Chapter 242: Lian Shengyue Who Creates Miracles

Immortal Gate, Bliss Immortal Peak. Riding a beam of light, Lian Shengyue sped along, carefully sensing the surging qi destiny within her body nourishing her divine powers. She simply could no longer hold back her smile.

"It seems Master still cares for me."

She felt rather smug.

It made sense. That bitch You Xuexin had been refined into a protector wisdom consort, and as for that Dousheng, his cultivation was entirely locked—what future could he possibly have?

Compared to them, she had successfully cultivated a Major Divine Ability and passed two tribulations in a row. Reaching the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer was only a matter of time, and she even had hope of attaining Qi Refining. If Master didn't nurture her, who else was there? Clearly, Master's future legacy would undoubtedly be hers to inherit!

At this thought, Lian Shengyue smiled even more brightly.

Even so, she didn't rush back to her Cave Abode. Instead, she sped along before taking a detour, floating down into the depths of a mountain forest.

'Will anyone come?'

Lian Shengyue's smile vanished, her beautiful face turning cold. She had set this place up in advance, burying a killing formation that she had dismantled from her Cave Abode.

'I can't underestimate the Immortal Gate's disciples. Even if they're only inner sect disciples, seeing me earn such a massive sum of dharma currency at Dao Proving Mountain will surely tempt them to harbor malicious intentions.'

In the past, the threat of soul-searching kept cultivators honest. No one dared to rebel against their superiors or ambush a True Transmission. But ever since the Five Thieves Heaven-Stealing Series spread, the Immortal Gate suffered a total breakdown of moral order and was no longer what it once was. As long as an inner sect disciple covered their face, they would absolutely dare to ambush and kill a true transmission disciple halfway.

Although Lian Shengyue was smug, she was not careless.

She had specially prepared this grand array and overtly flaunted her flight just to bait them, hoping to make another fortune on the side.

'Those at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer know how powerful Master is and won't dare try to kill me.'

'As for the inner sect disciples at the Tribulation Transcending Second Layer, there are always some ignorant fools. But as long as they dare to show up, I'll just use this grand array to slaughter them!'

Lian Shengyue was brimming with confidence.

This formation was named the Divine Fiend Weapon-Wielding Grand Array. With its enhancements, even if a cultivator with a Major Divine Ability arrived, she was confident she could fight them.

However, after waiting patiently for a while, she still didn't see any bandit cultivators appear. While she breathed a sigh of relief, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"A pity."

Shaking her head, Lian Shengyue immediately took out a formation disk. It was a teleportation treasure that could send her directly into the safety of her Cave Abode.

After all, she wasn't some busty, brainless idiot like You Xuexin. That woman had talent but no cunning, actually allowing an outsider to refine her into a protector wisdom consort.

But right at that moment,

"Boom!"

Ten thousand streaks of lightning descended from the sky, instantly shattering the array's barrier and blasting the formation disk in her hands to pieces. Only then did the clap of thunder arrive.

"...Huh?"

Lian Shengyue abruptly looked up, initially thinking that a bandit cultivator had finally made a move. But she quickly realized something was wrong, and the color instantly drained from her beautiful face.

"A lightning tribulation!?"

Almost simultaneously, just outside the mountain forest where Lian Shengyue was located, a group of indistinct figures with concealed auras, who had been rubbing their hands in anticipation, abruptly stopped in their tracks.

"This is...?"

For a moment, they looked at one another in dismay. After a brief silence, they fled the scene—and then, a little while later, a group of inner sect disciples coincidentally happened to pass by.

"Oh, if it isn't Junior Martial Brother Chengyuan."

"Senior Martial Brother Xuanci? It's been a while."

"What is Junior Martial Brother Yang doing here?"

"Just passing by, just passing by..."

They greeted each other joyfully. No one mentioned the gang of bandit cultivators that had just dispersed, and then, as if by prior agreement, they all turned their gaze toward Lian Shengyue's direction.

"This True Transmission is much too bold."

"To directly trigger the Heavenly Thunder tribulation before even returning to her Cave Abode—what is she trying to do? Baiting? Luring bandit cultivators to attack her?"

"Could it be an ambush?"

