Lightning Tribulation (4)

Shen Yuxi lifted his eyes. The weariness dimming them vanished as his gaze passed over the bustling crowd and settled on the figure standing at the edge of the Sword Trial Platform.

True Person Yu Qing stood beside the bluestone railing. The breeze at the mountaintop whipped his cloud-patterned blue robes, and the dark-gold pine branches embroidered along the hem shimmered faintly in the daylight.

His long black hair was neatly bound with an ink-dark crown, though a few strands at his temples had turned pale. They lent a gentle, time-worn quality to his face, which otherwise looked no older than thirty or forty.

His brows were relaxed, his nose straight, his mouth soft. His eyes, always warm, found Shen Yuxi through the crowd and held him there.

True Person Yu Qing had already seen the exhaustion his beloved disciple was hiding and the effort it took him to stay upright. With a light wave of his hand, pure, gentle spiritual power spread like ripples, quieting the commotion. The crowd fell silent.

His voice was warm but carried an authority no one would question. "Qingming has just survived his Nascent Soul Tribulation. His spiritual power is greatly depleted, and his soul needs time to recover. What matters most now is that he rest and stabilize his cultivation. That will be all for today.

"Please disperse. Reflect carefully on what you learned from watching this tribulation. It will benefit your cultivation."

The crowd was reluctant to leave, but they understood how important it was to stabilize one's cultivation after a breakthrough. They bowed and took their leave, and the once-noisy Sword Trial Platform soon grew quiet.

Shen Yuxi took the chance to draw a deep breath and look within his dantian. His newborn Nascent Soul was somewhat dim, but it had