Chapter 56: If the Inner Demons Cannot Even Be Conquered, How Can One Speak of Saving the World

The elders and sect leaders of the clan could no longer remain seated; one after another, they gathered around the Water Mirror, eager to press their faces against it.

“That sudden breakthrough to the eighth stage of Qi Refining last time must have been real. The Broken Mirror Thunder Tribulation was no fabrication!”

“You old fool, be careful! Have you ever seen a Heart Demon Tribulation progress so quickly? In less than an incense stick’s time… no, less than half an incense stick!”

“Don’t celebrate too soon. She redirected the tribulation thunder meant for others onto herself. Using heavenly thunder to shatter the barrier is no easy feat.”

“You don’t understand. Even if she’s struck down, it’s called Heaven’s envy for a prodigy!”

The disciples below couldn’t sit still either; they stood up, eyes fixed on the Water Mirror screen.

“Ahhh—don’t stop me! I’m charging into the secret realm now, ready to face life and death with my fellow Dìng Kūn Sect disciples!”

“Oh! A Fire Spirit Root! I see you’re eager to advance! But hold on, let me think this through first!”

…

The scene became somewhat uncontrollable for a time, with disciples and elders mixed together, all formalities thrown out the window.

Lu Buwei cleared his throat lightly, and in the moment everyone was stunned, he surged to the front.

“Everyone, please calm down. It’s just an advancement. Let me observe.”

Luo Chen leaned back in his chair, switched hands to peruse the “Sword Manual,” and glanced sideways at the frenzied crowd.

“There’s really nothing interesting about advancing a stage. Don’t block my reading, alright?”

A cold, slightly amused voice rang out. The restless crowd finally realized they had overreacted.

The noisy clamoring gradually subsided, and all eyes subtly shifted to Luo Chen, while sneaking glances at Gu Jiuyuan.

The two sat still, one shelling melon seeds, the other sipping tea.

Luo Chen cast a faintly mocking glance at the crowd. “What are you all staring at? Don’t donate your eyes to Sect Leader Gu.”

Gu Jiuyuan gripped his teacup tightly, his knuckles white, veins bulging along his wrist, yet his expression remained unmoved, as if impervious to all winds.

“Still, the path of cultivation is long!”

Cultivation was indeed about defying fate; life and death hung in a single moment.

Ling Xi, that rebellious disciple, had fled recklessly. Rolling heavenly thunder—how could she control it?

“Well said. Sect Leader Gu, make sure to watch till the end~” Luo Chen smiled and returned to his reading, ignoring everyone else.

—

Within the secret realm.

A pale green figure hovered midair, garments moving as if stirred by a breeze that did not exist. Her tightly closed eyes snapped open, deep violet radiance blooming from within. The slight curl of her lips was both eerie and lively.

Ling Xi’s toes touched the ground lightly, her body descending gracefully. The butterflies caught in her hair trembled faintly, shimmering with blue-purple light. Though she seemed a delicate young girl, none could ignore the aura enveloping her.

At thirteen years old and just breaking through the Foundation Establishment stage, she was truly a genius.

Lin Rou stood nearby, furiously channeling spiritual energy, almost grinding her teeth to bits, though her face wore a forced smile.

“Senior Sister Ling used to struggle greatly in cultivation. Now, who knows what miraculous elixirs she has taken? In less than half a month, she has broken through to Foundation Establishment in one leap!

“Rou’er is truly happy for Senior Sister!”

Ling Xi shot her a sharp glance. “My master is right; the Ningjing Peak’s teachings are infused with geomantic energy.

“There’s one small thing I need to remind this junior sister: my master only accepted me as his sole female disciple. From now on, just call me Senior Sister Ling.

“My master gets very angry; even passing dogs get struck twice by him.”

Ling Xi shot a few retorts, and seeing Lin Rou’s expression as if she had eaten something foul, she ceased paying her any mind.

