Still chopping?
The surging spiritual energy, like a torrent bursting its banks, forcefully rushed into Qin Wu's still-developing meridians, bringing excruciating, tearing pain. He could barely bear it; his teeth clenched, veins bulging on his forehead, and he pressed his entire weight onto the still trembling and resisting divine sword, blood constantly spilling from the corner of his mouth, staining his front red.
Feeling the immense power that was resisting her wooden sword gradually weakening, Yun Qian breathed a sigh of relief.
With a slight thought, she separated a wisp of her divine consciousness to maintain the wooden sword's parrying posture, confronting the remaining power of the divine sword. Her true body, however, teleported behind Qin Wu like a gentle breeze.
Without any hesitation, Yun Qian swiftly formed hand seals, and pure, gentle Nascent Soul stage spiritual energy flowed into Qin Wu's body like a warm spring. This external spiritual energy did not forcibly intervene, but rather skillfully meandered along the edges of his collapsing meridians, forming a tough yet gentle protective membrane that channeled the raging divine sword power.
Yun Qian's spiritual power was balanced and peaceful, carrying a calming force. The moment the spiritual power entered his body, Qin Wu felt the excruciating pain that was almost overwhelming his consciousness suddenly lessen by more than half, finally gaining a precious moment to catch his breath.
His eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up uncontrollably. He turned his head slightly to look at the senior sister he had only met once behind him. A thousand words choked in his throat, finally turning into a soft, choked, and dependent call: "Senior sister..."
The voice was hoarse and distorted from extreme pain, making Yun Qian's heart tighten. Even though this was only their second meeting, the concern that belonged to fellow disciples had already taken root naturally.
"Hold on." Yun Qian's voice remained calm, like a stabilizing force, calming Qin Wu's wavering mind.
A powerful vortex of energy swirled and roared around them. Qin Wu took a deep breath, and with the support of Yun Qian, gritted his teeth again, gripping the hilt of the divine sword even tighter, almost embedding it into his own bones.
Just then.
Boom!!!
A deep yet penetrating thunderclap, seemingly coming from beyond the heavens, pierced through the layers of spatial barriers of the treasure pavilion and resounded clearly on the ninth floor!
Yun Qian's gaze suddenly sharpened, and she looked up abruptly, but her eyes only fell upon the ancient dome of the treasure pavilion.
No way? Not again?!
Even Qin Wu, who has just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, is going to be struck down? Even through the array of the Treasure Pavilion? Is this heavenly tribulation equipped with a tracker?!
The thunder rumbled, growing ever more deafening. Qin Wu, who had just regained his composure, subconsciously looked up, a flicker of panic in his eyes, instinctively trying to find the source of the thunder.
"Concentrate!" Yun Qian's clear, cold voice rang out immediately, carrying an undeniable reminder, "When inheriting the power of the divine sword, the worst thing you can do is get distracted!"
Qin Wuxin's mind sharpened, and he immediately suppressed his distracting thoughts, focusing all his will on the sword in his hand.
Yun Qian continued, her tone reassuringly confident: "Don't worry, with your senior sister here, I will definitely protect you. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you first."
She even had the energy to crack a small joke in an attempt to ease the tension: "In this regard, your senior sister... has quite a bit of experience."
It's the experience gained from being split open.
She silently added in her mind.
However, these words, though spoken in a teasing tone, struck Qin Wu like a boulder thrown into a calm lake. The tears he had been holding back for so long finally broke free and streamed down his young face.
He couldn't remember how long it had been, but it seemed no one had ever spoken to him with such unwavering conviction about "protection." He grew up struggling among beggars, and the only lesson he learned from a young age was that if you don't fight or snatch, no one will care about you. If you can't get food, you'll suffer from hunger and cold; showing weakness and backing down will only bring more brutal bullying.
He had no relatives, no friends, and struggled to survive alone like a weed for more than ten years, until that rainy night when he met Bai Yan, who was like a banished immortal, and was taken back to this pure land called "Cangmin Mountain".
Here, no one is competing with him.
Here, someone is willing to protect him.
As he was being subjected to a surge of power far exceeding his own limits, Qin Wu's body trembled uncontrollably, but the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his will became more resolute than ever before.
He has to live! Live well, stay here!
boom--!
Within his dantian, the gathered spiritual energy finally broke through that invisible barrier! A brand new and even more powerful aura erupted from Qin Wu's body!
Foundation building stage complete!
Almost at the same instant he successfully established his foundation!
Snap!
The first blinding bolt of heavenly lightning, like a silver dragon, tore through the sky, ignoring the obstruction of the treasure pavilion, and crashed down! Its target was Qin Wu, who had just broken through!
Yun Qian reacted incredibly quickly. Almost the instant the lightning flashed, she raised her hand upwards, and her powerful spiritual energy condensed into a shield, forcefully intercepting the first bolt of heavenly lightning in mid-air!
Lightning exploded in her palm, arcs of electricity leaping, but it failed to harm Qin Wu behind her in the slightest.
