Chapter 2334: Recruitment

Inland, a mountain range stretches for millions of miles. The vegetation is sparse, spiritual energy is thin, and the area is sparsely populated.

A massive thundercloud floats high in the sky, covering an area of a hundred miles.

Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles. Amidst deafening peals of thunder, thick silver lightning bolts tear through the sky, striking a certain valley.

On a steep peak, Yang Qinglong stands on the summit, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with worry.

Chen Yueying is undergoing a Grand Heavenly Tribulation. If she cannot pass it, she will naturally perish. Over a thousand years ago, a Body Integration cultivator from the Ascension Faction died during a Grand Heavenly Tribulation.

Chen Yueying is a leading figure of the Ascension Faction. If she perishes, it would be a significant loss for the faction.

Generally, cultivators above the Void Refinement stage undergoing a Grand Heavenly Tribulation will have relatives or fellow disciples guarding them. Yang Qinglong is responsible for protecting Chen Yueying.

Time passed little by little. As lightning bolts struck, the thundercloud's area diminished. Powerful air currents leveled peaks, and dust rolled.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the thundercloud was still over a hundred zhang in size.

The thundercloud churned violently. Purple arcs of electricity emerged out of nowhere. Before long, the thundercloud turned purple. Countless purple arcs flickered continuously, and faint golden arcs could be seen.

"Violet Sun Divine Thunder."

Yang Qinglong's expression hardened. The higher the cultivation, the greater the power of the Grand Heavenly Tribulation. The stronger the Body Integration cultivator, the more potent the lightning power summoned by the Grand Heavenly Tribulation. Violet Sun Divine Thunder is one such manifestation.

Even among Body Integration cultivators, the lightning power summoned by the Grand Heavenly Tribulation varies.

It is said that when Heavenly Venerate Xuanling was attempting to break through to the Void Refinement stage, he attracted a wisp of Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, which nearly annihilated him.

Over the past fifty thousand years, the most renowned figure on Xuanling Continent is Xuan Qingzi. He attracted a wisp of Nine Heavens Divine Thunder while undergoing a Grand Heavenly Tribulation at the Mahayana stage.

Simply put, this is a form of acknowledgment from the Heavenly Dao.

Following a deafening roar of thunder, the purple thundercloud transformed into a purple lightning python over a hundred zhang long. Its head was golden, and its body was enveloped in countless purple electric arcs, as it lunged down from high above.

In a massive crater ten thousand zhang in diameter, Chen Yueying sat cross-legged on the ground, her face pale, covered in dust and dirt, appearing somewhat disheveled.

Scattered on the ground were shattered formation plates and sparkling wooden debris. This was the final lightning tribulation. If she could pass this, she would be free for another five thousand years.

Feeling the astonishing pressure emanating from the purple lightning python, Chen Yueying took a deep breath. She took out a gleaming green orb, exuding astonishing spiritual energy, with runes flickering.

The Xuanqing Tribulation-Crossing Pearl, a unique treasure of the Xuanqing Sect, can weaken the power of lightning tribulations. However, it is a single-use item. While this treasure can indeed weaken the tribulation's power, if the lightning tribulation is too strong, the tribulation-taker will still be annihilated.

In layman's terms, with the Xuanqing Tribulation-Crossing Pearl, her chances of passing the Grand Heavenly Tribulation are higher, but it doesn't guarantee absolute safety.

She cast a spell, and the Xuanqing Tribulation-Crossing Pearl's spiritual light surged, emitting a dazzling green glow, enveloping her entire body.

The purple lightning python pounced, opening its gaping maw, and swallowed Chen Yueying in one gulp.

A dazzling purple lightning glow flared, engulfing an area of a hundred miles in radius. Air currents surged like tides, and earth and rocks splattered.

After a while, the lightning glow dissipated. Chen Yueying lay in the massive crater, covered in blood, with bones visible in several places on her body. Her aura was weak. Without the Xuanqing Tribulation-Crossing Pearl, she would have died.

Yang Qinglong descended from the sky. He took out a blood-red medicinal pill and fed it to Chen Yueying.

