The sky, as black as ink, pressed down with layers of dark clouds covering a radius of a hundred li, the deep roar of thunder echoing between heaven and earth. The main peak of the island pulsed with dazzling golden and yellow lights—these were the various guardian formations and sword arrays, agitated by the immensely powerful spiritual thunder energy descending from the sky, poised to repel the Great Heavenly Tribulation.

Ye Qin stood on a small hill not far from the main peak, facing the surging sea wind, his robes fluttering wildly. He gazed up at the heavens, his eyes utterly serene.

Beside him, the Corroded Bone Slug Skeleton Demon lay extremely docilely on the ground, a spirit root bone held gently in its jaws, daring not to stir. The potent spiritual thunder energy emanating from the dark clouds above instilled in it an instinctive dread, making it unwilling to move rashly lest it attract the heavenly lightning. In the cultivation world of the Eastern Sea, few things could inspire such terror in it, perhaps only this thunder tribulation—it was its nemesis. Had Sect Master Yu not helped it weather several major thunder tribulations back then, it would likely have been reduced to ash.

Ye Qin, clad in a simple blue robe, stood motionless on the hilltop, watching the restless tribulation clouds overhead.

However, these clouds had gathered for several hours without descending; they even showed faint signs of dissipating. A tension tightened in Ye Qin’s chest, his hands involuntarily clenching, wanting desperately to do something. Yet, he could not interfere; breaking through one's cultivation bottleneck relied entirely on the self; outsiders offered no assistance.

After a while longer, just as the tribulation clouds were about to vanish, they suddenly began to churn and gather again with renewed force.

Seeing this, Ye Qin couldn't help but exhale in relief.

Ye Qin certainly understood what this phenomenon signified.

This tribulation cloud was born in response to a cultivator’s vital essence (yuanqi). Once the vital essence within a Golden Core cultivator was on the verge of a breakthrough, it would provoke an anomalous movement in the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth, thus summoning the thunder tribulation.

If the vital essence failed to break through, the thunder tribulation would naturally dissipate, leaving the Golden Core cultivator exactly where they were. Once the vital essence achieved its breakthrough, the thunder tribulation would swiftly strike. Surviving beneath the lightning would solidify them as a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The gathering and subsequent dispersal of the clouds meant that Bing'er had failed her first attempt to breach the Nascent Soul bottleneck. The quick reformation of the clouds just as they were about to vanish could only mean Bing'er had consumed another Nascent Soul Pill and was attempting the breakthrough a second time.

“Crack!”

Suddenly, a dazzling bolt of dark lightning tore through the sky from within the black clouds. Heavenly fire and earthly lightning descended fiercely upon the cave dwelling on the main peak. This dark lightning spanned hundreds of zhang long; it possessed enough power to instantly flatten a small mountain peak.

“Swish, swish…”!

The defensive Flying Sword Grand Array on the main peak instantly activated. Nearly a hundred high-tier flying swords coalesced into a dense, shimmering rainbow, shooting upwards to intercept the heavenly thunder.

“Bing’er has finally broken through to the Nascent Soul stage!” Ye Qin murmured softly, a look of joy spreading across his face.

On another part of the island's mountain range, within a separate cave dwelling.

Bai Xiu’er was also forcefully pushing her inherent divine strength.

The Earth Clan strongmen cultivated not yuanqi, but the sinews and bones of their own physical bodies. As their flesh and bone grew stronger, their innate divine power became increasingly immense.

She had consumed a Talisman Sacred Pill refined using the material of the Son of Yin Lotus. Its fragrance was rich and sweet, wisps of heat rising continuously. Her expression was one of profound agony as the potent medicinal spiritual energy ceaselessly scoured her physical structure. An explosive surge of divine power flowed through every inch of her sinews and bones.

Her skin was nearly tearing apart inch by inch; even the tears streaming from her eyes were blood droplets. A faint, several-zhang-wide crimson gangqi radiated from her body, suffusing the area and enveloping her. This sphere of blood-hued gangqi was utterly tyrannical, forcing back the ambient spiritual energy of heaven and earth, allowing it no closer than a hair's breadth.

