107: Chapter 107 Return from the Forbidden Land, Combat Power Soars

The morning sun of Chaos Valley pierced through the thin mist, spilling onto the bluestone-paved plaza.

Lin Ye pushed open the door of the quiet room and took a deep breath of the crisp air in the valley.

It had been two full days since they returned from the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land.

During these two days, aside from necessary rest and listening to reports from Zhao Wuji and the others, he had spent most of his time meditating in the quiet room, settling and digesting the gains from his trip to the abyss.

Standing in the morning light now, he could clearly feel the changes in his body.

It was not a level increase—his level remained at 50, and his Dao Palace Peak Realm had not broken through.

However, the Chaos Divine Power within his body had condensed by at least 30% compared to two days ago.

The Heart God Repository, Liver God Repository, and Spleen God Repository within his five viscera were faintly glowing, and every breath could trigger a vortex of Spiritual Qi around him.

This was the effect of consuming the flat peach fruit.

Two nights ago, after confirming that everything in Chaos Valley was stable, Lin Ye summoned Su Qingyue and Shi Potian to the secret room again and made a decision.

We will consume the flat peaches now, he said, opening the jade box containing five flat peaches, the golden light illuminating their faces. The effect of immortal medicines will decay over time; the sooner we consume them, the better the absorption effect. Moreover, the situation we are about to face requires stronger strength.

Shi Potian looked at the three flat peaches in the box that were noticeably dimmer: Boss, the energy in these three has leaked; the effect will be much worse, right?

Only about 30% of the potency of a complete flat peach, Lin Ye nodded. But even 30% is far superior to ordinary Heaven And Earth Treasure. I suggest that each of us consumes one complete flat peach, and then one leaked flat peach. The complete flat peach will serve as the main medicine, and the leaked flat peach as an auxiliary, to maximize the absorption effect.

Su Qingyue was thoughtful: Will consuming two at the same time cause energy overload?

That is what I wanted to address, Lin Ye said, taking three bottles of pills from his Storage Pouch. These are the Spirit Transformation Pills I refined earlier, which can assist in dissolving the massive medicinal power and reduce energy waste. The consumption process must be gradual. I will use the Chaos Domain to protect you and guide the circulation of energy.

With the plan set, the three began immediately.

Inside the secret room, the three figures sat cross-legged in a triangular formation.

Lin Ye was in the center, with Su Qingyue and Shi Potian sitting on either side.

In front of each person were two flat peaches, one golden and one dim, as well as a bottle of Spirit Transformation Pills.

Begin.

Lin Ye first picked up the complete golden flat peach.

The fruit felt warm and smooth in his hand, with profound Dao patterns flowing on its surface.

Just by bringing it close to his nose, he could smell a refreshing fragrance that seemed to cleanse the Soul and clear the mind.

He took the first bite.

The flesh melted in his mouth, turning into a warm current that slid down his throat.

It was not an ordinary hot current, but a torrent of energy containing massive life Origin!

Lin Ye felt his internal organs instantly wrapped in warmth, and every cell was cheering, greedily absorbing this gift from the immortal medicines.

He did not dare to be negligent and immediately circulated the Chaos Scripture.

Gray Chaos Divine Power surged from his Wheel Sea, flowing along his Meridians to guide, distribute, and refine the flat peach energy.

At the same time, Su Qingyue and Shi Potian also began to consume theirs.

Su Qingyue's Vast Cold Spirit Body formed a subtle balance with the flat peach's extreme yang life energy.

An ice-blue moonlight halo appeared on her skin, mixed with strands of golden light, resembling the Fusion of ice and fire, a dance of cold and heat.

Shi Potian was much more straightforward and brutal.

His Hegemon Bloodline operated at full power, his blood and energy boiling like a furnace.

The flat peach energy was directly thrown into this furnace to be tempered and fused.

His skin took on a bronze luster, and his muscle lines became more distinct, as if every inch of flesh contained explosive power.

The absorption of the first complete flat peach lasted for a full six hours.

When the last trace of energy was refined, Lin Ye opened his eyes, a divine light flashing within them.

