The first bolt of lightning descended from the tribulation clouds.
It was crimson in colour, its blazing radiance illuminating the darkened surroundings as it tore through the air and struck Lin Sheng's body. The instant it made contact with his skin, an intense heat spread across his flesh, scorching the surface and tearing away several small patches of skin. Red-hot marks appeared where the lightning had struck, accompanied by wisps of smoke that quickly dispersed into the air.
Although the injury was insignificant, Lin Sheng's expression changed slightly.
He could clearly sense that something within his body had responded to the crimson lightning. The five Zang organs, which had been drawing upon the surrounding Five Elements energy, had begun absorbing a portion of the lightning's essence as well. It was as though the force that had previously been confined within his body had finally found the missing nourishment it needed.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
'So that's the connection.'
He had already suspected that the strange drawing force originating from his five Zang organs was related to the five-coloured tribulation, and the first strike had confirmed his suspicion. The lightning wasn't merely descending to punish him. Its essence seemed to be precisely what his transforming physique required.
Lin Sheng raised his head and looked towards the enormous tribulation clouds.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he bent his knees and leapt.
His figure shot upwards like a cannonball, piercing through the layers of dark clouds and entering the heart of the tribulation.
Any cultivator who witnessed this scene would probably have condemned his actions as suicidal. Even a powerful martial artist wouldn't ordinarily dare to charge directly into a tribulation cloud, where countless bolts of lightning were gathering. The destructive power contained within such a place was enough to reduce an ordinary Grandmaster to ashes, and recklessly entering it was no different from throwing oneself into a furnace.
But that was the judgement of someone who lacked the ability to withstand it.
The moment the crimson lightning touched Lin Sheng's physique, he felt its essence being drawn towards his five Zang organs. Rather than simply resisting the destructive force, his body was extracting something from it, and the more lightning struck him, the stronger the drawing force became.
His Qi-Blood Furnace also began responding, faintly trembling within his body as though it had detected an extraordinary material suitable for smelting.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed.
'Whatever result comes from this transformation, it had better be worth the trouble.'
He continued rising until he finally broke through the outermost layer of the tribulation clouds.
The world above him had become completely different.
The sunlight that should have illuminated the heavens was nowhere to be seen. The dense clouds blocked every trace of its radiance, leaving the surroundings in an oppressive darkness. Only the continuous flashes of crimson, azure, golden, green, and earthy-yellow lightning illuminated the vast expanse, their brilliance appearing and disappearing in rapid succession. Each flash was followed by a thunderclap that shook the surrounding clouds, and the sound rolled through the heavens like the furious roar of an ancient beast.
Lin Sheng spread his perception.
The instant his mental perception reached out, he felt an intense longing coming from his five Zang organs.
It was no longer the faint attraction he had sensed earlier. The five organs were practically yearning for the lightning, and the force originating from his lower Dantian immediately extended outwards, spreading through his body before reaching beyond his physical form.
The surrounding tribulation clouds responded almost immediately.
A series of deafening rumbles erupted from every direction, the clouds churning violently as though the heavens themselves had been offended by the intrusion. The five-coloured lightning gathered more densely, and the countless flashes that had previously appeared at irregular intervals suddenly converged towards Lin Sheng.
In the next instant, the entire sky erupted.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Countless bolts of lightning descended simultaneously, striking Lin Sheng from every direction. Crimson lightning burned across his shoulders, azure lightning coiled around his limbs, golden lightning pierced through his chest, while green and earthy-yellow lightning intertwined around his back and abdomen. The five colours flooded his surroundings, turning the darkness into a blinding spectacle of destructive radiance.
Lin Sheng's body trembled.
A low groan escaped his throat, followed by another that was considerably louder. His brows furrowed, and his muscles tightened as he struggled to endure the sensation spreading through his body.
Yet the pain wasn't primarily caused by the lightning damaging his flesh.
It came from within.
The drawing force that had originated from his five Zang organs was now circulating through his entire body, dragging the essence of the lightning into his internal organs and forcing it through a process of transformation. His five organs seemed to have become the centre of an enormous vortex, drawing in the lightning essence while simultaneously rearranging the internal balance of his body.
The force was too violent.
His stomach churned, and for a moment he felt as though he might vomit. His internal organs contracted and expanded in rapid succession, while the circulation of energy within his body became so intense that even his exceptionally strong physical foundation struggled to remain stable.
Lin Sheng gritted his teeth.