The transition from High-Tier Strongman to Sacred Strongman offered no established precedent to follow.

“Big Brother Ye… I will definitely become a Sacred Strongman. Then Xiu’er’s strength will finally catch up to yours!”

Bai Xiu’er was in such pain she was nearly fainting. She gritted her pearly teeth, holding onto only one singular obsession in her heart.

She had once been the young mistress of the Bai Clan on an island in the sea, a Mid-Tier Strongman blessed with extraordinary divine talent, proud and fierce. Later, meeting Ye Qin and following him to the Eastern Sea, she was deeply shaken by his steadfast resolve while crossing the vast ocean.

These years, she had never forgotten that scene. “Big Brother Ye, Xiu’er will certainly make it through this!”

The area around Linhai City was growing increasingly bustling, and cultivators active in the nearby sea zones were far more numerous than before.

However, those Ancestral Nascent Soul cultivators and late-stage Golden Core cultivators had mostly departed for the Blood Sea battlefield, rarely lingering in this region. Meanwhile, many low-level cultivators, those in the early Golden Core stage or Foundation Establishment stage, dared not venture into the Blood Sea. They could only busy themselves hunting mid-to-low-tier sea beasts near Linhai City, scrambling to earn spiritual stones for their cultivation.

For the past month, the sky above this nameless island had been roiling with dark clouds, flashing with thunder and lightning. If these were ordinary clouds, they would have long dispersed and would not have remained hovering over the island. This celestial anomaly drew the attention of many low-tier cultivators passing by on their flying swords.

“Look! Is that a tribulation cloud?”

“This cloud layer covers a radius of a hundred li. Judging by the appearance, it must be the cloud for a Great Heavenly Tribulation. There must be a ninth-level Golden Core cultivator preparing for the Great Heavenly Tribulation on the island!”

“If a Golden Core cultivator successfully forms a soul and becomes a newly ascended Nascent Soul Ancestor, if we go to offer congratulations, perhaps we can receive a nice little reward! When the Ancestor is pleased, they might bestow some valuable treasures upon us!”

“Fellow Daoists, let’s go over and take a look!”

These passing low-tier cultivators, surprised by the abnormality surrounding the island, discussed amongst themselves and headed towards the nameless island in small groups of three or five, riding their swords.

However, before they could approach the island, a small squadron of Golden Core cultivators clad in shining golden armor flew out from the island and blocked the path of the lower-ranked cultivators.

“The Heavenly Dao Alliance is conducting official business here. This island is now a restricted zone. All you fellow Daoists must leave immediately and do not approach within a hundred li!”

The leader of the small squadron, holding a golden sword, shouted coldly at the assembled cultivators.

“The Enforcement Team of the Heavenly Dao Alliance!?”

Upon seeing the golden-armored cultivators of this squadron, the low-tier cultivators immediately halted, exchanging glances filled with hesitation and apprehension.

The insignia on the armor of this small team was unmistakable: it belonged to the Enforcement Team of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, directly managed by the Alliance’s Elder Council. Any cultivator participating in the Golden Core Demon Slaying Ranking frequently interacted with the Elder Council and had seen these enforcement teams before.

One simply could not afford to offend the Elder Council of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

Although these Elders rarely appeared in public, the authority of the Elder Council was no less than that of any Heavenly Dao Alliance Sect Master or Demon Alliance Titan. If one offended a specific Sect Master, they could flee to the territory of another Sect Master or Titan and not worry about being pursued across jurisdictions. But offending someone from the Elder Council incurred far graver consequences. The Elders were tightly bound; offending one was equivalent to offending the entire council. The Elder Council possessed the authority to enforce laws across domains; there was nowhere to hide.

“With the Enforcement Team here, there must be an Elder presiding over this place!”

“I wonder whose descendant is undergoing tribulation here!”