He pulled up his attribute panel, and lines of data appeared in his consciousness:

Lin Ye (Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body)

Level: 50 (Dao Palace Peak)

Blood and Energy: 212350 / 212350 (+30000)

Divine Power: 182800 / 182800 (+30000)

Attack: 10880-12440 (+1600-1600)

Defense: 10040 (+1400)

Dao Law Bonus: +255% (+20%)

Divine Sense: 4870 / 4870 (+1000)

All attributes increased!

Although his level hadn't changed, the increase in base attributes was comparable to leveling up ten times!

And this didn't even include the hidden improvements brought by the flat peach fruit—he could feel that his life Origin was more robust, his Lifespan had increased, and even the potential of his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body had been further stimulated.

But this was just the beginning.

Consume the second one, Lin Ye said in a deep voice.

The three picked up the leaked flat peaches.

Beneath the dim exterior, one could still feel significant energy fluctuations.

This time, the absorption process was faster, taking only three hours.

When the energy of the second flat peach was completely refined, Lin Ye checked his attributes again:

All Attribute Additional Increase: +200 (based on base attributes)

This was not a simple addition of values, but a percentage increase based on the current attribute base!

Taking attack power as an example, the original 10880-12440 became 13056-14928 after the +200 all-attribute increase!

More importantly, this all-attribute increase was permanent and would grow synchronously with future level increases.

This meant that the effect of the flat peach fruit would accompany his entire cultivation career.

Lin Ye slowly stood up, feeling the surging power within his body.

His blood and energy surged like a great river, his Divine Power was as deep and boundless as a starry sea, and his Divine Sense covered a radius of three hundred zhang like a heavenly net, revealing every detail.

He clenched his fist, and the air made a slight explosive sound; that was a sign of power reaching a certain critical point.

My current base attributes should be comparable to a level 55 ordinary player, Lin Ye estimated in his heart. If I count the bonus of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, the amplification of the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo, and the blessing of the Chaos Domain... with full explosive power, I could even fight against an elite player around level 58.

This was the terror of top-tier talent combined with top-tier resources.

Level suppression was greatly weakened here, and fighting across levels would become the norm.

Qingyue, Brother Shi, how do you feel? Lin Ye looked at the other two.

Su Qingyue's moonlight Aura retracted, and she slowly opened her eyes.

At that moment, the temperature in the secret room plummeted, a layer of thin frost condensed on the ground, and fine ice crystals appeared in the air.

Her pupils turned a pure ice-blue, like two frozen stars, with an illusory palace reflected in their depths.

Vast Cold Spirit Body... has advanced, Su Qingyue's voice was ethereal and cold, carrying a certain sacred charm. Second stage, the Moon Palace Projection has transformed from an illusion into a semi-physical form. The power of ice-type Dao techniques has doubled, and moreover...

She extended her right hand, palm facing upward.

A point of ice-blue light condensed in her palm, gradually stretching and extending, finally turning into a three-foot-long ice crystal sword.

The blade was as transparent as crystal, with moonlight flowing inside, and an exquisite Moon Palace pattern was carved on the hilt.

I can condense moonlight into a physical weapon, lasting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, with power comparable to an epic weapon of the same level, Su Qingyue said softly. Also, I unlocked a new skill.

With a thought, the ice crystal sword dissipated.

In its place, a phantom of a bright moon appeared behind her.

The moon rotated slowly, casting a clear radiance, and wherever the radiance reached, space became viscous and sluggish.

Moon Palace Projection · Domain Expansion: Expand a Moon Palace Domain with a radius of thirty zhang centered on oneself. Within the Domain, friendly ice-type skill effects +50%, enemy movement speed -30%, attack speed -20%. Duration: a quarter of an hour. Cooldown: six hours.

A range-based Domain skill! And it was a rare crowd-control Domain!

A look of approval flashed in Lin Ye's eyes.

Su Qingyue's Vast Cold Spirit Body unlocking a Domain skill at the second stage meant her potential was even higher than what was known in his previous life.

The player who obtained the Vast Cold Spirit Body in his previous life barely touched the threshold of the Domain until reaching the Dragon Transformation Realm.

Awesome! Shi Potian's loud voice rang out. Once Sister Su opens this Domain, the enemies will turn into crawling turtles, and we can fight however we want!

He stood up and stretched his limbs.

His joints made crackling sounds like firecrackers, and his blood and energy surged into the sky like wolf smoke, forming a pale golden pillar of blood energy above his head.

