Qingwu, who was supposed to undergo over a hundred heavenly tribulations to complete the Thunder Tribulation in the Great Achievement stage, which would reinforce his inner dan and primordial spirit, had already reached the mid-stage of Great Achievement. But he was unafraid!
Soaring into the sky, he welcomed the heavenly tribulation that was his destiny!
The heavenly thunder vortex was immense, and just getting close to it seemed to be enough to be obliterated into ashes.
Under such circumstances, there was no need for anyone to protect him.
Because those of lower cultivation could not even approach the tribulation.
At that moment, Lady Sima Xin of Penglai Island, accompanied by her two sons, arrived at Poisonous Valley and saw the massive thundercloud from afar. It seemed to cover the entire sky above the Immortal World.
Sima Xin immediately told her sons to land nearby to avoid the collateral damage.
They descended on a mountain peak, listening to the thunder, their hearts racing with each beat.
"Mother, what is this..." her second son Yan Hu said, his eyes fixed on the scene. "The power of this Thunder Tribulation is so overwhelming, it must be a cultivator in the Great Achievement stage undergoing the tribulation!"
Her third son Yan Rui gazed enviously and murmured, "Great Achievement stage... I wonder if I can ever reach that level in my lifetime."
Sima Xin furrowed her brows, a bad premonition forming in her heart.
She said, "Fly low with the sword, we must immediately head to Poisonous Valley!"
"Mother," Yan Hu noticed her anxiety and curiously asked, "What’s wrong with you?"
"Who in the Immortal World is so close to the Great Achievement stage?" Sima Xin responded swiftly, "I’ve heard your father mention before that their cultivation was damaged during their battle with the Jifeng Celestial Sovereign. Qingwu’s cultivation dropped from the early Great Achievement stage to the later Deity Forming stage. If he wishes to reach Great Achievement again, he would need another hundred years of cultivation. If it’s truly him undergoing the Thunder Tribulation today, then it means something has happened to your father."
As she spoke, her voice caught in her throat.
The two brothers’ faces changed.
"What... how could this happen?!"
They didn’t believe it.
Their father was the strongest, the one they most respected. How could something have happened to him?
Sima Xin wiped her eyes, "We must go and find out what happened."
She hoped Yan Buxiu was safe and sound.
But if he truly passed his cultivation to Qingwu, she could not just let it go. The treasures of Penglai Island must not fall into Qingwu’s hands!
The three of them flew low, their sword techniques slow.
When they arrived at Poisonous Valley, they had to send a message to Elder Duxin, delaying their entry for quite some time. Only after a while did the passage into the valley open.
At this moment, over a hundred heavenly tribulations had already struck.
It seemed that the person was about to succeed in transcending the tribulation.
Sima Xin was secretly shocked, no longer daring to be careless.
If it truly was Qingwu, and if he was planning to seize Yan Buxiu’s belongings, could they three defeat him?
They should be able to, right? After all, Qingwu had just undergone the tribulation and would surely be weakened.
When they reached the center of the valley, Elder Duxin had been waiting for them for a long time.
Before anyone spoke, the last heavenly tribulation struck.
The thunderclouds slowly dissipated, and the sunlight that had been blocked for so long shone down once again.
Qingwu stood, enveloped in a golden light, his aura much stronger than before. He landed without a scratch, but instead of the joy of successfully passing the tribulation, his face was filled with sorrow, and he knelt before Sima Xin.
With a broken heart, he said, "Sister-in-law, I am useless, I couldn’t save Brother Yan!"
Although Sima Xin had already mentally prepared herself, hearing the tragic news still caused her to stagger, her vision blurring. She nearly fell to the ground.
Her two sons, too, could not hold back their sorrow and rushed to support her.
Sima Xin broke free from their hold, wobbling into the room.
There, she saw an elderly man lying quietly on the bed, not making a sound.
If she hadn’t been married to him for a thousand years, she might not have recognized him.
Sima Xin rushed to his side, collapsing by the bed, weeping.
"Buxiu! We promised to ascend together, why did you so cruelly leave me behind?!"
She reached out to grab Yan Buxiu’s hand, hoping to wake him up.
Yan Hu and Yan Rui wiped away their tears, equally heartbroken.
Their father had been their world. Now, the sky had fallen...
A cold glint passed through Qingwu’s eyes, but when he entered the room again, his expression had changed.
He choked out, "Sister-in-law, please be strong."
Sima Xin gently shook her head, lost in her grief.
Qingwu took out Yan Buxiu’s Qiankun Bag and said, "This is Brother Yan’s belongings. He asked me to make sure they are delivered into your hands."
Yan Hu and Yan Rui immediately looked over, their tears still clinging to their lashes. They were eager to see what was inside the Qiankun Bag.
Even though their father was dead, the brothers couldn’t take on the responsibility just yet. Everything still had to be decided by Sima Xin.
She took the Qiankun Bag.
She and Yan Buxiu had been united in mind and heart for a thousand years, so there were no secrets between them. She easily undid the seal on the Qiankun Bag and began to check the contents.
Though Yan Buxiu was dead, she could mourn all she wanted, but the treasures of Penglai Island could not be lost.
Penglai Island had stood for so many years, maintaining its high status in the Upper Realm thanks to these treasures.
However, after counting everything, her face stiffened. She raised her gaze and stared at Qingwu. "Elder, why are there so many things missing from the Qiankun Bag? Not only the Primordial Lotus Seed, but even the Crimson Nine Lands is gone."
As for the Qiankun Bagua Vajra Umbrella, that was of no concern to her.
Upon hearing this, Yan Hu suddenly jumped up. "What?! The Crimson Nine Lands is missing?! Could it be in the treasure vault of Penglai Island?"
They had agreed that when he returned from his trials, they would use the Crimson Nine Lands.
How could it be missing now?!
The three of them immediately fixed their gaze on Qingwu, their eyes filled with suspicion and hostility.
After all, when Yan Buxiu died, Qingwu had been by his side. It was possible he had taken the items for himself.
Qingwu remained calm, letting out a light sigh. "Sigh, you’ve been training in the North Sea and may not know, but there have been many incidents in the Immortal World recently. Not just Penglai Island, even my Jialan Celestial Mountain has suffered severe damage."
Then he proceeded to explain everything in detail.
Sima Xin grew more and more alarmed as she listened. She had thought the battle with Siheng was catastrophic enough, but there were even more complications she hadn’t anticipated.
Yan Buxiu must have kept some things from them, likely to avoid distracting them during their time in the North Sea.
"My poor Zhen’er..." Sima Xin wiped her tears. "Because of Nanli, my daughter was harmed, my treasures were stolen, and we suffered poison. It was all Nanli’s doing, wasn’t it?"
Qingwu nodded. "Indeed. That’s why Brother Yan passed his cultivation to me. He wanted me to seek justice for him, and also to protect you."
Sima Xin, being the daughter of the Sima family and having cultivated for a thousand years, had already developed a level of wisdom different from others.
She quickly gathered herself and said, "Since we’ve returned, let Nanli pay blood for blood! But now, with Cinian already aligned with her, we will need your help."
This enmity must be avenged, or Penglai Island would lose its place in the Upper Realm!