Chapter 973: The Tribulation Begins

Time is like a drop of water falling from the eaves. Though small, it eventually carves holes in stone, marking the passage of time.

January passed, each day like a drop of water falling into Jiang Fan's heart. He stood before the grave, his hand resting on the tombstone, as if he were holding her shoulder.

“Ling Shu, I see now that this place has more than just grasslands, starry skies, and cattle. There’s also morning dew, mist, and the chirping of insects.”

He gently caressed the cold tombstone. Jiang Fan’s heart was like a still lake, unmoved by the slightest breeze, incapable of stirring a single ripple.

“It turns out that even the most beautiful scenery can grow tiresome. Beauty is never just the landscape itself. It is the poignant regret of 'if only life had stayed as it was at first sight,' the journey undertaken across countless mountains and rivers, the lingering echo of an unforgettable memory. What your heart truly longed for wasn't the grassland, but a future shared with someone. I regret that I understood too late. My companionship came too late.”

He knelt down, his fingers gently traced the name “Ling Shu,” his gaze soft:

“Ling Shu, I must go now. I’m sorry to leave you here alone forever. If you miss me, call out ‘Brother’ in your dreams. I will still answer.”

He gazed at the tombstone for a long time, then slowly stood. He waved goodbye.

A gust of wind swept by. A patch of green grass growing on the grave swayed gently. In a daze, he seemed to see a young woman in a pale green dress standing in the shade of a tree, looking back with a smile. Then she gently waved, smiling, her image slowly receding until she was no longer visible.

“Ling Shu…”

Tears streamed down Jiang Fan's face. He turned and departed on his sword.

He arrived at a snowy mountain. Concubine Yunxia was already waiting nearby. Noticing Jiang Fan’s subdued eyes, she silently handed him a hot towel to wipe his cheeks.

“Sister Ling Shu departed contentedly. Jiang Lang, look to the future. Everyone is waiting for you.”

Jiang Fan looked up. One by one, familiar figures passed before his eyes. There was Liu Qingxian, her gaze complex, and Xia Chaoge, her eyes filled with sorrow. Gong Caiyi and Yue Mingzhu stood side by side. The Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets offered an encouraging gaze. Old friends from Qingyun Sect shouted from afar. His four sworn siblings from the Sea Clan. And many other familiar faces.

They were all waiting, but for how much longer would he linger in the past?

Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Everything was in the past now!

He looked up at the sky, holding back his tears. He cupped his hands to the four directions and said, “Please forgive my display of emotion. I am grateful for your concern. Today, Jiang Fan will undergo his tribulation here. Should I fail, I will start anew. Should I succeed, I will protect the continent and the Sea Clan, and never betray your friendship. Now, please allow me a moment to prepare!”

On the snowy plain, Concubine Yunxia had already spread thick blankets. Jiang Fan sat cross-legged, took out a Bodhi Pill, and swallowed it. This pill was known to strengthen the body and increase the chances of surviving tribulation, having demonstrated remarkable effects during the Slave Heart Demon Emperor's own ordeal. After swallowing one, a layer of crimson armor gradually appeared on his skin, forming a protective barrier.

Next, he retrieved the Five Magnetic Yuan Mountain. If he proved unable to withstand the heavenly tribulation, the Five Magnetic Divine Light could offer some assistance. Then, he donned the Bright Brocade Robe in front of everyone.

Having completed these preparations, he retrieved the most crucial item: the Fate-Altering Jade Butterfly. All three souls had returned to their rightful places. Only a single drop of God Transformation essence blood was still needed!

He retrieved a jade vial and poured out a single drop of God Transformation essence blood. It was as hot as magma, exuding an unparalleled life force. As it poured into the central cavity, the entire Fate-Altering Jade Butterfly began to gently tremble.

From its four cavities, four beams of light shot forth. They intertwined in the air above the Fate-Altering Jade Butterfly, gradually condensing into a single, milky-white droplet imbued with profound mystical essence. It was none other than the legendary Heaven-Penetrating Marrow! A substance capable of guaranteeing a one hundred percent breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm!