The pillar did not disperse, emitting an overbearing, fierce, and indomitable Aura.

The purity of my Hegemon Body increased from 35% to 42%, Shi Potian grinned. Also, the life energy of the flat peach fruit repaired all the hidden injuries I left behind while cultivating the Hegemon Body. Now I feel transparent all over, and my strength has increased by at least 30%. The most important thing is—

He took a deep breath, and fine golden lines appeared on his skin.

Those lines swam like living creatures, finally converging on his chest into an ancient Hegemon character.

I awakened the Hegemon Body talent skill: Hegemon Blood Boiling, Shi Potian's eyes burned with Battle Intent. After activation, all attributes increase by 50% for five minutes, and attacks carry an Armor Break effect, ignoring 30% of the enemy's defense. The side effect is falling into a half-hour weakened state afterward, with all attributes decreased by 30%.

An explosive combat skill!

Although it had a time limit and side effects, it was enough to turn the tide in critical moments.

All three had achieved significant improvements.

Lin Ye's all-attributes soared, his actual combat power crossing five levels; Su Qingyue awakened a Domain skill, and her crowd-control ability underwent a qualitative change; Shi Potian gained an explosive combat skill, greatly increasing his frontal assault capability.

Very good, Lin Ye nodded. Only now are we truly qualified to stand firm in the coming storms.

He put away the jade box, which still contained two flat peaches—one complete, one leaked.

These were reserved strategic resources.

For the next two days, we need to familiarize ourselves with the newly acquired strength and adjust our combat rhythm, Lin Ye assigned tasks. Qingyue, your Moon Palace Domain needs actual combat practice. You can take the Vermilion Bird Hall's mage group to clear team dungeons and practice Domain coordination. Brother Shi, you need to master the timing of activating Hegemon Blood Boiling. Go find Chen Hao and have him use the mecha to practice with you.

What about you? Su Qingyue asked.

I..., Lin Ye looked out the window. Need to prepare for the Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation.

The Four Extremities Realm involves cultivating the four limbs to connect with the heavens and earth in all directions.

In the setting of covering the heavens era, breaking through from Dao Palace to Four Extremities is the first real Heavenly Tribulation test a player faces.

Before the Dao Palace, Breakthroughs only required meeting experience value requirements and completing Breakthrough tasks.

But starting from Four Extremities, every major Realm crossing requires undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation.

The intensity of the Heavenly Tribulation is proportional to the player's potential, talent, and accumulation.

The higher the potential, the stronger the tribulation.

And Lin Ye possessed the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, a Physique unique throughout the ages, so the Heavenly Tribulation he would attract would be... Hell difficulty.

I need to prepare three things, Lin Ye said to the two. First, tribulation-resisting Magic Treasures. The Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation is mainly a Lightning Tribulation, requiring equipment or Talismans that can weaken lightning damage. Second, heaven-returning divine pill. The process of undergoing the tribulation will continuously consume blood and energy and Divine Power, so there must be sufficient recovery methods. Third, a Protector. It is most taboo to be disturbed while undergoing the tribulation, so someone is needed to guard the perimeter.

Shi Potian patted his chest. Leave the protection to me! I will take the three hundred most elite brothers of the Azure Dragon Hall and set up three layers of defense around the tribulation site, ensuring that not even a fly can get in!

Su Qingyue said, I can assist in preparing the lightning-resisting Magic Treasures and Medicinal Pill. The Vast Cold Spirit Body has a keen sense for ice-type Materials, and many ice-type Materials have the properties of conducting and dispersing lightning. As for the Medicinal Pill, although my Alchemy skills are not as good as yours, I can still help process medicinal Materials.

Good, Lin Ye did not stand on ceremony. Then let's prepare separately. I will give you five days. After five days, I need everything to be ready.

The three left the secret room and went about their respective actions.

Over the next two days, Chaos Valley entered a tense and orderly state of preparation.

Su Qingyue, taking the intelligence provided by Qin Ruoxue, went to several ice Secret Realms within the Yan State to search for suitable lightning-resisting Materials.

Her Moon Palace Domain matured rapidly in actual combat, and her command of several team dungeons made her control of the Domain increasingly precise.

The mages of the Vermilion Bird Hall also significantly improved their coordination under her training.

Shi Potian dragged Chen Hao to the Martial Arts Practice Field all day long.

