Chapter 231 - 227: Fang Hua Crossing the Tribulation

Du Youqian raised his cup and smiled. "Although I lent you a hand, you’ve made it this far mostly through your own efforts."

With Du Youqian’s words setting the tone, the atmosphere immediately livened up.

It was clear Du Youqian had no intention of demanding repayment for his favor, or he wouldn’t have said, "mostly through your own efforts."

Before coming, Shen Miao had been filled with apprehension, afraid Du Youqian would ask him to do something detrimental to the Zhongxuan Sect’s interests.

’It seems I was the one being petty.’

In fact, it was obvious if one thought about it.

As a True Inheritor of the Holy Blood Sect, Du Youqian’s personal forces already far surpassed those of a Fourth-class Sect.

How could he possibly covet the petty profits of a Fourth-class Sect?

After a period of idle chat and catching up, Shen Miao subtly brought up his intention to make a push for Core Formation.

However, the Zhongxuan Sect had someone attempt Core Formation forty years ago, an effort that had exhausted a century’s worth of the Sect’s accumulated resources. He hoped to pull some strings through Du Youqian, asking for permission for the Zhongxuan Sect to purchase a Core Formation Spiritual Object on credit.

Du Youqian could only say he was unable to help.

However, he didn’t let Shen Miao leave empty-handed either.

"If someone in your sect is willing to form a Fake Pill, I can approve your request to purchase a Tier Three Demon Core on credit."

Shen Miao was overjoyed, but then hesitated. "Is... is that really okay?"

He meant that, after all, the Zhongxuan Sect belonged to the Profound Sects Orthodox Camp, which was different from the Holy Blood Sect’s camp.

Du Youqian smiled faintly. "It’s a trivial matter."

’Yes, all this talk of camps is trivial in the eyes of the upper echelons.’

Approving the purchase of a Tier Three Demon Core was also a trivial matter for the upper echelons.

As for who qualified as the upper echelons?

’I am now an Elder and True Inheritance Core Formation Master of the Holy Blood Sect. Humble as I may be, I am indeed one of the Holy Blood Sect’s upper echelons.’

With the matter settled, Shen Miao was completely satisfied, his worries lifted.

After chatting for a while longer, Shen Miao took out a book. "Oh, by the way, Master, I thought you might be interested in this, so I took the liberty of bringing it."

Du Youqian took the book and saw the words *Sanlitang Notes* on the cover.

He glanced at the author: "Sanli Hall Wanderer."

"Who is this?"

Shen Miao said, "The former Regent King of the Han Kingdom, Yang Wenwan."

He glanced at Du Youqian’s expression, but Du Youqian was inscrutable, revealing nothing.

Shen Miao continued to explain, "After Yang Wenwan died, his great-grandson, Yang Shiyuan, forced the Han Kingdom’s Emperor to abdicate, establishing a new dynasty. Perhaps because they knew you were backing the Yang Family, the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion gave no instructions. Naturally, our Zhongxuan Sect didn’t interfere either and let things run their course."

"Yang Wenwan was posthumously named Ancestor Gao. However, this book he wrote during his lifetime, the *Sanlitang Notes*, contains too much taboo content, so it has only ever circulated in small circles and was never published on a large scale."

’Taboo content? Taboo to whom?’

Du Youqian rubbed the book’s cover and, after a moment, said, "You’ve been very thoughtful."

That night, he began to read the *Sanlitang Notes*.

The book was a summary of Yang Wenwan’s life. It began with his youthful ambitions to serve his country, his studies for the imperial examinations, and his entry into officialdom.

It covered his fortuitous encounter that allowed him to learn Superior Martial Arts and become an Innate Grandmaster.

Then, it detailed the half a lifetime he spent at war, leading the Three States against the Jin Kingdom.

It also described the great upheaval of his old age: his arrest and imprisonment, the near-annihilation of his family, and the collapse of the Governor’s Mansion. Finally, it told of his rescue by an Immortal Master, a spectacular comeback that led to him becoming the Regent King.

He also spent a great deal of time on self-analysis and justification, claiming he never wanted to be a powerful minister and had only wished to do his duty. But in his later years, he had no choice but to fight for power, as not holding it meant risking death and the destruction of his clan at any moment.

A considerable portion of the book also mentioned Du Youqian—some of it recorded events concerning Qiu Yuanqing, with a few mentions of Yu Fei as well.

It was clear that Yang Wenwan had been proud his entire life to have made a friend like Qiu Yuanqing...

As for the book’s taboo content, Du Youqian now understood.

In his later years, Yang Wenwan had gained some understanding of the world’s true nature. He realized that the war against the Jin Kingdom, to which he had dedicated half his life, was nothing but a farce—merely the reckless actions of a few Demon Sect Cultivators stirring up conflict to refine a Demon Artifact.

In the *Sanlitang Notes*, Yang Wenwan had lamented: "The world does not belong to the people of the world; it belongs to the Immortal Sects! The Immortal Masters are cruel, treating the common folk as nothing more than sacrificial dogs!"

’No wonder it could only circulate in small circles.’

If this were to spread and everyone in the world learned the truth...

...it would actually have little impact.

The Immortal Sects were high and mighty, hidden among the clouds, and almost never interfered directly in mortal affairs.

If mortals harbored resentment toward the Immortal Sects... even if they were willing to risk life and limb to pull an Immortal from their high horse...

