Yin fire burned his body.
Throughout his four limbs and hundred bones, there was pain everywhere.
When he had formed his Nascent Soul, Qin Sang had already obtained the Qingluan essence blood, and *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* had advanced to the fourth tier. His physical body strength had exceeded his cultivation realm, allowing him to endure the yin fire tribulation with ease.
Now, his body refinement had stalled, lagging far behind his realm.
Qin Sang felt as though he had plunged into a sea of fire, besieged by endless yin fire. The yin fire burned from his Yongquan acupoints straight up to the Niwan Palace, scorching right through his entire being.
His five viscera and six bowels suffered the burning at once, none spared.
Even with a simple breath, what spewed from his seven orifices were plumes of yin fire. Raging flames engulfed his entire body, turning him into a living figure of fire.
The essence blood within Qin Sang boiled. The yin fire burned through flesh and bone, penetrating straight to the marrow.
Should he fail to withstand it, his five viscera would turn to ash and his limbs would rot away.
Waves of agony assailed him incessantly. The yin fire seemed eternal and endless, determined to burn him to cinders; the tortures of the legendary Pit of Fire Hell were nothing more than this.
Enduring wave after wave of agony, Qin Sang maintained his composure, forcing himself to disregard the pain. He activated his heart method and circulated *Heavenly Demon Refining Form*, intending to use the yin fire to temper his body!
*Swish!*
Phoenix wings unfurled behind his back, only to be instantly swallowed by the yin fire as well.
Veins bulged along Qin Sang's temples, yet his mind remained undivided as he focused entirely on circulating his technique.
As the technique stimulated his body, an even more violent agony surged over him—as if he were being carved open by sharp blades, dividing his skin, flesh, bones, and meridians, slicing them into fine threads, and grinding them into fragments.
Under the continuous battering of pain, Qin Sang's expression gradually grew numb. Once he ascertained that the yin fire tribulation posed no threat to his life, he boldly took an audacious step: he manipulated the tribulation transcendence array to reduce its potency, seeking an even greater body-tempering effect.
Because the jade Buddha could eliminate the inner demon tribulation, he only had to contend with the tribulation of the Three Calamities, which was why he dared to be so bold.
Heavenly tribulation was a lethal threat, but at the same time, it was a fortuitous encounter that could only be hoped for and never forced. It was just that the vast majority of cultivators were trembling with fear when facing heavenly tribulation; only a tiny fraction of peerless geniuses possessed surplus strength.
Yet even they had no tribulation transcendence array and dared not act recklessly. They could not, like Qin Sang, adjust the tribulation's power to a certain degree based on their condition to pursue the best tempering effect.
After an unknown length of time, the pain finally showed signs of abating.
Qin Sang came to his senses and realized that the yin fire was beginning to recede.
*The yin fire tribulation is about to end...*
With this passing thought, Qin Sang quickly swept his senses over his entire body.
Aside from the tribulation transcendence array, he had employed no defensive measures, braving the yin fire tribulation entirely with his physical body. Naturally, he had sustained considerable injuries.
However, it was certain that after being forged by the yin fire, his physical body had benefited immensely. As for how much it had improved, he would only have time to take stock after the heavenly tribulation passed.
As the yin fire faded, Qin Sang reined in his thoughts and settled into meditation, awaiting the arrival of the next tribulation.
The bifeng wind tribulation arrived as anticipated, instantly tearing his Yin-Yang Armor to shreds.
This time, Qin Sang made a different choice from when he had faced the Nascent Soul heavenly tribulation: he took the initiative to open the jade Buddha's barrier, allowing the bifeng wind to scour his primordial spirit.
First, he had no worry about the inner demon tribulation; second, because *Golden Lotus of Fire Seeds* could not consume the Nanming Primordial Fire, the cultivation of his divine consciousness might stagnate before he found a suitable spiritual fire in the future, so he could not let slip any chance for improvement.
The bifeng wind was like steel knives scraping bone, blowing over every inch of his primordial spirit. The agony his physical body had just endured was now re-enacted upon his primordial spirit, and even more severely!
Qin Sang noticed one thing: though both were part of the Deity Transformation heavenly tribulation, the bifeng wind tribulation was distinctly more powerful than the yin fire tribulation!