Hearing this, Xuanci glanced at the speaker. Everyone actually understood it perfectly well—if they weren't truly suspicious, they would have swarmed her long ago.

Rumble!

High in the firmament, a sea of lightning surged, tearing open the sky. It was as if the heavens had opened an eye, its gaze a beam of lightning that fell directly onto Lian Shengyue.

Faced with the sudden lightning tribulation, Lian Shengyue was surprised, but she quickly regained her composure. After all, as long as she passed the initial nine bolts of Heavenly Thunder—the One-Nine Heavenly Tribulation—she could halt the process midway. Therefore, the threat of this tribulation wasn't actually that great to her; it could even be considered a whetstone to sharpen herself.

"Fine, then. I'll use this lightning tribulation to temper my divine powers!"

With this thought, Lian Shengyue stood proudly, her long black hair fluttering in the wind. The Dragon and Phoenix Golden Hairpin soared into the air, and the Three Yang Combined Magnetic Pagoda also manifested above her head.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Muffled rumbles echoed like the beating of heavenly drums. Simultaneously, streaks of lightning crashed down, shattering mountains and rending the earth, instantly swallowing Lian Shengyue's figure.

The nine bolts of Heavenly Thunder struck in one continuous breath.

When the lightning dispersed, Lian Shengyue's fair face looked somewhat disheveled, and the Dragon and Phoenix Golden Hairpin bore a scorched black mark.

'My dharma treasure...'

Seeing the dharma treasure she had used for so long damaged like this, Lian Shengyue's heart ached, but she could only comfort herself that this minor damage could be repaired once she returned.

Immediately after, she hurriedly sent her intent toward the lightning tribulation in the firmament, wanting to interrupt its further convergence. The One-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was already taxing enough.

At this rate, even if she used the Divine Fiend Weapon-Wielding Grand Array beneath her feet for support, she could at most barely withstand the Seven-Nine Lightning Tribulation. The Eight-Nine Lightning Tribulation would be lethally dangerous, and the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation would mean almost certain death. Not to mention, she was out in the wild—after the heavenly tribulation, there would likely be a human tribulation as well.

So it was best to stop while she was ahead.

However, Lian Shengyue's expression quickly changed—because she realized that even though she had clearly called for a halt, the lightning tribulation in the sky showed no signs of fading.

In fact, it was the exact opposite.

'It's getting stronger?'

Boom!

Before Lian Shengyue could react, the tenth bolt of lightning crashed down, signaling the start of the Two-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and drowning out her voice, which was filled with both shock and fury.

"The Two-Nine Lightning Tribulation? Isn't True Transmission Lian a bit too fierce?"

"I've never seen a cultivator dare to undergo a heavenly tribulation in the wild, let alone the Heavenly Thunder tribulation. It seems she's extremely confident in her own strength."

In the distance, many inner sect disciples sighed in admiration.

Only Xuanci narrowed his eyes. Looking at the sea of lightning spanning the firmament, he felt a bit suspicious. This lightning tribulation... why did it feel like something was wrong!

Following that, the lightning grew increasingly violent. The thunderclaps grew louder and louder until they seemed to overturn the mountains and rivers, as bolt after bolt of lightning struck down mercilessly.

The spectating cultivators grew more and more shocked.

"Ten, twenty, thirty... Good heavens, it's already reached the Four-Nine Lightning Tribulation! Does True Transmission Lian want to pass the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation all in one go?"

"Is she trying to create a miracle?"

'Create your mom...' This was the only thought in Lian Shengyue's mind at this moment. 'I said the safe word! I called a stop! But this lightning tribulation just won't stop!'

The next second, another loud boom erupted. The Four-Nine Lightning Tribulation concluded, and the Five-Nine Lightning Tribulation followed seamlessly. A bolt of lightning finally smashed the Three Yang Combined Magnetic Pagoda protecting Lian Shengyue and struck her delicate body squarely. Her originally graceful figure crashed to the ground in a sorry state, her beautiful long hair standing on end.

"Ah!!!"

Lian Shengyue completely lost her composure, unable to hold back a long shriek. Yet before the sound could even travel, it was drowned out by the thunder, and the overwhelming sea of lightning submerged her once again.

