The next day.
Fang Qing was pondering the pill formula when he suddenly felt his cave dwelling tremble.
"It's here."
His heart stirred. He walked out of the cave dwelling and into the open.
Rumble!
Above the heavens, layer upon layer of fish-scale black clouds gathered. Lightning flickered within them, carrying unfathomable pressure.
"So this is... the Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation?"
Fang Qing muttered inwardly, To reach the point of drawing down a heavenly tribulation... that Second-Order Horned Serpent must have successfully advanced, right? But after the core forms, crossing the tribulation is the most dangerous moment.
Feeling the unfathomable spiritual power within the heavenly tribulation, countless Qi Refinement cultivators trembled uncontrollably.
Roar!
A howl came from the deepest reaches of the mountain gate. It resembled both dragon and serpent, yet carried an awe-inspiring majesty!
Whoosh!
The Seven Profound Azurewave Formation began operating at full speed. Emerald light abruptly flared, shielding every part of the sect.
"Today, this seat's spirit beast shall cross its tribulation. All disciples of my sect are to remain at their posts and make no rash moves!"
A pleasant female voice rang out, like jade beads falling upon a tray. Her powerful Spiritual Sense swept across several miles, sending a chill down Fang Qing's spine.
"We obey Ancestor's command!"
On the main island, Sect Leader Linghu was the first to fly out. He bowed toward a Core Formation female cultivator in midair, who resembled a goddess standing upon a lake.
She wore a pale-blue ruqun dress. Her temperament was like an orchid blooming in an empty valley, her features delicate, carrying the charm of a refined young lady from a modest household.
Anyone meeting her for the first time would likely find it hard to imagine that this woman was the Azure Sea Sect's Core Formation Ancestor—Azure Wave Fairy Ruan Zhixuan.
At this moment, Azure Wave Fairy paid little attention to the situation within the sect. Her beautiful eyes shifted toward the main island.
Within an island lake, a Horned Serpent suddenly crawled out. Its body was as thick as a vat, and its blue-green scales were as large as palms.
Even more astonishingly, the bulge atop its head had vanished, replaced by a sky-blue horn!
This meant its bloodline no longer belonged to the Horned Serpent lineage. It had become a Third-Order Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent!
Hiss! Hiss!
At this moment, tangible demon qi overflowed from the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent's entire body. Its serpentine form coiled into a ring, its head raised toward the black clouds overhead. In its vertical pupils were both a trace of fear and an eager, restless glint.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning descended, blazing white and carrying stern might.
The Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent spat out an inner pill to resist it. Having successfully evolved to the Third-Order, what it possessed within its body was no longer a Second-Order Demon Core, but a genuine Third-Order Demon Pill!
Puff!
The blue inner pill was the size of an infant's fist. Within it seemed to ripple an expanse of azure waves, transforming into layers upon layers of light screens.
Sizzle!
The first heavenly lightning bolt shattered every light screen and struck the demon qi, causing nearly half of it to collapse.
Immediately afterward, the second and third bolts of lightning crashed down!
Just then, a sudden change occurred!
"Zhong Xuanli... how dare you?!"
Ruan Zhixuan gave a sharp cry. The Seven Profound Azurewave Formation blazed brightly, illuminating a figure.
He had the body of a youth, frost-white hair, and eyes carrying the weariness of ages. Ice Soul Mystic Light protected him so thoroughly that not even water could seep through. He was none other than the Zhong Family Ancestor—Zhong Xuanli!
"What is there that I would not dare?"
The youth threw back his head and let out a long howl. "If your spirit beast is allowed to advance, my Zhong Family will be the ones facing a calamity that topples mountains and overturns seas!"
His hands formed seals. Beneath the illumination of the Ice Soul Mystic Light, freezing cold air that could solidify magical power spread in all directions, seeming to drag heaven and earth back to the ice and snow of Remote Antiquity.
Crack!
Heaven and earth turned frost-white, and all the lake water froze solid.
Even the light barrier of the Seven Profound Azurewave Formation seemed to have become far more sluggish.
