A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 334 - 294: When Will the Golden Core Celestial Tribulation Arrive

The Ten Extremes Ten Directions Grand Array was erected, and the spiritual pressure exceeding ten times that of the original Five Elements Grand Array instantly drew the cultivators in the city to look up and watch in awe, momentarily forgetting their tasks.

"Sect Leader Lu has a Golden Core level Mountain Protection Grand Array! And it seems quite powerful," Ning Songzhi, who was in meditation, was startled, couldn’t help but gaze intently, and murmured to himself, "But, if he had such a treasure array, why didn’t he set it up earlier? If this array was in place, Han Wen could never have broken in."

Lu Qian looked at the grand array towering over the city with intense remorse welling up in his heart.

If I had known this would happen, I would never have hesitated because of Master Fengfeng and could have set up this array long ago.

Even if setting up this array aroused Master Fengfeng’s dissatisfaction and suspicion, it was better than completely falling out with him now and losing Elder Zhou, Senior Brother Tan, and all the elite disciples!

If only I had known, if only I had known, but where in this world can you find medicine for regret!

At that moment, Lu Qian suddenly felt utterly weary of his long-held meticulous and perfection-seeking scheming.

Striving for perfection has ironically led to the worst outcome; how laughable.

Now that he’s thoroughly fallen out with the Xuanguang Sect, it’s time to cast aside all these concerns and take bold, aggressive steps.

Let me indulge freely just this once!

At that moment, an imposing and intense spiritual pressure stood by his side.

Lu Qian turned his face and saw the unparalleled beauty of Fairy Nishang.

"Lu Qian, you’re crying," Guh Nishang said.

Lu Qian was stunned for a moment and hurriedly wiped away the tears that unknowingly fell.

He mumbled vaguely, trying to compose himself and suppress all the pain inside, "Elder Guh, you’ve broken through the barrier successfully; congratulations."

Foundation Establishment Perfection, who would have thought Guh Nishang could directly break into the Realm of Perfection. The next step is to prepare for the Golden Core Celestial Tribulation!

Yet Guh Nishang lowered her gaze, not much joy on her face, "If only I had broken through earlier—"

Lu Qian interrupted her, "There are no ifs in life; let’s not dwell on it. The only thing we can do now is to cherish what we have all the more."

The two were silent for a moment, then Lu Qian suddenly asked, "With your current strength, how long could you hold off Master Fengfeng?"

The battle of Yuqing Mountain, they both knew Master Fengfeng’s all-out power full well. Golden red light flashed in Guh Nishang’s eyes as she thought carefully, then replied after a moment, "Direct confrontation, only five breaths, but I could fully entangle for ten breaths."

Ten breaths? Lu Qian asked again, "When do you expect your Golden Core Celestial Tribulation?"

Guh Nishang shook her head, "No sense of it at all."

No sense, then it should be after five years.

For a cultivator to succeed in Foundation Establishment, both "opportunity" and "cultivation" are indispensable, and "treasure land" and "auspicious time" are necessary conditions. Celestial-Human Synchrony accompanies the entire Foundation Establishment process.

Without "opportunity", forcing Foundation Establishment often fails due to the inability to inscribe Dao patterns.

Upon establishing the Dao Foundation and officially embarking on the cultivation path, the next hurdle, the Golden Core Celestial Tribulation, becomes clearer.

The emergence of celestial tribulations results from the cultivator’s self-cultivation planting the seed.

The Celestial Dao diminishes the excess and complements the deficient; energy always transfers from high to low, ultimately achieving balance and circulation of all things.

Yet, cultivation? It extracts the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth, absorbing the essence of all things into oneself, making the strong stronger and the weak weaker; this is the journey against heaven.

The Golden Core, moreover, is the Metal Attribute immortal, complete and without flaw. Being without flaw indicates a higher-level plundering. Only the Golden Core cultivators can take from heaven and earth, while the heaven and earth can gain nothing from them.

Therefore, cultivators seeking to affirm the Golden Core must face celestial tribulations.

If they overcome it, cultivators receive exemption from heaven and earth, facing no more "celestial tribulations" until transcending into immortality.

If they cannot, all is lost; the unlucky perish, while the luckier severely reduce lifespan, having only a few years left. Ultimately, all their painstaking cultivation dissipates, returning to the heavens and earth.

The more cultivators perish, the more balanced the heavens and earth become, hence the tremendous and near-impossible-to-overcome power of celestial tribulations.

The most common is the Thunder Tribulation, followed by Wind, Fire, Water, and Yin Tribulations, among others.

However, the Celestial Dao is fair; even in the Death Tribulation, there is a thread of vitality. For cultivators attacking the Golden Core, facing celestial tribulations, this thread of vitality is in the sense that cultivators can vaguely perceive when the tribulation will arrive, thus preparing adequately.

From over twenty thousand years of exploration in the Cultivation Realm, once sensing the tribulation, it usually arrives within five years. The fact that Guh Nishang feels nothing indicates her tribulation is over five years away.

But, even with ample preparation time, out of ten cultivators reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection, only one or two become Golden Core cultivators.

In the past, Xuanguang Sect’s Sect Leader Li Xingyuan failed the tribulation, suffering severe injuries and reduced lifespan, sparking the sect’s leadership struggle.

Of course, even if Guh Nishang’s tribulation is more than five years away, it will not be indefinitely postponed. Generally, the more astonishingly talented the cultivator, the deeper they imbibe from the celestial fortune, the sooner the tribulation should arrive; Guh Nishang’s more-than-five-years distance already surprises Lu Qian.

The Golden Core Celestial Tribulation must occur within one cycle after reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection, equating to twelve years.

So, Guh Nishang’s tribulation will be between five to twelve years.

No need to worry about it now.

What matters most now is how to deal with the furious Master Fengfeng’s impending onslaught, who now wishes nothing more than to utterly destroy the Yunshan Sect and grind Lu Qian to dust ten thousand times.

Lu Qian turned and saw Ning Songzhi, who had been startled, approaching.

I wonder how the battle situation on the Fucang Mountain front is?

"Fellow Daoist Ning, congratulations on successfully establishing your Foundation."

Wang Yu bowed beside him, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ning, for your crucial support; without it, we might have been doomed in this battle."

Lu Qian heard this and bowed deeply, "The assistance of Fellow Daoist Ning is etched in the hearts of our entire sect, and we will repay this kindness in the future."

Ning Songzhi sighed and returned the salute, "Sect Leader Lu overpraises. My opportunity for Foundation Establishment was due to Sect Leader Lu, and I had to rely entirely on him to establish the Foundation. Your sect is in trouble, and I should have helped with all my strength. It’s just unfortunate I’m not capable enough to provide more assistance."

Lu Qian shook his head, not dwelling on this, and said, "Could I ask Fellow Daoist Ning to help me contact Xuanguang Sect and inquire about the current battle situation on Fucang Mountain?"

Ning Songzhi was suddenly shocked, "Has the Fucang Mountain front erupted? How did you return, Sect Leader Lu?"

Lu Qian calmly replied, "To return, I openly defied orders, breaking through the formation; now, I’m your Zhenren’s prime target for destruction."