When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Wei Jin and Xiao Huandu, who lived next door, quickly noticed something was wrong and came over when they heard the noise.

As the tribulation clouds pressed low overhead, Wei Jin looked at his junior disciple, his tone a mixture of joy and worry, "You're about to advance?"

"So fast!?" Xiao Huandu raised an eyebrow and punched Chu Xianlan's shoulder. "How come there wasn't even the slightest warning? Didn't you say your cultivation was stuck just a few days ago?"

Chu Xianlan was also ashamed. She had been eagerly anticipating this for a long time, but it never came. Who would have thought that it would arrive after just a few mental shocks?

I've been waiting for so long, and today has finally come.

Not easy.

The thunderclouds in the sky had not yet fully formed, as the lightning tribulation would take time to gather. This was simply the cruel joke of the heavens, allowing cultivators to enjoy the thrill of teetering on the edge of death before advancing in their cultivation.

Yi Chen raised his eyes and scanned the sky. The next moment, Bu Xi Zhou transformed into a silver streak and flew out, hovering in mid-air beside the boy.

Yi Chen grasped his disciple's wrist and pulled him upwards: "Let's go."

Chu Xianlan immediately understood.

The tribulation lightning of a Nascent Soul cultivator is far more powerful than that of a Golden Core cultivator. Once the heavenly lightning strikes, it will render the surrounding area barren for hundreds of miles. To attempt a breakthrough in the residential area of ​​the Ten Thousand Demon City would inevitably cause turmoil.

Therefore, we must leave this place before the tribulation of lightning arrives.

In a short while, the group flew out of the city and arrived at a spacious valley near the Water Dragon Abyss.

This was the location they had previously chosen for Chu Xianlan to break through her cultivation level.

Thanks to the blessings of the remaining power of the true dragon, the spiritual energy field around Water Dragon Abyss is surprisingly abundant, flowing in wisps and strands through the valley and converging into a condensed and persistent spiritual mist.

Yi Chen's spiritual sense quickly swept across the entire valley. This act of driving away startled countless birds and beasts, causing them to scatter and flee. After setting up the formation, he raised his hand and condensed an impenetrable ice-blue barrier, which even kept out the slightest breeze between heaven and earth.

After everything was ready, he asked Chu Xianlan, "Are you nervous?"

Chu Xianlan sat cross-legged, nodded, and then shook her head.

"A little."

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

But I also want to become stronger than ever before.

"Let's go, brothers!" Xiao Huandu rubbed his hands together, a hint of excitement on his face. "Once we get past the Nascent Soul stage, we'll steadily rebuild our Heavenly Spiritual Root according to plan, then march back to the capital! And become emperor!"

Chu Xianlan said helplessly, "What are you saying? I don't want to be the emperor."

After dealing with these messy matters, I'd like to travel with my master.

Suddenly, a cool hand covered the boy's cheek, and the thumb gently rubbed the small mole under his eye.

"...In this world, my disciple can do whatever she wants, as she pleases, as long as she is willing." Yi Chen looked at Chu Xianlan, his gray eyes filled with soft light, deeply reflecting the other's image.

"Don't worry. Just do your best. Your teacher is right here."

The bond between master and disciple is perhaps like this. Before becoming any other kind of relationship, the first thing to be established is unconditional trust and reliance. No matter when or where, a master can always give his disciple unparalleled confidence.

"……Um."

Chu Xianlan's heart almost stopped when she heard the word "Master".

Can't you be more mindful of the occasion?! Wei Jin was almost sickened by the mushy talk, his face full of unbearable pain. He grabbed a pill and stuffed it into his junior nephew's mouth.

"Alright, alright!"

Chu Xianlan almost choked on the pill, but the moment she swallowed it, the medicinal power transformed into a scalding stream of spiritual energy, causing the spiritual energy in her meridians to expand wildly as if about to burst, stimulating the golden core to surge and churn in her dantian.

Although his realm has not yet been broken through, his cultivation level is already infinitely close to that of the Nascent Soul stage.

He was startled; his junior uncle was truly generous.

He gave away the Heavenly Grade Breakthrough Pill without hesitation.

In addition, Wei Jin placed several valuable rare and precious materials around him, all of which had protective effects.

"Junior Uncle, thank you." Chu Xianlan said sincerely.

"Hmph." Wei Jin raised an eyebrow, casually gave a few instructions, and then waved his hand, leading everyone out of the lightning tribulation area.

Before leaving, Chu Xianlan tugged at Yi Chen's sleeve, pulled her master's hand over, and placed it next to her cheek, touching it gently.

"Master, wait for me."

Half an hour later, rumbling thunder rolled deep in the clouds, and more and more low pressure gathered, but the lightning tribulation was still delayed.

At this moment, Chu Xianlan closed her eyes and entered a meditative state, sitting cross-legged in the center of the lightning tribulation.

A few strands of hair on his forehead were ruffled by the wind. His breathing was steady, his expression relaxed, and a faint aura surrounded him.

