Tribulation

The people most concerned about Wen Lanfeng were naturally the Wen family. Wen Rui had already sent people to wait Demon Ghost Domain, while he himself was stationed at the Wen family to make arrangements. What were they making arrangements for? Naturally, they were preparing for the Wen family's future after Bi Changchun killed Wen Lanfeng. Since it concerned the rise and fall of a large Lineage, they had to prepare early.

In the sacred temple of the Biyuan Kingdom, Wen Rui stood alone in the center of the hall, spending more than ten days in anxious unease. Then, news came from the disciples sent to guard the Demon Ghost Domain: the Old Ancestor had safely returned from the Demon Ghost Domain, heading straight for the Biyuan Kingdom.

"Ah..." Wen Rui roared, his voice booming, causing the furnishings in the hall to crash and scatter, releasing all the anxiety and unease that had accumulated over the past few days. He hadn't told anyone else this news, because the Ancestor disliked such pomp and circumstance. His figure flashed, and he appeared alone above the sacred land, his face filled with excitement as he awaited the Ancestor's return...

As a figure rapidly approached from afar, Wen Rui was even more excited; his ancestor's cultivation had indeed greatly increased. Then, in a flash, a tall figure dressed in a gray-white robe stood before him, the robe fluttering gently in the wind. Wen Lanfeng smiled faintly and said, "Wen Rui, you've worked hard these past years."

These words almost brought tears to Wen Rui's eyes. He bowed deeply and said, "Welcome, Ancestor!"

"We'll talk back there." Wen Lanfeng had already disappeared, but his voice still lingered. Wen Rui turned back.

The sacred palace of the Biyuan Kingdom, nestled deep in the mountains and by the beautiful waters, is a palace built of white jade, pure white and warm, elegant and extraordinary. Wen Lanfeng walked slowly inside. The things that had been scattered all over the floor had already been cleaned up, and the palace was still clean and tidy.

Because jade is translucent, and the dome is made of thin jade for light transmission, the entire temple was bathed in a soft white light. The sacred atmosphere filled everyone's hearts with a sense of purity and clarity. Wen Lanfeng quietly walked to the central seat, which was slightly higher than the rest of the hall, and sat down. Enveloped in the holy white light, he smiled at Wen Rui, who had followed him, and asked, "Were you waiting for me outside?"

Although their cultivation levels differed by only two ranks, Wen Rui was Wen Lanfeng's great-grandson, making them family. Furthermore, Wen Lanfeng was always amiable, so Wen Rui wasn't nervous. He calmly replied, "I heard that the Ancestor has returned from the Demon Ghost Domain; naturally, Wen Rui must welcome him."

"I'm asking you a personal question, I don't know if you know the answer," Wen Lanfeng said.

"Who?" Wen Rui originally wanted to ask about the battle between the ancestor and Bi Changchun, but since the ancestor had asked, he naturally had to answer first.

"Yue Qianchou!" Wen Lanfeng asked, "Have you ever heard of this person?"

"Yue Qianchou?" Wen Rui was taken aback. Although he didn't understand why his ancestor would mention Yue Qianchou, he still answered without hesitation, "I not only know him, but we also associated with each other for a period of time. The matter started with Mr. Nongzhu. This Yue Qianchou impersonated Mr. Nongzhu and got into a fight with my Wen family..."

He recounted how the Wen family met Yue Qianchou. Then, during the martial arts competition in the Great Yang Kingdom to select a consort, Yue Qianchou fought fiercely with cultivators from various countries. Furthermore, Yue Qianchou's subordinates insulted the Princess the Great Yang Kingdom, and in order to protect his subordinates, he killed Huo Zongming's disciple and then fled the Dayang City... These were all messages sent back by Wen Bai.

"Impersonating Nong Zhu?" Wen Lanfeng was taken aback, then understood. The two guys knew each other, but after hearing Wen Rui's words, Yue Qianchou really was as Nong Zhu described—a bit unethical. Was this the kind of guy he was supposed to protect? He shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I heard Yue Qianchou has gotten into some trouble recently?"

"Yes." Wen Rui nodded and recounted Yue Qianchou's massacre in the Misty Forest. After finishing, he sighed, "This guy has an endless stream of extraordinary skills Divergent Method. I never expected him to be able to come and go freely in the Misty Forest. I heard from Mr. Nongzhu that he has a very powerful background, but I don't know the specifics."

"They certainly have quite a background; Nong Zhu was right," Wen Lanfeng sighed.

"What is his background? Can the ancestor tell us?" Wen Rui asked curiously.

"Keep it to your ears, don't spread it any further." Wen Lanfeng sighed and said, "Yue Qianchou is Bi Changchun's disciple."

"What?" Wen Rui exclaimed in surprise, "I had guessed it before, but I didn't expect it to actually be Bi Changchun's disciple." After realizing what he meant, he asked somewhat nervously, "Did Ancestor go to the Demon Ghost Domain to find Bi Changchun this time?"

Wen Lanfeng understood something from his flickering eyes, shook his head and sighed, "Defeated! Defeated by Bi Changchun again, and even more miserably than a hundred years ago. My life hung by a thread, and Nong Zhu saved me again. Heh! Bi Changchun, oh Bi Changchun, you are someone I can never surpass." His tone was full of bitterness.

Wen Rui remained silent. Nong Zhu had already told him that the Ancestor was no match for Bi Changchun, so he was well aware of the situation and not surprised. At least the Ancestor had returned alive, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. He paused and said, "Ancestor, many people in the Cultivation World are concerned about this matter."

