Chapter 193: Xiaohua's Tribulation
"This is merely a setback on the path of cultivation—don't dwell on it. Focus on healing for now." Xuan Tianhen looked at his disciple with a tinge of heartache in his eyes.
"No need, Master. I heard you've taken in a new junior disciple, someone with outstanding talent. Please, let him fulfill your dream in my place." The young man smiled faintly. He knew his own condition better than anyone. In order to pursue an Immortal Gold Core, he had performed forbidden techniques before his breakthrough, hoping to bolster his foundation.
And it had worked. He had successfully reached the threshold to condense an Immortal Gold Core. Had everything gone smoothly, he would have become a top-tier genius with an immortal-grade core.
But his breakthrough was interrupted. Though he appeared stable on the surface, the young man knew the backlash from those forbidden techniques had become irreversible.
The loss of his life force was now beyond remedy. In his eyes, this outcome was acceptable. Rather than cling to life and force his master to search far and wide for rare spiritual herbs, it was better to let go now.
All the remaining resources should be used to nurture the new junior disciple—that was the best course. He only regretted never getting to meet him.
"You unfilial child, are you giving up on yourself?"
Sensing the fading vitality in the youth's body, Xuan Tianhen's tone turned stern. He could naturally see the extent of the backlash. Though it was severe, as long as the will to live remained, there was still hope. As long as he lived, there was a chance.
But the young man, facing his master's fury, forced himself up and kowtowed three times. On the third bow, his head never rose again.
Huff... huff...
As the last trace of life dissipated, Xuan Tianhen's eyes turned bloodshot. Killing intent surged around him—signs of a heart demon taking root.
This disciple, whom he had raised from a young age, was someone Xuan Tianhen held deep affection for. The effort he had invested in him was evident in the disciple's near-condensation of an Immortal Gold Core—an unimaginable feat for the declining Grand Yan Sword Sect.
After all, Grand Yan was near the bottom among Nascent Soul sects. Cultivating a disciple capable of forming an Immortal Gold Core required tremendous effort and resources.
And now, the disciple who carried the hope of continuing his legacy was gone. The blow was devastating—so much so that it birthed a heart demon within Xuan Tianhen.
"Master!"
Gu Mo, who had just arrived at the sect's central grounds, was shocked by Xuan Tianhen's condition and called out in alarm.
"Slash!"
Startled by Gu Mo's cry, Xuan Tianhen snapped out of it. A sword formation instantly appeared, and from it, a blade of sword light condensed and slashed toward himself.
Blood spurted from his mouth as the sword struck, but clarity returned to his eyes.
He was, after all, a Nascent Soul Sword Sovereign, with a heart that had long fused with the sword. Awakened by Gu Mo's voice, he swiftly eradicated the heart demon.
"I'm fine."
He waved his hand, though his entire being was shrouded in sorrow.
Gu Mo looked at the kneeling figure of the deceased youth. He now understood—this was the senior who had attempted the breakthrough. Given his own wood-element cultivation, Gu Mo's sensitivity to life force made it painfully clear that the man was truly gone.
"Disciple, give your senior brother a proper burial." After a long pause, Xuan Tianhen turned and walked out.
"Master, where are you going?" Gu Mo called out hurriedly.
"Focus on your cultivation. When I return, I'll be checking your progress." Xuan Tianhen didn't answer directly, but from the overwhelming killing intent in his eyes, Gu Mo could guess his intent.
Xuan Tianhen left. Before departing, he handed Gu Mo the sect leader's token—signifying that during his absence, Gu Mo would act as the interim leader of Grand Yan Sword Sect.
Staring at the token in his hand, Gu Mo was a bit dazed—until a sudden sword light howled toward him, aiming to kill.
Clearly, the demonic spies within the sect had been waiting for Xuan Tianhen to leave before seizing the chance to eliminate his other disciple.
However, the light was blocked by a protective shield emitted by the sect leader's token. Xuan Tianhen had given it to Gu Mo precisely to prepare for such an ambush.
As long as Gu Mo held the token, no one in Grand Yan Sword Sect could harm him.
"This sect really is riddled with holes." Gu Mo's sword swept out in a dazzling arc, instantly slaying the attacking Golden Core elder.
This strike once again harnessed his immortal power. Gu Mo wasn't worried—he had it in abundance and could afford to use it freely.
Still, the situation in the Grand Yan Sword Sect was thorny. The demonic techniques at play were insidious. The two elders who had attacked were once loyal veterans of the sect, yet they had long been seeded with demonic methods.
For them to die as traitors of the sect—it was a disgrace. And who knew how many others were secretly afflicted the same way?
Gu Mo glanced toward the approaching sect members. Now, every disciple, deacon, and elder looked at him with reverence—his terrifying sword strike had thoroughly awed them.
"I've got it!"
Suddenly, Gu Mo thought of a way to break the demonic spell: the Solar yang pill. It could dispel demonic energy, which was clearly the basis of the demonic infiltration techniques. If the demonic energy was purged, the method would be rendered useless.
With this thought, Gu Mo's true body in Shennong Valley immediately began pill refinement.
To ensure potency, he didn't use regular solar force but instead refined the Solar yang pill using Sun Essence.
Empowered by three types of exotic flames, the process went smoothly, and soon a batch of top-grade pills was ready. But now came the challenge: how to deliver them to Grand Yan Sword Sect?
His avatar couldn't leave the sect—it would be attacked. Even Gu Mo himself didn't dare venture out, lest he encounter a Nascent Soul demon cultivator. Given what happened to his senior brother, it was almost certain a Nascent Soul-level enemy had been involved.