He had endured countless painful processes during his cultivation, from tempering his flesh and bones to refining his viscera, and even the advancement to Astral Gang had subjected his body to tremendous strain. However, what he was experiencing now was fundamentally different.
It was as though his entire physique was being dismantled and reconstructed from the inside out.
The five Zang organs drew in the essence of the lightning, while the force that had spread from his lower Dantian carried it throughout his body. His Qi-Blood Furnace continued operating without interruption, drawing in the incoming essence and smelting it into a purer form that could be absorbed by the transformation. Whenever the lightning's destructive nature threatened to overwhelm his internal circulation, the furnace would refine a portion of its essence and turn it into nourishment.
Time passed.
Lin Sheng had no idea how long the process had continued. His consciousness remained clear for most of it, but the continuous pain and the tremendous expenditure of mental strength gradually wore him down.
Several hours later, he noticed a change.
The surrounding tribulation clouds were beginning to shrink.
At first, the difference was barely perceptible, but as the drawing force continued expanding, the clouds around him began flowing towards his body. The countless bolts of lightning no longer appeared to be descending solely to strike him. Their essence was being pulled into the vortex, and even the clouds themselves were gradually being consumed.
The Qi-Blood Furnace was now assisting the process on an unprecedented scale.
It continuously smelted the tribulation essence, extracting the portions that could nourish his transformation while allowing the remaining energy to circulate through his body. The five Zang organs absorbed the refined essence, and the force spreading from them carried the effects throughout his entire physical foundation.
Lin Sheng could feel his skin, muscles, tendons, bones, and even his bone marrow undergoing repeated cleansing.
His pores opened one after another, seemingly preparing to expel impurities that had accumulated within his physique. However, there was hardly anything for them to release. His body had already been refined to an extraordinary degree, and the countless tempering processes he had undergone over the years had removed most of the impurities that ordinary cultivators would struggle to eliminate.
Nevertheless, the transformation continued.
The cleansing wasn't merely removing impurities. It was changing the underlying structure of his physical body, allowing the Five Elements principles absorbed by his organs to spread through every part of his physique.
His bones became denser, his muscles grew increasingly resilient, and the tendons connecting his limbs seemed to acquire a new vitality. Even the marrow within his bones was undergoing a subtle transformation, becoming more closely connected to the circulation of his Qi-Blood.
The five-coloured lightning continued disappearing into the vortex.
During the final hour, the tribulation clouds themselves had become noticeably thinner, and the violent thunderclaps gradually weakened. The enormous pressure that had previously filled the heavens was slowly diminishing, as though the tribulation had finally exhausted its strength.
Lin Sheng, however, was no longer in a condition to pay attention to his surroundings.
A profound drowsiness was gradually enveloping his consciousness.
It wasn't the ordinary exhaustion that followed an intense battle or a prolonged period of cultivation. Instead, it felt as though his body was requesting that he surrender control and allow the transformation to complete itself. Every part of him was demanding rest, and even maintaining his consciousness had become an increasingly difficult task.
He understood that this was probably the final stage.
Lin Sheng forced himself to remain awake for a few more breaths, then gathered the last remnants of his strength and took out a formation plate.
He infused it with a trace of Gang Essence.
The formation plate immediately released a faint radiance, and the restrictions hidden within it spread outwards, enveloping the surrounding area. Although he couldn't personally inspect the formation's operation, he had already prepared it beforehand, and its concealment and protective effects should be sufficient to prevent ordinary disturbances from reaching him.
Only after confirming that the formation had been activated did he finally release the tension in his body.
His figure descended from the heavens.
He landed on the ground beneath the tribulation clouds, and his long hair spread across his shoulders as he lay motionless. The last traces of lightning flickered around his body before disappearing into his skin.
Lin Sheng's eyelids slowly closed.
For the first time in many years, he allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep without maintaining even the slightest awareness of his surroundings.
---
Time passed quietly.
The tribulation clouds gradually dispersed, and the violent energy that had once filled the surrounding region slowly faded. Although the ground had been devastated by the lightning, the area eventually returned to relative tranquillity, with only the occasional gust of wind disturbing the silence.
Several hours later, two figures descended from the sky.
One wore the uniform of a chief constable from the local Yamen, his clothing neat and dignified, with a sabre hanging at his waist. The other was a swordsman dressed in the simple garments of a wandering martial artist, his appearance unremarkable at first glance, although the sword hanging from his waist carried an unusual sense of sharpness.
The two figures moved through the air at a steady pace.
