“Hahaha!” Mo Tianyu laughed, the harsh jarring sound echoing through the air.
“Qin Wuchen, you always carried yourself as though you were above worldly affairs, beyond desire itself.
Yet even you can’t escape the temptation of a divine sword.”
One of the cultivators chuckled mockingly.
“Perhaps he still thinks he is a prince.”
“Humph!
What prince?” Mo Tianyu snickered disdainfully.
“He is nothing but a surviving remnant of the fallen dynasty.
If not for the stroke of luck to have met his master, he would have died in obscurity long ago.”
Qin Wuchen’s expression remained tranquil as an undisturbed lake.
He met Mo Tianyu’s gaze without the slightest ripple of emotion.
“You mistake my purpose for desire,” Qin Wuchen said evenly.
“A divine sword is only a weapon.
Whether it’s coveted or discarded depends on who wields it.”
He continued, his slender hands gliding across the smooth surface of his sword, as though oblivious to the hostility surrounding him.
“I did not come for the sword…”
Silence descended upon the valley.
His simple words carried an inexplicable authority, compelling every cultivator to hold their breath in anticipation.
“…but it seems you intend to take someone’s life.”
Qin Wuchen slowly raised his eyes.
A cold glint flashed within them as his gaze locked onto Mo Tianyu.
Then his voice dropped, cold as winter steel.
“A life that belongs to me.”
Boom!
An overwhelming wave of sword intent erupted from his body, crashing onto Mo Tianyu and the cultivators behind him like a raging tide.
Feng Xianyue was stupefied by Qin Wuchen’s words.
Since when did her life belong to him?
Just because he had saved her once didn’t mean her life was now his.
In fact, she didn’t ask for his help.
Both then and now, he had appeared out of nowhere whenever she was in danger, pretending to be a heroic savior.
Countless thoughts ran through her mind as her gaze settled on the tall figure before her.
A sudden tightness gripped her chest.
What does he want from me?
To her, they were nothing more than strangers.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Xianyue tried to concentrate.
This was no time for idle contemplation.
Since Qin Wuchen insisted on playing the hero, she might as well make good use of the opportunity.
As her meridians expanded, her Nine Yin Physique surged awake like a sleeping beast, flooding every corner of her body.
It clawed relentlessly against the limits of her meridians, yearning for release.
Soon, Feng Xianyue began emitting a bone-piercing cold.
Frost formed beneath her, and the surrounding temperature plummeted.
A pale icy aura enveloped her, and the cultivators nearby shivered involuntarily.
For the first time, Feng Xianyue truly felt the boundless power hidden within her Nine Yin Physique.
Everything she had awakened before was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Beneath that thin layer slumbered an ancient, inexhaustible power—vast enough to freeze mountains and rivers, profound enough to silence heaven and earth.
It was beautiful…
yet terrifying.
“That’s…
the aura of the Nine Yin Physique!”
“So powerful!”
The surrounding cultivators cried out in alarm. New chapters come out on g.com first.
One after another, their eyes turned towards the glowing Feng Xianyue.
Only Qin Wuchen remained calm, merely narrowing his eyes as he silently observed the changes happening within her.
As the icy energy bloomed within her, Feng Xianyue’s mind suddenly became astonishingly clear.
Each breath became lighter than the last, as though she had entered a mysterious state of enlightenment.
Then…
Boom!
Dark clouds gathered from all directions, swallowing the heavens in an instant.
A deafening clap of thunder split the sky, shaking the earth beneath everyone’s feet.
Brilliant bolts of lightning danced through the clouds like furious celestial dragons as an overwhelming heavenly pressure descended upon the land.
“W…what?
A Heavenly Tribulation!”
The crowd gasped, their faces drained of color.
“Impossible!
She is only breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm!”
Never in their lives had they heard of someone attracting the heavenly tribulation by merely advancing to the Foundation Establishment realm.
Such tribulations were reserved for those stepping into the Golden Core realm.
For the heavens to notice and descend upon her now could only mean one thing…
Her talent had reached a monstrous level.
Even the Heavenly Dao had deemed her existence a threat, seeking to erase her before she could fully mature.
Feng Xianyue was startled by the lightning.
She had read of tribulations but never imagined she would face one so soon.
But because of the profound state she was in, there was no ripple in her heart.
