248 - Elasia Saga

The sky over the Shanghua Palace ruins was its usual hazy gray, but one could still faintly make out the blue sky and white clouds, as a tranquil stillness enveloped the area. There wasn't the slightest indication of an impending heavenly tribulation. Almost as soon as Lu Xiao Wen's words fell, Fu Yan realized something. But before she could make a move, an intense heat surged swiftly from her core. Her suspicion was promptly confirmed. Lu Xiao Wen, standing beside her, seemed incredulous. He turned back to fix his gaze on Fu Yan, a hint of astonishment in his eyes. "…No way?" he murmured, the disbelief evident in his tone. He then glanced at Bai Yue Li, as if to verify the reality with her. Previously, Bai Yue Li hadn’t given it much thought, but Lu Xiao Wen's words jolted her. A quick flash of insight crossed her mind, and she tightened her grip on Fu Yan’s hand. Lu Xiao Wen clung to a sliver of hope as he scrutinized the two women in front of him, reiterating his question: "When was the last time Fu Yan faced a tribulation?" Fu Yan's first heavenly tribulation occurred when she was at the Mu family, braving the lightning tribulation. Despite the shock swimming in Bai Yue Li's clear eyes, she forced herself to remain calm. She held Fu Yan's hand tightly and leveled her gaze at Lu Xiao Wen. After a significant pause, she managed to say, albeit with difficulty, "It seems it hasn't even been a year since..." Abruptly interrupting herself, Bai Yue Li recalled something crucial and hastily corrected, "Since her last tribulation, it should be less than three years." If they counted precisely, from the time they left the Mu family until now, it had been almost a year. However, given Fu Yan's possession of the Xu Yao Jade Seal, the time she spent cultivating inside should also be accounted for. Thus, at most, it had been a little over two years, not even reaching three. This rate of progress was astoundingly unprecedented. Typically, even legendary prodigies who stunned the continent would take twenty to thirty years to advance beyond the Mahayana stage. For ordinary individuals, overcoming the Mahayana's double tribulations within a century was remarkably fortunate. Fu Yan's speed would likely be met with disbelief by anyone. Fu Yan's rapid breakthroughs weren’t entirely due to her cultivation prowess. It wasn't that her training was unusually swift; rather, her fortune was extraordinary. After her first heavenly tribulation, she stumbled upon this remarkable, bizarre opportunity. The surging demonic energy all around her, coupled with the combined power of Mo Ling and her companions, equated to nearly half the strength of an immortal. In a matter of mere hours, Fu Yan absorbed all of it. Consequently, how could she not achieve an immediate breakthrough? Bai Yue Li's explanation left Lu Xiao Wen momentarily stunned, even though he had mentally prepared himself. It was surreal to think she crossed the Mahayana stage in under three years. Such a feat was unparalleled, an achievement without precedent or successor! In his time, Lu Xiao Wen, too, had borne the moniker of a prodigious genius. Yet even he had taken a full twenty-eight years between his Mahayana stage tribulations. "This…" Lu Xiao Wen found himself speechless, staring at Fu Yan with eyes wide in disbelief. Recognizing the anomaly within herself, Fu Yan was initially taken aback but swiftly resigned to the situation. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to withdraw her hand from Bai Yue Li's grip. However, despite a gentle tug, she failed to free herself. "Sister?" Fu Yan looked up at Bai Yue Li. Bai Yue Li continued to hold her hand firmly, seemingly reluctant to let go. She opened her mouth to speak, yet words failed her. Seeing the concern etched on Bai Yue Li's face, Fu Yan stopped her attempts and instead offered a deep, reassuring smile. "It's just a heavenly tribulation. With my current strength, I’m certain I can undergo this transformation unscathed." "Trust me, Sister," Fu Yan reiterated with assurance. As soon as she finished speaking, the searing heat within her began erupting outward. Fu Yan instinctively furrowed her brow but forced herself to suppress the agonizing burn. Bai Yue Li glanced at Fu Yan, eventually releasing her hand with a hint of reluctance. "Don't worry; I'll be here watching over you." Fu Yan paused, fully understanding the implicit meaning behind Bai Yue Li's words. If any mishap were to occur during her tribulation, Bai Yue Li would be there with her. "Alright," Fu Yan agreed with a smile. With that, Fu Yan shifted her gaze towards Lu Xiao Wen. "My tribulation is upon me. Hurry and leave the forbidden grounds; otherwise, you'll be caught in the wake." "Cheep cheep..." The Little Medicine Dumpling looked at Fu Yan, seeming to want to fly over. However, before it could flap its wings from Fu Juan's head, he stopped it, saying, "Don't cause trouble." Soon, those present retreated, flying into the sky outside the forbidden grounds, stopping only when they gauged a safe distance from Fu Yan. Fu Juan held the Little Medicine Dumpling, ensuring that the power-bound Mo Ling was also brought along. Mo Ling seemed bewildered, staring at the group in confusion. "Aren't we just dealing with a tribulation? Is it really that terrifying?" In its view, Fu Yan wielding a rule's power meant any tribulation should be trivial for her. Yet, everyone ignored it, with Bai Yue Li and Lu Xiao Wen focusing intently on Fu Yan within the forbidden grounds. Frustrated from being overlooked, Mo Ling turned away, feigning disinterest. "Cheep cheep..." This time, the Little Medicine Dumpling didn't fly toward Fu Yan but settled back atop Fu Juan's head, keeping its gaze on Fu Yan amidst the silence. Below, within the forbidden grounds. Fu Yan, bearing the blistering heat from her core, stabilized herself atop the mountain. As she touched down, the