Volume 1, Chapter 414 – The Vicissitudes of Life

Heavenly tribulation was not heavenly punishment. It always left a sliver of survival, and the power of lightning also had remarkable effects in tempering the magic power of immortal cultivators. Blindly avoiding it might instead prove counterproductive.

The Spirit Infants of Li Canglan and Lin Lang perhaps had somewhat loose Spirit Infant power and somewhat unstable foundations precisely because they had never undergone the tempering of thunder tribulation.

“If we insist on having them undergo tribulation, then at the very least each Golden Core disciple would need to be equipped with a spirit treasure, along with all kinds of recovery pills and spirit crystals. The cost really would be a bit too great.”

Li Canglan frowned slightly, finding the matter somewhat thorny.

Without the aid of pills and spirit crystals, Golden Core cultivators simply could not bring out the power of spirit treasures.

“One cannot rely too much on external objects.”

Shi Lan shook her head.

“It is only the thunder tribulation of the Spirit Infant Realm, yet they are already this timid and overcautious. How are they supposed to walk the road ahead in the future?”

Hearing this, Li Canglan suddenly understood. He realized that he had fallen into a misunderstanding. Thunder tribulation had never been something everyone could get through.

A sect was not a clan. Although it could offer some protection, the road of cultivation ultimately had to be walked by oneself. One could not keep relying on the sect for growth forever.

Without tempering, no matter how outstanding one’s talent and natural gifts were, one could never become truly formidable.

Earlier, he had only been considering the problem from the standpoint of protecting the sect’s living strength, and his thinking had gone somewhat astray.

“This subordinate understands.”

Li Canglan gave a slight nod, then continued,

“Recently, quite a bit of gossip has been spreading within the sect.”

After a moment’s thought, Shi Lan had a guess.

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“Because of the Golden Core tribulations?”

On Yunyan Star, only those in the King Realm were qualified to undergo tribulation. Back when Shi Lan entered the Spirit Infant Realm, the thunder tribulation she underwent had been regarded as a phenomenon that would only appear when breaking into the King Realm.

“Yes. There has been some idle talk among the disciples, and the few royal clans outside have all become suspicious. They are beginning to doubt the Sect Master’s true strength, though for now they still do not dare make any move. But if this continues for too long, I fear trouble may arise.”

The reason those great clans still did not dare take action was ultimately because of Shi Lan’s status as someone from beyond this world.

Now that all of Yunyan Star was sealed by the grand formation, if those royal clans chose to act, they would be turtles in a jar. They did not dare gamble on whether they could bear the retaliation that would follow.

“There is no need to mind them. If they do not act during this period, then later they will no longer have the chance to act.”

Shi Lan waved a hand. If her Nascent Soul golden body reached full completion, then the so-called royal clans on Yunyan Star would be nothing to fear.

Li Canglan stared blankly for a moment at Shi Lan’s calm expression, then bowed.

“Then this subordinate will take his leave first.”

After not seeing her for some time, there was once again something indescribable about Shi Lan, a kind of confidence beyond words.

…

On one of the spiritual peaks amid Tianyan Sect’s hundred thousand spirit mountains, pavilions and towers stood in scattered rows.

Zhu Xiyang sat cross-legged on a couch, her chest rising and falling faintly. With the nourishment of heaven-and-earth essence, she had already recovered some of her vitality.

Bai Weiyang, lying not far away, suddenly had his eyelids tremble and slowly opened his eyes.

The moment his consciousness returned, he instinctively drew a deep breath, swallowing spiritual qi like a whale drinking in the sea, frantically nourishing his parched body.

Spiritual qi surged in, stirring up a tremendous gust that swept through the room and made the curtains flap noisily.

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Zhu Xiyang opened her eyes, and a trace of disdain inevitably showed in her gaze.

As spiritual qi entered Bai Weiyang’s body, his complexion improved at a speed visible to the naked eye, and color returned to his skin.

After a long while, Bai Weiyang let out a long breath of turbid air. He looked around and asked,

“Where is this?”

Zhu Xiyang shook her head slightly. Before she could speak, a knocking sound came from the doorway.

