Chapter 432: 371 Zhang Who is Crossing the Catastrophe? 【Vote for Monthly Pass!】
Half a month later.
Leiyin Mountain, Rear Hall.
Wuu Quan finished reading the letter and couldn’t help but frown, "For a mere Innate, how can he survive after leaving Leiyin Mountain?!"
Two months ago.
Wuu Quan went to Taizhen Mountain, seeking connections and favors in hopes of protecting Jiangg Xian.
It was only today that he returned.
Upon returning, Zhang Jin informed him that Jiangg Xian had left a letter behind—and disappeared!
"I find it strange as well."
"After you left, I stayed on the mountain the entire time. Although I wasn’t constantly watching Jiangg Xian, if he had left the mountain, it wouldn’t have escaped my notice."
"Yet somehow, he managed to leave without me realizing it."
"Initially, I suspected the Direct Pointing Department’s involvement and went to confront Jiang Chong. However, judging by Jiang Chong’s reaction, it seems he wasn’t aware either."
"Now it’s been half a month, and the people from the Direct Pointing Department are still lingering outside Leiyin Mountain."
Zhang Jin’s willow-shaped brows furrowed slightly, confusion clear in her mind.
"This is unreasonable!"
Wuu Quan listened, his brows knitting tighter.
He flipped through the letter in his hand multiple times but couldn’t discern anything meaningful from it.
Thinking of how he’d failed to protect the only descendant of an old friend, combined with the humiliation he endured days ago at Taizhen Mountain, anger welled up within him.
"Could he have grown wings and flown away?!"
"It must be tied to the Direct Pointing Department!"
Wuu Quan abruptly stood up, glanced outside Leiyin Mountain, then turned to Zhang Jin and declared, "Thinking won’t help. The Direct Pointing Department has gone too far—let’s confront them first!"
Wuu Quan grasped his sword, his rage flaring.
Zhang Jin’s hand also held a sword, and killing intent began to brew.
"Let’s go!"
"Kill!"
The couple, having endured the humiliation from the Direct Pointing Department for months, now had no more reservations—they could no longer hold back.
Two swords joined in force.
They charged toward the mountain’s outskirts.
...
Time passed.
Amid the vast universe and boundless flow of time.
Great Zhou.
The Seven Kingdoms Chaos.
The conflict between Leiyin Mountain and the Direct Pointing Department.
All these were but tiny specks of dust, utterly insignificant.
They came and went.
Before long, few remembered that there had ever been two insignificant figures—Jiangg Xian and Zhang Yu—at the outer gates of Leiyin Mountain.
The Seven Kingdoms Chaos became history.
The battle outside Leiyin Mountain caused a small stir in a localized area of Great Zhou, but as time passed, only those directly involved—Leiyin Mountain disciples, envoys from the Direct Pointing Department, and perhaps a few chroniclers—retained the memory.
The rest gradually forgot.
Great Zhou was vast, with countless cultivators.
Every day, every year there were endless struggles and legends.
Six years after the Seven Kingdoms Chaos, and three years after the battle at Leiyin Mountain, Great Zhou’s Prime Minister Jia Yi crossed the Six-nine Heavenly Tribulation and advanced to Third-order Unity Realm.
Xing Dao cultivators start from the mortal world: First Realm Night Travel, Second Realm Soul Condensation, Third Realm Unity.
With Jia Yi’s ascension to the Unity Realm, his journey achieved perfection; his accomplishments secured, he retired with grace.
He became another legend spanning both the secular and cultivation realms.
He inspired figures like Jiang Chong of the Direct Pointing Department and the couple Wuu Quan and Zhang Jin of Leiyin Mountain, Second-order Peak cultivators who, motivated by his example, trained ever harder, striving toward the Third Realm.
Many other cultivators, mastering both scholarly and martial arts, dreamt of offering their skills to rulers and hoped to become the next "Jia Yi."
...
Time flew.
Three years.
Six years.
Nine years.
In the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed since the Seven Kingdoms Chaos, and seventeen years since the battle at Leiyin Mountain.
On this day.
Wuu! Wuu! Wuu!
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Strong winds swept across Leiyin Mountain, clouds surged, and the black sky hung low.
Crackle!
Boom!
Thunderbolts intersected and roared, suffocating all living beings in its wake.
"Six-nine Heavenly Tribulation?"
"Someone’s undergoing tribulation on the mountain?!"
