Zong Shou stood dumbfounded, allowing that sliver of consciousness to seize complete control of the Yang formation within the Yin-Yang Reversal Spiritual Energy Array.
“Could it be that that Sanren Xuan Shuang is actually shy?” After being resurrected, his nominal Master would indeed be completely bare.
If he were to continue manipulating the grand array, he would know every inch and every drop of True Person Xuan Shuang’s entire being with absolute clarity.
The bizarre thought flickered through Zong Shou’s mind, yet he was quite content with the arrangement.
Controlling this array covering eight hundred li had always been somewhat strenuous for him, a matter of pure exertion.
When he was fully focused before, he hadn't noticed, but now that someone else had taken over, a deep wave of exhaustion immediately washed over him.
Zong Shou forced himself to remain mentally present and took out another blue pill, swallowing it.
After a moment, his near-withered spiritual sense regained a small measure of strength.
But just as he felt a slight easing of tension, his expression drastically changed.
He saw countless dark clouds surging towards them from the sky above.
In an instant, they blanketed the entire firmament.
As lightning flickered, countless raindrops began to drift down lightly.
At first, Zong Shou paid them no mind, but when the droplets struck him, they pierced straight through the protective Gang Qi surrounding his body.
Striking his physical form, they caused flesh to dissipate and his soul to violently shake.
“This rain… it is a tribulation!” Zong Shou’s face instantly paled.
What was contained within those raindrops was clearly the power of reversed laws.
It acted directly upon the very root of the Great Dao, pushing against the foundation of his Daoist core.
Furthermore, every single drop carried the force to scourge and interrogate his spirit, but it wasn't induced by illusion; rather, it was an incomparably tyrannical force, forcibly shocking the depths of his soul, causing the flaws within his heart to manifest spontaneously.
This tribulation power was immeasurably stronger than the Crimson Flame Divine Tribulation.
A single volley of this rain forced Zong Shou into a state where he had to exert his utmost strength.
He was even unable to spare any thought for the remaining half of the array—the Yin formation of the Yin-Yang Reversal Spiritual Energy Array.
“They always say that the calamities of us cultivators are hidden within the heavens and the earth, within all things.
From the vast universe down to the smallest mote of dust, wind, thunder, water, fire, even every single plant—all can become a tribulation.
This saying is truly not deceiving—” This rain fell lightly, like fine threads, seemingly ready to scatter with a mere gust of wind.
But who could have imagined the immense power hidden within?
Each drop of rain was almost equivalent to a spiritual technique unleashed by a Divine-rank cultivator— Zong Shou subconsciously looked around.
He saw that Jing Yin’s brows were lightly furrowed, her expression showing slight pain, yet she was not, like him, having her very soul violently impacted and shaken by the tribulation power within the rain.
Lu Wubing was likewise situated.
He sat cross-legged in the rain, his expression not pleasant, but rather quite serene, seemingly able to weather it as well.
The other spirit beasts guarding him were all huddled together, trembling in the downpour.
However, they too appeared to be safe.
As for Han Xi, it remained completely unaware, while the Azure Fire Black Tortoise simply retracted its four stout limbs into its shell, utterly fearless.
“That’s right, the tribulation power in this rain must vary from person to person—stronger against the strong, weaker against the weak—” Someone like Jing Yin, with only shallow cultivation, naturally encountered only a negligible amount of tribulation power.
And Han Xi, being a naturally born anomaly born from the world’s malice, was one with Heaven and Earth; this tribulation power could not touch it.
Zong Shou first felt a sense of relief.
As long as his guards, Jing Yin, and Lu Wubing beside him were fine, he could settle his mind to deal with this sudden and inexplicable lightning tribulation.
Then, he suddenly felt that something was wrong, and Zong Shou was struck with a startling realization.
If that was the case, then— He turned his head towards the Yang formation eye opposite him.
If the tribulation power on his side was already this ferocious, what was the situation over there?
He saw a faint whirlwind rising from the opposite side, four hundred li away, and within a dozen breaths, it expanded to cover a thousand li.
More and more of the fine rain threads completely turned into a torrential downpour.
Caught up by the strong wind, they were hammered towards the center.
Through his mental connection, an understanding finally dawned on Zong Shou.
“So this disaster and calamity arrive because of True Person Xuan Shuang—” His heart sank deeper, plunging to the very bottom, freezing completely solid with a rattling sound.
The color instantly drained from his face.
“It is the tribulation of the Ultimate Realm!
Misery—” He understood in an instant that Lin Xuan Shuang had never truly perished from beginning to end.
She had hidden her residual soul thought within the roots of this realm, hiding from this tribulation rain, holding a standoff against it.
Thousands of years had passed until this rash young man—he—broke in, using the Xuan Ming Golden Scroll to attempt her ‘revival’— While he succeeded in allowing Lin Xuan Shuang to reconstruct her physical body, he had simultaneously triggered the tribulation power that had been latent and lingering in this place.
Zong Shou tasted bitterness in his mouth.
What was this called?
Cunning defeated by his own cleverness?
If he had known, he shouldn't have been so reckless to head towards the Nine Ultimate Death Prison.
“If this continues, I will die—” By interfering while this tribulation power was active, he had likely been listed by the Heavenly Tribulation as someone who must be purged.
If this deadlock continued, and if both individuals within the Yin and Yang eyes of the array could hold on, that would be fine.
But if either one failed to hold on, Lin Xuan Shuang’s residual soul could simply retreat back into hiding.
He, Zong Shou, however, would face utter annihilation of both body and soul!
Although he was confident he could still handle this tribulation power himself— During the battle in the Azure Spirit Realm, Zong Shou had increased the strength of his physical body by nearly ten times, utilizing the Crimson Flame Divine Tribulation and the power of Vows.
His physical resilience was considered monstrous even among Immortal-rank cultivators.
His greatest concern was for the person opposite him.
Lin Xuan Shuang over there hadn't even fully recovered her body and soul.
As if to confirm his thoughts, the few drops of Heaven-Seizing Returning Liquid visible before his eyes were instantly depleted.
Clearly, the support on that side was extremely difficult.
She needed to draw massive amounts of True Essence and vital energy to fight against this tribulation power.
“Damn it!” Zong Shou cursed aloud and launched the last two drops of Heaven-Seizing Returning Liquid as well.
His heart ached terribly; he had originally intended to save those two drops.
However, if he didn't use them now, he feared he would perish instantly right here.
But just these two drops were far from enough— As the thought formed, Zong Shou shattered every single Immortal Crystal in his pouch.
He poured the spiritual energy within wholly into the formation eye, and then stared blankly; after using these, what else did he have?
He recalled one more item, and with a gesture of his right hand, Zong Shou took out almost all of his Heavenly Origin Genesis Pills.
Without hesitation, he crushed them all into powder.
He let the grand array sweep them up and absorb them.
At the very same moment, a ray of light and shadow suddenly flew out from his sleeve and plunged itself into the eye of the Yin formation.
The sword body also began frantically drawing in the spiritual energy and sparse vitality of this realm, channeling it into the array.
Only then did he sense that the vital energy on the opposite side had recovered its strength again.
His spiritual sense extended, meeting the might of Heaven and Earth without yielding in the slightest.
.RQ