บท 13: Heavenly Tribulation?*

-----One and a half years later-----

Seated within a sparsely furnished room, surrounded only by the most essential items, I savored the taste of the Longjing tea that grandfather had personally brewed.

'A bit too strong for my taste, but quite delectable nevertheless.'

I thought to myself complimenting the brew, while my gaze avoided the figure before me, my mind engaged in crafting a suitable way to communicate the purpose of my visit today.

"Ahem, are you going to just continue sipping your tea or share the reason for your visit?" My visitor's voice cut through the air.

"Since when do I require a reason to visit my own grandfather?" I playfully exclaimed, pretending to wipe the corners of my eyes as if I had been wronged.

In response, Grandfather rubbed his forehead as a deep sigh escaped his lips. "Haa..." His deep sigh seemed to punctuate his exasperation. "You're growing shameless with each passing day."

"Well, I'm your grandson after all," I replied with a mocking grin, one that was all too familiar to Grandfather.

He rolled his eyes and pressed on, "So, what's this about?"

"I have a request," I responded, my expression growing serious.

"A request, huh... So, what is it?" His curiosity was piqued, as he knew about his grandchild's pride the best. Even if he was dying, Jianyu would not ask for someone else's help and that included his family as well, a fact that worried his mother greatly.

"I wish to join the sect alongside Feng'er." As these words left my mouth, the room suddenly grew tense as an ominous aura enveloped the space. Meeting Xin Dongyang's fiery crimson gaze, every instinct in me urged me to lower my eyes, but I held my ground.

"So you want me to break the sect's rules?" Xin Dongyang's smile concealed an underlying threat as if he was questioning whether I dared to challenge him.

"If it's within your power, then yes,"I replied, my composure wavering slightly as beads of sweat formed on my forehead and my eyes flickered nervously.

"Very well, I'll do it." Xin Dongyang said, a playful smile on his lips. It was as if the intimidating aura that had surrounded us just moments ago was now a mere illusion.

"You will?" The ease of his agreement caught me off guard, and his unpredictable mood swings continued to raise concerns within me.

"I was already planning to bend some rules for your entrance anyway. Adding one more won't hurt," he replied nonchalantly, a stark contrast to his usual strict adherence to the sect's rules. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his change in attitude.

"Hm?"

Seeing my puzzled expression, he elaborated, "Your spiritual roots must remain concealed, Yu'er. I've already discussed this with the sect master." Despite maintaining a smile, his demeanor had shifted to a more pronounced seriousness.

"Is that so?" I pondered, wondering about the reason behind the sect master's concern for my situation. However, not reaching a conclusion, I made a mental note to investigate this matter further later on.

"Yes. Anyway, when do you plan on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm?" His smile persisted, yet a subtle hint of secrecy lingered, suggesting that he was withholding something.

"I've just opened my eighth extraordinary meridian two days ago. I intend to prepare before advancing." My inner thoughts aligned with my response—I had condensed qi of incompatible affinities in my extraordinary meridians, making it essential to stabilize my cultivation base before attempting a breakthrough.

"Good choice, Yu'er." His hand affectionately patted my head, and I instinctively tried to dodge it. Alas, the world could be cruel, leaving even an ex-Ancient freak struggling to protect their dignity!

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Resting upon my bed in the hours that followed, I replayed the events of the day.

'His agreement came too easily.'

My grandfather was known for his unwavering loyalty to the sect. Unlike his peers among the grand elders, he remained steadfast in his commitment, never once swaying rules or granting exceptions. That fact alone made me realize that there was more to the situation than what met the eye.

'At least I've honored my promise to Feng'er.'

However, it's highly unlikely that her fate is currently intertwined with a heaven-blessed, at the very least not yet. Her life has been plagued by misfortunes from a young age, I must ensure no heaven-blessed takes advantage of her, that's the very least I can do as her fiance.

A sigh escaped me at the thought of the 'innocent' Feng'er being deceived, the very thought brought a bitter taste to my mouth, result of my guilt perhaps. not wanting to think about such matters anymore, I decided to meditate and turned my attention to my cultivation.

My eight extraordinary meridians are open, utilizing different elemental Qi. Grandfather wanted me to progress conventionally, but I'm determined to shape my foundation uniquely.

