Chapter 317: The Tribulation Begins

Lightning flashed, revealing a purple serpent; thunder roared, rousing hibernating creatures.

Fireflies and brilliant sparks flew like firelight; peals of thunder shattered mountain caves—

Just as Chen Heng raised his head to gaze at the sky, the hundreds of female attendants and several dragon daughters within the Fan Fan Dongtian were startled by this commotion.

However, the turbulence of this Lei Ting was far less fierce than that of ten years ago, and furthermore, having received prior instructions, they were already aware of the situation.

Thus, the women felt no panic, merely craning their necks in curiosity, their eyes flashing back and forth.

"So this is the Lesser Pure Yang Lightning? How formidable."

A dragon daughter, exquisitely carved like jade and brimming with spiritual charm, shrank her neck slightly and spoke with lingering fear:

"I heard that merely because Chen Chen Yushu's offspring is about to successfully Break Through Realm, they must endure being struck by this Lei Ting? It is truly strange; must they unnecessarily incur an additional tribulation?

What kind of Mi Fa did Chen Chen Yushu actually employ to achieve such a feat?"

"As for what Mi Fa it is, few across the Nine Provinces and Four Seas know clearly; if you wish to uncover the truth, I fear you can only ask Chen Chen Yushu directly."

Beside her, a dragon daughter of about twenty years, with skin like snow and a face full of bewitching affection, raised her eyebrows slightly and spoke.

This remark made several dragon daughters smile, shaking their heads as they began to tease one another, provoking the spiritual dragon daughter into anger as she chased them to strike.

For a moment, various hems and skirts swayed about, resembling moonlight gathering on hills or the rich brilliance of flowers, presenting a unique spectacle.

Before entering this Hongze Longevity Sin-Extraction Fan Fan Dongtian, they had all been specifically instructed to do their utmost to establish a connection with Chen Heng of the Main Palace.

If they could form a Dao Companion bond, it would be considered a Da Gong, and they would be heavily rewarded!

However, over these past ten years, Chen Heng had remained solely in the quiet chamber, internally refining the Three Treasures and harmonizing the yin and yang within his body, never stepping out even a single pace.

Not to mention establishing any connection, they had not even managed to exchange more than a few words with him.

Furthermore, once a cultivator opens the Bridge between Heaven and Earth, they gain the ability to consume Qi, drawing upon spiritual essence to nourish their physical shell, rendering their flesh incorruptible.

Consequently, this left the dragon daughters without even a pretext to serve tea or fetch water.

And after suffering setbacks in their hearts,

as days passed,

the dragon daughters instead came to view the situation with equanimity.

After all, this place was serene and undisturbed, and being a superior-grade Fan Fan Dongtian, it possessed abundant spiritual essence, making it perfectly suitable for cultivation.

It was better to leverage this geographical advantage to advance their Mei Mei Gongxing; that, at least, was a proper undertaking.

Just as the women were laughing and playing, a clear, resonant sound was suddenly heard; following the noise, they saw the formations at the Main Palace suddenly withdraw.

A handsome Daoist wearing purple robes and a golden crown cast a cold gaze toward the sky, gave his sleeve a slight flick, and was instantly enveloped by a stream of spiritual light descending from above, escaping beyond the Fan Fan Dongtian.

"Is he going to undergo Tribulation Crossing right now?"

Seeing Chen Heng's figure vanish in a flash, a dragon daughter dressed in lake-blue skirts and holding a jade flute asked in surprise:

"He is clearly within the Fan Fan Dongtian where he could delay matters; is he not waiting to stabilize his Mei Mei Gongxing before rushing into such danger?"

"This Lei Ting might be perilous for others, but for him..."

A dragon daughter shook her head slightly, her meaning self-evident.

At this moment,

outside the Hongze Longevity Sin-Extraction Fan Fan Dongtian,

the spiritual light on Chen Heng's body drifted away slowly like willow catkins, fading into nothingness.

Within the deep, dense clouds, electric snakes danced wildly, fierce winds howled, and rapid Lei Ting flashed and extinguished in an instant, the brightness blindingly intense.

The majestic power of Heaven and Earth truly shook one's spirit and mind!

Were it not for those of unyielding will, facing such a scene would inevitably induce a sense of trance, a momentary lapse of consciousness.

In the mere instant after Chen Heng exited the Fan Fan Dongtian, the rolling clouds spreading out like a leaden mountain seemed to finally find a target, erupting with a thunderous shout!