He recalled that a similar situation had occurred during the Nascent Soul Tribulation. Among the Three Calamities, the lightning tribulation had been stronger than the first two calamities. When cultivators assaulted the Nascent Soul stage, they mainly guarded against the lightning tribulation and the inner demon tribulation; Yunyouzi had fallen beneath the two-color lightning tribulation.
He still had the capacity to think because his divine consciousness was already at the Deity Transformation level, meaning his primordial spirit's ability to resist calamity far surpassed that of his physical body.
"Yin fire burns the body, bifeng wind melts the soul... Do the Three Calamities correspond to essence, qi, and spirit? When condensing the Nascent Soul, refining essence into qi draws down the lightning tribulation; refining qi into spirit subjects one to the baptism of bifeng wind. In that case, when refining spirit to return to the void, will the yin fire tribulation also grow stronger?"
From this, Qin Sang thought of his own path of cultivation. *Having obtained the Golden Lotus of Fire Seeds, elevating my divine consciousness before Deity Transformation allowed me to benefit tremendously during the resonance between heaven and man, and my progress far outstripped my peers. If I extrapolate according to the pattern of the Three Calamities, will strengthening my physical body also produce miraculous effects when breaking through to the Void Refining stage?*
This thought flashed across his mind and was gone.
It was the crucial moment of his tribulation, and the Void Refining stage was still far away. Qin Sang did not dwell on it further, but a seed had already been planted in his heart, waiting to be verified in the future.
Calming his stray thoughts, Qin Sang guarded his mind inwardly, letting the bifeng wind scour his primordial spirit.
Enduring the knife-like agony, his primordial spirit was cleansed and tempered. Though it did not undergo the tremendous transformation of destruction followed by rebirth like the physical body, it still gained no small improvement.
Throughout this process, Qin Sang remained protected by the tribulation transcendence array.
The Ice-Fire Tokens spiraled in rotation, leaving phantom traces in the void as red and blue light flickered incessantly. Yet under Qin Sang's control, their luster was dimmer than before, and the power they displayed was less than during the yin fire tribulation.
As expected, he passed the bifeng wind tribulation without incident.
*Rumble...*
Dense dark clouds blanketed the high sky, echoing with continuous rolls of heavenly thunder.
On the perimeter, Shen Chen and the Dark Moon Guards all raised their heads to gaze at the heavy, dark clouds.
"Two of the Three Calamities have already passed!"
Several Dark Moon Guards wore complex expressions.
There had been no abnormal phenomena in the center of the heavenly tribulation. Their master had endured two calamities in succession seemingly with ease, so the lightning tribulation would likely pose no problem either.
However, passing the Three Calamities did not mean one could achieve Deity Transformation. As the saying went, "Ninety li is only half of a hundred-li journey"—the inner demon tribulation was the greatest hurdle.
Over countless years, countless cultivators had been weakened after struggling to resist the Three Calamities, only for inner demons to seize the opportunity and drag them into complete oblivion. A century ago, there had been a living example that left people sighing in regret.
They did not know whether they should hope for their master's success or failure.
If their master succeeded and kept his promise to dissolve the Dark Moon Seal for them, it might prove to be a fortunate encounter, exchanging centuries of servitude for sweetness after bitterness.
Shen Chen, naturally, hoped his master would succeed.
He had once been carefree and unrestrained until, because of a magic treasure, he was forcefully taken in as a disciple by this nominal master. He had thought his future was bleak and had pitied himself, never expecting that he would soar straight into the sky—not only achieving the Nascent Soul stage himself, but now about to become the disciple of a Deity Transformation cultivator!
The vicissitudes of fortune were truly unpredictable.
Whenever he recalled the experiences of these years, Shen Chen felt as if he were dreaming.
*Crack!*
An earth-shattering thunderclap snapped everyone out of their thoughts.
Dazzling lightning dispelled the gloom, painting heaven and earth in silver-white.
The might of the heavenly thunder left everyone trembling with dread, overcome with terror.
On Luye's main peak.
A black gleam flashed between Qin Sang's brows. The petals of the fire lotus opened layer upon layer, transforming into a flame dragon that soared upward against the heavenly thunder, its aura not yielding in the slightest!
*Boom!*
Silver serpent and black dragon collided high in the sky. Accompanied by an earth-shaking roar, terrifying energy rippled outward, forming a silver-and-black millstone above Qin Sang's head that radiated a violent aura and pressure.
