Chapter 48 Protecting you makes us the silliest master and disciple in the world...

Yin Simiao stiffened her neck and dared not turn around, but the person behind her spoke again.

"What, you don't even come over to greet your master?"

Yin Simiao turned around, tears welling up in her eyes. Behind her, Song Wenzhuo smiled "kindly," while Gu Zhinan stood silently beside her.

"Master..."

"You've really gotten bold, speaking so recklessly!" Song Wenzhuo gently tugged at his ear. "You even dare to make fun of your grandmaster."

Yin Simiao remained silent, thinking to herself, "What is this? Master, have you forgotten that I made this up ten years ago?"

After reprimanding his unreliable second apprentice, Song Wenzhuo turned his gaze to Qiu Nan and Yan Shuangwan.

Are you alright?

Gu Zhinan also looked over. Compared to Song Wenzhuo's gentle concern, he and Qiu Nan didn't even exchange a glance. They were so unfamiliar with each other that they didn't seem like a master and apprentice who had been together for ten years.

“Thank you for your concern, Master. We are all fine,” Yan Shuangwan stepped forward and said, “but Senior Brother Yu is quite badly injured.”

“I just went to see him,” Song Wenzhuo nodded. “Jiang Heng’s injuries are mostly superficial; he just needs to be taken care of.”

Noticing someone secretly pricking up their ears, Song Wenzhuo chuckled and raised his voice a few decibels, "Fortunately, the medicine was applied in time, and Jiang Heng's injury did not continue to worsen."

Yin Simiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Little brat, he still has to rely on me. If that Yu guy doesn't thank me properly after he recovers, I will definitely not let him off the hook.

…………

Fu Yunshu stood in his sea of ​​consciousness, the Cold Cry Sword gleaming with a chilling light in his hand. He looked up at the vast starry sky, the gray mist still shrouding the entire sea of ​​consciousness, golden runes coiling like chains deep within.

However, compared to before, the gray fog was now somewhat lighter.

"Hanqi!" Fu Yunshu shouted, and the spiritual power within his body surged once more. A dazzling silver light shone on the Hanqi Sword, and the sword's cry was crisp and sharp.

He suddenly swung his sword, the sword energy like a rainbow, carrying a sharp frost, and slashed straight at the crack.

"boom--"

The runes finally shattered completely under the impact of the sword energy, turning into specks of golden light and dissipating into the sea of ​​consciousness.

Fu Yunshu let out a long sigh, "I'm really quite tired today..."

He stopped crying and was about to leave when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Boom—"

Thunderclouds gathered, layer upon layer of lead-gray clouds, like a ferocious beast crouching low, ready to pounce on the cave at any moment.

"What happened?"

Yin Simiao and the others all looked up at the sky.

"Hasn't Li Sheng's tribulation of lightning already passed?"

The blinding lightning, like a sharp blade wielded by a god, sliced ​​cracks in the dark sky, striking the cave and crashing into the barrier set up by Fu Yunshu.

The barrier was teetering on the brink of collapse, and Song Wenzhuo's pupils shrank. "No, this is my grandmaster's tribulation lightning!"

…………

Because Yuzhou City was nearby, Ji Yuanbai was the first among Song Wenzhuo and the others to notice that something was wrong.

He put down his teacup, walked solemnly to the door, and looked down in the direction where thunderclouds were gathering.

Ji Hanyu and the other two walked over.

"Uncle, what's going on? I... I've never seen such a terrifying lightning tribulation before, and this is only the first lightning strike!"

Ji Yuanbai composed himself. "Besides Immortal Venerable Huaiwei, who else could it be?"

"How could this be?" Chu Yu said in disbelief. "Isn't Immortal Venerable Huaiwei only at the mid-stage of the Mahayana realm? He's already going to undergo the ascension tribulation?"

