With a loud roar from Lu Xuan, a bolt of lightning as thick as an arm struck down from the sky.
The surrounding protective array activated instantly. An earthen-yellow light shield protected Lu Xuan and Hongxiu in the middle. The next second, the lightning tribulation collided with the array.
In less than a second, the array set up by Lu Xuan was reduced to ashes. However, at the same time, the lightning was also successfully neutralized.
The first wave of lightning completely shattered the protective array. According to records, this tribulation should have nine waves. A spirit in spirit form needs nine tribulations to overcome this ordeal. The number of lightning strikes increases with each strike, from nine to eighty-one. Only after this can one achieve the true form of a Yang God, transforming from Yin to Yang and attaining the position of a righteous god in the Heavenly Court.
Just thinking about it makes you realize how arduous, or even absurd, this process must have been. Throughout the entire mythological history of Chinese civilization, Lu Xuan couldn't recall a single ghost who cultivated from a ghostly body, survived the tribulation, and became a Yang God.
There was no time to think about anything else. Because the second bolt of lightning struck.
One of Hongxiu's magical artifacts was activated, then shattered. Then came the second, and the third. All three defensive artifacts were destroyed, finally blocking the second lightning tribulation.
At this moment, Hongxiu finally regained some of her strength. She began to cooperate with Lu Xuan to rebuild the surrounding defensive formation.
After barely managing to block the third bolt of lightning, Lu Xuan abandoned this passive defense. He formed hand seals and began preparing a spell.
On the ground, the twelve silver nails were still flashing simultaneously. Lu Xuan activated a hidden formation, instantly activating the five transformations of the Inner Five Thunders.
He prepared to use his own thunder magic to meet the heavenly tribulation. He would use thunder magic to counter thunder magic, attempting to neutralize the power of the tribulation. Simultaneously, he would sense the changes in the tribulation's power during this process. His ultimate goal was to collect the tribulation's power to facilitate his cultivation of this thunder magic.
The Crimson Palace Thunder and the Sunflower Water Thunder manifested simultaneously, and under the premise of the fusion of the Five Elements, they created a unique Yin-Yang Twin Thunder. Azure and purple lightning intertwined, forming a dazzling brilliance. The Yin-Yang Twin Thunder soared into the sky, meeting the fourth tribulation of lightning.
In an instant, the entire sky was illuminated by lightning. Not only the valley where Lu Xuan was located, but the entire Great Jin Dynasty, and even the entire land of China, was startled by that astonishing lightning.
"Such thunderclouds, I wonder what kind of demon is undergoing tribulation."
"This tribulation lightning power seems a bit too strong. I remember there were records in the sect that the power of tribulation lightning has an upper limit. No matter how evil the demon undergoing tribulation is, or how much cultivation it has reached, the tribulation lightning always leaves a sliver of hope. But looking at that power, I estimate that even if our patriarch were alive, he would be..."
"Shut up, you dare to slander our ancestor. It's probably some kind of demon with a different bloodline undergoing tribulation. When those things undergo tribulation, they always cause strange phenomena in the heavens and earth."
"The divination results have been interfered with, making it impossible to predict what is happening over there."
"The one undergoing tribulation is probably protected by a powerful figure."
"......"
Across the land, whether in the cultivation world, the mortal realm, or even among demons and ghosts, everyone was discussing who this chosen one was undergoing tribulation, capable of summoning such terrifying lightning power.
At this moment, Lu Xuan was also in a difficult position. He didn't know if all lightning tribulations were this exaggerated. He just felt that his cultivation was many times higher than Hongxiu's. Therefore, he should have been able to easily block her lightning tribulation. After all, lightning tribulations weren't necessarily fatal; there was always a glimmer of hope. Wouldn't his actions help Hongxiu seize that glimmer of hope?
But the truth is, if he hadn't intervened, the first bolt of lightning would have almost obliterated Hongxiu's soul. This wasn't like a tribulation being transcended; it was practically aimed at killing her.
This bizarre situation led Lu Xuan to a troublesome possibility. Perhaps it was because of his involvement that the power of the tribulation lightning had become even stronger. This tribulation lightning wasn't aimed at Hongxiu, but at him. It might even carry some kind of punitive meaning, punishing him for interfering in someone else's tribulation without authorization.
If that's the case, then everything makes sense. But now Lu Xuan is already on the verge of action and has no choice but to act. If he backs out now, Hongxiu will be wiped out in the next second.
In reality, almost all cultivators encounter calamities. In classical mythology, even the Great Sage, born with the destiny of heaven and earth, could not avoid the three calamities of Taoism: fierce winds, poisonous fire, and the five thunderbolts. The Great Sage is a divine beast of heaven and earth, essentially immortal by nature. However, even he would have a 99% chance of being annihilated by these three calamities. Therefore, the Bodhi Patriarch taught the Great Sage the Seventy-Two Transformations.