"Bold indeed. But unfortunately... if you are alone, with me guarding this Third-Order Grand Formation, you will not find the slightest opportunity."
Ruan Zhixuan's Spiritual Sense swept through the surrounding void. "Where is Yuyao? Come out as well!"
Yuyao of the Heavenly Heart Chain Islands!
He was likewise one of the three Core Formation Ancestors of the Lesser Vast Sea, and he was even more skilled in the art of Puppets.
"Hehe... Fellow Daoist Ruan, Brother Zhong... this old Daoist merely came to mediate. We are all neighbors; we ought to live in harmony..."
Light flashed in the void, revealing an elderly Daoist with a face full of wrinkles. He rode a Winged Tiger Puppet beneath him, its aura unfathomable, seemingly possessing the might of Foundation Establishment Late Stage as well.
"Hmph!"
Ruan Zhixuan said nothing.
Yuyao's arrival at this time gave the spirit beast undergoing tribulation immense pressure, even if he merely stood there.
Not to mention the suppression of their auras and all manner of interference.
There was no need to mention Zhong Family Ancestor Zhong Xuanli, who was attacking the formation with reckless abandon.
Ruan Zhixuan had no doubt that if she revealed even the slightest opening, Yuyao might tear off all pretenses and strike!
Crack!
While the three Core Formation Ancestors faced each other, the lightning tribulation in the sky did not pause in the slightest. It descended one after another, giving the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent no opportunity to catch its breath.
Rumble!
At last, the sixth heavenly lightning bolt rolled down. Amid the incandescent lightning were even specks of green radiance.
The lightning crashed down fiercely, carrying the intent of annihilation, and blasted the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent black from head to tail!
Bang!
The Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent let out a mournful cry. Its corpse fell to the ground and twitched, its aura rapidly dissipating.
"Haha... a proper Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation has nine bolts. Your spirit pet only endured until the sixth. It seems its foundation was lacking..."
Zhong Xuanli laughed loudly. Protected by Ice Soul Mystic Light, he drifted gracefully away from the battlefield. "What a false alarm... this old man is leaving!"
He had come solely to prevent the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent from successfully advancing.
Now that his goal had been achieved, he naturally had to leave.
Otherwise... Yuyao might instead turn on him!
In the Lesser Vast Sea, all words were empty. Only strength was real!
The Heavenly Heart Chain Islands were the weakest of the three powers. Thus, the other two sides aided whichever side was weaker, all to maintain a balance!
Now that the Zhong Family had attacked Jade Island, while the Azure Sea Sect's Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent had failed its advancement, the balance of strength had reversed! No matter what benefits had previously been promised to the Heavenly Heart Chain Islands, they might be reneged upon. This could not be ignored!
"Hmph, Zhong! I will repay today's humiliation!"
Ruan Zhixuan watched the Zhong Family Ancestor depart but did not pursue. She then looked toward Yuyao, her tone teasing. "Why has Fellow Daoist not left? Do you wish to beg a cup of spirit tea from me?"
"Hehe, that would not be impossible..."
Yuyao nodded with a smile and secretly transmitted, "Fellow Daoist... the Zhong Family exposed too much of its strength this time. And that Zhong Lingxiu truly has the potential for Core Formation... regarding how to deal with this man, perhaps our two families can join hands."
Ruan Zhixuan's expression did not change. She secretly exchanged several words with him, then watched Yuyao leave.
Only after finishing all this did she descend in a streak of light, arriving beside the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent's corpse.
Puff!
A streak of azure radiance emerged and transformed into a blade. It cut open the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent's abdomen and removed that Third-Order Demon Pill.
"Ancestor..."
A blue-robed cultivator appeared behind Ruan Zhixuan. He was Sect Leader Linghu, his face lean and clear-cut.
"What a pity. In the end, it fell short by a single thread..."
Seeing the charred serpent corpse, he revealed a regretful expression.
"The Flood Dragon bloodline within this spirit beast was still too thin. Even with the sect's full assistance, it could only withstand five bolts of heavenly lightning... even without outside interference, eight bolts would likely have been its limit."
