Chapter 195: The Sudden Robbery
Chapter 195: The Sudden Robbery (makes up for the extra update promised yesterday)
After several months of tempering the elixir with the "Taiyi Secret Method", Cheng Xinzhan's first tribulation was brought forward by four years. He was very satisfied with this number, because after all, it was a thunder tribulation, a tribulation from heaven. It was already quite difficult to shorten it by four years with such a tricky method.
But it’s only four years!
It should be forty-five years before my first pill cleansing tribulation, why did it come so suddenly? !
Cheng Xinzhan couldn't figure it out.
He hoped that the pill cleansing disaster would come sooner, but he didn't expect it to come so early! So suddenly!
"Are you early? How early? How long will it take?"
The Taoist Tianzhen asked anxiously.
Cheng Xinzhan's own expression looked very bad, but at the same time, this was the first time he saw Taoist Tian Zhen's expression so solemn.
By the way, Taoist Tian Zhen only knew that he had never washed the elixir, but he had never asked himself when the elixir was formed.
He smiled bitterly, "It's too early. I just formed my elixir at the beginning of this year, so I'm here forty-five years early."
As for the last question, he looked inward. At this moment, in the Huangting, the calamity cloud had completely covered the golden elixir. He looked up at the sky and said,
"Already here."
Taoist Tianzhen's hand trembled, and then he followed Cheng Xinzhan's gaze and looked up at the sky.
It was a clear autumn sky with no clouds in sight. But at this moment, above the Zhenwu Temple, or to be more precise, above Cheng Xinzhan, wisps of yellow calamity energy slowly emerged from the void and gradually condensed into clouds.
Taoist Master Tian Zhen has been in the Three Realms for hundreds of years, so he naturally knows what this means. He is surprised and happy.
What was shocking was that Cheng Xinzhan had only been in the Dan stage for less than a year!
But judging from the depth of his magical powers and his understanding of Taoism, he clearly seems like a veteran who has been immersed in the art of elixir for many years!
At the same time, he was even more surprised that the pill cleansing tribulation would come so long in advance. He certainly understood what it meant for a tribulation to come forty-five years early. It most likely meant that the treasure for overcoming the tribulation had not been refined, the place for overcoming the tribulation had not been determined, the person to protect against the tribulation had not been determined or was not by his side.
If these three things are not prepared, the risk of surviving the tribulation will be extremely high.
But at the same time, he was also overjoyed that the child's first robbery cloud turned out to be Huang Yun!
There are five grades of calamity clouds: purple, yellow, blue, white, and lead. Among the five grades of calamity clouds, the yellow grade ranks second, which is really rare.
Generally speaking, the golden elixir has many defects before the first wash and is still quite far from perfection, so white-grade calamity clouds are often seen in the first wash. The name of this kind of thunder calamity will be preceded by the word "white hole".
The first wash can greatly improve the quality of the golden elixir, so as long as the first wash is well prepared and no hidden injuries are left, the second and third washes will usually be green-grade thunder clouds. The name of this kind of thunder tribulation will be preceded by the word "Qingyun". The first three tribulations are also collectively called the first three tribulations. Most of the three realms in the world stop here.
After the third wash, the quality of the golden elixir will be improved to a higher level, so the fourth to sixth washes will generally be yellow-grade calamity clouds, which are very rare. The name of this kind of thunder calamity will be preceded by the words "Huangtian". These three calamities are also customarily called the middle three calamities.
Those who can survive the three middle tribulations are often local tyrants who can be called the founder of a sect just by occupying a mountain, or they are elders of a large sect and are the pillars of the sect.
After six washes, the golden elixir will be shining brightly, almost leak-free, and will only wait for perfection. Therefore, from the seventh to the ninth wash, purple-grade calamity clouds will appear, and the name of this kind of thunder calamity will be preceded by the word "Zixiao". These three calamities are also called the upper three calamities. Those who can survive the upper three calamities are rare among the rare.
As for the lead-colored calamity clouds, they are often seen among demonic monks with heavy blood evil karma. The power of the thunder calamity is also extremely strong. It is not aimed at refining the essence, but at killing and destroying the form, so the name of this kind of thunder calamity is prefixed with the words "lead haze".
If the devil does not repent after passing the tribulation and continues to commit the sin of killing, the color of the tribulation clouds will not change to white, green, yellow or purple. As long as the sin of killing remains, lead clouds will continue to fall.
It is precisely because of the clear justice of heaven that retribution will come, so there are relatively few highly skilled demons. But at the same time, this also means that the demons who can survive the lead cloud must be very capable.
What Taoist Tianzhen did not expect was that Cheng Xinzhan's first cleansing cloud was of yellow quality, which meant that the quality of Cheng Xinzhan's golden elixir before being refined by the thunder was already equivalent to that of an ordinary person's fourth or sixth cleansing. In this way, it was not impossible for him to withstand the first cleansing.
"Have you prepared the treasure to ward off disaster?"
Taoist Tian Zhen still asked a question.
Cheng Xinzhan shook his head. "Yes, no. I haven't prepared anything specifically, but I do have two treasures that can serve as a ward off disaster."
