On the last day before the magic circle was about to close, Lou Xuelin, who was guarding outside the Yuxing formation, became restless and climbed up high to look into the distance.
It was not until he saw the six intact figures appear at the end of the road through the ruins that he finally let go of the huge stone that had been weighing on his heart and breathed a long sigh of relief.
After just a few days' journey, the six children who returned seemed very different from when they left.
The lonely and unsociable boy put away his thorns, and was slightly uncomfortable when his friend next to him put his arm around his shoulders, listening to the lively conversation of his fellow apprentices.
The proud and delicate little girls, with blood-stained bandages on their bodies, held each other's hands affectionately.
The child who had been held in high regard as soon as he entered the sect and had been tense all the time, seemed to have untied the shackles that bound his body. He was talking to someone around him and laughing in a relaxed and happy manner.
But among all these children, the one that surprised Lou Xuelin the most was the champion of the last competition, Zhang Xiaoxue from Xiaoyao Peak.
In the eyes of this Jindan stage cultivator, the child looked like Danyang that was about to leap out of the sea, free from all the mud and chronic illnesses, his whole body filled with overflowing light, and his spiritual energy that could not be concealed was ready to burst out.
Lou Xuelin suddenly realized that this disciple, who was only sixteen years old, had reached the peak of the foundation-building stage and would soon form a pill.
After this trip, perhaps the child who was at the "snow blossoming" state back then will become the youngest Jindan cultivator in the history of Guiyuan Sect.
After passing through the Tongmo Yuxing Formation and returning to Xiaoyao Peak, Mu Xue was warmly welcomed by her fellow brothers and sisters.
"Xiaoxue, haha, that's great, Xiaoxue, you're finally back. You don't know how worried we were about you." Miao Honger hugged Mu Xue and turned around a few times, "Let me see, have you lost weight? Senior Sister cooked a lot of your favorite food for you, all of which are warmed up in the kitchen."
Ye Hangzhou had dark circles under his eyes from staying up all night. "There's nothing to worry about. I've already told you, Xiaoxue, there will definitely be no problem."
Even Fu Yun, who was always cold, smiled a little, "The trip to the Demonic Spirit Realm is extremely dangerous, and there are casualties every time. During the few days you were gone, not to mention all of us, even Master was really worried about you, and I don't know how many fortunes he cast for you while sitting in the hut."
The snow-covered Fuwang City and the smoke-filled Huanxi Palace. All the hardships, injuries and fatigue along the way were instantly healed by such a warm master.
After meeting his senior brothers and sisters, and paying respects to the headmaster and master, Mu Xue returned to her own courtyard full of peach blossoms.
After closing the gate, everything returned to silence. Mu Xue lay in the cool corridor, feeling a sense of security and comfort.
The courtyard was filled with fallen petals and peach blossoms like rain, which reminded her of the peach tree that blossomed in someone's heart and the ridiculous things they had done under the tree.
What is Xiaoshan doing now? He should come to see me soon, right
No, no, it was clearly me who told him to wait for a few days so that I could condense the golden elixir in the sect and then find a chance to report to the master.
We've only been apart for one day, but why am I starting to miss him like this
Mu Xue closed her eyes amid the falling peach blossoms, calmed her mind, opened her inner eyes, and entered her own Huangting.
Within the Huangting, the sun and the moon alternate, the heart lake is vast, the golden house is surrounded by water, and the gauze curtains are misty.
The person who was supposed to hide in the golden house has not come yet.
Mu Xue sat inside the tent and reached out to stroke the white tiger crawling beside her.
The white tiger beside him quickly changed its shape and became the appearance of the person he missed.
The water tiger is transformed from one's own kidney energy. When practicing the Joyful Dafa, one is actually using the small mountain to replace the water tiger and interact with one's own soul.
"Is that why you always look like him?" Mu Xue reached out and gently touched the face of the "Water Tiger", tracing the contours of his eyebrows with her fingers, and rubbing her fingertips across his charming lips.
Every time I bully Xiaoshan's lips like this, he always looks cute and charming.
Thinking back to all the times she had been with Cen Qianshan, and thinking of every cute reaction and every emotional look of his, all of which were discovered bit by bit by herself, Mu Xue couldn't help but start to become distracted.
Anyway, I am in my Huangting, and I am only facing my lover who is the embodiment of my essence. It shouldn't matter if I do something messy to him, right? Mu Xue thought quietly and stretched out her claws.
In the snowy courtyard, Cen Qianshan, who was cleaning the house, suddenly froze.
