Chapter 287: Tribulation Crossing

"To ask the Immortal Platform, it costs one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

"After paying the spirit stones, I'll give you an Immortal Ascension Token!"

"With the Immortal Ascension Token, you can go to the Ask the Immortal Platform to undergo the Tribulation!"

The female cultivator looked at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng nodded and said, "Fine, give me one!"

He handed over ten mid-grade spirit stones.

After taking the spirit stones, the female cultivator gave him a red token.

He Pingsheng then passed the token to Qiao Huizhu.

The female cultivator behind the counter said, "Which one of you two is undergoing the Tribulation?"

He Pingsheng blinked in surprise: "Huh… does it matter?"

The female cultivator said, "It doesn't matter—but if this sister is the one undergoing the Tribulation, be sure to protect your privacy!"

"What do you mean?" He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu both froze.

The female cultivator said, "When the heavenly tribulation is too strong, it will tear your Dao robe clean off…"

"Then countless people will watch—you'll be ruined!"

Fuck…

He Pingsheng shuddered: This fucking… if she hadn't warned me, my wife would've been exposed!

"Thank you, thank you…" He Pingsheng bowed with deep gratitude, secretly slipping a storage bag to the female cultivator. "Thanks for the heads-up!"

This warning was absolutely crucial.

So the question now was:

How could they avoid exposure?

He Pingsheng took out the Brocade Cloud Robe and handed it to Qiao Huizhu. "Sister, you should wear this!"

The Brocade Cloud Robe had no attack or defense capabilities.

But it could conceal the wearer's body.

In other words, it couldn't defend, but no ordinary method could destroy it.

After all, the Brocade Cloud Robe was a top-grade ancient treasure with twenty layers of sealing.

It couldn't be easily destroyed.

"Alright!" Qiao Huizhu took the Brocade Cloud Robe.

She wasn't wearing it for the first time.

"Also!" He Pingsheng said, "Don't bring out the Seven-Clasp Sharp Metal Armor at first—use your own methods to defend initially!"

"Only when you're truly on the verge of collapse should you use that armor!"

"Mm-hmm…" Qiao Huizhu nodded.

He Pingsheng had given Qiao Huizhu far more than just these two items—he also gave her two 【Ice Origin Talismans】.

The Ice Origin Talisman was a top-grade third-rank talisman, strengthened by He Pingsheng after slaying Bai Shangli, using one of his own third-rank ice-type talismans.

When activated, it could summon an ice-elemental defensive barrier.

Soon, the two arrived at the Ask the Immortal Platform.

The Ask the Immortal Platform was a raised dais roughly ten zhang in diameter.

It was very tall—thirty zhang high.

The platform was forged from special materials capable of withstanding heavenly tribulation lightning.

Qiao Huizhu sat cross-legged directly atop the dais.

Seeing someone undergo the Tribulation, many cultivators gathered around.

After all, the city lord's court permitted spectators at Tribulation ceremonies.

"Heh…"

"It's a female cultivator!"

"My god, this woman is stunningly beautiful."

"Zzzz… this sister's skin is so smooth, so pale and soft!"

"Hehehe… I hope she's not wearing anything underneath—when the tribulation strips her bare, we'll get a real show, hahaha…"

Someone leered and laughed lewdly.

But soon, everyone around him sneered in disgust.

He Pingsheng left the dais and landed among the crowd.

Only Qiao Huizhu could be present during the Tribulation—no one else was allowed inside her lightning zone.

Otherwise, they'd be instantly killed by the heavenly tribulation.

Qiao Huizhu closed her eyes, meditated, and calmed her spirit.

After about half a stick of incense, she suddenly swallowed a 【Chaoyuan Elixir】.

Though the top-grade Chaoyuan Elixir vanished in an instant, many cultivators caught sight of it.

"My god… that was a top-grade Chaoyuan Elixir!"

"Who could possibly have crafted such an elixir?"

"Isn't this a guaranteed path to Golden Core?"

"Incredible!"

Everyone gasped in awe.

Meanwhile, after swallowing the Chaoyuan Elixir, Qiao Huizhu's Golden Core began forming in her dantian.

Countless spiritual energies coalesced into a single Golden Core.

Within half a stick of incense, the Golden Core was complete.

The instant her Golden Core formed, a dark cloud suddenly appeared in the clear sky.

Boom… boom…

Within the dense leaden clouds, countless lightning bolts, like serpents, writhed and surged.

One after another, strand after strand.

The sight was terrifying.

Boom…

In an instant, the countless flickering lightning bolts within the dark cloud condensed into nine silver bolts, each as thick as a finger, striking down from the sky.

All nine bolts targeted Qiao Huizhu.

First wave.

Legend said the first wave of heavenly tribulation was weak—barely requiring defense.

So Qiao Huizhu made no move to defend—she endured the lightning with her bare body.

Zzzz…

Boom…

Lightning writhed over Qiao Huizhu's body; she felt numbness flood her limbs, gritted her teeth, and rode out the first wave unharmed.

And she suffered not a single scratch.

About twenty breaths after the first wave ended, the second wave descended without delay.

This time, Qiao Huizhu didn't underestimate it.

"Open…"

She whispered, and her Ironwood Shield instantly unfurled.

The Ironwood Shield bore eight layers of sealing.

"Heavens… that's a top-grade spirit artifact?"

"Well, she'll definitely pass now!"

"One spirit artifact can withstand even fourth- or fifth-rank heavenly tribulations!"

"No doubt about it!"

"Let's go—we won't see anything naked now…"

Boom…

The second wave of heavenly tribulation was fully blocked by Qiao Huizhu's raised shield.

Then came the third, then the fourth.

Both were blocked by the shield.

Just as everyone assumed the tribulation would end after the fourth wave, thick lightning arcs began coalescing again within the dark void.

What?

Everyone froze in shock.

"Five-Nine Heavenly Tribulation?"

"No way… it's been ten years since the last Five-Nine Tribulation appeared on this city lord's Ask the Immortal Platform!"

All eyes turned in awe to Qiao Huizhu.

A Five-Nine Heavenly Tribulation meant the cultivator possessed not only extraordinary talent but immense fortune.

Anyone who summoned a Five-Nine Tribulation was inevitably a prodigy of their generation.

Becoming a Nascent Soul was merely a matter of time.

Swoosh…

Swoosh swoosh…

Several streaks of light shot in from different directions of the Lord's mansion and landed in the void.

Flight was forbidden in Hongshi City.

Yet these three individuals could fly above the Lord's mansion— their status and position were obvious.

He Pingsheng lifted his head and gazed at the void.

There were three of them.

One elder, his cultivation base unreadable.

One woman, and one middle-aged man.

All three of them had unreadable cultivation bases.

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense had already reached nearly six thousand zhang.

Comparable to the peak of Golden Core.

Even a Golden Core twelfth-layer cultivator, he could see through.

If he could not see through them, it could only mean these three were all Great Nascent Soul.

This…

A Tribulation Crossing had drawn the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators?