Chapter 315 : The Gathering Storm of Tribulation

Upon his arrival, Eldrin Chen found Exquisite Jiang standing guard before the Seclusion Chamber. He hurried forward and inquired in a low voice.

"How is the situation?"

"The most critical juncture has passed. It will likely take another month or so to fully convert her spiritual energy into Golden Core power [the potent, solidified energy of a Golden Core cultivator]."

A smile touched Exquisite Jiang's eyes. Her disciple's breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm was a joyous occasion for her as well.

Eldrin Chen gave a nod of understanding and went to arrange for personnel to receive the arriving cultivators.

By now, many Violet Sanctum Cultivators within the Heavenly Ruins Alliance had received the news. Bearing congratulatory gifts, they had teleported to Heavenly Ruins Lake, eager to witness the birth of a new Golden Core Patriarch.

Even True Person Qian from the Firmament Sword Sect and Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort from the Purple Abyss Sect had come to Heavenly Ruins Lake, their presence and gifts clearly a gesture of respect for Exquisite Jiang.

With Exquisite Jiang overseeing the protective formation, it fell to Eldrin Chen to personally host these distinguished Golden Core True Persons.

A month slipped by in the blink of an eye. The spiritual energy vortex over Heavenly Ruins Lake gradually dissipated, only to be replaced by an ominous, rolling mass of Tribulation Cloud [a dense, energy-charged cloud formation that heralds a heavenly tribulation] that gathered unseen.

Eldrin Chen frowned, a weight of solemn concern settling in his heart. Visit audio-novel-dot-com to enjoy the complete series.

The difficulty of the Golden Core Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the final, most perilous heavenly trial to solidify a Golden Core] is such that many Forming the Golden Core [cultivators attempting to form their Golden Core] without powerful backing ultimately perish beneath its final, devastating strikes.

If all proceeds as expected, Old Patriarch will one day face this very trial, a thought that fills Eldrin Chen with no small measure of concern for his safety.

The intensity of Exquisite Jiang's own Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial of lightning] could never serve as a reliable benchmark, but the one now gathering for Elara Lin promises to be a far more instructive standard.

"BOOM—"

As the roiling Tribulation Cloud [ominous clouds that herald a heavenly tribulation] blotted out the sky, Elara Lin emerged from her Seclusion Chamber [a chamber for secluded cultivation] and ascended into the void to meet her fate.

Confronting the vast, awe-inspiring spectacle of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, Elara Lin wore an expression of profound gravity. Yet, with Exquisite Jiang as her formidable patron, she had been furnished with ample preparation and profound resources. A quiet confidence steadied her spirit.

She summoned three superior-grade magical treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators] to shield her from the tribulation's fury: a Nine-Condensing Frost Spike, a Cold Radiance Dharma Pearl, and a Golden Treasure Bracelet.

Each of these treasures was of the Third Rank Superior Grade [a high tier of magical artifact quality]. In any Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [a clan led by a Violet Sanctum realm cultivator], they would be revered as supreme Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [a treasure of paramount importance to a clan's survival]. Here, their sole purpose was to absorb the opening salvos of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, mere tools to bolster her chances of a successful Golden Core [a solidified core of immense spiritual power] breakthrough.

As the three magical treasure began to orbit her in a protective dance, the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation in the heavens above reached its peak of terrifying potency.

"KRAKOOM—"

In that instant, a dazzling bolt of thunder descended, serpentine and crackling, striking with a metallic clang directly towards Elara Lin.

Facing this vast Thunderclap, Elara Lin's brow furrowed slightly. With a flick of her wrist, the Nine-Condensing Frost Spike transformed into a shower of frigid light that scattered across the sky.

The power of the first Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a trial of heavenly lightning faced during major cultivation breakthroughs] was not overwhelming and was swiftly dispersed by this treasure, its might successfully blocked.

However, after blocking one Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, the Nine-Condensing Frost Spike had already suffered damage. Continuing to use it risked its complete destruction.

Although Elara Lin possessed considerable wealth, a single Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure was worth two hundred thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. She was unwilling to destroy such a precious magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] unless absolutely necessary.

She stored the Nine-Condensing Frost Spike and used the Cold Radiance Dharma Pearl and a golden orb to block the second and third bolts of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation.

The subsequent two bolts of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation were exceptionally powerful. In response, she summoned her Lifebound Immortal Sword, the Frost Soul Coldlight Sword, and with two consecutive slashes from this blade, she parried the fourth and fifth heavenly strikes.

Yet the force of these two Heavenly Thunder Tribulation strikes was immense. Although the Frost Soul Coldlight Sword managed to block them, its radiance was extinguished and its power utterly depleted.

With the final four, and most potent, bolts of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation still looming, a look of grave seriousness settled upon Elara Lin's features.

Her repertoire of Divine Ability [supernatural techniques derived from cultivation arts] was ultimately limited due to her Variant Spiritual Root [a rare and specialized type of spiritual affinity]. Lacking the offensive and defensive Art of Divine Subjugation [a specific cultivation technique] suited for an Ice Spiritual Root, she had no choice but to rely solely on her treasures to withstand these last few trials of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation.

With a simple flick of her wrist, she summoned forth the Ink Snow Immortal Sword. As a Fourth-Rank Immortal Sword [a sword of the fourth rank, wielded by powerful immortals], it instantly erupted with a sword aura that pierced the heavens, effortlessly blocking the sixth bolt of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the divine lightning trial that tests a cultivator's worthiness for advancement].

Though the Ink Snow Immortal Sword displayed immense power, the onlookers' expressions grew solemn.

Every cultivator present knew the final three bolts of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation were the most devastating. The vast majority of failed ascendants met their end beneath these very strikes.

Without a Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact of the fourth rank] in hand, surviving these bolts typically required shattering five or six Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure used to protect and represent a major clan] and exhausting one's deepest reserves of Great God Ability [profound divine techniques], offering at best a fifty-fifty chance of success.

Even possessing a single Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure was no guarantee. After forcibly withstanding these tribulation bolts, the treasure would be grievously wounded, requiring at least one full Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years] of careful nurturing to restore its former glory.

Mere nurturing was one matter, but a magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] would suffer wear even in battles against its peers. How much more severe would the damage be from directly confronting the tyrannical force of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation? For the best reading experience, visit audio–novel.com.

The Heavenly Thunder Tribulation would damage the very material essence of the magical treasure, and a heavy blow from it could fracture the enchantment arrays within, permanently diminishing its power.

Thus, a saying circulated within the Immortal Realm [the realm where immortals dwell]: lending a Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure to withstand a Golden Core Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the heavenly thunder trial faced when forming a Golden Core] would shorten its usable lifespan by one full Sixty-Year Cycle.

Though the materials of a Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure were extraordinary and its lifespan long, it could not endure the corrosive toll of many Golden Core Heavenly Thunder Tribulation.

Therefore, it was customary that only those bound by the deepest ties—sworn partners, master and disciple, or the closest of comrades—would be willing to lend their Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure to aid another's tribulation passage.

"Boom—"

Serpents of lightning churned across the heavens and earth. Amidst the tense anticipation of the onlookers, the seventh Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of lightning that tests a cultivator's strength and resolve] crashed down with world-shaking force.

The power of this strike was truly terrifying, comparable to a full-force blow from a Golden Core 1st Tier [the first level of the Golden Core cultivation stage] expert, potent enough to annihilate a cultivator who had just barely stepped into the Golden Core [a major cultivation stage where one forms a solidified golden spiritual core] realm.

Since the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of lightning that tests a cultivator's strength and resolve] cannot be dodged or avoided, the one undergoing the tribulation must face it head-on. The difficulty of this is staggering; a single misstep could lead to utter destruction, body and cultivation extinguished.

Elara Lin's brow furrowed slightly. She channeled her power, and with a resonant *shing*, the Ink Snow Immortal Sword [a legendary sword named for its ink-black blade and snow-like aura] swept forth, finally dispersing this thunderous assault into nothingness.

After blocking this Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of lightning that tests a cultivator's strength and resolve], Elara Lin sheathed the Ink Snow Immortal Sword [a legendary sword named for its ink-black blade and snow-like aura].

The sword's attributes were perfectly aligned with her Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual affinity that determines a cultivator's elemental alignment and potential]. It would be a grievous loss if such a treasure were severely damaged within the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of lightning that tests a cultivator's strength and resolve].

She raised a hand, unleashing a radiant glow that transformed into a hazy, mist-like energy enveloping the space around her. The magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] she would use to withstand the final two tribulation strikes was none other than the Earth Marsh Five Mists Veil [a defensive treasure that conjures five layers of protective mist].

The Earth Marsh Five Mists Veil [a defensive treasure that conjures five layers of protective mist] had been obtained from the Heavenly Python Demon King [a powerful serpentine demon ruler]. It was a first-rate defensive magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators], making it an excellent choice for weathering the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of lightning that tests a cultivator's strength and resolve].

The veil's defensive power was indeed astonishing. With a surge of its light, it effortlessly blocked the eighth Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of lightning that tests a cultivator's strength and resolve].

Having withstood eight successive strikes of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a devastating trial of lightning sent by the heavens to test cultivators], Elara Lin allowed herself a slight sigh of relief. The defensive power of the Earth Marsh Five Mists Veil [a protective magical treasure that conjures five layers of mist from swampy earth] remained substantial; it should be sufficient to block this final, climactic bolt of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation.

She lifted her gaze towards the Tribulation Cloud [the ominous, churning cloud formation that heralds a heavenly tribulation], only for her pupils to contract sharply.

Within the billowing depths of the Tribulation Cloud, a single, blindingly brilliant arc of lightning coalesced and descended. Its terrifying power had surged by no less than thirty percent.

"This is bad!"

Elara Lin's expression shifted, a flicker of alarm crossing her features. She immediately channeled the full force of her cultivation base into the Earth Marsh Five Mists Veil.

Yet, having only just broken through to the Golden Core [the third major realm of cultivation where one's spiritual energy condenses into a solid, golden core], her spiritual energy reserves were not yet at their peak. Reluctant to see her precious magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] shatter, she had already expended vast amounts of energy to repeatedly activate her defenses against the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation. Now, a treacherous sense of strain began to pull at her core. Original English translation available at *audio-novel.com*.