Little Junior Sister, We Can’t Handle This Grind Anymore - Chapter 35

After learning from Yuanbao that the Twin Spirit Bracelet couldn’t withstand the heavenly tribulation, Feng Qingran couldn’t help but feel disheartened.

As the third tribulation lightning struck, another talisman behind Qin Hanyan vanished.

Gritting her teeth, Qin Hanyan adjusted her turbulent energy. Her face was deathly pale, and beneath her robe, her flesh was crisscrossed with cracks. An excruciating, tearing pain radiated throughout her entire body.

She could sense the terrifying aura within the heavenly lightning—each bolt seemed intent on killing her without any mercy.

Her seventh junior brother was right: the heavenly tribulation was indeed abnormal.

Ancient texts recorded that after striking, heavenly lightning would help cultivators temper their bodies, making them stronger.

Yet now, she felt only that the heavenly lightning sought to destroy her, not refine her meridians.

The eighteen bolts of the Nascent Soul tribulation were meant to follow a progression: the first to temper the body, the second to repair and expand the meridians, the third to strengthen the bones, the fourth to refine the spiritual roots, the fifth to evolve the Golden Core into a Nascent Soul…

But now, the heavenly lightning seemed to strike indiscriminately, without any sense of progression or regard for the cultivator’s survival.

Boom!—

The fourth and fifth bolts of lightning struck together.

Agony!

Qin Hanyan forced herself to swallow the blood rising in her throat. She circulated her spiritual energy to repair the damage inflicted by the lightning, but it was like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water—the injuries only worsened.

Fortunately, the lightning hadn’t yet damaged her foundation, and she could still remain conscious to face the tribulation.

Just as the fourth talisman behind Qin Hanyan disappeared—

Ning Shiyue staggered. With a wave of her jade-like hand, she drove her sword into the ground, barely steadying herself.

Feng Qingran noticed Ning Shiyue’s condition and initially moved to support her, but after a moment’s thought, she stepped back.

Fifth Senior Sister never wore rouge, but this time she had applied it specifically—likely to prevent others from noticing her unusual state.

Ignoring her own discomfort, Ning Shiyue kept her eyes fixed on Qin Hanyan, her gaze unconsciously filled with concern and worry.

The two extra talismans she had drawn using her essence blood would transmit a portion of the pain to her.

Even just a fraction of that pain had nearly made her pass out—how much agony must Third Senior Sister be enduring?

If only she had Nascent Soul cultivation—she could have stepped in to bear the tribulation for her senior sister.

Ning Shiyue watched helplessly as the fifth talisman turned to ashes under the thunder. Another wave of pain washed over her, and her body swayed unsteadily.

She hastily wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and hid her handkerchief, unaware that her lips were now as pale as snow.

Gripping her sword hilt tightly, she whispered, “Hanyan, you must hold on! We made a promise to return together and take revenge—to make those who humiliated us regret ever being born…”

Yet the heavenly tribulation remained merciless. Another bolt of silver lightning, thick as an arm, struck down.

Its pressure was majestic, cruel, and unforgiving.

Blood streaked across Qin Hanyan’face, and it was clear she was struggling to endure. The skin exposed to the lightning had been torn away, revealing glimpses of bone beneath.

Seeing this, Ning Shiyue could bear it no longer and fainted. Feng Qingran reacted swiftly, catching Ning Shiyue and quickly placing a pill into her mouth.

“Fifth Senior Sister, what’s wrong?” Baili Wenye hurried over, his voice filled with concern.

Qin Hanyan was the one undergoing the tribulation, so why had Ning Shiyue fainted first?

“Sixth Senior Brother, please take Fifth Senior Sister back immediately. She must be exhausted from drawing the talismans, and her worry for Third Senior Sister only made it worse,” Feng Qingran said, choosing not to mention the talisman backlash.

The fewer people who knew about such matters, the better. She could only hope the Solid Mystique Pill would repair Ning Shiyue’s spiritual consciousness.

“But what about you, Junior Sister?” Baili Wenye hesitated.

With both Third Senior Sister and Seventh Senior Brother undergoing tribulation, would it be safe to leave Feng Qingran alone here?

“Sixth Senior Brother, don’t worry. With Seventh Senior Brother here, I’ll be fine,” Feng Qingran reassured him.

Baili Wenye glanced at Mo Jinghong and noticed that, unlike usual, he wasn’t keeping a constant watch over their junior sister.

Since his arrival today, Mo Jinghong’s attention had been fixed on the mountain peak.

In the past, when they felt their tribulation approaching, they would go to the summit of Cloud Piercing Mountain in advance to cultivate and await the lightning.

Only Seventh Junior Brother was different—he never arrived early. For his previous two tribulations, he had timed his arrival perfectly, ascending to the peak just as the lightning was about to strike.

And indeed, Seventh Junior Brother was exceptional. He was the only one who had ever descended from the summit completely unscathed after undergoing a tribulation.

Baili Wenye’s eyes held both gratitude and complexity. With Seventh Junior Brother here, Third Senior Sister would surely be alright.

He turned to Feng Qingran and said, “I’ll take Fifth Senior Sister back now. Junior Sister, make sure you stay safe.”

Mo Jinghong cast a sidelong glance at Baili Wenye. His dark eyes, deep and captivating, held a chilling intensity—like an ancient, millennia-old abyss, shimmering with an enigmatic and unfathomable light.

Feng Qingran walked over and stood beside Mo Jinghong. “Seventh Senior Brother, how is Third Senior Sister doing?” she asked worriedly.

“She will be fine,” Mo Jinghong replied, his voice cool and detached, carrying a hint of aloofness that felt distinctly different from his usual tone.

“Seventh Senior Brother, everyone really likes and trusts you,” Feng Qingran said brightly.

“Is that so?” A faint smile touched Mo Jinghong’s lips, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.

“Yes! Actually, Seventh Senior Brother, you could try opening up and trusting them too,” Feng Qingran said, her apricot eyes clear and sparkling, her expression innocent and endearing.