Chapter 369: Celestial Tribulation Difficulty

Strictly speaking, it wasn't very polite to casually use one's Divine Soul to probe others.

However, the old man probably never expected to find someone other than himself with such a powerful Divine Soul.

After all, in the past, it was incredibly difficult to find anyone whose Divine Soul was stronger than those of the Cloud Mist Sect.

The entire Sect was like a bank of clouds and mist—ethereal, elusive, omnipresent, and able to go anywhere!

Crucially, in every generation, this Sect had Cultivators who reached the point of Crossing the Tribulation, but every single one of them had failed.

This was also why the old man was so despondent, believing he wouldn't be able to survive it.

It was like a shackle; once a Cultivator reached this level, they would be erased if they couldn't break through.

This Tribulation Crossing Stage was called a heavenly calamity by many Cultivators.

They believed that only those who had committed great sins would draw such a calamity upon themselves.

Although this island was also shrouded in mist, the surrounding area was desolate, without even a passing ship in sight.

Therefore, it was the most suitable place for Crossing the Tribulation.

The island had a fair amount of vegetation, and the old man had built a small house there, which contained some daily necessities.

Once inside, Chu Feng sat down on the ground, which was covered in sand.

The old man poured Chu Feng a cup of tea, then spoke. "As I recall, the Celestial Sword Sect has never had such a powerful young man. Not even the Sect Leader of the Celestial Sword Sect has reached this level of strength. Only the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor ever possessed such talent."

Chu Feng was surprised to hear this.

"You knew the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor?" Chu Feng asked.

"Yes. I fought a battle against him once, back in the day," the old man said with a smile.

"Let me guess, the two of you were probably evenly matched. I, too, share a fateful connection with the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor. By a stroke of luck, I even managed to learn his Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique!" Chu Feng said with a grin.

'This old man's strength is absolutely terrifying. He must be incredibly powerful,' he thought.

'And based on his age, he's probably over three hundred years old. It's a miracle he's lived this long.'

'But it must have something to do with his Divine Soul Strength.'

"You're right. Our fight did end in a draw. That Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique of his is truly formidable," the old man said with a chuckle.

"Hahaha, so I was right! Although the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor was powerful, there must have been many hidden masters in that era who could match him," Chu Feng said.

"Are you his successor, then?" the old man asked.

"I only received his legacy by chance. Strictly speaking, I'm not his successor. Besides, my strength doesn't rely solely on his Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique."

"I know your Sect must have a Soul Cultivation Skill. Aside from watching the Celestial Tribulation, I came here with another purpose: I wish to see your Sect's Soul Cultivation Skill," Chu Feng said.

"What are you thinking, kid? How could I possibly let you see my Sect's Soul Cultivation Skill! Besides, your Divine Soul Strength is already immense. You must have a corresponding cultivation skill of your own!" the old man said, shooting Chu Feng a look.

"I don't have a Soul Cultivation Skill. My situation is a bit different, which is why I need one. Do you know why no one from your Sect has succeeded in all these years?" Chu Feng asked.

"Of course, it's because we're too weak, and the Celestial Tribulation is too terrifying. It lasts for a very long time," the old man said.

"But I know that on the path of Martial Dao cultivation, the first Celestial Tribulation one encounters is actually the easiest. The ones that come later are the truly difficult and terrifying ones," Chu Feng said.

"Later? How long?" the old man asked.

"If you survive this tribulation, the next one could come anywhere from seven or eight hundred to one or two thousand years from now. Of course, if you exhaust your potential midway and are unable to advance further, you'll never see it," Chu Feng explained.

"Then I want to know, if I undergo the tribulation, how long will it take?" the old man asked anxiously. He was desperate for any information on this topic.

At the very least, if he had a clear time frame, he would know what he was up against while enduring it. If he didn't know how long it would last, who could possibly hold on for very long?

After all, on the path of the Martial Dao, the most dreaded thing is to see no hope at all.

"Don't you have any records of it in your Sect?" Chu Feng asked.

"We do, but they're incomplete. The record for the longest-surviving senior states that he only endured until the twentieth bolt of Celestial Thunder. It wasn't over, but he was already dead," the old man said, his eyes filled with disappointment as he spoke.

Based on many years of experience and the tribulation accounts left behind by past sages, he feared the path of the Martial Dao had already reached its end.

Although their Cloud Mist Sect was far stronger than many other Sects, what was the use? They still couldn't overcome the Celestial Tribulation. Not a single person had ever succeeded; they had all died.

In fact, for all these years in the Cloud Mist Sect, anyone who managed to live long enough to face their tribulation was essentially already under a death sentence.

And so, everyone had gotten used to it.