Three Years

The two sat and discussed the Dao, each gaining fresh insights into cultivation. To avoid disturbing Yunyouzi's preparation for the tribulation, Qin Sang stayed only a few days before taking his leave and returning to Peach Blossom Valley. Three years passed in this manner. During those three years, Yunyouzi spent most of his time in seclusion, and Qin Sang rarely disturbed him. Qin Sang had asked Yunyouzi about the state of the Demon Realm, and as expected, the elder was quite knowledgeable about it. He even knew a thing or two about the demon king who had taken the mysterious stone tablet, sharing several rumors. However, Qin Sang had no intention of provoking the demon king at present. Stealing a treasure from the clutches of a demon king was far too fantastical a notion; unless left with no alternative, Qin Sang would never entertain such a thought. Moreover, Yunyouzi was at the crucial juncture of facing his tribulation. On this day. Qin Sang was meditating in quiet cultivation. Through continuously absorbing the power of the celestial stars, Qin Sang had finally cultivated the Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis to the peak of the third layer not long ago, encountering a bottleneck once again. This barrier was even more difficult than those before. He had attempted to use the Star Platform to carry out an astral essence body-infusion, but the power of the astral essence was too weak, no longer sufficient to aid him in another breakthrough. In the current cultivation world, the place best suited for astral essence body-infusion was Pointing Sky Peak. To go to Pointing Sky Peak, he needed Qingjun's help. Yet she had not returned in years, and Qin Sang could not find her, leaving him with no choice but to wait patiently. Thereafter, Qin Sang devoted his full efforts to cultivating the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter, progressing at an astonishing pace. A streak of flowing light flew into Peach Blossom Valley. Startled out of his meditation, Qin Sang caught the light, and his expression froze. *He is undergoing the tribulation so soon?* The message in the light was indeed from Yunyouzi. He had completed all his preparations, set the day of his tribulation for one month from now, and asked Qin Sang to stand guard for him! The timing was even earlier than previously discussed. Qin Sang had not expected it to be so swift. Rising to his feet, he hurried out of his cave dwelling, but paused and glanced toward Bai's cave dwelling. He had always wanted to introduce Yunyouzi to Bai. However, ever since Bai entered seclusion last time, he had not emerged, never taking a single step outside as he concentrated on comprehending the Corpse Soul Pearl. Unsure of how far Bai had progressed with it, Qin Sang did not dare disturb him rashly. After a moment's hesitation, Qin Sang touched the cave dwelling's restriction and sent a message inside. Although Qin Sang believed Yunyouzi had made exhaustive preparations and that guarding him would likely proceed without incident, bringing Bai along would provide an extra layer of support just in case. A moment later. "Someone is facing the Nascent Soul Tribulation? It wouldn't hurt to observe." Bai's voice came from within the cave dwelling, carrying a noticeable hint of fatigue. The entrance opened, and Bai walked out. After such a long seclusion, Bai's aura seemed no different from twenty years ago. "Congratulations on your great progress, Fellow Daoist!" Bai possessed sharp eyes and saw that Qin Sang was not what he used to be. He sighed with feeling. "Back then, we were roughly evenly matched. Now, even without resorting to that lightning art, you could still firmly overpower me." Receiving Bai's praise, Qin Sang did not let it go to his head. He shook his head and said, "Before entering the Nascent Soul stage, all are mere ants." Even if one became the foremost cultivator of the Core Formation stage, so what? From beginning to end, Qin Sang's goal had always been to become a Nascent Soul Patriarch. Bai nodded without saying more. After learning about Yunyouzi's background from Qin Sang, he slipped into the corpse puppet bag. Half an hour later, Qin Sang arrived at the agreed meeting place. It was located on a deserted island at the edge of the Yuncang Great Marsh. Seeing Yunyouzi and Li Yufu standing atop the mountain peak in the distance, Qin Sang picked up speed. His escape light flashed several times before landing in front of the two. "Martial Uncle!" Li Yufu saluted. Qin Sang noticed that Li Yufu's expression was exceptionally grave, his eyes filled with anxiety—evidently worried for his Grand Master. The Nascent Soul Tribulation was the first great ordeal encountered on the path