Volume 8, Chapter 470 – Breaking Through to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm (Part 1)

“So that’s how it is! No wonder I searched the entire Donglai Sect and still couldn’t find Yaoyao! To think that old fox hid her inside a spatial ring!”

Qi Huang was utterly astonished. She never imagined there was someone in this world who could match even half of her cunning. Truly, the older the ginger, the spicier it was.

“There’s no need for you to see her. This cat spirit’s strength is at the mid-stage of the Demonic Realm, roughly on par with mine. It’s best to remain cautious.”

Ye Donglai added shortly after.

“What? Her strength is almost equal to yours? No wonder she managed to steal from the entire cultivation world of the Western Radiance Dynasty! But how did you capture her?”

Cheng Kang asked in shock.

“Do you remember the feather our master possessed, the one from a Heavenly Tribulation Realm fiendish bird? Merely taking it out would summon a heavenly tribulation.”

Ye Donglai reminded him.

“You used the heavenly tribulation to capture her? But I’ve heard the power of a tribulation is immense, how could you control it?”

Cheng Kang exclaimed in disbelief.

“Who said I needed the tribulation itself to catch her? The mere heavenly might was enough! Years ago, I collected some Heaven-Deceiving Water. As long as you dilute a tiny amount and sprinkle it on yourself beforehand, you won’t be suppressed by the heavenly might.”

Ye Donglai spoke with evident pride.

“Heaven-Deceiving Water?”

The speaker may have been careless, but the listener was intent. Qi Huang’s beautiful eyes widened in delight. She never expected this trip to the Donglai Sect would yield such an unexpected windfall. This Heaven-Deceiving Water was precisely what she urgently needed. With it, she could advance to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm without any reservations.

“I understand now. Master first sprinkled some Heaven-Deceiving Water on himself, then when he encountered the cat spirit, he took out the fiendish bird’s feather. Once the heavenly might descended and suppressed her, he simply put the feather away again.”

Cheng Kang quickly grasped the method.

“Exactly. Even though it was only the heavenly might preceding the actual tribulation, cultivators at the Heavenly Tribulation Realm would struggle to endure it, let alone a cat spirit that’s equal to a mid-stage Divine Realm.”

Ye Donglai chuckled smugly.

Rеad οn ΚatReaԁiոɡСаfе

“Master, you’ve truly broadened my horizons! This is essentially weaponizing the heavenly tribulation. Even Heavenly Tribulation Realm cultivators would have to retreat upon encountering you, wouldn’t they?”

Cheng Kang marveled.

Qi Huang’s heart was similarly roiled by waves of astonishment. She never imagined those items could be combined in such a way, it was practically a divine weapon.

“It’s not that simple. Heaven-Deceiving Water is exceptionally rare. My reserves are limited, and I must save some to shield myself from the tribulation when I attempt to break through to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm. I can’t afford to waste it elsewhere.”

Ye Donglai explained.

“That makes sense. I’ve heard even the super sects and cultivation clans of the Central Continent fight tooth and nail over it.”

Cheng Kang mused thoughtfully.

“Of course. Without it, a Heavenly Tribulation Realm cultivator would summon a tribulation in an instant. You could say this thing is their lifeline. I was just lucky to stumble upon a small vial by chance.”

Ye Donglai sighed.

“Master must have paid a steep price to deal with this cat spirit. We absolutely must extract the whereabouts of those Nine Nether Demon Cats from her. Otherwise, the loss wouldn’t be worth it.”

Cheng Kang suggested.

“Indeed. That’s why I’ve left a doppelgänger inside the spatial ring to interrogate her. But this cat spirit’s lips are sealed tight. Who knows when she’ll finally talk?”

Ye Donglai shook his head helplessly.

“If she were a woman, I might have been able to help. But since she’s just a cat spirit, I’m afraid I’m powerless.”

Cheng Kang shrugged.

With that, the conversation between master and disciple came to an end, and Cheng Kang left the room.

“Qi Huang, did you hear that? My sister is hidden inside that old man’s ring!”

Rеαd oո KаtRеaⅾіngСаfe

Mimi excitedly shook Qi Huang’s arm.

“Calm down. Let me think of a plan.”

Qi Huang quickly soothed her before racking her brains for a solution.

After a long while, two strategies formed in Qi Huang’s mind.

First, steal Ye Donglai’s spatial ring directly. The downside was the immense risk, since the ring was carried on his person, failure would mean no second chance.