He couldn't rely on others to deliver the pills either—not when the Solar yang pills were so hard to explain.
"Fine, I'll wait."
Without a suitable opportunity, Gu Mo decided to hold off. For now, his avatar would focus on stabilizing the situation within the sect. Ideally, he could narrow down the suspects—he couldn't afford to dose every disciple.
He had to identify key targets, then administer the pill to purge potential demonic influence.
"Xiao Mo! Xiao Mo!"
A cheerful voice pulled Gu Mo from his thoughts. Xiaohua and Xiaoli had arrived with their collected solar force, hoping to trade it for Sun Essence.
Gu Mo casually handed them two portions. Then Xiaohua exclaimed excitedly, but Gu Mo didn't think much of it—Xiaohua had always been easy to please.
"Master, I want the same as Xiaohua!" Xiaoli chimed in, snapping Gu Mo out of his thoughts. He realized just then—he had given Xiaohua a 4th-grade Sun Essence.
"Xiao Mo, you gave it to me—you can't take it back!" Xiaohua quickly gulped it down.
"Damn!"
Seeing her swallow it whole, Gu Mo instantly became alert. He had long considered giving Xiaohua the 4th-grade essence, hoping it might help her break through.
Xiaohua was already at peak 3rd rank—on the verge of advancement. The 4th-grade essence might be the catalyst.
He had only hesitated because he wasn't sure the timing was right.
But now…
"Xiaohua, are you feeling okay?" Gu Mo asked nervously.
"A little full!" Xiaohua rubbed her belly, looking woozy. Gu Mo sighed in relief, though he was a bit disappointed the essence hadn't triggered her breakthrough.
RUMBLE—!
Just as that thought surfaced, a terrifying spiritual pressure erupted from Xiaohua. Storm clouds quickly gathered in the sky.
"Who's breaking through to Nascent Soul within the sect?!"
The elders of Shennong Valley appeared one after another. They instantly recognized this as a Nascent Soul Tribulation.
In mere moments, they had pinpointed the source—and the first to arrive was Hou Chunyu, who stared at Xiaohua in disbelief.
It was Xiaohua who had triggered the tribulation. She had been stuck at peak 3rd rank for years—and now, she'd finally found her breakthrough opportunity.
But this was no place for a tribulation. Without delay, Hou Chunyu grabbed Xiaohua and vanished.
Shennong Valley had a designated site for disciples to undergo tribulations. Gu Mo quickly followed.
By the time he reached the valley, several elders and late-Stage Golden Core disciples had already gathered. For those disciples, observing a Nascent Soul tribulation offered valuable insight for their own future breakthroughs.
Of course, since Xiaohua was a spirit plant, her tribulation—a Transformation Tribulation—would differ somewhat from a human cultivator's. But it was still well worth watching.
As the crowd stood outside, Xiaohua had been placed inside. Hou Chunyu was busy deploying lightning-resisting formations with practiced ease—it was clear he had long prepared for this day.
Once he finished, he promptly left. Even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like him didn't want to get caught in the heavenly tribulation.
"That rascal Xiaohua finally made it," one elder said, grinning.
Everyone congratulated Hou Chunyu, and he smiled back. Then his gaze turned to Gu Mo. He had long suspected this great-granddisciple would be the key to Xiaohua's breakthrough—and it turned out to be true.
"Master Ancestor, do you think Xiaohua will make it?" Gu Mo asked with some concern.
"She should be fine."
Though Hou Chunyu tried to sound calm, the nervousness in his eyes betrayed him. No one could predict what might happen during a tribulation.
"It's starting!"
Someone cried out. A blinding bolt of lightning crashed down onto Xiaohua's delicate frame.
"Ouch!"
Still dazed, Xiaohua yelped in pain as the lightning struck. Instinctively, she rooted herself into the earth, drawing spiritual energy from deep within the land.
Bolt after bolt rained down. Xiaohua curled up, enduring the onslaught as best she could. Whenever she seemed on the verge of collapse, protective formations appeared to shield her—deployed by Hou Chunyu in advance.
Unlike human cultivators who relied on magical tools, spirit plants like Xiaohua used the earth itself to endure.
"She's almost through!"
Everyone silently counted. Both Nascent Soul and Transformation Tribulations consisted of nine bolts—there were no special variations regardless of one's strength. Only the legendary Celestial Tribulations varied in power, but those were mere myth in the Heaven Origin Realm.
RUMBLE—!
The ninth bolt fell. Xiaohua's entire body was charred black—but she had succeeded. From that moment on, she was a 4th-rank Demon King.
"Hmm?"
As everyone rejoiced, Gu Mo saw something—a phantom bolt of lightning silently descending upon Xiaohua. Not even the Nascent Soul elders noticed it.
But Gu Mo did—and the aura it emitted chilled him to the bone. If it hit, Xiaohua would die, no question.
Then, a figure appeared above her—a woman in a white and green dress wearing a laurel crown, resembling a grown-up Xiaohua. But gone was the cutesy aura—in its place was an ethereal elegance.
She raised her hand and caught the phantom bolt. Her body disintegrated immediately, but before vanishing, she looked at Gu Mo and nodded.
And in that moment, memories flooded Gu Mo's mind. He saw a towering, ancient tree—so massive that the sacred tree in Shennong Valley looked like a blade of grass beside it.
A small flower once bloomed on that tree, until one day, it drifted away and vanished into the void.
Then came the darkness, swallowing the ancient tree whole.
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