Chapter 229

Chapter 229: Shen Sang Ruo’s Nascent Soul Tribulation Crossing

Among the rogue cultivators, sword cultivators were the most common. Everyone in the Cultivation World knew sword cultivators were poor. Any spirit stones they had went into caring for their swords. When they saw the reward of one hundred high grade spirit stones, many of them grinned ear to ear.

Every new member of Ninghua Sect received spirit stones, a copy of the sect rules, and a life lamp. They dripped blood into the life lamp; if they died, the lamp would go out.

The cultivators were settled by their roles and moved into Ninghua Sect. At its peak, Ninghua Sect had been a major sect with deep foundations. Daoist Wu Wei had rich experience running it, so even bringing in so many people at once did not cause chaos. Many systems from before could be used again, which saved a lot of trouble.

In about a month, all affairs from the recruitment were handled, and the sect began to run smoothly.

Daoist Wu Wei, Ye Huai, and the others watched the disciples training in the main square and felt deeply moved. When they were trapped inside the formation in the past, they had never dared hope to see such a scene. Now that it stood before them, emotions surged in their chests. In the end, all their gazes fell on Shen Sang Ruo. Her arrival had been their only chance and Ninghua Sect’s most precious treasure.

Shen Sang Ruo met their eyes and smiled. This was only the beginning of Ninghua Sect’s return to glory. There was still a long road ahead. The disciples they had recruited were mid to mid-high in strength and talent. The next step was to find ways to raise their cultivation and make Ninghua Sect a true top-tier sect.

But she would handle that after her seclusion breakthrough.

After greeting Daoist Wu Wei, Immortal Lord Chang Li, and a few Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, Shen Sang Ruo entered the closed-door cultivation room to charge into Nascent Soul. She sat cross-legged on a fiery red flame stone. Spiritual power piled around her, and spiritual qi inside the room was thick and heavy.

Threads of spiritual qi gathered into fine strands that flowed into her body, which she absorbed almost greedily. Spiritual power ran along her meridians into her dantian, ramming again and again at her Golden Core. Her meridians and dantian had been tempered before, so she needed much more spiritual power than others to break through. As power poured in without end, hair-thin cracks spread across the Golden Core.

Shatter the Core, Birth the Infant was close at hand.

Inside, Shen Sang Ruo held her breath and focused on breaking through. Outside her cave, Immortal Lord Chang Li and Daoist Wu Wei stayed put. Ye Huai and the other four stood guard, tense and alert.

It had been three days since Shen Sang Ruo entered closed-door cultivation. From the tribulation clouds, they could guess roughly what stage she had reached. Shatter the Core, Birth the Infant was not the hard part. The hard part was the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation. Only by enduring it could she succeed.

Layer upon layer of heavy tribulation clouds gathered above Shen Sang Ruo’s cave. A huge shadow pressed down on the small cave, as if to crush and swallow it. The number of clouds had reached a terrifying level, and they were still growing.

Song Wei Yan stared up at the blazing clouds and sucked in a breath as he said: “Junior Sister’s tribulation clouds seem a bit much.”

Su Xi Yu said at once: “Not a bit. Compared to when we broke through to Nascent Soul, this is almost twice as many.”

Bai Ruo An widened his eyes and said: “It would not be too much to call this the level for a Late Stage Nascent Soul.”

The size of the tribulation clouds shocked them. One bolt might strike a person into charcoal.

At Nascent Soul Stage, the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation had eighteen bolts. The Heavenly Dao used it to test cultivators. The stronger the cultivator and the greater the potential, the tougher the test.

Song Wei Yan gave a thumbs up and said with awe: “As expected of Junior Sister. Even her tribulation clouds are different.”

Su Xi Yu slapped the back of his head.

Ye Huai frowned and said: “Junior Sister’s tribulation crossing may be difficult this time.” Daoist Wu Wei and Immortal Lord Chang Li also looked grave. The clouds were even more than when Immortal Lord Chang Li had broken through to Nascent Soul. They could offset part of the bolts, but most of the tribulation still had to be carried by Shen Sang Ruo herself.

Immortal Lord Chang Li narrowed his eyes and said: “It is coming.” Purple lightning flickered brighter and brighter inside the clouds, and thunder boomed.

He and Daoist Wu Wei raised their hands and cast a protective shield over the cave. Yet the lightning, twisted and branching like tree limbs, speared straight through the shield and crashed into Shen Sang Ruo’s cave with a deafening roar.

At once, fierce winds swept the area, and the sky turned dark. The noise startled many in Ninghua Sect. They glanced toward the source and hurried over to watch.

One person clutched his chest and said: “That thunder scared me half to death! Which Fellow Daoist is crossing tribulation here?”

Another answered: “Who else? The only person in Ninghua Sect crossing tribulation recently is Young Sect Master Shen.”

A third gulped and said: “Goodness, are tribulations this scary? That one bolt could turn me to ash. Will mine be like that?”

A companion replied dryly: “Is it possible your worry is a bit early? Your job now is to reach Golden Core.”

Someone whispered: “I wonder how Senior Sister Shen is doing…”

Inside the closed-door room, feeling the power of the lightning, Shen Sang Ruo gathered all her spiritual power to guard her vital organs. Her lips were pressed tight, and her eyes were steady. Scarlet spiritual power seemed to coat her in a layer of fire.

The next instant, the terrifying lightning struck her body. Blinding white filled the room. Current surged through her, racing along her meridians into every limb and bone. Everywhere it went, it left burning pain and numbness.

Her face did not change. She ran her spiritual power at once, guarding her heart while resisting the current. Enduring the pain, she even guided part of the current toward her dantian to help Shatter the Core, Birth the Infant.

The current slowly weakened and finally faded.

She gritted her teeth and endured the first bolt.

There were still seventeen bolts left. At Nascent Soul Stage, the bolts did not grow stronger with each strike. She had felt the strength and, after a quick estimate, thought: [I can pass this tribulation.]

Once the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation began, it came fast, giving almost no time to breathe. The second bolt followed right on the heels of the first.

She gathered her spiritual power again and repeated the same steps with steady rhythm. Inside the tribulation, she stayed calm and focused.

She did not notice how terrifying the bolts looked from the outside. Lightning flashed and slammed down one after another, making the cave glow as if it were lit from within. Twice, two bolts fell at the same time. Onlookers stared at the cave, now almost smoking from the strikes, then looked at each other with fear in their eyes. With each bolt, it felt like their hearts jolted from the shock.

Everyone watched the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, so no one noticed a corner of the field where, on tiptoes, a cow crept on all four hooves and sneaked up beside Shen Sang Ruo’s cave.