The Robbed Disciple

Chapter 31: Tribulation Disciples

High above, the battle between the two had reached a white-hot intensity; both had truly lost their tempers.

Shi Chou had only just emerged into the world and was eager to find an opponent to hone his skills. He had received word that Chen Fengyang of Moon-Gazing City had obtained the City-Suppressing Seal, causing his strength to skyrocket. Although his cultivation was only at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, refining the seal would boost his combat power to the peak of the Mahayana Realm. Thus, Shi Chou had emerged early, specifically seeking him out.

Nangong Xiangyan, meanwhile, assumed Shi Chou was a disciple from some unknown faction, sent specifically to disrupt the Nangong Family's plans.

If Chen Fengyang had not already obtained the City-Suppressing Seal and activated some of its defensive arrays, a quarter of Moon-Gazing City would likely have been razed in this clash.

After all, Moon-Gazing City was merely a city for cultivators; without any protection, it could not withstand the ravages of two Mahayana Realm experts.

The two fought above the city for a full three hours. Seeing that their elder could not suppress the opponent, a dozen Tribulation Transcendence Realm cultivators lurking within the Nangong Family finally joined forces and surged out to form an array.

However, Chen Xiao had experienced countless such battles in his past life; the clash of two Mahayana Realm cultivators could not capture his attention.

Seeing that the only damage in the city was a few cultivators suffering from Shi Chou's baleful intent, he slipped back to his small courtyard without a second thought.

Now, a new courtyard had been set up next to Chen Xiao's, protected by an array.

The Poison Immortal, Cai Di, resided in that very courtyard.

Yet, it was less of a courtyard and more of a medicinal garden, filled with vibrant, colorful plants that had been transplanted from who knows where.

The Poison Immortal had been at the City Lord's Mansion for barely a month, but under his unique methods, these herbs radiated immense vitality.

Cai Di sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, leafing through a pharmacopeia, while Mengmeng flitted about like a little butterfly, tending to the flowers and plants. As the young lady of the City Lord's Mansion and Chen Tiannan's adopted daughter, she no longer had to deal with the trivial chores of the household.

Cai Di had her tend to the herbs simply to familiarize her with their various properties.

The two were quite carefree, completely unaffected by the fighting outside under the protection of the Golden Light Demon-Suppressing Array.

Cai Di was a man who could slay even a True Immortal; the brawl of two Mahayana Realm cultivators could hardly catch his eye. As for Mengmeng, her nature was indifferent, and she held no love for killing.

Having her follow Cai Di to study the art of poison was well-suited to her temperament.

According to Cai Di, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect was not originally founded to kill, but to save.

The Ten Thousand Poisons Scripture, the supreme treasure of the sect, recorded four hundred and eighty million types of poisons, as well as the lethal concoctions created by mixing various non-toxic substances. These things were not created to poison people or slay enemies.

The four hundred and eighty million toxic substances, gathered in one scripture, were documented with their shapes and habits merely to warn future generations, telling them what was highly toxic and must not be touched.

The predecessor of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect—a sect long since vanished into history, its very name forgotten—had been founded with the sole intention of allowing its disciples to study these poisons so they could save the masses from toxic disasters.

However, human nature is prone to flaws, and immortals are no exception.

That once-great sect, which had taken the salvation of the world as its duty, eventually declined and fractured. The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, the sole survivor, was merely a branch that had once managed the poison arts.

In the end, it had devolved into the notorious, universally reviled "Poison Sect" of the Immortal Realm, which was deeply ironic.

Now, even the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect had been reduced to ashes, and the past was nothing but a memory. Cai Di, the last remaining seedling of the sect, certainly did not harbor delusions of restoring the glory of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, let alone its predecessor.

Everything he did was merely to ensure his own survival.

Seeing that Cai Di and Mengmeng were unaffected, Chen Xiao nodded at them and returned to his room.

The Chen Clan's strength is still too weak; I must improve it as quickly as possible... A single Cai Di is not enough to deter the wicked.

Chen Xiao frowned. Although Chen Fengyang had obtained the City-Suppressing Seal, he could only wield its power within the borders of Moon-Gazing City; once outside, the seal's effect would vanish.

Moreover, if the Nangong Family truly feared the City-Suppressing Seal or the Glazed Heaven Palace, they would not have sent additional men into the city.

As for Cai Di, if his name were ever revealed, he would be a target for everyone.

Therefore, Chen Xiao had set his sights on demonic beasts undergoing the Tribulation Transcendence.

Last time, Chen Xiao had utilized the advantage of the tribulation to obtain the physical body of the Staff Daoist. This meant that while presiding over the Heavenly Tribulation, he was not merely a law enforcer.

Unable to wait, Chen Xiao returned to his room, set up a small array, sat cross-legged in meditation, and poured his divine sense into the Thunder Virtue Heavenly Book.

The first page of the Thunder Virtue Heavenly Book was as vast as the sea, recording various spiritual entities about to undergo the tribulation to take human form, as well as the specific tribulations they would face.

Originally, the strength of the lightning tribulations recorded in this book was entirely based on merit and karma. Those with deep merit would face a relatively weaker tribulation, increasing their chances of survival. Those without merit, unless protected by rare treasures or possessing innate strength, had essentially zero chance of success.

The more merit one had, the greater the chance of passing the tribulation.

However, in Chen Xiao's eyes, these were now empty words. He was the master of the Thunder Virtue Heavenly Book and held authority over the Heavenly Tribulation. The intensity of the lightning was entirely up to his will. If he wished, he could allow a heinous, man-eating demon to pass the tribulation safely, or he could reduce a saintly, virtuous man to dust beneath the lightning.

Beyond recording the tribulations, the Thunder Virtue Heavenly Book also contained various peerless secret techniques, far more profound than any current immortal arts.

"Red Cloud Realm, Fifth Turn: capable of possessing five Tribulation Disciples."

While browsing the Thunder Virtue Heavenly Book, Chen Xiao suddenly discovered this information.

So-called "Tribulation Disciples" were five beings undergoing the tribulation that the master of the Heavenly Tribulation could recruit, turning them into his own followers. With each turn of the Red Cloud Realm, one could recruit a Tribulation Disciple for one's own use.

Damn it, I'm an idiot! I've had this treasure for so long and never thought to look—what a waste of resources!

Chen Xiao regretted his oversight. After his rebirth, although he had obtained the Thunder Virtue Heavenly Book and the power to control the tribulation, he had been blindly busy cultivating and improving his own strength, never bothering to study the contents of the book properly.

Following his mindset from his past life, he had believed his own strength was paramount, and that until he reached the Orange Cloud Realm, the Heavenly Tribulation would be of little help to him.

Clearly, that was a cognitive bias!

But it was not too late. Chen Xiao began searching the Thunder Virtue Heavenly Book for information on demonic beasts about to undergo their tribulation.

"The first Tribulation Disciple... it will be you."