As Jian Dan's orders were sent out, Jian Gui had already arrived at the Ziyu Mountain Range with Yue Liang. They witnessed the standoff between two members of the "Tracking" Hall and a fifth-rank black panther.
Sensing the presence of the spirit beast, Yue Liang leapt out from Jian Gui's sleeve and landed on his shoulder.
The instant the pair appeared, both sides noticed them. Meng Zhonglun and Zhang Xuefeng breathed a sigh of relief. The black panther crouched low, its leopard eyes fixed tightly on Yue Liang on Jian Gui's shoulder.
Yue Liang showed no fear. She bared her teeth and let out a sharp "chi" sound, sending a wave of sound directly striking the panther's head.
The panther winced in pain, collapsing to the ground and banging its head, hoping to relieve the agony. But Yue Liang gave no chance. With a swipe of her small paw, she severed the panther's head, ending the threat.
"Thank you, Jian Gui Jūnshàng and Senior Yue Liang, for your timely assistance."
Both bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities. We rushed here as quickly as we could. I don't know what method they used to summon the Thunder Tribulation, but I'm sure they are near their end."
"Yes."
The three men and one beast quickly headed toward the area where the tribulation had formed.
Approaching the tribulation zone, the three stopped. Below was a cliff with no one visible on or near it. Scanning with their divine senses revealed nothing.
"There's a formation."
All three spoke almost simultaneously.
Jian Gui looked up at the thunderclouds above and instructed the others,
"On my way here, I received word that the Law Enforcement Hall will send reinforcements. Get ready. I'll break through the formation first."
"Yes."
"Yue Liang, we don't know how many are trapped inside. They've drawn a Nascent Soul-level thunder tribulation. After I break the formation, you must bring out all those still crossing the tribulation. Otherwise, their presence will strengthen the thunder tribulation. Anyone within will be regarded by Heaven as crossing the tribulation."
"Understood, you may begin!"
Yue Liang nodded, leapt from Jian Gui's shoulder, and positioned herself at the edge of the tribulation zone, ready to assist.
Inside the formation, Bian Qikang's spiritual energy fluctuated wildly. Around him lay piles of spirit stones—low, middle, and hundreds of high-grade ones.
Bian Qikang had taken a Nascent Soul pill, the overflowing spiritual energy surging through his body. His meridians were forcibly expanding, channeling into his dantian, where cracks had already appeared on his Golden Core, ready to shatter any moment.
His senior brothers shielded three severely injured cultivators in the center, all retreating outside the cave to desperately kill the purple leaf blood insects, hoping Bian Qikang would succeed in crossing the tribulation. If so, the falling tribulation might break the formation.
This strategy was Bian Qikang's own invention, inspired by Jian Lu Zūnzhǔ's experience.
Since they couldn't break the formation from inside, they had to break it from the outside. The problem was no one outside knew they were trapped here.
If the tribulation attracted other cultivators after forming, perhaps they had a chance to break the formation. Otherwise, they would be worn down and die here.
Outside the formation, Jian Gui floated mid-air, holding the "Cheng Feng" sword. He executed the "Nine Forms of Heavenly Sword," each sword strike faster than the last, combining into a heavy strike aimed at the cliff opposite them.
Boom! The cliff began to blur before returning to normal after three breaths.
The shaking formation was felt by those inside.
While slashing at the purple leaf blood insects, Bu Ji shouted,
"Someone is attacking the formation. Prepare yourselves. Once the formation breaks, immediately leave Senior Brother Bian's tribulation zone."
"Bu Senior Brother, what if they want to disrupt Senior Brother Bian's crossing?"
"We can only help Senior Brother Bian after we get out. Focus on the present."
Bu Ji swung his sword, slicing the blood insects lunging at Yuan Hao from behind, reminding everyone.
Yuan Hao realized his carelessness and immediately focused on killing.
Outside the formation, after his first probing strike, Jian Gui confirmed the formation's range. Then thick earth-type spiritual power surged into Cheng Feng sword, repeatedly attacking the same spot.
Boom, boom, boom!
The impacts echoed through Ziyu Mountain Range, attracting some high-rank spirit beasts and cultivators.
Jian Gui remained unfazed, concentrating solely on the formation.
Yue Liang shook her tail, releasing the pressure of her sixth-rank power, scaring away nearby spirit beasts.
Meng Zhonglun and Zhang Xuefeng tightened their grip on their swords, ready to fight.
With a loud crack, the formation finally shattered. The illusory cliff vanished completely, revealing dense forest.
The thunder tribulation had fully formed. A wrist-thick lightning bolt descended toward Bian Qikang's cave.
At the moment the formation broke, everyone except Bian Qikang rushed out of the dense forest, sensing the tribulation locking onto them.
Yue Liang arrived at the Nascent Soul cultivators immediately as the formation broke. She enveloped the remaining trapped people and teleported them away from the tribulation zone.
Moments ago, the cultivators were desperately fleeing from the tribulation. The next instant, they were rescued.
Seeing that Heavenly Sword Sect cultivators broke the formation, Bu Ji finally relaxed completely. He explained the situation to Jian Gui Jūnshàng standing in the air, then sat down with the other senior brothers to recover.
The three severely injured Nascent Soul cultivators who had fainted were cared for separately by Meng Zhēnjūn and Zhang Xuefeng. Each was given a healing pill specially prepared by the Law Enforcement Hall to temporarily stabilize their injuries.
The first wave of nine thunder tribulation bolts shattered the cave where they had temporarily taken shelter.
Bian Qikang withdrew the defensive formation, relying on his body to absorb the first wave. During the interval before the second wave, he spotted Jian Gui floating in the air. Knowing his senior brothers were temporarily safe, he began refining the tribulation lightning damaging his meridians.
Jian Gui sensed several divine senses of similar strength sweeping the area. He slowly spread his own divine sense, vigilantly observing his surroundings. He did not want any surprises.
Bian Qikang had just refined the first wave of nine lightning bolts when the second wave struck. He made no defensive move, relying on his body again. Before he fully refined it, the third wave descended.
Suddenly, Bian Qikang opened his eyes and leapt up. He began to guide the tribulation lightning toward the forest where the purple leaf blood insects nested.
The tribulation lightning forced the blood insects to sense danger. They fled the cave where Bian Qikang's group had stayed and clung to distant tree trunks, transforming into purple leaves.
Bian Qikang remembered these blood insects almost cost him his life. While crossing the tribulation, he viciously lured the lightning through the purple leaf forest. Half the lightning struck him, half struck the forest, scattering the blood insects.
Jian Gui smiled quietly, impressed by the ruthlessness taught by Jian Lu Zūnzhǔ. The lightning couldn't all hit Bian Qikang. The remaining tribulation lightning would be more severe.
But the destruction of the blood insects through lightning revealed something else—black smoke rising from the ashes in the instant they were killed.
"Yue Liang!"
"I saw it!"
Yue Liang had returned to Jian Gui's shoulder. A bright gleam flashed in Jian Gui's deep eyes.
"The Law Enforcement Hall has already ordered: dig three feet underground to find the source."