The chief constable glanced sideways at his companion, noticing the latter's cautious movements, and couldn't help laughing.
"Jian Yun, don't tell me you're actually wary of a little danger. Don't worry, I've already heard reports from several villages nearby. They said they witnessed countless bolts of five-coloured lightning gathering around this region. Although those villagers don't understand what such a phenomenon signifies, you and I certainly do."
Jian Yun didn't immediately respond.
His gaze swept across the distant mountains, and his expression remained somewhat solemn.
"Chief Lu, even if there's a possibility that a heavenly and earthly treasure has formed here, why can't we sense any Yao Beast moving around this region? You and I both know that whenever an extraordinary treasure appears, the powerful Yao Beasts in the surrounding area are usually the first to detect it. They wouldn't simply ignore such an opportunity."
Chief Lu waved his hand dismissively.
"Jian Yun, don't falter at the last moment. Are you telling me that you don't want to take a chance on this opportunity? If we manage to obtain whatever has formed here, your cultivation could advance considerably. You might even have a chance to enter the Earth Martial List ahead of the others."
He paused, then continued with a confident smile.
"Besides, the Yao Beasts around this region might not be particularly powerful. It's possible they failed to sense the opportunity before the lightning descended, and the disturbance frightened the weaker ones away. Since we're already here, we might as well investigate. Who knows? Perhaps fortune has finally decided to favour us."
Jian Yun remained silent for a moment.
He could understand Chief Lu's reasoning, and although he still felt something was amiss, there was no obvious sign of danger. Furthermore, he had already benefited from the previous Heavenly Phenomenon, which had allowed him, alongside several other experts on the Human Martial List, to make considerable progress in their Martial Concepts.
His confidence had grown considerably since then.
Even if they encountered a powerful Yao Beast, he believed that he could handle himself.
After all, his swordsmanship had improved considerably, and his Martial Intent was no longer at the same level as before.
He eventually nodded.
"Very well. Let's take a look."
Chief Lu smiled.
"That's more like it."
The two accelerated, their figures cutting through the air as they headed towards the region where the five-coloured lightning had been reported.
It didn't take long before they noticed the damage left behind.
The ground below was riddled with deep pits, while several trees had been reduced to charred fragments. Some of the surrounding rocks had melted, forming strange glass-like surfaces, and the air remained filled with a violent energy that made their skin sting whenever they passed through it.
Jian Yun slowed down.
His eyes narrowed as he examined the surroundings.
The residual energy was unusually pure, yet it carried an oppressive quality that made him instinctively cautious. Even the wind seemed to have become heavier, sweeping through the region with traces of the destructive force that had once descended from the heavens.
Chief Lu, however, was looking at something else.
Within the violent energy, he noticed a faint five-coloured glow emanating from deeper inside the region.
His eyes immediately brightened.
"There!"
He pointed towards the distant glow, his expression revealing his excitement.
"I knew it! There really is an opportunity here!"
Jian Yun also turned his attention towards it.
Unlike Chief Lu, however, he didn't immediately become excited. He carefully examined the glow with his perception, trying to determine whether it contained any malicious intent. After a moment, his expression relaxed slightly.
There was no obvious hostility.
Instead, the energy seemed strangely calm and balanced, containing the five elements in a harmonious arrangement. It was an unusual sensation, especially considering the violent destruction that had taken place around it.
The two exchanged a glance before moving closer.
However, as soon as they approached a certain distance, a powerful gust of wind suddenly struck them.
Whoosh!
The force was so strong that both figures were pushed backwards. Their robes fluttered violently, and even their bodies trembled as they struggled to stabilise themselves in mid-air.
Chief Lu's expression changed.
"What is this?"
He attempted to move forward again, but another wave of wind swept towards him, forcing him to retreat several steps.
Jian Yun's expression became solemn.
"This isn't ordinary wind. There's a formation or some kind of protective restriction surrounding the area."
Chief Lu gritted his teeth.
"Then we'll break through it."
He reached for the sabre at his waist and drew it in a swift motion.
Clang!
A sharp metallic resonance rang through the air, and a powerful wave of Gang Qi erupted from his body. The Gang Qi gathered around the blade, forming a concentrated layer of silver-grey radiance that extended from the hilt to the tip.
Chief Lu's cultivation was clearly not ordinary.
He tightened his grip, and the Gang Qi surrounding his sabre condensed further, its sharp aura growing increasingly intense. Then, with a low shout, he swung downwards.
A brilliant blade light descended.
