Long Yiran couldn't help but be surprised. Wang Yu naturally meant his body refinement breakthrough. It just so happened all three would face their tribulations together, strengthening their power in one go.
He hadn't only received the Dragon Vein Baptism, further elevating his body's potential; he also had **[Glazed Lotus Heart Liquid]**, a breakthrough material.
His confidence was greater than Long Yiran's.
The Lightning Corpse would test the waters first. After he gauged the lightning tribulation's power, Long Yiran could test the Scattering Thunder Array Flags' effectiveness. Once absolutely certain, he would actively break through.
Thus, the safety of continuing to explore the Heaven Soul Sect ruins would greatly improve. No need to retreat and wait for next time; this time, the Ancient Soul Art legacy must be completed.
Otherwise, his three special refined corpses wouldn't even have a chance to fight together. How could that do!
"I understand."
After examining the **[Heaven's Heart Scattering Thunder Tribulation-Avoiding Treasure Array]**'s condition, Long Yiran couldn't help but praise:
"Truly marvelous array flags. Their resistance to lightning power almost reaches the material's limit, especially their resistance to Heavenly Might—that's the most crucial."
"Heavenly Might?"
"Of course. When truly facing a lightning tribulation, that powerful Heavenly Might can crush a cultivator's will, causing them to exert less than eighty percent of their strength."
Wang Yu understood. When he was at Foundation Establishment, he spent considerable effort understanding related information and predecessors' insights.
Later, after going to Gui Ling, he hadn't learned much about Core Formation intricacies.
His focus was on improving essence, energy, and spirit, as these were the basic conditions for condensing a Golden Core. Instead, he didn't understand external factors like lightning tribulations well.
It was rather shameful; a wandering cultivator had to educate him.
"Let's retreat to the edge of the secret realm space. The Heaven Soul Sect entrance is suitable for cultivation for a while. Those blood corpses probably won't chase that far."
"Alright."
After deciding, the two quickly retreated from the architectural ruins. When encountering blood corpses on the way, he'd examine them with divine sense, searching for tokens or similar items.
If found, he'd take and freeze them; if not, directly freeze them.
These blood corpses were indeed fearsome, but having found a method, dealing with them was relatively easy. Without conserving true essence, the black ice he generated could seal ordinary blood corpses for several years.
After most of a day, they successfully broke free from the encirclement.
The location at the secret realm's entrance was the only place not surrounded by blood mist, feeling safer.
*Clatter—*
Upon arrival, Wang Yu dumped a pile of tokens, clattering into a small mound.
Most were disciple tokens, also distinguishing between inner and outer sects.
Completely covered in brown-red rust, extremely weathered. Whether they'd function required inspection.
If activating the imprints within could elicit a reaction from the arrays or restrictions within the Heaven Soul Sect ruins, they were still usable.
"Found anything like elder tokens or sect master tokens?"
"Does this count?"
Long Yiran picked through, pulling out one with less rust from the heap of scrap metal, engraved with a large ancient character "Heaven."
Wang Yu simultaneously pulled out an "Earth" character token.
"Could it be... the Heaven Soul Sect distinguished elders by Heaven and Earth?"
"Here's a True Disciple token. It even has a name carved on the back."
Taking it, Wang Yu couldn't help but read with a dark line on his forehead.
"Soul Heaven Di..."
Seeing his strange expression, Long Yiran asked with interest:
"Is there a problem with that name?"
"No, just a coincidence.
"The Heaven and Earth Elder tokens and this True Disciple token might all function. Preserve them well."
"I'll hold them?"
"Try to see if you can repair them. Use these ordinary disciple tokens for practice first."
"I see."
Understanding Wang Yu's intent, Long Yiran grew somewhat excited.
"Brother Wang, ever since signing the contract and acting together with you, my fortune has improved considerably. Leave this matter to me with confidence."
Wang Yu didn't reply. Speaking of fortune,
His had always been poor, especially during his time as a spirit slave—his luck was terrible.
Remembering it always encouraged him to face current difficulties with more tenacious will.
Of course, the Heaven Soul Sect ruins weren't a dire predicament.
Though troublesome, most were past, and many benefits were gained. A sect's底蕴 (accumulated resources) far exceeded just a dragon vein. After the Scripture Pavilion, the target was the herb garden.
Looking up, he accidentally glimpsed the pitch-black fissures in the sky, sighing deeply.
"*Sigh—*"
......
......
Months later.
Wang Yu's surged aura slowly receded. Though the Dragon Vein Baptism didn't cause a breakthrough, all three aspects—essence, energy, and spirit—benefited.
But in three years, his true essence upper limit, originally over three thousand two hundred droplets, increased by five to six hundred droplets. Adding the Placement Slot's growth and these months of arduous cultivation,
It finally exceeded four thousand droplets. In the first month of Wang's forty-second year as a deacon, he successfully broke through to Foundation Establishment eighth layer!
Calculating time, he'd been out for five or six years. Progress speed couldn't be called slow, but not as fast as imagined.
Next, continue accumulating, widening the true essence upper limit.
Upon reaching six thousand droplets, he'd reach Foundation Establishment eighth layer peak, breaking through to the ninth layer in one go. Wang Yu felt... by the time the twenty-year agreement ended, he might not necessarily condense a Golden Core.
From Jin Miaoshan, there was also a tribulation-avoiding treasure not yet obtained. Definitely had to get it before Core Formation. Could send a message through the Golden Abundance Pavilion in Ten Thousand Poisons Town.
