The black tribulation clouds gathering in the sky made it unclear whether it was day or night.
The square in front of the Heavenly Pavilion above White Jade City was now littered with corpses. Countless Magical Poison Sect cultivators and toxic insects were scattered everywhere. Even if it was an open space, the stench of decay still permeated everywhere.
Clang---
A shrill sword cry echoed throughout the sky.
An ice-blue sword light rose from Pei Lianxue's spirit sword. It split into ten as soon as she swung it, but then gathered at the waist of a female cultivator wearing an insect mask.Pei Lianxue's eyes were calm as she threw out a talisman to ignite the demonic cultivator in front of her. However, in the next moment, two insects looking like stag beetles broke through the white jade stone bricks and surged out from the ground behind her.
"Tch--"
"Lianxue!!"
Xiao Yunluo was standing on a flying sword, holding a golden bell magic tool in her hand and shaking it.
Ding-ling-ling---
Along with the sound of the bell, two thunderbolts descended from the sky, directly turning the two insects behind Pei Lianxue into powder, but Pei Lianxue had no time to say thanks.
While she was fighting with the mid-Nascent Soul female cultivator, several Magical Poison Sect disciples in the Core Formation stage were already approaching the double black-and-white door of the Heavenly Pavilion.Pei Lianxue wiped the blood on her face with her left hand, spreading it like rouge, and then raised her sword, sending out a line of ice in the center of the square. In the blink of an eye, she was behind the disciples of the Magical Poison Sect.
Those people didn't even have time to react before they were sent away by her whip kick.
Whoosh---
The spirit sword swung to the right, and the blood on the blade splashed a red line on the ground.
"Ha..."
After letting out a breath, Pei Lianxue took out a pill from the storage bag and threw it into her mouth, chewing it and swallowing it. She looked down at the female demonic cultivator who had just been split into ten petals by her but saw that her upper body, which was separated like a flower, was reassembling after squirming for a while.
A rare look of annoyance appeared in her amber eyes.
She couldn't help but think of the Nascent Soul Parasite cultivator she and Xiao Yunluo had dealt with in the Northern Region.
In terms of strength, whether it was the female Parasite cultivator in front of her now or the Jiang Mojiao from back then, they were not even half as strong as Gu Mingxin, and they certainly did not pose any danger to her.
However, she couldn't kill them either.
Because her brother wanted to transcend the tribulation, the Snow Jade Spirit Sword was with him. With her late-stage Core Formation cultivation, it was too troublesome to kill a Toxic parasite cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage.
Moreover, she still had to be wary of the poisonous insects and Core Formation demonic cultivators that were swarming like ants, constantly rushing toward Heavenly Pavilion.
Ding ding---
A little further away, the inner disciples arranged by the Bright Star Sect Elders were also fighting with the demonic cultivators who were trying to enter the Heavenly Pavilion. Xiao Yunluo hovered in the air on her sword and used her spells to fight against the demonic cultivator disciples who were flying up from the foot of the mountain.
As the female demonic cultivator's body and clothes were restored, she looked up at Pei Lianxue, who was guarding the door, and sneered. "I didn't expect a late-stage Core Formation cultivator to be able to block me for nearly half an hour alone..."
Then, she continued to advance, taking a step forward.
Pei Lianxue gripped the sword in her hand tightly, preparing to cut the female Parasite cultivator like a broccoli again.
"Hiss..."
A stream of spiritual energy that was enough to solidify the moisture in the air came out from Pei Lianxue's lips.
At this moment.
Rumble--!
Thunder rumbled like a dragon's roar, resounding all over the place.
A golden light landed on top of the Heavenly Pavilion, causing the earth dragon to flip over and shake the entire White Jade City.
Boom Boom Boom...
The female Parasite cultivator who had just taken a step forward watched this scene in amazement. It was the first time she saw the thunder tribulation of a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul.
The wails of battle and the clinking of swords, all disappeared after this dragon thunder roar.
The whole square suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Whether it was Xiao Yunluo in the air, the Bright Star and Magical Poison Sect disciples, or even the poisonous insects controlled by the Nascent Soul Parasite cultivator, they all held their breath as they looked toward the Heavenly Pavilion at the same time.
The Bright Star Sect disciples who were at the Heavenly Pavilion were now here to protect Ye Anping according to the Elders' orders, but many of them were actually quite reluctant.
Although they didn't know why the master gave the sect master token to him, Ye Anping was still just an outsider.
Now that the demonic cultivators had invaded the Bright Star Sect, not only was an outsider forming his Nascent Soul here, but he even wanted them to protect him?!
The first lightning tribulation had fallen, and Ye Anping's life and death had already been decided.
However, until the gates of the Heavenly Pavilion opened, no one knew whether he was alive or dead.
If Ye Anping died under the lightning tribulation, then what was the point of them guarding this place for so long?
