Volume 8, Chapter 472 – Breaking Through to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm (Part 3)

Qi Huang picked up the small jade vial and shook it gently. Though it felt like there was still more than half of the liquid inside, the bottle itself was so tiny that the total amount wasn’t much. This was the one flaw in an otherwise perfect treasure.

“I don’t even know the proper usage or dosage of this thing. If I consume too much at once and recklessly attempt to break through to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm, where am I supposed to replenish it afterward?”

The realization struck her suddenly. To clarify the details, she decided to seek advice first.

After some thought, Qi Huang concluded that among her acquaintances, the only one who might know about the usage of Heaven-Deceiving Water was likely Liu Yingyue. After all, Liu Yingyue had been engaged in business for years and had broad knowledge. Even if she didn’t know personally, someone in the Liu family surely would.

With this in mind, Qi Huang immediately took out the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube to contact Liu Yingyue, emphasizing that she was asking on behalf of a friend.

“This Heaven-Deceiving Water is said to work by diluting an appropriate amount in water and sprinkling it on the body,” Liu Yingyue replied after a brief pause, though her explanation was somewhat vague.

“Appropriate amount? What does that mean? What’s the exact dosage and ratio? Sister Liu, could you help me ask for more specific details?” Qi Huang asked, slightly exasperated.

“No problem. Hold on, let me consult the elders in my family!”

Liu Yingyue acted swiftly.

Not daring to use the liquid recklessly, Qi Huang had no choice but to wait patiently.

Meanwhile, in the Lü Clan of Central Continent, Lü Ze was using his own Thousand-Mile Communication Tube to contact Elder Zuo.

“In-law, did you know? Lü Dao’s son came to see me the other day. He begged me to ask you to suppress Cheng Hongling at the Evergreen Conference and send that little brat home early,” Lü Ze relayed.

“Why? Isn’t she supposed to be his future daughter-in-law?”

Elder Zuo was momentarily confused before realization dawned. “Is he afraid that Cheng Hongling will stand out too much and attract the attention of other immortal families or sects? Lü Yi’s doppelgänger had the same concern before.”

“Exactly,” Lü Ze confirmed.

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“So, what does the in-law want me to do? Just stand by and watch?” Elder Zuo probed.

“Merely standing by isn’t enough. You must subtly pave the way for Cheng Hongling, make her shine even brighter. Only then will she draw enough attention. Otherwise, once she marries that little monster Lü Yi, our grandchildren will never have a chance to rise!” Lü Ze corrected.

“Understood! I’ll do my best to ‘help’ her, ensuring she secures the position of the Western Radiance Dynasty’s top immortal seedling. But I’m worried that even then, she might not attract enough attention from the major immortal families and sects. After all, the Western Radiance Dynasty is just a remote minor state!”

Elder Zuo voiced his concerns.

“In-law, as an elder of the Immortal Alliance, can’t you secure her a spot in the Continental-Level Evergreen Conference? If she can participate, there’ll be no shortage of attention!”

Lü Ze suddenly proposed.

“In-law, you jest. The Immortal Alliance has hundreds of elders, yet only a few dozen spots are available for the Continental-Level Evergreen Conference each year. How could I possibly recommend someone? Besides, with her lack of background, she’d never pass the review.”

Elder Zuo laughed self-deprecatingly.

“Well, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate. Weren’t we already planning to delay the wedding? We’ll do what we can,” Lü Ze consoled.

“In-law, what if we simply leak Cheng Hongling’s situation to other immortal families? That would save us the trouble.”

Elder Zuo’s eyes gleamed with the idea.

“I considered that too, but I abandoned it. Do you know why?” Lü Ze teased.

“Why?”

“In the cultivation world, there are only a handful of factions stronger than our Lü Clan, all of them are either immortal families or sects. The young male prodigies they nurture are all vying for the affections of those three girls with immortal bloodlines, hoping for a powerful union. They wouldn’t spare a glance at some female cultivator from a backwater region. Take this situation, for example, if not for your face, Lü Yi wouldn’t have even sent a doppelgänger to a remote place like the Western Radiance Dynasty.”

Lü Ze sighed before continuing, “Secondly, Cheng Hongling only reached the Incarnation Realm’s second layer at eighteen. From this, we can infer her bloodline purity can’t exceed eight points. That alone would make the immortal families lose interest, they wouldn’t even bother investigating further.”

“You’re absolutely right. The offspring of immortals marrying other descendants of immortals can produce children with perfect bloodlines. Those male prodigies wouldn’t spare a glance at other women.”

Elder Zuo sighed in agreement.

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“So, the only way now is for her to shine brightly on her own. You must do everything to make her stand out.”

Lü Ze reiterated.

“No problem. I can’t promise much, but ensuring she becomes the Western Radiance Dynasty’s top immortal seedling is within my power. If even that doesn’t work, then the rest will be up to you, in-law.”

Elder Zuo made his pledge.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lü Gao was reporting back to his father, Lü Dao.

