Chapter 302: The First Heavenly Tribulation

After achieving Core Formation, he resolved to visit the Hu Clan.

With his current foundation, he was certain that Graffiti Granny, the Hu Clan Elder, would be no match for him after his breakthrough.

Acquiring a demonic beast brain would grant him a purer and more profound perspective of the world. However, demonic beast brains were notoriously difficult to obtain, largely due to the declining presence of the Demon Clan in the Cultivation World. During his Qi Refining realm, he could manage with lesser specimens like the brains of deer demons or tiger demons used in Dan Refinement. But after reaching Foundation Establishment, the number of Second-Tier Demonic Beasts plummeted, and Third-Tier beasts were virtually non-existent. The only Third-Tier beast he had encountered was Graffiti Granny herself, an Elder of the Hu Clan who was still alive, making her brain inaccessible. As for the deceased ones, they were all buried in Ancestral Mountain, further complicating matters.

To Immortal Cultivators, Third-Tier Demonic Beasts were walking treasure troves. The moment one fell, grave robbers would descend to excavate its corpse for refining materials, leaving nothing for him to claim.

A purely human perspective isn’t enough. I need more high-quality brains.

Demons, Fiends, Ghosts, and Spirits.

Once he had collected all four types of brains, he would undoubtedly surpass his predecessors.

He would find the path to Divine Transformation that eluded the Cultivation World!

After teaching Li Fugui in Cloudsoar County for three months, Chen Luo relinquished his temporary identity and returned to the Qiong Hua Sect. Patriarch Guhe of the Great Void had instructed him to return to the sect before attempting Tribulation Transcendence. The sect had prepared numerous Tribulation-Crossing Magic Treasures to help him mitigate the ravages of the Thunder Tribulation.

Chen Luo accepted these treasures without hesitation, refusing to indulge in self-righteous declarations about relying solely on his own strength. In his view, resources and connections were integral to cultivation. He couldn’t comprehend the bizarre logic of those who simultaneously enjoyed the benefits of sect support while whining about being held back by it, nor did he see any virtue in such affected self-importance.

“So, you’re about to undergo Tribulation Transcendence?” Patriarch Guhe asked, seated cross-legged above, his gaze fixed on Chen Luo below. A satisfied smile graced his face.

He deeply admired this sect member, entrusted to him by his late younger brother, True Person Gu Yue. Chen Luo not only bore traces of his brother’s character but also possessed an exceptionally steadfast Dao heart, outstanding aptitude, and remarkable fortune. Patriarch Guhe believed he might one day surpass both brothers and discover the path to Divine Transformation.

“Yes,” Chen Luo replied respectfully.

“These treasures are from my personal collection, not sect contributions. Take them to withstand the Thunder Tribulation.”

With a flick of his sleeve, Gu He released seven shimmering streams of light, revealing swords, cauldrons, banners, umbrellas, and mirrors. The seventh treasure was the Fourth-Tier chessboard he had acquired from the Millennial Ancient Kingdom, once its national treasure, which he now bestowed upon Chen Luo.

Yu Junyao and Xuan Ji, who had returned with Chen Luo, watched with envious eyes, their faces flushed red with jealousy.

Among the seven treasures, three radiated the brilliance of Fourth-Tier artifacts. Even Xuan Ji, a Core Formation cultivator, felt a pang of bitterness. As a Core Formation cultivator, he was still using Second-Tier Magic Artifacts. Yu Junyao fared even worse, feeling like her disciple was treated as a mere afterthought, receiving vastly inferior treatment.

“Thank you, Martial Uncle,” Chen Luo said, awestruck by Patriarch Gu He’s generosity, which vividly demonstrated the power of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.

Earlier, in the demonic cultivation realm, Chen Luo had learned that Blackstone Ancestor’s true form was a material for crafting Fourth-Tier Magic Artifacts, a secret for which countless lives had been sacrificed. At the time, he had believed Fourth-Tier Nascent Soul Realm artifacts to be incomparably precious. Now, however, he realized it was simply a matter of perspective.

What rogue cultivators considered priceless treasures worth risking their lives to conceal were merely ordinary materials in the eyes of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

“These are for you two,” Gu He said, turning his attention to Yu Junyao and Xuan Ji, who stood beside him. With a casual toss, he handed them two bottles of pills, dismissing them.

“Thank you, Master,” Yu Junyao said respectfully.

