Things had reached this point. Although Second Senior Brother had not given a direct and clear reply, the hint of disdain faintly revealed from his inner voice was the genuine article, piercing straight into Junior Sister's heart like a sharp blade.
Junior Sister was filled with dismay. Her originally rosy face had now turned somewhat pale, her eyes brimming with frustration and sadness. She bit her lower lip hard, her body trembling slightly as if she were desperately suppressing the grievance in her heart.
After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Then she took a few steps forward, her pace somewhat heavy as if every step bore a heart full of disillusionment.
Halfway there, as if suddenly remembering something, she turned her head and glared resentfully at Song Zhiyi. That look seemed capable of breathing fire, and she snapped ungraciously, "What are you standing there frozen for? Lead the way!"
Her voice carried obvious impatience and annoyance, as though she were venting all her dissatisfaction with Second Senior Brother onto this young, good-tempered junior brother of theirs.
"Oh? Oh." Song Zhiyi was startled by Junior Sister's glare, only then snapping out of it as if waking from a dream.
He looked at Junior Sister, then at Shen Yuxi. Seeing Shen Yuxi nod at him with a look of relief, he had no choice but to obediently lead Junior Sister toward the Spirit-Nurturing Pool.
Along the way, Junior Sister followed behind huffily, muttering to herself in low tones from time to time, while Song Zhiyi walked on gingerly, not daring to make too much noise for fear of annoying Junior Sister all over again.
Watching the two figures gradually recede into the distance, Shen Yuxi finally let out a sigh of relief, rejoicing inwardly: We finally managed to send this little ancestor away.
Ever since then, Junior Sister seemed to have been thoroughly defeated by Shen Yuxi's attitude, and for a long time she did not come to pester him. Shen Yuxi thus ushered in a period of cultivation as tranquil as the surface of a lake.
For several days now, a strange atmosphere had permeated the Profound Heaven Sect. On the surface, everyone continued to attend to their respective duties as usual, everything appearing orderly and well-arranged. The disciples concentrated on their cultivation, and the elders imparted their teachings with meticulous care.
Behind closed doors, however, a hint of unspeakable subtlety was visible in everyone's eyes. When they conversed with one another, they would always steal glances around their surroundings from time to time, as if on guard against something.
An invisible competition regarding "how to gracefully pretend not to hear Second Senior Brother's inner voice" quietly unfolded.
As for Shen Yuxi, the instigator of all this, he had just finished his cultivation and sat in a pear tree beside the small courtyard like a leisurely, refined scholar. Watching the tender green leaves on the branch sway gently in the breeze, he mentally began the countdown for the fragrant pear tasting convention.
Just at that moment, the wind and clouds in the sky suddenly changed. The originally clear sky was instantly obscured by vast swathes of dark clouds. Those dark clouds rolled like towering black waves with aggressive momentum, and the cloud layer pressed straight toward Spirit Sword Peak like a colossal black dragon.
Startled by this sudden turn of events, Shen Yuxi gazed at the terrifying spectacle on the horizon and couldn't help teasing, "Good grief, that scared the wits out of me. Which reckless bastard swore some toxic oath that even the heavens can't stomach?"
"Second Senior Brother!" Urgent footsteps came from the mountain path, sounding like dense drumbeats that shattered the momentary peace.
Song Zhiyi's face was flushed red as he sprinted over like a whirlwind. He was running out of breath, beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolling incessantly down his forehead and soaking the collar of his robe, yet his eyes revealed urgency and excitement.
"Eldest Senior Brother has left seclusion and is about to undergo his Nascent Soul Tribulation! Sect Master asks you to go to the Sword Trial Platform to observe the ceremony and comprehend the tribulation!" Song Zhiyi finished in one breath, pressing his hands against his knees and panting heavily.
The moment the young man heard the junior brother's voice, his lazy posture instantly vanished. He straightened his back, making him look like an unsheathed treasured sword—sharp and erect.
His gaze locked tightly onto the tribulation clouds gradually forming above. Those clouds were as pitch-black as ink, churning and surging as if containing world-destroying power.