“Father, I’ve already asked Uncle for help, but he only said he’d ‘do his best’ without making any promises. It doesn’t seem like he’s sincere.”

Lü Gao relayed honestly.

“I expected as much. Your uncle isn’t a fool, why would he aid an enemy? If I’m not mistaken, he’ll probably even instruct Elder Zuo to actively help Cheng Hongling, ensuring she sails smoothly through the Evergreen Conference. That way, she’ll attract even more attention.”

Lü Dao smirked disdainfully.

“Then what should we do?” Lü Gao asked urgently.

“Don’t worry. That Elder Zuo is just a single elder, how much trouble can he cause? I’ll head to the Immortal Alliance headquarters as soon as possible and have the Deputy Alliance Leader revoke the Honghua Sect’s participation rights for the Evergreen Conference. Without eligibility, let’s see how they plan to prop up Cheng Hongling!”

Lü Dao stroked his beard calmly.

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Back at the foot of Donglai Sect’s mountain, in a small town, Qi Huang finally received Liu Yingyue’s reply.

“I found out! You only need to mix a single drop, about the size of a soybean, of Heaven-Deceiving Water into a bowl of water, then sprinkle it evenly on your body. One application lasts for ten days!”

Liu Yingyue explained carefully before adding, “Tell your friend to remember, it must be sprinkled on the skin, not clothes. The Heaven-Deceiving Water only takes effect after being absorbed by the skin.”

“Just one drop?!”

Qi Huang was overjoyed. She hadn’t expected the Heaven-Deceiving Water to be so potent, a single drop could last ten days! That meant the small vial she had would last her at least a year.

“A year is more than enough time for me to replenish my supply.”

She let out a long sigh of relief but then asked cautiously, “Sister Liu, does the Heaven-Deceiving Water dry out or evaporate?”

“Unlike ordinary liquids, treasures like these won’t deteriorate as long as they’re stored in high-quality jade bottles.”

Liu Yingyue answered knowledgeably.

“Thank you!”

Now completely reassured, Qi Huang pondered for a moment before instructing Mimi to enter the spatial ring. She then asked the inn’s waiter for a bowl of water and carefully poured a single soybean-sized drop of Heaven-Deceiving Water into it, stirring well.

Next, Qi Huang undressed, revealing her curvaceous, snow-white figure. She evenly sprinkled the diluted liquid onto her fair skin, allowing it to absorb fully before redressing.

Now, she was ready to elevate her Divine Sense.

Sitting back at the table, Qi Huang first extracted the juice from over a dozen Ghost Tomatoes into a bowl. Then, she took out the Tongming Comb and began combing her hair.

Her heart raced with excitement. Given her current state, consuming this small bowl of Ghost Tomato juice would likely push her Divine Sense into the Heavenly Tribulation Realm, a realm she had long dreamed of reaching.

Once she attained this realm, not only would her combat power multiply exponentially, but she could also cultivate the remaining fragments of her soul into doppelgängers. Once she refined and released those two male soul fragments, she wouldn’t have to worry as much about being detected by Yin-Yang Eyes, as long as she remained cautious.

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The more she thought about it, the more exhilarated she became. She picked up the Shadow-Retaining Mirror and adjusted it until the surveillance image displayed Ye Donglai’s bedroom. Only then did she begin dyeing her hair with the Tongming Comb.

Her reasoning was simple. She wanted to witness the old man’s miserable expression while she broke through. That would make it a double celebration.

As Qi Huang leisurely combed her long hair, her Divine Sense steadily strengthened, gradually brushing against the barrier of the next realm. She wasn’t worried about running out of Ghost Tomato juice, her spatial ring held plenty more.

Just as her breakthrough was imminent, the old man Ye Donglai returned to his room and immediately noticed his emptied “hidden compartment”.

“Which damned thief did this?! My treasures! All my treasures are gone! Why didn’t you just steal my life too? Why leave me alive to suffer this torment?!”

Ye Donglai rushed over in panic, standing before the empty compartment and wailing miserably, tears streaming down his aged face.

“Hahaha! Serves you right, you old bastard!”

Qi Huang burst into laughter, reveling in schadenfreude. A weight lifted from her heart.

Crack!

At that exact moment, Qi Huang felt a faint shattering sound echo in her mind. In the next instant, her consciousness sharpened exponentially, as if awakening from a dream. Her Divine Sense extended beyond her body like an extension of her limbs, tangible, powerful, as though a single thought could destroy the world.

“Did I break through? A true double celebration!”

Qi Huang grinned so widely her face might split, her entire body trembling as if seized by euphoria.

But then—

Ye Donglai suddenly produced a small jade vial from somewhere, muttering to himself:

“Thank goodness the Heaven-Deceiving Water in that hidden compartment was fake. Otherwise, I’d truly be bankrupt this time.”

“What?! Fake?!”

Qi Huang’s smile froze. Slowly, stiffly, she turned her head to stare at the identical jade vial on her table.