Seeing the Heavenly Dao Alliance Elder Council Enforcement Team securing the area, the low-tier cultivators paused, not daring to press closer to the island, whispering and guessing amongst themselves. Nevertheless, they refused to leave, hoping that the cultivator undergoing tribulation on the island would succeed, which might grant them some viewing benefits. Furthermore, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator undergoing a Great Heavenly Tribulation was a rare sight in the Eastern Sea, occurring infrequently even annually. Especially for low-tier cultivators in the early Golden Core or Foundation Establishment stages, watching others undergo tribulation, even if they received no reward, was certainly beneficial—how could they bear to depart?

The captain of the Enforcement Team, seeing that the onlookers were keeping their distance from the island, finally relaxed. He glanced back towards the island, feeling equally perplexed.

He had originally been on assignment in Linhai City when he was temporarily seconded by a young Heavenly Dao Alliance Elder six months ago for this escort mission. These past few months had been spent intercepting numerous passing cultivators. He wondered how much longer this task would last before it was deemed complete.

“Forming Nascent Soul… the lightning is striking!”

“Look! The heavenly thunder is coming down!”

The cultivators watching from the sea, a hundred li away from the island, suddenly shouted in excitement.

At some unknown point, the situation on the island changed drastically; wind and thunder clashed, forming a massive vortex surrounding the island.

“Crack!”

A thick bolt of silver lightning, spanning a hundred zhang, instantaneously illuminated the pitch-black sky for tens of li, carrying streaks of heavenly fire and smashing down towards the main peak. It met head-on the sword array that had soared up from the peak.

“Boom!”

Thunderbolts danced wildly, flying swords crisscrossed in the sky, sword rainbows and radiant light filled the air, punctuated by the clash of lightning and metal, deafening the ears.

The low-tier cultivators were all shaken into retreating, filled with dread. Standing a hundred li away, they were still being jostled back by the power of the heavenly thunder; they could only imagine the strength required by the cultivator undergoing the tribulation to withstand it.

This Great Heavenly Tribulation for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage was indeed terrifyingly potent.

There were a total of nine devastatingly powerful bolts of heavenly thunder. Each one was significantly stronger than a minor divine ability-level lightning technique; even established Nascent Soul cultivators would struggle to endure them head-on. One had to rely on various grand formations, sword arrays, and a multitude of high-tier magic artifacts to wear down the power of the heavenly thunder, weakening it to a sufficiently low level.

Surviving the Great Heavenly Tribulation relied not only on the cultivator’s own power but was also an incredibly costly endeavor. Without the financial means to procure artifacts to defend against the tribulation, attempting it was pure suicide.

Nearly every late-stage Golden Core cultivator attempting the Great Heavenly Tribulation would face near bankruptcy, often needing to borrow heavily from clansmen, friends, or fellow disciples to purchase top-tier tribulation-aiding artifacts. If successful, they would instantly ascend to the rank of Nascent Soul Ancestor, making repayment trivial. If they failed, the outcome needed no explanation: at worst, death; at best, devastating loss, leaving them in a tragic state with no means to recover.

The observing cultivators were acutely aware of these realities.

On the island, these nine heaven-and-earth-shattering bolts of great heavenly thunder struck quickly and passed quickly, having nearly sheared off more than half of the main peak.

However, the might and momentum of the nine bolts of heavenly thunder weakened with each successive strike, while the soaring flying swords grew progressively stronger.

Fire-attribute flying swords and Ice Soul flying swords intercepted the final heavenly bolt.

The inky black clouds dispersed, finally allowing sunlight to pour down.

The sea returned to calm; it seemed as if nothing had occurred.

Inside the cave dwelling, however, an exceptionally powerful spiritual pressure aura subtly enveloped the surrounding hundred li. The low-tier cultivators observing from outside the island felt a chill of fear, keeping their distance and gazing from afar, daring not to approach.

Ye Qin felt this powerful spiritual pressure and let out a long sigh of relief. He immediately summoned his flying sword, soared to the main peak’s cave dwelling, and landed swiftly.

Huangfu Bing’er emerged gracefully from the cave dwelling, clad in a snow-white tunic, manipulating her now damaged Ice-Fire Twin Swords. There were some streaks of crimson blood and dust on her attire, but her eyes shimmered with brilliance, and her aura had ascended. She was utterly different from the Golden Core cultivator she had been months prior, radiating the powerful spiritual pressure unique to Nascent Soul cultivators.

