Hearing those words, a smile instantly surfaced on Li Guanqi's face, and he hurried to the bedside.
Looking down at the little girl who was barely managing to open her eyes, Li Guanqi brought a steaming meat bun to her lips.
She was too gravely injured, however, and could only manage small nibbles.
Fortunately, the girl had a solid constitution, and under the effects of the medicinal pills, her injuries were healing rapidly.
The stone that had weighed upon Li Guanqi's heart finally fell away.
Seven days later.
Bandaged from head to toe, the little girl sat alongside Li Guanqi atop Yuhu Peak, letting the mountain wind wash over them.
Neither figure—one tall, one small—said a word.
After a long silence, Yu Sui'an turned to look at Li Guanqi and asked with utter seriousness, "Do you really have to go?"
Li Guanqi reached out, fondly ruffling her little head as he answered softly, "Mm, my mind is already made up."
All at once, heavenly tribulation thunderclouds gathered abruptly in the sky above the Great Xia Sword Sect.
Li Guanqi stood up abruptly, looking toward the tribulation thunderclouds spanning nearly one hundred and fifty zhang.
He murmured under his breath, "Is he finally breaking through?"
*Whoosh!*
Disciples across the Great Xia Sword Sect halted their tasks one after another as a figure soared on a sword toward the Ascension Platform on Tianjian Peak!
Though named the Ascension Platform, it was in truth where disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect endured their tribulations.
A pitch-black platform measuring a full hundred zhang across, crafted from an unknown material.
It served no other purpose; its sole quality was exceptional durability.
Ye Feng's figure stood straight as a sword upon the Ascension Platform, holding his blade with proud defiance!
Li Guanqi said softly, "Come, I'll go take a look as well."
Over these past few days, several disciples within the Great Xia Sword Sect underwent their Core Formation Tribulation each day.
Many had gained profound insights after surviving the life-and-death battle at Ziyang Palace. Coupled with Lu Kangnian's generous distribution of spirit stones, a great number of disciples previously bottlenecked at peak Foundation Establishment were able to break through in quick succession.
And the one Li Guanqi had been waiting for all along was Ye Feng!
Yesterday, Lu Kangnian had also announced that any disciples of this generation wishing to venture out for worldly experience would depart together in half a month's time.
Ye Feng's breakthrough was impeccably timed; once his cultivation stabilized, they would be ready to set out.
Over the past two days, lecturing the juniors as a senior brother in the Core Formation realm had filled Li Guanqi with deep emotion.
*Rumble!*
The might of this tribulation far exceeded those of the disciples who had crossed before him.
Yet seeing Ye Feng's calm, confident demeanor, Li Guanqi offered a faint smile.
Carefree and careless as Ye Feng usually was, he was entirely dependable when it mattered most.
*Rumble!*
*Crash!*
A bolt of tribulation lightning, as thick as three fingers, crashed down with tremendous force!
Ye Feng stood with sword in hand, then launched himself from the ground, thrusting his blade skyward!
This exact scene had played out repeatedly over the past several days.
It was as though any Great Xia Sword Sect disciple who lacked the courage to raise their blade against the first three strikes of tribulation lightning would bring shame upon themselves.
And it was precisely this act of raising their swords against the heavens that imparted the true meaning of those words to many newly initiated disciples:
Cultivation was an act of defying the heavens!
If one sought immortality, it was destined that the road ahead would be thick with thorns, stretching on without an end in sight.
*Boom!*
The shattered lightning surged into his flesh. Across Ye Feng's stern features, his eyes gleamed cold and sharp as daggers.
The origin power churning around him surged violently!
Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and murmured, "The Dao platform within him has shattered! Next comes the core consolidation."
*Hum!*
Ye Feng's aura grew steadily stronger as lightning from the heavens crashed down without pause.
He fought with increasing ferocity. Even as his robes were torn to shreds and his skin split, flesh flayed, he remained completely indifferent, his eyes fixed solely on the tribulation lightning overhead.
A towering will to fight surfaced on Ye Feng's face. Ripping away his ruined white robes, he pointed his sword into the void and roared,
"Come at me!"
*Rumble!*
As if provoked, the heavenly tribulation darkened the surrounding sky and earth in an instant.
Six consecutive bolts of tribulation lightning then plunged down in rapid succession, as though bent on utterly obliterating the insolent mortal!
Ye Feng let out a hearty laugh. Turning his head, he cast a deep look toward the Sect Cemetery.
In a flash, his entire body transformed into a streak of golden light that surged straight into the void!
Six golden sword rays flashed through the air and vanished!
The tribulation dispersed, and the sky regained its clarity once more.
*Drip, drip.*
Blood fell from midair, spattering onto the Ascension Platform.
The suspended figure now had disheveled hair, his entire body charred black, with residual arcs of lightning dancing across his frame and causing him to tremble faintly.
Yet with his eyes closed, Ye Feng suddenly spread his arms wide, and powerful waves of pressure rippled out from him in all directions!
Li Guanqi's fists, clenched inside his sleeves, slowly relaxed; watching this scene, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Countless onlookers among the disciples called out their congratulations.
*Crack, crack...*
Faint cracking sounds echoed as the charred skin across Ye Feng's body sloughed away like eggshells.
The fresh skin underneath was as smooth and fair as a newborn's. Ye Feng glanced down and hurriedly threw on a new set of sect robes.
Tu Kui's figure slowly appeared in midair.
The man smiled warmly at Ye Feng. "Not bad, not bad at all."
The surrounding disciples bowed hastily. "Greetings, Peak Master Tu!"
Ye Feng also bowed in respect. With a flash of light from Tu Kui's palm, an opulent white robe radiating flowing luminescence appeared!
It was a robe of dharma artifact rank!
Though it was not of exceptionally high grade—merely one step above mortal-grade—robes as a category of equipment were inherently priceless.
Moreover, the robe itself possessed resistance to water, fire, and all forms of dust and grime, making it all the more precious.
This single robe alone was worth at least five thousand low-grade spirit stones!
Tu Kui raised his hand with a smile, gesturing for Ye Feng to accept it.
"Take it. Your master doesn't have much to boast of. All I can do is gift you a presentable robe before you head out into the world. I originally wanted to commission a soul armament for you, but really..."
He gave a mock scoff. "Well? Do you want it or not? If not, I'll give it to someone else."
Before the words could even settle, the man's hands were empty. The youth, who had seemed slightly hesitant a moment before, broke into a broad grin.
"Yes, yes, of course! How could this disciple dare turn down Master's kind generosity?"
Seeing his antics, Tu Kui could not help but laugh.
"You brat, always so slick-tongued. All right, hurry up and stabilize your realm."
With that, he turned and took his leave.
Ye Feng nodded with a grin, then flew over to Li Guanqi's side and asked with deep concern, "How is Little Steamed Bun?"
Li Guanqi smiled. "She's recovering well. Don't worry."
Ye Feng let out a long breath, clearly relieved, before beaming with excitement.
"Boss, this core of mine... it's azure!!"
Li Guanqi turned, grinned, and sent a voice transmission:
"What are you bragging for? Mine's purple."
"Purple... Well... I never should've asked..."
Ye Feng did not linger to chat; he hurried back to Tianjin Peak to enter seclusion again.
No sooner had he departed than dense tribulation thunderclouds gathered over the Ascension Platform once more!
Listening to the rumbles echoing behind him, Li Guanqi thought for a moment, then turned and flew toward Tianzhu Peak.
Before leaving the sect, he needed to select cultivation methods and secret manuals suited for his journey.
Chapter 187