Jiang Fan enveloped it with his spiritual power. Unconcealed excitement sparkled in his eyes. He had waited too long for this moment!

Under the gaze of countless eyes, he opened his mouth and swallowed the Heaven-Penetrating Marrow.

In an instant! Heaven and earth seemed to respond; a tumultuous aura descended, spreading in all directions.

“The heavenly tribulation is approaching! All unrelated individuals, retreat beyond the tribulation clouds!”

Concubine Yunxia stepped forward and embraced Jiang Fan tightly, then swiftly retreated.

Ten breaths later, the tumultuous aura continued to intensify, and those standing at a distance began to feel waves of unease. Their minds, influenced by the turbulent energy, grew increasingly restless.

Concubine Yunxia frowned slightly. “This tumultuous aura feels off,” she murmured. “Why is it so intensely concentrated?”

Having undergone tribulation twice herself, she was quite familiar with the process. The tumultuous aura before them was far denser than what she had experienced during her own tribulations. Moreover, it was still rapidly intensifying! So much so that the tribulation clouds, which should have appeared instantly, were slow to manifest.

It wasn't just her. The Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets, the four Sea Demon Emperors, and the Slave Heart Demon Emperor exchanged glances. They all saw a flicker of doubt in each other’s eyes.

Evidently, the tumultuous aura before them differed significantly from what they had experienced during their own tribulations. It seemed excessively dense! If even those on the periphery could detect the unsettling nature of the aura, how much more so Jiang Fan, who stood at its raging heart?

His heart sank. He had an ominous premonition that his tribulation would likely be far from simple. The issue likely stemmed from his twin Golden Cores! Thanks to Venerable Xin Nie’s Fifth-Grade Spirit Pill, his black spiritual core had also advanced to the Ninth-Layer Golden Core perfection during his subsequent recovery. Two Golden Cores simultaneously attempting to reach the Nascent Soul realm were likely being perceived by the Heavenly Dao as two individuals undergoing tribulation at once. Consequently, the heavenly tribulation descending upon him would be far stronger than for an ordinary person! Even the Heaven-Penetrating Marrow’s guaranteed breakthrough effect would likely be severely tested under such a heavenly tribulation!

Another ten breaths passed. The tumultuous aura had now escalated to an infuriating degree. And the dark clouds finally made their belated appearance.

They seemed to emerge from nothingness. Surging forth swiftly, they blackened the azure sky like spilled ink, rapidly expanding in area. From hundreds of zhang, to thousands, then tens of thousands, they spread until they covered the entire horizon, as if a vast black shroud had descended upon the heavens. The land was plunged into absolute darkness, as if eternal night had fallen. People couldn't see their own hands before their faces, and anyone more than a zhang away was invisible.

The Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets exclaimed in alarm, “This heavenly tribulation is abnormal! Even two individuals undergoing tribulation simultaneously might not conjure such a vast tribulation cloud! How could the ensuing lightning strikes be endured by a Ninth-Layer Golden Core cultivator at perfection? Even a Nascent Soul at the first aperture would likely be instantly pulverized!”

Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately filled with dread and apprehension. But the tribulation clouds had already formed; stopping them was impossible.

At that moment, the world was suddenly illuminated! Within the ink-black tribulation clouds, a terrifying lightning bolt, ten thousand zhang long and thicker than a human, flashed and vanished! Immediately followed by a resounding CRACK! The explosive thunder shook cultivators below the Ninth-Layer Golden Core perfection, causing their vital energy to churn and a sweet, metallic taste to rise in their throats! Those with cultivation below the Fifth-Layer Golden Core had their eardrums ruptured, their ears bleeding profusely.

The Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets’ pupils contracted. “This tribulation lightning is even more terrifying than we imagined! A single strike would shatter even a Nascent Soul at its initial aperture! Retreat! Everyone, retreat! Do not linger! Jiang Fan’s tribulation cannot be witnessed by anyone below the Nascent Soul realm!”