At this time, the Zhenshan Sect, from the sect master down to the lowest disciple, were nervously looking at Le Qing on the top of the mountain in the distance.
'Martial Uncle, why were you in such a hurry?'
Sect Master Wu Hao was extremely anxious, and he also hated himself for being so stupid.
'Why did I tell Martial Uncle Le Qing that Ancestor Du Heng was seriously injured and would not live long?'
'With Martial Uncle's talent, he would definitely be able to successfully pass the tribulation in another hundred years. There was no need to rush.'
'If anything happens to Martial Uncle, I'll never forgive myself.'
But despite his inner turmoil, Wu Hao couldn't voice his fears. Instead, he kept reassuring the others:
"Martial Uncle Le Qing is blessed by fate. After today, our Zhenshan Sect will welcome a new Ancestor!"
As soon as Sect Master Wu finished speaking, a lightning bolt struck, His ribs were exposed, and even his beating heart was visible.
"Ah…!"
The Zhenshan Sect's disciples gasped, their hearts in their throats.
'What should we do?'
'The tribulation was only halfway through, and Elder Le Qing already seemed… on the verge of collapse!'
"Important characters always make their entrance at the critical moment!"
Mingting flew into the air and transformed back to his true form.
With a crisp Phoenix cry, a golden-red fire Phoenix appeared before everyone's eyes.
The heavenly tribulation seemed to sense Mingting's intentions… the thunder roared louder, the lightning grew fiercer, and countless bolts gathered, brewing for a final devastating strike.
"What's that Phoenix doing?! It's flying straight toward Elder Le Qing!"
"Stop! Is it trying to take advantage of his weakness?"
"Damn these demonic beasts! If that demonic beast dares harm Elder Le Qing now, I swear I'll slaughter every demonic beast I see from this day forth!"
At this moment, relations between humans and demonic beasts were extremely tense. Even though Phoenixes were considered auspicious in folklore, the sudden appearance of a Phoenix still made the Zhenshan Sect very worried, fearing it meant harm to their elder.
On the contrary, Le Qing had already accepted his fate. He'd mentally prepared himself for death.
'I was too reckless…' He thought bitterly, 'I thought I could push through to Divine Transformation in one go, but instead, I've become a joke… and now I'll die here.'
Le Qing looked at the Phoenix flying closer and closer, and did not panic like others.
He could see the worry and determination in the Phoenix's eyes clearly. He knew it wasn't here to hurt him. Instead, it wanted to help.
Le Qing waved weakly at Mingting, "Little Phoenix, this is not the place for you to play. Go somewhere else, or you might get hurt…"
The elegant man smiled despite being drenched in blood, his left shoulder reduced to nothing but a few exposed bones. If not for his still-intact face, he could've starred in a horror film.
Mingting landed beside Le Qing, spreading his wings to shield him, then raised his head and let out a defiant cry toward the sky.
'This is the man I'm protecting. Heaven, give me some face!'
"Look! That Phoenix is here to help Elder Le Qing!"
"Incredible! As expected of a divine beast!"
The same Zhenshan Sect's disciples who'd just cursed Mingting as a monster were now overflowing with gratitude. Some even began praying fervently, hoping the Phoenix would be strong enough to help Yieqing survive his tribulation.
"Little Phoenix, thank you for helping me. But this is my tribulation."
"If Heaven senses outside interference, it'll only grow angrier, gathering even more power for the final strike. You won't survive it! Leave now, before it's too late."
Le Qing tried to persuade Mingting.
"Stop wasting breath… here it comes!"
Mingting had just finished speaking when a thick, blinding silver bolt of lightning split the dark clouds, hurtling straight toward them.
[Boss, be careful!] Fengtian couldn't help but cover his eyes.
Crack…
The lightning struck Mingting, and the originally gorgeous wings instantly turned black. folded them tightly around Le Qing, shielding him completely. Half a second later, another bolt descended.
[Boss, didn't you say that the Heaven and Earth are your parents? Why is the Heavenly Dao treating you like this?]
Having followed Mingting through two worlds, Fengtian had never seen him in such a sorry state.
The tribulation lightning struck Mingting again and again, back, his back, his wings. The once-magnificent fire Phoenix now looked like a patchwork of red and black, as ugly as a wild pheasant.
'This… is called the 'suffering gambit'…'
Mingting endured the strikes meant for Le Qing, and the last three bolts of lightning set his beautiful tail feathers ablaze.
