Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, no cultivator was willing to enter the "Wind God's Eye," and thus, very few "Skywind Bamboo" could be harvested. The two remaining stalks in the Malevolent Spirit Sect were accumulated slowly, generation after generation. Usually, if a cultivator had some confidence, they would be reluctant to spend so many Spirit Stones to buy it. Even when Wei Zhongran was forming his Nascent Soul, he had hesitated for a long time before finally deciding against it. Even with his fortune, he was a little short and would have had to ask his family for a considerable number of Spirit Stones, let alone ordinary Golden Core cultivators.
The main reason was that Wei Zhongran had dual Dantians. The Spirit Stones he needed for daily cultivation were double, or even several times that of others. In addition, he had to consider medicinal pills and magical treasures for his disciples, so he didn't have many Spirit Stones left over.
Another reason for not spending a huge sum on "Skywind Bamboo" was that a thousand-year-old stalk could only absorb a portion of the tribulation wind's power. If the timing was off, it might not even achieve ten percent of its effectiveness, making it feel somewhat like a "chicken rib" (TN: a thing of little value or interest).
So, when Li Yan, in disguise, went to Lord Lao Peak to buy it, the deacon there was nearly floored. Every sect had a rule that one could not pry into the privacy of others' material purchases. Therefore, disciples were allowed to not show their true faces when buying items they considered particularly private, as long as they presented their sect token.
Li Yan carefully activated the stalk of "Skywind Bamboo" again. Seeing that there were no problems, he placed it on the ground in front of him.
He had just done this when the ground beneath him began to tremble with a soft "hum." After a few breaths, it stopped. Li Yan saw a seven-colored rainbow flash across the sky and disappear. Then, Wei Zhongran's voice echoed throughout the entire sect.
"All cultivators are to immediately distance themselves from Little Bamboo Peak! The sect's grand formation will be temporarily closed! Patrol disciples will be increased to thirty-two squads to strengthen patrols! All other low-level disciples are to return to their cave residences! This order is not to be disobeyed!"
The voice boomed like spring thunder, rolling out from the sky. Then, two immense pressures descended from the heavens, blanketing the entire world. Instantly, the entire Malevolent Spirit Sect was thrown into chaos.
"What's happening? Why did they close the sect's grand formation!"
"That's Ancestor Wei and Ancestor Mo! They actually came out together!"
"This should… this shouldn't be an enemy invasion, right? Is there a problem with the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation?"
Many people were guessing, but soon, a Golden Core cultivator shouted sternly, "Everyone, return to your own cave residences! Someone in the sect is about to form their Nascent Soul!"
Those Golden Core cultivators were also alarmed. They had seen this kind of situation before, but it was definitely not for Core Formation. When a sect disciple formed their Golden Core, at most it would attract the Sect Master and some elders to stand guard. It would absolutely not draw out the Nascent Soul stage ancestors.
"Is it Zhao Zhi?" Wang Tian looked at the sky and said softly. Beside him were Zuo Shengyan and Baili Yuan. Just now, Wei Zhongran had sent a voice transmission to all the Golden Core cultivators in the sect, telling them to restrain the disciples below them and to arrange for all patrol disciples on duty today to immediately take to the sky and patrol, regardless of the time.
After taking to the sky, Wang Tian and the others had gathered. Du Sanjiang was on duty and had immediately led his men to patrol. Chu Weili had gone out on a journey several years ago.
"It should be her. No one else has entered the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage. Not even Li Wuyi!" Wang Tian thought for a moment and nodded. He had been paying close attention to the Golden Core cultivators of his generation. If an old-timer like Yan Longzi suddenly faced a Heavenly Tribulation, it wouldn't be surprising. But at this moment, he suddenly thought of Li Yan, of whom he had not been able to get any news.
'Could it be him? The last time he attended Li Wuyi's wedding, the aura he revealed was still late-stage Golden Core. To be in seclusion for over fifty years is already astonishing. If he were to form his Nascent Soul now…' Then he shook his head, feeling that Zhao Zhi was the more likely possibility. It was impossible for Li Yan to have entered the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage so quickly.
