439: Chapter 439 Thank you, Uncle Gu

On the other side!

Mu Wanqing wore a goose-yellow ruqun, the hem stained with a bit of dust, yet her eyes were sharp.

She gently patted her hands, spiritual energy flowing through her fingertips as she brushed away all the dust from her skirt with swift and graceful movements.

At her feet lay the corpses of Yin Yang Sect Cultivators. The mountain gate had collapsed, and thick smoke curled upwards; the once-wicked Sect had already been reduced to ruins by her hands.

"You Yin Yang Sect, harming others and yourselves, preying on the common people!"

Her red lips parted slightly, her mood appearing quite good. "If I hadn't yet stepped onto the path of cultivation and met Revered Master back then, how could I have let you become so notorious? Today's satisfaction of rooting you out one by one is something you should have tasted long ago!"

As her voice fell, she raised a hand to wipe away a stray drop of blood from her cheek. Just as she was about to turn around, she saw the surrounding scenery slowly dissipate like a receding tide.

The collapsed mountain gate, the permeating thick smoke, and the fallen corpses all turned into illusions and gradually faded away.

Mu Wanqing suddenly panicked, stumbling half a step. Her clear almond eyes flickered, filled with bewilderment and urgency.

"Wait!"

She hurriedly raised her hand, trying to grab the dissipating illusion, her voice urgent. "My heart's knot hasn't been untied yet, you can't do this."

Purple-gold thunder circled submissively around Mu Wanqing, yet it didn't touch her by even half an inch. Clearly, Mu Wanqing's Dao Heart was already transparent, with no more stray thoughts.

The young girl bit her lower lip and stamped her foot in frustration: "I haven't even visited the Great Yan Imperial Palace yet. That Dog Emperor has been pressuring my father all day, and I haven't settled the score with him yet."

"Can't you fulfill my wish just one more time?"

Looking at the spatial rift that had suddenly appeared before her, Mu Wanqing pouted and stepped into it, looking back with every step. "I wonder how my Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters are doing."

"I wonder if Revered Master has any heart's knots too?"

Just after passing through the rift, the surrounding purple-gold thunder abruptly receded, replaced by the howling, violent astral wind.

This wind was different from ordinary wind; it was formless and immaterial, yet it carried a sharp edge that could tear the Divine Soul. Upon contact, Mu Wanqing trembled all over, her goose-yellow ruqun fluttering loudly in the wind, her hair dancing wildly.

"Is this... the astral wind?"

She reacted instantly. Revered Master had once said that the wind tribulation tests the Primordial Spirit; the astral wind penetrates the body, and both form and spirit dissipate. This tribulation did not test the strength of spiritual energy, but rather the resilience of the Divine Soul.

Before she could think further, the first gust of astral wind had already penetrated her Physical Body, heading straight for her Divine Soul.

"Hiss—"

Mu Wanqing gasped, feeling as if her head were being pierced by ten thousand steel needles at once, her Divine Soul seemingly about to be torn apart alive.

She instinctively curled up, her hands pressing hard against her temples. Her clear almond eyes were instantly bloodshot, and the ease on her face was entirely replaced by pain.

The astral wind was pervasive, traveling through her Meridians and entering her Sea of Consciousness, scraping against her Divine Soul. Every gust felt like it was peeling away fragments of her Divine Soul, making her whole body convulse in pain, cold sweat instantly soaking her ruqun.

"No... I can't retreat..."

Mu Wanqing gritted her teeth, circulating the spiritual energy within her body, beginning a tug-of-war with this astral wind.

Above the ice layer, the chill was biting.

One by one, the Tiangong Pavilion Cultivators snapped their eyes open, their gazes filled with confusion as they instinctively looked around.

The scenes from the earlier Thunder Pool illusion still swirled in their minds; the purple-gold thunder and the scrutiny that pierced the Divine Soul left them in a daze.

"This is... where's my sister-in-law?"

A Tiangong Pavilion Cultivator muttered to himself, raising a hand to touch his cheek.