The demonic cultivators at the scene, however, thought otherwise.
If Ye Anping died under the lightning tribulation, then their mission would be completed.
Their purpose was to kill Ye Anping in the chaos, and then bring his body back to the Magical Poison Sect to be used as a parasitic corpse.
It could be said that Ye Anping's life and death pulled the strings for all the present cultivators.
There was only one person whose expression remained the same as usual.
Pei Lianxue stood in front of the Heavenly Pavilion gate with her sword, without any emotional fluctuations caused by the thunder tribulation.
As far as she was concerned, it was impossible for her brother to fail.
If someone asked her, but what if?
She would instantly reply that there was no what-if!
Rumble---
With the sound of gears meshing, the double bloodstained black-and-white doors of the Heavenly Pavilion slowly opened. White mist flowed out from the door like water, covering Pei Lianxue's ankles.
Tap tap---
A pair of long boots emerged from the white mist. Ye Anping, wearing a brand-new lavender robe, walked out of the pavilion, and his deep purple eyes under his bangs ruthlessly swept over the corpses of the demonic cultivators and the female Parasite cultivator leading them.
Ye Anping released Xue'e from his left hand and flipped his hand, and the ice-blue spiritual sword flew out of his storage bag before landing in his palm.
"Sister..."
With one word, Pei Lianxue understood and took a step back, leaning against her brother. She raised her sword and brushed it with her left hand, staring straight at the female Toxic Parasite cultivator.
At the same time, Ye Anping let go of Xiao Tian, placed the Black Ice Spirit Sword in front of his forehead, and gently stroked it from bottom to top with the sword finger of his right hand.
The female cultivator stared at the Black Ice Spirit Sword in Ye Anping's hand, intending to take a closer look at its true form, but the next moment, the brother and sister's figures disappeared from her sight.
Two swords came out of nowhere, and when they appeared, they had already reached her neck one after another.
Whoosh---
Two ice-blue sword lights collided on her neck like scissors.
Ding---
A wave of ice spread all over her body from top to bottom. By the time the female cultivator realized something was wrong, her Nascent Soul had been frozen in her body by the ten-thousand-year-old ice sword, unable to escape.
Her head flew in the air, only to be blasted to the ground by a lightning spell conjured up by Xiao Yunluo from above.
Click, click, click---
The empty compound eyes of the nearby poisonous insects reflected their master's fall. They all started to chatter, and then they buried themselves in the ground and fled.
Those demonic cultivators who were fighting with the Bright Star Sect disciples saw their Elder disappear with just one blow, and they immediately lost their composure. Forcing back the disciples who were confronting them, they fled on their flying swords one after another.
Ye Anping's successful tribulation greatly boosted the morale of the nearby Bright Star Sect disciples. Seeing that the demonic cultivators were trying to escape, they immediately chased after them on their swords.
Ye Anping glanced at them and didn't say anything. These remnants of the invading army no longer had any fighting spirit, so he just let the disciples of the Bright Star Sect chase after them.
He looked at Xiao Tian and Xue'e, who were still glaring at each other and seemed about to start a fight. Sighing helplessly, he handed over the Snow Jade Spirit Sword.
"Sister, you and Yunluo go back to White Jade City and help the Bright Star Sect disciples clean up the remaining demonic cultivators on the Main Peak. I..."
---"Young Master Ye!"
Before he finished speaking, a flying sword with a golden trail came in a hurry.
Zu Lingzhi landed beside Ye Anping, and seeing that he had safely passed the first Nascent Soul tribulation, she was slightly relieved, but only slightly...
"Young Master Ye, Miss Feng and a demonic cultivator are fighting. You..."
"...I know. I'm going there now. Please go with my sister to White Jade City to clean up the rest of the demonic cultivators."
Ye Anping nodded to Pei Lianxue and turned into a golden light, heading toward the Main Peak.
Xiao Yunluo landed after using her lightning technique to blast down two fleeing demonic cultivators and watched Ye Anping leaving suddenly, with a puzzled expression on her face.
"Lianxue, where is Anping going?"
"To rescue the Second Idiot." Pei Lianxue pursed her lips slightly. "Brother told us to help White Jade City's disciples first, so let's go!"
"Oh..."
... ...
Ding---
Ding Ding...
Snow-white petals fluttered everywhere while two ghostly silhouettes, one black and one white, interlaced in the flower field, sword lights streaming in all directions.
Feng Yu Die and Gu Mingxin wielded their swords silently, focusing all their attention on each other's movements. At this moment, they could not afford to be distracted even for a second.
There was no surging of fireworks-like spiritual lights, nor was there any earth-shattering spell formation. There were only the afterimages of the sword lights and the bright sparks from the collision of the iron weapons.
Ding Ding---
Neither of them liked to shout when wielding their swords. Their sword techniques were one immortal and one demonic, but they came from the same path, and their finesse and skill made them invincible in the whole world.
