The three human-form demon beasts vanished into the spatial exit, disappearing from sight.
Without hesitation, the five of them followed. A flash of white light, and they left that space.
As the white light faded, they found themselves standing on the small island from which they had originally entered. Mo Tiange let out a sigh of relief.
The collapse of restrictions within an independently existing space was no trivial matter. It was entirely possible for the entire space to be destroyed along with it. In that case, everything within—including people—would vanish along with the space. Fortunately, they had emerged in time, narrowly escaping disaster.
The roar of waves reached their ears, and the long-absent moist scent of the sea surrounded them.
A wave of emotion washed over her, and she took a deep breath. Finally, they had returned to this world.
Jing Xingzhi looked up at the sky and muttered, "What lousy timing. We emerge right into this kind of weather."
All around the small island, waves surged toward the sky. Dark clouds blanketed the heavens, casting a gloomy pall. Silent flashes of lightning flickered intermittently, as if a torrential downpour could begin at any moment. This was the thunderstorm weather most feared by those living by the sea.
Nan Guitian, who had emerged with them, gazed at the sky and murmured to himself, "This is truly unfortunate. The storms of the Guixu Sea are far more terrifying than elsewhere..."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange turned and asked, "This... Fellow Daoist Nan, I wonder what makes the storms of the Guixu Sea so fearsome?"
Nan Guitian looked at her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "So it's... Fellow Daoist Mo. Back then, everyone said you and your husband had perished within the Immortal Palace. I never imagined Fellow Daoist Mo would have such fortune, actually forming her Nascent Soul. Truly worthy of congratulations."
Since they hadn't emerged from the Immortal Palace before the passage closed, others naturally assumed they had perished within. Mo Tiange smiled slightly. "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Nan. If anyone is surprising, it's you, Fellow Daoist Nan, for not emerging all these years."
Nan Guitian sighed. "This was simply unavoidable for me!" After this lament, he smiled and explained, "Fellow Daoist Mo is not from Yunzhong, so you likely don't know much about the Guixu Sea. The Guixu Sea is different from the East Sea or the North Sea. In other seas, as long as you don't venture into the deep ocean, there's generally no danger. But in the Guixu Sea, not only are high-rank sea beasts everywhere, but if a storm arises, the fierce winds and massive waves possess tremendous power. Even cultivators, without sufficient cultivation and... can easily perish."
"Is that so?" Mo Tiange looked up. Several flashes of lightning streaked across the sky. Though there was no thunder, the atmosphere was thick with the promise of wind and rain.
"Although the Guixu Sea is dangerous, we are now Nascent Soul cultivators, so there's no need to be overly anxious," Yang Chengji said from the side. "Besides, Yiye Island isn't very far from here. If we fly at full speed, we could reach it in half a day or a day. Yiye Island has defensive arrays; a mere storm is nothing to worry about."
"This... Fellow Daoist speaks sense," Nan Guitian said, his face showing surprise upon seeing Yang Chengji, but he quickly smiled again. "I wonder what plans you fellow Daoists have? Will you take shelter here for now, or return to Yiye Island immediately?"
"And what are your plans, Fellow Daoist Nan?"
Nan Guitian glanced not far away. The three human-form demon beasts that had emerged before them also seemed to be hesitating about where to go, occasionally casting wary glances in their direction.
These three had lived within that torn-apart space for who knew how many years. That place only allowed exit, not entry, so they were likely completely ignorant of the outside world and somewhat at a loss.
"In my humble opinion, it would be best for us to act together," Nan Guitian said.
Everyone understood his meaning. With demon cultivators nearby, if they split up, who knew if these demon cultivators might attack? Demon cultivators and human cultivators were natural enemies.
Before the group could decide, a sudden clap of thunder boomed. A bolt of lightning streaked down and exploded on the sea surface not far from them, sending up waves dozens of zhang high.
This thunderclap seemed like a signal. Immediately, bolts of lightning streaked down one after another, all landing in the sea around the small island.
"Such intense lightning-attribute aura!" Jing Xingzhi's expression changed slightly. "No wonder low-rank cultivators call the Guixu Sea the 'Sea of No Return.' This power is no less than the lightning-attribute spells of us Nascent Soul cultivators!"
