Chapter 1102: Sealing Saint Calamity

“Ah…”

Zhang Yinqiu leaped up, nearly fainting. Bleeding from all seven orifices and having a sword plunged into one's heart could be understandable—perhaps a unique talent, with the heart not in its usual place... But how could someone survive being flattened into such a lump? More importantly, it was still blocking him! Master Zhang showing off, ah, no, Master Zhang breaking through—how concerned are you, really?

Unsure how to respond, whether to leave or what to do, he saw another sword light flash before him. King Tianye in the sky seemed to have realized this fellow wasn't dead, and in a fit of rage, he thrust another sword beam forward.

Crack!

Without any surprise, the lump before him was cut in half, instantly becoming two lumps that squirmed on the ground.

“You, you… you're dead this time, right?” Zhang Yinqiu's lips trembled as he couldn't help but ask.

“You're dead! Your whole family is dead!” The two lumps on the ground shrieked in rage, their two eyes on top immediately looking up at King Tianye in the sky: “I'm playing dead here to show you respect! Again and again, what? Are you taking my kindness for granted?!”

Boom!

The two lumps on the ground, like a liquid, re-adhered, instantly returning to their previous form as if completely unharmed. With a roar, it charged directly at King Tianye in the sky. In the blink of an eye, they were fighting.

However, its strength still seemed to be somewhat inferior to King Tianye's. Soon after flying up, it was slapped down again, plastered to the ground like mud. Before Zhang Yinqiu could even feel sorrow, the 'mud' charged up again, continuing to fight King Tianye.

“This…” Not only was he stunned, but Master Wu, President Han, and the others were also dumbfounded. This friend of Master Zhang seemed excessively formidable; his physical body was like rubber, completely unharmed no matter how he was hit... How did he cultivate such a body?

“Hurry up and act! Just hold him back…” After a moment of surprise, Master Wu called out again. This was no time for shock and daze; they had to prevent King Tianye from merging the map with the crystal. If he succeeded, everyone would die.

Several master experts attacked in unison, their sword qi like rainbows, their true qi like waves, and violent auras continuously surging, seemingly engulfing the entire sky.

Seeing that this unkillable freak had joined, Master Wu and the others were temporarily out of danger. Zhang Yinqiu looked again at Master Zhang not far away, seeing the power within him rising layer upon layer, continuously increasing as if without end.

“So immense…” He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. If it were anyone else, let alone breaking through, the true qi consumption alone during this period would surely have drained them dry. Yet, this fellow seemed completely unaffected, utterly unconcerned. Just this true qi reserve alone was far beyond ten of him combined.

After watching for a while, he couldn't help but sigh in relief. Just as he was about to look up at the battle in the sky again, he suddenly spotted a figure and frowned: “Teacher Luo, why aren't you fighting?”

Teacher Luo, the beautiful woman who had come with Master Zhang and the others, stood motionless nearby, as if the battle in the sky had nothing to do with her.

“I need to protect Zhang Xuan!” Teacher Luo's faint voice rang out.

“He's just breaking through; with the Conferred Saint Platform protecting him, there shouldn't be any problem, right...?” Zhang Yinqiu frowned. No matter your strength, everyone else is fighting desperately. It's one thing for you not to act, but to say you're protecting Zhang Xuan... Master Zhang is breaking through on the Conferred Saint Platform, how could anything happen?

Boom!

Before he could finish speaking, a rumble of thunder was heard. Above the Conferred Saint Platform, a patch of dark storm clouds suddenly appeared, with lightning rolling within, giving off a sense of destruction.

“This is... the Ethereal Separation Tribulation? How could it appear here?” His pupils contracted, and Zhang Yinqiu nearly fainted from fright.

Legend has it that for a Primordial Spirit realm expert to break through to the Ethereal Separation realm, they must undergo a lightning tribulation. Only then can they become more resilient and survive independently even when separated from their physical body, avoiding death... This is both a metamorphosis and a life-or-death trial. Many Primordial Spirit realm experts suppress their cultivation for hundreds of years, daring not to challenge higher realms, precisely because they fear their souls being scattered by the lightning. For this very reason, although there's only one level separating the Primordial Spirit and Ethereal Separation realms, their combat power differs immensely, and even the number of experts at each stage is vastly different. Only by reaching Ethereal Separation can one truly be considered a peak expert on the continent. This near-death experience is known as the Ethereal Separation Tribulation!

Master Zhang is merely advancing to become a Conferred Saint. Why would he experience such a formidable heavenly tribulation?

“Everyone wants to become a Conferred Saint. If one doesn't possess sufficient strength, how can one earn the recognition of heaven and earth?” Teacher Luo scoffed, stepping forward. She gazed at the ominous clouds in the sky, her delicate fists clenched, and said no more.

“Becoming a Conferred Saint requires experiencing... the Ethereal Separation Tribulation beforehand?” Hearing her words, Zhang Yinqiu swallowed. Although he was a soul and couldn't sweat, he still felt a clammy sensation down his spine. The Ethereal Separation Tribulation—countless half-step Ethereal Separation realm experts couldn't withstand it. How could this person, who is merely a Saint, block it? Not to mention anything else, just encountering the lightning in the sky would scatter his soul and cause instant death.

