Back then, even the Liu family had given up on nurturing him. Fortunately, the family’s venerable ancestor was exceptionally fond of him and preserved his status as the direct-line heir.
Later, Master picked him up and brought him back to Lingyun Sect.
After that, Seventh Junior Brother taught him cultivation methods and even brought out many high-level cultivation manuals for him.
Those high-level manuals—even the Liu family couldn’t have produced more than a few.
Yet Lingyun Sect threw him a whole pile at once.
Then later, when Little Junior Sister arrived, the manuals she gave them reached an even higher grade.
It could be said that without Little Junior Sister, he had no idea how much longer it would have taken him to reach the Deity Transformation stage.
Truthfully, he had never dared to imagine he could reach the Deity Transformation stage…
Nor had he ever thought that someone with a triple spiritual root like his could reach Deity Transformation before a hundred years of age!
It has to be said, Little Junior Sister’s life-risking cultivation style has been immensely beneficial to him!
“Senior Brother, it’s not that I don’t understand Little Junior Sister, but what you’re saying is unreasonable. Forget four years, even if given ten years, Little Junior Sister couldn’t possibly advance to the Nascent Soul stage.” Mu Qianjue’s peach-blossom eyes glinted with a captivating light, his tone utterly certain.
“And what if Little Junior Sister does manage it?” Liu Canglan’s gentle eyes held a trace of a mysterious glimmer.
“If she truly advances from Golden Core to Nascent Soul in four years, then I’ll… I’ll agree to any condition Senior Brother names!” Mu Qianjue declared confidently.
Liu Canglan raised his hand. “Words are wind. A palm-oath to seal it.”
Slap!
Mu Qianjue struck palms without hesitation, completely unaware of the immense price he would pay for those words.
Although Liu Canglan was conversing with Mu Qianjue, he never stopped paying attention to Feng Qingran’s situation.
BOOM!
The fifth tribulation bolt struck down.
Everyone looked towards Feng Qingran, unable to help their growing concern.
Mo Jinghong looked up at the dark clouds in the sky. His starry eyes were deep, an inscrutable light flashing within them.
Summit of Cloudsoar Mountain.
Feng Qingran’s entire body was charred black, with thin bloody lines marring her skin.
BOOM!
The sixth bolt of lightning, as large as a basin, crashed down upon Feng Qingran in its entirety.
Feng Qingran finally couldn’t hold back, spitting out a mouthful of blood as the spiritual energy within her began to run wild.
She knew the Sky-Concealing Eye wanted revenge on her, deliberately strengthening the force of the heavenly tribulation.
But the Sky-Concealing Eye had a contract with her; it would absolutely not strike her dead.
The reason for her wavering spirit was the Heart-Testing Lightning!
Her almond-shaped eyes turned icy. She had already reasoned everything through, so why did she still feel some inner demons clinging to her?
BOOM!
The seventh bolt was even thicker.
Instantly, Feng Qingran’s skin split open and flesh tore, her divine sense beginning to scatter.
A bloody scene flashed through Feng Qingran’s mind.
The image was veiled in a layer of crimson. Vaguely, she could see a woman lying in a pool of blood.
The woman’s hands and feet seemed to have been severed…
Her entire body was riddled with bloody holes…
Several ugly scars marred her face…
Seeing this, a wrenching pain gripped Feng Qingran’s heart, along with an indescribable feeling.
There was hatred, helplessness, and endless resentment!
This image felt strangely familiar.
Who was the woman in the image?
Why did it make her feel so wretched?
The aura around Feng Qingran grew colder—a chilling, ghostly cold.
Mo Jinghong observed all the changes in Feng Qingran’s emotions, but he did not move.
It was time she learned a little something.
Mo Jinghong’s dark eyes were sharp and profound, commanding such awe that one dared not meet his gaze, exuding an unparalleled sense of noble majesty.
“Jinghong, Little Junior Sister…?” Liu Canglan’s gentle voice held concern.
This chillingly cold Little Junior Sister was someone he had never seen before.
Little Junior Sister had always been optimistic and upbeat, particularly fond of smiling, as if possessing a heart of exquisite clarity.
Yet at this moment, Little Junior Sister seemed like a vengeful spirit that had crawled up from hell…
“Senior Brother,” Mo Jinghong said, his noble and elegant demeanor, clad in black robes, reminiscent of a transcendent being, accentuating his dignified grace, “if I told you Little Junior Sister has always been like this, would you reject her?”
Liu Canglan was momentarily stunned. Seventh Junior Brother seemed to have changed too; before, he was merely somewhat aloof.
Now, he seemed to keep others a thousand miles away.
“No matter what Little Junior Sister is like! She is the Little Junior Sister I have recognized.” Ning Shiyue’s silver-bell-like voice chimed in.
Liu Canglan also came to his senses. “A thousand people have a thousand faces. No matter what Little Junior Sister is like, she will always be our Little Junior Sister.”
Mu Qianjue and Baili Wenliu nodded in agreement.
“Seventh Junior Brother, can Little Junior Sister withstand this?” Liu Canglan asked worriedly, a trace of guilt surfacing within him.
“She can.” Mo Jinghong’s robes stirred as if by an unfelt wind, adding an ethereal grace to his presence.
Mo Jinghong’s gaze softened, the chilling aura around him dissipating. It seemed her choice this time was correct.
Ning Shiyue’s eyes, bright as morning blossoms, sparkled with light. If Mo Jinghong said Little Junior Sister was fine, then she definitely was.
The other three also visibly relaxed.
BOOM!
The eighth tribulation bolt struck down.
Feng Qingran wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and met it head-on.
The heavenly tribulation gave her no time to catch her breath. The ninth bolt instantly followed.
With the nine bolts of the Golden Core tribulation complete, the dark clouds above gradually dispersed.
Feng Qingran could feel her Golden Core becoming more solid within her.
The amount of spiritual energy a Golden Core stage cultivator could store was dozens of times greater than during the Foundation Establishment stage.
A faint smile touched Feng Qingran’s snow-white lips. She had already advanced to the Golden Core stage, so why should she dwell on the past?
As long as she kept growing stronger, she would uncover the truth behind that image sooner or later!
Nothing could hinder her from becoming stronger!
Just then—
A woman in white robes came flying towards them on a sword from the distance.