Yang Chengji, however, frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Strange..."
Seeing his odd expression, Mo Tiange asked, "What do you find strange, Fellow Daoist Yang?"
It was Nan Guitian who answered, his expression as puzzled as Yang Chengji's. "Although storms in the Guixu Sea are fearsome, lightning of such power is rare, and so frequent at that..."
Before they could arrive at an answer, the three human-form demon cultivators not far away suddenly separated, their intentions unclear.
Although no one had made a move, everyone had been secretly watching them. At the first sign of change, they all summoned their magical treasures.
Yet the next moment, they heard the white demon beast shout, "Heavenly Tribulation!"
Heavenly Tribulation?
Qin Xi was the first to react. With a sweep of his sleeve, he released a Vermilion Bird protective shield. He said, "It's the Human Transformation Heavenly Tribulation for demon beasts! Previously, the space was independent. When they transformed, the heavens and earth couldn't sense it. Now that they've left the space, the tribulation has come!"
He put it simply, but as Nascent Soul cultivators, everyone understood after a moment's thought.
When demon beasts advance to the eighth rank, they gain intelligence and can also take human form. Before transformation, they are merely demon beasts, but after transformation, they can be called demon cultivators. Demon beasts are inferior to human cultivators in both wisdom and strength, but once they become demon cultivators, they possess sufficient intelligence to use magical treasures. Coupled with their formidable physical bodies, they can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with human cultivators.
Transformation is so crucial for demon beasts. Changing from beast to human is essentially defying the heavens. Therefore, when the heavens and earth sense a demon beast transforming, they descend a Heavenly Tribulation. Only by passing through the tribulation can they successfully transform and become demon cultivators.
These three demon beasts were fortunate. They had been within that torn-apart space before, so the heavens and earth couldn't sense them, and thus no tribulation occurred, allowing them to transform smoothly. This was the same principle as Mo Tiange and Yang Chengji forming their Nascent Souls without any celestial phenomena appearing. Now that they had emerged, the heavens and earth sensed them and descended the tribulation.
Qin Xi's expression abruptly changed. Heavenly Tribulation! Although none of them had experienced a tribulation, they weren't ignorant low-rank cultivators. The terror of a Heavenly Tribulation needed no detailed explanation! And here, there were three transforming demon beasts. Wouldn't that mean three tribulations?!
"Let's go!" Nan Guitian was the first to shout. With that, he tossed out a jade crane, which transformed into a solid entity, carrying him as he sped into the distance.
As soon as he moved, Mo Tiange and the others followed without hesitation, fleeing at full speed!
The Heavenly Tribulation didn't discriminate. If they remained within its range, it would strike them down as well!
The thunder grew louder. Lightning continuously tore through the dark sky. Thick clouds blotted out the heavens. Fierce, biting winds whipped up around them. The waves rose higher and higher, the sea baring its ferocious fangs.
"Boom!" Another thunderclap struck down, exploding not far from them. The surging waves nearly swept them off their flying magical treasures.
Such power was definitely no ordinary wind and thunder; it was undoubtedly heavenly thunder!
The Heavenly Tribulation had begun.
Realizing this, everyone urged their flying magical treasures to flee at maximum speed.
The heavenly thunder of the tribulation would gradually grow stronger over time. It was only just beginning now. They hoped they could escape the tribulation's range before its power increased!
But after flying for a while, the heavenly thunder didn't disappear. Instead, it grew stronger.
Mo Tiange found it strange. They were already some distance from those three human-form demon cultivators. The tribulation's range shouldn't be that vast, should it?
Moreover, the tribulation had descended as soon as those three human-form demon cultivators left the space. Shouldn't the celestial phenomena for her and Yang Chengji's Nascent Soul formation also appear?
As she flew, she looked up and saw a thick pillar of thunder striking down right toward them!
"Boom!" The thunder pillar landed just beside them. The shockwave it created nearly sent everyone tumbling from the sky!
No. Something felt instinctively wrong to her.
When the second thunder pillar fell, Jing Xingzhi suddenly stopped and said, "No! This isn't a Human Transformation Heavenly Tribulation!"
