Chapter 7, The Invisible Bottom Line

Master

Silver-white lightning spots continuously gathered within the calamity clouds, transforming into a silver lightning pool measuring several dozen feet on each side

In the trials of sects, one may die, be killed while executing sect tasks, be slain in conflicts with others, suffer accidents during cultivation, encounter mishaps while refining pills or tools, or be killed while gathering herbs and seizing treasures... There exists a well-known classic in the cultivation world titled "A Million Ways for Cultivators to Die," which aptly illustrates the hardships faced by cultivators who defy the heavens and highlights the difficulties of their existence.

At this moment, it seems somewhat premature for He Lingxiu to say such words

The complete cultivation method is the guarantee for achieving the Great Way, while the ultimate accomplishments of practitioners from various sects depend more on the practitioner's own aptitude and circumstances

Ordinary individuals advancing from the Qi Refinement stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, as well as Qi Refinement stage cultivators advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage, are generally not interfered with by most sects. The survival of the fittest under the control of the Heavenly Dao is inherently fairer and more beneficial than the tests imposed by the sects. If one cannot even pass these two stages, there is no need to waste the sect's cultivation resources.

The thunder tribulation for the foundation establishment to advance to the golden core is more akin to a serious warning from the heavenly laws than the seven thunder tribulations faced by golden core cultivators advancing to the nascent soul

The end of life encompasses two concepts: one is the natural death due to the exhaustion of lifespan, and the other is death resulting from various abnormal circumstances.

The vast majority of sects are unable to provide protection for Golden Core cultivators undergoing tribulation, but most sects can cope with the four levels of tribulation faced by Foundation Establishment cultivators. It is precisely for this reason that the probability of Foundation Establishment cultivators failing their tribulation is significantly lower than that of cultivators at other stages of practice.

How?" The attention of Master Wuyang was entirely focused on those azure calamity thunders, and he was suddenly startled by this call, causing his body to tremble inexplicably

These two tribulations are classified as the physical tribulations of low-level cultivators in the mainstream texts of the cultivation world

The golden elixir within Tonghui Laozu's body has begun to slowly crack, and the essence of the elixir is thick and viscous, resembling the lava ejected during a volcanic eruption. It continuously twists and changes around the elixir, gradually forming the outline of a small golden figure.

The Qinggang Thunder Tribulation that the Tonghui Ancestor is currently facing is a type of tribulation thunder that often appears during the ascension of foundation-building stage cultivators to the golden core stage.

The azure thunder of calamity cannot be shaken in the slightest

He is only one final thunder tribulation away from becoming a true Yuanying stage cultivator

Huayang Sect is a branch of the Earth Lung Mountain and one of the orthodox sects of the Seventy-Two Immortal Gates of Xiaoyuzhou. The Huayang Heavenly Dao Scripture of Huayang Sect is a legitimate method that can genuinely lead to the attainment of the supreme Dao. In a certain sense, the orthodox techniques of these immortal sects each have their strengths and weaknesses, and it cannot be said that the techniques of one sect are necessarily much stronger than those of another sect.

Eight black hills stand majestically still in the air

"Your all-seeing eye is truly..." Only then did Master Wuyang feel a complete return to his senses. He suddenly turned to look at He Lingxiu, only to find He Lingxiu with a blank expression. He heard He Lingxiu's voice in his ears, "Do not be overly alarmed; I have merely seen some clues, and this final layer of the thunder tribulation is indeed different."

... ...

Cultivators who have reached the perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage almost always receive varying degrees of protection from their sects during the tribulation, to the extent that many in the cultivation world believe that the lightning tribulation of the Foundation Establishment stage is not even considered a true heavenly tribulation

On the nuclear vessel, He Lingxiu suddenly called out to Master Wuyang.

The silvery light rapidly expanded, transforming into patches of silvery-white lightning.

He turned around and saw that He Lingxiu's expression was somewhat strange, seemingly filled with a hint of melancholy and regret, yet also carrying an inexplicable sense of expectation

In the history of Xiaoyuzhou, there have probably been very few cultivators who have fallen to the Qinggang Tribulation Thunder, and as for those who have perished in the Yin Xiao Tribulation Thunder, it is likely that not a single one has.

But who knows what situation will arise during the next two tribulations of thunder?

This is during the fourth thunder tribulation for cultivators in the foundation establishment stage to advance to golden core cultivators, and it is also known for its silver spear and wax-like head, being weaker than the azure thunder tribulation.

Although Tonghui Laozu's cultivation speed is slow, the golden elixir he achieved during the Golden Core stage is certainly not inferior to that of an average Golden Core cultivator

However, in reality, there were not many instances where these thunderbolts truly impacted the surroundings of the Tonghui Ancestor.