...they would first have to find where the Immortal Sects were.

Could they find them?

Of course not.

* * *

Not long after Shen Miao returned, his mission a success, Wu Siyuan finally broke through and became an Artifact Refining Master.

He excitedly bid farewell to Du Youqian and returned to the Zhongxuan Sect.

Soon after, the Zhongxuan Sect applied for a promotion in status. Du Youqian put in a good word with someone from the Taihe Sect, so the review process went smoothly for the Zhongxuan Sect, and the promotion was easily granted.

The Zhongxuan Sect was successfully promoted to a Third-class Sect.

It could be said that the Zhongxuan Sect’s decade-plus investment in "Qiu Yuanqing" had already yielded returns far exceeding their initial outlay.

Those Foundation Establishment Pills and Dragon Kui Purple Extreme Pills, so precious to the Zhongxuan Sect... were a trivial matter to the current Du Youqian. He could earn enough to buy them back in just a few months.

And that wasn’t even counting his training of Wu Siyuan into a Tier Three Artifact Refining Master. The Elixirs and Cultivation Techniques he had bestowed upon Shen Miao alone over the years were worth far more than the resources the Zhongxuan Sect had given him.

Furthermore, approving the Zhongxuan Sect’s purchase of a Demon Core on credit was an intangible return that dozens of Foundation Establishment Pills could not buy.

His decisive choice to reincarnate back then was, in the long run, not only a major advancement for him but also a massive net benefit for the Zhongxuan Sect.

With this matter concluded, Du Youqian had finally resolved an issue that had weighed on his mind for over a century. He felt as if his heart was a clear, boundless sky, utterly serene.

As for who in the Zhongxuan Sect would use the Demon Core to attempt to form a Fake Pill, that was no longer his concern.

His past with the Zhongxuan Sect was now severed. Debts of gratitude and resentment had been repaid, and there was no need for any further entanglement.

Another year drifted by peacefully.

On this day, above Du Youqian’s residence, dragons and tigers converged as dark clouds gathered, thick with killing intent.

The disciples of the Holy Blood Sect who witnessed this began to discuss it amongst themselves.

"Who’s undergoing Core Formation this time?"

"Judging by the direction, it must be coming from Master You De’s residence. I heard Master You De has an unparalleled, beautiful Sword Attendant who began her attempt at Core Formation several years ago. It looks like she’s reached the final stage and is about to face her tribulation."

"I wonder if she’ll be able to pass the Heart Demon Tribulation."

"Junior Brother, you must be joking. Is there any Sword Cultivator in this world who can’t pass a Heart Demon Tribulation?"

What they didn’t know, however, was that Fang Hua was not purely a Sword Cultivator.

For a Sword Cultivator, passing the Heart Demon Tribulation was as easy as eating or drinking. However, a Sword Cultivator’s Core Formation was also different from that of an ordinary Cultivator.

Inside the secret chamber.

Fine beads of sweat trickled down Fang Hua’s fair face, like pearls rolling across white jade.

She suddenly opened her eyes, which held a hint of relief at having survived a great danger.

’So close... I was so close to being trapped in the Heart Demon Tribulation.’

Thinking about what she experienced during the Heart Demon Tribulation, a blush spread across her pretty face.

But she quickly cast aside such distracting thoughts, roused her spirits, and walked outside with her sword in hand.

The sky seemed to hang heavy, as if it were about to collapse.

Within the oppressive black clouds, a terrifying energy was brewing.

The Tribulation Thunder was about to descend!

Fang Hua, who had been a little worried, looked up and happened to meet Du Youqian’s gentle, encouraging gaze. All her anxiety instantly vanished.

She smiled faintly as her Flying Sword left her hand, cleaving fiercely toward the sky.

’So what if it’s Tribulation Thunder?’

’With a sword in hand, there is only advance, never retreat!’

Watching Fang Hua heroically challenge the Tribulation Thunder, Du Youqian couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

Although Fang Hua was not purely a Sword Cultivator, she shared some of their traits.

For instance, her dauntless courage, her fierce diligence, her single-minded focus, and her unwavering determination.

And, for example, her tendency to draw her sword and cut people down when reasoning failed. Once the person asking the question was dead, the question naturally disappeared...

Just as Du Youqian’s attention wandered for a moment, Fang Hua had already passed through the first three waves of the Thunder Tribulation.

She had yet to use any Treasures to withstand the Thunder Tribulation, relying only on her physical body and a single Flying Sword.

Amidst the crackling lightning and roaring thunder, her skin was as white as porcelain, almost demonic in its perfection.

Although she was locked in a desperate struggle, fighting for her life against the heavens, her expression was not one of gritted teeth or contorted fury. She remained serene, with only a sharp Sword Intent gleaming in her beautiful eyes.

With her robes fluttering, she looked less like a transcendent, serene fairy, detached from the mortal world, and more like a Witch, exuding a strange and captivating charm.

Du Youqian was full of confidence in her, not only because his earlier Divination had resulted in a sign of "Great Fortune."

It was also because Fang Hua’s performance was far from desperate; she still seemed to have strength to spare.

Only when the sixth wave of Tribulation Thunder descended did Fang Hua finally begin to struggle. She threw out the Defensive Treasure Du Youqian had lent her, no longer taking the Tribulation Thunder on with just her physical body.