By this time, the two had forgotten the purpose of their coming here. Now, their only thought was to take the other's head off.
The golden eyes were unusually calm at this moment.
Feng Yu Die looked at the blood-colored sword coming toward her side and twisted her body to avoid it. She raised her sword to mislead Gu Mingxin with a horizontal cutting motion before changing into a forward stab in the middle of the swing. However, it was still blocked by Gu Mingxin with her sword in front of her chest.
Ding---!
Sparks flew.
At this time, from the tribulation clouds gathered above the Heavenly Pavilion descended a golden lightning.
Rumble---
A loud noise seemed to wake the two from their dreams.
Feng Yu Die and Gu Mingxin kicked at each other at the same time, their feet colliding with each other. They both used the opponent's strength to retreat and inserted the swords in the ground, leaving two five-foot sword grooves in the spiritual field.
---Young Master Ye has passed the tribulation.
---Ye Anping has passed the tribulation!
Looking at the gradually dissipating tribulation clouds above the Heavenly Pavilion, Gu Mingxin narrowed her eyes slightly, revealing endless admiration. On the other side, Feng Yu Die clutched her collar, feeling stifled.
She seemed to hear the inner demon's whisper again. Biting her lower lip, she muttered. "Master Ye..."
"As expected of my Ye Anping."
Hearing Gu Mingxin's inexplicably happy tone, Feng Yu Die frowned, tightened the grip on her sword again, and looked at her.
"Master Ye... Master Ye is not yours!!!"
"Then, is it yours? Do you think you deserve him?" Gu Mingxin raised her head and squinted at Feng Yu Die, then showed her palmless right arm. "I am fighting you with my left hand, and you still can only fight me to a draw in this situation."
"..."
"Your average looks are okay compared to some ordinary cultivators, but who do you think Ye Anping is? Now that he has me, why would he need a loser like you? I really can't figure it out, why does Ye Anping protect you so much?"
Gu Mingxin sneered.
"Whenever something happens, you cry, 'Young Master Ye~~ Young Master Ye~~'. Are you a little kid who cries in the street and calls mother and father after being beaten outside?"
"I..." Feng Yu Die bit her lips. "I..."
"You what? You can't even refute me. If it weren't for Ye Anping protecting you, you would have died in the snow in the Cold Country back then. I'm jealous! Why did you meet him before me? Why?! Ye Anping is mine!"
"Young Master Ye..." Feng Yu Die took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and shouted, "Young Master Ye is not yours!! He is... mine!!!"
---"Mine..."
---"Mine..."
The roar echoed across the flower field.
Feng Yu Die bit her lip and said, "He is very good to me!! He saved me many times, roasted chicken for me, helped me earn spirit stones, helped me practice, and accompanied me to train... I didn't know that my master lied to me before, so I always thought that Master Ye was a bad guy, but now I know!! Master Ye is a good guy!! He is very good! Very handsome! He's good at strategies, and he is very gentle to others. He also taught me a lot... I..."
She clenched the sword in her hand, feeling that she was a little incoherent. She couldn't explain what she was feeling, but one thing was beyond doubt.
"Master Ye is my Master Ye!"
Gu Mingxin's eyes twitched slightly, and she felt a murderous intent surging in her heart again.
Just as she had confessed, she was so jealous of this fool!!
She squeezed the blood-red sword in her left hand until it clicked.
"White fool..."
However, just as Gu Mingxin was about to rush over again, a golden light suddenly flew over from the direction of the Heavenly Pavilion, and then Xue'e's voice came from the sky.
"Mingxin!!! Ye Anping is here!!"
Swoosh---
A golden light flashed, and Ye Anping landed between the two. Looking at the white spirit flower field that had been turned into a mess because of these two's fighting, he suddenly felt a little defeated.
He looked at Feng Yu Die and saw tears flashing in her eyes. Afraid that she would rush over like last time, he shouted "Roasted chicken!" and raised his hand to stop her, then turned to look at Gu Mingxin.
"Miss Gu..."
However, just as Ye Anping turned his head to look at Gu Mingxin.
Boom---
There was a loud bang, and Gu Mingxin crushed the ground with one foot, came in front of him in an instant, her red eyes slightly widened, and then leaned forward and blocked Ye Anping's next words with her lips.
"Woo?!"
Xiao Tian, who was standing on Ye Anping's right shoulder, widened her eyes when she saw this. She raised her fist and waved it at Gu Mingxin's face.
"Ah?! ---Ouch!!"
However, as she threw the punch, Xue'e hit her on the back of her head with the wooden sword and slapped her down.
Xue'e wiped her nose with her left hand and spat at Xiao Tian who was lying at Ye Anping's feet.
"Hmph~ Spit---"
Standing five feet away, Feng Yu Die's expression suddenly turned dull, and the sword in her hand fell into the mud at her feet with a "thump"...
