Outside, the wind howled and clouds surged. Furious thunder lit up half the sky, and rolling clouds of tribulation rapidly gathered overhead, layer upon layer, ominously blood-colored, a sight that struck terror at a glance.
Yu Lingzhou and Yueyi Heavenly Lord, along with the other ladies, had arrived just in time to see Qing Muling begin his Tribulation Crossing. They immediately joined forces to summon their Spirit Treasures, casting a protective rainbow light that enveloped the area, forming a solid barrier that isolated them from the outside world and sealed off the entire palace.
"We've been careless!"
Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord's brows furrowed, her voice tinged with annoyance: "We made a mistake. We shouldn't have let Qing Muling undergo his tribulation here."
Dao Court's territory was no match for their own sect, and with guests from all corners gathered for the assembly of immortals, too many eyes could spell disaster. Should Qing Muling falter, the consequences would be unbearable for Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace.
Yu Lingzhou's delicate face paled, realizing something, her soft voice trembling slightly: "You mean… it shouldn't be that bad, right?"
Given Qing Muling's background, his Tribulation Crossing would surely provoke extraordinary phenomena unlike those of ordinary cultivators. The disturbance of the heavenly secrets caused by the leakage of his aura would definitely attract attention from the Dao Court's higher-ups, who could easily sense something amiss with a little investigation.
Of course, that wasn't the worst of it. If they alerted that terrifying existence from the Origin Star Palace, the consequences were too dreadful to imagine.
"What's the use of regretting now?" Yueyi Heavenly Lord said coldly: "Everyone, give it your all. We must conceal this anomaly at all costs, unless you wish to see Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace fall."
The elders, no longer hesitating, each summoned their Spirit Treasures—some reinforcing the seals, others ascending to the firmament, attempting to use their divine powers to disperse the tribulation clouds above.
***
Inside the cultivation chamber.
Countless dark red tribulation flames, shaped like wish-fulfilling jewels, continuously emerged from within Qing Muling, dancing lightly around him, clinging like a persistent malady, impossible to shake off.
The tribulation fire burned wildly from the inside out, consuming Qing Muling's flesh and Divine Soul. Under unimaginable, terrifying heat, his vital energy and mana rapidly depleted. His flesh and Divine Soul withered swiftly, soon reaching the brink of exhaustion, to the point where even his bones began to show.
Yet the tribulation fire showed no signs of stopping. Instead, it burned more fiercely, threatening to reduce him to ashes.
Amidst the thunderous roars in the sky, a blood-colored lightning bolt as thick as a water barrel smashed down from the heavens, striking the protective formation made of rainbow light. It flickered briefly before dissipating into nothingness.
Then, thousands of blood-colored thunderbolts fell like torrential rain, dense as the downpour against banana leaves.
Xuebing Xuan and the other ladies exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock. When they faced their own heart demons during their tribulation, the power was not even half as strong as what they were witnessing, and even that was a nightmare they preferred not to recall.
"Junior Brother, use the merit of heaven and earth to resist the tribulation, the sooner the better!"
Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord urgently transmitted her voice. With every moment they delayed, Qing Muling's risk of exposure increased. The best strategy now was to use a massive amount of merit to quickly withstand the tribulation.
Despite the extravagant cost, for the safety of Qing Muling and Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, it was a necessary sacrifice.
At the center of the tribulation fire, Qing Muling made up his mind. The golden seal above his head shone brightly, and a vast amount of golden merit light poured down like the waters of the Milky Way, flowing into Qing Muling.
Wherever it passed, the raging tribulation fire was suppressed, and soon dimmed significantly, even the frequency of the lightning from the heavens slowed.
Qing Muling seized the opportunity to breathe, reaching into his Space Bracelet to retrieve several bottles of elixirs that replenished vital energy, uncorking them and swallowing them all in one go.
The elixirs melted upon entering his mouth, their potent and pure medicinal power spreading through his torso, seeping into his organs, reigniting his life force, and quickly replenishing his depleted vital energy and spirit.
In an instant, Qing Muling's withered body was restored, his fair skin shimmering with a luster like that of peerless jade, flawless and pure. His hair, which had been burned to ash, grew back soft and smooth, black as ink.
Just as Xuebing Xuan and the other ladies breathed a sigh of relief, an even more ferocious wave of tribulation fire erupted from the depths of Qing Muling's dantian, enveloping him in a massive fireball, blackening his freshly restored flesh, nearly exposing his skeleton once more.
At the same time, the thunderbolts in the sky fell faster and denser, rippling across the protective light screen outside.
This was the nature of the heart demon tribulation. As long as the cultivator's vital energy and spirit were not exhausted, the tribulation fire would continue to emerge from the dantian, demanding a grueling test of nine deaths and one life to successfully cross.
