This absurd robbery, which started strong but ended weakly, nearly caused countless onlookers, including cultivators and sect members, to suffer serious injuries. At the moment the centipede demon died, countless experienced Taoist priests who could deduce the secrets of heaven vomited blood on the spot, some even losing their lives.
In that instant, the secrets of heaven were enveloped by some unknown, terrifying power. The past and the future were both reduced to chaos. Those who attempted to glimpse these secrets all suffered inexplicable backlash. From that moment on, hundreds of sects declared seclusion. The cultivation world fell into a peculiar silence.
In Lu Xuan's courtyard, Lu Xuan, Yan Chixia, and Hongyu were drinking and chatting.
"So, that curse technique is essentially using the power of extraterrestrial demons to harm people?"
“That’s right, and it’s not your average extraterrestrial demon. I can’t quite describe the feeling. I just sense that it’s extremely dangerous.”
"So, Brother Lu completely burned the centipede demon's corpse?"
“That’s right. I’m worried that thing might leave some kind of backup plan on Earth. At times like these, we have to be careful.”
"Brother Lu is meticulous; he handled this matter flawlessly."
"No, actually, it might have been a mistake for me to use that spell."
"Right or wrong, you saved the Great Jin Dynasty. Cheers."
Yan Chixia raised his glass, and the three of them drank together. Afterwards, Lu Xuan asked a question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
"Fellow Daoist Hongyu, I have a question. Most of the cultivation sects in this world turn a blind eye to the centipede demon's actions. I know they are all waiting for the day when the Great Jin Dynasty completely collapses so they can share in its fate. I can understand Brother Yan's actions, as he has spent his life wandering the martial world. But why didn't Fellow Daoist Hongyu's sect stand by and watch?"
"We sword cultivators don't care about luck. The path of a sword cultivator is forged with swords, not through some ethereal luck."
"Hahahaha..." Lu Xuan and Yan Chixia burst into laughter at the same time. In this vast world, there are still like-minded fellow cultivators.
............
The matter in the capital was settled. Lu Xuan did not stay in the capital any longer. Although the battle in the capital started strong but ended weakly, the hidden dangers were unprecedented. That extraterrestrial demon could instantly kill a thousand-year-old centipede demon across dimensions and even withstand the True Fire of the Sun. This made Lu Xuan shudder whenever he thought about it. For the first time, he felt that he was far too weak. So weak that continuing to wander the world might lead to trouble. Therefore, he decided to return to the mountains to cultivate in seclusion. This time, he would not leave the mountains until he had formed his core.
Having not returned to his old home for a long time, Lu Xuan found that his hometown had changed drastically when he went back.
Hongxiu, who had been staying at home, guarding the spirit of Baoyu in Lu Xuan's old home, had completely cleansed herself of the ghostly aura and kept Lu Xuan's old home in perfect order.
Not only have the variety of fruits and vegetables in the spirit garden increased several times over, but the spiritual energy is also abundant, clearly indicating that the entire range of the spirit-binding array has been expanded.
As for the herbs cultivated in the herb garden, under the daily baptism of moonlight, they had all been thoroughly nurtured and transformed into rare and precious spiritual herbs. Lu Xuan once again marveled at how, in a world with extremely low magic, the Ape Strike Technique he had obtained seemed to conceal immense potential. On certain levels, it was almost like having a cheat code—incredibly powerful. Calling it a cheat code wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"Young Master!!"
Hongxiu was overjoyed to see Lu Xuan. Since arriving at Lu Xuan's cave, she had realized the immense fortune she had received. She was all alone, possessing a small spiritual vein. This was a privilege even the great demons of the mountains didn't enjoy. They would at most seek out a place rich in spiritual energy to build their nests. But spiritual veins were something that could only be encountered by chance, not sought after.
Then there's the mysterious formation in the cave, which draws in moonlight every day. This is a higher level of lunar essence than ordinary spiritual energy. After just three to five times, she completely cleansed herself of her ghostly aura and then entered the formal cultivation process.
Lu Xuan gave her the basic cultivation techniques. Coupled with her innate spiritual body, her cultivation speed was advancing by leaps and bounds. Her current cultivation level had almost surpassed that of the little fox and the green snake.
However, she, as a cultivator who embarks on the path of cultivation from a haunted house, also has a huge weakness: she is afraid of heavenly tribulations.
