During the foundation-building, without magical treasures or elixirs at hand, one had to rely on oneself to endure.
Fortunately, the powerful spiritual force of the Tree of Life and its excellent healing abilities swiftly cured Yu Su, no matter how thoroughly he was struck during the tribulation.
Yu Su wore a homemade wooden shield on his head: a combination of wood and vines.
Changing shields after each strike, he maintained a carefree attitude once he realized the lightning couldn't kill him as long as he protected his head.
Foundation-building tribulation lightning was considered one of the simplest heavenly tribulations. Although it was painful, especially after swallowing the Life Fruit, the preceding pain made this discomfort bearable.
As the tribulation passed, Yu Su felt a significant improvement in his sensory range and overall strength. The lightning's refining power, coupled with the Life Fruit's healing properties, elevated his overall capabilities.
In short, he felt exceptionally well now.
With senses expanded, he could perceive everything within a radius of five hundred meters.
*Burp*
The all-encompassing spirit in his mind burped, having absorbed some spiritual power from the tribulation. It seemed a bit full now.
[Master, can you now sense a range similar to mine?]
"Yeah, it's about the same."
[So, does this mean I won't have to tirelessly scan anymore?]
"Dream on. I can only sense surface movements, not like your X-ray vision."
[...]
The all-encompassing spirit was about to slack off, but Yu Su brought it back to reality.
"The work that needs to be done remains the same."
[Understood.]
The all-encompassing spirit sighed.
"Yu Su!" Lu Yan approached on a wooden boat, and the Little Black Bird, initially perched on his shoulder, flapped its wings to fly over.
Lu Yan disembarked and checked Yu Su's body.
"Are you okay?"
Yu Su's clothes were torn, and he hadn't had a chance to dress!
"Lu Yan!" he shouted, "Turn around quickly!"
Lu Yan hadn't thought much at first, but Yu Su's shout made him notice Yu Su sitting there in the nude. Especially...
With the tribulation clouds just dispersed, sunlight fell on Yu Su's body, revealing an exquisite radiance where the clothes hadn't dirtied. Lu Yan was stunned, blood rushing, eyes fixed, unable to look away.
Frustrated, Yu Su couldn't take it. Not only did Lu Yan not turn away, but he also kept staring. Annoyed, Yu Su kicked Lu Yan away.
Lu Yan stumbled, snapped back to reality, but his gaze lingered on Yu Su, captivated.
"Are you okay?"
"What could be wrong!"
Yu Su, frustrated, threw the shredded clothes at Lu Yan, then walked to the shore and jumped into the lake, cleaning off the dirt and black marks left by the lightning.
He even washed his hair. It felt softer now.
And his face.
And his entire body.
He was already smooth, but now he felt even silkier.
"... What the heck, why am I getting smoother?"
He quickly touched his abdominal muscles; luckily, the thin layer of abs was still there, or he would have suspected a gender change.
Lu Yan stood on the shore, seeing Yu Su shining like a jade in the water. Unable to resist, he also undressed and jumped into the lake, swimming towards Yu Su.
Yu Su was enjoying the swim when he felt Lu Yan approaching.
"Why are you coming over?"
Lu Yan, wiser this time, didn't reveal his true intentions. "Bathing. I'm dirty."
"Then wash yourself properly. Don't keep staring at me."
Lu Yan agreed; he knew he had annoyed Yu Su earlier. Though he refrained from openly staring, his peripheral vision was still fixed on Yu Su.
Unaware of Lu Yan's attention, Yu Su was in a good mood after the foundation-building. Even in late autumn, the cold lake water didn't bother him much when using cultivation techniques.
In Lu Yan's eyes, Yu Su looked like a mermaid, gracefully navigating the glistening lake. His attention couldn't be diverted.
As Yu Su swam away, Lu Yan followed, swimming underwater to get closer. Suddenly emerging, he almost touched Yu Su.
Feeling the impact of Lu Yan's body, Yu Su widened his eyes. Coupled with the surprise, he slipped on the rock he was standing on, plunging into the water.
Lu Yan instinctively pulled him up, supporting his buttocks with one hand and the back with the other, asking, "Are you okay?"
Choking on water, Yu Su coughed, "Fine."
As he spoke, he pushed Lu Yan away. Lu Yan's hand was too warm, and the contact was... unsettling. Yu Su was annoyed; he quickly climbed onto the shore, took a towel from his spatial storage, and dried himself.
Once dressed, he turned to see Lu Yan still in the lake.
"Why are you still there? Come up!"
Lu Yan shook his head, his expression strangely disturbed. "I'll swim a bit more."
Yu Su, puzzled, was about to leave for the Life Tree when he noticed Lu Yan's uneasy look.
"I'll take my time. You go back to the Life Tree."
Once Yu Su paddled away, Lu Yan sighed in relief, looking down at the lake with a frown. He didn't understand why his reactions had been so intense.
His mind, replaying the image of Yu Su, surged with turbulent emotions.In the end, he could only dive into the water. After calming down, he resurfaced, picked up the towel left by Yu Su, wiped his body, and put his clothes back on.
After wringing the towel dry, he looked at it and tucked it into his chest.
Meanwhile, Yu Su, unaware of what he had done, had already reached the island and bid farewell to the Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life didn't detain him but suggested he could come back to visit the aquatic area in the future. Yu Su agreed.
Later, he bid farewell to the wooden spirits who now regarded him as a benefactor, paddled the boat back to the shore, where Lu Yan waited.
Yu Su, now calmer, said, "Let's go."
Lu Yan nodded, avoiding any improper glances, afraid of causing trouble again.
*
When the two left the aquatic area, the wood spirits and water spirits came to say goodbye, watching them leave with reluctance.
The Little Black Bird chirped twice towards them, seemingly also reluctant to part with these small spirits that could accompany it.
Yu Su teased, "Are you sure it's playing and not thinking about eating them?"
The Little Black Bird chirped twice, indicating it didn't eat water or wood spirits, only fire spirits.
Yu Su was surprised to find that he could vaguely understand the Little Black Bird's expressions. He picked it up, staring curiously, "You said you eat fire spirits?"
The Little Black Bird nodded, chirping twice, "Can you understand me now?"
Yu Su's expression turned strange again, "Hmm, it's weird. I couldn't understand before."
The Little Black Bird explained, "There's nothing strange. The stronger your power, the more you can perceive the consciousness I convey."
Yu Su commented, "Your threshold seems pretty high."
The Little Black Bird retorted, "It's not that my threshold is high; it's that you guys are too weak."
"..."
Only Yu Su could let it get away with such remarks. Another person might have hit it.