Chapter 46 (continued)

Shan Heyuan watched in terror. The Tribulation Lightning was getting increasingly frightening, and he should have stepped back to avoid being struck.

In his haste, he disregarded everything else and reached into his Dantian, pulling out the broken sword.

Two small, Lightning-Struck Wood Sprout sprouted from the broken sword.

Having stayed in the Dantian for so long, the Lightning-Struck Wood Sprout became very green and full of vitality.

However, those tender buds possess a resilience and vitality that belies their appearance.

Shan Heyuan had no knowledge of spirit swords, he knew in his heart that this broken sword was definitely better than any ordinary spirit sword in Shen Duheng's hands.

Especially since the Broken Sword had been nurtured in the Dantian for so long and grown to a buzz cut, it already looked like a small dagger, faintly exuding an extraordinary aura.

In this critical moment, Shan Heyuan disregarded everything else and tossed the broken sword toward Shen Duheng, shouting, "Catch—"

Shen Duheng flipped his hand and grabbed the broken sword.

At the same time, the Tribulation Lightning struck down at Shan Heyuan's feet in a frightening manner, shattering all the surrounding rocks into stone dust, and completely destroying the remaining stone floor beneath his feet.

He landed hard on his buttocks, sitting directly in the newly formed pit.

Could this Tribulation Lightning have some kind of self-awareness?

Shan Heyuan looked at the smoking stone dust at his feet, only this one thought had time to pop into his mind.

Shan Heyuan could make any further move, Shen Duheng's Spiritual Power wrapped around his waist, gently lifting him upwards, and his voice reached his ears directly. "Go outside and hide for a while."

He can still speak, so the situation doesn't seem urgent.

Shan Heyuan made his judgment in his mind.

He climbed up using Shen Duheng's Spiritual Power, and walked out, stepping unevenly on the scattered stones.

Shen Duheng's Lightning Tribulation was imminent, with violent lightning bolts striking one after another, causing his hair to stand on end and his clothes to flutter in all directions.

Despite the endless Tribulation Lightning, not a single bolt of lightning touched even the hem of his clothes.

He strolled out slowly, exuding an air of tranquility.

Shan Heyuan quickly walked out of the pile of rubble.

Several dozen meters away, another cultivator was Tribulation Transcendence, but the Tribulation Lightning of that cultivator did not affect him at all.

He slowly walked out from the center of the two thunderstorms, observing his surroundings and trying to find a safer environment.

For him, the surrounding cultivators were probably more dangerous than the Tribulation Lightning.

Before he could find a suitable hiding place, a voice transmission reached his ears. "Fellow Daoist, come over here quickly!"

He stood still, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.

Just then, the voice transmission came again. "Don't just stand there like an idiot! Southeast, the cave, quick!"

Looking southeast, Shan Heyuan noticed a small crack rising from the scattered rocks.

A pair of eyes and half a face were hidden behind the gap.

Shan Heyuan recognized them at a glance; they were the innkeeper's glasses.

The innkeeper called out to him anxiously, "We're all here! Come in and hide!"

Shan Heyuan walked through the pebbles, and as soon as he bent down, before he could move the rock on top, the innkeeper kindly pushed the rock up, creating a large hole, and made way for him to go in.

The innkeeper sighed, "You cultivator, why aren't you in a hurry at all? Aren't you afraid the Tribulation Lightning will strike you down along the way?"

As he spoke, the innkeeper looked him up and down. "You're already at the Peak Foundation Establishment, and you're about to Tribulation Transcendence, right? I was looking everywhere for you and couldn't find you. I was so worried."

Shan Heyuan nodded and briefly explained, "The Tribulation Lightning just struck right next to my feet; it nearly scared me to death."

"Heh, I knew you were taking your time walking over here, not scared at all." The innkeeper closed the rock and led him deeper into the tunnel. "Don't worry, there are lightning-avoiding talismans underground. You weren't struck by Tribulation Lightning just now, so you shouldn't be now either."

Shan Heyuan walked through the tunnel, which was taller than a person, he smelled the dust.

He also heard voices coming from deep inside the tunnel.

With his exceptional hearing, he accurately distinguished the voices of the innkeeper and her little girl.

It seems the innkeeper and his family are hiding downstairs.

