Bean-sized raindrops fell one by one onto the sea surface, instantly causing crystal clear splashes to bloom across the entire whirlpool.

This rain came without warning, accompanied by rumbling thunder overhead, creating an apocalyptic illusion.

Everyone standing in the rain was drenched to the bone.

However, at this moment, no one cared about the rain.

Everyone’s gaze fell unanimously on the whirlpool that had been struck by lightning.

The seawater was deep in color, and now with an additional layer of rain, it was even more difficult to see clearly.

Only vaguely could a figure be seen beneath the water, rising and falling with the whirlpool, yet seeming completely motionless, as if all the swaying was merely an illusion caused by the whirlpool’s flow.

Thick bolts of lightning struck down into the whirlpool, and instantly, with the entire whirlpool as the center, brilliant electrical light spread across the sea surface beneath everyone’s feet!

Crackling and popping chaotically, the sounds were terrifying.

“It really is forming a Golden Core…”

This was the sound of Little Jin swallowing, looking at that whirlpool with complete amazement.

He raised his head and could see the tribulation clouds stretching for a hundred li—

Standing beneath them, wouldn’t they really be struck dead?

All those who had been attacking Tang Buye earlier had basically stopped.

Left Liu, who had already hidden somewhere unknown, spoke in a tone of complete breakdown: “A hundred li, a hundred li of tribulation clouds! Friend Jian Chou is truly risking her life!”

“Indeed, when I underwent tribulation, my tribulation clouds were only thirty li…”

The one responding was Jiang Wenchao. He understood his cultivation very well—due to a certain accident, his cultivation had stagnated for thirty years, enduring countless cold stares from others.

But once those thirty years were endured, his strength had reached a terrifying level without anyone’s knowledge.

Thirty li tribulation clouds—that was already a genius among geniuses.

But what about Jian Chou?

Without a word, a hundred li of tribulation clouds.

Jiang Wenchao looked up at those tribulation clouds and couldn’t help but sigh: “Such shocking talent, but whether Friend Jian Chou can pass this tribulation or not remains to be seen.”

Was this… heaven’s jealousy of the talented?

Young Master Ruhua frowned tightly: “To form a Golden Core while severely injured—there will generally be three tribulation thunderbolts of increasing power. I’m afraid…”

It wouldn’t be easy.

Lu Xiangleng felt this most deeply.

Because her current position was closest to the whirlpool, when that tribulation thunder struck earlier, it had passed dangerously close to her.

Although it hadn’t struck her, the power of the lightning’s passage alone was enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

Hearing Young Master Ruhua’s words, Lu Xiangleng looked at the electrical light covering the sea and felt some worry in her heart.

At this moment, except for Xia Houshe who hadn’t acted, several others were all besieging Tang Buye alone.

Four people in four directions, plus the hidden Left Liu, formed an encirclement, not wanting to let Tang Buye escape in the slightest.

Due to the sudden appearance of tribulation clouds and tribulation thunder, everyone’s attacks paused, finally giving Tang Buye a chance to catch his breath.

That feeling…

Was truly terrifying.

Although Lu Xiangleng was at the end of her strength, she blocked him every time he tried to break through the encirclement, making his efforts futile.

As for Left Liu, his cultivation was average, but he had the ability to hide.

He didn’t force confrontations, knowing he couldn’t win in a direct fight, so he hid to the side launching sneak attacks with endless variations that gave everyone headaches.

The seemingly pure and good watermelon-eating youth Little Jin should have been the most innocent and scheming-free among them, but he only had one move: just one punch.

No matter how you greeted him, he would respond with just one punch.

Simple, boring, yet strong enough!

The strongest combat power should be with Jiang Wenchao and Young Master Ruhua. One possessed the ability to commune with Vermillion Birds, and even on the sea, he had terrifying battle strength—the seawater beneath their feet was even beginning to boil.

Young Master Ruhua threw beautiful flowers one by one that could explode and leave people dizzy and disoriented.

Tang Buye discovered he might be in big trouble: admittedly, he believed that in one-on-one combat, none of these people was his match, and even in a one-on-two situation, he wouldn’t necessarily be at a disadvantage.

But now, they were five people!

An extremely shameless five against one!

The spiritual power in his body already showed signs of depletion. Now that he finally had a gap, he almost immediately swallowed a spiritual pill without hesitation.

This action immediately caught Young Master Ruhua’s attention.

But so what?

An excellent opportunity lay before him.

Tang Buye looked around—the weakest link in the entire encirclement was Lu Xiangleng’s side, and moreover, Lu Xiangleng seemed somewhat distracted at the moment!

The breakthrough point was right there!

Almost the instant Young Master Ruhua noticed him, Tang Buye had already disappeared from his original position with a Water Void Escape.