Duan Xuan was more curious. "Speaking of which, it has been tens of thousands of years since anyone in the cultivation world has successfully ascended. Even the great cultivator Chi Du was only at the peak of the Mahayana stage until his death. In recent years, even the Mahayana stage has become rarer. Now, the only ones still alive are Immortal Venerable Huaiwei and Pavilion Master Lu of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, who is at the early Mahayana stage."

"So, is it possible for Immortal Venerable Huaiwei to break this precedent?"

No one can answer this question.

"You lot stay here. Yuzhou City is too close. The lightning tribulation might affect this area. Protect the lives of the people in the city." Ji Yuanbai straightened his robes.

Ji Hanyu asked anxiously, "What about you, Uncle?"

“Go protect him. Immortal Venerable Huaiwei helped us with Luo Yun’s matter. I, Ji Yuanbai, don’t like owing favors.”

After saying that, he flew away.

While Ji Yuanbai was rushing to the mountain cave, several other people on the continent also noticed the changes in the world.

Miaoyin Palace.

“Judging from this,” a beautiful woman stopped playing her zither, “it can only be that one from the Qingyuan Sect.”

The red-clad man beside him closed his folding fan. "Immortal Venerable Huaiwei... if he can successfully ascend, I'm afraid the Qingyuan Sect's position will become even more unshakeable. Palace Master Qin, aren't you disappointed?"

Qin Lianyue put away her zither. "What do I have to regret? I'm content with the status Miaoyin Palace has now. I'm afraid that Sect Leader Shi of Jiuyang Sect is the one who's most restless."

"That makes sense."

In the cultivation world, the demon world, and even the demon realm that has been sealed for ten thousand years, all the top experts are waiting for the outcome of this tribulation.

Some were expectant, some were nervous, some were angry, and some were watching from the sidelines. They all wanted to see if Fu Yunshu would become the first person to ascend to immortality in tens of thousands of years.

However, they were all wrong.

Fu Yunshu experienced only the tribulation of lightning from the middle stage of Mahayana to the completion of Mahayana.

"Heaven really does seize every opportunity to torment me," Fu Yunshu said with a bitter smile.

Tribulation lightning only occurs in major realms such as Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, and Golden Core to Nascent Soul. Each realm is further divided into three minor realms: early stage, middle stage, and Great Perfection. In theory, tribulation lightning should not occur in these three minor realms.

It's no wonder the Heavenly Dao is furious that a rune that just broke the Heavenly Dao's seal has greatly mobilized the spiritual energy of heaven and earth today.

"You can still laugh?!" The little white cat was furious. "With your current physical condition, it's questionable whether you can even withstand ten lightning tribulations."

Fu Yunshu sighed, "What can we do? It's already like this anyway."

“Tell me honestly,” the little white cat jumped onto his shoulder, “did you do something to anger the Heavenly Court?”

Fu Yunshu lowered his eyes in thought, and suddenly a question came to mind.

A cave, two people, aphrodisiacs, and Yin Lisheng is the male lead—this is usually the plot of the male and female leads in novels. No male lead would do that kind of thing with his master!

The little white cat narrowed its eyes, but Fu Yunshu resolutely refused to reveal anything.

"Fine," the little white cat conceded, "Since things have come to this, let's deal with the lightning tribulation first."

…………

Outside the cave, Fu Yunshu had casually set up a barrier that could withstand the lightning tribulation of the Golden Core stage, but it shattered completely after only three strikes when faced with the lightning tribulation of the Mahayana stage.

Fortunately, Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan intervened in time.

"Si Miao, take Shuang Wan and Qiu Nan back."

Yin Simiao nodded, knowing that this was not something she should get involved in.

Gu Zhinan and Song Wenzhuo stood outside the cave, their expressions solemn. They formed hand seals and continuously poured spiritual energy into the barrier.

The power of the lightning tribulation far exceeded their expectations, and it increased progressively. With each bolt of lightning that struck, the barrier trembled violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.

"Hold on!" Song Wenzhuo gritted his teeth and shouted, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

Gu Zhinan didn't speak, but his expression was equally bad. The two people's spiritual energy intertwined within the barrier, barely resisting the impact of the lightning tribulation.