At this moment, one will encounter the first tribulation, known in the cultivation world as the Wind and Fire Tribulation

Tonghui Laozu stared blankly at the Qinggang calamity thunder that posed no threat to him at all, and after much contemplation, he concluded that there was only this possibility

In the history of Xiaoyuzhou, the last time a Golden Elixir practitioner encountered such a level of tribulation thunder during their tribulation was seven hundred years ago, involving a loose cultivator.

The silver lightning strikes against the black shield and the shadow thunder umbrella, as if merely tickling them, causing no substantial damage whatsoever

This thunder tribulation consists of only four levels. Although each level lasts nearly the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, its power is simply incomparable to any of the seven levels of thunder tribulation that a Golden Core cultivator must face

The thunder within the thunder pool rolls like a viscous liquid, simultaneously producing a rumbling sound of thunder

However, he is still in a state of confusion, and yet he has already reached the sixth level of the thunder tribulation, which is surprisingly simple to an excessive degree

He Lingxiu looked at the location of the Tonghui Ancestor and said, "Our Huayang Sect may soon produce a Yuanying cultivator"

At the beginning, he only felt that as long as he could endure through the two tribulations, even if he failed the tribulation, he should not appear too disgraceful, and he should not let the Huayang Sect be ridiculed by others

The azure light at the bottom of the golden calamity cloud quickly converged, replaced by a silvery radiance

This momentum is indeed more terrifying than any previous layer of calamity.

Master Wuyang stared at her in astonishment, momentarily at a loss for words

However, Tonghui Laozu is not this kind of loose cultivator

In the history of the cultivation world, it is not entirely unheard of for a Golden Core stage cultivator to encounter tribulation lightning of the Foundation Establishment stage. However, in such cases, without exception, the cultivator's foundation has significant flaws. For instance, the cultivator may be inherently deficient, with damaged meridians within their body, resulting in a Nascent Soul that appears small, weak, and lacking in intelligence.

During the foundation-building period, the promotion to the Golden Core already faces the Thunder Tribulation

However, it is different when it comes to the Foundation Establishment stage. Practitioners at the Foundation Establishment stage have already become the backbone of various sects in the cultivation world. Therefore, although the proportion of Foundation Establishment practitioners who advance to the Golden Core stage is also quite small, the vast majority are simply lacking in fortune, unable to reach the perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage by the end of their lives

The vast majority of those present believed that the Qinggang Cataclysm Thunder was the lowest point of this heavenly tribulation, but the facts proved them wrong

This fifth layer of thunder calamity did not even damage any of Tonghui Zhenren's magical treasures

Behind the figure of Bai Xi, a group of young celestial seedlings had their tender faces coated with a layer of solemn silver. To these celestial seedlings, the might of the sixth tribulation thunder that the Ancestor Tonghui faced far surpassed that of any previous tribulation.

The cultivation method obtained by that loose cultivator was merely an incomplete fragment, resulting in the golden core he condensed during the Foundation Establishment stage possessing only a fraction of the power of an ordinary golden core cultivator. When it came time for the golden core to undergo tribulation, the power of his golden core was comparable to that of many Foundation Establishment cultivators who had just successfully condensed their cores after passing the tribulation.

Could it be that the heavenly laws initially imposed a direct and harsh foreign calamity, only to realize it was too severe, and thus decided to send down this kind of calamity as compensation

This fifth layer of thunder tribulation should be easily overcome

The gaze of Tonghui Laozu has changed.

When advancing from the Qi Refining Stage to the Foundation Establishment Stage, one will encounter the Heavenly Tribulation known as the Spirit Poison Tribulation

Countless silver lightning bolts, resembling long serpents, almost completely enveloped the mountain where the ancestor Tonghui resided. The silver lightning was so dense that it wrapped around the entire mountain like a viscous liquid, rolling incessantly, while the terrifying thunder sounded as if numerous massive stones were being crushed and collided upon the mountaintop

However, such a thunder pool caused a stir among Bai Xi Zhenren and others once again

In the incredulous gazes of these people, the rolling silver thunder pool began to pour forth the silver calamity thunder towards the mountain peak below.

However, what is incomprehensible is that even such a calamity was dealt with hastily, lasting merely the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before it began to wind down

Isn't this merely a superficial display of the Silver Cloud Thunder Pool

Ordinary individuals seeking to advance to the Qi Refinement stage must transform their mental will into a spark that illuminates the vast path of cultivation. However, the moment they successfully absorb the first wisp of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, becoming true cultivators, they will immediately encounter the backlash of the heavenly laws.

Only upon the completion of the foundational stage of cultivation and the promotion to the Golden Core stage will the grand heavenly punishment descend, akin to killing a chicken to warn the monkey, in accordance with the laws of the Heavenly Dao

It is possible that all our initial calculations were in vain

However, he is well aware that He Lingxiu would not make baseless claims at such a time