Better to focus on gathering thunder and lightning power.

Ling Xi’s tribulation clouds dissipated. Above, the sky split into five sections, thunder brewing within the clouds, yet the second strike delayed.

In the center of the spirit gathering formation, five disciples writhed, black energy coiling around them. Their brows were knitted tightly in torment, limbs twitching uncontrollably, shaking worse than Parkinson’s.

Among them, Sui An was shrouded in the most black energy. His red robes were mottled black as ink.

Stray hairs clung to his cheeks, cold sweat rolled down his throat and soaked his clothes.

Ling Xi drew the sword at Sui An’s side, the blade tip pointed toward the heavens. All the thunderbolts struck the sword.

Electric currents poured down his head, coursing through his entire body.

Ling Xi wiped blood from her mouth and smiled calmly, her jet-black eyes even darker, radiating a cold, sharp gaze that scrutinized all living things.

“Listen carefully: if you’re going to die, die somewhere else!

“A mere Foundation Establishment Thunder Tribulation—I, a waste, have endured it. You, the elite of Dìng Kūn Sect, the hope of the immortal gates, can’t withstand it? That would be laughable!

“Think about yourselves: you start sword training before dawn, still cultivating when the moon is high. Can a trivial Heart Demon Tribulation truly block your progress?

“Do you think you’re secretly crossing tribulation in some deep forest?

“We have fellow disciples suffering in water and fire, waiting for our salvation!

“Countless eyes behind us are watching, hopeful ones from all of Dìng Kūn Sect!

“If you can’t even break through a single Heart Demon Tribulation, how can you hope to save the world?”

—

The several disciples, once tormented by the heart demons as if near death, suddenly heard a young girl’s righteous voice ring out, clear as a silver bell, louder than heavenly music, gentle as spring rain nourishing the soul.

The disciples facing the heart demons drew their sharp swords, slashing together to break the illusion.

Sui An looked at his brother lying in a pool of blood, gritted his teeth, clarity flashing in his eyes, and swung his sword.

“Afeng, I will definitely heal your leg!

“Now, I have to return. Important people outside are waiting for me.”

The frail boy waved to him weakly, smiling amidst the blood.

“Brother, I trust you!”

Fragments of the illusion shattered like broken glass, cold light carrying past pain soaring into the sky.

Sui An opened his eyes as thunder roared in his ears.

Lightning scattered from the zenith into countless threads, the entire sky divided into myriad pieces like cracked porcelain, each shard shining bright and white.

A pale green figure hovered midair, the spirit sword in her hand crackling with electricity, her mysterious black eyes gleaming with white light.

“Break through!”

With a low shout, Ling Xi’s sword shadow descended; lightning entwined the bamboo shadows. Amid swirling sand and wind, a faint bamboo fragrance wafted forth.

Millions of silver bamboo shadows parted layer by layer, sounding like sharp sword strikes against bamboo, relentlessly attacking the yellow sand below.

Sword qi clashed with sand, electric currents rippling outward from the center, sand and stones splashing up to dozens of meters high. The explosion echoed for miles.

As the smoke and sand dissipated, a three-legged bronze censer stood atop the desert sands, the Bagua totem imprinted on its belly, spiritual light shooting to the heavens.

Flames roared from the censer’s mouth, blood-red and translucent, tinting the entire desert in crimson.

The surrounding air instantly stirred, temperature rising by dozens of degrees.

Beneath the flames, a pool of boiling, blood-red water bubbled and gurgled, dotted with white spiritual lights floating on its surface.

Ling Xi summoned the Frostflow Qin, raised her hand, and tossed it in.

“Senior Brother, catch the qin!”

The Frostflow Qin sliced through the blood-red flames, sinking into the scalding water. Molten rock splattered, igniting the sand, turning the yellow dunes to black ash.

As the qin immersed, lava overflowed from the censer’s mouth, a viscous liquid carrying sand grains, wildly flowing toward the disciples.