After Patriarch Yu and the cultivators from the White Float Palace departed, Ye Qin remained in his residence, cultivating his own power while simultaneously nurturing his five Primordial Spirit flying swords, enhancing their might.
Half a year later.
Ye Qin rendezvoused with Patriarch Yu and several Nascent Soul cultivators from the White Float Palace. They left Linhai City, streaking away southeastward like rainbows on their swords.
Half a day later, roughly six or seven thousand li from Linhai City, they arrived at a nameless, desolate island.
This island possessed little spiritual energy; the expanse spanning hundreds of li consisted only of rock, thus no cultivators practiced here. However, given its proximity—only about a day's travel from Linhai City—it occasionally served as a brief resting point for cultivators on long voyages.
Not wishing to travel too far, Ye Qin selected this deserted island directly for the Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon to undergo its tribulation.
Roughly another month passed.
The sky across thousands of li was shrouded in a mass of oppressive, dark clouds, bearing down heavily upon the sea centered on the island. The entire world had already turned pitch black, like ink.
Within the thick cloud layer, the gathering thunderstorms rumbled with muffled thunder, the booming sounds echoing for thousands of li even to the inhabitants of Linhai City.
In the heavens, silver snakes of lightning danced and flashed incessantly. With a sharp "Crack!", the black sky was momentarily illuminated. However, this heavenly lightning did not strike down but merely flickered within the cloud mass.
The sea-attribute demonic beasts and ferocious demonic fish schools, normally visible everywhere in the East Sea, had completely vanished. These creatures, seemingly sensing the danger brewing in the clouds above, had either fled far away or sunk deep into the seabed to avoid being caught in the fallout.
On the island, Ye Qin found a clean patch of rock, sat cross-legged, and entered meditation, seemingly undisturbed by the external world.
The Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon held a bone in its jaws, and the dark corpse energy surging from its skeletal structure was now incredibly dense.
It paced restlessly, continually roaring low growls toward the sky. It seemed to understand that fatal danger was imminent from above, instinctively stirring a deep sense of dread within it.
Patriarch Yu stood with his hands clasped behind his back atop a massive reef. White-haired and white-bearded, his simple gray robe fluttered in the wind. Although his appearance was ancient, his expression was placid as he gazed upward, his eyes serene.
This Great Heavenly Tribulation for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage still held considerable deterrent power for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, but for him, a late-stage Nascent Soul expert, the threat was minimal. Unless it was a tribulation to reach the Soul Transformation stage, nothing would cause him to change his expression.
Patriarch Yu had received Ye Qin's message and, as agreed, accompanied him to this desolate island.
Patriarch Yu did not inquire why Ye Qin had chosen this specific location for the Skeleton Demon's tribulation.
The two had been on this desolate island for nearly a month, simply awaiting the moment the Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, triggering the celestial anomaly and the descent of the Great Heavenly Tribulation.
...
"Look quickly, it seems to be a tribulation!"
"Judging by the might of this heavenly tribulation, someone must be breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm!"
"If they survive, the East Sea will have another Nascent Soul cultivator!"
"But to undergo the tribulation so close to Linhai City—that is far too audacious!"
"Who could it be, daring to attempt tribulation here? Aren't they afraid other cultivators will intrude and interrupt the process?! If an enemy were to discover them, it would be suicidal!"
This massive disturbance over the East Sea, thousands of li from Linhai City, quickly attracted the attention of many passing Core Formation cultivators.
Any discerning eye could tell that someone was preparing for a tribulation on this island!
This was because natural thunderclouds and storms arrive quickly and dissipate just as fast. The violent wind and rain would scatter almost immediately.
It would never be like the current situation—a thousand-li expanse of dark clouds that had gathered for nearly a month, yet remained coiled and unreleased, instead continuously intensifying the power of the thunderclouds as if awaiting something.
"I wonder which day we will get to face our tribulation!"
Quite a few Core Formation cultivators flew past on their swords from the nearby seas, awed and unsettled by the storm's imposing presence, circling the sky nearby.
Envious as they were, they dared not approach the thundercloud zone carelessly.
If other Core Formation cultivators were undergoing their tribulation, and they drew near only to be struck by heavenly lightning, it would be a disaster without cause, misfortune for which they couldn't even complain. If they were killed, it would be the ultimate misfortune.
However, they could wait until the cultivator completed their tribulation, then go forward to offer congratulations and flattery. If the cultivator survived and successfully passed the Great Heavenly Tribulation, ascending to the Nascent Soul realm, in their moment of great joy, they would surely not be stingy with rich rewards.
Generous gifts bestowed after becoming Nascent Soul cultivators were customary in the East Sea.
Core Formation cultivators dared not approach, but Nascent Soul cultivators were less cautious.
One day, two or three Nascent Soul cultivators in different attire flew across this sea area. Seeing the tribulation clouds of the Great Heavenly Tribulation, they exchanged surprised glances and let out sinister cackles.
"Hee-hee, we've stumbled upon something good. Shall we go take a look? Perhaps there's an opportunity to gain some valuables?"
"Haha, indeed. If that person fails the tribulation and loses their life, we can grant them a kindness and collect the corpse! Let's go take a look!"
Several streaks of light rapidly approached the dark clouds.
They certainly harbored no genuine intention of collecting a corpse. If the cultivator about to face tribulation failed and died, they would perfectly reap the benefits. It was known that cultivators undergoing tribulation invariably carried high-grade and finest magical artifacts and treasures, meticulously prepared over hundreds of years, specifically to counteract the Great Heavenly Tribulation.
Such magical artifacts and treasures represented a considerable fortune even for Nascent Soul cultivators—and they wouldn't refuse free loot.