"It seems we didn't pass the Lightning Tribulation and don't have that Immortal Talent." A middle-aged Cultivator beside him sighed deeply, his expression listless.

"This... how is this possible? I practiced Qi Refining at ten, reached Foundation Establishment at fifteen, and formed a Golden Core before thirty. My talent far exceeds my peers; how could I not have Immortal Talent?"

His words voiced everyone's thoughts. The Tiangong Pavilion Cultivators were all carefully selected elites; when had they ever suffered such a setback?

As more fellow Disciples appeared one after another, no matter how slow they were to react, they had to accept this harsh reality.

"It seems that the talent for Immortal Ascension really depends on fate." Someone lamented in a low voice, their eyes dim.

"Strange, have you seen anyone from the Dao Seeking Sect?" Suddenly, a Cultivator frowned and looked around. "Why haven't I encountered a single Cultivator from the Dao Seeking Sect?"

Once these words were spoken, everyone fell silent and began searching the surroundings. Sure enough, not a single Dao Seeking Sect Disciple was in sight.

"This... could it be that they all passed the Lightning Tribulation and have that Immortal Talent?"

"Impossible!"

In an instant, a clamor of discussion broke out, like a bustling marketplace. One's own failure was regrettable, but the success of others was even harder to accept.

"What's the excitement? That Peak Master Chen and Revered Master already said that to reach the guixu immortal ferry boat, one must pass the three tribulations of wind, fire, and thunder. Perhaps the people from the Dao Seeking Sect just got lucky and passed this first tribulation; there are still two more waiting for them. They might not make it to the end."

"True!" another person chimed in. "In my view, those who can truly board the immortal boat and possess Immortal Talent are ultimately only Revered Master and the other two Pavilion Revered Masters. That Peak Master Chen has decent strength and might have some chance, but as for the others, I think it's unlikely."

The few of them comforted each other, saying the words they wanted to hear.

Just then, Gu Yunshen's figure suddenly manifested, landing on the ice layer.

In an instant!

The surroundings fell silent immediately as everyone turned their gazes toward him with strange expressions.

"Junior Martial Uncle Gu, how... could it be?" a Disciple spoke up cautiously.

Gu Yunshen looked around and, seeing the crowd of Disciples on the ice, quickly understood the situation. His expression instantly became somewhat awkward, and his heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that he was the only one who hadn't even passed the first tribulation?

If this got out, where would his face be?

Gu Yunshen cleared his throat, quickly composed himself, straightened his back, and spoke with feigned composure:

"Everyone, there is no need to be surprised."

"Just now in the illusion, I had already seen through my Dao Heart and was only one step away from success. However, at that moment, I sensed the commotion outside and thought of you all being leaderless. If you encountered danger, the consequences would be unthinkable. This Secret Realm is a place of trouble, and you are the future of the Sect; how could I let you face unknown risks alone? That is why I took the initiative to exit the illusion and come to check on your situation."

This speech was sincere and earnest, both elevating himself and highlighting his concern for the Disciples.

Immediately, many Disciples were deeply moved, and their previous disappointment and doubts vanished in an instant.

"Junior Martial Uncle Gu! You really worry yourself to death for us! It is our incompetence that has delayed you."

"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle Gu!"

"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle Gu!"

One after another, voices of praise rang out. The Disciples all bowed with cupped hands, their eyes filled with gratitude and respect.

Gu Yunshen listening to this flattery, remained expressionless, but in his heart, he had already breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, his face darkened, and his tone became stern: "As for you all, each claiming to have outstanding talent, yet you couldn't even pass this first Lightning Tribulation. Your Dao Hearts are truly pathetic! Usually, the Sect spends a vast amount of resources to nurture you, yet you drop the ball at the critical moment. You have utterly disgraced the Tiangong Pavilion!"

"After returning to the Sect, everyone go to the Reflection Cliff and face the wall for three years! Rise at the Hour of the Tiger every day to Cultivate, and only rest at the Hour of the Rat. During this time, there shall be no slackening, and no one is allowed to visit!"

No one dared to argue. They all lowered their heads and responded respectfully: "Yes, we obey your command."