Heavenly Dao Nurturing, Fortune Blessing

My heart and my actions are as clear as a bright mirror.

This heart is like a sword, severing all obstacles!

This heart is like a mirror, reflecting the sun and moon.

My actions and my heart are both righteous. I am loyal to my own justice, and I will exhaust myself for my justice, even unto death.

I will advance towards my Dao, and I will not stop until I reach the summit.

"..."

Ling Xuanxiao shook his robes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

The wind around him swirled and came at him.

The sky seemed to be covered by a giant black curtain, so heavy it was almost suffocating.

The layers of dark clouds piled up like mountains, reaching straight for the heavens.

Within the thunderclouds, dazzling bolts of lightning flashed intermittently, streaking across the dark sky like dancing silver snakes.

Each lightning strike seemed to tear the oppressive world apart, accompanied by deafening roars. Rolling thunder churned and raged between the clouds.

The thunder grew louder and louder, like ten thousand horses galloping, or like mountains collapsing and the earth cracking, resounding through the heavens.

Who in this world does not strive to cross over? Even mortals can ascend to immortality!

Ling Xuanxiao was fully prepared, proceeding with utmost caution. Yet, at the final moment, he exuded an air of magnanimity.

"Swallowing a Golden Core into my belly, I finally know my fate is not dictated by heaven!!"

"BOOM—!!!"

At that very instant, the first bolt of lightning plunged down from the ink-black clouds.

Ling Xuanxiao's expression was grave, not daring to be careless in the slightest. The powerful magic within him surged like a raging river.

As the first bolt of lightning fell, the second, and then the third followed.

They fell almost simultaneously.

After the lightning tribulation, Ling Xuanxiao's eyes shone brightly.

He used his heart to feel the fierce collision and clash between every trace of power within him and the recently descended lightning tribulation.

The sensation was like surging waves crashing against rocks, or like raging flames searing steel.

After this baptism of lightning tribulation, the feeling became even more pronounced.

He knew the three bolts of lightning were just an appetizer.

The real test was about to begin.

Ling Xuanxiao formed hand seals and declared loudly:

"With my True Qi, I merge with the creation of heaven and earth! Thunder God, aid me!!"

"..."

"Which fellow Daoist is undergoing tribulation here!!"

Someone called out loudly, but received no reply.

The cultivator who spoke did not expect an answer; he was merely curious.

Passing cultivators stopped one after another, gazing at the scene in the distance.

Such a lightning tribulation naturally made them dare not approach.

Of course, there were occasionally those with ulterior motives and bold enough.

For example, Fanyue at this moment.

Approaching the lightning tribulation indeed made Fanyue's soul tremble.

But he quickly realized this was an opportunity.

A cultivator was at their weakest during tribulation, the perfect moment for Soul Possession!!

Foundation Establishment breaking through to Golden Core.

This... is the tribulation for a First-grade Golden Core?

Isn't this the perfect vessel prepared just for me?

The fourth, fifth, and sixth bolts of lightning descended in succession.

Fanyue's eyes widened, staring at the person undergoing tribulation with disbelief.

He was not surprised by this person's power. To Fanyue, there seemed to be no one in the world he could call a true expert.

Let alone a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage.

To Fanyue, Foundation Establishment and Golden Core were merely the difference between smaller ants and larger ants.

It was just that Fanyue had never seen anyone who could temper their own cultivation foundation to such perfection.

This body didn't seem to be forged through mortal cultivation, but rather an unparalleled work of art born from the meticulous carving and careful training of countless masters.

Fanyue smiled.

Heavenly Dao's protection!!

This body is mine now.

Heaven helps me! When undergoing tribulation, there wasn't even a Protector by his side.

If someone had protected him during the tribulation, Fanyue, in his current soul state, truly wouldn't have stood a chance.

Fanyue was overjoyed and rushed straight towards the person undergoing tribulation.

He silently recited incantations, expending his last reserves of strength.

He passed through layers of lightning tribulation and then plunged headfirst into the Soul Annihilation formation.

Fanyue let out a cold laugh.

Not stupid, he knew to set up a Soul Annihilation formation.

What a pity...

Just a mere pebble!

Fanyue destroyed the Soul Annihilation formation.

Then came the second layer, the third, the fourth, the fifth...

Fanyue: (O_o)??

Is this right?

Even Fanyue, with his formidable power, couldn't withstand so many formations for long.

Fanyue gritted his teeth. I don't believe you have any more.

As it turned out, he did.

Fanyue clenched his jaw and used every trick in his arsenal, finally breaking through a total of twelve layers of Soul Annihilation formations!

Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he was met with fiercely burning True Fire.

The scorching flames instantly engulfed him. This was the True Fire from Shushan's alchemy room.

Fanyue felt as if he were trapped inside a colossal furnace.

He finally managed to break free from the furnace.

The surrounding temperature plummeted, and translucent, exquisitely beautiful ice lotuses slowly bloomed.

These ice lotuses emanated a bone-chilling cold, like countless icy arrows, piercing directly towards Fanyue.

In an instant, he felt as if he had fallen into a bottomless ice cave, the cold seeping into his very bones.

Thus, Fanyue was alternately engulfed in a sea of fire, scorched by the True Fire.

Then he would fall into an ice cave, enduring the biting cold brought by the ice lotuses.

This torment of ice and fire was simply enough to make one wish for death.

But Fanyue still didn't give up; he had only one belief in his heart.

Love!!!

That's right, it was love.

Lin Wanqing's face appeared before his eyes.

Memories of the past, every little detail, surfaced.

I haven't told you I love you in this life yet.

Fanyue roared.

Finally, the figure he was looking for appeared before him.

"Your body is mine now."

Fanyue chanted, lunging directly at Ling Xuanxiao.

In the blink of an eye, the power of his soul surged like a tidal wave into Ling Xuanxiao's body.

However, just as Fanyue successfully possessed the body, believing everything was under his control, an unforeseen change occurred!

Almost simultaneously, he felt an unprecedented sense of wrongness.

"This is bad!"

Fanyue cried out in his heart, but it was already too late to escape.

Because the body tightly bound his soul within it.

No matter how Fanyue struggled or resisted, he couldn't break free from the body's confinement.

At the same time, Fanyue discovered with terror that a colossal figure appeared before his eyes—it was the Confucian Sage's Golden Body Dharma Idol!

This Dharma Idol radiated dazzling golden light all over.

Those brilliant golden lights were like countless sharp arrows, mercilessly shooting towards Fanyue's body.

A series of shrill screams rang out. Under the assault of these golden lights, Fanyue's soul became riddled with holes, suffering immense pain.

He desperately tried to resist the terrifying attack, but alas, the gap in strength between them was too vast. His efforts appeared so pale and powerless.

"..."

Ling Xuanxiao sensed an intrusion but didn't know it was Fanyue.

He didn't get distracted; his own setup had no flaws.

He only needed to face the lightning tribulation wholeheartedly.

Ling Xuanxiao shook his robes.

A First-grade Golden Core, a Four-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation. Each lightning bolt possessed a different level of power.

But it seemed not as strong as he had imagined.

Had it... succeeded?

Ling Xuanxiao felt the power within his body.

Hmm? Wait!

It seemed he had triggered a hidden one.

What Ling Xuanxiao didn't know was that by completely killing Fanyue just now, karma had returned to him.

The Heavenly Dao Nurturing, coupled with a Fortune Blessing.

Thus, the generous Heavenly Dao decided to brew something big for Ling Xuanxiao.