“Bing’er, how are you?”

Ye Qin hurried forward, grasping Bing’er’s slightly icy jade-like hand. He looked at her somewhat pale face and asked with slight tension.

“Husband, it’s alright… I’ve just formed my Nascent Soul. I blocked several great heavenly thunders, which forced me to cough up a few mouthfuls of vital blood and damaged my essence, leaving me a bit weak. A few days of rest will see me recover. However, several guardian arrays that cost a fortune to set up, and hundreds of high-tier magic artifacts, were all destroyed by the heavenly thunder. Even the Ice-Fire Twin Swords sustained severe damage—what a pity!” Huangfu Bing’er shook her head with regret.

“As long as you are safe, the loss of wealth is inconsequential. We can re-refine the Ice-Fire Twin Swords later,” Ye Qin said, feeling deeply relieved.

“Right, Husband, what about Xiu’er? Has she emerged from seclusion?” Huangfu Bing’er glanced around Ye Qin, not seeing Bai Xiu’er.

“She is still in seclusion; she hasn’t come out yet! I don’t know how long Xiu’er needs to spend breaking through to the Sacred Strongman stage. These last few days, every time I probe Xiu’er’s seclusion cave dwelling with my divine sense, I am repelled by a surge of divine-force-infused blood gangqi. I can’t discern the slightest detail inside. However, this blood qi is so vibrant and full of life, she must be fine and still striving for her breakthrough. This breakthrough relies entirely on herself; I have no way to assist. We must wait a little longer… she should emerge within ten days to half a month,” Ye Qin said, shaking his head.

A worried expression settled on Huangfu Bing’er’s face.

She and Ye Qin knew almost nothing about how an Earth Clan strongman executed their breakthrough, hoping only that no accident would occur.

“Wait a moment!”

Huangfu Bing’er suddenly frowned slightly, her expression shifting. She directed her divine sense toward the cave dwelling on the peak where Xiu’er was secluded, probing her condition.

Her divine sense had undergone special cultivation and was already several times stronger than Ye Qin’s. Now that she was a Nascent Soul cultivator, her divine sense had increased dramatically, making it several tens of times stronger than Ye Qin’s.

Upon this probe, Huangfu Bing’er was quite astonished. Her divine sense pierced through the obstruction of the blood gangqi and revealed the scene inside. She saw a faint, petite female silhouette whose body was generating an ethereal, bloody divine light, exceptionally dazzling and beautiful. This bloody divine light spun rapidly, cleansing her flesh and sinews.

Although Huangfu Bing’er could see the situation clearly, she didn’t quite understand what was happening.

Cultivators cultivated the primordial spirit; when the spirit was strong enough, it could even leave the body and exist independently, soaring through heaven and earth, but the physical body’s vitality (xueqi) wasn't necessarily as potent. Earth Clan strongmen cultivated their bodies; vitality was extremely important, and strong vitality was certainly a good sign.

Suddenly, this bloody divine light ceased its aimless wandering and began to retract into the tendons and muscles. The surrounding diffuse bloody mist adhered to Xiu’er’s body, rapidly seeping inward. The fissures on her skin swiftly closed without leaving even a trace. Her snow-white skin gained a hint of rosy luster, and the entire cave dwelling filled with a fresh, light fragrance.

Bai Xiu’er opened her eyes, examining herself with surprise. There was virtually no external change, only the feeling that her divine power had surged manifold. She picked up the heavy, ancient cyan halberd beside her, finding it almost weightless. Her divine power had increased by at least nearly tenfold. “Ah, Big Brother Ye is still waiting outside… I wonder how long he’s waited. Has Sister Bing’er finished her seclusion?” She suddenly remembered these things and hastily hurried out of the cave dwelling.

“It’s done just like that? Without any tribulation?”

“She became a Sacred Strongman?”

Outside the cave dwelling, Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er stood by the entrance, both looking at the emerging Bai Xiu’er with astonishment.

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