The duel between the chaos unit no. 1 and the Hegemon Body became a unique scene in the valley.

The heavy firepower coverage of the mecha and the close-quarters rage of the Hegemon Body collided in two completely different fighting styles, which opened the eyes of the onlookers.

In the repeated sparring, Shi Potian gradually mastered the best timing for activating Hegemon Blood Boiling—neither wasting it too early nor missing the Opportunity too late.

Lin Ye himself was not idle either.

He spent a full day in the Artifact Refining workshop deep in Chaos Valley, personally crafting a piece of equipment specifically for undergoing the tribulation.

The Materials were rare stock he had accumulated previously: Lightning-Struck Wood (Epic)—from an ancient tree that was struck by heavenly lightning but did not die, the wood contained the Aura of heavenly lightning and had a natural weakening effect on the Lightning Tribulation; Lightning-Repelling Gold Crystal (Rare)—a special Ore produced in the depths of the Thunder Marsh, which could absorb and disperse lightning energy; Black Tortoise Shell Fragment (Excellent)—dropped by a level 55 Black Tortoise BOSS, possessing extremely strong physical and energy defense.

The fire in the Artifact Refining furnace was blazing.

Lin Ye used Chaos Divine Power as a guide to shape the Lightning-Struck Wood into the skeleton of a shield, then melted the Lightning-Repelling Gold Crystal into liquid and poured it onto the skeleton to form the shield face.

Finally, he ground the Black Tortoise Shell Fragment into powder, mixed it with several auxiliary Materials, and carved complex lightning-repelling formation patterns on the shield face.

The whole process lasted for six hours.

As the final array inscription was carved, a dazzling golden light erupted from the Pill Furnace!

[System Prompt: Artifact Refining successful! Obtained 'Mysterious Thunder Heart-Protecting Shield (Epic)'!]

A half-person-tall shield flew out of the furnace and landed in Lin Ye's hands. The shield was oval-shaped, dark gold throughout, with natural wood grain and lightning patterns intertwined on its surface. Embedded in the center was a fist-sized Lightning-Avoiding Gold Crystal, with tiny electric snakes seeming to swim within the crystal.

[Equipment: Mysterious Thunder Heart-Protecting Shield (Epic)]

[Type: Off-hand Shield]

[Equipping Requirement: Strength ≥ 800, Stamina ≥ 1000]

[Basic Attributes: Defense +2800, Block Rate +35%]

[Special Effect 1: Lightning Tribulation Weakening (Passive) — When receiving Lightning-attribute damage, damage is reduced by 40%.]

[Special Effect 2: Lightning-Avoiding Guidance (Active) — Consumes 5000 points of Chaos Divine Power, activating the Lightning-Avoiding array inscription inside the shield to guide 50% of a single-target Lightning Tribulation damage into the earth to dissipate. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]

[Special Effect 3: Black Tortoise Protection (Passive) — When blocking successfully, there is a 20% probability to trigger 'Black Tortoise Defense', instantly generating a shield equivalent to 10% of maximum Vitality, lasting 5 seconds.]

[Equipment Description: With Lightning-Struck Wood as the bone, Lightning-Avoiding Gold Crystal as the face, and Black Tortoise shell fragments as the pattern, this is a heavy shield specifically crafted to withstand heavenly thunder. One who holds this shield can face the might of thunder directly.]

[Durability: 500/500]

An Epic-grade shield! And it was a specialized piece of equipment aimed at the Lightning Tribulation!

Lin Ye weighed the shield in his hand with satisfaction. Given his current Strength attribute, holding it with one hand was effortless. With this shield, the pressure during the Lightning Tribulation phase of the Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation would be much smaller.

After the shield was forged, Lin Ye opened the furnace to perform Alchemy.

He carefully collected the pits of the Flat Peach fruit—three pits from complete Flat Peaches, and three from lost Flat Peaches. Although these pits had lost most of their energy, they still contained a trace of the Origin of immortal medicines, making them excellent auxiliary Materials for refining high-grade Medicinal Pills.

He intended to refine a batch of [heaven-returning divine pill (Epic)].