“Not good!”

Jiang Wenchao saw this and immediately rushed toward Lu Xiangleng’s direction without thinking.

Anyone could guess with their toes that Tang Buye’s target was over there!

But distant water couldn’t quench immediate thirst. No matter how capable Jiang Wenchao was, he was only an ordinary Golden Core stage cultivator, lacking both the powerful strength of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator and the heaven-defying Void Sea Dao Seals that Tang Buye possessed.

The moment his words fell, Tang Buye had already reached Lu Xiangleng’s vicinity!

The cold, dark giant crossbow Nine Mechanisms suddenly disappeared from his hands. With both hands empty, Tang Buye’s eyes burst with brilliant light.

His right hand rose, and a chilling aura immediately erupted.

His fingers pointed like a blade, as if gripping a sharp weapon, striking viciously toward Lu Xiangleng’s position!

The moment he raised his palm high and brought it down, a thick black shadow appeared beneath his palm, continuously expanding during its descent, actually becoming a black crescent moon emanating a chilling aura.

Northern Domain Yin Sect, late-stage Golden Core—Tang Buye’s abilities were naturally formidable.

Yin Moon Slash was the strongest attack among the Yin Sect’s Golden Core stage techniques!

Cold, devouring, filled with sharp aura.

Wherever it went, it seemed capable of devouring everything, cutting through anything!

This sharp aura felt like it would pierce through one’s skin. Even before it reached Lu Xiangleng, it already gave her a sensation of mental laceration!

Still thinking about Jian Chou’s Golden Core formation at the bottom of the sea, Lu Xiangleng was caught completely off guard and had no time to react.

Due to the exhaustion caused by her previous forceful support, her mind was already having difficulty concentrating.

Feeling this boundless sharpness projecting toward her, encountering the cold killing intent in Tang Buye’s eyes, she even felt somewhat dazed…

“Fairy Lu!”

“Fairy Lu!”

…

The people around saw Lu Xiangleng just standing there, apparently not knowing to dodge, and they all cried out in alarm, terrified!

Tang Buye was also somewhat surprised.

But this was perfect!

Defeating Lu Xiangleng would accomplish two things: first, he could obtain her Void Sea Dao Seal, and second, he could break through from Lu Xiangleng’s side, instantly reversing the situation.

With Yin Moon Slash in hand, he felt invincible!

But at that moment, Lu Xiangleng turned her gaze toward him.

She was still in that dazed state, her usually cold eyes carrying an indescribable emptiness…

Such a look.

Not normal!

A indescribable sense of foreboding suddenly arose in his heart. Tang Buye instinctively raised his defenses, and in that instant, thick Stubborn Stone armor was forcibly condensed around him again!

Almost the moment the armor initially formed, a deep purple massive shadow suddenly rose from Lu Xiangleng’s blood-stained wide sleeves!

“Hiss!”

A crimson forked tongue flickered—it was a ten-zhang giant python!

Its body was as thick as a water barrel, carrying ultimate danger, followed by a gaping bloody maw!

It completely ignored the sharp Yin Moon Slash, carrying towering fury, its thick tail whipping viciously, instantly sending the aggressive Tang Buye flying!

“Bang!”

The Yin Moon Slash was almost immediately shattered, leaving only a deep bloody mark on the giant python’s hard scales.

The Stubborn Stone armor hastily condensed in this moment was naturally not as formidable as when he had clashed directly with Jian Chou earlier, appearing somewhat fragile due to his depleted spiritual power.

Under that fierce lashing, the armor immediately cracked inch by inch.

Tang Buye felt as if a mountain had crashed into him. His throat sweetened, and he couldn’t suppress the churning blood in his body.

“Puff!” As he spat out a mouthful of blood, Tang Buye’s entire body flew backward, striking the sea surface in complete dishevelment!

Jiang Wenchao, who was still rushing toward them, froze; the nervous Little Jin was also dumbfounded; Young Master Ruhua’s pupils contracted sharply as he looked at the current Lu Xiangleng with an expression of unspeakable wariness!

Only the invisible Left Liu in mid-air showed no visible reaction.

…

Sea wind, tribulation clouds, python and beauty!

The deep purple giant python, with fine and cold scales covering its body, coiled dangerously after lashing Tang Buye away with its tail. Its thick serpentine body wound around, actually encircling the white-robed Lu Xiangleng within its coils.

Baiyue Valley, medicine maiden, Lu Xiangleng.

That existence everyone regarded as noble as the moon, the benevolent healer who saved people from fire and water, the dignified, wise one who always looked upon everyone with tolerance…

The faint tail-tip pattern on the back of her hand had disappeared completely at some point.

