Su Luowei knew that Meng Shuying would soon face the Heavenly Tribulation, but she hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly.
In the original story, Meng Shuying's Nascent Soul formation marked a crucial turning point because it was after forming her Nascent Soul that she killed her master, destroyed the sect, and unleashed the Demon Seal.
But the current Meng Shuying… Su Luowei couldn't believe she would do something like that.
She speculated that something must have happened to Meng Shuying after she formed her Nascent Soul, something that set her on a different path.
Even though Su Luowei remained at Yanmo Peak, she kept a close watch on what was happening at Qionghua Peak. When she learned that Min Lanmeng had summoned Meng Shuying, she immediately went to see Jian Xuehan, asking her to oversee Meng Shuying's tribulation.
Jian Xuehan looked troubled. "Min Lanmeng has already spoken to me about this. She insisted on personally overseeing Meng Shuying's Nascent Soul formation."
It wasn't just a simple request—Min Lanmeng had practically declared that Meng Shuying, as the first disciple of this generation to form a Nascent Soul, was her most treasured pupil. She didn't trust anyone else to ensure her safety during the tribulation.
As Meng Shuying's master, Min Lanmeng's request was perfectly reasonable, and even as the sect leader, Jian Xuehan couldn't refuse.
She found Min Lanmeng's actions understandable, but Su Luowei was deeply concerned.
In the original story, the first person Meng Shuying killed after forming her Nascent Soul was Min Lanmeng, which suggested that Min Lanmeng must have done something terrible to drive Meng Shuying to such an extreme.
Su Luowei didn't know what Min Lanmeng had done, but she was determined to prevent it from happening.
After some thought, she asked Jian Xuehan for permission to observe Meng Shuying's tribulation, using the pretext, "I'm already in the late stage of the Golden Core. I'll soon face the Heavenly Tribulation myself. Watching someone else undergo the tribulation would be beneficial for my cultivation."
Jian Xuehan found her reasoning valid and even suggested, "Wen Miaomiao is also in the late Golden Core stage. You two should go together, so you can look out for each other."
On the day of Meng Shuying's tribulation, the sky was dark, heavy with black clouds. Even from a distance, the rolling thunderclouds over the back mountain were visible, with blue and purple lightning weaving into a net, threatening to strike the earth.
"Why does this tribulation cloud look so terrifying? Does every cultivator face something like this when forming their Nascent Soul?" A newly initiated outer disciple shook his head, staring at the sky.
Someone nearby responded, "You haven't heard? It's been a long time since anyone in the sect formed a Nascent Soul. This time, it's Meng Shijie from Qionghua Peak, and she's only been cultivating for a little over ten years. She's truly a prodigy."
These disciples were mostly new to the sect, having just started their cultivation journey. Most hadn't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage and didn't fully grasp the significance of a Nascent Soul cultivator. However, they did know that Qionghua Peak's current master, Min Lanmeng, was a Nascent Soul cultivator.
This meant that Meng Shuying was likely to inherit her master's mantle and become the next master of Qionghua Peak.
In the back mountain's formation array, Meng Shuying stood at its center. She looked up at the sky, where purple lightning snaked through the clouds like dragons, but her face showed no fear.
Min Lanmeng and Jiang Ye stood at the edge of the array, watching her closely.
The array had been fully activated. When the Heavenly Lightning struck, the array would absorb most of its power, with only a small portion reaching Meng Shuying. Based on past experience, the remaining lightning would injure the cultivator but wouldn't be life-threatening.
However, this method also deprived the cultivator of the opportunity to temper their body with lightning.
For cultivators, the small Heavenly Tribulation was both a danger and an opportunity. After being tempered by lightning, their bodies would undergo a transformation, enabling them to hold more spiritual energy and making future cultivation easier.
But this method was too dangerous. Less than one percent of cultivators could withstand the tribulation unaided, leading to the development of protective arrays.
When a cultivator underwent a tribulation, the back mountain was temporarily sealed off. Min Lanmeng didn't expect anyone to arrive at such a time.
Noticing the two figures approaching, she glanced at Jiang Ye, who immediately understood and moved to intercept them.
"A disciple of Qionghua Peak is undergoing a tribulation. Unauthorized individuals are not allowed."
Su Luowei handed her the sect leader's token and said firmly, "It's been years since anyone in the sect has faced a tribulation. The sect leader has granted permission for Wen Shimei and me to observe."
Min Lanmeng's brow furrowed slightly. She had intended to send them away but hesitated, mindful that Su Luowei was Jian Xuehan's niece. If she was too harsh and Su Luowei complained to Jian Xuehan, it might raise suspicions.
"Since the sect leader has given permission, let them in," Min Lanmeng said, giving the two Golden Core cultivators a dismissive glance.
The formation covered most of the area, leaving only a small safe zone near Min Lanmeng. With no other choice, they joined her there.
Meng Shuying spotted them from a distance, and her heart lifted.
She had thought her Senior Sister wouldn't come, especially since she hadn't seen her since their parting at the foot of the mountain.
Her Senior Sister had sought her out a few times, but Meng Shuying had avoided her.