“Thank you, Founding Ancestor,” Xuan Ji added.

Normally, receiving pills from the Founding Ancestor would have been a source of immense joy, but today, as they held the bottles, they couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Their gazes involuntarily drifted to the seven dazzling Magic Artifacts arrayed around Chen Luo.

There’s simply no comparing people!

“Have you chosen a Tribulation Transcendence Ground yet? If not, you can simply undergo your Tribulation Transcendence on Great Void Mountain,” Gu He asked.

“I’ve already selected one,” Chen Luo replied immediately.

Initially, he had also planned to undergo his Tribulation Transcendence on Great Void Mountain. However, his experience with the Demonic Heart Tribulation in Cloudsoar County had given him a new perspective. If harnessed properly, the Demonic Heart Tribulation could become a powerful asset. Refining the Tribulation Qi extracted from it would not only temper his cultivation but also serve as the final step in accumulating his Pseudo Core. Though this wisp of Tribulation Qi had been refined by the Demonic Heart Ancestor in his lifetime, Chen Luo saw no fundamental difference.

The Demonic Heart Ancestor is me!

With the Ancestor’s intellect at his disposal, Chen Luo believed he could accomplish anything the Ancestor had.

Such matters could only be conducted in secret; they were strictly forbidden within the Qiong Hua Sect. When the Demonic Heart Ancestor descended upon the Southern Heaven Domain, he slaughtered countless Qiong Hua Sect cultivators before being ambushed and killed by the Seven Patriarchs of Jade Purity. The sect’s deep-seated hatred for the Demonic Heart Ancestor was evident in the meticulous dismemberment and suppression of his remains. If Chen Luo’s connection to the Demonic Heart Ancestor were discovered, the consequences would be far graver than merely cultivating a few Demonic Heart Art techniques.

There was an eighty to ninety percent chance he would be ground to dust. Even Martial Uncle Guhe might be unable to protect him.

“Very well,” Guhe nodded, respecting Chen Luo’s decision.

Several days later, Chen Luo quietly departed the Qiong Hua Sect, carrying a Tribulation-Crossing Magic Treasure and a vast supply of pills gifted to him by Martial Uncle Guhe.

Meanwhile, Guhe began consulting with the remaining six patriarchs about their strategy against the Millennial Ancient Kingdom.

After leaving the Qiong Hua Sect, Chen Luo sought out an uninhabited mountain range. This desolate area bordered the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, and its sparse spiritual energy deterred most Immortal Cultivators. The only inhabitants were ordinary humans who formed a kingdom, its strongest members being a handful of unremarkable Qi Refining realm cultivators.

Upon sensing Chen Luo’s aura, these Qi Refining cultivators instinctively kept their distance.

Chen Luo found a secluded valley and began setting up a formation around it. With the knowledge he had gained from the Qiong Hua Sect and the resources he had accumulated in Medicine King City, his understanding of formations had greatly expanded. He had memorized over a dozen Third-Tier Formations and even possessed the inheritance of a Fourth-Tier Formation. During this time, the “Hanging Brother” brain in Guoshan County had been tirelessly studying Third-Tier Formation knowledge, while his other External Brains dedicated to talismancy, Dan Refinement, Artificing, and related disciplines were operating at full capacity.

Each External Brain had its own specific task. Chen Luo, as the main consciousness, served as the central interface, absorbing external data and distributing it to these specialized brains for processing. While he occasionally reviewed their progress, his primary focus remained on extracting the learning results from his External Brains and concentrating on his own cultivation to advance his cultivation realm.

“First, let’s set up the formation,” Chen Luo thought.

He retrieved a Third-Tier defensive formation from his memory. This particular formation had been recently researched by the “Hanging Brother” brain. When fully deployed, it could withstand attacks from Core Formation Stage cultivators for half an hour, and the duration could be extended with a sufficient supply of spirit stones.

In a shallow depression on the southeastern side of the valley, Chen Luo carved the final formation rune into the ground.

The moment the formation was complete, the entire valley trembled.

A ring of earthy-brown light surged from the ground, its silken patterns connecting across the valley floor to form a colossal image of the Black Tortoise. This was an advanced version of the second-rank Black Tortoise Formation that “Hanging Brother” had recently mastered: the third-rank Yin-Yang Black Tortoise Formation.