Fortunately, the golden seal above Qing Muling's head continued to pour out the golden light of heaven and earth merit. After a standoff, the high-temperature tribulation fire was finally suppressed and gradually disappeared.
"Immortal Wood Enchantment"
However, he dared not relax, as who knew if there would be another wave? For ordinary cultivators, crossing the tribulation was fraught with peril, and with his extraordinary background, the idea of an easy passage was nothing short of a fantasy.
Sure enough, after just a few dozen breaths, an even more intense tribulation fire descended.
And this time, it wasn't just tribulation fire. In the vast and unreachable depths of The Great Void, from a strange space that was untouchable, unpredictable, and unimaginable, faint ripples of chaos came from nowhere, sweeping lightly across countless star clusters, domains, and immortal realms, spanning the vast expanse of space billions of miles wide.
"Again?"
Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord's face changed dramatically. She had once felt that mysterious consciousness in the unknown when she was with Qing Muling, narrowly avoiding it. Now, at this critical moment, it had appeared again?
Qing Muling also sensed it, understanding that his aura during the tribulation had attracted the attention of that mysterious existence. But there was nowhere to hide now, and he had to endure.
"Well then, out with the old, in with the new!"
Qing Muling gritted his teeth, pointed at the golden seal above his head, and the golden light of merit, now ten times brighter than before, burst forth, forming a canopy covering over a hundred acres. Purple mist filled the air, and auspicious colors rose, enveloping the entire palace within.
Immediately, the tribulation clouds in the sky lost their target. Thunder rumbled among the clouds, but no more bolts fell.
Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord, sensing what needed to be done, quickly signaled all the elders to enter the range of the canopy, holding their breath and staying alert as if facing a formidable enemy.
After a few breaths, the ripples of chaos spread to the Mirrored Immortal Realm, sweeping over the strategic locations of Dao Court thousands of times with evident confusion. They lingered for a while before quietly dissipating into nothingness.
A little later, once they confirmed that the other party would not reappear, Qing Muling cautiously withdrew the protection of the heaven and earth merit canopy.
"Junior Brother, has the tribulation… passed?"
Qi Yalan's enchanting eyes fixed on Qing Muling, asking with trepidation.
"It's over."
Qing Muling exhaled lightly, looking somewhat pained at the golden seal. Five hundred million units of heaven and earth merit had been spent in the ordeal, leaving very little remaining.
But it was a necessary price to pay. Not only for his senior sisters, but Yu Lingzhou, Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord, and the other ladies were all deeply entwined with him in karma. If that mysterious existence had detected even a hint of them, it could immediately trace back to the source and capture his fate trajectory.
In that case, he would likely be doomed, and it was probable that none of the female cultivators from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace would survive, and the entire sect could be at risk of collapse.
The only benefit was that he had successfully crossed the heart demon tribulation and could now enjoy a period of stability. With sufficient experience, he could prepare in advance for the next tribulation and avoid similar crises.
"Junior Brother, how do you feel?"
Yueyi Heavenly Lord, Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord, and the other ladies gathered around, their eyes, clear as water, looking at him with evident concern.
"Not too bad, it's all in the past now."
Qing Muling spoke. The heart demon tribulation was the first major trial on the path of cultivation, with only one in a hundred surviving. The boundless tribulation fire refined the entire body, mana, Divine Soul, and cut away the inner demons. Once successfully crossed, the benefits were too numerous to list.
Compared to the True Immortal realm, the lifespan of a cultivator at the heart demon realm did not change significantly. Only by advancing further and stepping into the Destiny realm would one gain an additional thousand years.
For human cultivators, before reaching the Feathered Transformation realm, ten thousand years of lifespan is the limit, and no kind of elixir can break this heavenly rule.
"It's good that you're fine,"
Yu Lingzhou quickly said: "You should continue your closed-door cultivation to stabilize your realm. If someone from Dao Court comes to inquire, we will handle it."
"Alright." Qing Muling thought it made sense; it was indeed not suitable for him to show himself now.
So, he moved to another cultivation chamber, with Xuebing Xuan and the other four ladies continuing to accompany Qing Muling in his closed-door cultivation, while Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord ordered the damaged palace to be repaired and sent someone to inform Dao Court of the situation.
With no outsiders present, Qing Muling finally relaxed, exchanged a few words with his senior sisters, and re-entered a state of deep enlightenment.
In the depths of his sea of consciousness, the surface of the innate Harmony Spirit Seed became even more intricate and complex. Amidst the misty radiance and pervasive purple aura of Harmony, the seventh shadow of the Blue Lotus leaf had fully emerged and stabilized, its clear light illuminating the entire sea of consciousness. Through secret techniques and internal vision, Qing Muling saw his own fortune surge once again, more than four times that of the True Immortal realm's completion, and still growing.
