Just as Li Yundong was deeply engrossed in his secluded cultivation, Ruan Hongling had just finished settling the souls of Deng Yu and Deng Jiao in the Tianyi Pool, located in the restricted area of Water Heaven Cave within the Linggong Sect.
Water Heaven Cave was the most serene and spiritually resonant place in the Linggong Sect. Within the expansive cavern, winding paths led to hidden recesses. The surrounding walls were smooth and even, clearly shaped by master craftsmen, and were adorned with statues of the founding ancestors of every lineage within the Linggong Sect, each figure distinct in posture, radiating solemn majesty.
Deep inside the cavern lay an artificially excavated pond. The pond was not large, perhaps only ten square meters, and was filled with deep, jade-green water, upon which floated a dozen or so lush green lotus leaves.
Ruan Hongling lightly tapped the surface of the emerald water before the pond. Immediately, two rose-pink flower buds bloomed etherealy before her. This pair of buds had one slightly larger on the left and one slightly larger on the right. Ruan Hongling shook her head, lightly touching the two buds. They rapidly burst open, forming two seed pods, and then swiftly withered and faded. The lotus seeds within dropped into the water, and after a short while, another pair of buds emerged, though this time the left one was slightly smaller, and the right one slightly larger.
Ruan Hongling repeated this process countless times until, after two days and one night, a pair of flower buds finally grew in the pool that were identical in color, shape, and appearance.
Upon seeing this, Ruan Hongling’s face lit up with joy. She lowered her head, unclasped a necklace pendant hanging from her chest, and with a gentle caress of the pendant in her right hand, produced two small orbs of light—one red, one blue.
Ruan Hongling spread her palms flat before the flower buds and blew gently. The red and blue orbs drifted down and settled upon the two buds, quickly merging into them.
The pair of flower buds trembled slightly but, unlike the previous flowers, did not wither rapidly. Instead, their stems bowed low, becoming perfectly still, with only a faint, spectral glow emanating from between the two buds—one red, one blue—a truly marvelous spectacle.
Having settled the souls of Deng Yu and Deng Jiao, Ruan Hongling finally felt a heavy weight lifted from her heart. Just as she was about to exhale in relief, she suddenly heard the loud, clamorous shouts of a woman coming from outside the cave: “Is there anyone alive in the Linggong Sect? If there is, quickly send someone out!”
Ruan Hongling’s heart flared with cold anger: Which heedless fool was so tired of living that they dared to be so presumptuous here!
She strode out immediately, rushing from the cavern and arriving before the main hall of the Daoist temple. There, she saw three young people clad in Daoist robes standing in the courtyard, looking around inquisitively.
The one on the left was short and stout, holding an iron pagoda, with an inch of black beard beneath his chin and an arrogant expression. The one on the right was a woman in a Daoist robe, gracefully slender, with a beautiful face, carrying a long sword on her back and holding a whisk in her hand. Her eyes darted everywhere, filled with unconcealed disdain and contempt.
The young man in the middle was handsome, with sharp, slanted eyebrows that seemed to fly up toward his temples. His hands were empty, save for a pair of jade pendant earrings and numerous jade rings adorning his fingers. The moment this man saw Ruan Hongling emerge, his eyes brightened. He stepped forward with a smile, performed a respectful bow, and said, “Immeasurable fortune and longevity. Are you by chance the Purple Garden True Person of the Linggong Sect?”
Ruan Hongling glanced at the three of them, quickly discerning that their cultivation levels were individually formidable, none seemingly below her own. Especially the young man in the middle, whose cultivation far surpassed hers, perhaps even comparable to Ziyuan’s.
Ruan Hongling glared at the woman who had spoken so rudely earlier, her face chilling as she demanded, “Who are you? What business brings you here?”
Before the young man could speak, the Daoist nun beside him quickly interjected, “Are you blind? This is the youngest son of the Master of the Zhengyi Sect, and his closed-door disciple, known as Jade Sun True Person Zhang Tianhe. What, you haven't even heard of him?”
Ruan Hongling was furious. Normally, she would have planted her hands on her hips and engaged in a shouting match, or even come to blows with this woman. But the person before her had an immense background—he was the youngest son and closed-door disciple of the Zhengyi Sect Master!
This was the future Master of the Zhengyi Sect! He could practically represent the entire Zhengyi Sect!
Although the Linggong Sect belonged under the Zhengyi Sect, centuries of development had established it as a distinct branch, not directly governed by the Zhengyi Sect. However, regardless, they were still a lineage under the Zhengyi banner, dependent on them to some degree. Seeing the son of their Master, Ruan Hongling unconsciously stiffened her posture.
She knew that the Linggong Sect had dwindled to its lowest ebb, and she could not allow these outsiders to look down upon them.