"Hmph! A bunch of ignorant fools, everyone knows what they're up to. I should have just let Bi Changchun handle it himself, and that would have been the end of it." Wen Lanfeng sneered, "But it's fine, it saves me the trouble of going through all that trouble. I can just wait for the guests to arrive."

Wen Rui nodded, then added softly, "Ancestor, not long after you left, Senior Lou from Lingfang Valley came looking for you."

Upon hearing this, Wen Lanfeng stood up abruptly, his expression filled with excitement as he murmured to himself, "She came to find me in person? She came to find me in person..."

After a few excited words, his expression darkened again. He shook his head and said, "I'm afraid you've come to see me for no other reason than to stop me from going to the Demon Ghost Domain to find Bi Changchun. Heh! I haven't kept my promise to defeat Bi Changchun. How can I face you? I'm afraid I'll never have that chance in my lifetime. Why bother seeing you again..."

Wen Rui lowered his head, feeling helpless. "Ancestor! Wake up!" However, this was the ancestor's private matter, and it was not his place to interfere.

Yue Qianchou, hidden deep within the Misty Forest, was completely unaware of what was happening outside. Knowing he had become a master in the early Tribulation stage Realm, he gleefully surveyed his surroundings, standing on the golden altar and grinning unrestrainedly, figuring he was all alone in the place.

Before leaving, Yue Qianchou suddenly raised his arms and shouted, "Thank you, Misty Forest! Thank you, this great formation! Thank you, lovely gold! Thank you, heaven! Thank you, earth!" His words of gratitude abruptly ended as dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, accompanied by rumbling thunder.

"What does this mean? Could it be that someone from the Immortal Realm has come again?" Yue Qianchou lowered his hands and looked around in astonishment at the Seven-Colored Mist on the mountain peaks. He guessed that another immortal was about to suffer.

He stepped back a few paces, standing at the edge of the altar, making way for the gods to descend to earth. Yue Qianchou watched coldly with his arms crossed, humming, "Life is short, like a fleeting morning glow. I doubt many people will witness a god's demise!" He looked quite smug, wondering what treasures the next god might possess.

Outside the Misty Forest, the cultivators from various countries had long since dispersed. However, some people remained lurking in the surrounding clouds. These were people left behind by their respective countries to continue observing, in case Yue Qianchou stole the chicken and ran away. Even if they didn't catch him, at least someone would follow him if they discovered him.

However, these people suddenly noticed that dark clouds were rolling in and lightning was flashing above the central area of Misty Forest. The dark clouds continued to churn and accumulate into a thick layer, with electric dragons appearing and disappearing within them, spewing out ferocious and dazzling bolts of lightning, their power growing increasingly terrifying.

"It's a tribulation cloud!" a cultivator in the early Tribulation stage suddenly exclaimed. A man beside him frowned and said, "Something is undergoing tribulation in the Misty Forest. We don't know if it's a human, a demon, or a ghost."

Those hidden within the clouds emerged one after another, for the power contained within the tribulation clouds was immense, far exceeding the power endured by those undergoing tribulation below. If the surrounding clouds were affected, those hiding inside would likely face dire consequences.

Actually, there's something that neither Yue Qianchou, hiding inside, nor the cultivators from various countries hiding outside know. When the Ascension Passage opened before, although dark clouds covered the sky and lightning flashed, those outside the Misty Forest saw or heard nothing. It's only this time, with the appearance of the tribulation clouds, that everyone has seen it.

Standing on the golden altar with his arms Yue Qianchou gradually sensed that something was amiss. The winds and clouds were turbulent. There was indeed lightning and thunder, but unlike last time, it didn't condense into a black hole; instead, it seemed as if some conspiracy was brewing in the air.

A fierce wind swept through the basin, Yue Qianchou was like a small boat in a stormy sea. He originally wanted to leave, but in order to see what new things were happening behind him, he had no choice but to hug a golden pillar to protect himself from the wind.

"Damn it! I'll endure this for a good show! I hope it won't disappoint me," Yue Qianchou, hugging a pillar and pointing to the sky. He thought this commotion was even bigger than the last time the immortals descended to earth, and that there would probably be a good show to watch, and maybe even greater benefits. As it turned out, heaven immediately gave him his answer.

With a deafening roar, the sound echoed throughout the basin. A thick, menacing bolt of lightning crashed down, illuminating the entire basin. The sheer force and power of the attack were astonishing.

Yue Qianchou felt a blinding light and squinted, but before he could react, he felt as if struck by lightning, his whole body going numb. Clinging to the golden pillar, he was instantly thrown back, tumbling to the center of the golden altar. His entire body was blackened, his clothes tattered, the smoke rising from his body swept away by the wind, and he lay there with his eyes rolled back, instantly unconscious.

The so-called tribulation is the ninefold heavenly tribulation, each layer stronger than the last. Successfully enduring it means passing the tribulation; the consequences of failing are obvious. In fact, the early Tribulation stage are not particularly difficult for most cultivators to withstand. However, Yue Qianchou hadn't even considered the tribulation; he was simply waiting to watch the spectacle. As a result, he was caught completely off guard and subjected to the wrath of the thunderbolts. No wonder he suffered misfortune—that's what you call retribution.

The lightning flashed more frequently in the dark clouds, foreshadowing an even more powerful strike. However, Yue Qianchou had truly lost Yue Qianchou. At that very moment, a golden light suddenly erupted from his abdomen, brighter than the entire golden altar, slowly enveloping him...

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