This was a top-tier recovery item among Tier 4 Medicinal Pills. The main ingredients were Millennium Spirit Mushroom, Blood Ginseng King, and Earth Heart Milk, while the auxiliary Material was the Flat Peach pit. After forming the pill, each Medicinal Pill could restore 50% of maximum Vitality and Chaos Divine Power within ten seconds, and there was no usage interval restriction—as long as you could withstand the impact of the medicinal power, theoretically, you could consume several in a row.

The process of Alchemy was more delicate than Artifact Refining.

Lin Ye sank his heart and mind completely into the Pill Furnace, his Chaos Divine Sense controlling the timing of adding each Medicinal Pill ingredient, the changes in heat, and the Fusion of medicinal properties like silk threads. His Alchemy skills had reached the Great Master level in his previous life, and in this life, with the bonus of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, his perception and control of medicinal properties were even more precise.

Twelve hours later, the Pill Furnace vibrated.

The furnace lid flew into the sky, and nine golden lights flew out from the furnace!

Lin Ye had been prepared; nine jade bottles hovered in the air, catching the golden lights one by one. Inside each jade bottle was a golden Medicinal Pill the size of a dragon's eye, with cloud-like pill patterns on the surface, emitting a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

[System Prompt: Alchemy successful! Obtained 'heaven-returning divine pill (Epic)' × 9!]

Nine Epic-grade recovery Medicinal Pills! If placed in an auction house, each one could sell for a sky-high price! But for Lin Ye, who was about to undergo Undergoing Tribulation, these were essential life-saving items.

He put away eight of them and consumed one on the spot to test the effect.

The Medicinal Pill entered his abdomen and transformed into a torrent of majestic medicinal power. Lin Ye deliberately controlled himself not to actively absorb it, but let the medicinal power take its natural effect. In ten seconds, his Vitality was consumed from full to 50%, and then instantly restored to full under the effect of the medicinal power; his Chaos Divine Power was the same.

"The effect meets the standard," Lin Ye nodded. "And the medicinal power is mild, with no obvious side effects, so it can be taken continuously."

He had the anti-tribulation Magic Treasure and the recovery Medicinal Pills. Next, it was time to choose the location for Undergoing Tribulation.

To undergo the Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation, he needed a location with abundant Spiritual Qi, open terrain, and relative concealment. Abundant Spiritual Qi helped with rapid recovery during the Undergoing Tribulation process, open terrain could avoid the Heavenly Tribulation affecting innocents, and concealment was to prevent interference from others.

Lin Ye spread out the map of the Yan State and surrounding areas, moving his finger over several marked points.

"The 'Thunderous Canyon' in the east of Yan State won't do; the natural thunder elements there are active, which will intensify the power of the Heavenly Tribulation."

"The 'Frozen Plateau' in the north won't do either; Su Qingyue's Vast Cold Spirit Body has bonuses there, but it's of no help to me, and the extreme cold environment will affect my condition instead."

His finger finally stopped on a mark.

It was an area in the southwest of the Yan State, about three hundred miles away from Chaos Valley, marked on the map as—"Meteorite Plain".

This was exactly the place where the Heavenly Court and the Allied Forces of the three major guilds had their decisive battle previously.

"The Meteorite Plain has open terrain, is flat, and has excellent visibility, making it convenient for defense deployment and vigilance," Lin Ye analyzed. "Moreover, after that battle, the three major guilds withdrew, and there are no other faction strongholds within a hundred miles, so it is relatively concealed. Most importantly..."

He recalled a discovery after the battle.

When cleaning the battlefield, members of Qin Ruoxue's Heavenly Secret Pavilion once reported discovering a Spiritual Vein node in the depths of the plain. That node connected to the underground Spiritual Vein, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi was more than five times that of the outside world, but because the location was hidden and covered by the terrain destroyed by the battle, it had never been developed.

"A Spiritual Vein node, abundant Spiritual Qi." Lin Ye made his decision. "This is the place."

He summoned Zhao Wuji and informed him of the choice of the Undergoing Tribulation location.

Zhao Wuji immediately called up the relevant intelligence: "The Meteorite Plain is indeed suitable. However, Boss, a great battle happened there after all. Although the three major guilds have withdrawn, it is hard to guarantee that there won't be other factions or scattered players active nearby. The Protector defense line needs to be set up more strictly."

