Chapter 45: Someone Else's Tribulation

Brushing against his ear inadvertently, Zora looked at him and suddenly asked, "Have you grown taller?"

"It seems so."

"Growth should stop once you reach the threshold of the Foundation Establishment stage, right?"

"Yes, but once your cultivation reaches a certain level, you can freely adjust the apparent age of your appearance."

Previously, she reached up to his chin; now, she was just below it, near his neck.

They walked aimlessly for a while.

The weather in Huaichuan was clear, with a boundless blue sky. But in the next instant, every cultivator within a five-hundred-mile radius looked toward a single point.

In the eyes of the surrounding mortals, it was just a patch of dark rain clouds. Those further away saw nothing at all, only the clear sky above their own heads.

Zora gazed across hundreds of miles at those heavy, ominous black clouds—thick, rolling masses of ink surging constantly. Faint flashes of purple lightning flickered within, radiating a bizarre and singular aura.

Zora and Vane possessed exceptional looks and temperaments, so passersby couldn't help but steal glances. Seeing the two staring at one spot, others followed their gaze.

They saw only an ordinary, cloudless blue sky. There was nothing there.

Zora: "What is that?"

Vane: "Tribulation Lightning."

The realms of cultivation are divided into seven layers: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Integration, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Great Achievement, and Tribulation Transcendence. Each realm is further divided into four stages. The higher the cultivation, the more difficult it becomes. Most people cannot advance beyond Foundation Establishment, with a lifespan generally around three hundred years.

Those who rise above Foundation Establishment are the true chosen ones of the cultivation world.

The only events capable of summoning Heavenly Lightning are the formation of a Core or Ascension. This is an act of defying the Heavenly Dao—walking against the heavens. The Heavenly Dao naturally sends down lightning punishment. If a cultivator survives, it is equivalent to a criminal defeating the imperial court; from then on, they are lawless and free to roam at will.

The purple lightning was somewhat dim, coiling around the dark clouds and lurking patiently for a long time. Vane watched for a moment and said, "It’s a Core Formation."

Usually, Core Formation is done with full preparation on an auspicious day, guarded by trusted allies in a sparsely populated area. This person, however, was clearly out of time; unable to contain the overflowing spiritual power, they were forced to form their core in a hurry.

Vane: "Many cultivators will be rushing there."

If the tribulation is successful, the Golden Core will be unstable and require consolidation. If the tribulation fails, the person will likely be in a weakened state—the perfect time to seize treasures. In a territory governed by no one, where chaotic sects and rogue cultivators thrive, undergoing a tribulation here was like falling into a pack of wolves. It was extremely dangerous.

Zora was quite interested: "Let's go take a look."

Vane smiled: "Yes."

To the east of Huaichuan, near the entrance of the Huaichuan River, there were many low-lying plains and sandbar islands scattered in the water. Under the gloom of the dense clouds, the calm water churned and surged. Occasionally illuminated by lightning, the purple light shimmered, and thunder echoed through the heavens, striking fear into the heart.

"Who is undergoing a tribulation?"

A cultivator from a minor sect coming from the west asked his companion.

"Who knows? It’s not from any major sect, given there’s no one guarding them. Our cultivation might be low, but if our luck is good, we might pick up a magical tool or two."

"True. When immortals fight, we benefit. They eat the meat, and we drink the soup. Hahahaha!"

Similar conversations rang out everywhere. With the lightning as the center, countless figures rushed toward it, forming a wave-like trend. Mortals living nearby kept their doors tightly shut, trembling without knowing what was happening.

Some cultivators placed temporary defensive arrays in front of mortal houses in passing, to prevent them from being accidentally injured by the lightning or the fighting.

Zora and the two were also approaching. Though they were in the Foundation Establishment stage, they stood out as elites compared to the other rushing cultivators—a testament to the extraordinariness of major sects and the rarity of cultivation talent.

Unable to fly in the sky for fear of ambush, Zora flew on her sword close to the ground, flashing past like a streak of light. She was moving too fast for the naked eye to see, her sharp sword-wind kicking up a trail of leaves on the ground.

Vane traveled with her, trailing a few inches behind. The tip of his spear remained parallel to the middle of her sword blade rather than the tip, so it could be said he was following her closely.

A few hundred meters away from the lightning, Zora stopped. She jumped off her sword and stood on a stone by the river. River Snow stood upright in mid-air, glowing with spiritual light, before sliding into its scabbard with a

shink

.

Not far from Zora’s feet, a corpse floated by the shore, its clothing caught on a branch, preventing the current from washing it away.

