Chapter 1911: Qingshan Facing the Tribulation, Bailinger and Shi Ling as Protectors

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, accompanied by immense, ceaseless roars.

As time passed, the valley where Wang Qingshan was located became the epicenter of a silver sea of lightning, spanning dozens of miles. Lightning flickered, and thunder continued to rumble. The sky and earth were illuminated by the silver lightning, and a violent aura continuously spread outwards.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the black thunderclouds had shrunk to only a little over a hundred zhang in size. In the valley where Wang Qingshan was, smoke and dust billowed, and yellow sand filled the sky, obscuring the view of what was happening inside.

A thunderous roar echoed from high above. A silver lightning bolt, as thick as a millstone, descended from the sky like a giant silver sword piercing the heavens, striking downwards with irresistible force. Where the silver lightning passed, the void trembled and twisted, waves of air surged, and the smoke and dust quickly dispersed, revealing the scene within.

The original valley had vanished, replaced by an open expanse littered with shattered stones. Wang Qingshan's expression was serene as he sat cross-legged on the scattered stones. An enormous cyan lotus floated above his head, its spiritual glow dim. Upon closer inspection, several noticeable cracks could be seen on its surface.

The silver lightning struck the cyan lotus. A dull thud emanated from the lotus, and dazzling silver lightning submerged both the cyan lotus and Wang Qingshan's figure. Soon, a clear and resonant sound of swords ringing out filled the air, as if numerous swords were vying for attention, and sword light flared like a rainbow.

The silver lightning, like thin paper, was torn apart by the dense sword light. The cyan lotus floated silently above Wang Qingshan's head, the cracks on its surface noticeably larger. Wang Qingshan's eyes were tightly shut, and his arms were somewhat scorched.

A world-shaking thunderclap resounded from high above. The black thunderclouds churned violently, then blurred and suddenly transformed into a colossal silver tiger, ten zhang long and five zhang tall. Its entire body was enveloped by countless electric arcs, emitting a terrifying aura. The lightning tribulation had taken corporeal form. This was the final and strongest lightning tribulation.

A tiger's roar, echoing through heaven and earth, suddenly erupted. The silver giant tiger swooped down from high above, hurtling straight towards Wang Qingshan. Bai Ling'er's breathing quickened as she stared intently at Wang Qingshan's tall figure.

Wang Qingshan's expression turned solemn. With a change in his sword incantation, the cyan lotus immediately flared with brilliant cyan light, spinning rapidly. Dense cyan sword qi swept out like a torrent, striking towards the silver giant tiger. The silver giant tiger opened its gaping maw and suddenly inhaled, causing the dense cyan sword qi to pour into its mouth and vanish. The silver giant tiger's belly seemed like a bottomless pit; a continuous stream of cyan sword qi entered its body and disappeared.

It quickly reached the sky above Wang Qingshan, its scythe-like claws striking towards the cyan lotus. Two dull thuds rang out, accompanied by scattering sparks. The cracks on the cyan lotus's surface expanded further.

Wang Qingshan changed his sword incantation again. The lotus seeds of the cyan lotus suddenly sprayed out dense, slender sword threads, which entwined around the silver giant tiger's body, binding it tightly. The cyan lotus spun rapidly, its sword ringing ceaselessly, faintly accompanied by a harsh rumble of thunder. Cyan and silver lights interwove and flickered, and powerful waves of air, like a bursting flood, spread in all directions. Countless shattered stones were swept up by the formidable air currents, only to be pulverized before flying far.

Wang Qingshan changed his magical incantation. A tiny gap appeared in the cyan sword threads, and a slender silver electric arc flew out, striking his body. He felt a numbness spread through his body, and then a sharp pain shot through his arm. It took a while for Wang Qingshan to return to normal. Tiny silver electric arcs continued to fly out, striking Wang Qingshan one after another.

The silver giant tiger struggled violently, crashing against the cyan sword barrier, emitting dull thuds. The cyan sword barrier remained unmoving.

A mighty roar! The cyan lotus suddenly erupted with dazzling silver lightning, enveloping itself from the inside out, completely engulfing it. Centered around Wang Qingshan, an area several miles in radius was covered by the silver lightning. Silver lightning serpents moved ceaselessly, and air currents surged like tides.

