Chapter 1119: Yuan Ying Tribulation

For over ten consecutive days, the weather remained calm.

During this time, Qin Sang and Li Yu-fu separately explored the nearby waters to eliminate any potential dangers.

In the early morning, they returned from a distance and landed on the island.

Qin Sang opened his mouth, about to speak, when he suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure emerge without warning. Its source was the small island where Yun Youzi resided.

This pressure was faint at first, yet it caused both Qin Sang and him to tremble.

Immediately after, the spiritual energy in the surrounding environment began to fluctuate violently.

In an instant, the previously calm waters became turbulent, with crashing waves against the shore. The view was filled with strong winds and giant waves, indicating an imminent, terrifying storm.

Qin Sang and Li Yu-fu exchanged a look, their expressions suddenly grave.

"It's the Heavenly Tribulation!"

Qin Sang's voice deepened as he quickly said, "As we discussed, you guard the north, and I'll handle the other directions."

"Understood!"

Without further ado, Li Yu-fu immediately flew north on his sword, producing rumbles of thunder. Under Qin Sang's guidance, he had already comprehended the Sword Qi Thunder Sound divine ability.

Qin Sang glanced at the vortex at the center of the storm, summoned the White Crane, and sent a message to Bai.

"Go guard the west. If any demonic beasts appear, kill them directly."

Qin Sang pointed west, and the White Crane eagerly flew off. After being trapped in Peach Blossom Valley for so long, finally having a chance to roam, the White Crane's cries were full of excitement.

Afterwards, Bai and Qin Sang also set off, one heading east and the other south. Four Golden Core realm masters now guarded the island.

At this moment, the storm intensified.

At the storm's center, the grand formation could no longer conceal itself, and the spiritual island emerged.

Yun Youzi stood alone atop the mountain peak, gazing up at the sky.

It was midday, and the sky had been clear for miles. After the storm appeared, dark clouds materialized from nowhere, covering the sky within a few breaths.

*Rumble...*

Muffled thunder echoed from the dark clouds, and streaks of lightning flashed across.

Qin Sang stood far away in mid-air, gazing at the spiritual island. He saw a sudden burst of brilliant light at the storm's center. Amidst the shimmering glow, faint shadows of spiritual banners and precious mirrors emerged, forming a colossal light barrier that enveloped Yun Youzi.

"What a powerful spiritual formation!"

Even from his distance, Qin Sang could sense the formation's impressive power. Knowing such an intricate formation must have been meticulously prepared by Yun Youzi to aid him in transcending the tribulation, Qin Sang felt a slight easing of his worry upon seeing his extensive preparations.

Yun Youzi was surrounded by the spiritual formation, with various illusions manifested by the precious mirrors and spiritual banners swirling around him. Even with his Heavenly Eye divine ability activated, Qin Sang found it difficult to discern Yun Youzi's true form or ascertain his condition.

*Boom!*

A clap of thunder sounded, and the clouds grew thicker and thicker.

Qin Sang's heart jolted. He looked up.

The Nascent Soul tribulation included tribulations of wind, thunder, fire, and inner demons. This was merely a precursor to forming the Nascent Soul, and the first wave wasn't even a thunder tribulation, yet the lightning in the dark clouds already had such terrifying might. He wondered how horrifying it would be when the true thunder tribulation descended.

The surroundings grew dim. Giant waves surged. The storm intensified further.

However, the spiritual formation around Yun Youzi remained dazzling, without the slightest fluctuation.

As time passed, the spiritual energy fluctuations grew even more intense. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth became turbulent. Visible waves of spiritual energy, like long whales drawing water, continuously surged towards the spiritual island, converging above Yun Youzi's head.

Compared to the current scale of Yun Youzi's influence, Qin Sang's Golden Core formation was utterly insignificant.

Pure spiritual energy from heaven and earth merged and compressed in the air, with specks of spiritual light shimmering, forming a wondrous, dreamlike spectacle resembling a starry sky. The starry sky hung high, and starlight gathered into a milky way, flowing in the air.

Soon after, with a sudden earth-shattering boom, the starry sky abruptly retracted inwards. Endless spiritual energy transformed into a blinding pillar of light, descending from the sky!

