Chapter 315: 315 Snake Swallows Elephant
"The tree spirit has been drawn into the tribulation clouds?" The Sect Master of the Holy Extreme Sect’s vision darkened, and he almost fell from his chair. Barely steadying himself, his face had turned a ghastly color, resembling pig liver. He looked at the Saint Heir beside him, completely at a loss. "Saint Heir, do you have a plan to handle this?"
The Saint Heir slowly shook his head.
All the Cultivators of the Holy Extreme Sect looked as though they had lost their parents, each one struck dumb.
Qingmu was the cornerstone of the Holy Extreme Sect.
Originally, they had planned to eliminate Lin Bai using the Heavenly Tribulation, all to protect Qingmu.
However, now Qingmu’s tree spirit had been swept into the Heavenly Tribulation, and it even confessed it could not survive. This was tantamount to announcing that the Holy Extreme Sect’s Qingmu was gone...
If we had known this would happen, we would rather have abandoned the Sect and left Qingmu behind! After waiting for the Saint Heir to mature, we could have slowly made our plans!
Why did it have to have a tree spirit?
To disperse the tribulation clouds of ten thousand people with a wave of its hand... If such a powerhouse had revealed itself earlier, Lin Bai wouldn’t have been able to prance around for so long!
Perhaps the Holy Extreme Sect could have unified the world...
Boundless resentment festered in the hearts of the Holy Extreme Sect members. Some blamed Lin Bai, some blamed Qingmu’s tree spirit, and others blamed the fool who had come up with the terrible idea of summoning a Heavenly Tribulation to strike Lin Bai...
"Sect Master, since things have come to this, let’s try to think positively. With a Heavenly Tribulation of this scale, even Qingmu’s tree spirit, who has lived for who knows how many eons, can’t withstand it. Lin Bai is doomed to die," Nightfall, the Sect Master of the Poison Sect, consoled the Sect Master.
With the Holy Extreme Sect’s foundation destroyed, what use is Lin Bai’s death? The Sect Master glared at Nightfall, regretting more than ever summoning the Heavenly Tribulation outside his own Sect to trap Lin Bai. With Qingmu’s demise, the Holy Extreme Sect was likely headed for utter decline.
His gaze swept over the Saint Heir and the heaven-sent individuals. After Lin Bai dies, I must find a new path for the Holy Extreme Sect...
The other Sect Masters expressed regret and sympathy for the Holy Extreme Sect’s plight, but the amusement in their eyes was impossible to hide.
It’s a good thing the Heavenly Tribulation lured out Qingmu’s tree spirit. Otherwise, if such a titan lurking within the Holy Extreme Sect had erupted one day, which Sect could have possibly survived?
A tree spirit that has lived for who knows how many tens of thousands of years simply shouldn’t exist in this world.
「...」
The tree spirit Qing Yun glared angrily at Lin Bai. Who could blame her? What Lin Bai said was just too enticing!
Ye Song and the others gasped. Their Alliance Hierarch’s death-courting antics truly astounded them.
With a wave of her hand, she dispersed the tribulation clouds. Her cultivation was heaven-reaching and earth-shattering, leagues beyond the Crossing Tribulation Realm. Now, she was also undergoing Tribulation with them. Shouldn’t such a powerhouse be thoroughly flattered?
"Holy Extreme Sect’s Mingyan, Zhuo Ting, Long Yi... we pay our respects to Elder tree spirit," several Great cheng female Cultivators of the Holy Extreme Sect respectfully saluted Qing Yun.
"Who are you? Why did you scheme against me?" Qing Yun completely ignored the female Cultivators, her face grim as she questioned Lin Bai.
"Senior Qing Yun, that’s quite an accusation. I didn’t summon the Heavenly Tribulation. To say I schemed against you is truly unfair," Lin Bai said, looking at Qing Yun, then at the sky. "Strictly speaking, I’m a victim, just like you. If anyone is to blame, it’s these fools from the Holy Extreme Sect..."
"Nonsense! If you hadn’t invaded the Holy Extreme Sect, why would we have resorted to such a desperate measure?" Mingyan interrupted Lin Bai, retorting furiously. She couldn’t help her anger; being drawn into the Heavenly Tribulation meant certain death. Who wouldn’t be furious?