They've developed a conditioned reflex to catching lightning.
Yun Qian sighed helplessly in her heart. She wondered if she was destined to clash with thunder, but since transmigrating, she dared not say anything else, but her experience in resisting heavenly tribulations was probably enough to write a book.
Outside the treasure pavilion.
Bai Yan stood alone beneath the churning dark clouds, the wind whipping his snow-white robes and silver hair. The silver mask on his face reflected the pale lightning flashes dancing in the clouds, adding to his air of mystery and desolation.
His face remained pale, his expression indifferent, as if the terrifying celestial phenomenon before him had nothing to do with him. He watched as the heavenly lightning, powerful enough to make even a Golden Core cultivator tremble, struck the treasure pavilion, yet he showed no sign of worry.
After this battle, the bond of "fellow disciples" among the four disciples of Cangmin Mountain was truly forged into an unbreakable unity. Some bonds can only be etched into the heart by sharing life and death.
Inside the ninth floor of the treasure pavilion.
Yun Qian estimated that Qin Wu was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, so he would most likely only attract two heavenly tribulations. She stared intently at the dome, secretly circulating her spiritual energy to prepare for the next wave of impact.
However, after taking a direct hit from a bolt of lightning, the wisp of her divine consciousness that she had separated to control the wooden sword against the remaining power of the divine sword finally reached its limit, and with a fluctuation, it almost collapsed!
At the same time, Qin Wu's face turned deathly pale again. If he were to lose the protection of Yun Qian's spiritual energy over his meridians at this moment, the still untamed and violent power of the divine sword would instantly inflict severe damage on him!
But how could she possibly manage both at the same time? Yun Qian's heart tightened, feeling utterly overwhelmed by the predicament.
Buzz!
The spatial barrier on the ninth floor of the treasure pavilion was forcibly torn open from the outside!
Yun Qian suddenly turned her head and saw Bai Chuan and Bai Ji appear in the chaotic space at the same time, like two timely rains!
It's Bai Ji! He broke the protective formation of the treasure pavilion!
"Senior sister! Junior brother!"
The two immediately grasped the situation on the field. Without any unnecessary words, they flashed and arrived behind Yun Qian and Qin Wu.
Bai Chuan and Bai Ji raised their hands simultaneously with perfect understanding, transferring their pure spiritual power into Qin Wu's body without reservation, taking over some of Yun Qian's support work.
Bai Chuan turned his head and said quickly and calmly to Yun Qian, "Senior Sister, you focus on dealing with the Heavenly Tribulation. Leave Junior Brother to us!"
Looking at her two junior brothers who had arrived just in time, Yun Qian finally smiled with relief and great satisfaction.
Junior brothers, you've really grown up. You're now capable of standing on your own and are people we can rely on.
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you."
She hadn't finished speaking.
Click!
The second, even thicker and more powerful bolt of lightning has torn through space and crashed down!
This time, Yun Qian's eyes showed no panic, only composure. She raised her hand to meet the attack, her movements even carrying a hint of serenity born from having weathered countless trials.
As the lightning dissipated, Yun Qian slowly withdrew her slightly numb hand. A thought struck her: strangely, despite her successive attacks, her internal energy was remarkably stable, and she hadn't even coughed up blood? Was it the power of that strange black sword at work?
Once she gets out, I'll definitely take a good look at this!
After the two bolts of lightning struck, the oppressive force in the sky slowly dissipated, and the tribulation clouds gradually receded.
Yun Qian dared not delay and immediately flashed back to the opposite side of Qin Wu. She gripped the wooden sword hilt tightly with her jade hand again and released her spiritual power with all her might to help Qin Wu completely suppress and appease the divine sword that was still making its last struggle.
Time slips away silently.
After an unknown amount of time, the dazzling light surrounding the divine sword suddenly subsided, and all its violent aura receded like a tide, becoming gentle and peaceful. The sword hummed softly, no longer resisting, but like a weary bird returning to its nest, willingly conforming to Qin Wu's palm.
Success! Qin Wu has finally gained complete control of this divine sword!
He exhausted his last bit of strength, looked up at Yun Qian in front of him, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't even utter a syllable. His vision went black, his legs went weak, and he fell forward.
Bai Chuan, who had been watching him closely, reacted quickly and stepped forward to catch his limp body.
Even though he had completely lost consciousness, Qin Wu's fingers still gripped the ancient divine sword tightly, as if it were a part of his life.
Yun Qian then completely sheathed her wooden sword and exhaled a long, slow breath that had been building up in her chest.
The original book only vaguely mentions that Qin Wu faced immense danger in subduing this sword, but it doesn't record that a heavenly tribulation would follow. If Bai Chuan and Bai Ji hadn't broken the formation and come to his aid in time, she alone would probably have been unable to protect Qin Wu from the heavenly tribulation.
The trajectory of her fate seemed to have quietly shifted from the moment she arrived.
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