Tribulation in Seven Days

"How have things been within Great Liang lately?"

In the Eldest Princess's palace gardens, the Eldest Princess opened her eyes and asked the maid outside.

"In recent days, news of the failed sacrifice has spread like wildfire. More and more spirits within and beyond Great Liang have been growing restless. Rumors are now spreading everywhere that Great Liang Kingdom's national fortune is waning. The neighboring countries have also grown restless lately, with armies massing at the borders."

"Also, the thousand-year-old fox demon in Green Hollow has awakened. The Qin River has begun flooding again, and the black dragon within it seems restless. His Majesty has been so busy lately that he's been run ragged."

"And lately, far more creatures have been transforming into demons than before."

"Reports of spirits eating people have been spreading from all over."

The maid reported each matter in turn, and the Eldest Princess's pretty face grew increasingly grim as she listened.

Over a hundred million Spirit Stones, along with other supreme treasures, had been offered as sacrifices. Now that something had gone wrong, Great Liang Kingdom's national strength had been diminished enormously. Under such circumstances, Great Liang absolutely could not withstand a major war.

"What has Father said?"

The Eldest Princess's beautiful eyes shifted. Her father was handling every matter in Great Liang now. She wondered whether he could even close his eyes and rest at night.

The sacrifice had actually been her father's decision. The Eldest Princess was exceptionally gifted; if she could successfully undergo Tribulation Transcendence and enter the Nascent Soul Realm, Great Liang Kingdom's national strength would improve considerably.

The Immortal Cultivation Realm cared little about whether one was male or female. What mattered more was aptitude, and the Eldest Princess possessed the aptitude to warrant Great Liang spending so many resources on her.

Yet it had all fallen short at the final hurdle.

"His Majesty hasn't said much about this. He's still trying to find treasures such as calligraphy masterpieces."

The maid lowered her head as she spoke.

The Eldest Princess sighed softly at this. "Tell Father not to trouble himself any further. In another seven days, the heavenly tribulation will descend."

"Seven days? Only seven days left?"

The maid paled in shock. They had prepared nothing, and they already had to face the heavenly tribulation?

"Then... what are we to do?"

The maid was frantic, her face filled with anxiety.

"It doesn't matter. If I cannot survive Tribulation Transcendence, then my fortune on the Dao was simply lacking."

The Eldest Princess seemed to have come to terms with it. Things had already reached this point, after all. She intended to devote herself entirely to facing the heavenly tribulation. If those treasures could not be found, then so be it.

The maid's face was full of anxiety as she listened, but there was nothing she could do now.

"Don't give up, Princess. That soul we summoned earlier has been constantly studying the calligraphy masterpieces. Perhaps he can help you survive this heavenly tribulation."

The Eldest Princess paused briefly at this, then chuckled and shook her head.

"You really have let your concern cloud your judgment. That fellow is only a soul. Before he could finish writing the Righteous Qi contained in a calligraphy masterpiece, his soul would scatter into nothingness. Besides, he doesn't have even a trace of spiritual power. How could he gather the written word?"

A scholar's gathering of the written word required that the writing first be manifested between heaven and earth as a prayer to Heaven, before the characters were gathered onto paper.

Not only was that fellow merely an incomplete soul, but he also had no spiritual power of his own. How could he offer a prayer to Heaven?

The Eldest Princess saw this clearly and had never taken the matter to heart.

Perhaps because the heavenly tribulation was drawing near, she had become much more accepting. Even her voice held a trace of lightness as she spoke to her personal maid.

Ordinarily, the maid would certainly have noticed the difference in the Eldest Princess's tone, and how much more gently she treated her.

But at the moment, the maid's mind was wholly occupied with the heavenly tribulation, and she gave it no further thought.

Hearing that Su Mu could not possibly produce a calligraphy masterpiece left her even more distraught.

Over the past few days, she had gone to great lengths to make rubbings of calligraphy masterpieces for Su Mu to study, hoping he could help. From what the Eldest Princess was saying, had all her efforts been for nothing?

The Eldest Princess's pretty face softened, and she gently waved her delicate hand. "You may leave. Do not speak to anyone outside about Tribulation Transcendence."

"Yes."

Weighed down with worry, the maid slowly left.

A while later, the maid arrived outside Su Mu's room and pushed the door open. Inside, Su Mu was still studying the calligraphy masterpieces she had made rubbings of. He was looking at them with intense concentration, as though painstakingly researching them.

The sight filled the maid with uncontrollable fury. "You can't write a calligraphy masterpiece at all! Why did you lie to me?"

Su Mu raised his head at her words and saw that the maid, who had previously treated him so kindly, now wore a frosty expression, her eyes ice-cold.

Su Mu's heart skipped a beat. "I didn't lie to you. I only wanted to study these calligraphy masterpieces. I never said I could write one."

The maid froze. Thinking it over carefully, she realized that was indeed true.

Su Mu really had never said he could write a calligraphy masterpiece.

But when she thought of how Su Mu's previous actions had led her straight into believing he could write fine calligraphy, she still could not help feeling angry.

"You're still making excuses! If you can't write one, why study them? Why make me produce rubbings for you to look at? You can't gather the written word at all, and you can't even withstand the Righteous Qi in a calligraphy masterpiece!"

Furious, the maid hurled accusation after accusation at Su Mu.

Although it had pained her to spend that silver earlier, she had thought it worthwhile. As long as it could help the Eldest Princess, she felt it was all worth it.

But after learning that the hope she had placed in him had now vanished into nothing, her disappointment instantly filled her heart.

Su Mu opened his mouth at her words, but this time, he said nothing.

Because he had indeed given her that impression before.

"Seven days left. If the Eldest Princess fails at Tribulation Transcendence, don't dream of staying alive either!"

Leaving that threat behind, the maid turned and left.

Su Mu sighed at her words and looked at the calligraphy masterpieces before him, his expression bitter.

It's over. I've only learned a dozen or so characters, and she's already seen through me. Now I can't even keep learning to read.

Her words, however, had also served as a warning to Su Mu.

Su Mu had originally wanted to try writing poetry directly on paper to see what would happen.

He knew he could not write in midair like that scholar, but writing on paper should have posed no problem.

Now, however, he had been brought to his senses.

If Righteous Qi really emerged while he was so close, wouldn't it kill him outright?

At that thought, Su Mu shook his head repeatedly inwardly. He absolutely could not take such a risk.

Seven days. In another seven days, the Eldest Princess will undergo Tribulation Transcendence?

Su Mu raised his head and looked in the Eldest Princess's direction, something unfathomable in his eyes.

Su Mu had no intention of holding the maid's words against her.

From the very beginning, his fate seemed to have been bound to this Eldest Princess. If she succeeded at Tribulation Transcendence, he would most likely be fine.

But if the Eldest Princess failed at Tribulation Transcendence, even if the maid did nothing to him, what about the others?

Especially the emperor. In a towering rage, ordering Su Mu to accompany her in death would be all too normal.