The python’s massive tongue flicked intimately yet dangerously beside her, its vertical golden pupils gazing at everyone around, seemingly viewing them all as enemies, cold ferocity flashing in its eyes.

This was a venomous giant python.

“Hiss hiss…”

The flickering forked tongue, the gently coiling serpentine body, immediately made everyone’s hearts tremble, not daring to approach.

Inside and out, everything fell silent.

Even the countless electric serpents randomly darting across the sea surface seemed to be absorbed by something, gradually settling down.

The daze in Lu Xiangleng’s eyes seemed to slowly dissipate.

The snake’s body had no warmth, coiling around her coldly, as if wanting to absorb a little warmth from her body.

Lu Xiangleng stood without moving.

She turned her face somewhat stiffly, looking at all those who had fought alongside her just moments before: wariness, surprise, hesitation, fear…

The looks in their eyes seemed no different from those she had seen years ago.

“Hiss hiss…”

It seemed like a chilling laugh.

The giant python turned from behind Lu Xiangleng, opening its bloody maw wide and actually biting Lu Xiangleng’s stiffly hanging hand.

The moment the massive venomous fangs touched her palm, the python transformed into a pattern coiling around Lu Xiangleng’s arm, crawling up her wide sleeves.

The pointed snake tail quickly disappeared on the back of her hand, leaving no trace.

Lu Xiangleng became the lonely Lu Xiangleng once again.

She stood in place, seemingly no different from before, yet no one approached.

The Void Sea was terrifyingly quiet.

The foot of Kunwu Mountain was also terrifyingly quiet.

That terrifying and fierce scene earlier was like a nightmare etched in everyone’s memory.

Now the dream had dissipated, but that terrifying feeling would remain forever.

“What was that…”

Someone finally spoke hoarsely, their voice carrying extraordinary fear.

No one could answer his question.

Even the female cultivators from Baiyue Valley who had been worried about Lu Xiangleng’s safety had completely blank minds. Some couldn’t help but fearfully step back, looking at their formerly dignified and cold “Senior Sister Lu” as if she were a monster.

Baiyue Valley medicine maiden Lu Xiangleng, and that ferocious giant python that appeared and disappeared…

What exactly… had happened?

The Middle Domain had countless sects, hence called “Left Three Thousand.”

Each sect had its unique characteristics. Though not all were righteous paths, even those that took alternative approaches wouldn’t go too far astray.

Especially sects that could be selected as the “Upper Five” were mostly righteous and principled, serving as models for the many sects of Left Three Thousand.

What a noble existence was medicine maiden Lu Xiangleng?

Now, in this desperate situation, such a ferocious and cruel giant python had appeared, showing extreme intimacy with her. How could this not arouse suspicion and mistrust in everyone?

At that instant, countless people felt: that was not the medicine maiden they knew.

After just a moment of silence, the crowd erupted.

“What was that?”

“How is this possible?”

“A giant python, a giant python!”

…

“Sigh…”

Suddenly, a soft sigh.

But such a faint sound—how could it be heard by the crowd?

After one sigh, it was buried in the endless voices of doubt.

This year’s “Left Three Thousand gathering” would likely become a legend for future generations to discuss.

The red-faced old man Zhilin Sou stared at the neat characters “Lu Xiangleng” on the “One Person Platform Record,” wanting to write something but ultimately not knowing what to write. He simply tapped the carving knife lightly on the six-foot jade tablet and gave up.

“Rumble!”

Above the Void Sea, within the hundred-li tribulation clouds, electrical light surged again.

Muffled thunder rolled, and in the blink of an eye, a second thick bolt of lightning condensed, striking down from the sky and crashing straight into the whirlpool!

Splash!

Waves scattered in all directions.

This lightning was considerably stronger than the previous one. When it fell into the whirlpool, it faintly possessed the terrifying power to shatter the whirlpool itself.

The endless waves on the sea surface nearly became chaotic.

Golden Core formation and tribulation crossing continued.

This terrifying commotion finally recalled everyone’s attention.

Little Jin, only tens of zhang away from Lu Xiangleng, couldn’t quite grasp the current situation.

He instinctively looked toward his “accomplice,” or rather “companion,” Jiang Wenchao, but only saw Jiang Wenchao staring at Lu Xiangleng with focused eyes, saying nothing, his eyes seemingly filled with deep wariness.

Young Master Ruhua on the other side was also somewhat uncertain: in that brief glimpse, he couldn’t accurately determine the origin of that giant python…

But such a ferocious, even brutal python hiding in medicine maiden Lu Xiangleng’s sleeves, with no one knowing about it beforehand, was truly unexpected.

Frowning, Young Master Ruhua glanced at the others and understood everyone’s meaning.

