It had only been a few days?
Less than four days! And Bai Ruoxi had already reached Core Formation?
Even Mu Zhi'an felt a pang of jealousy.
He had excellent talent, but it had come at a cost.
Heaven's Envy had granted him rapid cultivation progress, but it had also shortened his lifespan.
Bai Ruoxi, however, had suffered no such penalty, and her progress was astonishing.
She's the one with the protagonist's script.
He thought back to their countless nights together, her dedication to her cultivation, her beautiful smile… He felt a bit better.
Well, she might have reached Core Formation, but I deserve at least a third of the credit.
Her rapid progress was partly due to their dual cultivation.
"So, what's your Core Formation ability?" he asked curiously.
She looked at him, her eyes soft and loving, about to answer, when a thunderous boom echoed through the sky, interrupting them.
She turned to look out the window. The clear blue sky had been replaced by dark, swirling clouds.
Thunder roared, lightning crackled, a sense of foreboding filling the air.
"Heavenly Tribulation," Mu Zhi'an murmured.
Cultivation was a defiance of Heaven's will. Typically, the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment realms were still within the realm of "mortals" and wouldn't trigger a tribulation.
But Core Formation… it marked the beginning of true cultivation.
Cultivators with exceptional talent would face a tribulation with every breakthrough.
Some geniuses even faced a tribulation with every minor advancement.
Clearly, Bai Ruoxi belonged to that category.
Mu Zhi'an stared at the swirling clouds, his expression grave.
He had never witnessed a Heavenly Tribulation, but judging by the destructive aura emanating from those clouds, it wouldn't be easy to overcome.
Bai Ruoxi, however, remained calm, her gaze fixed on the approaching clouds. She looked at him, smiling. "Wait for me here. I'll be back soon."
In the past, she might have been worried, but she was different now.
She was confident in her ability to overcome this tribulation.
He watched her leave, then, after a moment of contemplation, followed her, finding Wei Mengrou standing in the courtyard.
They exchanged glances, and before he could even speak, she summoned her flying sword. "Come with me."
She understands me. He nodded, wrapping his arms around her waist, and they soared into the sky, following Bai Ruoxi, who was heading towards the city gates.
…
At the Rising Phoenix Inn, Lan Mulian sat on her bed, meditating, her eyes closed.
The room was filled with refined spiritual energy, flowing into her, her cultivation speed rivaling Bai Ruoxi's, despite not having the Heavenly Dao Aura.
She frowned, sensing something, and opened her eyes.
She glanced towards the window, her gaze fixed on a distant point.
"A Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation?" she murmured, her eyes widening with surprise.
Someone in Tianxuan City had reached Core Formation?
After a moment of contemplation, she raised her hand, summoning a cloud.
She stepped onto the cloud and flew towards the city gates.
…
At the Ye Manor, Ye Yu opened his eyes, feeling the surge of power within him, his breakthrough to the second level of Foundation Establishment complete. He clenched his fists, a surge of excitement coursing through him.
To advance so quickly… such talent was rare, even in the world of cultivation.
It was no wonder he was so thrilled.
After the entrance exams, Bai Ruoxi would definitely regret breaking off their engagement!
Mu Zhi'an only had the Mu family's resources. His potential, however, was limitless. She would soon realize who was truly worthy of her!
But even if she regretted her decision, he wouldn't accept her back.
He thought of her beautiful face, a mixture of anger and jealousy swirling within him.
She had been staying at the Mu Manor almost every day, and judging by their behavior at the sparring arena, she was probably his woman now.
He clenched his fists, his anger burning.
He had to endure, to bide his time, until he could reveal his true power at the entrance exams!
He was about to resume his meditation when the old man in his body exclaimed, "A Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation?!"
He looked towards the window and saw a mass of dark clouds gathering in the distance, a destructive aura emanating from them.
Someone was facing a tribulation!
It had been so long since a cultivator in Tianxuan City had reached Core Formation.
And judging by the terrifying pressure emanating from those clouds, the person facing this tribulation was a true genius.
Who could it be?
An older cultivator wouldn't trigger such a powerful tribulation. It had to be someone young, someone with exceptional talent.
Gongsun Cheng? Huang Manting? Or… Bai Ruoxi?
Gongsun Cheng and Huang Manting were only at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment. They couldn't have reached the peak so quickly.
…
The Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation drew the attention of countless cultivators, including the spies from the Gongsun family and the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce.
Mu Zhi'an, escorted by Wei Mengrou, followed Bai Ruoxi, but they kept their distance.
Approaching a Heavenly Tribulation would only increase its power, and they would both be targeted. It would be suicide.
A massive vortex formed in the sky, lightning crackling at its center, its power building.
"Did you face a tribulation when you reached Core Formation, Mengrou?" Mu Zhi'an asked, watching Bai Ruoxi, who stood beneath the swirling clouds, her sword at her side.
"Yes, but not like this." Wei Mengrou frowned, staring at Bai Ruoxi.
"Six layers…"
Core Formation tribulations weren't usually this terrifying. Two or three bolts of lightning were considered the limit.
And the destructive power increased with each strike.
The maximum was six.
What had Bai Ruoxi experienced? What path had she chosen to trigger such a powerful tribulation?
"Heh, It would be amusing if she perished," a voice drawled.
Gongsun Cheng, holding his folding fan, watched Bai Ruoxi with a hint of malicious glee in his eyes.
He noticed Mu Zhi'an's gaze and smiled. "Don't misunderstand, Young Master Mu. I naturally hope Miss Bai overcomes this tribulation. But with such power, who can guarantee there won't be any accidents?"