Silent, Shen Yuxi gave a gentle leap and drifted down from the pear tree. His movements were as light as a spreading crane's wings, the folds of his robes maintaining just the right immortal demeanor, making it seem as though he were not leaping from a tree, but drifting down from the clouds.
"Trouble Junior Brother with the relay." Shen Yuxi gave a slight, acknowledging nod. With a straight posture, the epitome of a clear breeze and bright moon's elegance, he walked down the mountain with steady strides.
Yet, his heart was full of sour sentiment: I work myself to the bone like a madman, and you little brat just break through effortlessly, so vividly, again and again? Long Aotian really leaves no way for people to live.
That's right, Chu Shihan—a sword-root sword cultivator, one of the Eight Families, young master of the renowned Chu Clan, and disciple of the Nine Domains' sole current Venerable-level powerhouse, Sword Venerable Lingxue—was precisely one of the male leads of the serialized novel Song of the Nine Domains, a harem-style Long Aotian.
In other words, ever since entering the Profound Heaven Sect, he was the Eldest Senior Brother of the Profound Heaven Sect who had constantly suppressed Shen Yuxi at every turn.
Make no mistake: Shen Yuxi held not a shred of envy, jealousy, or hatred toward this Long Aotian eldest senior brother. What he felt was pure affection.
After all, this was the male lead of his favorite novel, one of the beloved figures in his heart! How could he possibly hate Eldest Senior Brother? Even though he occasionally couldn't help complaining and grumbling a few times, there was no doubt he respected and liked this eldest senior brother from the bottom of his heart.
When Shen Yuxi arrived at the Sword Trial Platform, the sight before him made him pause slightly. On the platform, a group of fellow disciples and several elders had already gathered. After a brief thought, however, he felt this scene was entirely reasonable.
After all, this was a grand occasion for the younger generation of the Profound Heaven Sect to advance to a Nascent Soul True Person for the very first time. Even for the Profound Heaven Sect, the foremost sect of the Lingshu Heaven Domain, stepping into the Nascent Soul Realm before reaching the age of forty was a talent so rare throughout the ages.
For the elders, their focus was on the long-term future of the Profound Heaven Sect. Chu Shihan's talent was so peerlessly exceptional that he would inevitably become the backbone of the sect in days to come, striving hard to secure a foothold for the Profound Heaven Sect amidst this volatile Lingshu Heaven Domain.
As for the disciples, most harbored the purpose of coming to comprehend the tribulation lightning. After all, the Nascent Soul Tribulation contained the power of heaven and earth laws; if one could comprehend even a scrap or two from it, it would undoubtedly prove of immense benefit to their own cultivation.
Although the Sword Trial Platform set no restrictions—whether inner sect disciples or outer sect disciples, all could come and witness the grandeur of the Nascent Soul tribulation lightning—disciples with lower cultivation naturally knew that, compared to truly gaining cultivation from it, their intent to join the bustling excitement was heavier by a few fractions.
Carrying yearnings and curiosity for formidable power, they were utterly eager to witness this jaw-dropping spectacle with their own eyes, feeling that even just experiencing the mere lingering might of that tribulation from the sidelines would make the trip worthwhile.
Seeing Shen Yuxi arrive, True Person Yu Qing on the high platform gave a slight, acknowledging nod, his gaze filled with warmth and expectation. Seeing this, Shen Yuxi hurried to lower his head in a respectful response.
Right at that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Junior Sister awkwardly shuffling toward his direction. A subtle shift occurred within Shen Yuxi's heart, and in the end, he decided not to move over to the side of his master, True Person Yu Qing.
Watching Junior Sister's expression of wanting to speak yet hesitating, a trace of helplessness welled up inside him, but since it was inappropriate to make Junior Sister feel embarrassed on an occasion like this, he simply feigned ignorance of her little maneuvers.
By now, the sky was already covered with heavy dark clouds. The ink-colored cloud layers churned like enraged beasts, and thunder rolled like ten thousand galloping horses. Thick bolts of lightning ran amok wildly across the clouds, as if ruthlessly tearing the heaven and earth apart.