Soon, the first bolt of Lesser Pure Yang Lightning tore through the vast sky, locked onto Chen Heng's figure, and struck down fiercely!

Chen Heng let out a loud shout, moved his intent, and a beam of sword light flew out to meet it head-on.

The two collided, emitting a piercing screech; the Lei Jin Guang exploded into countless golden raindrops, scattering massively in all directions, while the sword light circled through the void and was firmly grasped once again in Chen Heng's hand.

The sky fell silent.

But not long after, another streak of Lei Jin Guang pierced through the cloud mist, arriving in the blink of an eye!

Hongze Longevity Sin-Extraction Fan Fan Dongtian.

Shortly thereafter.

Suddenly, spiritual light fluctuated, parting the barrier of the Fan Fan Dongtian to descend into the Main Palace, revealing Chen Heng's figure from within.

After bowing in greeting to the several dragon daughters, Chen Heng did not linger, but walked back into the quiet chamber and activated the formations.

Although the Lesser Pure Yang Lightning during this Break Through Realm was far more fierce than during his Purple Palace stage, it merely required some additional effort and was not truly difficult to handle.

After resting and regulating his breath for half an hour, waiting until his true Qi had returned to its former state,

Chen Heng did not delay further; he slowly exhaled a long breath, calmed his mind, then reached into his sleeve, seized the Golden Cicada, and sank his consciousness into the True Dharma Realm.

This time, a full three months passed; only after meticulously traversing every possible path within and ensuring no errors remained

did he open his eyes, his gaze shifting slightly.

Then, flicking his sleeve, five objects instantly burst open their casings, soaring to the space above his head, radiating brilliant light of five colors that illuminated the entire quiet chamber with majestic brightness, akin to a thousand candles burning against the sky!

"Essences of the Primordial Five Elements..."

Chen Heng thought silently.

Dew from the Mulberry, Huang Long Gall, Two-Breath Geng Lead, Xuanque Lingzhi, and Vermilion Wheel Precious Canopy.

As these five innate essences were released, one could see vast green clouds, hazy yellow mist, blazing Jin Jin Guang, roaring black water, and surging fire essence.

In terms of quality, this Hongze Longevity Sin-Absolution Fan Fan Dongtian far surpassed the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua.

If the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua operated at a ratio of three days inside the cave-heaven to one day in the present world,

then this Hongze Longevity Sin-Absolution offered a full eight days inside the cave-heaven for every single day that passed outside!

Yet from the moment he entered the cave-heaven, there remained over four years until the deadline for the Qiyuan Mountain Da Bi De Qi.

But if placed within the cave-heaven, those four-plus years of time amounted to a full thirty-two years and more!

Even cultivating to the first layer of the Cave-Mystic Realm—the Dragon-Tiger Furnace had consumed a full ten years, leaving only twenty-two years remaining.

But twenty-two years should be sufficient for him to achieve the second layer of the Cave-Mystic Realm and refine several powerful techniques.

At this moment, Chen Heng formed a hand seal, lifted his true qi, and first directed it toward the Mulberry Dew.

In merely an instant, Chen Heng felt a refreshing new flow of life-growth spread throughout his body; his liver and gallbladder trembled slightly, and even the Dragon-Tiger Furnace above his qi sea was faintly tinged with a hue of verdant green.

After roughly half an incense stick's time, only a shallow layer of the Mulberry Dew atop his head had been consumed.

Chen Heng suddenly flicked his sleeve, temporarily abandoning the Mulberry Dew to focus solely on the Huang Long Gall.

He activated his Xue Xuan Gong once more, proceeding exactly as before...

At the very instant Chen Heng began refining the five innate essences,

in Xudu Capital, Nanchan Province,

within the Rongcheng Rongcheng Duming Fan Fan Dongtian in the water,

Chen Chen Yushu, who was engaged in a game of Go with someone, suddenly felt something, swept through his own tribulation fortune, smiled slightly, and casually tossed aside the chess piece in his hand.

"The tribulation count has diminished by several points... Is my son truly so formidable that he has already cultivated to the Cave-Mystic Realm?"

He clapped his hands and said:

"Since that is the case, this father must truly take action; such excellent talent and fine quality, if not kept by my side for careful instruction by the Xixin Sect, would truly be a pity!"

(End of Chapter)