Medicine maiden Lu Xiangleng was Jian Chou’s friend. Everyone had seen her various words and actions, and just moments before, they had fought alongside her to stop Tang Buye.

Now, it would be better to ask directly for clarity.

So with just an exchange of glances, Young Master Ruhua stepped forward and was about to speak: “Fairy Lu…”

As soon as he spoke, he suddenly felt something wrong!

Tang Buye!

After being swept away by the python’s tail, Tang Buye had been quiet.

Instinctively, Young Master Ruhua spun around to look—

On the vast Void Sea, there was only deep blue suppressed by tribulation clouds.

Terrifying electrical light streaked across the entire sea surface.

In the gloomy purple-gray tribulation clouds, faint golden light was beginning to spread.

Jian Chou’s Golden Core formation had reached a critical moment!

But…

Not a soul in sight!

Where Tang Buye had fallen, not a single figure could be seen!

The target was still Lu Xiangleng!

Young Master Ruhua’s heart chilled. Without thinking, he grabbed at his sleeve and pulled out a thorn whip adorned with small white flowers.

“Crack!”

The long whip snapped, producing a crisp sound.

All the small white flowers on it bloomed with brilliant starlight.

With a wave of Young Master Ruhua’s hand, the whip immediately became a sharp light, coiling toward Lu Xiangleng ahead!

Lu Xiangleng stood motionless, as if all her strength had been exhausted, her eyes carrying slight bitterness.

Before the whip arrived, ripples appeared without warning in front of Lu Xiangleng.

Tang Buye, blood still marking his lips, wore a triumphant smile as he reached straight for Lu Xiangleng, grasping her throat in that instant!

The two were extremely close. Even though Young Master Ruhua reacted fastest, he was completely unable to rescue her in time!

Terrible!

If Tang Buye obtained Lu Xiangleng’s Dao Seal…

In an instant, everyone witnessing this scene was horrified.

However, Lu Xiangleng suddenly smiled.

At the moment she was about to be defeated by Tang Buye, she actually turned her head, her eyes carrying endless complexity as she looked to her side.

A cold white light, dreamlike, instantly enveloped her.

The next moment, Tang Buye’s palm had already clenched tight.

But the expected slender neck had disappeared.

Tang Buye had only grasped his own palm!

“What…”

The Lu Xiangleng in front of him, a living person, had completely vanished from the sea surface!

…

Eliminated!

A blade engraved with forest-white cloud patterns and deep blue color slowly emerged from that ethereal white light. What appeared with it was Xia Houshe in dark red robes, expressionless.

Striking from behind!

He had defeated Lu Xiangleng one step before Tang Buye could act!

A white light appeared from where Lu Xiangleng had vanished, instantly entering Xia Houshe’s brow, which bore a red scar.

“Buzz!”

The three-zhang Invincible Domain opened with a roar.

Tang Buye, extremely close to Xia Houshe, was caught off guard and instantly repelled!

Everyone was stunned.

The changes came too quickly—three people had acted one after another in the blink of an eye, truly catching everyone off guard.

Young Master Ruhua’s thorn whip wasn’t as fast as the calculating Tang Buye, Tang Buye’s cold and sharp strike wasn’t as fast as the long-lurking Xia Houshe!

In the blink of an eye, Lu Xiangleng was eliminated, Tang Buye’s scheme failed, and the three-zhang Invincible Domain fell into Xia Houshe’s hands!

For Tang Buye, this was definitely not good news.

Xia Houshe was extremely troublesome!

For Young Master Ruhua, Jiang Wenchao, Little Jin, and Left Liu, this wasn’t good news either—at best, it was slightly better than Tang Buye obtaining the Invincible Domain, but only slightly.

Everyone’s gaze fell on him: he hadn’t acted when everyone was fighting earlier, staying on the sidelines to observe. The injuries from his previous battle with Jian Chou had mostly healed, and the current Xia Houshe had regained that extremely dangerous feeling.

Though he came from Fengmo Sword Sect, one of the Upper Five, none of those present were familiar with Xia Houshe.

One Tang Buye, one Xia Houshe.

With such sudden changes, the situation became complex.

Who would act first?

Against whom?

Which side was Xia Houshe on?

Everything was uncertain.

At the foot of Kunwu Mountain.

Lu Xiangleng’s figure slowly condensed, leaving the Void Sea. The eleven Heaven-Reaching Platforms that originally belonged to her were now automatically moving toward Xia Houshe’s Heaven-Reaching Platform.

All eyes instantly turned toward her.

Lu Xiangleng folded her hands in front of her waist, but her fingertips felt no warmth. She glanced at the situation in the Void Sea and finally slowly turned around to face everyone.

She said nothing, nor would anyone speak.