However, the power of the lightning tribulation grew stronger and stronger. When the thirtieth lightning bolt struck, the barrier finally could not withstand it and cracks appeared.

"Not good!" Song Wenzhuo's heart sank. Just as the fourth bolt of lightning was about to strike, and he was about to input more spiritual power, a black figure descended from the sky and landed steadily beside the two of them.

“Ji Yuanbai!” A hint of surprise flashed in Song Wenzhuo’s eyes.

Ji Yuanbai didn't say much. He raised his hand and waved it, injecting a powerful spiritual force into the barrier. Instantly, the cracks were repaired, and the barrier finally stabilized under his protection.

"Thank you, Patriarch Ji." Song Wenzhuo breathed a sigh of relief, his tone filled with gratitude.

Ji Yuanbai glanced at him indifferently, his tone still icy: "No need to thank me, I am just repaying a favor to Immortal Venerable Huaiwei."

Gu Zhinan nodded slightly. They had no interaction with Ji Yuanbai, and now was not the time for idle chatter. They all remained silent and worked together to maintain the barrier.

The power of the lightning tribulation continued to increase, but with the addition of Ji Yuanbai, the barrier managed to hold on.

However, even though all three were renowned Tribulation Transcending experts, their spiritual power was rapidly depleting over time in the face of this Mahayana Tribulation.

“This won’t do,” Ji Yuanbai said, frowning. “The power of the lightning tribulation far exceeds our expectations. If this continues, we will all be exhausted.”

Song Wenzhuo gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes: "No matter what, I cannot let anything happen to my grandmaster!"

He took a moment to retrieve an antique jade pendant from his robes. Just as Song Wenzhuo was about to bite his tongue, Gu Zhinan suddenly snatched the pendant away.

"Gu Yuan!"

He rushed to snatch it back, only to see that Gu Zhinan had already bitten his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence, which merged into the jade pendant.

"I'll do it." Gu Zhinan smiled weakly at him.

The Heavenly Jade was a life-saving artifact left to Song Wenzhuo by his parents. It is said that it contains a protective charm left by an ancient immortal.

However, this magical artifact is a one-time use item and requires the use of blood essence as a catalyst, so Song Wenzhuo will not use it unless absolutely necessary.

He once took out the Heavenly Jade when he missed his parents, and Gu Zhinan saw it. Song Wenzhuo then told him the purpose of the jade, and unexpectedly Gu Zhinan remembered it all this time.

“Gu Yuan,” Song Wenzhuo said, tears streaming down her face, “you are such an annoying person.”

Ji Yuanbai looked to the left, then to the right. Although it seemed somewhat out of place, he genuinely felt a little out of place.

As Gu Zhinan moved, the runes on the jade pendant gradually lit up, and a dazzling light shot into the sky, transforming into a huge barrier that enveloped the entire cave.

"boom--"

The fiftieth bolt of lightning struck down, slamming heavily against the barrier. The barrier trembled violently, but ultimately did not shatter.

"It's a success!" A hint of joy flashed in Song Wenzhuo's eyes.

Ji Yuanbai's expression remained serious: "Don't be too happy yet."

As expected, the power of the lightning tribulation did not weaken; on the contrary, it grew stronger. One bolt of lightning after another struck down, and the light on the barrier gradually dimmed, clearly indicating that it could not hold out for much longer.

The faces of Song Wenzhuo and the other two were as pale as paper, clearly at their limit.

"The sixtieth..." Song Wenzhuo spat out a mouthful of blood. They no longer had the strength to resist the coming lightning tribulations.

The barrier shattered completely, allowing Song Wenzhuo and the other two to see what was inside.

Yin Lisheng lay unconscious in a corner, while Fu Yunshu sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

"Grandmaster Uncle!" Song Wenzhuo exclaimed, only able to watch helplessly as the lightning tribulation struck Fu Yunshu.

At this critical moment, a strong surge of spiritual energy suddenly emanated from the cave, and a golden bell-shaped phantom enveloped Fu Yunshu, shielding him from the lightning tribulation.

