Chapter 191
She gently lifted her gaze, looking up at the dark purple storm clouds above, as if sensing something. She glanced towards where Zheng Fa and the others were, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
After a stick of incense had burned down.
A bolt of tribulation lightning descended from the sky, striking directly at Sister Zhang.
But it was blocked by the Xuan Guan Jian.
The giant eye seemed enraged by the Xuan Guan Jian's interference.
The next bolt of lightning was much thicker.
With a mournful cry, the Xuan Guan Jian was knocked down beside Sister Zhang.
Without the protection of the Xuan Guan Jian, Sister Zhang was enveloped by the tribulation lightning, her figure hidden from even the Dong Xu Ling Yan.
Zheng Fa's heart couldn't help but race.
Sister Zhang's successful birth of her Nascent Soul was of utmost importance to the Jiu Shan Sect.
But for him, it was even more significant—she was his most crucial support, even a fellow cultivator, in the Xuan Wei Realm.
The tribulation lightning came one after another, seemingly relentless.
Until nine days and nights had passed.
The giant eye in the sky slowly dissipated, revealing Sister Zhang's figure.
"Quick, go protect Sister Zhang!" Uncle Pang's face turned serious. "Now that the Xuan Guan Jian is damaged, Sister Zhang must face her heart demon tribulation. This is the last chance for the Da Zai Zai Demon Sect."
Zheng Fa was already prepared. Following the plan, he suddenly urged the Du E Zhou, racing towards Sister Zhang with his fellow disciples.
What reassured them was that during the lightning tribulation, no matter the cultivation level, cultivators dared not approach Sister Zhang.
Plus, with the San Yang Sword Immortal by their side.
The Da Zai Zai Demon Sect members could only shrink back, finding it hard to be faster than their group.
Sure enough, when they reached Sister Zhang's vicinity, they encountered no bold members of the Demon Sect.
But Sister Zhang did not look well.
Her eyes were closed, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she were experiencing some nightmare.
In just a few breaths, her expression shifted through a myriad of emotions.
Surprise, anger, sadness, despair.
Her face grew colder and more resolute.
Finally, a sense of determination seemed to emerge.
"Sister Zhang is crying?"
Zheng Fa suddenly heard Brother Yang say beside him.
He looked up and, indeed, two streams of tears flowed from Sister Zhang's eyes.
"Have you ever seen Sister Zhang cry?"
"No..."
"I can't even imagine it."
...
But it seemed Sister Zhang was trapped in her heart demon tribulation, unable to escape. Through the Dong Xu Ling Yan's perspective, Zheng Fa could even see her internal spiritual energy gradually becoming murky, showing signs of falling into demonic influence.
"What do we do now, Junior Brother?" Brother Yang asked anxiously.
Zheng Fa felt uncertain as well. The heart demon tribulation could only be faced alone; how could anyone else help?
"How about you call out to Sister Zhang a couple of times?"
Brother Yang's suggestion left Zheng Fa speechless.
Can she really be awakened like that?
"You two are the closest. If anyone can help Sister Zhang, it would be you... I've heard that during the heart demon tribulation, one isn't completely unaware; sometimes, they can hear snippets from the outside. If there's someone they care about, it might just evoke some deeply ingrained memories..."
As Brother Yang spoke, his voice grew softer.
He seemed to realize that this rumor sounded a bit absurd.
Zheng Fa gritted his teeth and suddenly took out a few books.
"Sister Zhang, yesterday we talked about..."
The other disciples exchanged glances, not quite understanding Zheng Fa's approach.
But as they listened, their expressions turned pained.
They looked at each other and quietly stepped back a couple of paces from Zheng Fa.
"Brother," one of the disciples said, "after listening to this, I feel like I'm the one facing a heart demon tribulation, not Sister Zhang."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
They looked as if they wanted to cover their ears.
"Look at Sister Zhang!"
As Zheng Fa recited, Sister Zhang's expression suddenly calmed, as if she truly had a chance of overcoming her heart demon tribulation.
"This... is this using poison to counter poison, using demons to subdue demons?" one disciple said, stunned.
"Seems like Zheng Junior Brother's method is a bit more effective..."
(End of this chapter)
---
Chapter 186: In the Sky
"What do you mean by eavesdropping?" the San Yang Sword Immortal snorted. "I have good hearing; is that my fault?"
"..."
"Besides, this is my way of comprehending the Dao," Old Han explained. "With thousands of voices and thoughts, there lies the Great Dao within." "So what have you comprehended?"
"What have I comprehended?" Old Han glanced at him and said, "I've understood a fundamental truth of heaven and earth."
"What is it?"