Feng Li from Baiyue Valley stood dazed for a long time, looking at Lu Xiangleng’s figure, and finally called out: “Senior Sister Lu!”

She pushed through the crowd forcefully, running toward Lu Xiangleng.

Lu Xiangleng stood alone in mid-air, suddenly smiling slightly.

Void Sea.

Having no chance to act before encountering a series of changes, Little Jin was still confused, feeling like his entire brain was like a big watermelon smashed to pieces on the ground.

He looked at Jiang Wenchao, then at Young Master Ruhua, then looked up at the sky, as if trying to find Left Liu’s traces.

In his extremely simple thinking: the four of them should barely count as allies.

“Gulp.”

Under extreme tension, he couldn’t help but swallow, asking timidly: “Who do we fight now?”

“Don’t know.”

Young Master Ruhua showed an almost gritted-teeth seductive smile, his cold gaze falling on Xia Houshe.

But Xia Houshe wasn’t looking at them.

He only raised his head, gazing at the tribulation clouds beginning to brew the third lightning bolt.

In the oppressive purple-gray, a brilliant golden light was growing stronger…

Hundred-li tribulation clouds.

Any cultivator of note in the Nineteen Continents would have tribulation clouds when breaking through realms.

If she could pass through, Jian Chou would very likely become one of the future prominent figures of the Nineteen Continents; if not, she would just be one of countless ordinary cultivators who violated heavenly law, not worth mentioning.

After Golden Core formation, what changes would that axe undergo?

After three tribulation thunders, even if a newly formed Golden Core cultivator didn’t die, they would lose most of their fighting strength.

Staying here seemed unnecessary for him.

A faint strange light flashed in Xia Houshe’s dark red pupils. At this moment, he swept his blood-stained wide sleeves and directly flew away through the air.

From ambush to departure, not a single word!

His movement was swift, without any hesitation.

In the time everyone stood stunned, he had already shot out of the tribulation cloud coverage like a streak of light, disappearing into the vast sea and sky.

Young Master Ruhua looked down at the sea disc and noticed that the two “black dragons” had separated at some point, swimming in different directions.

The direction Xia Houshe had left was exactly where one of the black dragons was located.

At that moment, his heart sank.

“Rumble…”

Overhead, the muffled thunder continued, growing louder.

The massive whirlpool had now grown to match the tribulation clouds above, a full hundred zhang across, like a tornado rising from the sea floor.

The spiritual energy between sea and sky was all drawn by this whirlpool’s attraction and stirring, surging downward.

Crackling and popping.

Endless electric serpents roamed the sea surface, appearing bright purple-blue.

The deeper it went, the denser the electrical light became, as if there was some source of electrical light in the deep sea.

The blood stains on the moon-white robe had disappeared completely under the rushing seawater’s wash.

Brilliant electrical light enveloped her entire body, penetrating her skin, flesh, blood vessels, tendons, bones, and acupoints throughout her body…

From everywhere in the deep sea, electric serpents continuously surged toward her body, quickly being absorbed by her.

Strange, yet mysterious.

“Human Weapon” body refinement, sixth layer!

Thunder tempering body, leaving a “thunder seed” within!

Jian Chou’s eyes were tightly closed, her brow furrowed, her long, thick eyelashes trembling slightly in the seawater, showing traces of pain.

On the blazing battle disc, the brilliant golden light at the Tianyuan position had disappeared, replaced by a fingernail-sized golden pill continuously rotating.

As endless spiritual energy poured into Jian Chou’s brow, every Kunxian line on the battle disc grew brighter.

But the battle disc’s size no longer expanded.

All spiritual energy, after passing through the Kunxian lines, flowed back to Tianyuan, entering that fingernail-sized golden core.

Spiritual energy was still at the “qi” level, but the new realm was “Golden Core.”

The essence of power had undergone a “qualitative change.”

Even with vast amounts of spiritual energy flowing in, the rotating golden core only grew larger at a barely perceptible rate.

On the battle disc, Dao seeds lit up one by one.

Everything seemed to be stabilizing.

Jian Chou couldn’t hear any external sounds, only the sound of flowing water in the deep sea whirlpool, the sound of electrical light traveling through seawater and striking her tendons, bones, skin, and flesh…

And the faint singing in her mind.

“Buzz…”

One, two, three…

The golden Dao seeds, which had hardly lit up since their formation, actually began lighting up one after another.

During the condensation process of that golden core in Tianyuan, it automatically separated a thread of golden light, crawling out along the Kunxian lines and entering the Dao seeds!

Instantly, Jian Chou felt her shoulder blades begin to grow slightly warm.

Like being pierced by red-hot spikes!

Golden light points emerged from her moon-white garment one after another, as if branded on…

Those were Dao seals struggling to awaken!

