From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 68 Heavenly Tribulation Approaching, Yet the Heart Remains Firm

The roars emanating from the depths of the ruins grew stronger, and the ground trembled more violently. Wen Chen grabbed my hand and said in a deep voice, "Let's get out of here first!"

The four of us dared not delay and quickly ran towards the exit of the ruins. Along the way, rocks kept falling from the cave ceiling, making the journey extremely dangerous. Wen Chen always shielded me behind him, using his body to protect me from the falling rocks.

Finally, we escaped the ruins. Standing outside, looking back at the crumbling entrance to the ruins, I couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

"Thank goodness we escaped." Miss Ye patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

Elder Yue nodded and said in a deep voice, "It seems that there is indeed a powerful being hidden in these ruins. We should not venture in lightly."

Wen Chen's gaze remained fixed on me, his eyes filled with worry. I understood his concern; ever since we emerged from the ruins, I had felt a powerful force surging within me, as if it were about to burst forth.

I've felt this way before when breaking through to a higher realm, but this time it's completely different. This power is stronger, more violent, and even fills me with a sense of fear.

"Yao'er, how are you feeling?" Wen Chen held my hand and asked with concern.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the surging power within me, and forced a smile. "I'm fine."

But as soon as I finished speaking, dark clouds suddenly filled the sky, and lightning flashed and thunder roared. A powerful pressure descended from the sky, enveloping the entire world.

My expression changed drastically, and I exclaimed, "Heavenly Tribulation!"

Wen Chen's expression also turned serious. "It seems your tribulation is about to begin."

I felt both nervous and excited. Ascending to immortality had always been my dream. Now, that dream was finally about to come true.

“Let’s go to the Ascension Platform!” I looked at Wen Chen with a determined gaze.

Wen Chen nodded and held my hand tightly. "Okay, I'll go with you."

We arrived near the Ascension Platform and began searching for a suitable place to set up our defensive formation. The power of the Heavenly Tribulation was extraordinary; we needed to be fully prepared.

Wen Chen, being experienced, quickly found a high-lying spot with abundant spiritual energy. Together, we set up a defensive formation.

After doing all this, we sat cross-legged in the center of the formation, quietly waiting for the heavenly tribulation to descend.

In the sky, the dark clouds grew thicker and thicker, and the thunder grew louder and louder. I felt the power within me growing stronger and stronger, almost bursting out of my body.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and tried to control the power within my body.

Wen Chen sat beside me, holding my hand tightly, continuously channeling his power into my body to help me calm my mind.

"Yao'er, don't be afraid, I will always be by your side." Wen Chen's voice was gentle yet firm, like a warm current flowing into my heart.

I opened my eyes and looked at Wen Chen, my heart filled with gratitude and love.

Just then, a dark shadow flashed by and disappeared into the dense forest in the distance...

Dark clouds rolled in, thunder roared, and the pressure of the heavenly tribulation grew stronger and stronger. I felt as if my body was about to explode, and the spiritual energy in my meridians surged, almost breaking free of my control. Wen Chen's hand gripped mine tightly, and a continuous stream of spiritual energy flowed into me, like a clear spring nourishing my parched land, helping me stabilize my collapsing defenses.

"Yao'er, hang in there!" Wen Chen's voice trembled slightly, and I could feel his worry and tension.

I gritted my teeth, struggling to control the raging spiritual energy within me, my clothes soaked with sweat. Just then, a golden light flashed, and a kind-faced figure appeared before us.

"Guanyin Bodhisattva!" I was startled and quickly bowed.

Guanyin Bodhisattva nodded slightly, her gaze compassionate and gentle. "Xiao Yao, your path to ascension is destined to be fraught with difficulties. The Asura King has already sent people to lurk nearby, intending to sabotage your ascension."

My heart sank. The Asura King? Why is he stopping me from ascending? Is it because I'm about to become a Celestial Venerable, which would threaten the Demon Realm's position?

"Bodhisattva, is there a way to break this?" Wen Chen asked, rising to his feet, his voice tinged with anxiety.

Guanyin Bodhisattva sighed softly, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed; I can only offer this guidance. Everything depends on yourselves. Remember, with a kind heart, you can turn misfortune into good fortune." With that, a flash of golden light, and Guanyin Bodhisattva's figure vanished.