"The previous techniques for shielding heavenly secrets may not be enough. I'll have to ask Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord and the others to lend a hand again, otherwise, it'll be hard to explain to the outside world, especially to Qinghuan Emperor and her daughter…"
Qing Muling pondered to himself. His current fortune alone had surpassed the entire Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, equivalent to the old and supreme Dao Lineages like Armillary Sphere Star Palace and Nine Spirit Proto Gate. If the outside world were to learn of this, it would be too shocking.
After reaching the heart demon realm, his innate divine powers had all been enhanced to varying degrees. For example, his divine power to discern all formation arrays, traps, and curses had expanded from a range of five hundred miles to over a thousand miles, with nothing below the level of a True Immortal able to hide.
The method of fortune-telling was the same. As long as the target's cultivation was below the Feathered Transformation realm, Qing Muling could easily see through all their secrets, even the most exceptional talents among the monstrous geniuses, unless an Emperor-level powerhouse intervened to obscure the yin and yang and shield the heavenly secrets from his probe.
Thanks to the growth of the innate Harmony Spirit Seed, Qing Muling's ability to cultivate using the essence of spiritual herbs and medicines had also improved significantly. With just one use, he could increase their medicinal power by fifteen hundred years. If he wished, mass-producing divine medicines in the future would not be a problem.
His ability to move through the void had reached a maximum distance of over a hundred thousand miles, which he could activate once a day. No matter the perilous or trapped situation, he could instantly escape and flee far away.
The divine power he chose at the True Immortal realm allowed him to temporarily raise his cultivation by three major realms for half an hour. Coupled with powerful treasures and suitable tactics, defeating stronger enemies was not out of the question. The only downside was the excessive cost—each use consumed a hundred years of lifespan.
Now, after breaking through to the heart demon realm, this cost had increased rather than decreased, requiring two hundred years of lifespan for a single use.
Qing Muling was momentarily speechless, but after some thought, he came to terms with it. When he used this divine power at the True Immortal realm, he could only reach the strength of the Feathered Transformation realm, but now he could reach the Ascending to Immortality realm, with a completely different level of lethality, capable of facing even stronger enemies, so it was understandable.
Ten days passed quietly, and once his cultivation at the heart demon realm was stable, Qing Muling opened his eyes again to find his senior sisters had already finished their cultivation and were whispering softly beside him.
***
At the strategic location of Dao Court.
"…Have you found out the reason?" Qinghuan Emperor's voice, elegant and dignified with authority, echoed softly.
"It has been ascertained. It was Qing Muling's heart demon tribulation that caused the change in the heavenly phenomena, and also… it might have been attracted by him."
Su Yuanzhen reported cautiously. The incident had caused quite a stir, so much so that Qinghuan Emperor herself was alerted. The original master of Origin Star Palace was, after all, a terrifying existence that even the current Dao Court had to handle with care.
Qinghuan Emperor sighed softly after a long silence: "I take back what I said last time. It's better not to offend Qing Muling in the future. An existence like him might not be something Dragon Ritual can handle right now."
Su Yuanzhen was slightly stunned: "But to miss such a heaven-defying opportunity, isn't it too much of a pity? With him, the princess could also achieve the Dao fruit of a Quasi Holy Emperor, or even…"
"How could I not want that?"
Qinghuan Emperor's voice carried a hint of helplessness: "It's just that the original master of Origin Star Palace is too terrifying. If it weren't for her, I would dare to capture Qing Muling right now to achieve a good match, but… this karma is too great, completely untouchable."
By now, she was sixty to seventy percent certain that Qing Muling was the transformed form of the innate Harmony Spirit Seed, or rather, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was completely certain, as long as she conducted a close examination of him.
However, considering the potential threat of that existence, Qinghuan Emperor ultimately dared not act rashly.
"Since we can't force it, can we try to befriend him?" Su Yuanzhen asked, determined to fight for the opportunity for the princess, and well, for herself as well.
Qinghuan Emperor pondered: "Perhaps we can try, but we must be cautious. I hope it won't cause trouble in the future."
Su Yuanzhen breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "If those two Emperors ask, how should I respond to them?"
In terms of proficiency in the art of heavenly secrets, Qinghuan Emperor was the foremost in Dao Court, surpassing the other two, so they usually heeded her advice on such matters.
"Of course, try to deceive them."
Qinghuan Emperor said with a smile. Such a heaven-defying opportunity was best kept secret; the fewer people who knew, the better. The benefits were enough for her and her daughter; there was no chance for outsiders to interfere.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan