The Lin Clan estate had grown quieter by the time evening settled across the spirit gardens.
Most of the activity that filled the territory during the day—merchants negotiating contracts, craftsmen transporting materials between workshops, the steady movement of cargo platforms drifting above the trade districts—had gradually faded into a calmer rhythm as the sun sank beyond the western forests.
But the spirit gardens remained awake.
Moonlight filtered through the tall branches of ancient spirit trees, casting pale silver patterns across the stone paths that wound through the inner grounds of the estate. The air carried the scent of medicinal herbs and fresh soil, while faint currents of spiritual energy flowed gently beneath the roots of the surrounding vegetation.
Bi Ji had spent months refining this place.
The difference was obvious.
The energy of the garden felt unusually stable—calm in a way that made even the wind seem quieter as it moved through the leaves.
Lin Huang stood near the edge of a small lake at the center of the garden.
For once, he wasn't speaking.
He wasn't planning.
He was observing.
Above his forehead, faint arcs of silver light slowly formed again.
The crown.
Its delicate structure rotated almost imperceptibly in the air, thin streams of energy flowing between invisible nodes like quiet constellations suspended above his head.
Lin Huang's eyes were half closed.
Not because he was meditating.
Because he was analyzing.
The Daevic Insight had stabilized enough for him to examine properly now.
Earlier, the transformation had happened too quickly.
Now—
he could finally understand it.
Three structural layers became immediately clear.
The first was the mind.
Not simply the physical brain, but the center where perception and cognition merged with spiritual processing. Every thread of spiritual power that entered his body now passed through a layer of interpretation before circulating through his cultivation system.
The second was the meridian network.
His meridians had subtly reorganized after the second awakening. The pathways were no longer rigid channels forcing energy through fixed routes.
They adapted.
Adjusted.
Optimized themselves according to the flow of power entering his body.
The third was perception.
But not ordinary perception.
It wasn't simply seeing spiritual energy.
It was understanding it.
Lin Huang slowly opened his eyes.
The spirit garden looked the same.
Yet at the same time—
it didn't.
The lake reflected the moonlight like a sheet of polished silver.
But beneath its surface, thin streams of spiritual energy flowed through the water like quiet currents.
The roots of the ancient trees pulsed faintly with life force.
Even the faint residue left behind by the earlier alchemy refinement drifted through the air as visible threads of energy.
Lin Huang watched it for several seconds.
Then spoke quietly to himself.
"…So that's how it works."
A voice answered from behind him.
"You understood it quickly."
Lin Huang didn't turn.
Gu Yuena stepped onto the garden path, her silver hair catching the moonlight as she approached.
The surrounding spiritual energy reacted subtly to her presence, the environment adjusting instinctively to the aura of the Silver Dragon King.
She stopped a few steps away.
Her gaze lifted slightly toward the faint crown above Lin Huang's head.
"The structure is clearer now," she said.
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"It's not just perception."
"No."
Gu Yuena's voice remained calm.
"It's comprehension."
Lin Huang lifted one hand slowly, watching the faint flow of energy circulating through his palm.
"The Martial Soul connects cognition with the circulation of power."
Gu Yuena finished the thought.
"And circulation with the world."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Wind moved softly through the branches above them.
Then Gu Yuena added something else.
"You noticed another change."
Lin Huang's gaze shifted inward.
He could feel it now.
A subtle pressure gathering deep within his cultivation.
Not violent.
But inevitable.
The two soul cores inside his body rotated steadily within his dantian, their resonance far more stable than before.
But something else had begun to form.
The contract with Bi Ji had triggered it.
The Daevic Insight had stabilized it.
And now—
the breakthrough was approaching.
Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
"…Looks like I'll be facing another tribulation."
Gu Yuena did not look surprised.
She had already sensed it as well.
"Rank seventy," she said calmly.
Lin Huang nodded.
"Most likely."
The crown above his head rotated once more, faint lines of silver light tracing across the air like silent runes.
Gu Yuena observed it carefully.
"The contract will accelerate the process."
"That was the intention."
"You also realize what comes next."
Lin Huang looked toward the distant tree line beyond the spirit garden.
Dark silhouettes of the far forests stretched across the horizon beneath the moonlight.
"Yes."
He paused briefly.
Then spoke with the same calm tone he always used.
"…I should probably leave the clan territory before it starts."
Gu Yuena's expression remained unchanged.
"That would be wise."
Because if the heavens were already preparing a tribulation—
It would not be a small one.
And when the sky finally answered—
the entire world would notice.
Gu Yuena's words faded into the quiet of the spirit garden.
For a few seconds neither of them moved.
The wind shifted softly through the branches above, carrying the faint scent of spirit herbs and fresh soil from the surrounding garden beds.
Lin Huang lowered his hand slowly.
If the tribulation was already forming—
there was no reason to delay.
He turned slightly.
"Then we should finish the contract first."
Gu Yuena nodded once.
"That would stabilize the ring."
They moved deeper into the garden.
The path curved through several layers of ancient spirit trees before opening into a wider clearing where the spiritual energy of the estate was noticeably denser.
Bi Ji was already waiting there.
She stood beneath one of the oldest trees in the garden, her hands resting lightly against the bark as faint emerald light flowed between her palms and the roots beneath the soil.
The moment Lin Huang approached, she looked up.
"You felt it."
Lin Huang stopped a few steps away.
"Yes."
"The breakthrough."
Bi Ji studied him carefully.
The contract had not yet been completed, but the resonance between them had already begun forming through the Daevic Insight.
That alone was unusual.
But Lin Huang had never followed ordinary rules.
Zi Ji leaned casually against one of the nearby trees, arms crossed as she watched the scene with open curiosity.
"So this is really happening."
Her gaze moved between them.
"A human forming a true contract with Bi Ji."
Lin Huang looked at her.
"That seems to be the plan."
Zi Ji smirked faintly.
"You do realize how ridiculous that sounds."
"Most things involving him are," Gu Yuena said calmly.
Bi Ji stepped forward.
"Then let's not delay it."
She raised one hand slowly.
Soft green light gathered in her palm as ancient life energy spread outward through the clearing. The surrounding trees reacted immediately, their branches shifting slightly as the entire garden responded to the surge of vitality.
Lin Huang lifted his own hand.
The silver crown appeared again above his forehead.
For a brief moment—
two completely different forces filled the clearing.
Emerald life energy.
And the quiet, structured perception of the Daevic Insight.
The two powers moved toward each other.
Not colliding.
Connecting.
Threads of green light extended from Bi Ji's palm and touched the faint silver runes forming around the crown.
The reaction was immediate.
Energy flowed.
Circulated.
Stabilized.
A faint ring of light began forming between them.
Zi Ji's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…That's fast."
Gu Yuena observed the structure carefully.
"The Daevic is stabilizing the resonance."
The ring continued to condense.
Unlike ordinary soul rings formed through death—
this one formed through mutual connection.
The color deepened gradually.
Crimson.
But with faint emerald patterns flowing through the surface like living veins.
Bi Ji spoke quietly.
"This will not bind me."
Lin Huang nodded.
"That was never the intention."
The ring completed its formation.
It hovered briefly between them—
then dissolved into light.
The energy flowed directly into Lin Huang's body.
For a moment the entire clearing trembled slightly as the new ring settled into the structure of the Daevic Insight.
The silver crown above his head rotated once.
Then stabilized.
Bi Ji lowered her hand slowly.
"The contract is complete."
Zi Ji pushed herself off the tree.
"Well."
She studied Lin Huang again.
"That was easier than I expected."
Lin Huang rolled his shoulder slightly as the new energy settled through his meridians.
"Yes."
Then he paused.
Because the pressure inside his cultivation surged again.
Stronger now.
The contract had stabilized the Daevic—
and accelerated everything else.
Gu Yuena felt it immediately.
"Rank seventy is coming."
Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
"…Soon."
Zi Ji glanced toward the sky visible through the branches above.
"That means the heavens will react."
"Yes."
Gu Yuena looked toward the distant horizon.
"The clan territory cannot handle it."
Lin Huang nodded once.
"I'll take it to Star Dou."
Far beyond the Lin Clan territory—
deep within the ancient Star Dou Great Forest—
something stirred.
The pressure gathering around Lin Huang's cultivation spread outward through the spiritual currents of the land.
Old spirit beasts lifted their heads beneath the forest canopy.
They remembered that pressure.
They had felt it before.
Once when Lin Huang faced the heavens.
And again when Qiu'er crossed her own tribulation.
Now the sky was preparing to answer once more.
Back inside the garden clearing, Lin Huang looked toward the distant forest line.
"Before that happens…"
He turned back toward the estate buildings beyond the trees.
"…I should say goodbye."
Because if the heavens were already watching—
It would not wait long.
The night had deepened by the time Lin Huang returned from the spirit garden.
The estate was still awake.
Not loudly—never chaotically—but with the quiet efficiency that had slowly become characteristic of the Lin Clan's territory. Lanterns illuminated the inner courtyards, while formation arrays embedded in the walls pulsed faintly with soft light as information flowed between the administrative halls and the outer districts of the growing city.
Even this late, movement continued.
But the atmosphere inside the main residence was calmer.
More personal.
Lin Huang stepped through the inner gate of the courtyard where most of the group had gathered earlier that evening.
Several heads turned immediately.
Wu Feng was the first to notice him.
"Well?"
She straightened slightly.
"Did the heavens schedule your next disaster yet?"
Lin Huang walked into the courtyard as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Soon."
That single word was enough.
Ning Tian leaned forward slightly, her analytical gaze moving across him.
"The contract is complete."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
Meng Hongchen crossed her arms.
"That was fast."
Zi Ji followed him through the courtyard gate at that moment, her expression amused.
"You should see it from the outside."
She gestured vaguely toward Lin Huang.
"The energy spike was ridiculous."
Xiao Hongchen adjusted his glasses and studied Lin Huang carefully.
The difference was subtle.
But unmistakable.
"The structural stability of his spiritual fluctuations has changed," he murmured.
"That confirms it."
Ji Juechen, standing near the edge of the courtyard with his arms folded, simply nodded once.
"Rank seventy."
Lin Huang didn't deny it.
"Almost."
Tang Ya tilted her head curiously.
"So the contract really worked?"
Bi Ji entered the courtyard behind Zi Ji at that moment, her calm presence immediately quieting the lingering speculation.
"It did," she said gently.
Her gaze moved briefly toward Lin Huang.
"The Daevic Insight accepted the ring without instability."
Wu Feng blinked.
"…You say that like that's normal."
"It isn't," Xiao Hongchen said.
Then he looked back at Lin Huang.
"From a structural perspective, what you just did should not be possible."
Lin Huang shrugged lightly.
"That happens sometimes."
Meng Hongchen rolled her eyes.
"You say that every time you break another rule of cultivation."
Nearby, Lin Yueqin had been watching the entire exchange in silence.
She stepped forward slowly.
"So."
Her gaze moved from Lin Huang to Bi Ji and then back again.
"It's finished."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
She studied him carefully.
The pressure surrounding his cultivation was deeper now, quieter but far more concentrated than before.
A breakthrough was close.
Too close.
"Which means you're leaving again."
Lin Huang didn't deny it.
"Yes."
Su Mei, standing beside one of the courtyard pillars, looked immediately worried.
"…Tonight?"
"Yes."
She hesitated.
"The tribulation?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"Rank seventy."
Wu Feng whistled softly.
"Well."
"That explains the sky pressure I felt earlier."
Tang Ya folded her arms thoughtfully.
"You're taking it to Star Dou, right?"
"Yes."
"Good," Ning Tian said.
"The clan territory would not survive that."
Several people laughed quietly.
Lin Yueqin did not.
She stepped closer.
"You just came home."
"That is correct."
"And now you're leaving again."
"That also appears correct."
She rubbed her forehead slowly.
"You are exhausting."
Lin Huang tilted his head slightly.
"I have heard that before."
Su Mei stepped forward a little.
"…Is it dangerous?"
Lin Huang considered the question honestly.
"Yes."
Her shoulders stiffened slightly.
He added calmly,
"But this time…"
His gaze moved briefly across the courtyard—toward the friends and companions who had followed him through far worse situations already.
"…I'm completely prepared."
For a moment the courtyard was quiet.
Ji Juechen broke the silence first.
"Good."
Wu Feng grinned.
"Try not to anger the heavens too much."
"No promises."
Meng Hongchen pointed a finger at him.
"If the forest explodes again, I'm blaming you personally."
"That seems reasonable."
Tang Ya waved lightly.
"Good luck!"
Ning Tian simply nodded once.
"Return safely."
Even Xiao Hongchen gave a small nod.
"Your data is still incomplete."
Lin Huang glanced toward the courtyard gate that opened toward the forest road beyond the estate.
"Understood."
He paused briefly.
Then looked back toward his mother and Su Mei.
Lin Yueqin exhaled slowly.
"Just don't die."
"That would be inconvenient."
Su Mei lowered her gaze slightly, but still managed a small smile.
"…Be careful."
Lin Huang gave a small nod.
"I will."
Then he turned.
The gate opened.
Beyond it, the vast darkness of the Star Dou Great Forest stretched beneath the moonlit sky.
And somewhere far above—
the heavens were already beginning to gather their answer.
The journey into the Star Dou Great Forest did not take long.
Even at night, the Lin Clan possessed more than enough transportation resources to cross the distance quickly. A small Soul Guidance aircraft carried them beyond the outer trade routes before descending near the dense canopy where the ancient forest truly began.
From there—
they continued on foot.
The deeper they moved beneath the towering trees, the more the atmosphere changed.
The air grew thicker with natural energy.
Ancient.
Untamed.
Life force flowed through the soil and roots beneath their feet like quiet rivers, and the distant calls of spirit beasts echoed faintly through the dark canopy above.
Lin Huang walked at the front of the group.
Gu Yuena moved quietly beside him.
Bi Ji followed a few steps behind, while Zi Ji remained slightly further back, her sharp eyes scanning the surrounding forest with a predator's casual awareness.
The others kept pace behind them.
Wu Feng glanced around the towering forest with open curiosity.
"You know…"
She lowered her voice slightly.
"This place never stops feeling creepy at night."
Tang Ya laughed softly.
"That's because you keep imagining every spirit beast here wants to eat you."
Wu Feng snorted.
"That's because most of them do."
Meng Hongchen crossed her arms as she walked.
"They probably wouldn't try while she's here."
She gestured lightly toward Zi Ji.
The Hell Dragon only smirked faintly.
"They're smarter than that."
The deeper they moved into the forest, the quieter the surroundings became.
Not empty.
Watching.
Ancient auras stirred slowly beneath the canopy as powerful spirit beasts sensed the arrival of several overwhelming presences entering their territory.
One of those auras was immediately recognizable.
Bi Ji.
Another—
far more oppressive—
belonged to Zi Ji.
And then there was something else.
Something unfamiliar.
But powerful.
Spirit beasts hidden deep within the forest lifted their heads one by one.
They remembered that pressure.
Because it had appeared before.
Once when the human named Lin Huang had faced the heavens inside their forest.
And once again when the golden dragon girl—Qiu'er—had crossed her own tribulation beneath the same sky.
Both events had left deep impressions across the Star Dou Great Forest.
Now—
the pressure was returning.
Far ahead of the group, a massive shape stirred beneath the roots of an ancient tree.
Several crimson eyes opened slowly within the darkness.
The aura of a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Beast pulsed once—
then immediately faded again.
It did not move.
Because it understood something instinctively.
This was not a night to interfere.
Back on the forest path, Wu Feng suddenly shivered slightly.
"…Okay."
"That was weird."
Ning Tian glanced at her.
"You felt it too."
"Yes."
"Spirit beasts watching us."
Zi Ji chuckled quietly.
"They're curious."
"Should we be worried?" Tang Ya asked.
"No."
Zi Ji's smile widened slightly.
"They remember the last time."
Lin Huang glanced briefly toward her.
"You mean the tribulation."
"Yes."
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
"You made quite an impression."
Gu Yuena continued walking calmly.
"And Qiu'er."
"Yes."
Zi Ji nodded once.
"The forest doesn't forget things like that."
They continued deeper.
Eventually the trees opened into a wide clearing surrounded by ancient roots and towering trunks that stretched far above the canopy.
The natural energy here was dense enough to almost feel physical.
Lin Huang stopped.
"This should be far enough."
The group spread out slightly across the clearing.
Ji Juechen studied the surrounding terrain with quiet approval.
"A good battlefield."
Wu Feng raised an eyebrow.
"You're treating a tribulation like a duel."
Ji Juechen didn't answer.
Lin Huang lifted his gaze toward the sky above the canopy.
The pressure inside his cultivation surged again.
Stronger now.
The contract with Bi Ji had stabilized the Daevic Insight.
The breakthrough to Rank Seventy was no longer approaching.
It was inevitable.
Gu Yuena looked up at the dark sky.
"The heavens already noticed."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Above them—
beyond the thick layers of cloud hidden behind the night sky—
something vast was beginning to gather.
The air grew heavier.
Wind moved through the trees with increasing force.
Bi Ji stepped closer.
"The contract will hold."
Lin Huang nodded once.
"That's good."
Zi Ji crossed her arms and looked up toward the sky.
Her expression carried something that almost resembled excitement.
"Well then."
She glanced toward Lin Huang.
"Let's see what the heavens prepared this time."
Lin Huang rolled his shoulders slowly.
The pressure inside his dantian surged.
Two soul cores rotated faster.
The newly formed ring within the Daevic Insight pulsed faintly.
And somewhere deep within his cultivation—
the threshold of Rank Seventy began to break.
The wind stopped.
For a brief moment—
the entire forest fell silent.
Then—
far above the canopy—
thunder rolled across the sky.
The thunder did not strike immediately.
It rolled across the sky like the slow turning of an enormous wheel, distant yet impossibly heavy, its echoes spreading across the endless canopy of the Star Dou Great Forest.
For several seconds—
nothing else happened.
But every creature in the forest felt it.
Pressure.
Ancient spirit beasts deep within the forest shifted uneasily beneath the roots of colossal trees. Packs of lesser beasts that roamed the night went silent, instinctively retreating deeper into the shadows as the sky above the forest began to darken unnaturally.
Even the wind hesitated.
In the clearing where Lin Huang stood, the atmosphere had grown dense enough that the air itself seemed heavier.
Wu Feng looked up at the sky.
"…Yeah."
She rubbed the back of her neck.
"That's definitely a tribulation."
Tang Ya nodded slowly.
"The pressure is stronger than before."
Meng Hongchen folded her arms as faint frost gathered unconsciously around her fingertips.
"That's because he's not just breaking through a rank."
Her gaze shifted toward Lin Huang.
"There are several things happening at once."
Xiao Hongchen adjusted his glasses while carefully observing the fluctuations in spiritual pressure surrounding Lin Huang's body.
"The contract changed the structure of his cultivation."
"Three systems interacting simultaneously," Ning Tian added quietly.
"Spiritual."
"Soul power."
"And body cultivation."
Ji Juechen simply nodded once.
"Unstable."
Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
"Yes."
Inside his body—
the pressure had reached its limit.
The two soul cores within his dantian began rotating faster.
Resonance spread through his meridians like expanding rings across water.
The new soul ring formed through the contract with Bi Ji pulsed quietly within the structure of the Daevic Insight.
And then—
the barrier broke.
A deep surge of power erupted outward from Lin Huang's body.
The surrounding trees shuddered as the spiritual pressure expanded across the clearing.
Wu Feng grinned.
"There it is."
Ning Tian watched carefully.
"Rank seventy."
Lin Huang didn't move.
But inside his cultivation—
everything was changing.
The two soul cores rotated faster and faster, their resonance expanding until the entire spiritual sea inside his body trembled.
Gu Yuena's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He's starting."
Zi Ji tilted her head with interest.
"…What is he doing?"
Because something unusual was happening.
Instead of allowing the new energy to stabilize naturally—
Lin Huang reached deeper into his own cultivation.
Control.
Precision.
Structure.
The rotating energy between the two soul cores suddenly condensed inward.
The resonance between them intensified.
And slowly—
a third center of gravity began forming between the two existing cores.
Ning Tian inhaled slightly.
"…He's creating another one."
Xiao Hongchen stared.
"That's impossible."
Gu Yuena spoke calmly.
"He's constructing it."
Energy compressed violently inside Lin Huang's spiritual sea as the forming third soul core stabilized between the other two.
For a moment the pressure around him spiked again.
Then—
the structure locked into place.
Three cores.
Perfectly balanced.
Zi Ji whistled softly.
"Well."
"That's new."
Lin Huang opened his eyes slowly.
The world around him felt sharper now.
Clearer.
The Daevic Insight responded immediately, faint silver lines flickering briefly above his forehead as the crown rotated once.
But the heavens were not finished.
Far above the canopy—
the clouds split apart.
A massive bolt of lightning tore through the sky.
And descended toward the clearing like a falling star.
Wu Feng stepped back instinctively.
"Oh."
"There it is."
Lin Huang didn't move.
Instead—
his body shifted.
Deep crimson energy erupted from within his muscles as the power of Qi and Blood surged outward.
Scales of faint crimson-gold light appeared across his skin.
Vajra Dragon Body.
The first bolt of lightning struck.
The impact exploded across the clearing in a burst of blinding white light.
Trees shook.
The ground cracked.
But when the light faded—
Lin Huang was still standing exactly where he had been.
The dragon-like aura around his body flickered once.
Then stabilized.
Tang Ya stared.
"…He just took that directly."
Zi Ji grinned.
"That's the fun part."
Another thunderclap echoed across the sky.
Because the heavens had only just begun responding.
And the tribulation—
had only just started.
The first bolt had only been a warning.
Everyone in the clearing understood that immediately.
The sky above the Star Dou Great Forest continued to darken as heavy clouds gathered unnaturally fast, forming a vast spiral that slowly rotated above the canopy like a massive celestial vortex.
Lightning moved within the clouds.
Not striking yet.
Watching.
Judging.
Below, the forest had grown completely silent.
Even the wind had stopped.
Lin Huang stood at the center of the clearing, faint crimson light still flowing across the surface of his skin as the Vajra Dragon Body stabilized the damage left behind by the first strike.
The ground beneath his feet had cracked slightly.
But he had not moved.
Wu Feng exhaled slowly.
"…Okay."
"That one would've flattened most people."
Tang Ya nodded.
"And it wasn't even the real tribulation yet."
High above the clearing, the clouds shifted again.
Then—
another bolt descended.
This one was thicker.
Brighter.
Faster.
The second strike tore through the air with a deafening roar.
Lin Huang didn't dodge.
Instead, he raised one hand slowly.
The Qi and Blood within his body surged violently as the crimson aura around him intensified.
The dragon-like patterns along his arms brightened as the Vajra Dragon Body reached full strength.
Lightning collided with his raised arm.
For a brief moment the entire clearing exploded with white light.
The impact forced the ground beneath Lin Huang to sink slightly.
But he held.
The bolt shattered against the defensive force of his body and dispersed across the surrounding trees in fading arcs of electricity.
Zi Ji watched with open interest.
"His body is tougher than last time."
Bi Ji nodded slightly.
"The Gate of Healing is forming."
Gu Yuena's gaze sharpened.
The energy within Lin Huang's body had changed again.
The lightning had damaged his meridians—
but they were already repairing themselves.
Faster than before.
Much faster.
Deep within his body, the structure of his physical cultivation shifted again.
The pressure of the tribulation forced open another internal threshold.
The Eighth Gate.
Energy burst outward from his body again.
But this time—
it wasn't violent.
It was regenerative.
Warm.
Endless life force surged through his muscles and meridians as the new stage of body cultivation stabilized.
Zi Ji blinked once.
"…That was fast."
Bi Ji spoke quietly.
"The Gate of Healing."
Tang Ya tilted her head.
"That sounds… unfair."
Wu Feng laughed.
"So the heavens damages him and his body just heals faster?"
"Something like that," Ning Tian said.
Lin Huang lowered his arm slowly.
The last remnants of lightning faded from the air around him.
Inside his body—
the transformation continued.
Three soul cores rotated steadily within his dantian now.
Perfectly balanced.
The energy from the tribulation flowed into the circulation between them, strengthening the newly created core with each passing second.
But the heavens had not finished responding.
Far above the canopy—
the clouds split apart again.
This time—
three bolts formed simultaneously.
Wu Feng's grin widened.
"Oh, that looks angry."
Ji Juechen watched quietly.
"Good."
The three bolts fell at once.
Lin Huang moved for the first time since the tribulation began.
The crimson aura surrounding his body expanded outward as a second manifestation of Qi and Blood appeared beside him.
A towering humanoid silhouette formed from condensed life force.
The Touki Avatar.
Lightning struck both forms at the same time.
The impact shook the clearing violently.
But the avatar absorbed a portion of the force while Lin Huang's Vajra Dragon Body endured the rest.
When the light faded again—
both still stood.
Zi Ji laughed softly.
"Well."
"This is getting interesting."
Above them, the clouds continued to gather.
The heavens had clearly decided—
this tribulation would not end quickly.