The Golden Abundance Pavilion in Yunling Province area reported directly to Jin Miaoshan; contacting was convenient. The conflict over Zhuyue Province also concerned him greatly.
After all, Gui Ling City related to his cultivation resources after Core Formation. By then, procuring a set of third-tier cultivation pill spirit herbs wouldn't be so easy.
The pressure from Zhuo Shouqing inevitably affected him.
After the cultivation breakthrough.
Wang Yu took out the Grand Yin Nurturing Evil Coffin. The Lightning Corpse's appearance bore no resemblance to the intelligent Lightning Spirit Corpse from the Thunderfall Deep Pit.
At second-tier peak strength, its body was covered in purple lightning patterns.
Two long fangs pressed against its pitch-black lower lip, its exhaled corpse breath carrying lightning. Its bald head was engraved with lightning scripts. Upon emerging, it looked up and roared.
As if celebrating finally being born. Its imposing appearance was much more威猛 (majestic and fierce) than the stooped Grand Yin Corpse. It belonged to a combined armor-evil energy type, capable of both close and ranged combat.
Observing for a while, he refined it using corpse refinement arts, optimizing all aspects. From the nurturing coffin floated another zombie wrapped tightly in talismans.
It was the Golden Armored Corpse. Under his control, the Lightning Corpse bit through the talismans, beginning to absorb the Golden Armored Corpse's essence.
A sea of corpse energy and armored corpse evil energy was completely swallowed.
Not long after.
The corpse core was also completely devoured.
Thus, the Golden Armored Corpse was completely报废 (scrapped), but the Lightning Corpse gained immense benefits. Wang Yu took out the Yin Lotus Lamp, using corpse refinement arts to elevate the Lightning Corpse's realm.
Occasionally shaking the Corpse-Suppressing Bell to prevent it from losing control after promotion.
Ten days later.
Wang Yu roused the fully focused Long Yiran, who was repairing tokens.
His expression serious:
"Prepare the Scattering Thunder Treasure Array Flags. The Lightning Corpse is about to face its tribulation."
Long Yiran gladly accepted and immediately prepared.
"Activate them from the start?"
"No. Wait until the Lightning Corpse can't withstand it. It's different from normal zombies; the lightning tribulation brings it immense benefits. Enduring more helps future promotions."
"I'll monitor closely."
"Relax. Just note the tribulation's power. After it, it'll be your turn."
"Mhmm—"
*Rumble—*
At some point, the secret realm's sky was covered by dark clouds, even the blood mist forced to disperse. Below stood the rigid Lightning Corpse.
Normally, a zombie's chance of successfully overcoming a tribulation was pitifully low, mostly requiring cultivator assistance, preparing various magic treasures and arrays for support.
Or utilizing special Feng Shui layouts to resist the tribulation's power.
The Lightning Corpse was an exception.
Facing the impending tribulation, it instinctively roared at the swirling dark clouds. When the tribulation accumulated to a certain stage,
A thunderous *boom* erupted, the world seemingly illuminated by this lightning.
*Sizzle—*
White lightning, at an indistinguishably fast speed, struck the Lightning Corpse. The purple lightning within it was forced out, purple-white electric light intertwining.
Apart from the ground being blasted into a large crater, the Lightning Corpse showed no obvious abnormalities. Even Wang Yu found this奇 (strange). The Lightning Corpse was truly an anomaly among special types.
Not fearing the lightning tribulation, instead using it as nourishment for growth.
"Impressive."
Long Yiran still held hand seals, ready to activate the twelve Scattering Thunder Treasure Array Flags at any moment.
The Core Formation Lightning Tribulation was the first tribulation in a cultivator's career, signifying truly entering the hall of the long-life path!
Its occurrences weren't many, only three lightning strikes.
When breaking through to Nascent Soul in the future, there would be nine lightning strikes.
The Lightning Corpse had already endured the first strike. The second tribulation, white tinged with blue lightning, its power膨胀了近两倍 (swelled nearly twofold), descended with a *whoosh*.
"*Boom—*"
This time, the Lightning Corpse wasn't as从容 (composed). Its surface charred black. The large bald head lit up with purple lightning scripts, continuously absorbing the tribulation power.
Then, the final tribulation struck.
Several breaths later, Wang Yu sighed in relief. The tribulation succeeded!
Indeed, the Lightning Corpse was special. Its very existence seemed born to face tribulations. And it was Wang Yu's refined corpse.
Wondered if using it as a lightning-blocking treasure during his own tribulation would work well.
"Feels worth trying. Even if the other corpses can't withstand the tribulation, the Lightning Corpse could help. Beneficial for both."
Wang muttered to himself.
On the other side, not needing to use the Scattering Thunder Treasure Array Flags also relieved Long Yiran. She feared mistiming and damaging Wang Yu's precious treasure.
Enduring three tribulations itself was best.
With the Lightning Corpse's tribulation experiment, both she and Wang Yu estimated the Core Formation Lightning Tribulation's power.
If compared to the Nether Tiger's lightning, even the Core Formation Tribulation's most powerful third strike fell far short of the Nether Tiger's lightning.
This差距是断崖式的 (gap was cliff-like). One could see how恐怖 (terrifying) the Earth Layout's power was. Wondered if the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect's nine twisted peaks also had such considerations.
Putting the recovering Lightning Corpse back into the nurturing coffin, Wang Yu asked Long Yiran: "How were the gains?"
"Feel quite good. Mainly gained不少感悟 (considerable insight) into the unpredictability of Heavenly Might."
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