“Rumble!”

An earth-shaking tremendous sound.

That terrifying thunder from the sky actually penetrated the entire deep sea’s waves and reached Jian Chou’s ears.

The golden core grew larger and larger.

The golden light above the hundred-zhang tribulation clouds in the sky also grew stronger, gradually driving away the oppressive purple-gray, faintly giving people a bright and peaceful feeling.

Tens of thousands of electric serpents traveled through the cloud layers, finally condensing into a purple bolt of lightning that carried away the last trace of purple-gray from the entire tribulation cloud and crashed downward!

The final moment!

Tang Buye, who had been standing on the sea surface confronting everyone, clearly realized: the opportunity had come.

No matter how powerful a cultivator was, when resisting breakthrough tribulation thunder, almost no one would emerge unscathed. First, having just advanced, they wouldn’t have Dao seals suitable for this realm; second, due to resisting tribulation thunder, after the golden core initially formed, they would generally be in their most vulnerable state.

After the third tribulation thunder, even an ordinary middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator should be able to directly kill them.

This was why many sect elders didn’t recommend junior cultivators form Golden Cores alone without protection—it was too dangerous!

But did the current Jian Chou have protection?

Barely.

Without looking, Tang Buye knew that Young Master Ruhua and others hadn’t acted but had faintly surrounded him, especially that guy who could turn invisible, who was probably using his invisibility to hide directly above the whirlpool, guarding against his underhanded moves.

He couldn’t escape, and attacking would be difficult.

Unless he possessed the power to kill with one strike.

The sea surface was covered with countless electrical lights, blocking his detection, so he didn’t know exactly where Jian Chou was.

But…

If Jian Chou’s Golden Core tribulation failed, that would be fine, but if it didn’t fail, once the electrical light dispersed, he could use his cultivation far superior to everyone else’s to be the first to know Jian Chou’s location, then use Water Void Escape’s instant movement ability to strike!

A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who could battle him, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, certainly had advantages in techniques and weapons, but her own strength was already terrifying.

If given time to successfully advance to Golden Core, she would probably be invincible among Golden Core cultivators.

Given their “deep hatred,” if Jian Chou had the chance, she certainly wouldn’t let him successfully pass the second trial. Even if he managed to reach the third trial, how could he dare believe he had absolute certainty of defeating Jian Chou and her group of “friends” to successfully ascend the One Person Platform?

So…

The best opportunity was in the moment about to come.

His mind sank, his eyes darkening.

On Tang Buye’s dark black robes, not a trace of luster could be found, like a cold, dark night.

His sharp gaze swept across everyone’s faces. A jade-colored cold light suddenly rose around him, circling him—it was a protective light shield.

He gently raised his left hand, placing it on his right shoulder. His movement was strange but carried unspeakable danger.

“Boom!”

The entire Void Sea suddenly surged with boundless giant waves!

The hundred-zhang whirlpool beneath their feet, after that final lightning strike, seemed to finally be unable to bear that terrifying force and shattered with a thunderous crash.

The cone-shaped hollow in the whirlpool’s center was immediately filled by surging seawater!

“Splash!”

The seawater from both sides violently converged toward the center, actually raising waves tens of zhang high.

Those waves shot skyward, instantly gathering into a tall column reaching toward heaven, connecting to the brilliant golden clouds above.

Across the entire sea surface, the seawater was deep blue, the giant waves snow-white, and overhead was brilliant gold…

Three colors created a breathtaking scene!

Everyone on the sea surface looked up, momentarily losing themselves in the beauty.

A moon-white figure slowly rose from that endless deep blue.

The flowing seawater blurred her features and expression.

Only that familiar aura remained!

Perhaps due to the waves, perhaps something else…

She appeared strangely ordinary and pale.

Without the Ghost Axe in her hands, there was only that slender, solitary figure.

Brilliant streams of lightning crisscrossed around her, one after another, seeming to encircle and protect her as she rose with the cylindrical massive waves, soaring skyward.

The two-zhang-three battle disc floated beneath her feet, with dao seals appearing one by one in the rippling water, somewhat blurred. At a certain position among them, a golden dao seal particularly caught the eye…

Moreover, Tang Buye actually noticed that this two-zhang-three battle disc was still faintly expanding…

As Jian Chou’s figure ascended with the water column, rising ever higher, that battle disc grew ever more distant.

She seemed oblivious to everything else, still immersed in that state of breakthrough…

Tang Buye clearly understood that state—like returning to the origin of everything, back to the primordial, so comfortable it made one want to close their eyes.

But at this moment…

This was precisely the most dangerous moment for a newly formed Core Formation cultivator!

Spiritual power depleted, golden core newly formed, realm unstable, and without any handy techniques!

