Translator: AnubisTL
Gu Feng was like a thunderbolt-spewing machine, destroying everything in his path. The vast Qiu family mansion had been reduced to ruins, with electric arcs crackling across the broken walls and shattered pillars.
It was a scene of utter devastation. The Unwavering Sect disciples on the outskirts felt their hair stand on end, continuously expanding their encirclement as they retreated further and further.
"There's a Spirit Herb Garden here. Take everything!"
Surrounded by lightning, Gu Feng continued his rampage, killing and looting treasures as he went. He stripped the Spirit Herb Garden bare, even scraping away a layer of soil.
The Treasure Vault had been blasted open, but unfortunately, most of the valuable items had already been moved. Gu Feng took everything that remained without discrimination.
As the next wave of Thunder Tribulation approached, Zhu Qingyan leaped out of the Storage Ring. Her three leaves glowed frighteningly bright, as if she was practicing some kind of heaven-defying technique.
Strands of lightning were absorbed into the leaves, and a mysterious aura emanated from them. For a moment, Gu Feng seemed to see the illusory figure of a peerless empress. She walked under the starry sky, bathing in lightning, her every movement exuding nobility and divinity. With a slight glance of her beautiful eyes, stars seemed to shift, leaving one dizzy and disoriented, as if their very soul had been imprisoned.
"These people are almost at their limit!" Zhu Qingyan's ethereal voice exploded in Gu Feng's ear. He turned to look and saw Elder Jiang and the other seven cultivators with their eyes rolled back, pupils unfocused, and blood bubbling from their mouths. They stood amidst the lightning like small boats in a vast ocean, on the verge of capsizing at any moment.
"Is there anything we can do?" Gu Feng asked with furrowed brows.
"No, surviving this Thunder Tribulation would be like living a second life for them. It all depends on their fate now!"
Zhu Qingyan spoke softly, her illusory eyes reflecting the fluctuations of time. There was a sense of ancientness in them, as well as a distant gaze, as if trying to peer through the river of time back to the earliest ages.
"Take out the Soul Shattering Whip. I'll refine it using the Thunder Tribulation!"
Gu Feng didn't dare delay and immediately handed the Soul Shattering Whip to her.
Hum—
A metallic vibration sounded as the few dozen intact rune inscriptions left on the Soul Shattering Whip exploded under the assault of the lightning.
"Open your Storage Ring and let me fuse suitable materials into it!"
"Alright!"
Gu Feng nodded slightly, then had a thought and retrieved the Storage Rings from the eight elder-level cultivators, opening them all.
Zhu Qingyan selected several Mystic Weapons from among them. With a few mysterious hand movements, the weapons disintegrated into globules of liquid metal.
"Merge—" Zhu Qingyan called out softly, and all the colorful metallic liquids fused into the Soul Shattering Whip.
"Destruction before reconstruction, rebirth after breaking!"
The originally jet-black and glossy Soul Shattering Whip began to emit a silver light in Zhu Qingyan's hands. Ancient golden rune inscriptions were imprinted into it one by one.
The Soul Shattering Whip's grade kept rising: Low-grade Spirit Tool, Middle-Grade Spirit Tool, Superior-grade Spiritual Weapon... Finally, it burst forth with a blinding white light, becoming a Top-grade Spirit Artifact!
"This is as far as we should go. If a weapon's grade doesn't match its wielder's cultivation level, it only attracts trouble from those who would kill to steal it, with no other benefits."
As Zhu Qingyan's illusory figure slowly faded, Gu Feng took back the Soul Shattering Whip. Now it gleamed with a silver light, faint electric arcs flickering across its surface. Eighty-one rune inscriptions radiated golden light upon it.
After sensing it briefly, Gu Feng had a realization. The Soul Shattering Whip, reforged by Zhu Qingyan, remained a supreme Mystic Artifact for attacking souls, but now with an added paralyzing effect.
"This treasure is incredible. One lash, and those of similar realm will likely be stunned instantly. It's the ultimate tool for raiding and plundering!"
Gu Feng chuckled, feeling satisfied. Just as he put away the Soul Shattering Whip, a familiar sensation came over him again.
His soul once more left his body, entering a strange chaotic world.
In the sky of this chaotic world, a colorful silver river stretched across, slowly surging and striking towards a certain point at the top of the world. With each strike, the chaotic world became increasingly turbulent.
Crack—
After an unknown duration of strikes, a sound like an egg shell breaking was heard. Gu Feng looked up to see large pieces of the sky falling.
This colorful silver river had actually struck down a piece of the sky. However, the sky here had more than one layer, and the colorful silver river unleashed its power again.
"Boom boom boom—"
Gu Feng's head ached from the enormous sound, reminiscent of the world's destruction. He felt as if his soul was about to collapse.
His heart pounding, the world quickly receded, and he returned to reality!
The Innate Tribulation lasted an exceptionally long time, alarming the entire Cloud Prefecture.
