Two-Nine Lightning Tribulation

Patriarch Fang's sudden arrival made the Seven Sons of Yuelin turn pale with shock. The difference between the Golden Core Realm and the Foundation Establishment Realm was as vast as heaven and earth; it was a gap in power that numbers alone could never bridge—especially considering that Patriarch Fang, Fang Yushan, was a late-stage Golden Core powerhouse.

They hurriedly halted their attack and scrambled to flee, their former arrogance entirely vanishing.

But Patriarch Fang gave them no such chance. With a furious roar, his fingers flew in a hand seal, and a beam of golden sword light shot from his fingertips straight toward the old monster at Foundation Establishment Realm Great Perfection.

“True Lord, spare me!” Seeing this, the old monster's face paled drastically. He desperately activated his defensive magic artifact, hoping to block the blow.

In his towering rage, Patriarch Fang paid no heed to the plea for mercy, his expression remaining completely indifferent.

Like paper before a blade, the golden sword light effortlessly pierced through the shield of his magic artifact and plunged into his chest. The old monster let out a bloodcurdling scream as blood spurted out, his body instantly disintegrating into ash.

Having slain one, Patriarch Fang did not pause, turning immediately to hunt down the remaining members of the Seven Sons of Yuelin.

Seeing Patriarch Fang come to their aid, Shi Yu and Master Ji exchanged a look and nodded, stepping forward to assist him in wiping out the Seven Sons of Yuelin.

Though these people did not cultivate demonic techniques, they engaged in demonic deeds, having committed innumerable acts of robbery and murder—a true blight upon the world.

Patriarch Fang moved with terrifying speed. In just a few breaths, he struck down two more.

Horror seized the leading young man. He tried to activate a Teleportation Talisman to escape, but bound under Fang Yushan's divine sense, the talisman had no chance to take effect.

Despair gripped the remaining members. Knowing there was no escaping Patriarch Fang's grasp today, they could only fight back with all they had, hoping to carve out a slim chance of survival.

Noticing that Patriarch Fang cared about Shi Yu's safety, the young man grit his teeth, spun around, and clawed his five fingers toward Shi Yu to grab her.

Shi Yu's expression hardened, but she felt not a trace of fear. With the Divine Phoenix Seal still active and the boost from the Lesser Extreme Devouring Pill, her aura was in no way inferior to a standard early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Now that she was no longer surrounded, facing just this young man, she was more than capable of holding her own for a few moves.

Yet before he could even reach her, Patriarch Fang let out a cold snort from a short distance away. The young man's body suddenly stiffened, his eyes going lifeless. With a heavy thud, he collapsed straight to the ground, dead.

Shi Yu looked up, only to find that the entirety of the Seven Sons of Yuelin had already been eliminated by Patriarch Fang.

She clicked her tongue in awe, thinking to herself, The gap between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core truly is like a chasm.

The Seven Sons of Yuelin, notorious for their fierce reputation, were utterly powerless before a Golden Core powerhouse, dispatched without the slightest effort.

Patriarch Fang walked over to Shi Yu and Master Ji, asking with concern, “Miss Shi, Fellow Daoist Ji, are you both alright?”

Shi Yu and Master Ji hurriedly bowed. “Thank you for saving us, Patriarch Fang!”

Patriarch Fang waved his hand. “No need to be polite. You are friends of mine, Fang Yushan, so naturally I would stand up for you.”

Pausing, he turned to Shi Yu with a gentle smile. “Besides, I still have a favor to ask of Miss Shi.”

Seeing him bring this up, Shi Yu felt rather embarrassed. “I am truly sorry, Patriarch Fang. According to our agreement, I should have refined the Mengtian Pill over a year ago.”

Patriarch Fang raised a hand to cut off her apologies, smiling. “It was not your fault. Truth be told, seeing you safe and sound today is already a joyous surprise for me.”

News of the chaos within the Yanyang Spiritual Realm had spread through the first batch of alchemists who exited. Although the Fang Clan had fallen on hard times, having a Golden Core powerhouse like Patriarch Fang meant they were still well-informed.

When the Yanyang Spiritual Realm subsequently closed and vanished without Shi Yu, the tournament champion, emerging, rumors quickly spread. Everyone assumed she had met with disaster, perishing within.

