Chapter 3173: Qingcheng Merger

Peak of the Green Lotus

Ten years quickly passed.

In a secret chamber, Wang Mengbin sat cross-legged on a silver futon, his eyes slightly closed, his body enveloped by countless silver electrical arcs.

After a while, a sound transmission talisman flew in.

The silver aura around Wang Mengbin's body dissipated. He opened his eyes, a sharp gleam appearing in them.

He grabbed the sound transmission talisman and crushed it. Bai Yuqi's voice rang out: "Husband, the Ye family's Ice Lion vessel has arrived. It has been docked for some time and is scheduled to depart for the Xuanling Continent today."

"Finally, I can go back," Wang Mengbin murmured to himself. "I wonder how the clan is doing." He wanted to know if Wang Yidao had advanced to the Integration Stage.

Wang Mengbin stood up and walked out into the courtyard, where Wang Yingjie and three companions were enjoying tea and chatting. "What are you talking about?" Wang Mengbin asked casually.

"We were discussing True Monarch Nine Swords," Wang Yingjie recounted slowly. "Hundreds of years ago, someone discovered an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling, suspected to be True Monarch Nine Swords' final meditation retreat. Unexpectedly, it was a trap set by an Integration Stage evil cultivator, used to lure and kill lower-level cultivators. Later, it was Granny Golden Butterfly who took action and eliminated this Integration Stage evil cultivator."

"Let's go! Let's head back! This outing has been quite rewarding," Wang Mengbin said, waving his hand. The five of them then left the small courtyard.

Upon reaching the shore of Liuli Island, they saw the Ice Lion. Many cultivators were lining up to board, and quite a few cultivators from the Qianyuan Continent intended to travel to the Xuanling Continent.

Ye Tongtian stood on the deck of the Ice Lion, his gaze sweeping over every boarding cultivator. He recognized Wang Mengbin and his four companions, and said with some surprise, "Long time no see, Fellow Daoist Wang has advanced to the Integration Stage. Congratulations!"

Wang Mengbin smiled faintly, exchanged a few polite words with Ye Tongtian, and entered a cabin.

After more than an hour, the Ice Lion set sail. Before long, it disappeared into the vast sea.

******

Time flew by, and two hundred years passed.

In the Cangyuan Mountain Range, Wang Ruyan, Wang Yihong, and Sun Yuejiao stood on the summit of a steep peak, their expressions solemn.

A massive thundercloud hovered above a gigantic valley, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling. Thick silver lightning bolts struck down, powerful gusts of air blowing away large amounts of sand and gravel, filling the air with dust.

Wang Qingcheng was attempting to break through to the Integration Stage. He chose the Cangyuan Mountain Range for this attempt, which was related to his divine ability. Furthermore, considering Wang Yidao's significant destructive power when breaking through to the Integration Stage, for caution's sake, it was better for Wang clan members to attempt their breakthroughs elsewhere. In case any clan member attracted multiple nine-colored divine lightning bolts during their breakthrough, even the clan's protective formation might not withstand it.

Wang Qingcheng had reached the late Void Refinement Stage over a thousand years ago. He didn't immediately attempt his breakthrough upon reaching this stage; instead, he spent considerable time refining his spiritual power, making it exceptionally pure.

Time passed bit by bit. The sound of thunder was incessant, and as silver lightning bolts struck down, the area of the thundercloud grew smaller and smaller.

A short while later, the thundercloud was still several dozen zhang in size, churning and surging, emitting arcs of five-colored lightning: green, red, blue, yellow, and gold.

Wang Ruyan breathed a sigh of relief. If there were only five five-colored divine lightning bolts, Wang Qingcheng's chances of successfully passing the Seven-Nine Heavenly Tribulation were very high.

For comparison, when breaking through to the Integration Stage: Chen Yueying attracted seven seven-colored divine lightning bolts; Wang Changsheng attracted nine six-colored divine lightning bolts; Wang Ruyan attracted eight six-colored divine lightning bolts; Duan Tongtian attracted eight five-colored divine lightning bolts; Wang Qingshan attracted four seven-colored divine lightning bolts; and Wang Yidao was the most extraordinary, attracting five eight-colored divine lightning bolts.

Peak of the Green Lotus

Wang Qingcheng, who attracted five five-colored divine lightning bolts, was considered to be at an average level.

