Qin Xi swallowed a pill, and the Three Yang True Fire Sword reformed, slashing toward the heavenly lightning.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The lightning was struck away, exploding in the surroundings. Under the power of the heavenly tribulation, the rocks on the small island fractured, and the surrounding waves swiftly swept them away. In the blink of an eye, the island spanning several miles was reduced to a mere ten-zhang patch of land beneath their feet. And there was still heavenly tribulation over the sea?
Mo Tiange looked up and indeed saw that the tribulation clouds had not dispersed; instead, they were gathering thicker and thicker.
"What's going on?" Weren't all heavenly tribulations supposed to be ten strikes? After the tenth strike, the clouds should part and the mist should clear. How could this...
There was no time to think further. The heavenly lightning within the tribulation clouds had already revealed its ferocious edge, with golden light faintly flickering.
"Golden Lightning..." Mo Tiange turned her head to look at Xiaofeng in the center of the formation. It wore an equally horrified expression. Strange, could there be something about Xiaofeng that exceeded its level? Otherwise, given its step-by-step cultivation experience, there was nothing particularly special about it—except for the Breath of the Vermilion Bird that Qin Xi had given it. But the amount fed to it was minimal, insufficient to alter its essence.
There was no time to ponder. The golden lightning traced a golden edge on the tribulation clouds. This edge flickered faintly, growing brighter and brighter.
"Tiange!" Qin Xi's voice sounded in her ear. "Use the puppet!"
Mo Tiange nodded at him.
The heavenly lightning finished brewing and finally crashed down.
Qin Xi flew into mid-air. The tens of thousands of sword rays of the Three Yang True Fire Sword merged into one, converging into a massive crimson sword light that he swung toward the golden heavenly lightning.
The sound of the dancing light sword was drowned out by the thunder. The red light deftly cleaved the heavenly lightning in two. One half eroded against the light sword until both dissipated together. The other half still plummeted toward Xiaofeng.
Although this was also a Golden Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, its power was far less than Mo Tiange's Nascent Soul Formation Tribulation. This sword strike had only consumed most of the Flames of the Vermilion Bird; it hadn't yet drained his spiritual power completely.
The moment the light sword dissipated, the puppet flew forward to meet the lightning, its wide sleeves fluttering, its white robes drifting. This white robe was the sect's ceremonial robe of a high-ranking cultivator from the Hanging Ice Palace, made of an unknown material that was incredibly supple and possessed astonishing defensive capabilities. She had one such robe herself, of an even higher grade, obtained from a Hanging Ice Palace Deity Transformation cultivator. After acquiring it, she was unwilling to wear it, feeling disgusted at the thought that it came from a corpse. For this reason, Qin Xi had specifically reforged the robe, using the Flames of the Vermilion Bird to refine it anew.
The golden lightning struck the puppet. The white robe billowed up as if plated with a layer of gold, and the fierce lightning of the heavenly tribulation instantly slowed.
"Crack!" The puppet landed lightly.
After all, this was heavenly tribulation. Qin Xi could disperse it, but the puppet could not withstand it.
However, the puppet's obstruction had weakened the heavenly lightning considerably.
Mo Tiange flew forward to meet it—not with the Heaven-Earth Fan, but with the Fusheng Sword. The Heavenly Thunder Technique circulated, and golden lightning flickered uncertainly on the Fusheng Sword as she met the heavenly lightning.
The moment it touched the Fusheng Sword, the heavenly lightning seemed to be attracted, lunging onto the sword and abruptly halting.
Qin Xi was stunned. What was this...
The heavenly lightning continued incessantly, pouring into the Fusheng Sword. Mo Tiange gritted her teeth, firmly gripping the sword.
Xiaofeng watched dumbly from the center of the formation. Its Human Transformation Heavenly Tribulation... seemed to have nothing to do with it...
More and more heavenly lightning gathered on the Fusheng Sword until the entire sword became a ball of lightning. Yet, the heavenly tribulation still hadn't ended.
A towering wave surged toward them.
Fortunately, a formation had long been set up here. The wave crashed against the formation's protective shield, struggling futilely for a moment before vanishing without a trace.