Within it, red and blue radiance and the phantoms of tokens flickered continuously.
*The lightning tribulation is very strong!*
Qin Sang narrowed his eyes. The might of the lightning tribulation was comparable to the bifeng wind tribulation he had just experienced, showing no signs of diminishing.
In the future, when breaking through to the Void Refining stage, once the yin fire tribulation rose to an equal footing with the other two calamities, that would perhaps be the true Three Calamities tribulation!
Now it remained to be seen whether the lightning tribulation would undergo another abnormal mutation. That was what Qin Sang dreaded the most, and why he had spared no effort to forge the tribulation transcendence array—precisely to guard against such an event.
The Sun God Tree had already been summoned by Qin Sang and placed at his side to guard against unforeseen developments.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
...
Thunder shook heaven and earth, causing all living creatures across the wilderness to prostrate themselves.
Tribulation lightning fell like rain, wave after wave piercing through the void and crashing straight down!
With a solemn expression, Qin Sang rapidly shifted his seals. At times, he commanded the demonic fire to meet the lightning head-on; at other times, he drew the demonic fire back into the Mani Pearl, manifesting the Astral Fire Shield to withstand the tribulation lightning directly.
Meanwhile, a streak of sword light roamed beside him.
From time to time, the Jinchen Sword slashed out sword light, shattering tribulation lightning with its edge.
Even more striking was an exquisite butterfly resting before Qin Sang's chest, wandering through the sea of thunder seemingly at ease. Fluttering her wings gently, she was actually devouring the tribulation lightning!
She could not yet assist Qin Sang in resisting the heavenly tribulation, but the speed at which she devoured the tribulation lightning grew faster each time.
The secret of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly could not be leaked.
As soon as the lightning tribulation began, the incarnation had stood guard near Luye, strictly forbidding anyone from approaching, including Shen Chen. Everyone had no choice but to obey, continuing their patrols in the distance and judging whether Qin Sang's tribulation was proceeding smoothly by watching the shifts in the tribulation clouds.
Across heaven and earth, arcs of tribulation lightning hung like lengths of silk, creating a forest of azure thunder.
The tribulation transcendence array, along with the ice pillars and fire pearls, shook and flickered. The Ice-Fire Tokens spinning around Qin Sang developed cracks, letting out groans under the unbearable strain.
After this heavenly tribulation, all forty-nine Ice-Fire Tokens would be destroyed!
Qin Sang paid the Ice-Fire Tokens no heed. Sensing the shifts in his true essence, he looked up at the tribulation clouds.
Although the tribulation lightning was fierce, beneath the dual defense of the demonic fire and the Astral Fire Shield, Qin Sang remained unharmed. Closely observing the tribulation clouds, he noticed that the power of the lightning within them had begun to converge. According to past experience, it was brewing the final, strongest strike!
*The power of the lightning tribulation seems to have... had no abnormal mutation, which means I have already been recognized by the Heavenly Dao of this world!*
Watching the constantly twisting and shifting tribulation clouds, Qin Sang finally dispelled the hidden worry in his heart. His gaze hardened slightly. Without utilizing the Sun God Tree, he pinched an incantation seal, and the demonic fire entangling the tribulation lightning surged back, submerging into the Mani Pearl.
With the Astral Fire Shield protecting his body, the Ice-Fire Tokens spun rapidly against its surface.
At that moment, the remaining thunderous might of the tribulation clouds converged into the most powerful tribulation bolt, turning into a massive pillar of lightning. Azure radiance surged magnificently, drawing forth heaven-and-earth primordial qi dense enough to trigger a spiritual tide, entirely submerging Qin Sang and Luye's main peak!
Shen Chen, the Dark Moon Guards, and the others fixed their gazes on Luye, eager to know the result.
The instant the tribulation clouds dispersed, Qin Sang's true body and incarnation smiled at the same time.
Fortunately, he had the jade Buddha. Having passed the Three Calamities, he had essentially succeeded in breaking through.
The next moment, the smile on Qin Sang's face abruptly froze.
The instant the Three Calamities concluded, he not only underwent the infusion of primordial qi into his body, but also drew closer to the Great Dao of heaven and earth. In the unseen depths, many enlightenments arose within him, and his perception of heaven and earth grew clearer; he was stepping into the ranks of Deity Transformation.