It cut through the violent wind and struck the invisible barrier before them.
Clang!
The impact produced a sound like metal striking metal.
The blade light shattered, and the force rebounded towards Chief Lu, forcing him to retreat several steps. His arm trembled slightly from the impact, but his eyes suddenly brightened.
A crack had appeared on the barrier.
Although it was extremely thin, both men had clearly seen it.
More importantly, the crack didn't disappear immediately. The surrounding energy flowed towards it, repairing the damage, but the process took a brief moment.
Chief Lu grinned.
"Jian Yun! Help me!"
Jian Yun understood immediately.
He stepped forward, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Unlike Chief Lu's sabre, which carried a fierce and domineering sharpness, the aura surrounding Jian Yun was gentle and fluid, resembling flowing water.
His Gang Qi spread around his body.
It didn't erupt violently but flowed in a continuous stream, gathering along the length of his sword until the blade seemed to have become an extension of his own Martial Intent.
Jian Yun took a step forward.
His sword pierced the air.
A wave of Gang Qi surged out, flowing like a river as it struck the barrier at almost the same moment Chief Lu launched another attack.
Boom!
The two attacks landed together.
The barrier trembled, and several cracks appeared across its surface. This time, the damage took noticeably longer to repair.
Chief Lu laughed.
"Good! Keep attacking!"
The two immediately launched another assault.
Chief Lu's sabre swept through the air, sending out one blade light after another, each strike carrying a concentrated metallic sharpness. Jian Yun's sword moved with a completely different rhythm, sometimes piercing straight ahead, sometimes sweeping sideways, and occasionally turning into a flowing stream of Gang Qi that struck the barrier from an unexpected angle.
Their attacks complemented each other.
Whenever Chief Lu's fierce sabre strike forced the barrier to concentrate its defensive energy in one place, Jian Yun's fluid sword force would strike another weakened section. When the barrier attempted to repair one crack, the two would immediately attack a different area, preventing its energy from recovering completely.
The invisible barrier shook continuously.
The violent winds surrounding it became increasingly unstable, and the five-coloured glow behind it grew clearer.
An hour passed.
By then, cracks covered almost the entire barrier. The two martial artists had gradually increased their speed, their attacks becoming more coordinated as they discovered the rhythm of its recovery.
Chief Lu's breathing had grown heavier, and sweat ran down his forehead, but his excitement only increased.
"One more time!"
He raised his sabre.
A powerful metallic aura gathered around the blade, and the surrounding Gang Qi condensed into a sharp crescent of light.
At almost the same moment, Jian Yun's eyes narrowed.
His sword intent surged.
The gentle, flowing aura that had surrounded him suddenly became sharper, like a river transforming into a raging torrent. His sword trembled, and a brilliant stream of Gang Qi extended from its tip.
The two looked at each other.
They understood.
Chief Lu's sabre descended, while Jian Yun's sword pierced forward.
Their Martial Intents erupted simultaneously, amplifying the power of their attacks.
Boom!
The already fractured barrier finally collapsed.
Countless fragments of energy scattered through the air, and the violent winds that had surrounded the region disappeared in an instant. The oppressive force that had been blocking their approach vanished, revealing the source of the five-coloured glow.
Both men stared ahead.
The glow was considerably brighter than they had expected.
At its centre was a strange cocoon-like structure, its entire surface covered in a dense layer of five-coloured radiance. The energy flowed across it in continuous waves, and faint traces of the Five Elements could be felt circulating within.
Chief Lu's eyes widened.
His breathing became hurried.
'An extraordinary treasure!'
He had already begun considering how they would divide their gains. If the object within that cocoon was truly a heavenly and earthly treasure, then even obtaining a portion of it would be enough to make this journey worthwhile.
Jian Yun, however, didn't share his excitement.
His gaze remained fixed on the cocoon.
Something was moving inside.
It was a very subtle movement, but he noticed it almost immediately. The five-coloured radiance surrounding the cocoon fluctuated, and the surface began trembling as though whatever was inside was preparing to emerge.
Jian Yun's expression changed.
"Chief Lu, wait—"
Before he could finish speaking, the cocoon erupted.
A powerful burst of energy blasted outwards, tearing the five-coloured shell apart. The fragments scattered through the air, and a naked figure slowly crawled out from within.
The figure had long, lustrous black hair that fell across his shoulders, his skin was smooth and unblemished, and his body appeared to possess an unusual radiance beneath the remaining five-coloured light.
He straightened his back and stood upright.