The seventy-two transformations are essentially used to avoid disasters. In other words, by mastering the seventy-two transformations, one can avoid the three calamities of Taoism. Look, even the Great Sage could only hide from them, which shows how terrifying the calamities of heaven and earth are.
Lu Xuan understood everything, but it was too late. The divine abilities of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends were almost innate techniques. Lu Xuan didn't possess such advanced techniques and could only rely on his own cultivation to withstand them.
After five bolts of lightning, Lu Xuan felt he was nearing his limit. But the sixth bolt of lightning struck without pause.
Lu Xuan exerted all his strength, activating his Yin-Yang Twin Lightning to block the attack. At the same time, Hongxiu beside him also stepped in to help him share the burden. The power of the heavenly tribulation caused Hongxiu to tremble in pain. But at the same time, this was also a test for her.
The power of the lightning tribulation will cleanse her spirit, tempering her body and transforming her into a higher form of spirit. She will take another step closer to the path of the Yang God.
Lu Xuan felt a surge of violent lightning rush into his body. He desperately mobilized all his spiritual energy to digest the power of the lightning tribulation. However, he felt that he had reached his limit.
"Young master, you should leave quickly. Don't try to shield me anymore; this is Hongxiu's tribulation. Young master, you have shown me such great kindness; I will repay you in my next life."
Lu Xuan also felt that he couldn't withstand the next wave. He glanced at Hongxiu helplessly and prepared to withdraw from the fight.
But then, something ridiculous happened.
Suddenly, the lightning in the sky split in two. A bolt of lightning, as thick as a thumb, struck towards Hongxiu. The other bolt, as thick as an arm, veered off course and struck towards Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan: "?????????!!!!!!!!!"
Before he could even process what was happening, Lu Xuan used his teleportation ability to shrink the distance to an inch, instantly disappearing over a thousand meters away. The moment he reappeared, a bolt of lightning struck him with pinpoint accuracy.
"Damn it..." Lu Xuan cursed inwardly. It turned out that once you were caught in a lightning tribulation, you had to persevere to the end. This thing even exhibited a kind of unsolvable nature on a causal level. Lu Xuan's Shrinking Earth to an Inch technique was completely meaningless in the face of this thing.
A few breaths later, Lu Xuan, his entire body shrouded in black, sat atop the mountain. The seventh bolt of lightning had already damaged his very essence. However, there was no despair in Lu Xuan's eyes; instead, a strange light appeared within them.
Because of the entry of the lightning tribulation power into his body, Lu Xuan discovered that his spiritual energy had not been refined by the lightning tribulation power. Although the consequence was that he suffered burns in many parts of his body and his meridians were damaged, the quality of the spiritual energy in his body underwent a qualitative change.
In that instant, Lu Xuan suddenly had an epiphany. His long-standing inability to break through to the Golden Core stage wasn't due to insufficient cultivation, but rather because he had been on the wrong path. The Golden Core realm wasn't simply about compressing spiritual energy to solidify it. It required a fundamental refinement of the spiritual energy within his body, causing a qualitative change, and then taking a further step. Only then could he take that step and achieve the Great Dao of the Golden Core.
The eighth lightning bolt struck. But Lu Xuan neither dodged nor avoided it, remaining seated and enduring the strike head-on. The immense power of the lightning nearly killed Lu Xuan. Yet, the light in his eyes grew even brighter.
Finally, the last bolt of lightning appeared. Lu Xuan looked up at the sky, watching as the final bolt struck his body. In that instant, almost all of his spiritual energy was completely shattered by the lightning. However, deep within his damaged meridians, a last trace of completely different spiritual energy remained.
This is the new spiritual power refined by the power of the tribulation lightning. It is also the beginning of stepping onto the path of the Golden Core. This wisp of spiritual power is like a seed, already taking root in Lu Xuan's body. Given time, when Lu Xuan's cultivation recovers, he will be able to naturally achieve the path of the Golden Core.
At that time, there were no restrictions on cultivation level, no bottlenecks. Everything would fall into place naturally. Just like the previous tribulation lightning, which completely shattered Lu Xuan's tranquility. Now, his path of cultivation is smooth sailing.
After a long while, Lu Xuan managed to crawl out of a charred crater. Despite being covered in wounds, he felt a surge of satisfaction and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
As the lightning tribulation subsided, Xiaoqian, Xiaolan, Xiaoqing, and Xiaobai arrived. Seeing their young master covered in wounds, the two demons and the two female ghosts nearly burst into tears.
"Why are you crying? I'm perfectly fine. In fact, these injuries are just minor ones. I've gained far more than I've lost. Get ready, I'm going to host a banquet for some fellow Daoists to celebrate with me."
Lu Xuan didn't actually have many like-minded people. The only two who were willing to keep the appointment at this time were Yan Chixia and Hongyu. After all, they had fought side-by-side. Furthermore, Hongyu's personality suited Lu Xuan's tastes very well.
Several days later, Lu Xuan's external injuries had basically healed. The recovery of his meridians and cultivation would require more time. However, he appeared to be perfectly fine from the outside.