Xiao Yue Faces His Tribulation: The Sword of Heavenly Punishment (Part One)

For Zhuge Xiang, who was already the Squad Leader, the matter of Shuzhong City was no longer a big deal. With the help of the group members and the power of the Asura Warship, the cultivation family in Shuzhong City was easily wiped out with almost no effort.

After settling matters in Shuzhong City, Zhuge Xiang and his entourage boarded the Asura Warship and flew towards Ink Martial City, watched by the people of Shuzhong City.

Upon returning to Ink Martial City, one could sense the joyous atmosphere throughout the Inner Sect, a result of the victory in the war. After nearly half a month of handling the affairs of the fallen disciples, the rewards that the Inner Sect Disciple had been eagerly awaiting finally began.

Having won the war, Yanling Commandery will gain more resources, which will naturally fall into the hands of the Asura Sect Disciples.

Zhuge Xiang had no idea how the three Hall Master negotiated with the people from those Small and Medium-Sized Sects. These days, Zhuge Xiang had been busy collecting the materials for making the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine. After half a month, he had collected almost all of the materials for the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine. However, Zhuge Xiang still had not found the last ingredient, the Fire Black Lotus, nor had he found any clues about it.

Ink Martial City is the Commandery City of Yanling Commandery. Even with Zhuge Xiang's current prestige, it is difficult to find the Fire Black Lotus in Ink Martial City, which shows its rarity.

The Fire Black Lotus is a peculiar medicinal flower that requires a hot growing environment. It often grows near Volcano Magma, where the Fire Black Lotus Magma the heat needed for its growth. However, it cannot be too close, or it will be scorched. This demanding growing environment limits the number of Fire Black Lotus.

With the war over and the victory of the Asura Sect, they have recently begun to work intensively to prepare for the mining of Spirit Stone Vein. Half a month later, the Inner Sect will begin to reward the disciples for their performance in the war, with Spirit Stone as a reward. Zhuge Xiang unexpectedly received a high-grade Spirit Stone as a reward.

Spirit Stone Coin are the same currency used in the Cultivation World. One thousand Spirit Stone Coin are equivalent to one low-grade Spirit Stone spirit stone. The currency exchange rate in the Cultivation World is calculated based on a base-1000 system. One high-grade Spirit Stone is equivalent to one thousand mid-grade Spirit Stone.

"Is this high-grade Spirit Stone?" Zhuge Xiang Zhuge Xiang, taking out the high-grade Spirit Stone and examining it closely after returning to his room.

In the Cultivation World, only those Void Realm Great Expert Cultivator at the Void Realm can afford Deity Transformation high-grade Spirit Stone. Even cultivators at the high-grade Spirit Stone can only look on with envy.

A Spirit Stone Vein yields only a handful of high-grade Spirit Stone, yet Zhuge Xiang unexpectedly received a high-grade Spirit Stone as a reward, demonstrating just how highly Zhuge Xiang performance on the Battlefield was regarded.

The high-grade Spirit Stone that Zhuge Xiang obtained was only half the size of his palm. Unlike the mid-grade Spirit Stone and low-grade Spirit Stone, the high-grade Spirit Stone was crystal clear, like a crystal. Inside the Spirit Stone, one could see the flow of spiritual energy with the naked eye. Occasionally, it would transform into a dragon-shaped Phantom Image, which was beautiful and magnificent. The transformation of spiritual energy into a dragon was the mark of high-grade Spirit Stone.

As for Spirit Stone, Zhuge Xiang had no shortage of them. Although Deity Transformation Stage Cultivator all had their own private storage spaces, the Storage Ring of those Limit Expert still contained many valuable items, as well as treasures they had seized, such as the Treasure Artifact used by the four Deity Transformation Stage Cultivators of the Li Family in Shuzhong City...

Zhuge Xiang the high-grade Spirit Stone. With his familiarity with the Asura Tower, Zhuge Xiang quickly sold off all the good stuff, even Treasure Artifact. After exchanging everything he didn't need for Spirit Stone, Zhuge Xiang had more than two hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone in his possession.