Since the Mengtian Pill could only be concocted by someone possessing a Heavenly Fire, Patriarch Fang had been devastated upon hearing the news. Seeing Shi Yu alive now was truly a turn of fortune.

Shi Yu could not help but ask about his youngest daughter with the Calamity Physique, “How is Sheng'er?”

“Not good.” Patriarch Fang offered a bitter smile and shook his head, though he did not elaborate. Changing the subject, he glanced at President Song, who was still in the middle of breaking through, and said, “In fact, it was Sheng'er who sensed an anomaly in the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. Feeling uneasy, she asked me to come check this area.”

No wonder.

This area was remote. While President Song's breakthrough disrupted the spiritual Qi for a hundred miles around, the main city of Hengze Prefecture was half an hour away by cloud boat—far more than a hundred miles. Even if the disturbance reached that far, it would have been far too faint for normal people to detect.

Possessing the Calamity Physique gave Fang Sheng a subtle connection to the Heavenly Dao, making her perception and intuition exceptionally keen. It was thanks to her that Patriarch Fang arrived in time to save them.

Shi Yu glanced back and saw the golden light at President Song's lower abdomen growing increasingly condensed. Turning back to Fang Yushan, she said, “Patriarch Fang, as soon as our president finishes his breakthrough, I will begin refining the Mengtian Pill for Sheng'er.”

Patriarch Fang was overjoyed. “Wonderful, wonderful! In that case, I shall also stay here to stand guard for Fellow Daoist Song.”

Hearing this, Shi Yu and Master Ji bowed in gratitude once more.

With a late-stage Golden Core powerhouse guarding the area, they could finally relax completely.

...

As evening approached, the setting sun painted the clouds in vibrant shades of red before slowly sinking into the mountain forest. Waves rippled across the surface of the lake at the mountain's base, reflecting the glow of the sunset like an ink wash painting.

Suddenly, the spiritual Qi surrounding President Song contracted sharply, drawn inward as if devoured by a giant maw. At the same time, thunderclouds rolled across the sky, completely obscuring the setting sun and evening glow.

Having experienced this himself, Patriarch Fang narrowed his eyes and said, “Fellow Daoist Song has broken through his mental barrier; his Golden Core is about to form.”

Shi Yu looked up at the thunderclouds in the sky with a tinge of nervousness.

Overcoming the mental barrier was one obstacle, but enduring the lightning tribulation was another entirely.

With a deafening rumble, a beam of white light descended from the dense, crackling storm clouds, shooting straight toward the crown of President Song's head.

Fortunately, President Song had long prepared for this tribulation. Opening his eyes, sharp light gleaming within them, he hurled out two magic treasures in quick succession to block the lightning.

In an instant, the lightning slammed directly into the magic artifacts, cracking both of them on impact.

Unshaken, President Song braced for the second lightning strike. It fell soon after, spreading cracks across both magic artifacts until they were clearly on the verge of shattering.

President Song retrieved two more magic artifacts, a protective shield of light simultaneously materializing around his body.

The third and fourth lightning strikes grew even thicker and more terrifying. Upon impact, the original two magic artifacts shattered into countless fragments, falling dull and lifeless to the ground while the remaining electrical force surged past. Thanks to President Song's thorough preparation, neither strike managed to harm him.

...

A total of eighteen lightning strikes descended. After enduring them all without major mishap, President Song restrained his aura, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing for a brief moment.

When he opened his eyes again, his entire aura had completely transformed.

All three stepped forward to greet him. “Congratulations on reaching the Golden Core Realm, President Song!”

“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Song.”

Seeing Patriarch Fang present, President Song was somewhat surprised; his six senses had been sealed during his breakthrough, leaving him oblivious to what had transpired.

Shi Yu and Master Ji briefly explained the situation to him. His expression turning solemn, President Song quickly cupped his hands to Patriarch Fang. “Thank you for coming to our rescue, Patriarch Fang.”

Fang Yushan quickly supported him, chuckling softly. “It was no trouble at all. It is enough that you broke through smoothly, Fellow Daoist Song.”

Yet President Song shook his head, a hint of regret touching his expression. “It was merely a Two-Nine Lightning Tribulation...”

However, his regret vanished in an instant, replaced by a hearty laugh. “Spiritual Qi surges, the dantian stirs; a crash of thunder, the Golden Core forms! Unburdened of heart, boundless of intent; free and unbridled, let the winds and clouds rage! Hahaha!”