If not to strike now, when else?

The left hand resting on his shoulder suddenly clenched tight!

Tang Buye felt that since obtaining the Nine Mechanisms, he had never been so perfectly in control.

Perhaps because he was calculating against a newly formed Core Formation cultivator, his heart trembled with excitement. Yet his long battle experience allowed him to maintain boiling blood while keeping the coldest, most rational judgment!

“Bang!”

The Nine Mechanisms appeared on his shoulder as usual.

But the instant the giant crossbow manifested, Tang Buye had already struck forward without hesitation with tremendous force!

At that moment, there was absolutely no one in front of him—not even half a human shadow could be seen.

Yet the instant the Nine Mechanisms crossbow struck out, everyone heard a miserable cry: “Your mother!”

First blood splattered, then a human figure was directly knocked out of invisibility, flying far away!

Poor Zuoliu—the moment he sensed Tang Buye’s intention to strike and wanted to attack secretly, how could he know that Tang Buye wasn’t a fool either.

Even without knowing Zuoliu’s exact position, he could guess the general area.

Immediately striking with the crossbow, the cloud-thunder patterns on the crossbow arm flashed once, and Zuoliu directly disappeared.

Tang Buye held the giant crossbow and leaped up. Relying on his barely maintained protective spiritual light, he didn’t even look at how the others fared, charging straight toward that heaven-reaching water column!

In his eyes, there was only Jian Chou!

This unprecedented powerful enemy, this opponent who demanded his absolute full effort!

First mechanism: Spring thunder moves heaven and earth.

Second mechanism: East and west, one river’s water!

Raising his hand, he gripped the bowstring tight.

Tang Buye’s eyes held a trace of haziness. The battle disc spread open, and the dao seal of the second mechanism blazed with light.

A strange radiance immediately leaped from his fingertips, flowing over the bowstring, dyeing the entire string with points of emerald green.

“Creak…”

He pulled with full force!

When the entire bowstring was drawn into a half-crescent moon, everything seemed to reach a critical point. The bowstring under stress emitted sounds that made one’s heart and soul tremble.

Simultaneously, accompanied by a dark shadowy light shooting from the bowstring into the arrow slot, a strange transformation suddenly swept across the entire sea surface.

All the seawater seemed to sense something.

Whoosh…

Above the sea surface, streams of blue water light were actually drawn out, like the spiritual energy that had converged during the previous “First Mechanism” strike. They gradually filled the arrow slot, joining with that dark light from the bowstring, gradually growing stronger, actually transforming into a deep blue sharp arrow!

This crossbow was named “Nine Mechanisms”—one mechanism, one technique. With Tang Buye’s cultivation, at most he could only draw two mechanisms.

However…

When the first mechanism could already instantly kill Jian Chou, now in her weakest moment, this “Second Mechanism” would be absolutely foolproof!

The Central Domain’s first, Yashan’s single sword, cutting across nine heavens.

Now his powerful crossbow aimed, his sharp arrow pointed at Yashan’s eldest senior sister, the genius most likely to ascend to the One Person Platform among the Left Three Thousand Small Assembly!

All glory would end with his single arrow.

When danger reached its extreme, it became utterly silent.

In Tang Buye’s ears there were no other sounds, only the gentle tremor of the bowstring as he lightly released it!

“Hum!”

The zhang-long deep blue arrow left the slot, flying toward Jian Chou ascending above!

Wherever the arrow passed, all living creatures in the deep sea leaped from the ocean floor in unison.

The entire Empty Sea seemed to boil for this arrow that had drawn the “sea essence”!

Second mechanism: East and west, one river’s water!

Drawing the essence of water, gathering into one arrow!

The power of the entire sea, concentrated into one strike!

Countless massive fish species flipped out of the sea surface, carried by the arrow’s momentum, crashing toward that heaven-reaching water column!

For a moment, the scene was magnificent.

Even that entire water column reaching toward the hundred-zhang golden clouds bent backward under this arrow’s might, as if about to be severed at the waist!

In a trance, seeing this scene, people actually had the illusion that the pillar of heaven was about to topple.

Such an arrow—among cultivators of the same generation, who could withstand it, who would dare face its edge?

Tang Buye’s burning gaze fell upon that figure in the water column.

He had never felt such pride!

Unable to restrain himself, a brilliant smile appeared on Tang Buye’s face as he was about to hold that giant crossbow and laugh toward heaven.

But at that very instant, before his laughter could emerge, Tang Buye suddenly seemed to have his throat gripped, unable to make any sound at all!

In the heaven-reaching water column, Jian Chou’s figure had somehow stopped.

She stood at a height with hundred-zhang golden clouds above her head and the heaven-reaching pillar beneath her feet, seemingly as tall as heaven itself.

