After going through a series of events, life finally returned to peace.
For Li Xuanxiao, a happy, ordinary, and fulfilling cultivation life was already enough.
Three months later, Li Xuanxiao decided to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
He had already suppressed his cultivation twice before.
Once, then twice—there won’t be a third.
The first time was when he swallowed the two poison pills from Di Nü Feng and Liu Qiushui.
Then, he consumed a lot of great supplements at Di Nü Feng’s place.
And now, he had taken the Heaven Mending Pill Fan Yue had carefully prepared for Lin Wanqing.
With all that nourishment, there was no way Li Xuanxiao could stop himself from breaking through.
Before leaving, he gave Little Junior Sister a few reminders.
“Senior Brother, you’re finally going to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator?”
To Zhao Lu and the other disciples in the sect, Li Xuanxiao had always been at the peak of the Qi Refining Stage.
“Senior Brother, I can guard you while you undergo tribulation!”
Li Xuanxiao rejected her without hesitation, “Your task right now is to focus on your cultivation. Try to reach Qi Refining Stage level seven this year. While I’m in seclusion, don’t cause trouble, don’t leave Mount Shushan, and absolutely don’t bring strangers back to Mount Shushan—especially men.....”
“Got it, Senior Brother.” Zhao Lu blinked.
Senior Brother’s worried other men might steal me away~
After giving Little Junior Sister his instructions, Li Xuanxiao went to see Second Senior Brother.
Silver Sword Peak still didn’t have a Peak Master.
First Senior Brother had left the sect and was still missing.
So for now, Second Senior Brother was managing things on Silver Sword Peak.
“Here’s a joke—I used to believe in love.”
Second Senior Brother was drinking alone, dead drunk in his room.
Seeing him , Li Xuanxiao silently backed out and asked Little Junior Sister Zhao Lu to tell Second Senior Brother when she had time that he had gone down the mountain to undergo tribulation.
Second Senior Brother had broken up again.
It was nothing new—it would pass in time.
In Li Xuanxiao’s eyes, Second Senior Brother was the least dangerous.
Because he fell in love quickly—and moved on just as fast.
New flames and old lovers always existed side by side.
It was said that wherever he went, within fifty miles, there would definitely be an ex-girlfriend.
And yet, he always claimed he was all about “pure love.”
“Return, oh soul! Return, oh soul!!”
Di Nü Feng was once again summoning Fan Yue.
Reciting your true name beneath the nine heavens.
Di Nü Feng had already sensed that Fan Yue was dead, but didn’t know how it had happened.
Could Fan Yue reincarnate a fourth time?
This deeply worried Di Nü Feng—better to eliminate him now than let her true body live in constant anxiety.
“Come back soon, my Lord. We will continue to follow you......”
It was as if Di Nü Feng was devoutly conversing with Fan Yue across the endless river of time.
Fan Yue didn’t reply—he was just desperately running away.
How about you put down that soul-erasing artifact first?
Fan Yue severed his connection with Di Nü Feng.
Di Nü Feng let out a soft sigh, “Honestly, remnants of a bygone era, still so stubborn and unrepentant....”
Fan Yue began to recondense his soul.
Like a wandering ghost drifting through the world.
His true soul was no longer allowed to reincarnate.
Losing all his memories in his third life was the clearest proof of that.
And by the fourth time, he could only reappear in the world in the form of a soul.
His cultivation was completely exhausted.
Dmn it! Who the hll set me up?
Fan Yue couldn’t figure it out—who was the one scheming against him?
In his third reincarnation, he was so close to success.
But at the final moment, someone had pulled the strings.
Even looking back, Fan Yue couldn’t make sense of who had delivered the fatal blow from the shadows.
A soul couldn’t linger in the mortal world for long—the Great Dao itself was rejecting him.
He had to find a usable body—but where was he going to find one at a time ?
Li Xuanxiao left Mount Shushan, escaping through the terrain.
He didn’t go straight to his tribulation site, instead circling around to make sure no one was following him.
Only then did he dive into the mountains, heading straight for the tribulation site he had prepared in advance.
Inside a massive underground cavern, the first level appeared to be a regular cave dwelling.
Various spiritual pills and medicines were placed around the area.
Of course, if you tried to touch any of them, you’d be in for some serious bad luck.
Because they were all rigged with mechanisms. For instance, that seemingly harmless Marrow Cleansing Pill would explode upon contact, releasing a thick poisonous mist.
Or that spirit stone, which was actually linked to Mohist Mechanism Techniques.
Even the slightest touch would fire off poison needles.......
Li Xuanxiao descended to the second level of the underground cavern.
There, sat someone who looked exactly like him.
It was a paper figure created by Li Xuanxiao.
The material came from a treasured calligraphy scroll nurtured by a great scholar of the Confucian path, infused with natural laws.
But he only had one sheet . Still, Li Xuanxiao had many similar treasures.
Some were obtained during his travels with the old man, others were collected over the years on his own.
That was Li Xuanxiao’s actual tribulation site.
Beyond that, there were formations above the chamber.
First, formations to block others’ spiritual senses.
Next, a grand formation specifically designed to annihilate souls.
This was to prevent anyone from taking over his body during the moment of weakness while undergoing tribulation.
Then, then again.......
Spiritual energy within the body condenses into a Golden Core, and the core’s quality determines a cultivator’s future potential.
If anything goes wrong with the Golden Core, at best, you suffer serious injury and fall in cultivation level, never able to progress again. At worst, you lose all cultivation and your life is in danger.
Golden Cores are ranked from fifth-grade to first-grade.
Among them, forming a first-grade Golden Core was the best outcome.
Forming a first-grade Golden Core required more materials and was much more difficult.
Originally, Li Xuanxiao had only planned to form a second-grade Golden Core.
He had saved up materials for a long time.
But ever since he obtained the treasures Fan Yue left behind, Li Xuanxiao changed his mind.
A first-grade Golden Core might just be worth a try.
Now for a little tribulation class—everyone, take notes.
Those who’ve undergone tribulation know:
The timing is crucial. It can’t be your birthday, nor your parents’ birthdays.
Avoid the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, and definitely avoid the birthdays of various immortals.
Once those are avoided, cast a divination.
Rest, harm, life, death, fear, scenery, obstruction—whichever direction the life gate appears in, that’s the direction and time you use for tribulation.
The power of lightning in heavenly tribulation cannot be underestimated.
However, what’s even more troublesome is the inner demon.
Under the interference of the inner demon, cultivators fall into their deepest fears and vulnerabilities.
Quite a few high-level cultivators, when undergoing tribulation, were affected by inner demons.
They kept seeing past failures flash before their eyes, disturbing their minds during tribulation, and ultimately failing to succeed.
Mental state is everything—only by staying calm and composed can one remain steady amidst raging thunder and rampant inner demons.
The thunderclouds rose.
Li Xuanxiao lifted his head firmly.