*Boom!*

The spiritual island shook, and the storm and thunder paused for a moment.

Simultaneously, where the starry sky had been, inexplicable patches of seven-colored clouds appeared, incredibly vibrant and beautiful, surpassing even the most stunning sunset.

"He did it!"

Qin Sang and Li Yu-fu exclaimed softly at the same time, but their hearts grew even more tense.

The appearance of the multi-colored clouds, without the spiritual energy dissipating, signified that Yun Youzi had successfully condensed his Nascent Soul. He was just one step away from achieving the Nascent Soul realm!

The Heavenly Tribulation! This thought had just flashed through Qin Sang's mind.

After a brief pause, the storm, dark clouds, and lightning began a furious counterattack, displaying the full might of heaven and earth, a truly alarming sight.

At this exact moment, Qin Sang noticed that the wondrous light of the spiritual formation around Yun Youzi flickered erratically.

"The Heavenly Tribulation has begun!"

Qin Sang's gaze deepened. This was his first time witnessing a Heavenly Tribulation firsthand, and he recalled the information he had read previously. It was said that among the myriad creatures in the world, each encountered different Heavenly Tribulations on their path of cultivation.

For cultivators, the first two tribulations were the Yin Fire and Bi Wind, with heavenly lightning following close behind. The Yin Fire originated from the Yongquan acupoint, burning upwards directly through the Niwan Palace. If one's physical body was weak, the internal organs would turn to ash and the limbs would decay. The Bi Wind, on the other hand, arose from the spiritual soul, like a steel knife scraping bone, piercing through the Zifu.

Although these two stages also affected the external world, their might was not significant. Fortunately, the power of these three tribulations varied in strength. The Bi Wind and Yin Fire were weaker than the Heavenly Lightning, so as long as one wasn't overly reckless and made sufficient preparations, they could generally pass the first two tribulations. Furthermore, both the physical body and the Nascent Soul would gain considerable benefits after surviving the tribulation.

The true trials of life and death, however, were the Heavenly Lightning and the Inner Demon Tribulation!

"The Yin Fire has already begun." Qin Sang stared intently at the storm's center, noting the fluctuations in the spiritual formation, and thought to himself.

He wasn't concerned about the Yin Fire and Bi Wind tribulations. Qin Sang withdrew his gaze and intently surveyed the surroundings, ensuring no one with ill intentions had infiltrated the vicinity to disrupt Yun Youzi's tribulation. He didn't entirely trust the White Crane, so his figure flickered as he patrolled back and forth. Some minor lake demons were startled and, sensing the Heavenly Tribulation's might, mostly chose to flee in panic, none daring to approach.

Seeing that everything was calm, Qin Sang returned to his original position and gazed at the storm's center. At this point, he noticed the storm had become more violent than before. Around Yun Youzi, the space was even darker than earlier, and the wind seemed to have gained substance, as if an extra layer of hazy grey gauze had appeared.

"Is this the Bi Wind? The Yin Fire tribulation must have passed smoothly."

Qin Sang was too far away to sense the power of the Bi Wind. He looked up at the sky; dark clouds rolled, and thunder crashed incessantly.

"Once the Bi Wind is overcome, the Heavenly Lightning will follow." Qin Sang murmured, his gaze returning to the storm's center, then his brows suddenly furrowed. "The intensity of this grey Bi Wind... doesn't seem quite right."

According to the ancient texts Qin Sang had read, the external manifestation of the Bi Wind generally signified the peak power of this tribulation, after which it would gradually weaken. Now, however, there seemed to be an unexpected change! The grey Bi Wind gathered more and more, congealing into a thick, hazy barrier. The external storm was affected, becoming incredibly violent. The waves in the waters near the spiritual island were exceptionally fierce, showing no signs of weakening. The wind and rain lashed out, making one worry that the spiritual island would be torn apart.

This tribulation, surprisingly, had not yet passed!

"What's happening? Is the record inaccurate, or has something gone wrong with Yun Youzi?" Qin Sang's heart tightened as he fixed his gaze on the storm's center.