He wasn't worried about Mu Zhi'an or Wei Mengrou attacking him here. The examiner was nearby. If they tried to harm him, she would intervene.
Mu Zhi'an smiled. "If she perished, I would be heartbroken."
"Then you'll have to accept your fate, Young Master Mu."
"And you'll have to accept yours," Mu Zhi'an retorted.
Threatening me? Gongsun Cheng chuckled inwardly.
His father had told him that Mu Zhi'an was a rational man, motivated by self-interest.
Even if Bai Ruoxi died, he would simply be angry.
He wouldn't risk a war with the Gongsun family over a few words, allowing other families to take advantage.
It wasn't his style.
"Young Master Mu—"
"Get lost," Mu Zhi'an interrupted, his voice cold.
Gongsun Cheng's expression darkened. "We're both young masters, Mu Zhi'an. That's no way to speak to me."
"Get out of here. Ten miles. If you don't want to leave gracefully, I can help you." Mu Zhi'an glanced at him, his gaze chilling.
You and what army? Gongsun Cheng wanted to retort, but he noticed Wei Mengrou's cold stare and swallowed his words.
While his father had warned him not to provoke Mu Zhi'an, he still felt a surge of resentment. Why should he be treated like this by someone younger than him?
Under Wei Mengrou's icy gaze, he reluctantly retreated.
He knew that as long as she didn't kill him, the examiner wouldn't interfere.
By the time this minor drama ended, a crowd of cultivators had gathered, their eyes fixed on Bai Ruoxi, their voices buzzing with excitement.
"It's been so long since we've seen a Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation. Miss Bai isn't even twenty, is she? And she was only at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment a few days ago. Such talent… she's unrivaled among her peers."
"I've witnessed a tribulation before, but its power it was nothing compared to this."
"Even the examiner has arrived. It seems she holds Miss Bai in high regard."
"She's probably the first of her generation to reach Core Formation. She's destined for greatness."
They watched Bai Ruoxi, their voices filled with awe and envy.
Those who had harbored hopes of pursuing her, they were now filled with a sense of helplessness, their dreams shattered.
"If she survives this tribulation, that Mu family young master, he'll be a lucky man. A Core Formation Dao Companion, young and beautiful, serving him even at that level."
The crowd murmured, their gazes fixed on Mu Zhi'an, their envy palpable.
"The first bolt is coming!"
The vortex in the sky rippled, and a blinding flash of golden light erupted, a massive bolt of lightning streaking down like a golden dragon.
The terrifying power, the deafening roar, made the cultivators tremble.
A Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation, it was this powerful?
Bai Ruoxi, however, didn't flinch. She summoned her mysterious bronze sword.
She channeled her spiritual energy, the sword hovering before her, then, with a flick of her wrist, she slashed, splitting the lightning bolt in two.
"It's the sword she used to defeat Gongsun Cheng!" someone exclaimed.
"That first bolt was probably stronger than Gongsun Cheng… The second one… even two Gongsun Chengs wouldn't be able to withstand it."
They chattered excitedly, Gongsun Cheng now their unit of measurement.
Mu Zhi'an watched as Bai Ruoxi soared into the sky, her bronze sword aimed at the swirling clouds.
He sensed something unusual.
She wasn't trying to defend against the tribulation. She was trying to stop the lightning!
*Boom!*
As the second bolt descended, she simply raised her sleeve, a golden chain shooting out, forming a net that intercepted the lightning.
I've never seen her use that chain before. Is that her Core Formation ability? he wondered.
She flew towards the clouds, her bronze sword slashing through the third bolt of lightning.
She then flicked her wrist, sending the sword hurtling towards the clouds, where it shattered the fourth and fifth bolts.
Finally, the sword pierced the vortex, and the sixth bolt, unable to form, dissipated.
No, it didn't dissipate. The essence of the tribulation, it was absorbed by the sword!
But to the onlookers, it simply seemed like the sword had destroyed the tribulation.
A ray of sunlight shone through the gap in the clouds.
The crowd fell silent, staring at Bai Ruoxi, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief.
Six layers of tribulation, overcome so easily?
Mu Zhi'an stared at her, her figure graceful and ethereal, a strange feeling washing over him.
He had suspected she might be the protagonist, and now, witnessing this incredible display of power, he was almost certain. Ye Yu wasn't the Chosen One. She was.
She was the Heaven's Chosen Heroine.
Then the question was if she was the protagonist, what was his role?
Could it be the heroine? He chuckled inwardly, half-joking.
He opened his personal interface and saw the "Supporting Character" label, its pink, heart-shaped frame now a deeper shade, almost red.
What does this heart mean? He pondered, his brow furrowing.
Before he could dwell on it, Bai Ruoxi descended towards him, her tribulation over.
He pushed those thoughts aside and greeted her, his voice filled with concern. "Are you alright?"
She nodded, smiling. "It was just a few bolts of lightning. Nothing I couldn't handle."
He nodded, relieved.
He could sense that her aura was stable, her energy flowing smoothly.
"That chain you used is that your Core Formation ability?" he asked.
She glanced at Lan Mulian, who was watching them from atop a cloud, then looked back at him, nodding.
"It's not appropriate to discuss it here. I'll tell you when we return."
"…."
He stared at the clouds, his voice barely a whisper. "Bai Ruoxi's tribulation?"
She had reached Core Formation in just a few days?
He rushed out of the manor, heading towards the city gates.