The Asura King's conspiracy weighs on my heart like a boulder, making it hard to breathe. Ascension is imminent, yet I face this crisis. Will all my years of effort be in vain?

I looked at Wen Chen; his gaze was firm and composed, as if it instilled a powerful strength in me. "Yao'er, don't worry, no matter what happens, I will be by your side."

His words were like a reassuring pill, gradually calming my panicked heart. I knew I couldn't be afraid, I couldn't back down. For my dream, for Wen Chen, I had to overcome this tribulation!

We checked the defensive formation again to make sure it was foolproof. Wen Chen then took out several defensive magic treasures and handed them to me, saying, "Take these; they might save your life in a critical moment."

I took the magic weapon, held it tightly in my hand, and felt Wen Chen's warmth. My heart was filled with power.

Suddenly, I sensed something was amiss; the surrounding spiritual energy seemed somewhat disordered. I looked around warily, but found nothing.

"What's wrong?" Wen Chen noticed my unusual behavior and asked in a low voice.

I shook my head. "I feel like something's not right. It's like there's something nearby."

Wen Chen frowned as well, releasing his divine sense to carefully examine the surroundings. After a moment, his expression turned serious. "Someone is secretly setting up an array to interfere with your ascension."

My heart leaped into my throat again. It seemed Asura King's conspiracy had begun. We must find those hidden formations as soon as possible, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

Wen Chen took my hand and we walked carefully toward the ascension platform. The air around us grew increasingly oppressive, as if an invisible net was binding us tightly.

Suddenly, a beam of light descended from the sky, illuminating the entire ascension platform. A figure clad in silver armor and wielding a three-pointed, double-edged sword appeared before us.

“Erlang Zhenjun…” I said in a low voice. His eyes were cold and devoid of emotion; he merely glanced at us indifferently.

"I've been ordered by the Jade Emperor to inspect the ascension process." His tone was indifferent, as if we were merely insignificant passersby. My heart sank. The Heavenly Court's attitude seemed...

The appearance of Erlang Shen did not reassure me; on the contrary, it made me even more uneasy. His lukewarm attitude left me puzzled about the Heavenly Court's intentions. Did the Jade Emperor also harbor doubts about my ascension?

"The Heavenly Court will be closely monitoring this matter." After leaving these words, Erlang Shen transformed into a golden light and disappeared into the sky. His departure did not take away the oppressive atmosphere; instead, it made me feel even more isolated and helpless.

Wen Chen squeezed my hand and gave me a reassuring look. "Don't overthink it, let's just focus on doing our own thing."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I knew this wasn't the time to let my mind wander; I had to concentrate and face the impending tribulation.

Just then, a chilling aura silently spread, coiling around my mind like a venomous snake. I felt dizzy, and the spiritual energy within my body began to become disordered.

"Yao'er!" Wen Chen noticed my unusual behavior and pulled me into his arms. His spiritual power formed a barrier to protect me.

“It’s demonic energy!” Wen Chen’s voice was low and solemn.

I struggled to resist the chilling, demonic aura, secretly wondering who was behind this.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing voice came from afar: "Xiao Yao, do you really think you can ascend to immortality? Wishful thinking!"

It's the White Bone Demon! I looked up abruptly and saw her dressed in white, standing not far away, a sinister smile on her face. She held a white bone fan in her hand, the fan emanating a demonic aura, and it was this demonic aura that was disturbing my mind.

"White Bone Demon, why are you stopping me from ascending?" I asked, suppressing my discomfort.

"Hmph, what good will it do for our demon realm if you ascend to immortality? Besides, I've disliked you for a long time!" A venomous glint flashed in the White Bone Demon's eyes.

Wen Chen snorted coldly, gathering a stream of spiritual energy in his hand and heading straight for the White Bone Demon. "Get lost!"

The White Bone Demon dared not meet the attack head-on and quickly dodged. She knew she was no match for Wen Chen; she merely wanted to take advantage of the chaos to distract me and sabotage my ascension.

Although Wen Chen's attack missed the White Bone Demon, it disrupted her demonic power, allowing me to catch my breath. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself and continue to circulate the spiritual energy within my body.

I know that the White Bone Demon is just a minor character; the real threat is the Asura King. He is still hiding in the shadows, and I don't know when he will launch an attack.

I must find those hidden formations as soon as possible so that I can prepare for the Asura King's attack.

Wen Chen and I moved cautiously toward the ascension platform, vigilantly observing our surroundings. The air grew increasingly heavy, like the calm before a storm.

