Chapter Sixty: Continuing the Tribulation Crossing [Seeking Recommendations]

With a deafening crash, the lid of the alchemical furnace was suddenly hurled away.

A golden light shot forth from within, surging and expanding in the wild winds between heaven and earth. In an instant, a six-winged golden centipede, fierce and monstrous in appearance, spiraled upward, growing into a colossal creature ten yards long.

Clinging to the furnace beneath the dark clouds, the six-winged golden centipede raised its savage head and howled at the sky.

At the moment of its emergence, the wind above intensified, and at the heart of the black clouds, a dazzling storm of thunder and lightning formed. Silvery arcs seemed to split the heavens, filling the sky.

A blue-silver bolt of lightning, tinged with violet, struck down fiercely onto the head of the centipede.

With a shriek of pain, the golden centipede convulsed, its radiant carapace covered in silver arcs, its body twitching uncontrollably.

Two more bolts of thunder, as thick as thighs, crashed down. The earth exploded in a tempest of sand and stone, while the storm above grew ever more violent.

After the successive blows, the centipede’s once-indestructible golden shell began to crack, fine fissures spreading across its surface like shattered glass—a sight both alarming and awe-inspiring.

With a mournful cry, the centipede toppled stiffly to the ground, stirring up clouds of dust.

“Not good!” Sensing the weakness conveyed from the centipede in his mind, Li Yang’s expression changed drastically. Blood and energy surged throughout his body, transforming him into a figure of fiery red jade as he rushed toward the centipede.

“Stop! If you go now, you’ll only doom him. The six-winged golden centipede belongs to the scale-armored insect lineage. To survive the heavenly tribulation, it must shed its shell and be reborn. If you intervene now, you won’t help him—you’ll harm him.”

“This trial of heaven and earth is meant as a test for all living beings. If he survives, it is best; if not, all is lost. No one may interfere. If you force your hand, you’ll only hasten the disaster.”

Seeing Li Yang’s movements, Uncle Nine was alarmed, grabbing his arm and explaining gravely.

“I know all this. It’s said that beasts endure nine tribulations in their path. This is the first, the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, with nine waves. This is only the third, and already the centipede is faltering. Uncle Nine, you are wise and experienced—do you have any way to help?”

The six-winged golden centipede was far more than a powerful companion to Li Yang—it was tied to his entire path. Seeing it about to fail, he could not help but be anxious.

“The ways of heaven cannot be deceived. In thousands of years of Maoshan’s lineage, many elders have perished under the three disasters. If I had a solution, Maoshan would not have declined as it has. Now, the only hope lies in him alone. Beneath heaven’s will, there is always a sliver of chance. If he is strong enough, he may yet pass through.”

After three years together, Uncle Nine knew Li Yang’s temperament well, and had never seen him so desperate. He patted Li Yang’s shoulder and shook his head helplessly.

“Believe in yourself! You can do it!”

Though he’d expected this, Li Yang still felt a pang of disappointment at Uncle Nine’s shake of the head, but soon came to terms with it. Uncle Nine’s cultivation was high, but in pure mastery, he didn’t surpass the six-winged centipede—how could he help?

Sensing Li Yang’s reassurance in his mind, the centipede suddenly grew wild. Its compound eyes flared blood-red, it lifted its upper body and let out a piercing, strange cry. From its mouth, it spat a golden-red inner core, the size of a pigeon’s egg.

The centipede chased after the core, circling it like a dragon playing with a pearl, soaring toward the thundercloud.

The thundercloud above seemed enraged, blinding silver lightning filling the sky, solidifying and lingering without dispersing.

Suddenly, the centipede plunged headlong into the cloud. Electric arcs enveloped its body, and its shrieks mingled with thunder, shaking heaven and earth.

Li Yang, watching from below, felt his whole body tingling, static saturating the air, the magnetic field of the entire Ren Family Town shifting in subtle ways.

...

“What... what is this? The heavens are turning just like that!”

“The Dragon King has appeared—look, quick!”

“It really is the Dragon King! Look, there’s a dragon pearl too!”

“But I thought I saw lots of legs... doesn’t the Dragon King only have four?”

...

The townsfolk of Ren Family Town, gazing at the vague golden glow in the clouds and the occasional glimpse of scales and claws, were astonished and chattering.

“Old Tian, where has Miss gone?”

At the center of Ren Family Town, in the house of Ren Tingting, Master Ren stood in his courtyard, worriedly watching the storm above.

He was a man of the world, and knew the direction was Li Yang’s estate. He realized it was not the Dragon King, though he didn’t know the details, but was certain Li Yang was involved.

“Sir, Miss went out early this morning, to Young Master Li’s estate.”

The steward, standing behind Master Ren, answered cautiously.

“Ah... that girl, daughters really are hard to keep at home.”

“Go to Young Master Li’s estate and see what’s happening. If nothing serious is amiss, leave it be. Take my invitation—say I wish to discuss a partnership with him.”

Master Ren sighed, then thought for a moment, pulling a gilded invitation from his sleeve and handing it to the steward.

“Yes, sir! I’ll leave at once!”

Taking the invitation, the steward hurried out of the Ren house, heading toward the outskirts.

...

“Is something wrong? Brother Li isn’t in danger, is he?”

In a side room of the estate, Ren Tingting gazed at the rare spectacle in the sky, gripping Lady He’s hand in worry.

“No need to fret, my dear. He always acts with caution; he won’t do anything beyond his ability.”

Lady He patted Ren Tingting’s hand and gently comforted her. Yet, the worry in her eyes would not fade.

Unlike Ren Tingting, her cultivation was shallow, but her special constitution gave her a sensitivity to the forces of heaven and earth beyond ordinary people.

She felt acutely the vast, hidden might within the thundercloud. Even her soul sensed it, a strange feeling mingling fear and longing.

This mysterious resonance from the depths of her spirit left her restless and uneasy, faintly repulsed but instinctively yearning to draw closer.