Normally, one's dantian and extraordinary meridians remain semi-independent of each other, and while fusing them is possible, it's often considered impractical as it could potentially lower one's qi capacity compared to those who follow the orthodox path and unlocked their eight extraordinary meridians. However, for me, fusing these eight meridians with my dantian will create an optimal structure to harness the five elemental qi.

That way, when my spiritual roots begin to merge, I won't fall victim to qi deviation.

Moreover, with the addition of the world essence jade, I'll be able to easily delve into the five-phase dao by the time I reach the immortal realm.

However, following an unorthodox path brought along many issues, as the heavens had a particular dislike for such acts.

'With an exceptional foundation, I must brace for an extraordinary heavenly tribulation.'

With this determination, I began outlining plans for the days ahead.

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The weather was somewhat overcast, with the sun intermittently emerging from behind the clouds only to be concealed again in the next moment.

With all preparations complete, a significant formation, spanning approximately 10 meters, had been meticulously arranged a short distance away from Jianyu's residence and garden. This formation was designed to provide him with the necessary elemental qi during his breakthrough.

In addition, a smaller formation measuring around five meters was present, featuring four pillars positioned in different directions. This formation was Jianyu's personal creation, a testament to his oh-so-great talent—the "Four Elements Harmonization Array."

This array was a less advanced version of its five-elemental counterpart. It functioned by utilizing fundamental elements to stabilize the qi and spatial boundaries in the surroundings, countering the overwhelming force of the tribulation lightning, while also helping the array master absorb qi.

Having cast a final approving look at his creation, the formation, he nodded inwardly. Then, he shifted his focus to his mother, positioned a bit farther away to ensure no interference during his breakthrough. The last thing she wanted was for the heavens to amplify the strength of the tribulation!

As cultivators ascend realms, they invoke a Heavenly Tribulation. Conquering the lightning of this tribulation propels them into the next realm—the Heavenly law of ascent is ingrained within all Heavenly Daos amidst the chaos. No interference is allowed; any such attempt would trigger the heavens' retaliation. Thus, to offer reassurance to his mother, Jianyu smiled, and she reciprocated the gesture.

Mentally bracing myself, I settled within the formation, surrounded by a rich abundance of elemental qi.

'Let's get this done,' I thought, drawing a deep breath and centering my attention on the qi within my dantian.

Clouds of qi converged, their spherical form somewhat imperfect. The bulk of it comprised water element qi, with the rest stored within my extraordinary meridians. Feeling prepared, I initiated the process of compressing and purifying the water qi within my dantian, refraining from absorbing more in this stage.

Dark thunderclouds gathered in the sky, heralding the imminent storm with lightning arcs and thunderous rumbles. With a resounding crack, a bolt of golden lightning cleaved through the heavens, striking me. Ignoring the impact as it was absorbed by the Four Elements Harmonization Array, I persisted in condensing my qi. Two more bolts followed, met with equal indifference.

After the third bolt, compressing the water qi became challenging. To progress, I needed to absorb additional qi. Instead of absorbing, I drew upon the earth qi stored in my extraordinary meridians. The qi coalesced within my dantian, melding with my meridians. Thunderclouds crackled once again as a fourth bolt of lightning, more potent than before, seared my self-crafted robe.

Three subsequent bolts matched my ongoing process of merging metal and earth elemental qi. With each successive bolt, the intensity grew, and my robe exhibited signs of wear. Shifting my focus to my wood element meridians, I readied myself for their fusion. Crimson lightning zigzagged the sky, and upon the culmination of the fusion, a crimson bolt struck, its intensity testing my defenses.

Finally, as wood integrated into the mix, crimson lightning amassed. I poised my sword, confronting the lightning head-on. Droplets of light materialized, forming a barrier against the lightning's onslaught. Though not entirely foolproof as my sword had begun to crumble and my hands were singed, revealing glimpses of bone, this strategy mitigated the tribulation's impact to a significant extent.

'Seems like a success,' I thought, relief washing over me.

After acknowledging the achievement, I settled into meditation to consolidate my cultivation. Upon examining my dantian, I beheld a core of metal enveloped in the earthen core, cocooned by water, and crowned with an algae-like layer.

The world within flowed akin to liquid while also maintaining a solid form at times.

An illusory world,' I marveled, a smile gracing my lips as I looked at my foundation,

'Well then, I shall call this world, Eidolon!'