"Was she just saying something?" a sharp-eyed cultivator whispered.

"I couldn't hear it."

"But looking at this True Transmission, she seems a bit worse for wear. Perhaps the Five-Nine Lightning Tribulation is her limit. She probably won't continue challenging a higher level."

Boom!

In the sky above, an even grander thunderclap exploded, vast and boundless. Seeing this, many people's expressions changed. "We guessed wrong. This is already the Six-Nine Lightning Tribulation."

"Is she really going to push through the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation in one breath?"

Amidst the numerous discussions and praises, only Xuanci silently took a step back. The suspicion on his face grew heavier and heavier. He was someone who had truly survived a lightning tribulation.

Therefore, he could sense that there was absolutely something wrong with the lightning tribulation Lian Shengyue was facing right now. Goddammit, could it be that someone was plotting against her from the shadows?

Soon after, another massive explosion rang out. Light tore through the sea of lightning, revealing Lian Shengyue's figure once more. But her entire body was flowing with electric light and thunder fire, and her fair skin had turned scorched black. The grand array beneath her feet was operating at full capacity to protect her, but her aura was visibly weakened to the absolute limit compared to the beginning.

"Save me..."

Boom!

An even more surging bolt of lightning smashed down, filling the gap in the sea of lightning she had so painstakingly blasted open. Its power was so immense that countless people shrank back.

"Wait, was that True Transmission just calling for help?"

"Stop joking. Since the lightning tribulation appeared, seventy-two bolts have already passed. She's crossed the Eight-Nine Lightning Tribulation! If she didn't want to undergo it, she could have easily called a halt."

"Since she didn't stop it, that means she wants to continue!"

"From this, we can clearly see that she intends to create a miracle and pass the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation in a single attempt!"

"But it looks like she's already charred..."

"What do you know? The scorched exterior is merely superficial. In reality, new life is brewing underneath! Once the lightning tribulation passes and her cultivation is complete, she'll definitely undergo a total rebirth!"

"So that's how it is! She truly is a divine figure!"

Meanwhile, Xuanci had silently retreated to the very outermost edge of the crowd, keeping everyone in front of him as a shield. Then, with a flash, he disappeared from his spot.

Because at this moment, he was already certain:

'Someone is absolutely plotting against her from the shadows!'

Wang Ping's figure flashed through Xuanci's mind. There was no mistaking it! This True Transmission Lian had stolen his qi destiny, so he had snuck over to take revenge!

At the same time, in the center of the sea of lightning,

"Ahhhh!"

Lian Shengyue looked up at the sky, no longer retaining any of her previous holy appearance. Deep within her beautiful eyes was nothing but ferocity as she shouted, "Dousheng! It's you, isn't it!"

"Aren't you afraid of offending Master Mingyou!?"

As her voice echoed, Lian Shengyue widened her beautiful eyes, hoping to see Mingyou descend—however, to her horror, no anomaly appeared.

Answering her was an even fiercer flash of lightning.

"Impossible..."

Rumble!

The Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation completely exceeded Lian Shengyue's limits. After the lightning passed and the heavenly thunder dispersed, all that remained on the spot was a figure charred like a lump of coal.

Only then did a pair of large hands finally manifest beneath Lian Shengyue's feet, grabbing her ankles. Rolling, murky currents surged forth, wrapping around her figure and pulling her under. Her aura was entirely concealed, and then the hands allowed the heavenly sea of lightning to crash down, thoroughly erasing all traces.

The entire process was as smooth as flowing water.

When the lightning finally dispersed, the spectating cultivators looked over and only saw a pile of tribulation ash. Their original awe and admiration instantly turned into stunned silence.

"...She died?"

The crowd looked at one another in dismay.

Wait, how did she just die? If she couldn't hold on, she should have called a stop early on! She was a true transmission disciple—could she really not grasp her own limits?

"I say..."

Suddenly, someone couldn't help but mutter, "I think this is the very first time in ten thousand years that a true transmission disciple has been struck to death by a lightning tribulation, right?"

"It seems so."

"Inconceivable."

"In that sense, she really did create a miracle."