The Fusheng Sword absorbed, the Three Yang True Fire Sword slashed horizontally, and less than one-tenth of the heavenly lightning remained for Xiaofeng to endure.
Even so, Xiaofeng dared not be careless. With a clear cry, a blood mist appeared around its body, and its entire form was bathed in flames.
These flames were not purely the Flames of the Vermilion Bird. However, the Chongming Bird's bloodline was noble, and refined further by the Flames of the Vermilion Bird, the grade of these flames was now very high, giving it the power to contend against the heavenly lightning.
The heavenly lightning crashed down. Xiaofeng did not dodge. The flames on its body grew denser. Fire and lightning struggled against each other, devoured each other, merged with each other.
Mo Tiange put away the Fusheng Sword and the puppet. Looking at Xiaofeng again, she saw that under the heavenly lightning, its flames gradually extinguished, slowly being completely engulfed by the golden lightning. She was about to step forward when Qin Xi stopped her, shaking his head. "It's fine."
Within the lightning, flames flickered faintly but never went out. Xiaofeng finally collapsed. Outside the flames, lightning flashed.
And in the sky, the dark clouds abruptly withdrew, revealing a clear sky and a bright moon.
The heavenly tribulation had come swiftly and left swiftly. The tribulation clouds dispersed, the giant waves calmed. Standing on this small island that was now only ten zhang across, they watched the moonlit ripples on the water, feeling as if an age had passed in an instant.
The sound of waves reached their ears. Mo Tiange turned to look at Xiaofeng, enveloped in flames and lightning, and asked with some concern, "Is it alright?"
"It's fine." With the spirit beast contract in place, he could sense that Xiaofeng's condition was very stable. "It should be undergoing heavenly lightning body tempering."
Mo Tiange breathed a sigh of relief and sat down cross-legged to meditate and regulate her breathing.
Qin Xi did not sit. Although protected by the formation and with the surrounding demon beasts frightened away by the heavenly tribulation, the East Sea was now the territory of the Southern Sea demon cultivators. The commotion of the heavenly tribulation was not small; it was best to remain cautious.
The wind moaned. The sound of night waves seemed particularly clear. He stood at the edge of the island, the waves rising and falling at his feet, shimmering with fragmented glimmers under the moonlight.
Night had just fallen, yet it was utterly dark. In places of pure scenery, one always felt particularly small and lonely—like on a snowy plain, or like the sea, especially now in the darkness.
Qin Xi noticed this and immediately calmed his mind, focusing his spirit until his heart was clear before opening his eyes.
He turned to look at Xiaofeng. It was steadily absorbing the heavenly lightning for body tempering. Not far away, Mo Tiange sat with eyes closed, her body enveloped in a hazy white light.
Amidst the vast sea, with nothing but water in front and behind, one felt a sense of disorientation regarding time and space. He listened to the sound of the waves, felt the wind by his ears, and looked up at the boundless sea...
A flicker of light seemed to flash at the corner of his eye. His vigilance rose. The Three Yang True Fire Sword transformed into a streak of red light, pouncing toward that direction with lightning speed.
With Xiaofeng undergoing tribulation here, demon beasts had either fled far away or perished under the heavenly tribulation. Now that the tribulation was over, there must be a demon beast trying to take advantage. A demon cultivator just past its tribulation was at its most vulnerable moment.
The red light swept past. That spot suddenly erupted with a powerful pressure. Similarly red light transformed into a ring, ensnaring and coiling around the Three Yang True Fire Sword, barely managing to knock it back.
Qin Xi was stunned. This aura... it was clearly a human cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage!
That person made as if to flee. Qin Xi shook his arm, and the Three Yang True Fire Sword shot out again, this time with full force.
As the Three Yang True Fire Sword flew over, under the glow of the Flames of the Vermilion Bird, it illuminated a face filled with terror.
Catching a vague glimpse of this person's appearance, Qin Xi was surprised. With a movement of spiritual energy, he recalled the Three Yang True Fire Sword.
Mo Tiange finished regulating her breath, opened her eyes, and stood up. "What happened?" she asked, puzzled.
