Tempering his core with the Great Unity Secret Method for several months had brought Cheng Xinzhan's first tribulation forward by four years. He was quite satisfied with that figure. After all, this was the Tribulation of Lightning, a calamity ordained by heaven; shortening the wait by four years through such a shortcut was already no easy feat.
But it was only four years!
There should still have been forty-five years until his first elixir-washing tribulation. Why had it suddenly arrived?!
Cheng Xinzhan could not understand it.
He had hoped the elixir-washing tribulation would come sooner, but not this soon! Not this suddenly!
"Too early? How much earlier? How long do you have?"
Daoist Tianzhen questioned him urgently.
Cheng Xinzhan's own expression was grim, but this was also the first time he had seen Daoist Tianzhen look so grave.
Right-Daoist Tianzhen only knew that his core had never been washed. He had never asked exactly when Cheng Xinzhan had formed it.
He gave a bitter laugh. "Early, yes. I only achieved Core Formation at the beginning of this year. It's forty-five years early."
As for the last question, he looked within himself. Inside his Yellow Court, tribulation clouds had already enveloped his entire golden core. He looked up at the sky and said,
"It's already here."
Daoist Tianzhen's hand trembled. Then he followed Cheng Xinzhan's gaze toward the sky.
The autumn sky was clear, lofty and crisp, without a cloud for ten thousand miles. Yet above the True Martial Temple-or, more precisely, above Cheng Xinzhan-wisps of yellow tribulation qi were slowly emerging from the void and gathering into clouds.
Daoist Tianzhen had spent centuries in the third realm. Naturally, he knew what this meant, and he was both startled and delighted.
What startled him was that Cheng Xinzhan had achieved Core