Chapter 1207: Degreeing the Tribulation

Half a month later, the stone door of the secret chamber opened on its own, and Han Li emerged, looking as calm as ever.

Outside the door, a silver light flashed, and a humanoid puppet, identical in appearance to Han Li, mysteriously appeared before him.

Han Li glanced at the puppet, smiled faintly, and touched his head. Instantly, the black-green Nascent Soul emerged from his forehead.

The Nascent Soul's face was expressionless, but with a flicker of its form, it transformed into a black streak of light and shot out, disappearing into the humanoid puppet's body.

Moments later, the puppet's blank eyes blinked a few times, suddenly filling with vitality, as if it had truly come alive.

"Excellent, it worked just as I imagined. By using the secret art recorded in the 'Great Evolution Treasure Scripture' to possess this puppet with my second Nascent Soul, the second Nascent Soul can directly control it. There's no longer any need to worry about the puppet being too far away to command. It seems that in the future, if I'm not gone for too long, I can just leave this second Nascent Soul and the humanoid puppet in the immortal's cave." Seeing this, Han Li clapped his hands and chuckled softly.

"Daoist Han, what you've done is indeed an ingenious idea. But aren't you afraid of another accident, where the second Nascent Soul regains its own independent spiritual consciousness? With the aid of this humanoid puppet, which is equivalent to a late-stage cultivator, it would be incredibly difficult to retrieve the second Nascent Soul, unlike last time." The boy's voice, seemingly disapproving, came from Han Li's sleeve.

"You don't need to tell me that, Daoist. I'm well aware. But this time, I'll use several newly comprehended restriction secret arts, which only late-stage cultivators can employ. These will be set up in the second Nascent Soul's spiritual consciousness beforehand, and I'll also implement some measures on the humanoid puppet itself. Unless the second Nascent Soul's spiritual consciousness genuinely surpasses that of my main Nascent Soul, I can paralyze the puppet at any time." Han Li replied with confidence.

"Heh heh, it seems Daoist Han had already carefully considered this matter. This old man was simply overthinking things," the boy chuckled.

"I still appreciate Daoist Tian Lan's kind intentions. Now, are you planning to undergo your transformation tribulation here at my Child-Mother Peak, or would you prefer I find another secret location to help you through the tribulation?" Han Li changed the subject, suddenly bringing up the matter of the tribulation.

"Child-Mother Peak might not be entirely suitable. After all, the transformation tribulation lightning cannot be concealed by restrictions. Although this old man trusts your divine abilities, it would be safer to find a place rarely visited by others," the boy suggested hesitantly and tactfully.

"Alright. After I've seen Wan'er, I'll take you to find another place," Han Li readily agreed, showing no intention of making things difficult.

He then left his immortal's cave and first went to Falling Cloud Sect to see Nangong Wan and check on her cultivation progress.

A day later, Han Li silently departed from Falling Cloud Sect once more, his escape light heading west.

Five days later, Han Li appeared on an extremely desolate loess wasteland.

This land was barren, without a blade of grass. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but loess and various sizes of greyish-white stones.

Han Li had already thoroughly searched an area spanning tens of thousands of miles around.

Not to mention ordinary cultivators, there wasn't even a single mortal from the secular world present.

"How about this place? It's a dead zone at the border between our Stream Nation and Flower Rain Nation. There are no inhabitants within an area of two to three hundred thousand miles. It should be much safer for you to undergo your transformation tribulation here."

Han Li said calmly from the air, then flicked his sleeve. A ball of green light, enveloping a small cauldron, shot out.

"This is indeed an excellent place for a tribulation! Daoist Han, please release my true form first, so I can meditate peacefully for three days. Then I'll be ready for the tribulation," the boy's delighted voice came from within the cauldron.

"No problem!" Han Li agreed readily. He then flicked his finger in the air towards the small cauldron.

With a soft 'thump', the cauldron lid opened on its own. The small cauldron then flipped over, and a stream of green mist rolled out, revealing a half-foot-long beast with a bull's head and a dragon's body.

As soon as the beast flew out of the green mist, it immediately rolled, its body instantly swelling to about ten feet tall, glowing with a shimmering green light.

"Now, I'll trouble Daoist to guard me for a while," the beast spoke with the boy's voice. Its dragon-like body then coiled up and it descended directly to the ground, settling on a large white stone, where it remained still.

Han Li watched the Tian Lan beast's actions without speaking. With a flicker of his form, he landed on another nearby stone, also sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes in meditation.

As the beast and Han Li sat there, three days and three nights passed.

When the sun had just risen on the fourth day, both of them opened their eyes simultaneously.

"This old man has adjusted his bodily cultivation to its optimal state. I have at least a sixty to seventy percent chance of passing the lightning tribulation. Daoist, you don't need to rush into action at the beginning. If I truly cannot endure, it would be in the final stage. As long as you can withstand the last three waves of lightning strikes, this old man will be eternally grateful," the Tian Lan Holy Beast said with extreme solemnity.

"I see. I've noted that. Before you undergo the tribulation, Daoist, you might consider swallowing a drop of this item." Han Li calmly agreed, then suddenly flipped his palm, revealing a small profound ice vial radiating cold air. He raised his hand and tossed it to the beast opposite him.