"Master, master, do you want to put these picture albums away and show them to Mr. Mu next time?" Xiao Qianji ran towards him with a stack of picture albums.
"Get out." The master said suddenly and stiffly.
"What's wrong, Master? Why is your face so red? Are you sick?"
“No… It’s okay. You go out first… um… go play with Xiaoya. Hurry… up.” The master’s face was full of smiles, and his tone of voice changed. He supported the edge of the bed with his strong hands and knelt on the ground.
Qianji tried to approach in a panic, but was restrained by the master's spiritual power, carried out of the house, and thrown into the yard. The door of the house then slammed shut quickly.
Qianji rolled over on the ground and wanted to run into the house, but Erya in the courtyard reached out and grabbed him.
"Why are you pulling me? There's something wrong with the master." Qianji said anxiously, "Didn't you hear? There seems to be a strange sound coming from inside."
"Don't go in," Arya said to him seriously, "As far as I know, human boys need some private time at night when they reach a certain age. Of course, it is said that girls also need it."
Qianji turned his little eyes and looked back and forth at the closed door and Erya. Finally, he took out his notebook and wrote down what Erya said.
…
There was fine white snow falling from the sky.
At the former site of Shimiao Street, Ruan Honglian walked along the road that had been abandoned for many years, slowly walked to the former residence of her deceased friend, and gently knocked on the door.
The one who opened the door was a lively little puppet.
And Cen Qianshan, the little apprentice taken in by his good friend, who is now famous in Fuwang City, is rolling up his sleeves, supporting the ground with one finger, letting the giant Qianji sit on his back, and doing the most basic physical exercises in the yard.
"What are you doing?" Ruan Honglian asked curiously, "At your level, do you still need to do such basic physical training?"
Seeing Ruan Honglian coming, Cen Qianshan stood up, tucked his sweaty hair, and respectfully performed a junior salute, "I don't do this every day, but I just use this to adjust my mentality occasionally these days."
His hair was pulled back, revealing his beautiful forehead. Beads of sweat hung on his forehead and cheeks, making his already fair skin look even more transparent like jade.
Under the gently drooping eyelashes, the charming eyelids are smiling, and the watery eyes are twinkling with stars.
The whole person looks radiant, dazzling and dazzling.
Ruan Honglian knew that Mu Xue's apprentice was very handsome, but he had been depressed and gloomy over the years, hiding himself in a dark and sad cloak.
Today, for some reason, he finally spread his beautiful wings like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon in the spring. The beauty of the trees is so stunning, so bright and beautiful that it is amazing.
"You," Ruan Honglian looked at him for a long time, and suddenly her expression changed, "Are you completing your golden elixir and about to pass the tribulation?"
"Yes," Cen Qianshan did not deny it, with a barely perceptible blush on his face, "I have been close to the Great Perfection of the Golden Core for many years. Recently... I have gained some supplements recently, and finally I have completed my practice and am ready to impact the Nascent Soul."
Ruan Honglian, with mottled hair, opened her mouth and said, "You, you are ready to impact the Nascent Soul stage?"
Ruan Honglian knew clearly that more than a hundred years ago, her good friend Mu Xue failed in her tribulation and died, which caused a serious shock to her heart and made her lose the courage to cross the realm and strive for the Nascent Soul stage.
In recent years, her realm has become stagnant and she has made no progress, causing her true energy to be exhausted, her appearance to fade, and she is approaching the end of her life.
Ruan Honglian was the one who knew Cen Qianshan's feelings for Mu Xue the most. Mu Xue's departure was a much heavier blow to him than it was to herself.
But he did not retreat in fear like himself, instead he kept forging ahead, not only surpassing himself in cultivation, but also becoming the strongest person in Fuwang City. Now he has completed his cultivation at such a young age, and is ready to face the terrifying heavenly tribulation that Mu Xue faced back then.
"Are you... ready? Are you really not afraid at all?" Ruan Honglian was admiring him, but at the same time she was worried about him. For hundreds of years, the Demon Spirit Realm had never heard of anyone who had successfully passed the tribulation. She didn't want to see the disciple of this old friend repeat the same fate as Mu Xue.
"Senior, you don't have to worry about me. I can succeed." Cen Qianshan's tone did not even have any emotional ups and downs, as if he was stating a firm and certain fact.
"Once, there was a gap in my heart, perhaps I couldn't survive the heavenly calamity. But now, it has been filled, complete and without regrets, and I am no longer afraid of anything." Cen Qianshan put his hand on his chest and raised his eyelashes.
There was a firm confidence in his eyes, as if his entire soul was filled with unshakable faith.
"I will succeed and get through this catastrophe. I will become stronger and go meet the person I want to meet."