Knock, knock…

“Come in.”

A woman pushed the door open and entered.

“You are… Shi Lan?”

Bai Weiyang raised his head slightly and spoke somewhat uncertainly. Ever since their parting on the battlefield at Xianwu City, the changes in Shi Lan had been too great, and he did not quite dare to be sure.

When he saw Shi Lan give a slight nod, he could not help but sigh in wonder. Then, sensing the aura Shi Lan was not bothering to conceal, he instantly stared with his eyes wide open in shock.

“You stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm?!”

When they first met, he clearly remembered that Shi Lan had only been in the Earth Fiend Realm. How long had it been since then? Yet she was already a great cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm.

He had never even heard of such a cultivation speed. It could be said that none before had ever matched it, and there might not necessarily be any to come after.

“I only broke through not long ago.”

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Meeting an old acquaintance again, a trace of a smile also rose involuntarily to Shi Lan’s lips.

“It has been a long time, General Bai.”

Bai Weiyang had changed quite a bit since they last met.

Amid the military ranks, he had always kept others at arm’s length and seemed extremely aloof. In the way he conducted himself, he had also always been mature and steady, almost like an elder. Now, however, he had gained something of a young man’s air.

That was normal enough. Compared with people of the same cultivation level, Bai Weiyang could not really be considered old at all.

Realizing that his reaction had been a bit too exaggerated, Bai Weiyang coughed lightly twice, suppressed the shock in his heart, and tried hard to calm himself.

“Where is this place? Why are you here?”

“This is Yunyan Star. The Imperial Court bestowed this star on me as a reward.”

Shi Lan explained briefly. Before Bai Weiyang could recover from the Imperial Court’s grand gesture, she took out the Demon-Suppressing Token again.

“General Yunchen has exceptionally promoted me to an upper third-rank Demon-Suppressing General.”

Bai Weiyang’s expression instantly became rather colorful. In terms of official rank, Shi Lan could already be his superior.

In just those brief moments, Bai Weiyang suddenly came to understand the words “the vicissitudes of life” on an extremely profound level.

Shi Lan glanced at Zhu Xiyang, who had kept her head lowered and had not spoken a single word, and softly asked, “Do you need help?”

“No need.”

Bai Weiyang instantly understood what Shi Lan meant and shook his head slightly.

“I will leave after a short rest. Many thanks for lending a hand to save us this time. I will surely repay it in the future.”

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“You flatter me, General. If need be, I can send you directly back to the Central Heaven Domain when the time comes.” Shi Lan waved her hand.

“Many thanks.”

The atmosphere in the room seemed to turn somewhat awkward. Shi Lan did not stay long and soon took her leave.

From beginning to end, Zhu Xiyang never said a word. With her head lowered, her expression could not be seen.

“The soul-binding between that tree demon and me was undone a year ago. Presumably a Demon Emperor intervened.”

After a long while, Bai Weiyang broke the silence.

“You can leave whenever you want.”

Zhu Xiyang suddenly raised her head, her expression stunned. There was none of the joy she had expected. Instead, she felt somewhat at a loss.

In the eyes of the demon race now, she was already a thoroughgoing traitor. If she went back, there would only be death awaiting her.

If she did not return to the Demon Domain, then where should she go…?

For a moment, Bai Weiyang’s heart was also filled with mixed feelings. The relationship between him and Zhu Xiyang was simply too complicated, so much so that it was difficult to sort out.

After stepping into the Nascent Soul Realm, the Emperor blood in his body had burned out completely. At that time, Zhu Xiyang actually could have killed him directly and taken his soul, but for reasons unknown, she had not done so.

After spending some time together afterward, the feelings in Bai Weiyang’s heart became more and more complicated. He had even developed a few improper, forbidden thoughts.

Even though his sword heart was clear and bright, and he had cut away those improper thoughts, the root of the matter had never truly been severed.

He was a descendant of the Human Emperor, a Demon-Suppressing General of the Demon-Suppressing Army who had slain countless demons, while Zhu Xiyang was a Heaven Demon. If that forbidden thought were to grow once more, it might lead to truly terrifying consequences.