The formation was divided into yin and yang halves, capable of continuously redirecting incoming attacks. Its defensive power far surpassed the second-rank Formation Flags Chen Luo had sold to Mei Qin. The formation’s patterns now included third-rank inscriptions, and the deployment requirements had increased from spirit stones to spirit essence.

Boom!

The valley shook violently as a massive black-and-white phantom of the Black Tortoise materialized in the air, stirring a tempest through the desolate mountain forest.

Having finished setting up the formation, Chen Luo settled into a meditative posture at its center. He began to recall the path to the “Heart Demon Golden Core” as summarized by the Mummified Brain. This path diverged slightly from the Demonic Heart Ancestor’s original path, a fact Chen Luo had confirmed after integrating the ancestor’s brain into his own.

The Demonic Heart Ancestor’s legacy cultivation technique could reach the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, with some speculation even extending to the Divine Transformation stage. However, the cultivation method synthesized by the Mummified Brain was entirely Chen Luo’s own creation. The Demonic Heart Tribulation merely laid the foundation; every subsequent step of his cultivation was achieved by integrating external techniques collected by the Mummified Brain.

Although the Mummified Brain’s activity was limited, Chen Luo had never allowed it to rest since acquiring it. During the Qi Refining realm, he had worried about energy consumption, but after reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection, that concern vanished. Now, all his External Brains operated around the clock, tirelessly learning and processing.

Every moment was dedicated to cultivation, without pause.

Blood Pill, Crimson Pill, Golden Core—each step was as familiar as the back of his hand.

He carefully laid out his Tribulation Transcendence Magic Artifacts, then retrieved the Life-Stealing Mite and Soul-Parasitic Gu. These two Gu Insects had fallen into a deep slumber after their grand feast at Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, and hadn’t stirred since. Even the Spirit-Devouring Gu, previously controlled by the Soul-Parasitic Gu, remained dormant.

Chen Luo planned to use this Tribulation Transcendence opportunity to refine his insect companions, enhancing their fundamental essence.

“Almost ready.”

After retrieving the last Silver Carapace Corpse King, Chen Luo swallowed a pill to regulate his qi and blood, bringing himself to peak condition.

Looking up at the sky, his Demonic Heart Art began to circulate autonomously.

The aura of his perfected Pseudo Core radiated outward, swiftly triggering celestial phenomena. The tribulation clouds he had witnessed in Blackstone City reappeared, this time vastly larger than the ones Elder FusionSpirit had summoned—so massive that they plunged the entire valley into darkness.

The light vanished, leaving the valley pitch-black, evoking the ominous feeling of “dark clouds pressing down on the city, threatening to crush it.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Unlike when he had merely observed the Heavenly Tribulation, Chen Luo now felt its full oppressive weight firsthand. The entire world seemed to turn against him, leaving no escape. Standing within this maelstrom, he felt like a lone leaf in a storm-tossed boat. Terrifying pressure descended from the heavens, forcing the formations surrounding the valley to activate automatically, blocking ninety percent of the tribulation’s power.

The Yin-Yang Xuanwu roared skyward.

Standing within the formation, Chen Luo felt as if a mountain had been placed upon his shoulders. The stone ground beneath his feet cracked, his feet sinking deep into the fissures as his Foundation Establishment Spirit Body groaned under the immense pressure.

This was the First Nine Heavenly Tribulation, the foundation for Immortal Ascension!

Its power was on an entirely different level from the Heavenly Tribulation faced by Elder FusionSpirit.

The aura of the Upper Realm, the Demonic Heart Ancestor suddenly realized within his External Brain. The moment the Heavenly Tribulation manifested, he sensed a familiar presence.

The tribulation comes from above, the Mummified Brain responded even more bluntly.

Chen Luo had no time to heed either brain’s input. He formed a hand seal, his spiritual energy erupting into a blazing torrent as he desperately sought to condense the Heart Demon Core. To achieve this, he needed to absorb the Thunder Tribulation’s power, using its destructive force to temper his own spiritual energy.

Boom!

The first bolt of thunder crashed down!

A violet lightning strike descended from the heavens, shaking the black-and-white Yin-Yang Black Tortoise Formation. The massive Black Tortoise shell began glowing with alternating black and white light as the formation strained to redirect the Thunder Tribulation’s force. Normally, a Third-Tier Formation could withstand two lightning strikes, but against the First Nine Heavenly Tribulation, it threatened to collapse from the first bolt.