"All the cultivators in the Xuan Wei Realm are a bunch of scum, each harboring filthy thoughts in secret."
"..." Yan Wushuang was left speechless.
"The Demon Sect is like dog waste at night, lurking around, occasionally kicking you."
"The Immortal Sect is like dog waste in a tavern, served on a plate with a golden rim, and they insist you eat it."
"My Tian He Sect is the oldest pile of it!" the old man huffed. "Others say the older the Immortal Sect, the stronger it gets; I say, the older the dog waste, the stinkier it becomes!"
"…Old Han, are you here to protect me, or did you just find it unbearable in the sect?"
Yan Wushuang finally asked after a long silence.
"I don't want to be suffocated!" the San Yang Sword Immortal sneered. "You want me to save that person from the Jiu Shan Sect? I see him as just another piece of dog waste, though he has his moments when he doesn't stink—so if I save him, I save him."
"I'm just... seeing that the talisman has potential for profit."
"…Do I look like I'm worth that thing with just one sword?"
"…And I don't even have to lift a finger."
"So you want to play a no-risk game?" Old Han retorted angrily.
"You aren't giving me any spirit stones," Yan Wushuang countered, adding, "Give me back mine."
"…You little rascal! This time, you've actually made a good deal. I see that Zhang Wuyi is quite a talent." Old Han paused for a moment and said, "Though she can't compare to the Ancestor, she has a bit of the Ancestor's spirit."
When he mentioned the Ancestor, the old man, who had been spewing dog waste, suddenly showed a fervent respect on his face.
To Yan Wushuang, the old man's fervor for the Ancestor far surpassed that of their fellow sect elders.
"Old Han, you..."
"You don't understand. If a figure like the Ancestor doesn't appear during this tribulation, the damned will die. What difference does it make if there's one less or one more dog waste Nascent Soul in the Immortal or Demon Sects, or in the Jiu Shan Sect or Tian He Sect?" The San Yang Sword Immortal sighed.
"What about Zhang Zhenren..."
"She can't compare. When the Ancestor formed their Nascent Soul, they created the method for their life treasure, and the heavens celebrated. Zhang Wuyi has spirit but lacks that ability." After saying this, the old man suddenly added, "However, she is a figure in the Xuan Wei Realm. You saved that fellow with the surname Pang, and by accident, you've made a connection with her."
Hearing this made Yan Wushuang feel a bit proud.
He thought for a moment and then said, "Zheng Fa is also quite remarkable, renowned alongside Zhang Wuyi in the Jiu Shan Sect. Old Han, your involvement this time will definitely pay off!"
"Zheng Fa? He is indeed exceptional."
"Right?"
"He's quite similar to you."
Yan Wushuang's eyes widened. "Old Han, you think so highly of him?"
Though he didn't show it, how could the son of the Tian He Sect's leader not feel a bit of pride?
"I'm saying you're impressive because you have a good father," Old Han shot him a glance. "He's impressive because he has a good senior sister."
"Old Han... you can just insult him." Yan Wushuang finally said after a long pause, "Why drag me into it?"
"I'm insulting you; he's just collateral damage—he also has talent, not just relying on luck."
"Then why insult him?"
"I never had a good senior sister."
"Ah?"
"I'm jealous." Looking at Yan Wushuang, who was dumbfounded, Old Han smiled and said, "I'm just a pile of old dog waste, very stinky."
---
At Zheng Fa's side, Yuan Sister was curiously asking, "Sister Zhang, what is your heart demon tribulation like?"
Her expression was more curious than concerned.
To be honest, Zheng Fa was also a bit curious.
He had never seen Sister Zhang with such an expression, nor had he ever seen her tears.
"In the heart demon tribulation, I felt like I returned to the Jiu Shan Sect," Sister Zhang said after a moment of silence.
Zheng Fa and the others listened intently.
"Everyone in the Jiu Shan Sect is dead." Sister Zhang looked into the distance, as if recalling something. "The Da Zai Zai Demon Sect attacked the mountain gate; the sect leader died, and my master died."
"What about me?" Yuan Sister pointed at herself.
"You died."
"What about Zheng Junior Brother?"
Sister Zhang paused for a moment and said, "He also died."
"So that's why you cried, Sister?"
Yuan Sister realized.
"I didn't cry," Sister Zhang shook her head.
"I worked hard to cultivate, yet I couldn't break through to the Nascent Soul." Sister Zhang spoke softly. "Later, I found that the math you taught me seemed to be quite useful, but unfortunately, the heart demon tribulation is ultimately illusory. I pondered for eight hundred years but still couldn't grasp it."
"…Huh?"
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