339 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 339: Successfully Overcoming the Calamity! "Is this... is this Senior Sister coming out?" Hong Ye's mouth gaped wide enough to fit an egg as she stared in shock at Ye Ling Long standing proudly on her sword in the sky. "Yes, it's Ling Long," Jiang Ling Yun affirmed with certainty, his eyes fixed on the blue-clad figure high above, afraid she might vanish if he blinked. Huang Bu Fan gazed upward with equal intensity. After two centuries, Ye Ling Long's aura had become more reserved, her features more exquisite, a beauty so arresting it could steal one's breath. Just watching her stirred his soul. Hong Ye anxiously observed the storm clouds amassing in the sky and the thunderous sounds echoing like the world's end. Her voice trembled, "From the looks of it, is Senior Sister facing a tribulation? Is it the Lightning Tribulation of the Tribulation Stage?" Hong Ye pondered internally. During these two hundred years, she had witnessed Tribulation Stage lightning before; though grand in scale, it was never this terrifying, as if it aimed to strike someone dead. At that moment, several silhouettes swept past at lightning speed. They soon landed nearby, but kept their distance, wary of entering the tribulation's range and inadvertently strengthening its power. "Every lightning tribulation grows increasingly severe. Due to her previous recklessness, the tribulation's intensity has multiplied, leading to this current state," Feng Li explained, having once witnessed Ye Ling Long's Transformation Stage lightning tribulation firsthand. Later, during the Unity Stage tribulation, it was just as formidable. Now at the Tribulation Stage, naturally, it would be far more powerful. "But this tribulation feels more akin to the Grand Ascension Stage. My little Ling Long won't be in danger, will she?" Ye Tian Ming was visibly restless. When Ye Ling Long briefly emerged to undergo her Unity Stage tribulation, he had been in seclusion and missed witnessing her struggle. Jiang Feng Yao and Hong Ye shared the same concern, "Surely Ling Long can overcome this tribulation?" Both held deep satisfaction with their son's partner. They fervently hoped for Ye Ling Long's safety. If anything should happen to her, given their son's attachment, they feared he might follow her. "Don't worry. They say good doesn't last long, while misfortunes endure. Ye Ling Long isn't exactly a saint; she'll be just fine!" Feng Ming interjected. His comment drew reproachful looks from the gathered crowd, including a bared-teeth glare from Xiao Hei, the cloud leopard. In two centuries, Xiao Hei had reached the Tribulation Stage. Despite the longevity of magical beasts and their slow advancement, Xiao Hei possessed an unusual bloodline that allowed him to devour and bypass ranks effortlessly. Moreover, he could digest anything, no matter how much higher its level was, by merely sleeping for a period. Feng Li and Feng Ming, the uncle-nephew duo, were envious. The Phoenix Valley had no shortage of treasures, but if they could absorb everything they consumed, they wouldn't need to laboriously cultivate. But alas, they lacked such a constitution. As banter filled the air, Mo Lao arrived. Over the past two centuries, he had mostly resided at the Glazed Sword Sect. Ye Tian Ming had no objections to his presence, considering how many problems such a formidable ally had resolved. Indeed, the demon clans and demon sects had attempted numerous schemes, all quelled by this old phoenix, proving invaluable. "Mo Lao!" "Mo Lao!" The crowd respectfully greeted him. Mo Lao nodded kindly, pointing skyward to draw their attention. Ye Ling Long stood mid-air atop her sword, holding several array plates. Array flags revolved around her, and she swiftly executed several array techniques. A grand array gradually took form. Someone attempted to discern the emerging array but felt a dizzying buzz in their mind, unable to comprehend its workings. "This... this array," perplexed one newly joined the Glazed Sword Sect, a formation master. Mo Lao advised, "Don't look. That array's level isn't something you can fathom." As he spoke, the array neared completion. Ye Ling Long's array gesturing accelerated, her hands a blur. With a thunderous roar, a resplendent array materialized, its rainbow hues soaring skyward. "Rainbow light! This... this is a ninth-grade array, and a high-grade one at that!" The formation master's voice trembled with excitement, eyes wide and bloodshot, his whole body quivering. Following the light's ascent, more tribulation clouds gathered above. However, these clouds were much weaker than those of Ye Ling Long, forming quickly. Golden bolts of tribulation lightning began striking the newly formed array. One, two, three... The formation master silently counted each strike, his heart clutching with every hit. So long as the array endured them all, it would succeed as a ninth-grade array. As the final array strike descended, the heavens filled with brilliant hues, marking the array's completion. "This... it's miraculous. To witness a high-grade ninth-grade array forming in my lifetime, I... I'm..." Overcome by emotion, the formation master's words faltered. He grew dazed, seemingly realizing something profound. With the array completed, the tribulation clouds for the Tribulation Stage formed swiftly above. Boom~ With a cacophonous sound, a purple-gold bolt descended upon Ye Ling Long, its force intent on obliteration. "My heavens, this lightning tribulation is terrifying," Hong Ye exclaimed without thinking. Jiang Ling Yun and Huang Bu Fan's hearts raced with anxiety. Yet Ye Ling Long herself remained calm. Initially, she didn't utilize the high-grade ninth-grade array for defense. Instead, she confronted the tribulation bolts with her own body. Since fully absorbing the primordial phoenix blood, Ye Ling Long's physical prowess had soared. Though her soul didn't evolve as significantly, it too had grown. "Xiao Huang! Time to work," Ye Ling Long murmured. The heart of the Ice Phoenix transformed into an icy blue light, flowing into her body and cycling through her meridians. This new cultivation technique she discovered allowed the introduction of foreign fire to accelerate cultivation and fortify meridians. Now, she aimed to temper her body and meridians to the utmost using lightning, guiding Xiao Huang through her meridians for their mutual benefit. Bolt after bolt struck, and Ye Ling Long gritted her teeth, enduring more than half until her body neared its breaking point. Finally, she activated the array with a wave of her hand. The grand array enclosed her protectively, repelling the remaining bolts. But as the tribulation's strength grew, the array's surface began spiderwebbing with cracks. Under the alarmed gazes of onlookers, the penultimate bolt shattered the array. Amidst the scattered fragments and worried stares, the final, most potent bolt descended thunderously. Yet Ye Ling Long countered by drawing Qian Jun. Qian Jun: “...” Once more, I'm bearing it all!