, was it you who sent the distress signal?"

"We did encounter people from the Hehuan Sect, but Junior Sister Mu drove them away. I didn't send the distress signal."

After explaining, Xun Yan asked another question:

Do you have any fire spirit talismans or wind spirit talismans on you? I'll borrow them for a moment.

"Brother Yan, what a coincidence, I actually have some." Lu Ge jogged over to Xun Yan's side and handed him a Wind Spirit Talisman and a Fire Spirit Talisman.

"Thank you, I'll pay you back with my points when I get back," Xun Yan said.

"Brother Yan, you're too kind..."

Before Lu Ge could finish speaking, a rumbling sound came from the thunderclouds.

"Let's get going!"

Xun Yan pushed Lu Ge's shoulder, sending Lu Ge flying more than ten meters away.

And the force was just right, only increasing the distance without causing injury.

"Brother Yan, be careful!" Lu Ge shouted, without ever asking Xun Yan why he wanted the two talismans.

boom--

As the first bolt of lightning struck, Mu Qingrou drew her longsword and directly clashed with it.

Although she shattered the first bolt of lightning, the blade of her longsword was covered in dense cracks, making it impossible to withstand a second bolt.

Furthermore, Mu Qingrou herself also suffered considerable losses.

At the same time, several more figures landed nearby; they were all outer disciples of the Misty Sect.

Although Xun Yan was unable to return to the Misty Sect in time, this place was already within the absolute sphere of influence of the Misty Sect.

Whether going out on a mission or returning to the sect, this is the only way.

Such a big commotion naturally attracted many people to come and find out what was going on.

Seeing so many fellow disciples, Mu Qingrou felt a little more at ease.

Now, even if the man in black robes returns, there's no need to worry about encountering danger.

"Senior Brother Xun, please get away quickly. I can hold on," Mu Qingrou said.

Xun Yan asked with a serious expression, "Junior Sister Mu, do you believe me?"

"Of course I believe Senior Brother Xun Yan." Mu Qingrou's tone was somewhat puzzled, wondering why Xun Yan would ask such a question.

"Then you must hold on. Remember, even if you fail this time, it doesn't matter. As long as you survive, your future will be brighter."

After saying this, Xun Yan immediately activated the Wind Spirit Talisman and Fire Spirit Talisman in his hand.

Under Xun Yan's manipulation, the wind blades and flames transformed into two fish, one blue and one red, swimming around Mu Qingrou.

Although these two energies did not directly hit Mu Qingrou, they still caused her to feel waves of pain.

Just then, another bolt of lightning struck down.

Mu Qingrou cried out in pain as the longsword in her hand shattered into pieces on the ground.

She didn't understand why Xun Yan was suddenly making things more difficult for her.

However, out of trust in Xun Yan, she did not complain at all, but continued to persevere.

The other disciples who were watching had no life-or-death relationship with Xun Yan. When they saw this scene, they all shouted in disbelief:

"Senior Brother Xun! Why did you do such a thing?"

"Did Junior Sister Mu offend you? Why are you ruining her tribulation like this!"

"Senior Brother Xun, I advise you to stop immediately, or you will face severe punishment from the sect!"

"That's right! We're all from the same sect, why would you do such a vicious thing!"

Despite the outcry from his disciples, Xun Yan remained unfazed, and his hands continued moving without pause.

Anyway, those disciples who were denouncing it were just talking; they were afraid of the power of the heavenly lightning, and no one came forward to stop it.

He didn't need to explain to them at all, since even if he did, they might not believe him.

Since that's the case, it's better to focus all your energy on controlling the operation of the two talismans.

boom--

The third bolt of lightning struck.

The attack struck Mu Qingrou squarely, its violent force dispersing the wind and fire energies swirling around her.

However, some energy still managed to slip through the net and enter Mu Qingrou's body.

"ah--"

This time, Mu Qingrou couldn't help but let out a scream, and blood even spilled from the corner of her mouth.

Her vision blurred, and with her last vestiges of consciousness, she looked at Xun Yan, "Senior Brother Xun Yan, am I... going to die?"

She fainted completely as soon as she finished speaking.

"Xun Yan! How could you treat your fellow disciples like this!" someone shouted angrily.

After that reprimand, a series of reprimands followed.

However, there are still dissenting voices.

"Brother Yan is not the kind of person who would harm his fellow disciples. There must be some misunderstanding here!" Lu Ge shouted loudly.

However, his voice was completely drowned out by the shouts, and because he spoke up, many people also started cursing at him.

Just then, a loud cry resounded throughout the land, startling everyone.

They looked in the direction of the sound and witnessed a scene they would never forget.

Although Mu Qingrou had fainted, she remained sitting cross-legged.

Behind her, the phantom of a giant blue bird appeared—it was the divine bird, the Azure Phoenix!

After spreading its wings and letting out another cry, the phantom of the Azure Phoenix transformed into a stream of light and merged into Mu Qingrou's body.

"What's going on?" One of the disciples looked completely bewildered. With their eyesight and experience, they had no idea that Mu Qingrou had activated her special physique.

But they didn't know it; others did.

A beautiful figure appeared silently in front of Mu Qingrou and Xun Yan.

The other person was dressed in a white robe, with long, flowing black hair and a lotus flower decoration between their eyebrows.

The moment those dark, deep eyes fell upon Xun Yan, Xun Yan felt an immense sense of oppression.

Not only Xun Yan, but everyone else felt as if they had been grabbed by an invisible hand after seeing this woman.

Forget about speaking loudly, even breathing has become a cautious affair.

After a brief moment of shock, Lu Ge exclaimed, "You...you are Peak Master Jiang of Yaochi Peak!"