Qin Xi did not answer. Gazing at the spot where the cultivator was hiding, he raised his voice. "Fairy Fengqing, please come and have a chat."
That person remained motionless for a while. Qin Xi spoke again, his voice low and deep. "Fairy, since fate has brought us together here, why not meet openly?"
Ripples appeared on the moonlit shore. A person, treading on a red lotus, flew toward them.
This person was precisely Fairy Fengqing of the Tiandao Sect.
At this moment, under the cold moonlight, with the sea gently rippling, she drifted in red robes, treading on a red lotus. If not for her gloomy expression, she would have been truly ethereal as an immortal, with features like a painting.
Upon reaching this small island, Fairy Fengqing performed a salute with a mixed expression. "So it was your spirit beast undergoing tribulation here. Fengqing thought it was a sea demon beast and came hoping to pick up some advantage. I have truly offended."
Though her words were polite, her demeanor remained haughty.
Qin Xi paid it no mind, returning the salute with a smile. "When the Fairy left a month ago, I thought you had already returned to the Tiandao Sect. I never expected to meet you here. It is truly fate."
Fairy Fengqing detected the probing intent in his words and replied indifferently, "To be honest with you both, Fengqing previously received a piece of news and came here specifically to seek treasure."
After Fairy Fengqing spoke, the three fell into an awkward silence.
With the world in great turmoil, after Fairy Fengqing left Bixuan Pavilion, she should have returned to the Tiandao Sect long ago. Yet now she appeared deep in the East Sea. They had thought it was likely for treasure-seeking or something similar, but they hadn't expected her to admit it so bluntly.
As for Fairy Fengqing, her gaze now wandered. Meeting here by such coincidence, she knew she couldn't hide it, so she admitted outright. But her heart was still on edge, fearing these two might want a share of the spoils. She was only at the early Nascent Soul stage, with average cultivation. These two, however, were among the most outstanding geniuses in Tianji's history. She could hold her own against Mo Qinghui, but she could not surpass Qin Shoujing at the mid Nascent Soul stage.
Seeing their silence, Fairy Fengqing asked, "Might I ask what brings you two here? With the East Sea demon cultivators advancing so fiercely, why aren't you at Bixuan Pavilion?"
Qin Xi said, "The Fairy may not know. The demon cultivators have received reinforcements. Now Bixuan Pavilion's mountain-protecting formation has been broken. We two escaped."
"Oh?" Fairy Fengqing raised an eyebrow. "Even you two needed to flee?"
The smile on Qin Xi's face grew bitter. "There were nearly thirty demon cultivators, including even two tenth-rank demon cultivators."
Fairy Fengqing was stunned. "They actually dispatched so many demon cultivators?"
"Indeed. If the Fairy does not wish to return to Kunwu for the time being, it's best to be careful. The East Sea is now demon cultivator territory."
Fairy Fengqing pondered for a moment, then raised her hand in salute. "Thank you for informing me, Fellow Daoists. In that case, I shall take my leave first."
Qin Xi took a step back. "Fairy, please."
Seeing they had no intention of seizing her opportunity, Fairy Fengqing slightly relaxed her tense heart. Finally nodding to them in acknowledgment, a red lotus rose beneath her feet, and she drifted away from the island until she was out of sight.
Qin Xi's smile vanished. He gazed silently at the spot where Fairy Fengqing had disappeared for a long moment before saying to Mo Tiange, "Let's follow and take a look."
Mo Tiange said, "You don't believe her?"
Qin Xi shook his head. "I believe her, but only half. The treasure she seeks may not be as tranquil as she made it seem."
"Alright." Mo Tiange thought for a moment. "She came to the East Sea because of the Bixuan Pavilion matter. This so-called treasure-seeking is likely related to Bixuan Pavilion. I should investigate."
She walked to the center of the island, brought Xiaofeng into the Void Heaven Realm, settled it in the spirit beast hut, instructed Xiaohuo and Xiaofan not to disturb it, then came back out.
"Let's go." There was no time to recover spiritual energy. Qin Xi swallowed a handful of Qi-replenishing pills, summoned Feiyun, concealed their auras, and carefully trailed after Fairy Fengqing.