platform beneath her instantaneously turned to fiery ash. It was as if it had been incinerated in mere moments. Fu Yan, struggling, half-knelt amid the ashes, tormented by the searing heat. She instinctively tugged at her collar, although the fiery sensation emanated from within, rendering the external cold ineffective. "Ugh..." Fu Yan gasped, eyes snapping open. Where once was clarity now blazed fierce flames. The surrounding air seemed to ignite with Fu Yan, the scorching heat threatening to sear through the very fabric of space. The intensity of it suggested just how agonizing her trial was. Simultaneously, watching the ephemeral flames encompassing Fu Yan from above, Lu Xiao Wen's black pupils dilated: "So it is... karmic fire." Clearly, Fu Yan's second tribulation wasn’t the heavenly lightning but the baptism through karmic fire. Karmic fire, known as hellfire, doesn't burn the body but the spirit of the cultivator—a torment few could endure. Legend has it that if a cultivator's speed was excessively abnormal, shattering maximum thresholds, a punishment ensued, marked by karmic fire from the heavens. Karmic fire is both tribulation and retribution. Lu Xiao Wen remembered in his long life, seeing only twice when cultivators, due to their rapid breakthroughs, faced the karmic tribulation. One succeeded, becoming nearly invincible upon ascension, while the other was reduced to ash. The one who succeeded was Chu Ling Ling. Beside him, Bai Yue Li’s entire focus was on Fu Yan enduring her tribulation, her brows never unfurling, teeth denting her lip. Her clear eyes brimmed with emotion. Karmic fire wasn’t like a lightning tribulation. The latter allowed assistance from others to block lightning or use artifacts; karmic fire didn’t. Assistance was futile. Every bit of suffering had to be borne wholly by the one undergoing it. With this realization, Bai Yue Li’s hand tightened unknowingly. Watching Fu Yan’s pained expression, her heart ached. Fu Yan would surely triumph over the karmic tribulation, she hoped. Below, Fu Yan had nearly lost consciousness from the fire, her entire being teetering. She struggled to activate her Frost Purification Art, but to no avail. The soul-deep searing was akin to enduring hell itself. In an instant, Fu Yan collapsed atop the mountain, her mouth opening yet unable to utter even a sound, as if the karmic fire had seared her vocal cords. "Whoa—" In the next instant, a giant red lotus blossomed beneath Fu Yan, its fiery petals formed from the terrifying karmic fire, gradually consuming her figure bit by bit. Quickly, the petals of the red lotus began to close in, seemingly intending to envelop Fu Yan completely within. Bai Yue Li, almost on reflex, was about to rush forward but was swiftly restrained by Lu Xiao Wen's quick reflexes. "What are you trying to do? The karmic fire tribulation comes with a spatial barrier; you can't get through." Bai Yue Li knew this, of course, but... In this tense atmosphere, only Mo Ling seemed unfazed. Bored, it suddenly remembered something: How had the small white spiritual beast taught Fu Yan to control her own power using the rules? Moreover, it had prevented its own self-destruction. With this thought, Mo Ling's eyes widened as it swiftly glanced towards the Little Medicine Dumpling. It stared intently at the small figure, trying to discern the reason behind it all. The Little Medicine Dumpling on Fu Juan's head suddenly fluttered its tiny wings. It seemed a simple action, yet Mo Ling sensed something amiss. It felt like... it was struggling to break free of some kind of shackle. Mo Ling's intuition was always sharp; it wondered if it was just an illusion brought on by its own power being sealed. It seemed as if a powerful force was trying to break free from within that small body. Yet, the shackle was too formidable; internally, there might be turmoil, but externally, it was calm as water. To an onlooker, the Little Medicine Dumpling seemed merely trying to flap its wings. Witnessing this, Mo Ling was puzzled. Just as it was about to fly over for a closer look, it was taken aback when the white figure suddenly darted away with a "whoosh." Fu Juan was so focused on Fu Yan's tribulation that she didn’t immediately notice until the Little Medicine Dumpling flew off from her head. Only then did she realize something was amiss. "Medicine Dumpling!" she shouted as she hurriedly followed. "Buzz—" In the blink of an eye, the Little Medicine Dumpling passed through an invisible barrier, flying straight towards the mountaintop in the forbidden grounds where Fu Yan was about to be fully encased by the red lotus. Chasing after it, Fu Juan hit the spatial barrier generated by the karmic fire tribulation, stopping her outside. The unexpected development caught everyone off guard. By the time they regained their wits, the Little Medicine Dumpling had already successfully breached Fu Yan's karmic tribulation. Outside, Bai Yue Li and Lu Xiao Wen stared in shock, quickly moving to the edge of the barrier. "How... how did it get in there?" Lu Xiao Wen questioned, doubting his own eyes. How could such a tiny spiritual beast penetrate the barrier of a karmic fire tribulation? Fu Juan, worried, turned to Bai Yue Li. "I… I don’t know. It just suddenly rushed in." Only Mo Ling seemed calm, though it too furrowed its brow slightly. It had been watching the Little Medicine Dumpling closely and saw the flash as it passed the barrier. In that moment, a blaze of golden light had shot by. Wait, that was... Amidst the red lotus, Fu Yan, enduring the karmic fire's burn, heard a sound. Straining to open her eyes, she saw the Little Medicine Dumpling flying towards her, landing directly on her. "Med—" Her voice was abruptly cut off as she saw a familiar golden script alight on the white figure. It was the power of a rule! From the start, the Little Medicine Dumpling had its power sealed by the rule’s force.