The massive battle disc also stopped rotating the moment she became still. Under the endless flowing seawater’s washing, golden dao seals appeared extraordinarily brilliant, one after another!

Her tightly closed eyes finally opened at this moment.

Crack!

The countless chaotic blue-purple lightning around her body actually all gathered into one at this instant, striking straight into her brow center like a deep imprint, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

As the lightning vanished, a small blue-purple thunderbolt suddenly appeared at the center of the golden core in the center of Jian Chou’s battle disc!

Sixth layer: Body Tempering Thunder Seed!

The moment the thunder seed was planted, Jian Chou felt all the meridians throughout her body open.

The burning sensation on her shoulder blades could finally no longer be suppressed.

She saw that “Second Mechanism” locked onto her, seemingly carrying all the sea power of the entire Empty Sea, about to shatter her into insignificant foam on this sea surface…

Northern Domain’s Yin Sect, cultivator Tang Buye, giant crossbow Nine Mechanisms…

All formidable!

Beneath her profound gaze was nothing but endured pain.

As that arrow “East and West, One River’s Water” drew closer and closer, Jian Chou’s entire spirit tensed to its limit. Then she heard a “ting” sound in her mind, and everything was released!

Boom…

Brilliant golden light erupted from the battle disc beneath her feet, enveloping Jian Chou.

Endless magnificent power instantly penetrated from her shoulder blade position!

Points of golden light pierced through her right bone.

That feeling of being pierced by blade after blade!

Strange, yet familiar…

Breath remaining from ancient times swept across everything with the appearance of this golden light!

The phantom of massive wings appeared in this golden light, as if growing from Jian Chou’s right shoulder blade.

Blue-purple lightning flickered at the tips of golden feathers, piece by piece.

Countless ancient runes were inscribed on this wing phantom, blazing bright in an instant.

In Jian Chou’s mind appeared again the scene of the four-winged, six-legged Dijiang traversing the great marshes, with power to destroy heaven and might to annihilate earth…

One wing beat, and half the beautiful mountains and rivers would follow.

Completely different from the weakness when she first activated this natal dao seal, she was now a Golden Core stage cultivator who had just successfully formed her core and completed the sixth layer of “Human Vessel” cultivation, stepping into the most peak state of her cultivation journey!

Countless spiritual powers, purified to nearly three times their original strength, surged madly toward those nine dao seals.

Thus, the wings grew larger and larger…

In just the blink of an eye, this phantom extending from Jian Chou’s shoulder blades broke through the massive heaven-reaching water column!

It was a vast aura hiding savagery, making the entire Empty Sea seem small by its presence.

As if its existence could not be contained by this small heaven and earth.

As if its dignity could not be violated by that fragile Second Mechanism arrow!

Jian Chou gazed at the shocked Tang Buye, clenched her teeth, and though it seemed somewhat strenuous, she wanted to try…

This power that had almost never shown its magnificence since she obtained it—

Dijiang Wind Thunder Wing!

Her gaze suddenly blazed bright!

As if sensing her boundless fighting spirit, that Dijiang Wind Thunder Wing rose high toward the sky. Throughout the entire Empty Sea range, all seabirds still flying in the air fell without exception, no longer daring to spread their wings!

Each golden feather trembled lightly, and thus all howling, clamorous winds ceased entirely!

Blood surging through her vessels!

Jian Chou spread her wing with one stroke. The massive golden wing, comparable to the brilliance of the hundred-zhang golden clouds above, swept toward that arrow that had gathered the Empty Sea’s power!

Boom…

The sound of wind.

The sound of thunder.

The sound of the heaven-reaching water column falling, of countless fish being swept back to the sea bottom, of endless waves rising, of that “East and West, One River’s Water” Second Mechanism that had condensed the entire Empty Sea shattering completely!

Hurricane swept up half the Empty Sea’s waters, rushing toward Tang Buye holding the Nine Mechanisms. In an instant it submerged his figure, leaving only deep red blood in a patch of deep blue.

The Second Mechanism had borrowed the entire Empty Sea’s power, condensing countless sea light. Now shattered, countless connected seawaters also shattered with it!

Splash…

Across the entire sea surface, as far as the eye could see, angry seas lifted to heaven, massive waves surged magnificently!

Above everyone’s heads, those hundred-zhang golden tribulation clouds that had pressed down for so long also seemed unable to face this single wing’s might. When the wild wind rose, they scattered with a thunderous crash!

Thus, on the vast sea, Jian Chou stood alone and outstanding. Above her head, the firmament had no other obstruction, a stretch of clear, transparent azure.

All oppression dispersed.

She looked up, and heaven and earth, the universe itself, was completely bright and clear.