Ruan Hongling’s face became solemn. She returned a bow and said, “My senior sister is not present. What matter brings you here?”
From the time Zhang Tianhe began his cultivation, he had constantly heard tales of Ziyuan’s beauty and talent, stories that had become ingrained in his ears. Today, dispatched by his master to descend the mountain, he recalled Ziyuan when passing by the Linggong Sect and voluntarily suggested inviting her down the mountain to lend her strength in a coming conflict.
When he saw Ruan Hongling emerge, he assumed she was Ziyuan. While he was secretly marveling that Ziyuan’s beauty truly lived up to her reputation, he heard this stunning girl say she was not Ziyuan, but Ziyuan’s junior sister. He felt a sudden disappointment: “Ah, then you must be Ziyuan’s junior sister, True Person Ruan Hongling?”
Ruan Hongling replied coldly, “Precisely!”
Seeing her stern, frost-covered expression only enhanced her allure, which in turn heightened Zhang Tianhe’s anticipation for Ziyuan. If the junior sister was this beautiful, what must the senior sister be like?
Thinking this, the smile on Zhang Tianhe’s face became even more radiant. He stated, “We have specifically come to your esteemed sect to invite your sect’s experts to aid us in battle.”
Ruan Hongling was instantly startled: “Aid in battle? Aid in what battle!”
Before Zhang Tianhe could reply, the beautiful Daoist nun beside him boomed, “Junior Brother, why waste words with her? It looks like the Linggong Sect is overgrown with weeds, and cobwebs are forming on the statues. I assume their cultivation practices have been utterly neglected. Why bother inviting them? They won't be of any use in a fight; we’d just have to look after them, becoming a burden!”
The short, stout Daoist stroked his beard and nodded in agreement: “Indeed, indeed!”
Ruan Hongling had a fiery temperament, and even her considerable restraint snapped. She jumped up and cursed, “You cheap tart, spouting such nonsense! You don't need my senior sister to teach you a lesson—your granny here can handle you myself! If you don't believe me, let’s step out and fight one-on-one!”
The beautiful Daoist nun’s willow-leaf eyebrows shot up in anger. She sneered, “I’m hardly afraid of an insignificant nobody like you!” As she spoke, she reached for the sword on her back!
Zhang Tianhe quickly intervened: “No, no, we are all from the same righteous path; fighting is forbidden. If the Master found out, we couldn't bear the consequences!” He then turned to the Daoist nun and pleaded, “Senior Sister Zou Ping, do it for my sake, please?”
Zou Ping huffed, withdrawing her hand from the sword hilt. She coldly stated, “If you are truly capable, we shall see your true skills on the battlefield once we descend the mountain!”
Ruan Hongling angrily shot back, “We’ll go, what’s so great about it!”
Zhang Tianhe chuckled, “Excellent. With the experts from the Linggong Sect lending strength, our chances of victory have increased substantially.”
The stout Daoist snorted, “Junior Brother, you give too much credit to those demonic wretches. The encirclement of the Fox Zen Sect by the Six Great Sects is already a guaranteed victory. Adding us to the mix makes it a certainty. Why bother inviting others?”
Ruan Hongling overheard this clearly and was shocked. She gasped, “Encirclement of whom? The Fox Zen Sect?”
Zhang Tianhe smiled, “Precisely, that heretical sect, the Fox Zen Sect!”
Ruan Hongling instantly regretted her impulsive agreement. Her heart sank as she thought: Given Li Yundong’s relationship with Su Chan, he certainly would not stand idly by while the Fox Zen Sect was attacked. If he intervened, then given her senior sister’s connection to Li Yundong, she would undoubtedly face a difficult choice—who should she support?
As Ruan Hongling stood there, eyes glazed over in thought, she heard Zhang Tianhe urging her, “True Person Hongling, time is of the essence. Shall we depart now?”
Ruan Hongling snapped out of her reverie, murmuring disjointed sounds of agreement. Her heart screamed in distress, but having spoken too boldly, she could not back down. She braced herself and followed them.
The group flew to Tianlong Mountain near Dongwu City and found an uninhabited spot to land.
As soon as they settled, Ruan Hongling exclaimed in surprise, “The Fox Zen Sect is located here? This is so close to Dongwu City, where the influence of both Buddhist and Daoist sects is incredibly strong. How dare they establish roots here?”
Zhang Tianhe laughed, “This is where the Fox Zen Sect Master Liu Ye’s cunning lies. He calculated that everyone assumes their sect is hidden deep in the mountains and forests, so he took the opposite approach, hiding his lair right under our noses. This is called being conspicuous in plain sight.”
Ruan Hongling asked, still confused, “When did the Six Great Sects decide to join forces against the Fox Zen Sect?”