It wasn't that she wanted to avoid her, but after it became clear that she was about to form her Nascent Soul, Min Lanmeng had become much stricter, requiring her to check in morning and night. Even the area outside her room was constantly guarded by Qionghua Peak disciples.
At first, Meng Shuying thought this increased attention was due to her growing cultivation, but she soon realized that Min Lanmeng's arrangements were more about surveillance than concern.
After several attempts to leave Qionghua Peak were blocked, Meng Shuying became certain that Min Lanmeng was monitoring her and trying to restrict her freedom.
With her cultivation level, she could have easily overpowered the disciples guarding her, but with her tribulation imminent, it wasn't wise to provoke Min Lanmeng, so she endured it.
Still, the closer the tribulation came, the more unsettled she felt. It wasn't until she saw her Senior Sister that she finally felt a bit of peace.
The items she had prepared for her Senior Sister were still in her Qiankun bag, but with Min Lanmeng watching, it wasn't the right time to give them to her.
Once the tribulation was over… she would make things right with her Senior Sister.
As the lightning continued to gather in the sky, Meng Shuying steadied her mind and stood tall, her spiritual sword in hand, ready to draw down the Heavenly Lightning.
The alternating flashes of light and darkness illuminated her face and her determined, star-like eyes.
She looked up at the twisting, coiling lightning with a resolute gaze, even allowing a small smile to play at her lips.
Her strong features and proud stance combined to create a striking beauty.
Sensing that this cultivator didn't fear it, the lightning roared down like a dragon.
At that moment, the formation around Meng Shuying flared to life, and a half-spherical barrier appeared around her.
The first bolt of lightning struck the barrier, where the intricate runes flickered, absorbing the energy.
By the time the lightning reached Meng Shuying, it had shrunk to the width of a bowl.
She didn't flinch, raising her head to meet the lightning and calmly accepting its tempering.
The second bolt of lightning came quickly, stronger than the first, crashing into the barrier with the force of a thousand soldiers.
Meng Shuying still didn't evade, quietly enduring the lightning's purification.
The clouds rolled as the third bolt began to form.
Feeling the mounting pressure from the sky, Meng Shuying's expression grew serious for the first time.
Thunderclouds from all directions gathered, their continuous rumbling seeming to vow to crush any who dared defy the heavens into dust, leaving no trace behind.
A sense of foreboding gripped her. Meng Shuying's instincts, honed through countless battles between life and death, told her that this third bolt wouldn't be so simple.
Without hesitation, she drew two defensive talismans and held them tightly.
As the third bolt of lightning roared toward her, the protective barrier suddenly vanished. The lightning dragon engulfed her, filling her vision with blinding purple flashes.
Pain seared through her body as a tremendous force threatened to destroy her from within. Even though Meng Shuying immediately crushed the talismans and activated her spiritual artifacts, they barely made a dent in the lightning's power.
Su Luowei, who had been calmly waiting, turned pale as terror overwhelmed her. Though her hands and feet trembled, she gathered her spiritual energy and rushed toward the center of the formation.
Where was the barrier? Where was the formation? Why wasn't anything stopping the third bolt of lightning from striking Meng Shuying directly?
No one understood the power of the lightning better than those present. With Meng Shuying at its center, her survival seemed impossible.
Wen Miaomiao, also stunned by the sudden turn of events, managed to maintain her composure. She grabbed Su Luowei and pulled her back.
"Let go of me!" Su Luowei's eyes began to redden as she struggled, her voice shaking. "I have to save her."
"You can't save her." Wen Miaomiao held her firmly, her voice filled with sorrow but unwavering. "No one can save her except herself."
Meng Shuying stood against the lightning, struggling to endure its assault. The pain was excruciating, making her head buzz.
The battle seemed endless.
Though she was on the brink of despair, she refused to give up.
Finally, her spiritual energy began to deplete. Her legs trembled, and her skin cracked under the relentless force of the lightning. Her spiritual energy's self-healing could no longer keep pace with her body's destruction, and the lightning dragon in the sky showed no signs of stopping.
Even with her strong will, Meng Shuying couldn't help but waver.
Was she going to fail the tribulation?
Was she really going to die in front of her Senior Sister?
No, she couldn't die.
She had promised her Senior Sister that once she formed her Nascent Soul, they would become Dao companions.
Her Senior Sister was waiting for her—she couldn't die here.
Meng Shuying lifted her head again, straightened her spine, and used her spiritual sword to slash her wrist.
Blood flowed instantly as she began chanting a forbidden spell. A black seal appeared on her forehead, and her fading spiritual energy returned in a different form, filling her body.
She had to survive!
Even if… it meant falling into darkness.
As the thunder finally receded and the clouds dispersed, sunlight broke through, shining down on the scorched earth and the still-standing figure of Meng Shuying.
She stood there as if nothing in the world could crush her.
She shone like the brightest star, radiant and dazzling.
All the spiritual energy in the world gathered into her.
She looked across the distance, her eyes filled with a galaxy of stars.
"Senior Sister… I've formed my Nascent Soul!"