The shock faded as fast as it came, and Feng Xianyue immediately moved to grab a bunch of protection talismans from her storage bag.
She activated them, hoping to lighten the burden of the tribulation.
Soon, the dark clouds condensed into a massive tribulation eye.
“Nine…
nine Heavenly lightning bolts!” Liu Yang muttered, staring at the monster his senior brother was protecting.
Three bolts of lightning was the normal for a Golden Core tribulation, and six for a genius.
But this…
it was incomprehensible—just like his senior brother’s tribulation.
Xiao Qingyun gulped, his gaze locked on Feng Xianyue.
“Only heaven-defying geniuses receive a ninefold heavenly tribulation.”
His voice was tinged with something that might have been respect.
Liu Yang snorted but didn’t argue.
For once, he had nothing to say.
As the first lightning descended, Feng Xianyue coughed out blood.
Her body trembled as though her organs were being ripped apart.
The crowd of cultivators widened their eyes in profound shock.
What was that lightning…
was it always this strong?
However, the Golden Core cultivators present knew better—this was no ordinary tribulation!
The lightning was silver-blue, carrying a trace of freezing yin-qi.
Every strike froze the ground before exploding.
Snowflakes fell from the black clouds despite the season.
It was like the tribulation was specially designed for the Nine Yin Physique…
a Nine Yin Heavenly Tribulation.
What was happening before them was a brutal and merciless massacre aimed at eradicating the target.
After the fourth bolt of lightning, Feng Xianyue could hardly sit up straight.
Her vision swam.
Blood filled her mouth, dripping from her lips.
The pain was maddening—it felt like being torn apart from the inside out, like every meridian in her body was screaming.
The healing pills she consumed were no longer effective, and she had run out of protection talismans.
She no longer had anything to defend against the vengeful lightning.
In a panic at her exposed self, Feng Xianyue’s breathing became labored.
With each breath, a piercing pain wracked her body.
Noticing the change, Qin Wuchen immediately strode towards Feng Xianyue.
Kneeling in front of her, he sent a stream of spiritual energy into her body.
“Calm down.
Don’t panic,” Qin Wuchen said, his voice calm amidst all the chaos.
Feng Xianyue inexplicably found herself holding his gaze, and an unfamiliar sense of relief washed over her.
“Steady your breath and regulate your energy.
That’s all you need to do,” Qin Wuchen finished, standing to face the fifth bolt of lightning.
Qin Wuchen flew into the sky, his sword colliding with the lightning before it reached Feng Xianyue.
Feng Xianyue felt a bit dazed, and her heart slightly tightened.
The feeling of being protected was truly different.
In her last life, no one had ever cared for or protected her.
Yet in this life, two people had protected her.
Though Qin Wuchen was suspicious, she still felt grateful.
Glancing at his dazzling figure as he fought the lightning in her place, a small smile pulled at her lips.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Xianyue immediately regulated her spiritual energy and at the same time circulated the medicinal properties of the pill through her meridians.
She spent a few minutes doing that, and just as Feng Xianyue was feeling better…
Someone among the crowd sent a sword attack at her.
Unconsciously, Feng Xianyue stood, grabbing the divine sword beside her.
Her hand closed around the divine sword’s hilt.
Instinct took over.
She swung—not with skill, not with technique, but with pure, untamed yin energy.
At the moment of impact, the sword attack that met hers exploded, destroying both attacks.
Mo Tianyu, who had attacked, was stunned.
His mouth hung agape.
How could a mere Foundation Establishment girl, who hadn’t even solidified her realm, be left unscratched by his attack?
Among the crowd of cultivators, it was inevitable that there were those who were unreconciled and still desired the sword.
The cultivators exchanged glances.
Greed warred with fear in their eyes.
Qin Wuchen was occupied with the tribulation.
The girl was vulnerable.
It was now or never.
The only variable was the presence of Qin Wuchen, who suddenly appeared beside Feng Xianyue after stopping the seventh lightning.
Her heart clenched.
He had faced three bolts of those monstrous lightning for her…
Though he appeared without injury, his breathing was slightly uneven.
And from the way his once-steady hands trembled almost imperceptibly, she knew he was not as unaffected as he pretended to be.
Her thought was further solidified by the gaze he sent her, and she knew…
They had to face the subsequent heavenly lightning together.
XOXO.