Shan Heyuan asked the innkeeper, "Did you build this tunnel specifically for your family, or was it built as part of the city's system?"

The innkeeper said, "No, these tunnels were originally natural tunnels. Later, Qingmian City developed a unified custom of Tribulation Transcendence, and the city lord sent people to reinforce the tunnels. Each of our families also contributed, and in the end, an underground city was built."

Shan Heyuan asked in surprise, "A unified custom for Tribulation Transcendence?"

The innkeeper said, "Yes, our history of unified Tribulation Transcendence spans several thousand years. There are relevant hints on the Jade Slip in your room, and I also reminded the fellow Daoist traveling with you. You may not have had a chance to read it yet."

Shan Heyuan: "Why should we unify the Tribulation Transcendence?"

The innkeeper casually remarked, "It's because I can't attract the Lightning Tribulation myself, so I can only rely on others."

"Is that even possible?" Shan Heyuan's eyes widened. "If that's the case, wouldn't it be easy to get retaliated against by the Lightning Tribulation you're just Tribulation Transcendence by 30%?

This is common knowledge in the cultivation world. Generally speaking, when one Tribulation Transcendence, each person's situation is different, and the power of the Tribulation Lightning also varies.

As long as the cultivator isn't a heinous criminal, the Tribulation Lightning won't exceed his maximum tolerance level and strike him to death.

It's different when you're just riding on someone else's Lightning Tribulation. Even a clay figure has some temper, let alone Tribulation Lightning.

Generally, if you benefit from someone else's Lightning Tribulation, the Lightning Tribulation will be three times stronger or even doubled.

When Shan Heyuan first arrived in this world, he was instilled with common sense by the seniors of the Supreme Harmony Sect. This common sense already reminded him that Tribulation Lightning was a dangerous thing, and it was best not to provoke Lightning Tribulation unless necessary.

His situation was rather special; he even actively pursued the Lightning Tribulation.

However, this does not mean that Tribulation Lightning are not dangerous.

He taught at the Sword Reverence Academy and witnessed many disciples being injured by Lightning Tribulation.

Some people are so badly injured that they need to stay in bed for a period of time to recover.

The innkeeper said, "It's alright, the scale is much smaller than in our ancestors' time. Thousands of years ago, if a cultivator dared to provoke the Tribulation Lightning, they would most likely be struck dead. Now it's different. More and more worlds are dying, and the Lightning Tribulation is becoming less and less effective. As long as you are well prepared, it's not dangerous to Tribulation Transcendence the Tribulation Transcendence with them. If you succeed, you will also gain huge benefits."

Shan Heyuan: "Wouldn't that be taking a shortcut?"

"Yes, it's a pity that this kind of Tribulation Lightning, obtained by chance, isn't very powerful, and the cultivators who survive it aren't very strong either." The innkeeper sighed, then quickly added, "Of course, I'm not referring to the senior who came with you."

The innkeeper spoke highly of Shen Duheng, giving him a thumbs up. "The senior who came with you is truly amazing. I saw how powerful his Tribulation Lightning was, almost capable of destroying the world. If it were me, I would probably be terrified to death. Yet he was able to Tribulation Transcendence so smoothly, without even losing his rhythm."

The innkeeper is Core Formation Middle Stage cultivator with excellent eyesight.

Shan Heyuan smiled, feeling quite proud of Shen Duheng.

As they descended, many cultivators turned to look at Shan Heyuan.

Those gazes were filled with inquiry.

There might not have been any malicious intent; it was probably just an instinctive attempt to probe.

The innkeeper turned slightly to shield Shan Heyuan view.

Shan Heyuan smiled calmly at the innkeeper.

Those probing gazes quickly disappeared.

After walking through a long corridor, you reach a large hall at the end of the corridor.

The hall was lit by Spirit Artifact lamps and decorated with wind talismans, creating a cool, bright, and very warm atmosphere.

Seeing this, Shan Heyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

They met up with the innkeeper's wife.

The hostess invited Shan Heyuan to have tea.

Her six-year-old daughter, with her big, bright eyes and chubby little hands, offered tea to Shan Heyuan.

Shan Heyuan expressed his gratitude.

The little girl was a bit embarrassed and buried her head in her owner's arms.