"This is exactly what I want to discuss with you," Lin Ye said. "Shi Potian is responsible for the inner defense line, and you are responsible for the outer layer. I need you to set up a cordon thirty miles outside the plain. Any personnel attempting to enter must have their identities checked. If they are unrelated players, try to persuade them to leave. If they don't listen to persuasion..."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "If necessary, you can use force to expel them."

Zhao Wuji nodded solemnly: "Understood. I will mobilize the defense troops of the Black Tortoise Hall to build a temporary fortress on the periphery, equipped with reconnaissance arrays and early warning Talisman. In addition, Qin Ruoxue's Heavenly Secret Pavilion will provide intelligence support to monitor all abnormal movements within a radius of one hundred miles."

"Good." Lin Ye patted Zhao Wuji on the shoulder. "I'll leave the logistics and resource allocation to you. During the Undergoing Tribulation, the daily operation of Chaos Valley cannot stop, and the expansion of the Chu State branch must also continue to advance."

"Don't worry, leave it to me."

Everything was being prepared in an orderly manner.

On the third day, Su Qingyue returned from the Ice Secret Realm, bringing back a batch of rare Materials: [Ice Soul Crystal (Rare) × 15], [Cold Iron Essence (Fine) × 30], [Mysterious Ice Silk (Fine) × 50]. These Materials could further strengthen the lightning-avoiding effect of the Mysterious Thunder Heart-Protecting Shield, and could also be used to make anti-thunder Talismans.

Using these Materials, Lin Ye refined thirty more [Ice Thunder Talisman (Rare)]. After activating this kind of Talisman, it could form a layer of frost shield around the user, providing an additional 20% reduction to Lightning-attribute damage. Although the effect of a single one was not as good as the Mysterious Thunder Heart-Protecting Shield, they could be used in superposition as a supplementary defense method.

On the fourth day, Shi Potian finished his practical sparring with Chen Hao, and his use of the Hegemon Blood boiling was already quite proficient. He gathered the three hundred most elite melee players of the Azure Dragon Hall to conduct specialized Protector formation drills. The three hundred people were divided into three teams, with one hundred people each, responsible for the defense of the East, West, and North directions respectively, while the South was left for the retreat route.

On the fifth day, Zhao Wuji's Black Tortoise Hall built twelve temporary sentry towers on the periphery, each equipped with ten players, equipped with reconnaissance arrays and communication Talisman. Qin Ruoxue's Heavenly Secret Pavilion scattered over a hundred intelligence personnel, disguised as players of various identities, mixed into the leveling points and resource points around the Meteorite Plain, monitoring every movement.

In the evening, everything was ready.

In the main hall of Chaos Valley, the core members gathered.

Lin Ye stood in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the people below: Su Qingyue, Shi Potian, Chen Hao, Zhao Wuji, Qin Ruoxue, and the deputy hall masters of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise Halls.

"Tomorrow at Chen hour, we will set off for the Meteorite Plain." Lin Ye's voice was calm and firm. "The Undergoing Tribulation is expected to last for a day and a night. During this period, the defense level of Chaos Valley will be raised to the highest, and Zhao Wuji will be fully responsible. For the Chu State branch, Chen Hao, you continue to advance, and report if there is any situation."

Chen Hao nodded: "Understood, Boss. The branch has already gained a firm foothold and is developing the first resource point, so there will be no problems."

Qin Ruoxue reported: "According to the latest intelligence, there are currently seventeen teams of scattered players active within a hundred miles around the Meteorite Plain, with Ranks between 40-50. We have sent people to contact them, and most of them have indicated that they will avoid the Undergoing Tribulation area. However, there are two teams with ambiguous attitudes, suspected of having backgrounds from other factions, and we are further verifying."

"Continue to monitor," Lin Ye said. "If they are still within the alert range after the Undergoing Tribulation starts tomorrow... treat them as hostile."

"Yes."

After the meeting, everyone dispersed to make their final preparations.

Lin Ye did not return to the quiet room but went alone to the top of the highest watchtower in Chaos Valley.

The night sky was clear, and the stars were bright.

He looked at the starry sky, but in his heart, he was deducing every detail of tomorrow's Undergoing Tribulation.

The Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation, according to experience from his previous life, was usually divided into three layers: the first layer was the Physical Body tribulation, where thunder tempered the limbs and bones; the second layer was the Divine Sense tribulation, where the Heart Demon illusion tested the Dao Heart; the third layer was the Dao Law tribulation, where heavenly thunder took shape and simulated various Dao Law attacks.