And for the first time—
Lin Huang's eyes lifted toward the sky with something that almost resembled anticipation.
Because the true tribulation—
had not yet begun.
The sky did not calm after the third strike.
If anything—
it grew heavier.
The vortex of tribulation clouds above the canopy expanded slowly, layers of dark thunderclouds folding into one another as lightning crawled across their surfaces like living veins.
The heavens were gathering power.
Judging.
Testing.
Below, the clearing had already changed.
Cracks spread through the ground where the lightning had struck, several ancient trees along the edges of the clearing now scorched by residual electricity. The air carried the faint scent of burnt wood and ozone as fading arcs of lightning dissipated slowly into the soil.
At the center of it all—
Lin Huang still stood.
The crimson glow of the Vajra Dragon Body had dimmed slightly, but the aura of power surrounding him had grown deeper.
More stable.
The Gate of Healing had fully stabilized.
Where the previous lightning strikes had torn through his meridians and muscles, the damage had already begun repairing itself—threads of life force weaving through his body as if the injuries had never happened.
Wu Feng shook her head slowly.
"That's ridiculous."
Tang Ya nodded.
"He's recovering faster than the tribulation can damage him."
Bi Ji watched quietly from the edge of the clearing.
Her gaze was calm.
But attentive.
The life energy circulating within Lin Huang's body was already beginning to synchronize with the natural vitality of the surrounding forest.
"The contract is stabilizing the process," she said softly.
"The forest itself is supporting him."
Zi Ji crossed her arms, clearly enjoying the scene.
"Convenient."
Gu Yuena, however, continued watching the sky.
"The heavens are not finished."
She was right.
The clouds shifted again.
The vortex widened.
And then—
the atmosphere changed.
The pressure that had been building slowly above the forest suddenly descended all at once.
The air became heavy.
Crushing.
Even Wu Feng felt her shoulders tense instinctively.
"…Okay."
"That's new."
Ning Tian narrowed her eyes slightly.
"The tribulation is escalating."
Ji Juechen's gaze remained fixed on Lin Huang.
"Good."
At the center of the clearing, Lin Huang inhaled slowly.
Inside his body, the three soul cores rotated steadily within his spiritual sea.
Perfectly balanced.
The circulation between them had begun forming a deeper structure—energy moving not in simple rotation, but in layered flows connecting his cultivation systems together.
The Daevic Insight responded instantly.
Silver light flickered briefly above his forehead as the crown rotated once more.
Information flowed through his perception.
He could feel the structure of the tribulation now.
Not just its power—
its rhythm.
Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
"…Interesting."
Above the forest canopy—
the vortex of clouds suddenly split open.
This time the lightning did not fall immediately.
Instead—
a massive sphere of energy began forming within the center of the storm.
Zi Ji's smile widened slightly.
"Oh."
"That one looks serious."
Tang Ya stared upward.
"…Is that normal?"
"No," Xiao Hongchen answered calmly.
"That is extremely abnormal."
The sphere grew brighter.
Larger.
Condensing the energy of the surrounding clouds into a single point.
Even Gu Yuena's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The heavens are increasing the pressure."
Lin Huang rolled his shoulders once.
The crimson aura around his body surged again as the Qi and Blood circulation intensified.
The Touki Avatar reformed beside him, the towering figure of condensed life force standing silently like a guardian formed from pure vitality.
The massive sphere in the sky reached its limit.
And then—
it fell.
Not as a bolt.
But as a descending column of lightning that tore through the clouds and struck the clearing like the judgment of the heavens.
The impact was catastrophic.
Light consumed everything.
The ground shattered.
Shockwaves blasted through the surrounding forest as ancient trees bent violently under the pressure of the descending energy.
For a moment—
no one could see anything.
Then the light faded.
The clearing had been partially destroyed.
But at its center—
Lin Huang still stood.
The Touki Avatar flickered beside him.
And the aura of power surrounding his body had grown even stronger.
Wu Feng blinked.
"…He's still standing."
Zi Ji laughed softly.
"Of course he is."
High above the forest—
the tribulation clouds continued to gather.
Because the heavens were not finished yet.
And neither—
was Lin Huang.
The forest did not recover immediately after the last strike.
Smoke drifted slowly upward from the shattered ground where the lightning column had struck, while broken branches and splintered roots lay scattered across the clearing like the aftermath of a battlefield.