"Senior Qing Yun, do you understand now? You’ve witnessed the vicissitudes of life and seen everything. It’s perfectly normal for Sects to fight and kill each other. But who goes around summoning Heavenly Tribulations to strike people at the drop of a hat? Besides, I brought so many people with me. Isn’t that just foolish? The Holy Extreme Sect built their structures on you, consumed your fruits, and absorbed the Spiritual Energy you emanated to achieve their current status. Yet, these idiots never once considered you before acting!"
Lin Bai deflected all responsibility, slinging mud at the Holy Extreme Sect. He needed to rely on this tree spirit, who had lived for who knows how many eons, to undergo the Tribulation. He had to sway her emotions to the positive before he could proceed with other matters.
"We didn’t know of Ancestor tree spirit’s existence!"
"We only wanted to strike you with the Heavenly Tribulation! It was clearly you who led the Heavenly Tribulation towards the tree spirit..."
...
A few female Cultivators from the Holy Extreme Sect scrambled to refute him.
"Noisy," Qing Yun rebuked coldly. A streak of green qi flashed, and the Spiritual Power within the female Cultivators was instantly sealed. They trembled, unable to utter another word.
Ye Song shook his head slightly. At such a critical juncture, they were still arguing with Lin Bai about who summoned the Heavenly Tribulation. How had he never noticed so many fools in the Sect before?
"You’re no saint either. If you had just undergone your Tribulation quietly over there, how would I have been implicated?" Qing Yun looked at Lin Bai again, her gaze sweeping over Cen Qing and the bizarre Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group behind her. She paused, momentarily stunned, and asked, "And what is this all about?"
"Senior Qing Yun, this is a Tribulation formation I comprehended, named Phoenix Seeks Phoenix," Lin Bai explained. "In the Phoenix Seeking Mating Formation, only one person bears the Heavenly Tribulation. This person acts as the formation’s eye. As long as the eye is not destroyed, those within the formation will remain unharmed."
Cen Qing remained silent.
After enduring one round of the Heavenly Tribulation, Tuohai Ancestor and the others were no longer clamoring to leave the Phoenix Seeking Mating Formation to resist the Heavenly Tribulation together. They wished they could stay inside it forever!
Phoenix Seeks Phoenix could withstand even the Heavenly Tribulation! The Way of Law was truly terrifying!
Everyone in the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group had now become devout followers of the Way of Law. Each one resolved that if they survived the Heavenly Tribulation, they would dedicate themselves to studying this Way of Law, no matter the cost...
"It can resist the Heavenly Tribulation?" Qing Yun’s eyes suddenly lit up.
"Not only can it resist the Heavenly Tribulation, but no attack can harm them," Lin Bai said, gesturing. "Senior Qing Yun, you can test it yourself."
To Qing Yun, any Cultivators in the Great cheng or Divinity Transformation Realm were mere ants. She casually flicked a ball of green qi towards Tuohai Ancestor and the others. As if she cared whether they could withstand it or not?
The green qi dissipated.
Tuohai Ancestor and the others were completely unharmed.
Qing Yun’s eyes grew even brighter, her breathing becoming a little ragged. "Can this formation be used on me?"
"Senior Qing Yun, the Phoenix Seeking Mating Formation can only protect male Cultivators," Lin Bai said, shaking his head.
Xu Longyun gently squeezed his hand.
Qing Yun froze, then erupted in fury. "You damned little thief! Don’t tell me you want me to be the formation eye and protect all of you?"
"Ancestor Qing Yun, Lin Bai is cunning! Don’t fall for his tricks!" Mingyan, having regained her composure, hurriedly warned.
Lin Bai looked at Qing Yun and smiled faintly. "Senior Qing Yun, now that we are all caught in this Heavenly Tribulation, we should support each other and overcome this crisis together. I showed you Phoenix Seeks Phoenix not to have you protect us, but to demonstrate the strength of my Righteous Door. When both sides possess strength and join forces, we can unitedly resist the Heavenly Tribulation."
Qing Yun chuckled. "Your Phoenix Seeking Mating Formation is of no use to me. What kind of alliance of equals are you talking about?"
"If there’s Phoenix Seeks Phoenix, there can be other things. Senior Qing Yun, don’t you find your smile rather odd?" Lin Bai maintained his smile.
Qing Yun paused, suddenly realizing she too was smiling. Looking around, everyone wore a strange smile. Even those Cultivators who had cultivated into zombie-like beings were grinning, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere beneath the Heavenly Tribulation. She tried to stop smiling, but couldn’t, no matter how hard she tried. When she looked back at Lin Bai, her expression had become much more serious. "Your Divine Skills indeed have some substance."