"Hmm, I can have Xiao Yue help me inscribe a Six Layered Illusory Destruction Realm constructed from mid-grade Spirit Stone," Zhuge Xiang nodded to himself, looking at the mid-grade Spirit Stone in his Storage Ring.

With the support of the Six Layered Illusory Destruction Realm, my cultivation speed will be greatly improved. Moreover, the Six Layered Illusory Destruction Realm constructed from mid-grade Spirit Stone will be enough for me to use for a long time.

Thinking of Xiao Yue, Zhuge Xiang opened the Pet Interface and took a look. It had been almost half a month since Xiao Yue returned to the pet space on its own. The information in the Pet Interface showed that Xiao Yue only had two days left to complete its evolution.

"It's almost finished evolving, moving from its Juvenile Stage to its Growth Stage, and its strength has increased from that of Monster Beast to that of Fairy. I wonder if it will be accompanied by Heavenly Tribulation?"

With only two days left, Zhuge Xiang hurriedly summoned the Phoenix Winged Black Tiger. It was already Fairy and had long since passed its Heavenly Tribulation, so it should have some advice.

"Evolution? I remember that the evolution of Ancient Divine Beast is equivalent to our Monster Beast breaking through, and there will also be Heavenly Tribulation. Moreover, in addition to the ordinary Hundred Strikes of Lightning Tribulation, there is also a high probability that the Sword of Heavenly Punishment will appear." Hearing Zhuge Xiang's question, the Phoenix Winged Black Tiger indeed knew and spoke in human language to answer.

"Hundred Strikes of Lightning Tribulation? The Sword of Heavenly Punishment?" Zhuge Xiang frowned slightly. He truly knew nothing about heavenly Heavenly Tribulation.

Zhuge Xiang was unclear about the matter, so the Phoenix Winged Black Tiger explained, finally making Zhuge Xiang understand the issue of this Heavenly Tribulation.

It turns out that whether it's a human Cultivator, Demon Cultivator, or Ghost Cultivator, they will all face Heavenly Tribulation when they move from the first Major Realm to the second Major Realm. This is the first hurdle on the path of cultivation.

When Heavenly Tribulation occurs, the scale is generally the same: Hundred Strikes of Lightning Tribulation. As the name suggests, one must withstand a hundred strikes of lightning during the Heavenly Tribulation, which is the scale of most Heavenly Tribulation.

However, if the person Tribulation Transcendence has too strong a aptitude, and the Hundred Strikes of Lightning Tribulation are no longer enough to harm them, then the Sword of Heavenly Punishment will appear after the Hundred Strikes of Lightning Tribulation.

The Sword of Heavenly Punishment is far more powerful than the previous hundred lightning strikes. It is specifically designed to deal with those with exceptional talent. Of course, the mortality rate is also much higher. If the chance of passing the Hundred Strikes of Lightning Tribulation in the Cultivation World is 50%, then the chance of passing the Sword of Heavenly Punishment is perhaps less than 50%.

"Ancient Divine Beast all possess their own great Divine Ability talents, so when most Ancient Divine Beast undergo Heavenly Tribulation, they don't just Hundred Strikes of Lightning Tribulation," the Phoenix Winged Black Tiger said after carefully explaining the issues related to Heavenly Tribulation to Zhuge Xiang.

"Hundred Strikes of Lightning Tribulation, the Sword of Heavenly Punishment?" Hearing Phoenix Winged Black Tiger's words, and then hearing the probability of death from the Sword of Heavenly Punishment, Zhuge Xiang's brows furrowed tightly. He then asked, "Then, when Xiao Yue Tribulation Transcendence, can I lend a hand?"

"Help!? Absolutely not!" Upon hearing Zhuge Xiang's words, Phoenix Winged Black Tiger hurriedly shook his head.