After Chen Yueying took the pill, her pale complexion slowly regained its color, and a dazzling spiritual light emanated from her body.

"That was truly perilous, to actually attract Violet Sun Divine Thunder. Fortunately, we exchanged for a Xuanqing Tribulation-Crossing Pearl from the Xuanqing Sect," Chen Yueying muttered to herself, a look of lingering fear on her face.

"Senior Sister Chen, now that you've passed the Grand Heavenly Tribulation, let's return to Zhenhai Palace! You need to recuperate for a while," Yang Qinglong suggested. Even after taking the healing elixir, Chen Yueying would need at least several centuries to recover, and that was on the condition of continuously consuming healing elixirs.

If a rogue cultivator at the Body Integration stage only took one healing elixir, they would still need a millennium to recover. Seventh-tier healing elixirs were quite precious, and not many Body Integration cultivators could afford to consume them in large quantities.

Chen Yueying nodded, and left the place with Yang Qinglong.

On Azure Lotus Island, Green Bamboo Peak, in a secret chamber.

Wang Qingshan sat cross-legged on a green meditation mat, his eyes closed. A colossal sword phantom, reaching towards the sky, floated above his head. Its tip shimmered with silver light, appearing almost solid.

His Dharma Idol was one-sixth condensed. This was already quite good, as many Void Refinement early-stage cultivators had Dharma Idols only one-tenth condensed, or even less.

A sound transmission talisman flew in, landing before Wang Qingshan.

Wang Qingshan seemed to sense something. The colossal sword phantom above his head slowly dissipated, and he opened his eyes.

He flicked two fingers, and a blue light shot out, striking the sound transmission talisman. Wang Qingcheng's urgent voice suddenly rang out: "Seventh Brother, something terrible has happened! Foreign races are attacking the border cities, and Zhenhai Palace is summoning us to join the fight."

"Foreign races are attacking the border cities!"

Wang Qingshan's expression darkened. To his knowledge, the last racial war erupted over fifty thousand years ago, when dozens of races allied to attack humanity. Humanity suffered heavy casualties. He wondered how many cultivators would perish this time.

Wang Qingshan walked out of his residence. A mound of earth rose from the ground, and the Stone Golem emerged from beneath.

It had refined the core left by the Soul Transformation Spirit Race, successfully advancing to the fifth rank.

The Three-Headed Sly Fox had failed to advance to the fifth rank and had passed away. The Golden Horned Thunder-Scaled Beast was already at the peak of the fifth rank.

The Stone Golem still had some gap compared to the Spirit Race. If it transformed into a human form, its cultivation speed would be faster.

"Good, you've advanced to the fifth rank. Cultivate diligently," Wang Qingshan said.

Wang Qingshan took out a pale golden ore and tossed it to the Stone Golem.

The Stone Golem liked rare metals and unusual stones, which were beneficial for its advancement.

Wang Qingshan transformed into a streak of green light and soared through the air. Before long, he arrived at the council hall.

Wang Qingcheng and over a hundred other clan members had been waiting for a long time. Their expressions varied, showing nervousness, excitement, and worry.

Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli were also present. Both were at the late stage of Soul Transformation.

"Patriarch, what exactly is going on? Why are we suddenly being summoned to battle?" Wang Qingshan frowned and asked.

"Foreign races suddenly attacked cities. Multiple border cities were ambushed. Zhenhai Palace needs to deploy one Void Refinement cultivator, ten Soul Transformation cultivators, and one hundred Nascent Soul cultivators to participate in the war," Wang Qingcheng stated truthfully, his expression grave.

"Do Uncle Ninth and Aunt Ninth know about this?" Wang Qingshan pressed.

"Father and Mother are both in seclusion cultivating. I haven't informed them yet. It was Yuejiao's cousin who came to deliver the order, so it's certainly not false."

Wang Qingcheng's face was filled with worry. Racial wars were extremely brutal, and it was unknown how many cultivators would perish this time.

If cultivators participating in the war had too low cultivation, it would be suicide. If their cultivation was too high, and they died at the hands of the foreign races, the Wang family would suffer a severe blow.