With no inner demon tribulation, everything should have gone smoothly.
Unexpectedly, at this very moment, an eerie, demonic voice abruptly rushed into his ears. It carried endless madness—its origin indiscernible, yet incomparably clear.
Shrill shrieks? Roars? Murmurs?
The demonic voice was too chaotic, filled with unimaginable madness and harboring immense horror. In all his life, Qin Sang had never heard such a sound.
The mere sound sent a chill down Qin Sang's spine, filling him with dread!
"The inner demon tribulation!"
Qin Sang's first reaction was that the jade Buddha's ability had reached its limit and could no longer suppress his inner demon tribulation; the demonic voice might be a manifestation of inner demons.
However, he did not panic.
Through hundreds of years of cultivation, even though Qin Sang had not deliberately tempered his heart, he believed his temperament was not weak—at least, not fragile enough to shatter at a single touch. Moreover, even if the jade Buddha could not fully suppress the inner demon tribulation, it would certainly help stabilize his mind. Compared to others, he still enjoyed a unique advantage.
Yet Qin Sang soon realized something was wrong.
It seemed... the demonic voice did not come from an inner demon tribulation!
He was incomparably lucid, his perception of the outside world crystal clear. More importantly, although he felt madness from the demonic voice, he was not influenced by it; his spiritual altar remained clear and bright.
It was merely as if someone were clamoring noisily in his ear, causing annoyance; by simply ignoring it, his mind would not be tainted by the madness.
Although Qin Sang had never experienced an inner demon tribulation, he had read predecessors' descriptions of it in various ancient records. They had encountered all kinds of illusions in their tribulations, and some had even lived through several cycles of reincarnation within inner demon illusions before transcending them!
Yet no one's inner demon tribulation had ever been as bizarre as his.
Without seeking a breakthrough through the weaknesses of his character—such as obsessions or regrets—did the Heavenly Dao of this world really think a few strange shrieks in his ear could make his consciousness sink into oblivion? That would be utterly ridiculous!
"Could it be..."
Qin Sang examined himself repeatedly, finally confirming that this most likely was not his inner demon tribulation, but...
Qin Sang abruptly looked up, staring into the depths of the firmament.
Eliminating all other causes, only one possibility remained. Even if it seemed absurd and inconceivable, Qin Sang had no choice but to believe it.
The next moment, the incarnation's low shout rang in the ears of Shen Chen and the others: "Retreat, quickly!"
The shout was exceptionally grave.
A foreboding premonition seized everyone, but even more so, confusion.
That the external incarnation could give orders at this moment indicated that Qin Sang's true body had already broken free from the inner demons and successfully broken through. Why were his tone and order so strange?
Not daring to overthink it, everyone obeyed and rushed back to Luye. Before they could clearly see what was happening on the main peak, they felt the ground beneath them tremble. The grand formation of Luye restarted, vanishing into nothingness and fleeing into the distance at top speed.
The incarnation stood on Luye's main peak with a solemn expression, gazing toward the north. At his feet lay the depleted tribulation transcendence array, its power completely spent. The true body was already nowhere to be seen.
At this moment.
Qin Sang's true body had already manifested his phoenix wings, holding nothing back as he flew northward at maximum speed.
He still could not bring himself to believe that conjecture. He wondered whether his luck was simply poor and he had chosen the wrong place to face the tribulation, perhaps awakening some unknown slumbering entity nearby and causing a disaster.
His true body and incarnation fled in separate directions, just in case.
A streak of lightning raced through the mountains, flashing several times before clearing the mountain range and flying across layer upon layer of wilderness and hills faster than a shooting star.
Qin Sang was already in the Deity Transformation stage, and his flight speed had increased accordingly. Yet he was in no mood to examine the changes within himself; he urgently needed to figure out what was going on with this demonic voice.
The scenery of forests and wilderness flew backward behind him.
He flew until he was ten thousand li away from the place of tribulation.
The demonic voice persisted as before, showing not the slightest sign of weakening.
*Swish!*
Qin Sang flew all the way into the North Sea, landing on an uninhabited island, his expression shifting erratically.
It was now certain: the demonic voice did not merely affect that one area. At the very least, the entire Northern Wilderness was blanketed by it, and only Deity Transformation cultivators experiencing the resonance between heaven and man could "hear" it!
Chapter 1711