Second, take a roundabout approach: first, obtain Ye Donglai’s Heaven-Deceiving Water to strip him of his ability to summon the heavenly might. Then, use the water herself to break through to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm. Once she succeeded, dealing with the old man would be much easier.

After weighing the pros and cons, Qi Huang resolutely chose the second method. The reason was simple, not only was it far less risky, but the rewards upon success would be immeasurable.

“But where has that old fox hidden the Heaven-Deceiving Water?”

Qi Huang soon found herself with a headache. No matter how brilliant the plan, it was useless if she didn’t even know where the item was kept.

She began pacing back and forth in the guest room. If Yaoyao hadn’t been captured, she could have used the Shadow-Retaining Mirror to observe and investigate at her leisure. But now, with the situation critical, she couldn’t afford to sit idle.

“If I can make the old fox take out the Heaven-Deceiving Water himself, I’ll naturally learn where he keeps it.”

Qi Huang murmured to herself before her eyes suddenly brightened. She swiftly retrieved ink, brush, and paper from her spatial ring.

“Grind the ink for me! I’ve figured out how to save your sister.”

She instructed Mimi.

“Really?”

Mimi was overjoyed and immediately began preparing the ink.

Qi Huang picked up the brush and began writing with confident strokes, as if she had everything under control.

Rеаⅾ oո KаtReaⅾiոɡСαfе

Curious, Mimi peeked at the contents and subconsciously read aloud:

“Esteemed Elder Ye,

I have learned that you possess some Heaven-Deceiving Water and am deeply interested. Might you be willing to sell a portion to me?”

That was all Qi Huang had written. Indeed, her plan was to startle the snake in the grass, forcing the opponent to reveal his weakness.

After sealing the letter, Qi Huang urged Mimi, “Hurry and get back into the spatial ring. I’m about to make my move.”

“Qi Huang, don’t you need my help?”

Mimi asked hastily.

“Enough chatter, move quickly!”

Qi Huang snapped impatiently.

Not daring to argue further, Mimi obediently returned to the ring.

Qi Huang left the inn and headed to the town’s courier station, where she hired a messenger to deliver the letter to the Donglai Sect.

She then returned to the inn and took out the Shadow-Retaining Mirror to monitor the messenger’s progress.

The messenger swiftly delivered the letter to the Donglai Sect, where a disciple passed it to Ye Donglai.

“A letter for me? From whom?”

Ye Donglai eyed the anonymous letter with suspicion. However, confident in his own strength, he promptly opened it and began reading.

“How is this possible?”

Moments later, his expression changed drastically. He raised his left hand, and a small wooden box materialized in his palm.

Rеαԁ оո ΚаtRеаԁіnɡCαfе

“Strange. I only ever told Cheng Kang about the Heaven-Deceiving Water. How could anyone else know? Did someone catch a glimpse of it with their divine sense when I was handling it?”

He opened the box, revealing a small jade vial no thicker than a man’s thumb.

“So that’s the Heaven-Deceiving Water? He keeps it in his spatial ring?”

Qi Huang was overjoyed, but then a trace of worry surfaced.

“Don’t you dare put it back! If he keeps it in the ring, stealing it will be next to impossible!”

As it turned out, her fears were unfounded. Having lived for centuries, Ye Donglai knew all too well that caution was the parent of safety. There was no way he would continue storing the water in his ring.

“I can’t leave it in the spatial ring anymore. What if something unexpected happens?”

Ye Donglai muttered to himself before carrying the box to the wall and pushing aside a wardrobe.

Qi Huang scrutinized the scene. The wall behind appeared bare, leaving her puzzled.

But then, Ye Donglai pulled out a brick, gripped a hidden handle inside, and pulled. The entire wall swung open like a door, revealing a hidden compartment the size of a sedan chair.

Qi Huang stared in amazement. The secret space was filled with chests of various sizes, some even emitting multicolored glows, clearly extraordinary treasures.

She resisted the urge to probe with her divine sense, as the compartment’s inner walls were lined with talismans. Judging by the inscriptions, they were protective charms imbued with divine sense barriers.

Ye Donglai placed the wooden box inside before sealing the compartment again.

Witnessing this, Qi Huang smiled. She never dreamed her ploy would work so perfectly. Not only had she startled the snake, but she had also successfully forced him to relocate the Heaven-Deceiving Water. Now, stealing it would be far easier.

Little did Ye Donglai know that his own caution would one day be his downfall!

Now, Qi Huang only needed to figure out how to get her hands on that wooden box. Once she obtained the Heaven-Deceiving Water, she could advance to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm without hesitation.

And then, she would make that old fox, Ye Donglai, regret ever crossing her.