"Ancestor Qing Yun, you mustn’t..." Mingyan, seeing signs that Qing Yun was being swayed, interjected again.
"Fool," Lin Bai glared at her, frowning. "You’ve all been cast aside like pawns. Instead of thinking about cooperating to resist the Heavenly Tribulation, you’re constantly stirring up trouble. Are you that eager to die? Or do you want Senior Qing Yun to die with you?"
Mingyan and the others, who opposed Lin Bai out of habit, were abruptly stunned. They suddenly remembered their predicament, exchanged glances, and were too chagrined to speak.
Cen Qing felt a jolt, suddenly understanding what Lin Bai meant by telling her to practice her eloquence. Good eloquence could sometimes truly be more effective than cultivation. No matter how unfavorable the situation, Lin Bai, with just a few words, had managed to unite everyone on the same front.
Qing Yun paid no attention to the squabble between Lin Bai and the Holy Extreme Sect. In her eyes, both groups were ants; Lin Bai merely had slightly more utility.
"If it’s just these Insignificant Skills like forcing people to smile, they won’t be of much use in a Heavenly Tribulation," Qing Yun said, looking up at the sky. In that short time, the tribulation clouds had re-formed and threatened to unleash a second wave at any moment.
"Senior Qing Yun, aren’t you curious how I know your name?" Lin Bai asked again.
Qing Yun paused, only then realizing. "That’s right. How do you know my name?"
"This is the Doctrine of Divination of my Righteous Door," Lin Bai said. "When I first met Senior, I sacrificed a hundred years of my life to perform a divination for Senior’s fate. Although Senior is suffering an undeserved disaster, it will be a close call, and you will, in fact, gain immense benefits from this calamity."
Xu Longyun was aghast and clutched Lin Bai’s hand again, her eyes filled with heartache for the hundred years of life he had expended.
"Is that true?" Qing Yun was instantly excited.
"The divinations of the Righteous Door have never been wrong," Lin Bai said, puffing out his chest to bolster Qing Yun’s confidence.
When facing a crisis, one’s mindset played a crucial role. He had to make Qing Yun firmly believe she could survive the Heavenly Tribulation; only then would she fight with all her might.
"I’ve never heard of this Righteous Door," Qing Yun frowned.
"Senior Qing Yun doesn’t need to have heard of it. You only need to understand the strength of the Righteous Door," Lin Bai chuckled.
"The Righteous Door being strong doesn’t mean you are," Qing Yun squinted at Lin Bai. "As far as I can see, your cultivation level is merely Great cheng."
"Senior Qing Yun, if I were merely Great cheng, would that fellow need to summon a Heavenly Tribulation to destroy me? That fellow is in the Crossing Tribulation Realm, an entire Realm higher than me!" Lin Bai laughed, pointing a hundred li away where the Peach Ancestor was still suspended in mid-air by the Red String. That fellow was impressively strong too; despite being struck by heavenly lightning, he had somehow survived.
"That makes sense," Qing Yun mused briefly, looking Lin Bai up and down. "The Heavenly Tribulation is about to descend. What means do you have to aid me in it? And don’t tell me it’s by using me as the formation eye for that blasted Phoenix Seeking Mating Formation of yours."
"The simplest method is for Senior to accept me as your master," Lin Bai said, also looking up at the tribulation clouds, his expression serious. "I cultivate the Way of the Master. If you become my disciple, your cultivation speed can increase by fifty percent. Given Senior’s current cultivation level, even a moment of cultivation during the lulls in the Heavenly Tribulation should restore much of your strength, right?"
"Accept you as my master?" Qing Yun frowned again. "Ridiculous. A minor Great cheng like you, how are you fit to be my master? I’ve never heard that a simple acceptance of discipleship can increase cultivation speed by fifty percent! If such potent Divine Skills existed, wouldn’t the world be teeming with Cultivators?"
"Just because Senior hasn’t heard of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Why not try it? It’s just accepting a master; what do you have to lose?" Lin Bai said. "Are there so few inexplicable things about me?"
Ye Song and the others had peculiar expressions. He calls her Senior, yet asks her to become his disciple. This seniority is getting increasingly muddled.
