Chapter 15: Crossing the Tribulation

Rumble—

Dark clouds gathered over the Yan Estate, streaks of lightning flickering incessantly through the sky.

“It’s going to rain.”

A young maid stood in the courtyard, staring blankly at the heavens, when an older maid beside her thumped her on the head.

“Run, quickly! Someone’s undergoing a tribulation! Go report to the steward!”

With that, she grabbed the younger one and hurried toward the steward’s quarters.

It wasn’t just these two; soon, everyone in the Yan Estate was on the move. The servants without cultivation were evacuated first, and then the stewards began searching for the cultivator in the midst of tribulation.

“Who could be so heartless as to undergo a tribulation inside the estate?” the chief steward of the Criminal Division grumbled, gazing at the blackened sky.

“There are only a handful at the peak of Foundation Establishment here. Aside from the stewards gathered, the only one unaccounted for is Pearl, the one by the young master’s side.”

“Then it must be her!” declared the chief steward.

Meanwhile, Sword Zither paced anxiously within the dungeon, torn between breaking open the secret chamber’s door by force and the risk of disturbing Su Yue’s cultivation.

But if she wasn’t brought out soon, the heavenly thunder would strike the estate itself. Though the tribulation for the Golden Core stage wasn’t the most formidable, the estate’s defensive formations could never withstand it.

“What should we do?” Sword Zither fretted.

Elsewhere, Su Yue was completely submerged in the process of breaking through her spiritual sea’s bottleneck, entering a state akin to enlightenment.

Enlightenment was a realm only reached when a cultivator was in perfect condition, a unity of heaven and man.

During this time, the cultivator was utterly unconscious.

Outside the Pavilion of Dwelling Snow, the assembled stewards explained the situation to Yan Qitang.

“I am aware,” Yan Qitang replied calmly. “Go back to your duties.”

“But Young Master, do you mean—”

“Pearl is one of my people. I won’t let lightning fall upon the estate’s buildings. But evacuate everyone just in case.” His tone was serene.

The stewards exchanged glances, but ultimately followed Yan Qitang’s orders and organized the evacuation of all personnel.

“Qitang, are you certain there’s no danger? That’s heavenly tribulation!” Wen Xueyi, who had witnessed the events, asked with worry.

“Don’t worry, I am prepared,” Yan Qitang turned and reassured her.

“I’ll go with you—I can protect you.”

Yan Qitang’s gentle eyes met Wen Xueyi’s earnest gaze. He shook his head, “This is the Golden Core tribulation. As someone in the Nascent Soul stage, I can withstand it, but your cultivation is insufficient—you must not try to intervene. Go with the others.”

“But—” Wen Xueyi wished to stay, but seeing the unyielding look on Yan Qitang’s face, she finally left.

Once everyone was gone, Yan Qitang slowly drew the sword always at his side—Azure Willow.

He pulled the blade free: slender as a willow branch, with a green jade cicada perched at its tip.

“Qing,” Yan Qitang called softly, and the jade cicada, as if alive, fluttered its filmy wings and alighted gently on his finger.

“I’ll be troubling you shortly. But first… some preparations.”

He closed his eyes, breathing slowly and steadily. Then, the willow-like sword suddenly extended, winding around the entire Yan Estate. Miraculously, tender green shoots began to sprout along the blade; upon closer look, it was the glow of verdant wood-type spiritual light.

The stewards, now at a safe distance, stared wide-eyed at the sword radiating a gentle green brilliance.

“So… this is Azure Willow,” murmured a mid-ranking steward.

The sword’s radiance grew ever stronger, the clouds above thickened, and thunder rumbled louder.

Just as Yan Qitang prepared to meet the tribulation head-on, a loud crash came from the house behind him. He turned to see Su Yue shoot into the sky like a cannonball, and a bolt of tribulation lightning struck instantly in her wake.

Yan Qitang: …

Su Yue felt spiritual power surging wildly through her body. She raised her transparent right hand and struck forcefully toward the oncoming lightning.

In a flash, spiritual light and thunder met, the resulting brilliance forcing everyone to shut their eyes.

The radiance lasted for half the time it would take an incense stick to burn before gradually fading.

At last, as the light vanished, everyone cautiously opened their eyes.

They saw a shapeless mass plummeting toward the earth, and before anyone could react, Yan Qitang had shrugged off his outer robe and caught the ‘mass’ in its folds.

“So, in the end, only my Pavilion of Dwelling Snow needs repairs—nowhere else was harmed.”

Yan Qitang sheathed Azure Willow. After all that commotion, nothing had been accomplished. Even the sword seemed displeased; it took a great deal of effort for Yan Qitang to coax it back into its scabbard.

The stewards returned inside and, seeing the estate unharmed, finally relaxed.

“Young Master, has Pearl succeeded in forming her core?” asked the steward of the Criminal Division.

“When I caught her, I already sensed the presence of the Golden Core. She should recover her physical form after a while.”

Yan Qitang then summoned Matron Sujin to oversee Su Yue’s post-advancement matters.

“Congratulations, Young Master! The Yan Estate has gained another cultivator!” The others rejoiced, already preparing for the celebratory banquet.

Yan Qitang was pleased as well, especially since this new cultivator had come from among his own personal attendants.

Jade, Fragrance, and the others also offered their congratulations, while Wen Xueyi, standing apart, looked silently at Su Yue cradled in Yan Qitang’s arms.

Matron Sujin received Su Yue from him and laid her down. Gradually, she saw the lump of ‘mud’ begin to shift, slowly taking on human form as time passed.

“I remember when I advanced to the Golden Core stage, I was never struck into a puddle like that,” the Criminal Division steward muttered, watching with puzzlement.

“Pearl is different from you—she didn’t have any defensive artifacts and took the lightning with her body alone. Fortunately, the Cloud Sea Sword Manual gave her a foundation, or she’d have been reduced to ashes,” Matron Sujin explained.

“So that’s it. I didn’t expect the Cloud Sea Sword Manual to have such effects. But after being tempered by thunder and fire, I wonder if she’ll undergo any changes.”

Matron Sujin could only wait and see what fortune would bring Su Yue.

Body-tempering through thunder and fire was no rarity nowadays. Many sects used tribulation lightning to refine their bodies during the Golden Core breakthrough. Such tempering could result in a mutated thunder spiritual root, or manifest as unique Dao patterns. But there were also those who, after such tribulation, gained only a stronger body and nothing more.

“We can only leave it to fate,” Matron Sujin sighed.