Eldest Senior Brother Chu Shihan stood proudly atop the peak clad in a dark robe, his entire body encircled by tribulation lightning with a momentum as majestic as a rainbow. He closed his eyes to concentrate, his expression as firm as iron as he showed not a shred of fear toward the terrifying tribulation lightning about to crash down, devoting himself entirely to welcoming this final moment of breakthrough.
Though Shen Yuxi inwardly entertained thoughts of those seemingly jealous remarks, his heart felt nothing of the sort. Long Aotian, after all—how normal was it for him to possess peerless fortune and aptitude?
Everyone's attention was intensely concentrated on Chu Shihan undergoing the tribulation, staring whole-heartedly at the heart-stopping scene, so no one paid any mind to Shen Yuxi's bewildering musings.
As the tribulation lightning crashed down with a roar, the heaven and earth were instantly draped heavily and solidly in a thick haze. The churning ink-black clouds boiled wildly like surging tides, and streaks of lightning darted and wove through the cloud layers like silver snakes, erupting with deafening roars that seemed on the verge of shattering the tranquility of the entire world once and for all.
Chu Shihan stood proudly atop the mountain summit. With the howling gale, the hems of his robes fluttered violently, and his figure resembled a towering mountain peak, his imposing aura vigorous and completely unshaken by the utterly terrifying spectacle before him.
The fellow disciples all stared intently at Eldest Senior Brother, their eyes flashing with admiration and anticipation. Their gazes followed every single movement of Chu Shihan, as if trying to deeply engrave this breathtaking scene into the bottom of their hearts.
Beside him, Junior Sister's small face was deathly pale like paper, her once rosy lips also drained of color, and her hands unconsciously clutching the corners of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the force.
Her eyes locked dead onto Eldest Senior Brother's figure, not daring to shift away for even a second, while she muttered softly to herself from time to time: "Eldest Senior Brother must be okay..." The voice carried a trace of a tremble, as if bearing her full heart's worry and prayer.
Only Shen Yuxi appeared entirely indifferent.
To others, this tribulation lightning might be a severe trial capable of deciding life and death, but for Long Aotian... Heh. It would be a miracle if something actually went wrong; did they really think the protagonist halo was just for show?
The first bolt of lightning carried the boundless power of destroying heaven and earth, slamming fiercely down toward Chu Shihan like a collapsing Mount Tai. The might of that lightning seemed intent on reducing all things in the world to fine dust.
Chu Shihan's gaze instantly sharpened like a hawk's, a brilliant flash of light gleaming within his pupils as the long sword in his hand abruptly slashed out. A dazzling sword light soared into the sky like a flood dragon leaving the sea, carrying an indomitable momentum to collide head-on with that lightning.
In an instant, light spilled in all directions, and intense energy fluctuations spread out wildly like ripples with the point of collision at their center. Everyone felt a mighty impact wash over them like a landslide, as if it were about to knock them off their feet entirely.
Shen Yuxi reacted with extreme speed, raising his hand without a moment's hesitation. Spiritual power surged instantly, casting a sturdy spiritual barrier to steadily protect Junior Sister and the eleventh junior brother, whose cultivation levels were relatively low.
Immediately following that, the second and third bolts of lightning arrived one after another like enraged beasts. Each bolt was fiercer than the last, each containing a more formidable destructive power than the one before.
Yet Chu Shihan remained calm and collected, completely unruffled as his figure shuttled and wove nimbly between the flashes of lightning like electricity. The long sword in his hand was danced into a watertight blur, every single sword stroke landing with absolute precision upon the lightning and kicking up bursts of blinding, dazzling thunder light that bloomed like magnificent fireworks in the night sky.
Amidst the fierce clash with the lightning, a soft yet dazzling golden glow gradually bloomed across Chu Shihan's body. That light was like a burning flame, growing stronger and stronger as if engaged in a heart-stopping contest against the formidable power of the lightning.
