Chapter 230

Chapter 230: Successful Breakthrough, Did the Kui Ox Block a Heavenly Lightning Tribulation for Her?

The eighteen Heavenly Lightning Tribulations had only the last one left.

Shen Sang Ruo’s hair stood straight up. She bit through her lip, and the taste of blood spread across her mouth.

Inside her dantian, the Golden Core’s shell was almost completely shattered. The Nascent Soul within was about to break out. [Just a little more.]

She tipped her head back and shouted: “Last one, come!”

The tribulation cloud seemed eager to please. It gathered power fast, and then thunder boomed as the final strike came roaring down.

She was fully ready to meet it, yet the lightning she expected did not land on her. She opened her eyes in confusion and saw the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation curve over her head and slam into something else.

[Can a Heavenly Lightning Tribulation even miss? I have reason to suspect the Heavenly Dao is run by amateurs.]

She spread her Divine Sense to check what strange thing had drawn the strike away.

Then she saw it: a Kui Ox, scorched pitch black, baring a set of bright white teeth as it lifted a front hoof to say hello. A heartbeat later, its eyes rolled back and it fell with a thud.

Shen Sang Ruo blinked: [How did this thing even wander into the tribulation cloud’s range?]

Her Nascent Soul should have emerged with that last strike. Since it did not fall on her, she poured in her own Spiritual Power instead. The Golden Core burst, the Nascent Soul came forth, and she succeeded in Forming the Nascent Soul. [Who would have thought I would break through like this.]

After steadying her breath, she used a bit of Spellcraft to change into a fresh robe. She tidied herself, climbed down from the Flame Stone, and walked to the charred ox.

Overhead, the tribulation cloud slowly scattered. Immortal Lord Chang Li and the others, certain she had succeeded in her Tribulation Crossing, hurried in.

They also wanted to know why the last lightning had gone crooked. By now they were gathered around the Kui Ox.

Song Wei Yan rubbed his chin and said: “That last Heavenly Lightning Tribulation looks like it hit this thing. This cow… hiss, it seems familiar.”

Because it was black as a lump of coal, he had to squint and lean in to make sure. Then he said: “I’ve got it. It looks like the one from the Secret Realm, the cow that almost wiped out the Beast Taming Sect.”

He remembered clearly how it had run from far away just to find their Junior Sister.

When they noticed Shen Sang Ruo coming over, they set the Kui Ox matter aside for the moment. Immortal Lord Chang Li asked: “How do you feel?”

In truth, the moment she entered his sight, he had already swept her three or four times with his Divine Sense. Only after confirming she was fine did he relax. It was not only Immortal Lord Chang Li; several other Divine Senses were also scanning her.

Seeing how tense they were on her behalf, Shen Sang Ruo smiled with a hint of helplessness and said: “I feel great, better than ever. Sect Master and Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, you can stop scanning me.”

With her breakthrough to Nascent Soul, her aura was visibly commanding. Pale red Spiritual Power gathered around her. Her eyes were sharp and steady, and her whole bearing felt uncommon.

Su Xi Yu pressed a hand to her chest and said in fright: “Junior Sister, you don’t even know. We almost died of fear out there. Your tribulation cloud was two or three times stronger than usual.”

Shen Sang Ruo looked surprised and said: “Really?”

Su Xi Yu asked: “You didn’t know?”

Shen answered honestly: “I was inside the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, so I didn’t feel much.”

Song Wei Yan nodded and praised without stopping: “As expected of our Junior Sister, you handled such a powerful Heavenly Lightning Tribulation with ease.”

Shen added: “By the way, the last Heavenly Lightning Tribulation went crooked. Will that cause any problems?”

Only then did everyone look at the Kui Ox sprawled on the ground. Its hoof twitched, and they finally remembered it.

Daoist Wu Wei tested its breath and said: “This is a Kui Ox. When the Beast Taming Sect joined our sect, Yuan Jin brought it along. Luckily, it’s still breathing.”

Bai Ruo An asked in confusion: “Why did this Kui Ox run here, and why did it draw the last Heavenly Lightning Tribulation?”

Song Wei Yan gave his guess: “I remember the Kui Ox is thunder aligned, and it really likes our Junior Sister. Maybe it ran over to block the tribulation for her.”

While they were still talking, Yuan Jin rushed in, following its aura. Seeing the Kui Ox as black as charcoal, he understood at once and felt as if the sky had fallen. His eyes moved to Shen Sang Ruo. After confirming she was fine and even stronger than before, he finally relaxed. Everyone knew Shen Sang Ruo was the treasure of the Ninghua Sect. Luckily, her Tribulation Crossing had not been harmed. Otherwise he and the cow would have to die to make amends.

He cupped his hands to Daoist Wu Wei and said: “Sect Master.”

He admitted: “I let my guard down and the Kui Ox ran off. Good thing it didn’t cause a true disaster. What exactly happened just now?”

Shen said evenly: “It blocked one Heavenly Lightning Tribulation for me.”

To Yuan Jin, that sentence was the real thunder. He nearly stumbled. He had thought the Kui Ox was only hit by one of the small bolts that come with a tribulation. Who knew it had blocked the actual tribulation strike, and who knew what that would cause.

Shen smiled and motioned for him to relax, saying: “It’s fine. Elder Yuan Jin, check on it first.”

She felt nothing out of the ordinary in herself. If anything, the Kui Ox was the one in trouble; she could even catch a faint smell of beef drifting in the air.

Yuan Jin crouched, sent Spiritual Power into the Kui Ox, and probed its condition. A moment later, amazement spread across his face.

Seeing him like that, Shen asked: “How is it? Is it hurt? That Heavenly Lightning Tribulation wasn’t weak.”

Using Su Xi Yu’s words, it was a strike that could knock down a group of Late Golden Core Cultivators, while the Kui Ox was at most Mid Golden Core.

Yuan Jin paused, then said with a hard to describe look: “It isn’t badly hurt. And judging from how excited its spirit is… it looks like it enjoyed being struck.”

Everyone fell silent.

Bai Ruo An said with meaning: “I didn’t expect the Kui Ox to be like that.”

Shen remembered their very first meeting, when she burned off all its fur and it looked all shy, and she thought: [So there were signs from the start.]

Yuan Jin spoke again, this time with excitement: “But that isn’t the main point. The main point is, the strike triggered its Bloodline Awakening.”

“Bloodline Awakening?” Only then did they pull themselves back from being stunned by the Kui Ox.

Yuan Jin explained: “The Kui Ox carries the bloodline of an Ancient Divine Beast, but after many generations it’s become very thin, just a trace. This Heavenly Lightning Tribulation didn’t seriously injure it. Instead, it caused an Atavistic Reversion and fully awakened its bloodline.”

After thinking it over, Shen said: “So right now the Kui Ox has a true Divine Beast bloodline?”

Yuan Jin answered without doubt: “Yes.”

He could not hide his joy. Only Beast Cultivators truly understand how tempting a Spirit Beast with a Divine Beast bloodline is.

Song Wei Yan brushed the layer of charcoal on the Kui Ox and said: “A blessing in disguise. This Kui Ox has good luck.”