Yet the deeper forest remained strangely calm.
Watching.
Waiting.
Because the pressure above the canopy had not disappeared.
It had only grown heavier.
High in the sky, the vortex of tribulation clouds continued turning slowly, layers of thunderclouds folding into one another as the heavens gathered yet more power.
Below—
Lin Huang remained standing at the center of the clearing.
The Vajra Dragon Body still covered his form in faint crimson-gold patterns, while the towering Touki Avatar beside him flickered occasionally as the condensed Qi and Blood within it circulated in response to the surrounding lightning.
The Gate of Healing continued working silently.
Burned flesh had already regenerated.
Damaged meridians had already repaired themselves.
His breathing remained steady.
Wu Feng stared at him from the edge of the clearing.
"…That's not fair."
Tang Ya laughed softly.
"You're surprised?"
"I'm offended."
Ning Tian continued watching carefully.
"The tribulation hasn't stabilized yet."
She pointed upward.
"Look."
Everyone's gaze lifted toward the sky.
The clouds were changing again.
The massive vortex that had dominated the storm until now slowly began to compress inward, the outer layers of thunderclouds collapsing toward the center as if the heavens themselves were concentrating the remaining power of the tribulation.
Xiao Hongchen adjusted his glasses.
"That's not normal tribulation behavior."
"No," Gu Yuena agreed calmly.
"The heavens are adapting."
Zi Ji grinned.
"They're trying harder."
Below the storm, Lin Huang could feel the change immediately.
The rhythm of the tribulation had shifted.
The Daevic Insight responded instinctively.
Above his forehead, faint silver light appeared once more as the crown formed again, delicate runic patterns spinning slowly like a celestial mechanism.
Through it—
he could see the structure of the storm.
Energy pathways.
Pressure flows.
The formation of the next strike.
Lin Huang lifted his gaze toward the sky.
"…I see."
The circulation within his body changed again.
The three soul cores continued rotating within his spiritual sea, the resonance between them now forming layered currents that flowed outward into his meridians.
Spiritual power.
Soul power.
Body cultivation.
For the first time—
those systems had begun moving together.
Not fully merged.
But synchronized.
Gu Yuena noticed the shift immediately.
"…Interesting."
Zi Ji glanced at her.
"What?"
Gu Yuena continued watching Lin Huang.
"The integration has begun."
Tang Ya blinked.
"…Integration?"
"Yes."
Gu Yuena's voice remained calm.
"His cultivation systems are beginning to synchronize."
Wu Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Is that good?"
"Yes."
She paused slightly.
"For him."
At the center of the clearing, Lin Huang inhaled slowly.
The Touki Avatar dissolved into flowing crimson light and returned to his body, reinforcing the circulation of Qi and Blood within his meridians.
The Vajra Dragon Body remained active.
The Gate of Healing continued repairing damage faster than the tribulation could create it.
And the Daevic Insight continued analyzing the storm above.
Everything was working.
Everything was stabilizing.
But the heavens had one final response prepared.
The vortex of clouds compressed again.
Then suddenly—
the entire sky flashed.
A massive bolt of lightning descended from the center of the storm, far brighter than any previous strike.
The air screamed as it tore downward.
Wu Feng stepped back instinctively.
"…That one looks serious."
Ji Juechen's gaze sharpened.
"Yes."
The bolt struck.
The explosion of light swallowed the clearing again as thunder erupted across the entire forest.
For several seconds—
nothing could be seen.
Then slowly—
the light faded.
The clearing had been blasted even deeper into the earth.
Several ancient trees had collapsed.
But at the center—
Lin Huang still stood.
His aura was stronger than before.
More stable.
More controlled.
Above the canopy—
the tribulation clouds began to disperse.
The storm had finally spent its power.
Wu Feng exhaled slowly.
"…Okay."
"That one was the last one, right?"
Zi Ji looked toward the sky.
"Yes."
The clouds were already breaking apart.
Gu Yuena's gaze returned to Lin Huang.
"Rank seventy has stabilized."
Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
The crown above his head faded again as the Daevic Insight settled into calm circulation.
Inside his body—
the third soul core rotated perfectly in balance with the other two.
The breakthrough was complete.
But the energy within his cultivation had not yet fully settled.
Because the next step—
had already begun.