'Oh no, I overdid it!' After one final strike to the head, Mingting coughed out a plume of smoke, "My feathers… ah, my feathers… ruined…"
After saying this, Mingting swayed unsteadily, and finally fell to the ground. Then, with a 'bang', his body burst into flames.
The raging fire consumed him in an instant.
Even as Le Qing desperately tried to pull him out, without caring of the burns, it was too late.
"Little Phoenix! Little Phoenix!"
Le Qing felt no joy in his successful ascension to Divine Transformation. He frantically sifted through the ashes and finally found a pitch-black egg, about the size of a pomelo.
[Boss! Boss…] Fengtian wanted to cry but had no tears.
'What the hell just happened?'
'Why did Boss turn into an egg?'
"Is this… a Phoenix's rebirth?"
Le Qing had only heard legends of the Phoenix's cyclical rebirth, and this was the first time he saw a Phoenix, so he wasn't entirely sure if Mingting had undergone the Phoenix's rebirth.
At this time, the tribulation had ended. The dark clouds dispersed, and the sun shone once more.
A nourishing rain infused with spiritual energy poured from the sky, revitalizing all living things.
Le Qing's body healed instantly, and his aura surged with newfound power. He carefully cradled the egg, and with a wave of his right hand, his clothes were restored.
"Congratulations, Ancestor Le Qing!"
Sect Master Wu was overjoyed.
Afterwards, countless disciples of Zhenshan Sect knelt in reverence, chanting in unison, "Congratulations to the Ancestor! May the Ancestor's divine blessings be eternal, his life as enduring as the heavens!"
Other sects had been closely monitoring Zhenshan Sect's developments. Upon hearing that they'd gained another Divine Transformation Ancestor, many were consumed by envy.
Originally, each major sect only had one Divine Transformation Ancestor.
Zhenshan Sect's Ancestor, Du Heng, was the oldest and had once suffered severe injuries. He had been in seclusion for many years, so some people said that Du Heng was nearing the end of his lifespan and wouldn't last much longer.
Everyone originally thought that if Du Heng died, they would simply squeeze Zhenshan Sect out and divide up their resources among themselves.
But who would have thought that Le Qing would successfully break through today.
The Zhenshan Sect now had two Divine Transformation Ancestors!
In an instant, they'd gone from being the weakest link to the undisputed top sect, leaving the other sects in the dust. The delicate balance of power among the six major sects had been completely shattered.
Moreover, the news that a Phoenix had aided Le Qing during his tribulation only deepened their jealousy.
Phoenixes were legendary divine beasts, said to possess profound spiritual wisdom.
If even a Phoenix had intervened on Le Qing's behalf, did that mean Le Qing's potential extended beyond Divine Transformation? Could he follow in the footsteps of the ancients from a thousand years ago and ascend to the Immortal Realm?
In the current Cultivation World, no one has ascended for thousands of years, and even the ancestors of Tianji Tower can't divine the reason.
Le Qing's breakthrough rekindled a glimmer of hope in many hearts.
Regardless of the speculation outside, Zhenshan Sect was awash in celebration.
Another Divine Transformation Ancestor meant another unshakable pillar of support. In a world where strength dictated everything, an Ancestor was the most prestigious signboard a sect could have.
Le Qing left the tedious arrangements for his ascension ceremony to Sect Master Wu and hurried back to his Xiaoyun Peak with the Phoenix egg in hand.
"Little Phoenix, are you alright?"
Staring at the charred egg, Le Qing was deeply worried.
If it wasn't for saving him, the Little Phoenix wouldn't have ended up in this state.
The debt of gratitude he owed today was immeasurable!
Meanwhile, Mingting was soaking in the soft and fragrant warm liquid at this time. His eyes were closed as he focused on repairing his body.
Only now was he beginning to understand the benefits of the tribulation.
On the surface, it seemed like the Heavenly Dao had punished him harshly for interfering, striking him again and again. But in truth, every bolt of lightning had tempered his bones and spirit.
And these benefits weren't limited to his current Phoenix form, but they also enhanced Mingting's original spiritual body.
'So this is the advantage of the Cultivation World!'
Mingting couldn't help but scheme, 'How many people in this world are attempting the Divine Transformation tribulation? Maybe I could charge a fee and offer my services, using their tribulations to further refine my body?'
'That is really a good way to kill two birds with one stone!'