Shen Yuxi instantly perceived that Eldest Senior Brother was cleverly utilizing the power of the tribulation lightning to further temper his own spiritual power and physique.
"Is Eldest Senior Brother going to break through directly to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage?!" Song Zhiyi asked in utter astonishment, unable to help blurting out.
Shen Yuxi nodded slightly, though inwardly he slandered: Just how hard did you suppress your cultivation previously, brat, for the rebound to be this fierce? But aloud he merely dismissed his junior brother's words with a calm expression: "No, it's artificially inflated."
Adoration flickered brilliantly in Junior Sister's eyes as she praised with irrepressible admiration: "Eldest Senior Brother is so amazing!"
Shen Yuxi secretly kept watch over Junior Sister's expression. Seeing her face filled with boundless yearning for Eldest Senior Brother, he felt immensely satisfied, and instinctively reached out to pat Junior Sister's head, saying gently, "Cultivate with all your heart, and you can do it too."
That's right! This is more like it! Turn back from the shore! As expected, a male lead is a male lead; the moment he appears, he eclipses everyone else!
Thinking thus, he raised his head to gaze at the figure standing proudly and erectly amid the lightning in the sky. He completely failed to notice Junior Sister's instantly dimmed gaze, one that concealed a trace of imperceptible desolation.
Just as everyone conversed in low voices, the wind and clouds in the sky suddenly changed, and the final bolt of lightning slowly condensed into form.
This bolt of lightning was several times thicker than any before it, resembling a giant dragon coiled across the firmament and emitting an aura that chilled the heart, as though a mere twitch of its body could ruthlessly reduce all things in the world to dust.
Chu Shihan took a deep breath, and the golden light on his body abruptly surged outward. In an instant, his entire person became like a blazing sun rising into the sky, dazzling and radiant with boundless light.
He gripped his long sword tightly with both hands, raising it high above his head as he chanted incantations under his breath.
"Hah!" Chu Shihan let out a heaven-shaking roar that resounded through the firmament like a great bronze bell.
Simultaneously, the long sword in his hand slashed fiercely downward. A sword qi containing infinite power rushed into the sky like a roaring ferocious beast, meeting that final bolt of lightning in a frontal collision with indomitable momentum.
In a flash, it felt as though heaven and earth were splitting apart and the entire world trembled because of it. Intense light swept toward the surroundings like a surging tide.
Everyone felt a vast expanse of pure white before their eyes, instinctively closing them in an attempt to withstand the blinding light that could almost pierce the soul.
When the light gradually dissipated and the world returned to clarity, as everyone slowly opened their eyes once more, they saw Chu Shihan standing steadily atop the mountain peak.
At this moment, the aura around him was reined inward, resembling an unfathomable abyss—calm on the surface, yet faintly radiating an even more formidable and awe-inspiring pressure.
Clearly, he had successfully weathered the Nascent Soul Tribulation and smoothly broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
True Person Yu Qing was the first to start applauding. His face brimmed with a gratified smile, his gaze full of expectations for Chu Shihan, and he said with a smile, "Not bad, to be able to successfully enter the Nascent Soul Realm at such a young age—your future is boundless!"
The fellow disciples chimed in one after another, echoing congratulations sounding all around.
"Congratulations, Eldest Senior Brother! Felicitations, Eldest Senior Brother!"
"With this breakthrough, Eldest Senior Brother will surely shine brilliantly across the Nine Domains henceforth."
Everyone's words were filled with envy and blessings for Chu Shihan, as if they could already envision the scene of Chu Shihan galloping unhindered through the Nine Domains and making his name renowned far and wide.
With a modest expression, Chu Shihan cupped his fists and returned thanks to everyone one by one. His posture was erect, and his black robes fluttered gently in the breeze, making his extraordinary temperament even more prominent.
When his gaze landed upon Shen Yuxi, his eyes held a touch of added warmth and sincerity as he said, "Second Junior Brother, I have gained many insights from this breakthrough. Once I sort them out, I shall share them with you."
Shen Yuxi nodded slightly. "I look forward to it."
Before you continue