After all, how can you prepare a treasure to ward off disasters right after forming a pill? Moreover, a treasure to ward off disasters must be carefully refined and nurtured for a long time, so that it can be stained with your own aura. It has been less than a year since I formed a pill. However, it cannot be said that there is no chance at all. The Shangqing Lu and the Jiangzi Life-Defending Mirror that I have been nurturing on my body should also be able to play a role in warding off disasters.
Taoist Tian Zhen was very nervous when he heard this. He didn't know how confident he was. Then, he seemed to suddenly remember something. He stamped his feet anxiously and cursed,
"The dragon curse must have caused the heavenly calamity to come so early. It must have been cast by Cao Jin! I was wondering why he let us go so easily that day. It turns out he was trying to trip us up here! Still, it's not right. How could he cast a curse thousands of miles away? Or a secret curse that could trigger the heavenly calamity?"
Then, he raised his head and looked at Cheng Xinzhan again, "Did he get your essence, blood, hair and skin?"
Cheng Xinzhan shook his head, "Disciple, I don't know."
That day, Cao Jin fought with me in close combat. He was so fast and at ease that I was so exhausted from resisting that I didn't even pay attention to whether the evil dragon took the opportunity to take my hair.
But he couldn't care about that now. He bent down and said, "Master Wen, you should hurry up and leave!"
Although Cheng Xinzhan had never survived the heavenly tribulation, he also knew common sense. The heavenly tribulation cannot be borne by someone else, nor can it be blocked by others. It comes directly at the person who is going through the tribulation. Moreover, if there are other people present when going through the tribulation, the power of the thunder tribulation will only be greater and more difficult to go through.
Anyone who breaks into someone else's calamity cloud will anger the cloud and bring down a killing thunderbolt.
Taoist Tian Zhen had no other choice but to leave quickly. Before leaving, he took out something from his pocket and put it in Cheng Xinzhan's hand, saying,
"This is a life-saving elixir. I don't know if it will work. Take it first. You will survive the calamity here. I will be your protector. Just rest assured!"
Fortunately, Zhenwu Temple is an extremely secluded and hidden place, with primitive forests within a hundred miles around and no one here. So there is no need to ask people to leave one by one and give up their land. It is barely suitable as a place to transcend the tribulation. Even after this battle, the location of the legendary Zhenwu Temple is probably widely known to the world.
In addition, the mountain monsters and water monsters practicing nearby had already sensed something was wrong, and there was no need for Taoist Tianzhen to drive them away. They all fled in the direction away from the Zhenwu Temple, startling flocks of birds.
The person who protects the tribulation mentioned by Taoist Master Zhenwu must be a very close relative of the person who is undergoing the tribulation, and the responsibility is heavy.
To go through the elixir-cleansing tribulation, one must offer sacrifices to the golden elixir and the primordial spirit. In addition to guarding against people intentionally or unintentionally approaching and increasing the power of the thunder tribulation, the person guarding the tribulation must also guard against sudden hidden arrows that might injure the person going through the tribulation.
Sometimes, this sudden attack from behind comes for no reason. Someone just can't stand seeing you going through the tribulation and just doesn't want you to succeed. It has nothing to do with hatred or grudges, but only with the evil nature of human nature.
Cheng Xinzhan put away the pills and watched Taoist Tianzhen leave. Then he looked up and saw that the calamity clouds had already taken shape. They were dozens of acres wide, and the bright yellow color was so conspicuous in the clear sky.
Cheng Xinzhan let out a long sigh, then pushed off the ground and stood up. This was the alchemy tribulation, which could not be escaped. To go through it in a hurry, he had to be extremely alert.
However, Cheng Xinzhan was not completely discouraged. His soul was very strong, and his golden elixir had been tempered by thunder. His physical body was not fully developed before, so it was a little worse. However, he had been practicing Zhenwu physical skills in recent months and had become much stronger, so he was not completely without confidence. He just didn't know how many thunder tribulations would befall him during his first elixir cleansing.
"Rumble-"
Thunder began to grow in the calamity clouds, and the unique low sound of thunder rolled over the mountaintops of western Hunan, shaking the whole area.
Xiangxi is vast, and a cloud of calamity alone cannot attract other people's attention. Even if there is a thunderbolt in the clear sky, no one is surprised. However, the sudden sound of the thunderbolt can be heard by everyone who has washed the golden elixir.
----
The lower reaches of Youshui River, in western Hunan.
A caravan of Wuling Water Gang was going down the river. The Water and Land Convention was over, and the Water Gang had made a fortune again.
The River Drinking Toad at the head of the caravan could jump over ten feet away. Above the giant toad, the caravan leader Shi Buyu stood motionless. The shock caused by the giant toad's rise and fall did not affect him at all.
This caravan sets out from the northernmost part of Shizhou in spring, passes Tulong Mountain in the middle of the year, and then follows Youshui River into western Hunan. When it reaches the border between western Hunan and Nanhuang, the ice and snow have almost melted, and the caravan will then turn around and head from south to north again.
Year after year, it's the same every year.