Zou Ping, standing nearby, sneered, “Why so many pointless questions!”
Ruan Hongling retorted angrily, “I think you’re the one asking too many pointless questions!”
Zhang Tianhe quickly played the peacemaker again. “We are all from the same school; stop arguing, stop arguing.” Then, he explained to Ruan Hongling, “It’s all because the Human Origin Golden Elixir was stolen by Ao Wushuang of the Fox Zen Sect. Relying on her immense power and powerful artifacts, that wicked woman ran rampant, finally provoking widespread outrage. Hmph, this time the Six Great Sects have united to uproot their lair; let’s see what she does then!”
Ruan Hongling muttered inwardly, The Human Origin Golden Elixir isn't in her possession... But the Six Great Sects always have hidden conflicts amongst themselves; why are they cooperating so fully this time?
While she was pondering this, two small cars soon pulled up by the roadside, taking them toward a hotel near Tianlong Mountain.
Upon checking into the hotel, Ruan Hongling realized the entire establishment had been booked out. All around them were cultivators rarely seen on ordinary days.
Ruan Hongling closely observed these cultivators, noticing that the majority were young people—the elite or rising stars of the younger generation in the cultivation world.
Although these cultivators were young, their numbers were considerable. Moreover, besides the Six Great Sects, there were cultivators from other minor sects who had flocked here, drawn by the excitement.
Ruan Hongling quickly assessed the strength of these cultivators and drew a sharp breath inwardly: Heavens, there were more than a dozen experts at the Sixth Heaven, Infant Transformation Realm, alone. Even if the older generations of the Six Great Sects were not participating, this lineup alone was enough to give the Fox Zen Sect a serious headache!
The destruction of the Fox Zen Sect was a minor issue, but if Su Chan were caught in the crossfire, Li Yundong might erupt. Even if he erupted, what if it implicated her senior sister’s cultivation? What then?
Thinking of this, Ruan Hongling could no longer sit still. Her eyes darted around, and she said to Zhang Tianhe, “Oh, right, why don’t I go invite my senior sister to join us? That would certainly increase our odds of victory.”
Zou Ping and the stout Daoist both snickered coldly but remained silent.
Zhang Tianhe, however, was delighted. He said, “That would be wonderful! I have long admired True Person Ziyuan. Tell me where she is; I will personally go invite her!”
Ruan Hongling was startled. How could she allow Zhang Tianhe to go along? She forced a dry laugh and said, “She is currently in deep seclusion cultivating. True Person Zhang, please wait here patiently; I will go.”
Zhang Tianhe smiled, “Very well, I will await the good news from you, True Person Hongling.”
Zou Ping interjected with a cold sneer, “I think you’re going to send a warning, aren't you?”
This remark made Ruan Hongling’s heart pound wildly. Unable to suppress her rage, she turned and glared at Zou Ping: “I have no enmity with you from a past life, nor any grievances in this one. Why are you deliberately opposing me? If you’re not convinced, let’s fight right here! Since all our esteemed peers are here, they can serve as witnesses!”
Zou Ping only sneered because she disliked seeing Ruan Hongling being close to Zhang Tianhe. Seeing the gazes of everyone around her shift toward her, and Zhang Tianhe subtly glaring at her, she merely scoffed, turned, and walked away.
Ruan Hongling decided to accept her small victory and, feigning continued anger, rushed out of the hotel.
The moment she left the hotel, her expression turned grave. Just as she was about to take flight, she suddenly heard a tremendous boom echo across the sky.
The sound of heavenly thunder is acutely sensitive to cultivators. The moment Ruan Hongling heard it, her spirit trembled, and she instinctively looked up.
In the distance, oppressive, black clouds were rapidly covering the sun and moon, and an extremely terrifying pressure swept toward them.
At this moment, all the cultivators inside the hotel moved in unison, rushing out, their expressions ranging from fearful to grave as they stared at the sky.
The beautiful Daoist nun, Zou Ping, was startled by the scene and cried out in shock, “Someone is undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation? Who is it? Have they gone mad? To undergo the Heavenly Tribulation in autumn!”
Zhang Tianhe was also visibly shaken. Having cultivated in seclusion in the mountains until now, this was his first descent, his first foray into the mortal realm, and his first time witnessing a Thunder Tribulation. A flash of terror and awe crossed his eyes. So this is the Heavenly Tribulation? Truly terrifying and awe-inspiring!
Seeing this sight, Ruan Hongling’s heart jolted. She suddenly recalled something and thought: Could it be Li Yundong’s Heavenly Tribulation has arrived?
With this thought, she dared not linger and turned to leave.
With the Tribulation imminent, Ruan Hongling dared not fly. She quickly found a vehicle and sped toward the nearest train station.