Each layer had nine Lightning Tribulations, totaling twenty-seven.

But that was the Heavenly Tribulation of ordinary players.

What would the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body attract? Lin Ye did not know. He only knew that in his previous life, during the Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation, he had attracted a six-layered Lightning Tribulation, fifty-four heavenly thunders, and almost died. In this life, his accumulation, talent, and potential were far beyond his previous life, so the intensity of the Heavenly Tribulation would only be more terrifying.

"Seven layers? Eight layers? Or..." Lin Ye recalled the phantom of the eye of the heavenly dao in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, "Nine layers?"

The legendary Nine-Layered Thunder Tribulation was the Heavenly Tribulation that only someone with the bearing of a Great Emperor would attract. If he could survive it, he would receive the blessing of the Heavenly Dao, and his potential would greatly increase.

But if he couldn't survive it, he would be reduced to ashes.

Lin Ye took a deep breath, suppressing the distracting thoughts in his heart.

Was he afraid? Of course, he was afraid. No one does not fear death, especially since he had been reborn and had people and things he wanted to protect, he was even more afraid of losing them.

But fear was useless.

The path of cultivation was originally going against the heavens. Competing with the heavens for life, competing with the earth for luck, and competing with people for Opportunity. Being timid would only lead to stagnation.

"In this life, I want to go further." Lin Ye clenched his fists, and fighting spirit reignited in his eyes, "The Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation is just the first step."

He took out the bronze ghost mask from his Storage Pouch.

The mask exuded a dark green luster under the moonlight, and nine fairy flowers were slowly rotating. The Legacy token of the Ruthless Great Emperor, the woman who attained the Dao and became an Emperor with a mortal body and created countless legends—what did she experience when she was Undergoing Tribulation?

"Not for Immortal Ascension, just to wait for your return in the Mortal World..."

Lin Ye whispered this sentence that circulated among the readers of "Covering the Heavens".

The obsession of the Ruthless Great Emperor achieved her Dao.

Then what about my Dao?

Protection. Protecting those worth protecting, protecting the undying fire in the heart.

This answer had been said during the Soul questioning. But at this moment, Lin Ye had a deeper understanding.

Protection was not passive defense, but active progress. Only when one is strong enough can one protect everything one wants to protect. And the process of becoming stronger itself requires taking risks, requires fighting for one's life, requires... Undergoing Tribulation.

He put the bronze ghost mask away.

He took out the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo.

The small cauldron rotated in his palm, emitting misty mysterious yellow qi. After the battle in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, the cauldron body was damaged, and there were a few tiny cracks on the surface. Lin Ye had not had time to repair it because the repair required [mysterious yellow qi], which was a more rare Material than myriad mother qi, and could be met but not sought.

But for tomorrow's Undergoing Tribulation, the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo would be an important aid. The cauldron embryo had the effect of suppression and defense, and combined with the Mysterious Thunder Heart-Protecting Shield, it could greatly improve his survival ability.

"Old friend, we have to fight side by side again tomorrow." Lin Ye stroked the cauldron body lightly.

The cauldron embryo vibrated slightly, emitting a low hum, as if responding.

It was late at night.

Lin Ye returned to the quiet room, sat cross-legged, and began the final adjustment of his breath.

He adjusted his state to the Peak, with full Vitality, full Chaos Divine Power, and clear Divine Sense. He repeatedly deduced various plans for the Undergoing Tribulation in his mind: What if the Lightning Tribulation is too strong? What if the Heart Demon is too fierce? What if someone interferes?

Every possibility had a corresponding strategy.

But the real Undergoing Tribulation would always have accidents.

"Do human efforts, listen to the Heavenly Dao." Lin Ye looked at the line of numbers on the attribute panel one last time, and slowly closed his eyes.

Outside the quiet room, the moonlight was like water.

In Chaos Valley, the lights gradually extinguished.

And three hundred miles outside the valley, in the depths of the Meteorite Plain, that hidden Spiritual Vein node was silently surging with pure Spiritual Qi.

As if waiting for something.

Above the night sky, a wisp of extremely faint dark clouds was quietly gathering in a corner that no one noticed.

Deep in the clouds, lightning was faintly flickering.