"What?" Nan Guitian asked.
Jing Xingzhi's gaze fell on Mo Tiange, his expression one of unprecedented alarm. "This is a Nascent Soul Formation Heavenly Tribulation!"
On Yiye Island, the wind howled, and lightning flickered without cease. The most terrifying storm of the Guixu Sea was about to arrive.
According to custom, when such weather appeared, all cultivators would stop hunting sea beasts and return to the marketplace on Yiye Island. The marketplace's defensive arrays would be fully activated to defend against the storm and prevent losses.
The defensive arrays of Yiye Island were extraordinary. To defend against sea beasts and the Guixu Sea's unpredictable, fearsome weather, the most skilled array masters of Yunzhong had been employed to lay down layer upon layer of restrictions around the small island. Successive generations of array masters had further refined them, making their specifications arguably the finest in Yunzhong.
With these defensive arrays in place, for tens of thousands of years, no matter how terrible the weather, Yiye Island had remained safe and sound.
Therefore, despite the terrifying wind and rain, the cultivators who had already returned to Yiye Island were quite relaxed, using this rare opportunity to trade with each other or gather in teahouses to exchange gossip.
At that moment, several streaks of light flew into the air, stopping beneath the defensive shield.
Cultivators who noticed this were astonished. Marketplaces and similar places all had restrictions prohibiting flight. Only high-rank cultivators could bypass such restrictions. The restrictions on Yiye Island were the highest standard in Yunzhong. Only Nascent Soul cultivators could possibly ignore the restrictions when the arrays were fully activated.
The scene before them clearly showed several Nascent Soul cultivators gathering in mid-air. Had something happened?
"Brother Ruyi, what's going on?" The portly cultivator who had just flown up bowed in greeting to everyone and asked the young Daoist priest he was closest to.
This young Daoist priest at the mid-stage Nascent Soul level was none other than Ruyi Daoren, the highest cultivation holder of the Five Elements Valley.
He frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on one spot, and shook his head gently. "Not sure yet." After a pause, he said, "So much lightning appearing suddenly is unusual!"
"Indeed. That power... even we Nascent Soul cultivators would find it hard to escape unscathed if caught in it, right?" someone chimed in.
Several Nascent Soul cultivators stared at the flickering lightning at the junction of sea and sky, all wearing deep frowns.
When things go against the norm, there must be something sinister at play. They all knew this was unusual, but these winds and thunder looked incredibly powerful. Venturing out to investigate would be somewhat risky.
"It's actually a Heavenly Tribulation! How interesting!" Just as everyone fell silent, a voice came from behind. Turning, they saw a thin, withered old man standing there with a smile.
Seeing this person, everyone was startled.
"So it's Fellow Daoist Ma!" Ruyi Daoren hurriedly bowed in greeting.
The old man wore a wrinkled, deep-blue Daoist robe, carried a gourd on his back, and held a whip in his hand. It was none other than that late-stage Nascent Soul loose cultivator, Old Ma the Donkey. However, probably because he was within the marketplace, he wasn't leading his donkey.
Old Ma the Donkey smiled, the wrinkles on his aged face piling upon wrinkles as he returned the bow.
After exchanging greetings, Ruyi Daoren eagerly asked, "Fellow Daoist Ma, you say this is a Heavenly Tribulation?"
"That's right. In my younger days in the depths of the Guixu Sea, I was fortunate enough to witness a demon beast undergoing Human Transformation and saw the Heavenly Tribulation."
"This is a Human Transformation Heavenly Tribulation?" a cultivator exclaimed in surprise. "A demon beast is transforming so close to Yiye Island? Isn't it afraid of us human cultivators?"
Old Ma the Donkey stroked his sparse beard, flew to the front of the group, and gazed at the increasingly dense heavenly thunder in the distance. His expression slowly turned to one of great surprise. "Huh? There's more than one tribulation?!"
"What?"
Old Ma the Donkey didn't answer. He looked at the churning, wave-tossed area of the sea surface and slowly, with amazement, began to laugh. "One, two, three, four... Hmm, and over there, that counts as half. This is truly interesting. Since when have Heavenly Tribulations become so cheap that four and a half tribulations would gather in one place!"