"What is this?" The beast was somewhat surprised and took the small vial with a suspicious look. It opened the lid and swept its spiritual sense over the contents.

"Chilling Marrow? Daoist, you actually possess this medicine?" the Tian Lan Holy Beast exclaimed, a mix of surprise and delight in its voice.

"I happened to obtain a little of it while in the Great Jin. Considering your previous kindness in imparting the Silver Amulet Script, I'm offering one drop. I hope Daoist won't find it too little," Han Li said leisurely, stroking his chin.

"Haha, not at all, it's plenty! Chilling Marrow is unlike other items; it's exceptionally rare even in the Spirit Realm. Any that occasionally appears is quickly claimed by our demon race. It's truly something that one can only hope to stumble upon."

The Tian Lan Holy Beast was extremely excited. After a slight pause, it turned its beast head, its gaze flickering as it spoke to Han Li again:

"Even just one drop of this is enough for me. This old man will not forget Daoist's generosity with this medicine, and I will surely repay you handsomely in the future."

The beast's last two sentences were spoken with considerable sincerity.

Han Li smiled upon hearing this, but didn't respond verbally. Instead, he patted his storage pouch at his waist, and a stack of formation flags and plates instantly appeared in his hand.

He then began to set up a rather complex restrictive formation within a hundred-mile radius.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Han Li's figure flickered, and he returned to his original spot. Layers of milky-white mist had emerged nearby, like an illusion, sealing off the surroundings.

"This formation can be used to prevent any accidents. I will then guard outside the formation for you, Daoist. The initial stages of the lightning tribulation will depend entirely on you," Han Li said slowly, looking at the beast.

"Naturally. The lightning from a transformation tribulation is true heavenly lightning. How could ordinary restrictions in the Human Realm possibly withstand it? Oh, by the way, during the tribulation, I have a small favor I can offer you, Daoist, a bit of a benefit." The beast's eyes suddenly glinted with a strange light, as if it had recalled something.

"A benefit?" Han Li asked, surprised.

"Indeed. This is common knowledge in the Spirit Realm. However, in the lower realms, I doubt many people are aware of it," the Tian Lan Holy Beast chuckled, then subtly moved its lips to transmit a message.

Han Li listened with surprise and suspicion, but his expression gradually turned to astonishment, and finally, a hint of excitement.

"If this is true, it's indeed a rare opportunity. I happen to have such magical artifacts on me, so I can give it a try," Han Li nodded.

"Haha, this matter is certainly not false. However, Daoist, you must seize the right moment to act. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, it would be detrimental," the beast concluded, its tone serious as it delivered the warning.

"Please rest assured, Daoist. I know what I'm doing!" Han Li replied with a smile.

"I don't think Daoist Han is a reckless person either. In that case, this old man will now summon the heavenly lightning and prepare for the tribulation. *Sigh*, if it weren't for my mastery of certain concealment secret arts, the transformation tribulation lightning would probably have descended upon me the moment I emerged from the cauldron," the Tian Lan Holy Beast sighed. Its body then floated upwards without any wind, slowly ascending into the sky.

Han Li's heart tightened. Without another word, he transformed into a streak of green light and, with a flash, escaped outside the formation.

Immediately, blue light flickered in his eyes. Through the layers of white mist, he focused intently on the beast's subsequent actions.

The beast in the white mist rose to over thirty feet above the ground before stopping its ascent. It then looked up deeply at the sky above, and suddenly, a muffled roar burst from its snout. Its body began to flicker wildly with green light, and at the same time, a hazy grey demonic wind spontaneously rose nearby, instantly engulfing the beast's form.

Han Li's expression shifted upon seeing this.

But immediately, an earth-shattering roar erupted from within the demonic wind. A powerful demonic aura surged skyward from the wind, and faintly, the Tian Lan Beast within the wind seemed to have used some secret art, causing its body to rapidly swell several times in size.

The beast had completely unleashed the demonic aura of an eighth-grade demonic beast.

In just the span of a single breath, a clap of thunder suddenly echoed from the previously clear sky. Immediately, violent winds swept across an area of ten thousand miles, and dark clouds appeared out of nowhere. The entire sky quickly turned exceptionally black, and amidst the thunder, a torrential downpour began.

Witnessing this scene, Han Li couldn't help but marvel.

To his knowledge, this desolate area, known as a 'dead land', was always exceptionally dry; it was common for not a single drop of rain to fall for decades. Yet, the moment the Tian Lan beast unleashed its demonic aura, it immediately drew such a magnificent celestial phenomenon. It seemed this beast's transformation tribulation was truly extraordinary.

Han Li thought to himself.

Suddenly, the dark clouds in the nearby sky began to churn violently. Arm-thick electric arcs emerged within the clouds, each flash accompanied by astonishing thunderous roars. Massive bolts of lightning were vaguely taking shape.

Han Li pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Just then, the beast within the formation below let out a loud roar.

Amidst an equally astonishing howling sound, the power of the grey demonic wind increased severalfold, transforming into a towering greyish-white hurricane that surged upwards, as if intent on directly piercing the dark clouds and shattering all the lightning and misty clouds.