Ruan Zhixuan remained exceedingly calm, without the slightest hint of fury or frustration.
"Alas... the chasm of Core Formation is truly hard to cross." Sect Leader Linghu sighed, then gazed at the inner pill in Ruan Zhixuan's hand with burning eyes.
"We always leave ourselves room when we act. It would have been best if the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent had crossed the lightning tribulation, but even if it failed, it would still be useful..."
Ruan Zhixuan suddenly sneered. "In fact, this is better. Otherwise, if Yuyao had seen it successfully cross the tribulation, he would definitely have cast aside all shame and joined forces with Zhong Xuanli to attack the Seven Profound Azure-Wave Formation..."
"Now that it failed the tribulation, he naturally withdrew. Before leaving, he even secretly asked whether I wished to join hands against that Core Formation seed, Zhong Lingxiu. How impartial of him..."
After hearing this, Sect Leader Linghu's expression did not change in the slightest. Clearly, he had expected this all along. "Zhong Lingxiu condensed Spiritual Sense while still at Qi Refinement, and he has even cultivated Ice-Soul Cold Radiance, a Second-Order method only Foundation Establishment cultivators can practice. If he is not eliminated, he will surely become a great calamity in the future! The Heavenly Heart Chain Islands do not wish to see our sect produce a second Core Formation combatant—could they possibly wish to see the Zhong Family produce one instead? I believe this matter... can be cooperated upon."
"Forget it... you are the Sect Leader. You decide."
Ruan Zhixuan played with the inner pill in her hand, then suddenly smiled enchantingly. "The Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent's failure has made the other two families lower their guard against us. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity... I shall use the Ancestor's secret Outer Core Method to refine this water-attributed demon beast inner pill into an Outer Core, the Tide-Birth Pearl. Your attributes are compatible with it. After refining it, you will possess Core Formation combat strength, and we can catch Zhong Xuanli and Yuyao off guard and destroy them... We must settle this debt properly!"
"The Ancestor's Outer Core Method truly is profound and wondrous!"
Only recently had Sect Leader Linghu learned of this ingenious technique, and he was filled with admiration.
"Azure Sea Ancestor truly was a peerless genius... Unfortunately, the Outer Core refined from the peak Third-Order Azure Flood Dragon Demon Pill in his possession was mysteriously lost. Otherwise, my Azure Sea Sect would have unified the Lesser Vast Sea long ago."
Ruan Zhixuan sighed somewhat, then suddenly looked at Sect Leader Linghu, her expression turning solemn again. "This matter of the Outer Core must be kept secret. It cannot end up like this Flood Serpent incident."
At the mention of this, Sect Leader Linghu's expression immediately became stern. "The Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent's secret was leaked last time... there must be a traitor within our sect. Though we concealed it even from most Foundation Establishment elders, the special pills required for the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent's advancement, as well as the supply of spiritual qi and blood food, needed many people to handle them... It truly is possible that someone noticed clues."
"Therefore... heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know."
After leaving that final instruction, Ruan Zhixuan transformed into a streak of light and vanished.
Sect Leader Linghu bowed deeply to the ground. A trace of fervor seemed to flash in the depths of his eyes, only to be replaced in an instant by an expression of grief. To Myriad Treasures, Heavenly Punishment, Heaven Cauldron, and the other Foundation Establishment elders who had arrived late, he said, "Our sect's spirit venerable failed its tribulation and tragically perished..."
"Damn the Zhong Family!"
Elder Heavenly Punishment stared at the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent's corpse, his eyes nearly splitting with rage.
"Enough... Ancestor has already taken away the most important materials from the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent. The rest shall be entrusted to you two, Myriad Treasures and Heaven Cauldron... properly replenish the sect treasury, and prepare rewards for the disciples as well..."
Sect Leader Linghu returned to his usual shrewd demeanor. "The Zhong Family has already achieved its purpose and will presumably withdraw soon... The war is over!"
Before you continue