The cultivators of Leiyin Mansion were both astonished and delighted.
Leiyin Mansion had been established for over a hundred years, yet there were still very few Second-order cultivators—its only Second-order Peaks were the Lord Wuu Quan and his wife Zhang Jin.
Now, with tribulation clouds gathering on the mountain, it could only mean that one of the two was preparing to ascend, ready to achieve Divinity Transformation.
As members of Leiyin Mansion, each cultivator was naturally elated.
"Fourteen years ago, Chancellor Jia had just gone through the tribulation to reach Unity Realm."
"Following the usual pace, I thought the next Third-order cultivator wouldn’t appear for at least a century."
"Who could’ve expected—only fourteen years later, there’s already someone else ascending!"
"And it’s from our Taizhen Sect lineage!"
The cultivators of Leiyin Mansion were all grinning from ear to ear.
Fourteen years ago, Chancellor Jia’s rise to Divinity Transformation had already boosted their Taizhen Sect’s prestige immensely.
If another ascension were to happen now, Taizhen Sect would once again overshadow the other Four Sects, basking in glory for another century.
"Six-nine Heavenly Tribulation?"
"That’s—"
"The direction of Leiyin Mountain!"
"Is it Wuu Quan or Zhang Jin? Are one of them ascending to Divinity Transformation?!"
Outside Leiyin Mountain, cultivators from various places sensed the gathering tribulation clouds. Astonished, they all flew toward Leiyin Mountain to observe the tribulation.
En route, speculation filled their minds—who exactly was undergoing tribulation: Wuu Quan or Zhang Jin?
However.
Upon arriving at Leiyin Mountain, the first thing they saw was Wuu Quan and Zhang Jin hovering outside the mountain. Shock was evident on their faces—along with a hint of anger—as they surveyed Leiyin Mountain.
"This—"
Seeing this scene, the cultivators froze in confusion.
Wuu Quan ignored the crowd’s shock. His face was a mix of astonishment and fury.
He was shocked that someone was undergoing tribulation within Leiyin Mountain.
Yet he was furious that a Second-order Peak cultivator had infiltrated Leiyin Mountain unnoticed, and even caused the gathering of the Six-nine Heavenly Tribulation.
"We’ve counted all the disciples in the mansion—none are missing during this period."
"Those who left the mountain recently are all recorded, confirmed to have departed, and none were overlooked."
Zhang Jin stood beside Wuu Quan.
As she gazed at the storm brewing within Leiyin Mountain, a similar anger bubbled in her chest.
She and her husband knew Leiyin Mansion’s roster perfectly. Besides the two of them, the highest cultivation in the mansion was merely at the early stage of True Person Realm.
The disciples couldn’t possibly be undergoing tribulation.
Neither she nor her husband was in tribulation.
So who was it?
"This is utterly unruly!"
"What’s the meaning of this? With so many places to cultivate, why sneak into my Leiyin Mountain?!"
Anger flashed on Zhang Jin’s face.
This sort of occurrence was truly unheard of.
As the lords of Leiyin Mountain, the fact that they didn’t even know who was undergoing tribulation in their domain was a colossal joke if it became widespread!
"I’ve already sent a message to Taizhen Mountain, requesting the sect to dispatch a Third-order Grandmaster."
Though anger burned within Wuu Quan’s heart, he remained cautious.
After all, this was someone on the brink of advancing to Third-order. Though their conduct was reprehensible, if the ascension succeeded, his and Zhang Jin’s grievances might become moot.
Worse yet, they might face danger.
Fortunately, they were backed by Taizhen Sect, capable of summoning support from its Third-order Grandmasters.
After sending the plea for help, Wuu Quan and Zhang Jin retreated further, fully alert.
At this time, within Leiyin Mountain, a blurry figure emerged.
The tribulation clouds gathered thickly.
Faintly visible, this figure gazed skyward. As the first tribulation thunder took form, they leapt straight into the clouds!
"Hiss!"
"This person—"
"Can this even be done?!"
Outside Leiyin Mountain, whether it was the cultivators of Leiyin Mansion, the couple Wuu Quan and Zhang Jin, or the external observers—everyone was stunned, their minds reeling.
Although none of them had reached Divinity Transformation, nor experienced the Six-nine Heavenly Tribulation, they were familiar with its ferocity.
Take Chancellor Jia fourteen years ago.