"What...is this?" The three stared blankly at the illusory figure.

The white ball of fluff huddled behind Yin Lisheng, quietly watching Fu Yunshu undergo his tribulation.

“Fu Yunshu and Yin Lisheng,” the white dumpling said helplessly, “you two are both incredibly stupid. You are the stupidest master and disciple in the world.”

It then looked at the unconscious Yin Lisheng and said, "Serves you right for being in so much pain that you fainted again."

As the seventieth lightning bolt struck, Fu Yunshu suddenly opened his eyes.

"Grandmaster Uncle!" Song Wenzhuo exclaimed in surprise.

Immediately afterwards, a white figure slowly walked out.

Fu Yunshu stood outside the cave, looking up at the thunderclouds in the sky, a cold glint in his eyes. He still looked somewhat weak, but his aura was much stronger than before.

"You may all step back. Leave the rest to me," Fu Yunshu said calmly.

Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan exchanged a glance. Although they were worried, they still stepped aside as instructed. Ji Yuanbai also did not say anything and stepped aside.

Fu Yunshu looked up at the sky, the Cold Cry Sword in his hand gleaming with a chilling light. He took a deep breath, his spiritual power surging wildly within him, and the light on the sword grew ever brighter.

"Come on!" Fu Yunshu shouted, and suddenly swung out the Cold Cry Sword in his hand. A dazzling sword light shot into the sky, heading straight for the thundercloud.

The seventy-first lightning bolt struck down, colliding with Fu Yunshu's sword light. The lightning and sword light intertwined, bursting forth with dazzling light, and the entire world seemed to tremble at that moment.

Fu Yunshu's figure appeared extremely small amidst the lightning, yet he steadily launched his attacks, his momentum undiminished.

As the eightieth lightning bolt struck, Fu Yunshu's eyes sharpened.

The ascension tribulation consists of eighty-one tribulations, and this tribulation cannot exceed that number, so...

"Hanqi, the final blow!"

Fu Yunshu let out a low shout, and the sword light suddenly surged, forcefully shattering the ninth bolt of lightning.

The thunderclouds gradually dissipated, and the sky returned to calm. Fu Yunshu stood still, the Cold Cry Sword in his hand still gleaming with a cold light.

Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan rushed forward and asked with concern, "Grandmaster Uncle, are you alright?"

Fu Yunshu shook his head slightly. Although his face was still pale, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes: "I'm fine. The tribulation has passed."

Ji Yuanbai stood to the side, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. Even if it wasn't ascension, it had been many years since the cultivation world had seen someone reach the Great Ascension stage of perfection. Immortal Venerable Huaiwei... that was terrifying.

"The Immortal Venerable truly lives up to his reputation." Ji Yuanbai said calmly, his tone tinged with admiration.

Fu Yunshu glanced at him and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your help, Patriarch Ji."

Ji Yuanbai waved his hand: "I'm just returning a favor to you."

Fu Yunshu didn't say much, but turned to look at Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan: "Where is Li Sheng?"

Song Wenzhuo turned to look at the cave, and Fu Yunshu then noticed that Yin Lisheng had fainted again.

"Leave the sound!"

Recalling the illusory bell from before, Fu Yunshu had a vague sense of unease.

He quickly walked to Yin Lisheng's side and carried him on his back. Duan Yuan, using Fu Yunshu's body as cover, quickly said, "It's nothing serious, just that I was too tired from consuming too much spiritual energy when I formed my core." This was just an excuse they had agreed upon.

Fu Yunshu was puzzled, but now was not the time to investigate.

He carried the person on his back. Yin Lisheng's hair ribbon had long since been rubbed off somewhere due to their vigorous movements, and now his hair was draped down, obscuring Yin Lisheng's face and also blocking Ji Yuanbai's gaze.

"I'll take him back first."

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Author's Note: Xiao Yin's screen time was a bit short today, but there was plenty of sweetness! [Shut up]