A group of elders from the Sunset Glow Sect rushed over. Upon seeing Gu Feng, they were so shocked their jaws dropped.
Fast, too fast. Gu Feng's speed of advancement was so rapid that they could hardly believe it.
"He has already weathered six waves of Thunder Tribulation. Gu Feng's condition is good; he's secured the Innate Realm," said members of the prefectural royal family who had also arrived.
"I never imagined the Thunder Tribulation would be so destructive!" Gu Santong muttered to himself. No wonder Gu Feng dared to leave the swamp; he was well-prepared and fearless.
"Impressive. Breaking through to the Innate Realm with his Myriad Tribulations Physique, his lifespan has increased to over 300 years, not much different from our own," the Bao family elder stroked his beard and said softly.
"Sect Leader Lin, you're quite bold to have helped Gu Feng destroy the Qiu Family!"
Everyone was incredulous about the Unwavering Sect's involvement, wondering when Gu Feng and Lin Xinhua had connected.
"Haha, Young Friend Gu and I hit it off immediately. I accepted his invitation to attack the Qiu Family!" Lin Xinhua naturally wouldn't admit that he had come of his own accord.
Hearing this, everyone's doubts deepened. Destroying the Qiu Family wasn't a big deal, but Gu Feng inviting the Unwavering Sect without notifying them was worth pondering.
Woo woo woo—
Suddenly, a howling sound filled the air.
A mysterious feeling permeated their hearts. In a daze, everyone noticed that the lightning above Gu Feng's head had slowed, its silver color gradually replaced by gray.
The flowing gray lightning formed a terrifying vortex, looking like a tornado from afar.
"Not good, this is the Soul Tribulation. Quick, get back!"
"Boom—"
Vast waves of soul power spread in all directions, surging outward like a tsunami.
The nearby Unwavering Sect disciples cried out in misery. Some weaker disciples immediately fell unconscious, while others dragged them away, fleeing for their lives.
Even the elder-level cultivators desperately circulated their Soul Power to resist this soul attack.
Puff—
At the center of the soul vortex, Gu Feng was the first to be hit, his soul suffering severe damage.
"Use the Soul Secret Skill to break the vortex!"
"Alright!"
Following Zhu Qingyan's guidance, Gu Feng mobilized his soul power, and an Asura Phantom as tall as a mountain burst forth from between his eyebrows.
The Asura Phantom raised its giant sword, its expression solemn, standing behind Gu Feng like a bodyguard!
"Slash!"
As the word 'slash' was uttered, everyone around felt a rumbling in their minds. Looking up, they saw the terrifying Asura cleave the vortex in two with a single sword strike!
The Thunder Tribulation dissipated, and the world regained its clarity.
Gu Feng's body swayed as he landed on the ground, panting heavily.
He opened his storage pouch and released the eight elders.
"They still have breath left. Fortunately, you destroyed the soul vortex, otherwise they all would have perished!"
The eight elders were barely alive, but at least they had kept their lives - a blessing amid misfortune.
"Sect Leader Lin, the five elders you sent to protect me have suffered along with me. I'm afraid they'll need some time to recover!"
Lin Xuanhua, who had been somewhat anxious, heard Gu Feng's voice and felt the weight lift from his heart.
This time, he had bet correctly!
He immediately replied, "Injuries are inevitable in great battles. It's no problem!"
"Everyone, since we've met by chance, why not gather at my Sunset Glow Sect?"
"We'd be delighted!"
"It would be our honor!"
Gu Feng had already broken through to the Innate Realm, and his status in everyone's eyes rose once again.
They gladly accepted his invitation.
The destruction of the Qiu Family had served as a warning to them all - never anger Gu Feng, or the Qiu Family's fate today could be theirs tomorrow.
Cloud Prefecture was now this young man's domain. This had nothing to do with combat power; his influence was unmatched.
Once he thoroughly defeated Shu Yuheng, Gu Feng would control both the Sunset Glow Sect and the Swamp Zone, officially becoming the uncrowned king of Cloud Prefecture.
Leaving some disciples to clean up the battlefield, Gu Feng and the others headed towards the Sunset Glow Sect.
Not long after they left, two figures appeared from the clouds.
One wore a black lolita outfit, was short in stature with large eyes, looking mischievous and cute.
The other was tall with a cold demeanor, like an ice mountain snow lotus about to bloom - to be admired from afar but not defiled.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Gong Xian'er!"
"Qu Yanran!"
Compared to Qu Yanran, Gong Xian'er seemed to see through the other's background at a glance.
"Your clan is quite strange. Are you planning to make a move?" Gong Xian'er asked playfully, pouting her lips.
"It's none of your business!"
Qu Yanran frowned slightly, spoke coldly, and turned to leave.
"How cold indeed. Not even asking about my background!"
Gong Xian'er chuckled lightly, her form vanishing in an instant.
(End of the Chapter)
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