For a brief moment, he simply looked around.
His eyes were filled with confusion, as though he had only just awakened from an exceptionally long sleep.
Chief Lu's expression immediately twisted.
The excitement that had filled his face vanished, replaced by anger and disbelief.
"How dare you steal our opportunity!"
He roared and charged forward.
His sabre was already in his hand, and his Gang Qi surged as he swung the weapon downwards with all his strength. The blade carried a fierce metallic sharpness, and the strike descended towards the naked figure's head without the slightest hesitation.
Jian Yun's expression changed.
"Stop!"
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The sabre struck.
Clang!
The sound was strangely clear.
Chief Lu's expression froze.
His sabre had connected with the figure, yet it felt as though he had struck an indestructible piece of divine metal. The force of the impact rebounded through his arms, and the blade trembled violently.
The naked figure hadn't even moved.
He merely lowered his gaze towards the sabre resting against his body, then slowly raised his head.
A faint trace of confusion remained in his eyes.
Chief Lu's heart sank.
Before he could retreat, the figure casually extended one hand.
A brilliant golden radiance flashed.
The next instant, an overwhelming wave of energy erupted from his palm, filling the surroundings with blinding light.
Jian Yun instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes.
The radiance was so intense that even his perception seemed to be momentarily disrupted. He felt an immense heat pass through the air, and an inexplicable sense of danger surged through his entire body.
When the light finally faded, he lowered his arm.
His eyes widened.
Chief Lu was gone.
There wasn't even a complete corpse left behind. His body had been reduced to ash, and the remaining fragments were scattered by the passing wind. The sabre that had been in his hand had also disappeared, leaving only a few traces of molten metal on the ground.
Jian Yun felt his blood turn cold.
He had been right.
There was something terrifying about this unknown figure.
The man before him hadn't even moved from his original position, yet a chief constable with considerable Gang Qi cultivation had been reduced to ashes in an instant.
Jian Yun didn't hesitate.
His figure shot backwards, and he immediately took to the air, pushing his movement technique to its limits.
He didn't even look back.
Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to flee.
The pressure he felt from the unknown figure was beyond anything he had anticipated. It wasn't merely the aura of a powerful martial artist, but something far more profound, as though he were facing an existence whose strength was completely beyond his understanding.
He could almost taste the danger.
'Run!'
That was the only thought in his mind.
However, before he could escape very far, his vision suddenly darkened.
A powerful force descended upon his consciousness.
Jian Yun's body stiffened in mid-air, and his eyes lost their focus. His Gang Qi dispersed, his sword slipped slightly from his grip, and his figure began falling helplessly towards the ground.
He didn't even have the strength to resist.
Thud!
His body struck the ground and lay motionless.
The naked figure glanced at him.
After a brief pause, his expression finally became clearer.
A moment later, a set of robes appeared around his body, covering his naked form. His long black hair fell behind his shoulders as he stepped towards the unconscious swordsman.
It was Lin Sheng.
He looked down at Jian Yun, then casually lifted him from the ground.
The earlier confusion in his eyes gradually disappeared as he examined the surroundings. The formation plate he had activated before falling asleep had remained intact, and the protective restrictions had successfully concealed his presence throughout the final stage of his transformation.
As for the two intruders, one had foolishly attacked him while he was still recovering, while the other had been frightened into fleeing.
Lin Sheng hadn't intended to kill either of them.
However, the chief constable's attack had awakened a trace of his dormant defensive instinct, and the wisp of Natal Solar True Fire he had casually released was already more than enough to turn the man into ash.
He carried Jian Yun towards the cave.
Along the way, Lin Sheng glanced down at the unconscious swordsman.
'He seems to have a decent foundation.'
His gaze then shifted towards the distant sky, where the last traces of the tribulation clouds had already disappeared.
Lin Sheng felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
For many years, ever since he had reached the Xuan Gang realm, he had rarely enjoyed proper sleep. Even when he entered seclusion, his consciousness would remain active, monitoring his surroundings and maintaining control over his cultivation.
This time, however, his body had demanded rest so forcefully that he had fallen into a deep sleep without any resistance.
The transformation had clearly taken a great deal out of him, but the results seemed promising.
He looked at his hands.
Although he hadn't yet examined the changes in detail, he could already feel that his physical body had become fundamentally different.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
'It seems this sleep was worth it.'
He entered the cave with Jian Yun, placed the unconscious swordsman somewhere safe, and finally sat down to examine the changes within his body.