Though unparalleled in his Second-order, Jia Yi had been exceedingly cautious while undergoing tribulation.
Not only did several Third-order Grandmasters from Taizhen Sect guard him, but he also had numerous Magical Treasures at hand and had prepared an abundance of pills.
Only then did he succeed in overcoming the tribulation.
But this person—
"They—"
"They actually dove into the tribulation cloud?!"
"Can tribulation even be faced this way?!"
This completely overturned their understanding.
Expression after expression changed rapidly as they collectively turned their gaze to the tribulation cloud in the sky. Due to their limited cultivation, none could penetrate the cloud or discern the identity of the person undergoing tribulation.
All they could make out was a figure with outstretched arms—
Calm and composed.
Relaxed and unrestrained.
Serene and carefree.
It didn’t look like someone facing tribulation but rather as if they were basking in rainfall.
Crackle! Crackle!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bolts of tribulation thunder crashed down, sizzling with electricity, roaring with deafening thunder—he remained unmoved.
...
"Such ferocity!"
As Wuu Quan and Zhang Jin were awestruck, they suddenly heard a voice by their ears.
The couple was startled and turned their heads.
Only then did they notice, somehow, a middle-aged man in a white scholar’s robe had appeared beside them.
Their initial shock transitioned into recognition; both hastily bowed and greeted, "Grandmaster Jia!"
The newcomer was none other than Great Zhou’s former Prime Minister—Jia Yi—who had ascended to Third-order fourteen years ago!
In Great Zhou’s cultivation world and the Taizhen Immortal Sect, Third-order cultivators were referred to as Grandmasters.
Based on seniority within the sect, Jia Yi was technically considered a junior to Wuu Quan and Zhang Jin. But with his ascension to Third-order, they were now obliged to pay respects and address him as Grandmaster.
"No need for formalities."
Jia Yi’s demeanor was restrained and composed—none of the commanding aura of the legendary Prime Minister could be seen.
He was refined and genial. After acknowledging the couple’s greetings, he asked curiously, "You don’t know who’s undergoing tribulation either?"
"No idea."
"The disciples in the mansion are far from capable—the highest among them hasn’t even reached Second-order Middle Stage, let alone the possibility of summoning the Six-nine Heavenly Tribulation."
Wuu Quan replied with a bitter smile.
This truly was a joke.
Someone was undergoing tribulation in his domain, and he—the lord—was utterly clueless. Saying it aloud made the situation even more embarrassing.
"No matter."
"Once the tribulation is over, all will be revealed."
Jia Yi seemed to sense Wuu Quan’s discomfort and refrained from further questions, instead turning his attention to Leiyin Mountain and the tribulation cloud within.
Seeing the power of the tribulation cloud and the figure submerged within it, Jia Yi pondered for a moment before decisively crushing a jade talisman in his hand.
"..."
"..."
Witnessing this scene, Wuu Quan and Zhang Jin exchanged a glance, their expressions tinged with surprise.
Judging by the gesture, even Jia Yi wasn’t confident, and he was summoning reinforcements from the sect.
Jia Yi—the famed Prime Minister of Great Zhou!
This was becoming even more intense!
Many thoughts flickered through the couple’s minds. Deciding not to dwell, they focused entirely on observing the tribulation within the mountain.
...
Roar! Roar! Roar!
A tiger’s roar emanated from within the tribulation cloud.
A spectral white tiger appeared, opening its maw to swallow bolts of thunder, followed by sword intent soaring skyward—seeming to puncture through the cloud and shatter the heavens.
The black clouds hung low.
The heavens seemed on the brink of collapse.
It resembled an apocalyptic scene as thunder echoed endlessly, lightning flashed incessantly—all threatening to obliterate this realm in extinction-like might.
Yet, it remained unable to overpower.
Fifty-four bolts of tribulation thunder descended, and though unrelenting, the tribulation cloud faced the undeniable will of heaven and began to dissipate.
In an instant—
The wind ceased.
The black clouds dispersed.
The thunder faded, and the rain halted.
Sunlight once again bathed the world.
"Who is it?!"
Wuu Quan and Zhang Jin couldn’t wait—they simultaneously turned their gaze toward the location where the tribulation cloud had dissipated.
There, a figure was revealed: a white-robed youth standing in mid-air.
Seeing this youth, the couple’s eyes widened in unison, and they exclaimed in shock—
"Jiangg Xian?!"
...