After a while, the silver lightning dispersed, revealing Wang Qingshan's figure. Wang Qingshan sat cross-legged on the ground, his body somewhat dark, his eyes tightly closed. A scent resembling sandalwood emanated from him, a sign of the "Sandalwood Body" transformation.

Nine Cyan Glaze Swords were embedded in the ground, their spiritual glow dim. Each sword had several tiny cracks on its surface. The Cyan Glaze Swords were not defensive spiritual treasures, so it was inevitable they would sustain damage while blocking the Five-Nine Lightning Tribulation. Seeing that Wang Qingshan was out of danger, Bai Ling'er finally let out the breath she had been holding, sighing in relief.

A chorus of beast roars rose and fell, as large numbers of demonic beasts, including demonic butterflies, tigers, and eagles, streamed from the distance. Their sheer numbers were enough to make one's scalp tingle. Bai Ling'er let out a soft hum and summoned a glittering white pearl, which transformed into a white streak of light and struck the approaching demonic beasts. On the other side, Shi Ling also emerged from the ground and attacked the incoming creatures.

Shi Ling had thick, powerful arms. Low-level demonic beasts, struck by its fists, were instantly pulverized into a bloody mess. Dense magical spells landed on Shi Ling's body, emitting dull thuds, as if striking an impenetrable fortress. These demonic beasts were not high-ranked, ranging from second to fourth-tier, with fourth-tier beasts being relatively rare. Given Shi Ling and Bai Ling'er's strength, holding back these demonic beasts was not a problem.

***

In a flat, open area, a magnificent cyan palace stood tall. The plaque above its entrance bore the three characters "Cyan Lotus Palace." Inside the spacious and brightly lit main hall, Wang Qingjing and Guang Dongren were discussing something, both with furrowed brows.

They had toiled for over a century but had yet to rescue Wang Qingshan, though they had encountered quite a few fourth-tier demonic beasts in the process.

"Qingjing," Guang Dongren suggested, "this won't do. Let's take turns on duty. We can't neglect our cultivation." He stated honestly that despite their strenuous efforts, there was still no trace of Wang Qingshan.

"That's the only way," Wang Qingjing sighed, her face clouded with worry. "The Tianlan Sect has severed the connection between the Eastern Hedge Realm and the Thousand Gourd Realm, so we can't contact our Tenth Sister and the others. We don't even know how Seventh Brother's soul lamp is faring." The Tianlan Sect clearly intended to monopolize the Thousand Gourd Realm. They only hesitated to act immediately due to concerns about the Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Eastern Hedge Realm. However, if the Spirit Transformation cultivators from the Eastern Hedge Realm delayed their arrival in the Thousand Gourd Realm much longer, the Tianlan Sect's complete control would only be a matter of time.

"Indeed!" Guang Dongren mused, "I wonder how your parents are doing." His expression was thoughtful. If the Cyan Lotus Immortal Couple could ascend to the Spirit Realm, perhaps they would find a way to guide Wang Qingjing and the others there.

"Father and Mother possess immense divine abilities, so they should be fine," Wang Qingjing said, her voice filled with apprehension. "But Seventh Brother is missing, and Meng Bin's whereabouts are unknown. We're trapped in the Thousand Gourd Realm. If a major upheaval occurs in the Eastern Hedge Realm, Tenth Sister might not be able to cope alone."

"Fortunate people are blessed by heaven; Meng Bin and Qingshan should be fine," Guang Dongren slowly stated. "Go ahead and cultivate with peace of mind. You can come replace me after sixty years." He added that Wang Changsheng had given him a Seven-Star Ice Marrow Fruit as compensation for helping rescue Wang Qingshan. Knowing the preciousness of the Seven-Star Ice Marrow Fruit, he naturally put forth his utmost effort.

Wang Qingjing agreed and turned to walk towards a side chamber. Inside the side chamber, Wang Qingjing took out a pale cyan jade token, on which a cyan lotus was carved. This token had been refined by Wang Changsheng using a secret technique. If they were to perish, the jade token would shatter. After so many years, the token remained intact, indicating they were likely safe.

"Father, Mother," Wang Qingjing murmured to herself, her gaze resolute, "I will definitely find Seventh Brother and Meng Bin. I will."