“This isn't the Ethereal Separation Tribulation; it's the Conferred Saint Tribulation! To become a Conferred Saint, one must first endure a tribulation…” Luo Ruoxi's eyes showed worry: “This kind of heavenly tribulation can only be endured by himself. I just hope nothing happens to him…”

“The Conferred Saint Tribulation?” Everyone was utterly astonished. Zhang Xuan, on the Conferred Saint Platform, also understood, his pupils contracting. No wonder becoming a Conferred Saint was so difficult. It wasn't that no one could comprehend the cultivation mysteries of Master Kong; it was that one who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight. To become a Conferred Saint, one must endure the Conferred Saint Tribulation! This lightning tribulation was not so easy to overcome.

“Come on!”

Knowing he couldn't evade it and that success lay only in confronting it head-on, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth, opened all his acupoints, and countless streams of spiritual energy immediately surged into his body like flowing water. He then looked up at the sky.

Boom!

As if sensing his fighting spirit, the thunderclouds in the sky could no longer hold back. A bolt of lightning, as thick as an arm, struck straight down. To draw a comparison, the previous lightning bolts from the Sea of Lightning were like seedlings encountering ancient towering trees when compared to this—they were not on the same level at all. Even before this lightning bolt arrived, it gave off a sense of crushing the physical body and annihilating the soul, as if anyone with slightly weaker cultivation might not be able to withstand it, and their very soul would be instantly extinguished.

“The Conferred Saint Tribulation is divided into the Soul Tribulation, Body Tribulation, and Heart Tribulation, each more difficult than the last…” On the side, Luo Ruoxi clenched her delicate fists. This kind of tribulation can only be endured by oneself; others cannot substitute. Otherwise, not only would it yield no benefit, but it would also provoke the wrath of heaven and earth, bringing down an even greater disaster.

“Soul Tribulation?” Hearing her mutter to herself, Zhang Yinqiu felt a bit confused. Regarding becoming a Conferred Saint, he had only read about it in Master Kong's texts. He had thought he fully understood, but now he realized how far his knowledge was from this girl's.

“Yes, the Soul Tribulation means the soul must undergo tempering and baptism by lightning. The slightest mistake will cause the soul to scatter, and it is the first hurdle of the Conferred Saint Tribulation!” Luo Ruoxi explained.

“The soul…” Zhang Yinqiu shivered. He was currently in soul form and knew how much souls feared lightning; it was a natural nemesis. Forget such a thick bolt of lightning, even a small one would be unbearable. “Master Zhang… I hope he'll be alright…” Gritting his teeth, he quickly looked over.

Whoosh!

As the lightning entered his body, Zhang Xuan immediately felt his soul being scorched by flames. His spirit, which he had painstakingly condensed earlier, trembled as if it could dissipate at any moment.

“It hurts so much…” His face paled. This pain came from the depths of his soul, as if his entire being might collapse at any moment. Had he not specifically tempered himself in the Sea of Lava and Sea of Lightning on his way here, he would likely have been instantly soul-scattered, with no burial place.

“It seems the Sea of Lava and Sea of Lightning outside Qiuwu Palace were not accidental, but rather intentionally designed by Master Kong as trials left for future generations…” Gritting his teeth and desperately holding on, Zhang Xuan finally had a sudden realization at this moment. Initially, he hadn't understood why there were formations like the Sea of Lava and Sea of Lightning, thinking they were meant to deliberately make things difficult for latercomers. Now, it seemed they were precisely for tempering the soul, to help one withstand the first hurdle of Conferred Sainthood.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

The lightning raged within his body, his soul being shattered and then reassembled. Fortunately, it was within his body; if his soul had been out, let alone re-condensing, it would likely have long dissipated between heaven and earth. His body stiffened, and under the intense pain, Zhang Xuan felt his consciousness fading. Although he had known that becoming a Conferred Saint wasn't simple, only by experiencing it firsthand did he realize how truly terrifying it was. This violent tearing sensation was like having every fiber of his soul slowly cut apart and then re-refined.

“Hold on! You must hold on… Master Kong could endure it, why can't I?” Suddenly, a thought emerged. Master Kong was human, and he was human. Why should Master Kong be able to do it, and he couldn't withstand it? He had cultivated the Conferred Saint Solution for so long, persisted for so long. If he couldn't hold on for this, how could he face all his hard work?

His resolve solidified. The soul-shattering pain from the lightning, though still present, was no longer as terrifying as before.

“The first hurdle... he's passed it…” Seeing this, Luo Ruoxi let out a sigh of relief, only for new worries to surface: “The second hurdle, the Body Tribulation, isn't just about the physical body; it also involves true qi and one's comprehension of cultivation. I hope he'll be alright!”

The Body Tribulation, a calamity for the physical body. It includes the physical body, true qi, understanding of martial arts, and the purity of true qi... This is even more difficult than the Soul Tribulation just now, and even harder to bear. While the Soul Tribulation was painful, as long as one's soul didn't leave the body, the danger wasn't too great. But the Body Tribulation was different; if one couldn't withstand it, there was a high possibility of exploding into a bloody pulp on the spot.

Crack!

Amidst her worry, the second bolt of lightning, which had been gathering in the sky for half a day, stretched out once more, ready to strike at any moment. This time, it was even thicker than before, as wide as a thigh. Even before it arrived, it carried an intense crushing sensation, as if it could shatter even the Conferred Saint Platform.

“If you can trigger a lightning tribulation, how could you become a Conferred Saint so easily…” King Tianye in the sky had finally suppressed Master Wu and the others. Seeing Zhang Xuan successfully pass the first lightning tribulation, his face darkened, and he couldn't help but roar loudly. He slapped out with a palm!