Suddenly, I felt a tremor beneath my feet, followed by a violent explosion.

"Oh no! The formation has been destroyed!" Wen Chen's expression changed drastically.

My heart sank. It seemed the Asura King was moving faster than we had imagined. They had already discovered the defensive formation we had set up!

I quickly checked the surroundings and found that several key array nodes around the ascension platform had been destroyed. These array nodes were the core of the entire defensive array; once destroyed, the entire defensive array would become ineffective.

My heart sank to the bottom. Without the defensive formation, how could we possibly withstand the Asura King's attack?

Just as I was becoming extremely anxious, I suddenly felt a strange fluctuation within my body. This fluctuation came from the inherited power within me... This power seemed to be... awakening?

"Yao'er, what's wrong?" Wen Chen noticed my unusual behavior and asked with concern.

I looked at Wen Chen and slowly extended my hand… A wisp of pale golden light slowly rose from my palm. I had never seen this light before; it was purer and more dazzling than any spiritual power I had ever used, as if it contained the power to create the world. This power flowed through my meridians, bringing an unprecedented sense of fullness, yet also carrying a trace of unfamiliarity, a trace of… awe.

"Yao'er, this is..." Wen Chen's gaze was fixed on the golden light in my palm, a hint of surprise and a barely perceptible worry flashing in his eyes.

I shook my head, not understanding what was happening myself. "I don't know either. This power... seems to come from inheritance, but it's different." I closed my eyes, feeling the flow of this power, trying to understand it, to control it. It felt like a baby's first encounter with the world, full of curiosity and unease.

Just then, several more violent explosions rang out in the distance, shaking the ground slightly. My heart sank. The Asura King's men were still destroying the formation! The defensive formation around the Ascension Platform was already nearly empty; if it continued to be destroyed, we would be completely exposed to the Asura King's attack!

"Wen Chen, go stop them!" I opened my eyes and looked at Wen Chen with a determined gaze.

A hint of hesitation flashed across Wen Chen's brows; he was clearly worried about leaving me here alone. "But you..."

“I’m fine,” I interrupted him, the golden light in my palm intensifying. “This power might be able to help us.” Although I wasn’t sure what this power was or how to use it, I had a strange confidence that it would be the key to our fight against the Asura King.

Wen Chen gave me a deep look, and finally nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back. Be careful." As soon as he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a streak of light and sped off in the direction from which the explosion had come.

I gazed in the direction Wen Chen had left, silently praying for his safe return. Then, I refocused my attention on the golden light in my palm. I slowly raised my hand, and the golden light extended with my movement, tracing a graceful arc in the air.

This power was so strong, yet so unfamiliar. I tried to guide it, to control it, to make it flow according to my will. At first, it was like a wild horse, difficult to control, rampaging through my meridians, bringing waves of stinging pain. But I did not give up. I tried again and again, guiding it again and again. Gradually, I felt it begin to become docile, beginning to obey my commands.

I closed my eyes, completely immersing myself in this power. I felt it flowing within me, surrounding me, as if it had become one with me. I felt it contained boundless energy, enough to destroy everything, and enough to create everything.

I slowly opened my eyes. The golden light in my palm had become even more dazzling and solid. I extended my finger and gently tapped it. A beam of golden light shot out and struck a boulder not far away. The boulder instantly shattered and turned into dust.

I was shocked; this power was even stronger than I had imagined!

I closed my eyes again, continuing to explore the mysteries of this power. I sensed that it was not merely a simple offensive force; it also contained some deeper mystery, some kind of... power of rules?

A thought suddenly struck me, a bold idea forming in my mind. Perhaps I could use this power to repair the damaged formation, or even... create a new one!

I took a deep breath and began trying to guide this power to the damaged array nodes. Golden light flowed slowly, like a gentle stream nourishing the parched earth. I felt the damaged array nodes gradually recovering, a glimmer of life beginning to reappear…

Suddenly, I sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching. I abruptly opened my eyes and looked in the direction from which the aura was coming.

A tall figure appeared in my field of vision. He was wearing black armor, exuding a strong demonic aura, and his eyes were flashing with a bloodthirsty light.

Asura King!

He looked at me, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Xiao Yao, do you really think you can escape my grasp?"

I stood up, and the golden light in my palm burned fiercely.

"It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious..."