"The Heavenly Tribulation is a test of the Heavenly Dao for Cultivator. How can we allow others to interfere? If we could help, then Large Sect like the Asura Sect would send powerful experts to help their disciples whenever they Tribulation Transcendence. Wouldn't that result in a large number of Deity Transformation Stage Cultivator?"

"That makes sense," Zhuge Xiang nodded slightly. Indeed, the Heavenly Tribulation is a test of Cultivator by the Heavenly Dao; how could others be allowed to interfere? If those with higher cultivation levels could help those with lower cultivation levels withstand the Heavenly Tribulation, would the Heavenly Tribulation still be fair to those Rogue Cultivators?

"However, I still want to know what the outcome would be if I intervened?" Although he understood that he shouldn't interfere, Zhuge Xiang was still curious about the consequences of doing so.

The Phoenix Winged Black Tiger, with a solemn expression and eyes filled with gravity, conveyed a heavy atmosphere. He said, "In the history of cultivation, there are many instances where high-ranking Cultivator, seeing that a junior could not successfully Tribulation Transcendence, intervened to help in desperation. However, the outcome was often the same: both the one facing the tribulation and the one who offered assistance were annihilated under the Heavenly Tribulation."

At this point, the Phoenix Winged Black Tiger paused slightly, then continued, "If Deity Transformation Stage Cultivator were to intervene, the Sword of Heavenly Punishment, which originally possessed the power of Deity Transformation cultivator's Heavenly Tribulation, would reach the level of Void Returning Stage. And if Void Returning Stage Cultivator were to intervene, the power of the Sword of Heavenly Punishment would be equivalent to the power of Tribulation of Immortal Ascension..."

"I see..." Upon hearing Phoenix Winged Black Tiger's words, Zhuge Xiang gasped and nodded in understanding. It was no wonder; those who blasphemed the Heavenly Tribulation would inevitably be punished by the Heavenly Dao.

Although he understood that he couldn't interfere with the Heavenly Tribulation, Zhuge Xiang's heart was heavy. Could Xiao Yue survive the Heavenly Tribulation? Would the Sword of Heavenly Punishment appear during its Heavenly Tribulation? If so, given the terrifying mortality rate of the Sword of Heavenly Punishment, if Xiaoyue couldn't overcome it, could he help?

"Oh, right, I'm Qi Refining Stage Cultivator. If I help, the Sword of Heavenly Punishment shouldn't become too strong, right?" Thinking about the possibility of him intervening, Zhuge Xiang suddenly had a flash of inspiration and asked the Phoenix Winged Black Tiger.

"Relatively speaking, it's much better," Phoenix Winged Black Tiger nodded after a moment's thought.

"Many Cultivator invite Limit Expert of the same realm to help them during their Tribulation Transcendence. Although the power of the Heavenly Tribulation increases with the number of participants, some people are exceptionally talented and indeed have the ability to help others withstand the Heavenly Tribulation. This seems to be a subtle loophole in the Heavenly Tribulation. However, Limit Expert who can withstand the Heavenly Tribulation are, after all, a minority."

"Hehe, too good to pass up, I'm exactly that kind of person. I can try to lend a hand when the time comes," Phoenix Winged Black Tiger's reply made Zhuge Xiang's brows relax, and he said with a smile.

In the following days, Zhuge Xiang also made preparations. On the one hand, he wanted to help Xiao Yue overcome the Heavenly Tribulation. On the other hand, Zhuge Xiang also wanted to test the power of the Heavenly Tribulation. After all, Zhuge Xiang's cultivation had already reached the Return to Simplicity Realm Fifth Layer. With Zhuge Xiang's cultivation speed, he was not far from the Heavenly Tribulation.

Two days passed, and as dusk settled, Zhuge Xiang, who had been waiting patiently, finally received the system notification...

"Ding! Notification: Pet Xiao Yue has evolved. Please note that Pet Heavenly Tribulation will arrive in ten minutes." (To be continued...)

P. S.: I'm exhausted. I'll only post this one chapter for today. I'll make up for the next one tomorrow. I've been so busy these past few days, I'm practically selling my blood. Sigh...