Chapter 613.2: Tribulation of the Sacred Land (1/2)
A blazing ancient tree slowly drifted down from the sky, taking root in Dusk Province.
A nine-headed phoenix bathed in dark-red flames roosted on its branches. The flames abruptly flickered in unison and flared up around the phoenix. When it next emerged, it had transformed into a slender girl roughly seventeen years of age. Donning feathers of the seven colors, bright eyes and teeth gleamed in her face. Her existence alone was an ethereal breath of fresh air.
At the center of her brows, though, was a crimson pattern, which imparted to her a ghostly presence.
“It’s you.” Scarlet Ape’s eyes blazed. When the seal of the dragon nest had broken open, it’d missed many opportunities because of its fight with the nine-headed phoenix, Ghost Dragon, head of the Ingress Island, and the head of the Dark North Sword Sect. Moreover, it hadn’t recovered its full strength until recently.
“It’s me.” The girl smiled. “You may call me Ghost Phoenix.”
As she extended a hand, the Fire Parasol Tree trembled and turned into a sapling, then landed in her palm.
A ripple of water traveled through the air, from within which emerged another figure. It was Ghost Dragon; he stared at Scarlet Ape with his hands behind his back.
The Great Peng was filled with dread; any of those three could easily kill it. They exceeded the origin dao immortal realm and were firmly in the ingress realm!
I thought that with the daoist nun of Violetsky leaving and the nine celestial emperors abdicating their thrones, I’d be the strongest in the world of immortals, with complete freedom to do anything I wanted...
As the aura about the three monsters grew increasingly powerful, fear overtook the Great Peng’s gaze. Their presence had frozen everything in the area, paralyzing it like a fly caught in amber.
“Looking to pick a fight with me?” asked a mild voice.
Boom!
The combined energy of the three monstrous beings shattered, lifting a great weight from the Great Peng’s body. Despite its liberation, it still didn’t dare move a muscle.
A violet figure glided across the sky like something out of a dream. Above her head floated the Cosmic Eyes exuding soft, silver starlight. Empress Myrtlestar crooked a finger at Scarlet Ape.
“Let us fight higher in the firmament.” She streaked into a ray of violet and soared heavenward. Scarlet Ape scoffed before following suit out of the world of immortals, leaving Ghost Phoenix, Ghost Dragon, and the Great Peng as the only powerful beings in Dusk Province.
The divine bird didn’t dare move a muscle, and immortals from different clans who’d invaded Dusk shuddered with fear as well. Crippled origin dao immortals were further intimidated into inaction.
Dusk Province was peaceful again, save for Lu Yun and Xing Chen’s bloody fight with the monsters crawling out of the Blood Sea.
This was Lu Yun’s tribulation; no one could land a hand.
……
“Who would’ve thought that such powerful beings existed in the current world of immortals?!” The immortals taking refuge over the North Sea were chilled to the bones. Realization was setting in that they might have underestimated the conflict arising in Dusk Province.
“The Exalted Immortal Sect is right, though,” someone worried. “Considering what kind of person Lu Yun is, and his usual style, him establishing the sacred land will undermine the foundation of the peak clans.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. The projection of the Dao Flower is on the verge of collapse. As long as we break the projection, his sacred land won’t be recognized by the world or living spirits. He won’t be able to do much by himself,” someone said in a vicious tone. “Besides, Lu Yun has yet to overcome his tribulation. There’s still a chance to kill him.”
That got everyone’s attention.
An immortal tribulation.
There were a good number of void realm cultivators, and nearly as many void-ascended immortals in the world now. A majority, however, had died in their tribulations.
Heavenly tribulations were no trifling matter.
To cultivators, tribulations were blades hanging over their heads. No one could be absolutely certain that they would be able to overcome theirs. The more potential one possessed, and the greater their talent, the more powerful their tribulation.
Many of the nine lords and thirty-six champions of the Sovereign Meet, great personages who’d left their marks on the world of immortals, had met an untimely demise in just that way.
“Lu Yun is incredibly talented, it’s no exaggeration to call him the greatest cultivator of the world of immortals. Do you remember how the Exalted Immortal Sect went after Pill Fairy Yu Ying, twelve hundred years ago?”
That struck a chord.
Although Yu Ying hadn’t died in their eyes, what the sect had done was chilling beyond comparison. They’d sent numerous cultivators about to face their tribulations into Yu Ying’s, sacrificing them to increase hers to the maximum.
“Lu Yun won’t survive his tribulation,” a dao immortal from Thundergale Major said with a vicious curl of his lip. “No cultivators need to be sacrificed this time. I have a better idea. Things are too unpredictable at the moment, but Dusk Province will be destroyed when Lu Yun weathers his tribulation.”
……
In the end, the Exalted Immortal Sect retreated and House Donglin fled. Donglin Taihuang survived, albeit with serious injuries.
The danger, however, persisted.
Ghost Phoenix and Ghost Dragon looked gravely at the almost tangible Blood Sea. The monsters that should've been illusions to anyone outside Lu Yun were gradually turning physical as well.
“Lu Yun’s tribulation is ending, but Dusk Province’s tribulation will soon follow.” Ghost Phoenix's delicate eyebrows drew close together in worry. “We aren’t residents of Dusk Province, so we can’t defend it against its trial.”