"Why hasn't it started yet? We've been gathered for ages, what are you dawdling about!" Yanling, who was guarding outside the barrier, was terrified and frantically pawed at the floor with his hooves.

Hua Ling was also very anxious. While tormenting the earth spirit, she said with a speechless expression, "...It's not like you can make it fall whenever you want."

Listen to me—fall!

Yanling roared to the sky.

The moment the words left his mouth, the sky shattered.

"—Boom!"

Thick bolts of lightning tore through the clouds, plunging straight down into the valley like a giant dragon. The blinding white light lingered for a long time, and the immense commotion made one's feet go numb.

That's an exaggeration.

...This is too intense! Yan Ling's face cracked.

Is it really that scary?

After all, spirits of heaven and earth don't undergo tribulations, and Yan Ling couldn't figure out if all lightning strikes were this intense. After a moment of stunned silence, she quickly regained her senses and immediately shifted the blame, saying, "Uh, it's not my fault! It was just a coincidence. I didn't shout out the lightning! If you don't believe me, I'll shout it out again—"

"Stop talking, your blessed mouth is really effective!" Hua Ling slapped Yan Ling on the back of the head.

Although the purpose of heavenly lightning is to allow cultivators to break through their own limits and thus temper their bodies, Wei Jin still looked stiff. Chu Xianlan's tribulation lightning was obviously more intense than that of ordinary cultivators.

Regarding the tribulation, there is actually a saying in the cultivation world: "to distinguish the true from the false."

Under the thunder, nothing can hide.

The tribulation of lightning is a test given to cultivators by the Heavenly Dao. The greater the tribulation, the higher the aptitude. A cultivator's strength and true abilities can be clearly seen during the advancement process.

Not only that.

The tribulation of lightning is like a reflection of one's state of mind.

When a cultivator with an unstable mindset is struck by heavenly lightning, their inner demons will seize the opportunity to surge forth.

Hua Ling puffed out her cheeks and lay on the edge of the barrier, craning her neck to look inside. But before the smoke from the previous bolt of lightning had even dissipated, two more bolts of lightning struck down with sparks and flashes, their power seemingly capable of destroying everything. The surrounding trees were also affected and trembled frequently.

Yan Ling's heart rose and fell with the surroundings, and she murmured, "...I'm so scared of the rolling thunder."

If the person who set up this barrier hadn't possessed the cultivation level of the Nascent Soul stage, they would probably have been shattered to pieces long ago.

Xiao Huandu swallowed hard, then turned to look at Yi Chen, "Immortal Lord Jixue, is Xianlan... alright?"

That must be so tough.

Yi Chen, who had been staring intently at Chu Xianlan, did not reply.

Through the master-disciple agreement, he can clearly perceive his disciple's current state.

It's common for cultivators to be injured when breaking through realms; at best, it results in cuts and bruises, and at worst, damage to the golden core. The barrier of the Nascent Soul stage can indeed block a small portion of the damage, but it's not enough.

He had originally planned that if the situation remained unfavorable and Chu Xianlan couldn't withstand it, he would draw the remaining lightning tribulation onto himself.

however……

Chu Xianlan doesn't seem to have been injured at all?

The thunder roared and roared, its power terrifying, but the part that struck the boy seemed to be blocked by something... its power was mostly neutralized.

Meanwhile, a magnificent troop of people slowly came to a stop at the northern border, a hundred miles away from Shuilongyuan.

Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, swirling upside down in the sky like a vortex. Thunderclaps illuminated the entire sky with a blinding light. Everyone gasped and looked up in amazement:

"Who is undergoing tribulation?"

"Hiss... Judging by this display, it seems to be an advancement from the Nascent Soul stage. Why is it so fierce?"

"Who cares who you are. Let's just enjoy watching the demons get struck by lightning."

Yuan Hou's beard flew wildly in the strong wind. He put away the gift list in his hand and glanced disdainfully in the direction of the demon race.

Given the current tense relationship between the two clans, His Highness the Crown Prince is still willing to come to Beiming Yihe at this time to try to resolve the conflict through gentle means. He is truly magnanimous and benevolent, and has the demeanor of a wise ruler.

Humming a tune, Yuan Hou took small steps to the center of the procession and knocked on the door of the black and gold carriage.

The Crimson Flame Demon Horse snorted.

Lord Yuan called out in a high-pitched voice, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Your Highness?"

After a long while, the carriage was completely silent.

Through the hanging curtain, Ji Ran huddled in a corner of the carriage, her whole body trembling violently, her pupils dilating, one hand tightly gripping the collar of her clothes on her abdomen, the other hand covering her mouth and nose with a cloth.

--boom!

Amidst the lightning and thunder, another flash of white light appeared.

The prince spat out a mouthful of blood, the cloth in his hand was soaked with blood, and it flowed down from his fair wrist, with a faint black aura surrounding him.

After waiting outside for a while without any movement, out of concern, Yuan Hou cautiously lifted the curtain with his delicate fingers.

They were so frightened by the sight before them that they lost their composure.

"Your Highness!"

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