Some had come here to scavenge, while others ignored the person undergoing the tribulation entirely, choosing instead to ambush arriving cultivators. Several groups were already clashing, weapons meeting in constant struggle.

The cultivation world is truly fun,

Zora thought, looking at the woods where sounds were constantly emerging. Everything here was different from the Arena. Compared to simple one-on-one matches, the vast cultivation world was clearly more interesting; there was more room to operate, one could even run away, and losing didn't necessarily mean death.

Vane was about to walk over when he suddenly turned sideways, his dark eyes staring coldly behind a tree. His long spear appeared out of nowhere; the youth gripped it and swung at the air, snapping a tree a hundred meters away in half. The cultivator hiding behind the tree saw this and immediately fled.

Zora picked up a twig from the ground and poked the bloated corpse.

"Seems there's nothing left."

Vane crossed his arms, the spear handle resting in the crook of his arm. He observed the corpse like an object, evaluating it for a moment: "It’s likely been searched and stripped. There’s no value; the corpse is just an ordinary one. The flesh and bone are useless."

As he spoke, several more corpses and severed limbs drifted down from upstream. One person was reduced to just a head, spinning as it drifted down.

As it passed Zora, she reached out to poke it, but Vane immediately pressed down on the back of her hand. He frowned: "It looks like a trap. The cross-section of the neck looks like it was hollowed out."

Zora acknowledged indifferently: "Mhm."

The lightning drew near, and the crowd thinned out. A figure stood in mid-air—presumably the one undergoing the tribulation. The black clouds pressed down heavily, and the massive roar of purple lightning made the heart tremble. That tiny silhouette looked so small, yet so staggering.

Watching the scene, Zora felt her eyes were very comfortable: "It’s beautiful."

Vane agreed: "Indeed it is."

"Even better than the Lantern Festival in Ning'an County."

"Yes."

Zora sat down on the spot, resting on a stone, but her hand was still being held by Vane. She gave him a tug.

Feeling the pull on his arm, Vane turned his head and looked down. The girl’s other elbow rested on her knee, her chin propped in her hand as she stared at the purple lightning without looking at him: "Is there anything to eat?"

Vane blinked: "Yes."

He glanced silently at their joined hands. He was lightly holding her hand, having forgotten to let go earlier. She was truly very cold, yet very soft. Vane pursed his lips and, as if just realizing, let go abruptly. His eyes flickered elsewhere before turning back, and in the next moment, he looked down at the stone beneath her feet.

Zora still didn't look at him, seemingly noticing nothing; once her hand was free, she used it to prop up her face as well.

Supporting her face with both hands, the girl's eyes shimmered slightly, making her expressionless face even more striking. She looked like a guest watching a shadow puppet play, waiting with a touch of anticipation.

Vane took out several cakes. He paused, then took out a set of table and chairs, placing them abruptly on the grass by the river. The cakes were arranged neatly on the table, and he even brought out the honeyed water she liked to drink.

He acted exactly like a grand steward. Zora stood up, sat in the chair, and took a piece of cake to eat.

Zora: "Failing a tribulation results in severe injury at best and being reduced to ashes at worst. I’ve never seen someone seriously injured or killed by lightning."

"Perhaps you will see it this time."

"And if the tribulation is successful?"

"A faint golden glow, and auspicious clouds will gather."

Zora thought about it: "That would be fine too. I haven't seen that either."

Neither outcome would be a loss.

The two chatted while looking at the site of the tribulation as if they were sightseeing. During this, Vane flicked his spear to cut the branch holding the corpse; the body drifted downstream and vanished, and the smell was gone too.

The stage of waiting for someone else's tribulation was the most tedious. Zora went off to defeat a few people attempting an ambush, scavenged their treasures and spirit stones, and sat back down.

Someone nearby recognized the person undergoing the tribulation and cried out, "That looks like the Island Master of Liu-Li Island..."

Among the chaotic sects, there were some powerful ones, and Liu-Li Island was one of them. Liu-Li Island was founded hundreds of years ago by Wang Ling. The greatest rule of the island was that there were no rules. If a disciple did evil, the Island Master might punish them, or she might praise them greatly. Everything depended on her mood; the sect had almost landed on the "Demon Cult" blacklist of the cultivation world.

Mhm... Wang Ling. She seems to be the fiancé of the male lead who suddenly pops up midway through the original story,

Zora thought. Her role was likely to add another wave of drama to the main leads' relationship.

The tribulation began. Thunder roared, and bolt after bolt of lightning punishment descended.

Zora rubbed her ears and said, "Why is it so noisy?"

The sound of lightning didn't even spare the eardrums of cultivators. It was deafening. After a while, cultivators with low cultivation who failed to escape in time had blood flowing from their ears.