In the sky, Mo Qing looked at the streaks of light below, like birds returning to their nests. He retracted his Divine Sense from the distance. He was checking to see if there were any passing Nascent Soul cultivators nearby. When the Heavenly Tribulation arrived, he had to guard Li Yan well. When someone in their sect was forming a Core or Nascent Soul, they weren't too afraid of other sects coming to cause trouble. They could find the other party's nest and wipe out their entire sect.
What they feared most were the powerful rogue cultivators. These people were eccentric and solitary. If one of them were to launch a sneak attack while you were transcending your tribulation, it would be difficult to even track them down for revenge.
"You said it's your youngest disciple who has returned and is about to form his Nascent Soul? He's only been cultivating for about a hundred years, hasn't he!"
"It's him. He and Min'er didn't die back then and had many opportunities. It was truly a blessing in disguise!" Wei Zhongran's eyes held a smile.
"Oh, that boy is your future son-in-law. If he successfully forms his Nascent Soul, it won't just be a benefit to the sect, but also a great boon to your Wei Clan. Sigh, why don't I ever encounter such good things?" Mo Qing shook his head.
"Senior Brother, you could find a girl from your own descendants and marry her to a disciple with good aptitude from the sect. Who knows, maybe the same thing will happen in the future? Besides, you're not old, Senior Brother. You could have ten or eight daughters of your own!" Wei Zhongran's eyes twinkled as he chuckled.
"Get lost, you old fart! Stop making fun of me!" Mo Qing laughed and cursed. His master, Dacen, was of the same generation as Wei Zhongran's master. He was also very familiar with the Wei Clan's ancestor. In terms of age, he could indeed scold Wei Zhongran.
Neither of them mentioned Li Yan's chances of successfully forming his Nascent Soul. No one could predict such a thing, no matter how well-prepared you were. And they couldn't interfere. So, all they had to do was ensure no one disturbed Li Yan's Nascent Soul Formation and kill any enemies who appeared.
Wei Zhongran actually had his own plan. If Li Yan truly faced a life-or-death crisis during his tribulation, he would risk his own life to save him. One, because Li Yan was his disciple; two, because his own daughter was unwilling to remove the "Heart-Entangling Twin Gu," no matter what. This was what worried him and gave him the biggest headache.
Li Yan sensed that the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation had been closed. He knew that closing it was very dangerous for a sect. But if it were open during Nascent Soul Formation within the sect, it would passively bear the Heavenly Tribulation, which would multiply the tribulation's power, making it counterproductive.
At this moment, after preparing everything, a small white jade bottle suddenly appeared in his palm. With a flick of his thumb, he opened the stopper. A translucent white jade pill, cool as water and exuding a faint, clear fragrance, was poured into his palm. It was the reward he had received for helping Xing Ming find the "Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp," a fifth-rank medicinal pill—the "Bright Lotus Pill."
The "Bright Lotus Pill" was a rare and precious pill among fifth-rank medicinal pills. It had no healing or detoxifying effects, nor could it broaden meridians or enhance the mind. But once a cultivator consumed it, it had a ten to thirty percent chance of enhancing their state of enlightenment.
During his years of closed-door cultivation, Li Yan had encountered bottlenecks several times and had been tempted to take this pill, but he had always managed to resist. Today, he felt was the best time. Li Yan swallowed the pill in one gulp and then closed his eyes.
In Li Yan's vast, boundless Sea of Consciousness, a tiny serpent suddenly appeared. The moment it appeared, it circled once before swiftly passing through the layers of clouds in his Sea of Consciousness, actually guiding Li Yan's consciousness toward a certain place.