Unfortunately, their calculation to gain easy wealth was destined to fail.
"Heavenly Dao Alliance, Northern Patriarch, is here! Unauthorized personnel are forbidden to approach!"
"Begone—!"
Before they could even draw near the island at the center of the tribulation clouds, two Nascent Soul cultivators from the White Float Palace shot forth to block their path, hovering in the sky on their swords, one holding the great decree of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, the other wielding his sword, staring coldly at them.
The stance clearly indicated that any further step toward the island would result in immediate execution without pardon. To offend the Patriarch of the Heavenly Dao Alliance meant death, with no avenue for appeal.
These two or three Nascent Soul cultivators who had been calculating easy gains instantly changed expression, realizing the cultivators before them were not to be trifled with. They retreated in disarray, not daring to utter another word, and swiftly flew far away.
"Who is undergoing tribulation here! To mobilize the Northern Patriarch of the Heavenly Dao Alliance to personally guard their tribulation!"
"Isn't Patriarch Yu supposed to be dying? How is he appearing here!"
They grumbled inwardly, cursing under their breath, having long abandoned any thought of easy profit.
It wasn't that they feared the two Nascent Soul cultivators from the White Float Palace, but provoking Patriarch Yu might result in being crushed to death with a single hand.
Over the course of this month, no less than several dozen similar incidents had occurred.
But any curious cultivators were quickly driven away by the Nascent Soul cultivators of the White Float Palace.
The desolate island at the heart of the tribulation clouds remained exceptionally calm!
...
"It seems the Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon will attempt to break through to Nascent Soul tonight! Young Friend Ye, your timing is incredibly precise!" Patriarch Yu stood on the island, occasionally observing the celestial signs, speaking softly.
Over this past month, he and Ye Qin had grown quite close, addressing each other as "Young Friend," showing a tendency to view Ye Qin as a friend across generations.
"Patriarch overpraises me. As a branch of the Ghost path, the Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon has no cultivation bottleneck. From the ninth layer of Core Formation to the Nascent Soul stage, as long as it absorbs sufficient corpse energy and its internal Corpse Pill condenses to a certain degree, it can break through. I am fully aware of its cultivation progress; this is nothing special." Ye Qin replied respectfully.
"This Patriarch is not very knowledgeable about the way of Ghost Cultivation. However, the bone it holds in its mouth must be a spirit root bone from a twelfth-tier demonic beast! This ghost creature is truly blessed with immortal fortune; with this bone, its cultivation speed has increased several times over at least." Patriarch Yu smiled. "After it survives its tribulation, having a Nascent Soul Skeleton Demon as your guard will put this Patriarch's mind at ease. At least I won't have to worry that you might be harmed by Xiao Xiao and be unable to complete the transaction between us."
"Patriarch can rest assured, this junior values his own life highly." Ye Qin chuckled. "However, the most important aspect for this Skeleton Demon is not whether it can reach Nascent Soul, but whether it can survive the Great Heavenly Tribulation. A Ghost Cultivator's tribulation draws down heavenly lightning several times more powerful than that faced by a human cultivator. Simultaneously, a Ghost Cultivator’s resistance to lightning tribulation is weaker than that of a human cultivator. Therefore, under normal circumstances, it is more than ten times harder for a Ghost Cultivator to pass the Great Heavenly Tribulation. Human cultivators have magical artifacts for protection, which can greatly mitigate the power of the tribulation. But this Corroded Bone Crocodile can only rely on its own skeletal structure and its cultivation base to withstand the Great Heavenly Tribulation. This junior is powerless to help it cross. Without your help to dissipate the calamity, it would most likely perish."
"You speak truly; the Heavenly Dao is fair. Ghost Cultivators have no bottlenecks, but their heavenly tribulations are far harsher. The reason there are so few Ghost Cultivators in the East Sea is overwhelmingly because they cannot survive the heavenly lightning tribulation, turning to ash within it." Patriarch Yu nodded.
...
Late at night.
In the center of the desolate island, the Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon continuously absorbed corpse energy, reaching the very edge of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm.
Suddenly, it reared its head and roared, spitting out a Corpse Pill saturated with dense black energy.
This Corpse Pill slowly rose dozens of zhang into the air, shooting out rays of ghostly black light. The pill continuously swelled, its grotesque form beginning to shift. It absorbed more corpse energy, then expelled it again.
The Skeleton Demon's entire skeletal frame exuded massive clouds of pitch-black corpse energy, covering an area spanning hundreds of zhang.
Its bones were emitting creaking, explosive sounds, seemingly undergoing a mutation.
It was advancing from a ninth-tier to a tenth-tier Skeleton Demon.
"Rumble~~~~!"
The dark clouds that had been accumulating and brewing for nearly a month suddenly surged violently. The tribulation clouds sensed the change in spiritual energy below the island and began to descend with heavenly lightning.
"The Great Heavenly Tribulation is here!"
A sharp light flashed in Ye Qin's eyes, and he abruptly stood up, staring intently at the Corroded Bone Crocodile Skeleton Demon several li away.
He knew that the Great Heavenly Tribulation for a Core Formation cultivator breaking through to Nascent Soul would summon nine bolts of immensely powerful heavenly lightning. Each bolt would be lightning equivalent to a minor divine ability, enough to blast a poorly prepared ninth-layer Core Formation cultivator into dust.
However, the Great Heavenly Tribulation faced by a ninth-tier Skeleton Demon would far surpass that of a human cultivator, easily several times stronger. One misstep, and annihilation would be the result.
A knot of intense tension tightened in his chest.
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