Thinking she couldn't bear it, Vane used his hands to cover her ears. But Zora happened to raise her hand at that moment, so the youth's palm once again covered the back of her hand.

Vane paused, then immediately lowered his long lashes and withdrew his hand: "Apologies."

"Do you really like... holding hands?" Zora asked in confusion.

Of course he didn't—one could even say he hated it. Yet Vane remained silent, neither admitting it nor being able to absolutely deny it. He wanted to answer as he usually did, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out.

"You are very cold."

Instead, the youth brought up another topic, sounding very stiff.

Zora didn't notice the awkward transition at all: "Mhm, because of a cold constitution."

Vane sat down as well, his back straight, as he poured her water and added more cakes. Passersby who happened to see them were struck with amazement.

Are they here for amusement?!

The head further down the river was picked up by someone and suddenly exploded, a flash of fire passing by. The clear water was dyed red. Zora poked at any corpse or severed limb she saw, whiling away the boredom of waiting.

Vane was more vigilant; he handled the trash in the vicinity so Zora didn't have to worry at all. She could just do her own thing, which was very leisurely and convenient.

The tribulation for entering the Golden Core stage was fast, ending after about fifteen minutes. A great golden light burst forth, purple energy enveloped the person, and auspicious clouds broke through the darkness as sunlight once again shone upon the earth.

Wang Ling’s spiritual platform was exceptionally clear. She stood in mid-air, scanning the surroundings.

Five spirit stones, ten spirit stones, over a hundred spirit stones... ninety thousand spirit stones... a hundred thousand spirit stones.

She looked at a certain spot and suddenly curved her lips into a smile. However, her Golden Core was not yet stable and desperately needed consolidation. The woman did not linger, flying away.

...

In the distance, the person who successfully transcended the tribulation vanished. Countless people seemed to chase after her, hoping to gain some benefit while the Golden Core cultivator was weak and had not consolidated.

Zora had finished watching the show and had settled down after dealing with a few more people who attempted an ambush. Beneath the table filled with delicious food, some other people's treasures and corpses were piled up. The girl had tossed them onto the ground beside the table quite casually; the red in the nearby river had not yet faded, making for a truly ghastly sight.

After Vane dealt with the onlookers, he walked toward her with easy steps. Zora was sitting in the chair, flipping through a book about swords, her brow furrowed as usual, appearing to very much dislike reading.

He tidied up the corpses and treasures she had discarded haphazardly. He put the useful ones into her storage bag and tossed the useless ones into the distant grass so they wouldn't block her sight or path.

Once tidied, Vane finally looked at the blood droplet splashed on her cheek.

That serious expression, the beautiful and cute face, the harmless round pupils—yet stained with bright red. It made him look again and again unconsciously, finding it much, much more beautiful than the scenes of him excitedly killing others and monsters.

The youth remained silent for a long time, standing in place without approaching. Only when Zora flipped to the next page did he take a step, standing by her side and saying with feigned nonchalance, "There is blood on your face. Since you are reading, can I help you wipe it?"

Zora didn't look up: "Mhm."

Only then did Vane take out a clean handkerchief. He sat beside her and reached out to wipe it gently, bit by bit. Through the handkerchief, he could feel the soft flesh of her cheek, which sank under his touch. There was very little blood, and it was wiped away quickly; the girl's face became perfectly clean.

She was still reading; nothing around her could disturb her.

Putting the handkerchief away, the youth rested one hand on the table and calmly shifted his gaze, looking at a point in the distance. Suddenly, he lowered his eyes to look at the tabletop, paused, then lifted his eyes to steal a glance at her.

The smell of blood pervaded the air, and the river gradually regained its clarity. Zora remained unmoved and unaware.

Vane watched for a long time before suddenly snapping back to his senses. He looked at Zora, who was entirely indifferent to his actions, and his knuckles tightened.

What am I doing?

This was far too dark, like a rat in a ditch, with no dignity at all.

He deliberately shifted his gaze and took out a book to flip through as well.

They stayed like this, minding their own business for a while, until Zora reached out to take a cake. The girl's fair hand appeared and disappeared in his peripheral vision.

When Vane paid attention, his gaze had already followed her hand back. Then, as a matter of course, he looked into her eyes and asked a question just to fill the silence: "Are we returning to the sect today?"

Zora was eating a cake. Hearing this, her chewing speed accelerated suddenly, her cheeks puffing before quickly returning to normal. She thought for a bit and said, "I don't know. I also accepted a mission to buy something. I'll go back after I finish that."

Vane watched the entire process, his expression exceptionally calm. He paused for a few heartbeats before saying: "...I see. I understand."