There are many such caravans, big and small, in the Wuling Water Gang. The Wuling Water Gang has gradually grown stronger through such trade year after year. The small sects of independent cultivators in the Wuling Mountains rely on such water gangs and land gangs for survival and development. The two have long been inseparable from each other.
As the second in command of the Water Gang, Shi Buyu has the cultivation level of Erxi, and is well-known in the Wuling Mountain area. He is a good cultivator and also a good businessman.
This business trip, together with the trade at the once-in-a-decade Water and Land Trade Fair, went very smoothly and made him a lot of money. The fact that the caravan's mountain turtles and river-drinking toads were loaded with goods and gold and silver was proof of this.
However, the only thing that made him feel a little uneasy was the two young Taoist priests. They really scared him and forced him to break the rules and reveal the source of the goods.
In fact, it was not the first time for him to sell things from disciples of big sects. He had even sold magic swords of disciples from Mount Longhu. So what? It was dark and he would deny the possession of the goods once they left his hands.
This time it was too blatant, putting it up for bidding. Don't do this kind of thing in the future, be careful.
But those two Taoists are really powerful!
The Water and Land Avenue Conference hadn't ended yet when Shi Buyu heard that the Lost Soul Gorge had disappeared!
It was completely gone. Many people had gone to see it. The stream was filled with rubble and there was a big hole on the top. The green mist and the fierce ghost in the stream were all gone.
The remnants of the Lost Soul Gorge who had managed to escape had all changed their appearances for fear of being found. However, according to rumors leaked by those who survived, the two Taoists were from Sanqing Mountain and Wanshou Palace respectively, one was called Cheng Xinzhan and the other was called Shen Zhaoming.
They are the North and South Kuixing, and they were also responsible for the death of Yang Xuanla in Miaojiang. Their Taoism is so profound that it cannot be compared with the magic skills of the same level. One is the bright moon, and the other is a firefly.
The problem is, these two Taoists have not yet survived the thunder tribulation!
How come it's so powerful?
It is also worth mentioning that Bai Wuchang, who had been hiding in the mountains for several months, was finally found by his enemies and was eaten to death by a dozen people. His bones were disassembled and divided. As for Qin Tianzong, who gave him the "Pure Bright Three Tribulations Finger", it was said that no body was left.
Therefore, Shi Buyu has always been somewhat glad that he cooperated very well that day and did not act rashly.
"Rumble--"
Low thunder echoed on both sides of Youshui River, and Shi Buyu suddenly opened his eyes.
Who is going through the tribulation?
He jumped up from above the head of the River Drinking Toad, suspended in the air, and looked in the direction where the thunder came from.
Upon seeing this, Shi Buyu’s eyes widened.
Yellow grade calamity cloud!
It turned out to be the yellow-grade robbery cloud!
Who is going through the three disasters in Xiangxi?
Who is it from the Three Kings Temple? The owner of the Forest of Ten Thousand Corpses? Or the master of the Zhenwu Temple?
The calamity cloud was not very far away. He used all his eyesight to look carefully at the figure under the cloud. When he saw it clearly, his eyelids could not help but twitch.
How could it be that evil star!
The last time we met, I noticed his aura and spirit, but I didn't see any sign of disaster on his part.
They are both golden elixirs, but to be honest, I may not be able to tell the difference between the first and second washes with my eyesight. But I can still tell whether it is washed or not, and whether there is the smell of thunder on the body!
This is the first robbery of the evil star!
The first wash is yellow!
There was a strange light flashing in Shi Buyu's eyes. He subconsciously turned the stone beads in his hand, wondering what kind of gift he should prepare to send after the thunder tribulation was over.
At this moment, not only Shi Buyu, but also the other leaders of the Water Gang, the Land Gang, the Three Kings Temple, the Ten Thousand Corpses Forest, and anyone in Xiangxi who was at the Golden Elixir Yixi realm and above, were startled by the thunder and flew up to high places to see the calamity cloud.
They all saw the yellow cloud and the young figure beneath the cloud.
Some people had watched the Battle of Lost Soul Gorge from afar, so they recognized it and were amazed at the high quality of its calamity cloud.
Most people did not recognize Cheng Xinzhan and were still guessing the origins of this unfamiliar young man. After all, in Xiangxi, a person who had passed the third tribulation could already change certain situations. If he was a casual cultivator, it would be even more interesting.
Xiangxi is neither small nor big. Cheng Xinzhan’s thunder is still brewing, but the people who have risen from all directions and gathered around have formed a circle around the yellow thunder cloud.
There are still people here calling their friends. After all, everyone is undergoing the tribulation in a deserted place for fear of being seen. Some major sects and clans even have secret caves and heavens specifically for undergoing the tribulation, just for fear of being disturbed. It is really rare to undergo the tribulation in public.
This person is going through a yellow level tribulation, so why not take this opportunity to observe? Take a closer look at his tribulation-crossing method. Whether you can say it is learning by analogy or stealing the skills from a master, as long as you can gain something that can be used in your own thunder tribulation, it would be a great benefit picked up for free!
Of course, there were people here who had bad intentions, but when these people slowly approached, they saw another small, child-like figure ten miles away from the yellow cloud, so they stopped abruptly.
(End of this chapter)