of cultivation; a single general's success was bought with ten thousand bones. Yunyouzi himself, however, stood with his robes fluttering in the wind, looking exceedingly free and easy, without the slightest sign of nervousness. "Brother, these are spirit pills I recently refined to assist with the tribulation. I gathered extra spirit herbs and happened to produce two portions, so here is one for you." Yunyouzi spoke aloud and tossed over three jade bottles. Qin Sang raised his hand to catch them, finding inside pills of various colors. Some could restore true essence, while others healed injuries to the soul and physical body—all specifically prepared for the heavenly tribulation. Although they were not miraculous medicines like Soul-Cleansing Liquid that directly improved the success rate of forming a Nascent Soul, consuming them during the tribulation would still provide considerable help. Qin Sang had originally planned to purchase some from merchant guilds, but Yunyouzi had already prepared them for him. Having come from Yunyouzi's own hands, they were all top-grade spirit pills of superior efficacy. "Thank you, Senior!" Qin Sang did not stand on ceremony and put them all away. Knowing Yunyouzi as he did, Qin Sang knew the elder was not truly as relaxed as he appeared. Who would dare underestimate a heavenly tribulation? Yunyouzi's demeanor was also slightly different from before. Three years of quiet cultivation had not only been for concocting pills; Yunyouzi had also reflected upon all the experiences of his life from beginning to end, making his Dao heart even more transparent. To Qin Sang's eyes, it seemed faintly tinged with a degree of detachment. "The tribulation site has been chosen in the western part of the Yuncang Great Marsh, which is quite remote..." Yunyouzi led the two of them as they flew toward the heart of the Yuncang Great Marsh, explaining as they traveled, "The Sin Abyss has seized most of the Tianxing Alliance's territory, forcing several of their sects to migrate north. The Xiaohan Realm ceded the Yuncang Great Marsh to give them a place to settle. The Yuncang Great Marsh is far livelier now than in the past; otherwise, there would be no need to pick such an out-of-the-way spot..." Undergoing the tribulation to form a Nascent Soul also involved an infusion of spiritual energy. While one did not need to be overly demanding about spirit veins, not just any place would do. After careful selection, Yunyouzi had found an island in the Yuncang Great Marsh. It lacked a top-tier spirit vein, but it was where several hidden spirit veins converged. He had laid down a grand formation on the island long ago to prepare for the tribulation. Staying within the Taiyi Dan Sect, shielded by the mountain-protecting formation and guarded personally by the sect master, would undoubtedly have been the safest choice. Yet Yunyouzi preferred to take the trouble and brave the danger of facing his tribulation outside. "I have already scouted the area. The surroundings of the island are barren, with no traces of Nascent Soul cultivators or Transformation stage great demons. When the heavenly tribulation descends, if any demon beasts concealed deep beneath the lake are startled by the upheaval and rush out, I will have to rely on you two..." The three flew without pause, pressing deep into the Yuncang Great Marsh. The marsh was vast, but most of it consisted of desolate waters—especially the west, which held little value. Along the way, they encountered no small number of cultivators, most of them belonging to the Tianxing Alliance. The further west they traveled, the scarcer cultivators became. Over the final stretch of the journey, they did not spot a single soul. "We have arrived!" Yunyouzi came to a halt over an open expanse of water. With a wave of his sleeve, the ripples parted to both sides, revealing the outline of a spirit formation. The small island enclosed within the formation was barely a dozen li across. A lone, precarious peak stood upon the island, pointing straight up toward the heavens. This was the tribulation site Yunyouzi had chosen! Yunyouzi's gaze was calm. Without a word, he nodded to Qin Sang and Li Yufu, then flickered into the grand formation. The Nascent Soul Tribulation could only be endured alone. Outsiders could offer no assistance and dared not even draw too close, lest they provoke an abnormal shift in the heavenly tribulation and perish together. Li Yufu's face was filled with worry. Seeing Yunyouzi sit down cross-legged at the mountain peak as the spirit formation gradually closed, Qin Sang let out a soft breath and said, "Let us move back as well." They flew to a deserted island nearby, waiting for the heavenly tribulation to descend!