Soon, Li Yan saw a constantly changing space of consciousness. The changes in that space were very peculiar. One part moved extremely slowly, only shifting a little after a long time, while another part was like a changing storm, with hundreds of variations every breath. 'This… this is the faint trace of temporal change I comprehended the other day…'
Not far from this space, there was a patch of five-colored light, circling in a peculiar pattern. 'That is also the inner and outer Five Elements that I have gained some comprehension of…'
Outside, only about ten breaths had passed since Li Yan entered meditation, but faint five-colored lights had begun to emerge from his body.
Two hours later, the originally clear sky above the Malevolent Spirit Sect was suddenly filled with a fierce wind. Large patches of clouds gathered from the distant horizon, churning violently as they surged toward the Malevolent Spirit Sect from all directions.
At this moment, besides Mo Qing and Wei Zhongran in the sky, dozens of Golden Core cultivators had gathered several hundred li away. This was a good opportunity for them to gain comprehension, and the sect also allowed Golden Core cultivators to observe. People like Zhao Min, Li Changting, Miao Wangqing, and Wang Tian were all in different areas, their Divine Sense all focused on the back mountain of Little Bamboo Peak. However, the formation restrictions there were still active, so they couldn't see what was happening inside. Apart from Zhao Min, Wei Chituo, and the two demons, no one knew who the person was.
Not all the cultivators of the Malevolent Spirit Sect were here. Besides those leading patrols, many cultivators like the Sect Master Yan Longzi were in closed-door cultivation.
Mo Qing, who was conversing in the sky, was stunned. "Why so fast? Not even half a day has passed. According to what you said earlier, if he had reached such a state of enlightenment, he wouldn't have been able to suppress it and rush back to the sect!"
Wei Zhongran was also stunned. After carefully scanning with his Divine Sense, he shook his head in confusion. "After suppressing it, it usually takes at least a day to find that state of enlightenment again. This might be related to the medicinal pill he just took!"
Li Yan's formation restriction could block the Divine Sense of others, but it couldn't block theirs. Moreover, Wei Zhongran would close the formation restriction there the moment the Heavenly Tribulation arrived.
"The pill he just swallowed moved very quickly, but now that I think about it, why did its aura feel like a 'Bright Lotus Pill'?" Mo Qing thought for a moment. He had only briefly scanned the area with his Divine Sense just now. His attention at the time had been drawn to that stalk of "Skywind Bamboo." Even he and Wei Zhongran had been reluctant to buy such a treasure when they were forming their Nascent Souls. Seeing a stalk of "Skywind Bamboo" by Li Yan's side, he couldn't help but gasp in shock. Neither of them had expected this boy to be so wealthy. So, when Li Yan swallowed the pill, their attention was still on the bamboo, and they were still discussing the "Skywind Bamboo." They hadn't really seen the pill that flashed in Li Yan's hand.
"Now that you mention it, it's very possible. And it fits the current situation quite well!" Wei Zhongran carefully recalled. The pill Li Yan had swallowed did indeed seem like a "Bright Lotus Pill." Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Li Yan to trigger the celestial phenomenon so quickly and still have been able to return to the sect.
'This boy's fortune is even greater than mine, his master! Not only did he buy the 'Skywind Bamboo,' but he still had enough Spirit Stones left to buy a fifth-rank medicinal pill. How many cultivators did he kill out there to have robbed so many Spirit Stones!' Wei Zhongran grumbled inwardly.
As the two whispered, the gray storm clouds from all directions had already gathered above the Malevolent Spirit Sect, churning and rolling. The fierce wind blew so hard that the trees and bamboo forests below seemed on the verge of snapping. Especially on the back mountain of Little Bamboo Peak, the bamboo forest heaved violently like waves, sending a storm of fallen leaves, mud, and stones into the air. Sand and stones flew everywhere, as if a demonic creature of boundless magical power had arrived.
In just a few dozen breaths, the entire sky had turned from day to night. By the time the dark clouds reached the Malevolent Spirit Sect, they had become clumps of thick ink. Faint rumbling sounds could be heard from within, and streaks of white lightning would occasionally flash… and then extinguish…