Chapter 28: A Glimpse of Their Power (1)

In the clearing where the enormous tree had once stood, only three people remained. The sacred ceremony that had bound the three of them together was over, but one of its effects had yet to reveal itself completely.

After absorbing part of the refined essence of the Cause and Effect Tree, Gu Yuan could feel the Qi within his dantian surging violently.

His cultivation had already reached the point where another breakthrough was inevitable, so he immediately sat down cross-legged and began properly refining the essence that had entered his body, converting it into his own cultivation.

During the year he had spent waiting for Ji Yue to complete the array formation, Gu Yuan had already broken through to the fifth stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Now, with the tremendous benefits brought by the sacred ceremony, he was advancing once again.

Ji Yue and Ji Yan, who had received the same benefits, though slightly less than him, remained standing and simply observed. Gu Yuan didn’t mind their presence.

One stage, then another. He broke through two stages in succession, only slowing when he reached the seventh stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Yet the benefits he had gained were not limited to his cultivation.

Gu Yuan felt that the greatest benefit had been to his spirit. It was as though his mind had opened; Heaven and Earth themselves seemed clearer than before.

More importantly, the bottlenecks that had previously hindered his cultivation technique and saber technique seemed to have vanished. Insights that had once eluded him now came naturally, and the path ahead suddenly appeared much smoother.

The feeling was so wonderful that Gu Yuan became completely absorbed in it.

Time passed without him noticing.

It was only a week later that he finally opened his eyes.

His cultivation had stabilized at the seventh stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. He had been unable to break through to the eighth stage, but he could already feel that the next breakthrough was not far away.

His greatest gain, however, had been in the Heaven Rend Saber Technique. His understanding of the first move, Drawing the Horizon, had been thoroughly solidified, and he had already begun comprehending the second move, Breaking the Mountain.

Just thinking about trying it made his hands itch.

Unfortunately, before he could find an opportunity to do so, he still had something more important to deal with.

His gaze shifted toward Ji Yue and Ji Yan... his two Dao companions.

"Congratulations," Ji Yue said softly.

At her side, Ji Yan nodded. "Not bad."

"Thank you for waiting for me," Gu Yuan replied sincerely. "But you two should refine the essence of the Twin Seasons Tree as well. There was no need to wait for me."

"That couldn’t be helped." Ji Yue shook her head with a small chuckle before sitting cross-legged and slowly floating into the air.

Gu Yuan was still wondering what she meant when Ji Yan suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled some distance away.

He looked at her in confusion.

Then he felt it.

The sky above them darkened as heavy clouds gathered overhead. Within those clouds, terrifying arcs of lightning flashed and rumbled, the pressure growing heavier with every passing moment.

It was a heavenly tribulation.

Apparently, Ji Yue was about to undergo a major breakthrough.

"Wasn’t it only a short while ago that you reached the Golden Core Realm?" Gu Yuan asked, unable to hide his surprise.

"Who said it had been a short while?" Ji Yan asked back, before she shook her head. "Anyway, she’s only breaking through to the Spiritual Core Realm. It’s not that big of a deal."

Gu Yuan stared at her. He couldn’t think of anything to say to that.

I will be able to surpass them eventually... right?

He quickly shook his head and pushed the thought aside. There was no point worrying about something he couldn’t possibly know yet. Instead, he focused on Ji Yue’s breakthrough. The chance to observe someone breaking through into a major realm was rare, and Gu Yuan naturally had no intention of wasting it.

The first bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, carrying enough power to incinerate everything beneath it.

Ji Yue raised her hand, and an enormous wave of ice surged upward to meet it.

Boom!

The lightning shattered against the ice, scattering brilliant arcs across the sky.

Then came the second bolt, followed by the third.

One after another, the heavenly lightning descended, each strike more powerful than the last. Ji Yue continued to meet them with her ice techniques, but eventually even her defenses began to show signs of strain.

It was then that the aura around her suddenly changed.

A golden-purple radiance emerged from her body, ethereal and profound, carrying a presence unlike anything Gu Yuan had ever felt before.

The moment that power appeared, the heavenly lightning that had seemed capable of destroying everything beneath the clouds suddenly looked insignificant.

Another bolt descended.

It struck the golden-purple radiance and vanished without leaving the slightest trace.

Then another... and another.

No matter how violently the heavens rained down lightning, that vast and mysterious power remained unmoved, as though the tribulation itself had become powerless before her.

Gu Yuan watched in silence, his eyes widening slightly.

What exactly is that power?

The battle between Ji Yue and the heavenly tribulation continued for an entire day before the dark clouds finally dispersed.

Ji Yue had successfully broken through.

She then spent another three days consolidating her new cultivation before finally returning to where Gu Yuan and Ji Yan were waiting.

"Congratulations," Gu Yuan said with a smile. "You are one step closer to the Great Dao."

Ji Yue smiled softly and thanked him.

"Then it’s my turn," Ji Yan said.

She stepped into the place where Ji Yue had undergone her tribulation and sat down to meditate. Before long, the sky darkened once again, and familiar thunder began rumbling above them.

The process was largely the same.

Lightning descended from the heavens, and Ji Yan initially met it with her fire techniques. Flames surged into the sky, colliding with one bolt of heavenly lightning after another, before finally she used a different kind of power.

Unlike the ethereal power her sister had used, this one struck directly at the deepest part of Gu Yuan’s heart, filling him with an instinctive and uncontrollable fear.

No form of defense seemed capable of standing against that power.

Without realizing it, Gu Yuan felt cold sweat soaking his back.

He swallowed quietly... what the hell is that?

He didn’t even notice Ji Yue approaching until a hand gently rested on his shoulder.

A soothing aura immediately spread through his body, dispelling the instinctive fear that had seized him.

"Don’t worry," Ji Yue said, her voice gentle. "The day this power is directed at you will never come."

She paused, then smiled faintly. "And in time, you will grow strong enough that even this kind of power will no longer move your heart."

Gu Yuan nodded and managed a faint smile, but as his gaze returned to Ji Yan, he suddenly noticed something changing around them. The array formation that had been covering the clearing was beginning to crack, its inscriptions flickering as fine fractures spread across the ground.

"It seems the array formation couldn’t hold on any longer." Ji Yue shook her head before explaining, "The formation wasn’t only used for the sacred ceremony. It also concealed the fluctuations from the outside world, but unfortunately, it had no defensive ability. After enduring the destructive power of Yan’s breakthrough, it finally reached its limit."

"Is that bad?" Gu Yuan asked.

"Under normal circumstances, yes. When the fluctuations of a major breakthrough like this appear, some people will flock over in hopes that the one undergoing tribulation has either died or been left heavily injured. They come looking for an easy opportunity to finish the job and seize whatever treasures remain."

Ji Yue glanced around the clearing before continuing calmly, "But we’re all perfectly fine, and only a trace of our aura escaped before the formation broke. There shouldn’t be anyone coming."

Hearing that, Gu Yuan nodded, but his Spiritual Sense had already spread throughout the surrounding area.

There shouldn’t be anyone coming.

Those words were reassuring.

They were also exactly the kind of words that made him want to be more careful.