All cultivators fear heavenly tribulations. However, humans generally only encounter heavenly tribulations before ascension, or when they have committed acts that anger both heaven and man, or when they use certain special supernatural powers.
But demons are different. Once their cultivation reaches a certain level, they will encounter heavenly tribulations almost every so often. Each transformation is also subject to heavenly tribulations.
Ghosts are in a similar situation, but their fate is even worse. This is because ghosts are even less resistant to heavenly tribulations than demons. Lacking a physical form, once they encounter a heavenly tribulation, it's equivalent to their very soul being struck by lightning. Essentially, their soul is annihilated. Most ghosts that manage to become powerful possess human bodies, using the merits of others to withstand the lightning tribulation. Therefore, powerful ghosts generally deserve to die.
At this moment, Hongxiu's cultivation had reached the point of its first transformation. In other words, she was about to face her first tribulation. Logically, she should have gone to the nearby Lu Family Village, possessed a human body, prepared various defensive magical artifacts, and begun preparing for the tribulation.
However, Lu Xuan naturally wouldn't let her undergo tribulation in this way. In fact, this was also an opportunity for Lu Xuan, as it was one of the very few opportunities to come into contact with heavenly lightning.
The lightning of the tribulation is true heavenly lightning. It plays a crucial role in Lu Xuan's lightning techniques.
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Chapter 385 The Path to Golden Elixir
Time passed, and countless years went by. Finally, one day, the little fox began to speak.
"Master!" The adorable voice instantly lifted Lu Xuan's spirits. This little guy had been with Lu Xuan for decades, and had finally successfully refined his horizontal bone and started speaking.
The little fox was so excited that it jumped and danced. Several of the girls, Xiaoqian and Xiaolan, prepared a big meal to reward it. In no time, the little fox became the darling of Lu Xuan's cave.
Of course, within the entire cave dwelling, there was only one person, two ghosts, one spirit, and two demons. It could be considered a miniature version of the cultivation world.
Not to be outdone, Xiaoqing entered her transformation period a few months later. Her path differed from the little fox's. During her first transformation, instead of refining her horizontal bones, she first took human form.
After transforming, Xiaoqing appeared as a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. She was tall and slender, especially her incredibly thin waist, which was mesmerizing. However, her transformation wasn't perfect; faint blue scales could still be seen on some parts of her body. This was a common ailment among snake spirits, requiring a considerable amount of time to gradually refine all the scales. Her long, dark green hair gave her an eerie beauty.
At the same time, Hongxiu also underwent her first transformation. Although she had washed away her ghostly aura, she was still a spirit. When she faced the heavenly tribulation, she was no different from a ghost.
This alone reveals that humanity absolutely dominates this world. Animals strive relentlessly to cultivate and transform into human form, while demons seek to seize human bodies. Heavenly tribulations are openly directed at demons. Despite the rampant presence of demons, humanity still holds the upper hand in matters of great importance.
It's almost impossible for Hongxiu to overcome the tribulation on her own. Even with Lu Xuan's lineage, she couldn't withstand the heavenly tribulation head-on.
Lu Xuan made extensive preparations for her. This included crafting three defensive magical artifacts, personally protecting the place where she would undergo her tribulation, and setting up a large defensive array around it.
Of course, another reason Lu Xuan personally intervened was that he wanted to capture the heavenly lightning himself. Heavenly lightning is almost impossible to cultivate on its own. Unless one possesses a special physique with an innate lightning spiritual root, there is virtually no chance of it in the mortal realm. This is because it is essentially a power from the upper realm.
Hongxiu had suppressed her cultivation for a long time. Only after Lu Xuan had prepared everything did she unleash all her spiritual power without restraint.
As if some mechanism within the Heavenly Dao had been triggered, calamity clouds began to gather in the sky. Flashes of lightning flickered within the clouds.
Heavenly lightning is inherently a force of destruction. Therefore, if one cannot overcome it, the outcome is the annihilation of one's soul. Although Lu Xuan is considered proficient in lightning magic, he has never faced this kind of true power from the upper realm before, and he is somewhat nervous.
The tribulation clouds in the sky grew denser. A faint sense of oppression began to rise in Lu Xuan's heart. As for Hongxiu, she was already trembling with fear from the terrifying lightning tribulation, and could barely control the magical artifact that Lu Xuan had crafted for her.
"Hongxiu, cheer up. Cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. There's no need to fear it. Survive and overcome it."