A thunderous roar echoed as a thick five-colored lightning bolt tore through the sky, fiercely striking downwards.

Wang Qingcheng stood in a massive yellow sand pit. Centered around him, the ground within a hundred-mile radius had turned into quicksand.

Wang Qingcheng's face was slightly pale. He performed a hand seal, and countless yellow sand grains flew up against the wind, forming a gigantic yellow sand curtain that enveloped him.

The five-colored lightning struck the yellow sand curtain, instantly blasting a huge gap. However, a large amount of yellow sand quickly surged in, and the gap healed.

Soon, the second five-colored lightning bolt struck, followed by the third and fourth. The yellow sand curtain was shattered by the five-colored lightning, but quickly reformed.

Wang Qingcheng, being an Earth Spirit Root cultivator, had mastered multiple defensive divine abilities, giving him a certain advantage in land combat or during tribulation.

The five-colored thundercloud churned violently, transforming into an enormous five-colored lightning flood dragon. It bared its fangs, its body enveloped by countless five-colored electrical arcs, exuding a terrifying aura.

The five-colored lightning flood dragon plunged down from high in the sky, its massive body easily smashing through the yellow sand curtain, revealing Wang Qingcheng's figure.

Wang Qingcheng wore a yellow-glowing battle armor. Upon closer inspection, this yellow armor was composed of countless yellow sand grains, each grain covered in runes, its spiritual light dim. It was, surprisingly, a mid-grade Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure.

This was his Natal Magic Treasure, the Qian Earth Divine Sand, capable of both offense and defense.

Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from the five-colored lightning flood dragon, Wang Qingcheng dared not be careless. He quickly summoned the Nine-Light Bottle, and with a hand seal, the bottle sprayed out a stream of nine-colored light, enveloping Wang Qingcheng.

He performed a hand seal, and countless yellow sand grains danced in the wind, forming a gigantic yellow blade over a thousand zhang long, which slashed towards the five-colored lightning flood dragon.

The gigantic yellow blade sliced the five-colored lightning flood dragon in half, and a massive ball of five-colored lightning shot up into the sky, extremely conspicuous.

The ground shook violently, and thick dust rolled everywhere. Within several hundred li, visibility was zero.

After a while, Wang Qingcheng flew out of the dust and landed before Wang Ruyan. His face was pale, appearing as if his spiritual power was excessively depleted, yet an astonishing spiritual pressure emanated from him, indicating he had clearly advanced to the Integration Stage.

"Congratulations, Husband, on advancing to the Integration Stage," Sun Yuejiao exclaimed, overjoyed.

When she had left Zhenhai Palace back then, many of her fellow disciples gossiped behind her back, saying she would surely regret it. However, after Wang Changsheng and others advanced to the Integration Stage, these same disciples changed their tune and praised Sun Yuejiao for her foresight.

"Now that Wang Qingcheng had also advanced to the Integration Stage, those fellow disciples would undoubtedly be convinced. Your father would surely be very happy if he knew," Wang Ruyan said with a beaming smile.

Wang Qingcheng flipped his palm, and the Nine-Light Bottle appeared in his hand. Its spiritual light was dim, and over twenty tiny cracks were clearly visible.

Without the Nine-Light Divine Clay, there was no way to repair the Nine-Light Bottle. Fortunately, Wang Qingcheng had only attracted five five-colored divine lightning bolts, so the Nine-Light Bottle was not severely damaged.

However, without the Nine-Light Divine Clay, the Nine-Light Bottle would eventually be rendered useless.

"You should recuperate here," Wang Ruyan instructed. "Also, stand guard for Yulan and give her the Nine-Light Bottle to assist her in breaking through to the Void Refinement Stage."

Wang Ruyan explained that Wang Yulan had ascended to the Xuanyang Realm over four hundred years ago and had long since reached the late Nascent Soul Stage. If it weren't for concerns about attracting overly powerful heavenly tribulation lightning, Wang Yulan would have entered seclusion to break through to the Void Refinement Stage long ago.

Peak of the Green Lotus

"Understood, Mother," Wang Qingcheng replied, putting away the Nine-Light Bottle.

Wang Ruyan gave a few more instructions, then left the Cangyuan Mountain Range with Wang Yihong, returning to Green Lotus Island.