After a long wait, the third bolt of lightning finally descended from the eye of the yin-yang fish, striking down violently towards Ye Kai. Taking a deep breath, Ye Kai summoned his flying sword into his hand, transforming it into a long sword shape. He soared into the air,迎向 the overwhelming lightning strike, and swung the long sword in an arc, executing one of Guo Xingyue's two signature moves: the Union of Heaven and Man.
The violent lightning crashed against Ye Kai's long sword with a deafening crack, scattering the bolt, but Ye Kai was also jolted back to the ground, stumbling several steps before regaining his balance. Although his face was pale, he was unharmed. Ye Kai didn't take the third bolt head-on; instead, he used the Unloading Technique to redirect most of the lightning energy, but the remaining energy was still too powerful for him, causing him to fall to the ground.
After the third bolt struck, the dark clouds in the sky quickly dispersed, as if nothing had happened. Guo Xingyue and the others quickly flew to Ye Kai's side, and upon scanning him with his spiritual consciousness, Guo Xingyue found that Ye Kai was uninjured, and he finally felt a weight lift from his heart. Crossing the Yuan Ying tribulation meant Ye Kai had truly embarked on the path of cultivation. Although there would still be the Heart Tribulation during the next stage and the Great Heavenly Tribulation to come, passing this first hurdle meant that Ye Kai had entered the temple of cultivation.
The disciples of the Golden Stone Sect had a good relationship with Guo Xingyue, and they gathered around to congratulate him on his recovery and Ye Kai's successful tribulation. Dongxu Shangren laughed and said to Guo Xingyue, "Little brother, this is double happiness! Are you planning to establish a sect now? Although our Golden Stone Sect isn't wealthy, we do have a few idle spiritual mountains on Ju Shou Star with abundant spiritual energy. If you don't mind, choose one as the site for your sect!"
Guo Xingyue thought carefully but decided not to establish a sect just yet. Firstly, while he believed his cultivation was sufficient to open a sect, he felt his experience was still lacking and he wouldn't be able to teach effectively, fearing he might mislead his disciples. Secondly, although he had many friends on Ju Shou Star, he also had numerous enemies. The Jian Xin Sect and Kun Yuan Sect were among the Seven Great Sects, and if they were to secretly take action against him, it would be hard to guard against. While he wasn't afraid himself, his disciples would surely suffer. Ju Shou Star was not an ideal place to establish a sect. Considering these factors, Guo Xingyue smiled and said to Dongxu Shangren, "Thank you for your kindness, elder brother. I plan to travel around for a while and won't establish a sect for now. If I decide to do so in the future, I will definitely seek your assistance."
Dongxu Shangren didn't press the matter further and replied with a smile, "That's fine! If by then I haven't gone through my own tribulation, just say the word, and the Golden Stone Sect will do everything within its power to support you." He added with a chuckle, "Oh, and regarding the Disaster Granules (Tribulation-Transcending Pills) you made last time, we've been waiting for you to oversee their distribution. The old sly fox from the Yi Ning Sect has come to bother us several times; he's becoming impatient! Hahaha!" Guo Xingyue couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought of Qian Yi Shangren's greedy face; it was hard to believe someone with such a disposition could still cultivate successfully.
Just as Guo Xingyue was about to discuss the distribution plan for the Tribulation-Transcending Pills, a disciple from the Golden Stone Sect flew in quickly on a sword. "Could something serious have happened?" Dongxu Shangren hurriedly approached, asking, "What's going on? Why the rush?" The disciple steadied his breath and replied, "Reporting to the Sect Master: Our Ancestor has successfully returned from his tribulation! Please gather the Sect Master, all elders, and Senior Guo to meet him in the elder hall."
This was indeed great news! It was the first time in hundreds of years that someone had successfully crossed a tribulation on Ju Shou Star. Dongxu Shangren and the other elders were overjoyed as they hurriedly mounted their flying swords towards the elder hall. Guo Xingyue exchanged a few words with Ye Mingcheng before flying towards the elder hall.
Upon entering the elder hall, Guo Xingyue saw Ling Xu Shangren smiling at him. Ling Xu Shangren was now at the Great Ascension stage, having passed through the trials of the heavenly tribulation, and a faint aura of celestial spirit surrounded him, making him appear vibrant and full of life. He waved his hand, inviting Guo Xingyue to sit beside him on the mat, while addressing the elders, "Everyone else may leave for now; I have important matters to discuss with Daoist Guo."
Once the elders had exited, Ling Xu Shangren smiled at Guo Xingyue and said, "I owe my successful tribulation this time to you, Daoist Guo. Without your Tribulation-Transcending Pills, I would have faced a grim fate." Guo Xingyue quickly responded with modesty, "You flatter me, Senior. With your cultivation level and state of mind, passing the heavenly tribulation was undoubtedly straightforward. I merely did you a favor; besides, you are my brother's master, which makes you like a master to me. I've never considered myself an outsider."
Ling Xu Shangren laughed, "Well said! The Golden Stone Sect is like your family, Daoist Guo. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to the Golden Stone Sect." Guo Xingyue chuckled in return, "If I do have troubles in the future, I will surely come to disturb the Golden Stone Sect."
Ling Xu Shangren continued, "The reason I asked you here today is twofold. Firstly, how should we distribute the Tribulation-Transcending Pills you crafted? This matter will be entirely up to you; neither I nor Dongxu will interfere. Secondly, I have some insights from my tribulation that I'd like to share with you, which might assist you in your future tribulations."
Guo Xingyue took the jade token Ling Xu Shangren offered him, feeling incredibly moved: the insights regarding the Great Heavenly Tribulation were core secrets of any sect, something that could not be exchanged for anything. Ling Xu Shangren's generosity towards him was evident, as he entrusted such crucial information to Guo Xingyue. (In truth, Guo Xingyue's capabilities meant that he could pass the Great Heavenly Tribulation without these insights, but having this knowledge would certainly help him avoid unnecessary detours. Ling Xu Shangren understood this well; he knew Guo Xingyue was extraordinary, destined for great achievements, and thus he sought to foster a good relationship with him.)
Regarding the distribution of the Tribulation-Transcending Pills, Guo Xingyue had already formulated a plan. After a moment of thought, he said, "We produced a total of eight Tribulation-Transcending Pills this time. After deducting the two promised to Lin De Shangren, one to Qian Yi Shangren, and one to Cheng Qian Shangren, we have four remaining. I plan to keep one for my brother and leave the other three for Dongxu to handle."
Dongxu Shangren nearly fell over in shock at Guo Xingyue's words: how precious these Tribulation-Transcending Pills were! To give away three at once was a huge favor, one that made even Dongxu Shangren feel overwhelmed. Although Dongxu Shangren was a high-level cultivator, and not easily swayed by external matters, he took a deep breath after hearing Guo Xingyue's words, steadying himself before saying, "This gift is too much for me to bear, little brother! Moreover, you've worked hard to refine these pills; you must keep one for yourself!"
Guo Xingyue laughed heartily, "It's just a trifle; elder brother, why should you mind? Besides, I still have more materials on hand. If necessary, I can refine more later."