Nevertheless, the Way of the Master was indeed magical. To increase cultivation speed by fifty percent out of thin air, regardless of one’s cultivation level, was simply outrageous.
However, everyone was somewhat expectant about Qing Yun becoming Lin Bai’s disciple. The closer Qing Yun’s relationship with Lin Bai, the greater their chances of survival.
"How do I accept?" Qing Yun asked.
"No need for formalities. Just agree to be my disciple and be willing to call me Master," Lin Bai said.
"Fine, I agree to be your disciple," Qing Yun said, glancing at Lin Bai coldly. "But if I find out you’re toying with me, I will strike you dead on the spot. I, Qing Yun, am not someone to be trifled with..."
"Good disciple, that’s sufficient," Lin Bai interrupted her, casually taking out the Ruler and holding it. "You can try cultivating for a moment, and you’ll know my words are true."
Seeing the Ruler, Ye Song’s brow twitched, a bad premonition arising in his heart.
"Is it that simple?" Qing Yun was somewhat incredulous but still tried to circulate her Spiritual Energy.
WHOOOSH!
A fierce gust of wind swirled around everyone.
A vortex appeared on Qing Yun’s body, and like a whale swallowing the ocean, all the Spiritual Energy within a hundred-li radius surged into her Dantian.
Ye Song and the others couldn’t help but pale.
What kind of old monster was this? No wonder she had never dared to show herself before. Absorbing Spiritual Energy at such a terrifying rate had long ago surpassed the limits the heavens and earth could bear. The moment she appeared, the Heavenly Tribulation would likely descend upon her. So, the Holy Extreme Sect had been standing on a ticking time bomb...
The Way of the Master was a powerful exploit; the higher one’s cultivation, the greater the advantage.
But Qing Yun’s virtue value was insufficient, so Lin Bai’s feedback from the Way of the Master was a pitiful one percent.
Yet, its strength lay in the sheer volume.
One cycle of her intake was almost equivalent to the amount of Spiritual Energy a Great cheng Cultivator would need for several months of cultivation.
Even at just one percent, Lin Bai’s stagnant cultivation soared like a rocket, breaking through obstacles with unstoppable momentum. By the time Qing Yun stopped, he had already broken through to the Golden Core Realm. A smoothly spinning Golden Core rotated in his Dantian. Even without the Card, he had become a true Golden Core expert.
Lin Bai secretly gulped, his gaze towards Qing Yun growing increasingly satisfied. Indeed, when accepting disciples, one must choose those of high quality!
Looking at this profit, a thousand Dumbelldores couldn’t compare to this!
Kicking Dumbelldore out of the Sect was the right decision...
After that single intake, Qing Yun stopped absorbing Spiritual Energy. She sensed the changes in her Dantian and nodded at Lin Bai. "It is indeed effective. However, it’s still a drop in the bucket for dealing with the Heavenly Tribulation. My strength long ago broke through the limits of heaven and earth; there’s no more room for growth. An accelerated cultivation speed only means a faster recovery rate, which is useless in the Heavenly Tribulation..."
"Qing Yun, my apprentice, don’t rush. There’s another way," Lin Bai said, his change of address perfectly natural. Now that she was his disciple, he couldn’t possibly call her Senior anymore. It would mess up the seniority, and the one percent Spiritual Power feedback would be gone.
"What way?" Qing Yun asked.
"Once you are resisting the Heavenly Tribulation and can no longer hold on, I can seal you into a Card. No matter how severe your injuries or how depleted your Spiritual Power, upon being sealed into the Card and then released, everything can be restored to its peak state," Lin Bai looked at Qing Yun and said seriously. "At that time, I too will possess strength comparable to yours. With double the power, confronting the tribulation clouds should be much simpler."
Overstepping his bounds.
The mere feedback from the Way of the Master couldn’t possibly satisfy Lin Bai’s appetite. Of course, the plan was to take her as a Puppet and become a powerhouse together!
From the moment he saw Qing Yun, Lin Bai had already tailor-made a series of packages for her!
HISS!
Everyone gasped, their expressions no longer maintainable. Is this their Alliance Hierarch?
That was a supreme powerhouse who had lived for countless years!
How could he dare to take her as a Puppet?
Audacious to the extreme—that had to be him!
However, if Lin Bai truly overcame the Heavenly Tribulation through this and then possessed Qing Yun’s cultivation, in this world, it was likely no one would dare to provoke him anymore!