Ruan Honglian looked at him for a long time, and suddenly let out a long sigh, "You really are worthy of being a disciple that your master is proud of. If Ah Xue saw you today, she would definitely be happy for you from the bottom of her heart."
Cen Qianshan lowered his eyelashes slightly, with a hint of smile in his eyes.
"I haven't done anything else these years, but I have been concentrating on refining a few magical instruments with decent defensive performance. I will send them to you later. I hope they can help you a little when you are overcoming the tribulation." Ruan Honglian reached out and patted his shoulder like a friend, "Don't refuse. From now on, I also plan to cheer up again. When I have to face the tribulation one day, I will also come to you for help."
The meaning of these words reveals the blessing and firm belief that Cen Qianshan can succeed.
Cen Qianshan clasped his fists and saluted, "Thank you, senior."
"It's just a coincidence. I met a young girl at the Jin family's banquet the other day. Although we don't look alike, her demeanor and tone of voice always remind me of what Ah Xue looked like back then." Ruan Honglian said with a smile, "So I wanted to come and see you on behalf of Ah Xue."
She didn't notice that Cen Qianshan coughed lightly at this time and showed a slightly embarrassed look.
When saying goodbye and leaving, Ruan Honglian looked at Cen Qianshan, who looked radiant and as if reborn, and felt a little confused.
"Xiao Shan, do you have someone you like again?" she asked. "You can tell me the truth. After all these years, if you can let go of A Xue and start over, I will only be happy for you."
"No. There is no one else." Cen Qianshan's face was slightly red, "I will only be Master's person in my life."
…
In the alleys of Fuwang City, the peddler carrying a load looked up and saw the sky was covered with dark clouds. In the distance, dark clouds were rolling, and purple lightning was interweaving into a net in the clouds. There were also ferocious giant pythons, with their fangs and claws bared, slashing towards somewhere on the earth.
"The calamity cloud hasn't dispersed yet." The peddler shook his head and looked at the horizon. "Who on earth is going through the calamity? The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder has been striking for such a long time, and it hasn't ended yet."
"Don't you know yet?" a guest answered him, "It's that Cen Qianshan, Mr. Cen."
"Oh, it turns out to be this person. No wonder, no wonder."
On the top of the Jin family’s tall buildings, some people stood in front of floor-to-ceiling windows with a wide view, with their hands behind their backs, looking at the rolling clouds in the sky.
"For so many years, no one has succeeded in overcoming the tribulation, which has gradually made everyone lose hope. This time, we see a little hope. I hope he can succeed."
In the courtyard of the Yan family, the shopkeeper Yan sat in front of the window with his arms propped up, watching the thunder and lightning in the sky.
"Master, what do you want me to do for you?" Several young women appeared in the house and knelt down to ask for instructions.
"Come on, let's go take a closer look." Shopkeeper Yan stood up, "I feel that this person may really succeed in his tribulation. Perhaps, we can also learn something from it."
It was lunchtime and Niu Ji Restaurant was very busy and full of customers.
The boss, Niu Dashuai, was not thinking about running the business. Instead, he lit three incense sticks and worshipped in front of his deceased mother's tablet, muttering to himself,
"Mother, today it is the Cen family who is going through the tribulation. It is the hill next to our house in the past. If you are in heaven, please bless us and pray that all the thunderbolts from the sky will be diverted so that he can pass this tribulation smoothly."
Most of the people sitting in the store are regular customers, including many old neighbors who came from Shimiao Street back then. Seeing Niu Dashuai's appearance, I couldn't help but speak.
"I feel that Mr. Cen might be able to survive this heavenly tribulation. When did a lover like Duoqingshan appear in our demonic world? Maybe the heaven favors him and lets him survive this tribulation."
"That's true. Even someone as strong as Cen Qianshan couldn't survive the heavenly tribulation. I really can't imagine who else could survive it."
"Niu Dazhuang, hurry up and pray. If Aunt Niu can help people survive the calamity, after today, the threshold of your shop will probably be broken by people."
In the white cemetery, Ruan Honglian sat in front of Mu Xue's tomb and poured a glass of wine on the ground.
"Axue, it is only today that I realize that I am inferior to you in everything. I am not as persistent as you in magic, I am not as brave as you, and even my judgment of people is not as good as yours."
"The disciple you chose back then is truly a rare talent. If you are still alive, please take a good look at him."
"I will never lose to you again. From today on, I will start practicing hard again. I will strive to have the day when I can stand fearlessly under the thunderclouds like you, facing the might of heaven and fighting for my own destiny."