The Distinguished Cute Master

Chapter 43 – Lightning Tribulation

Yuan Chu had a pretty good impression of Ji Hongyan. When she read the book, she thought that the male lead was too lacking in human emotions. Such an enchanting girl had fallen in love at first sight with him. He should have turned over a new leaf and accepted her into his harem! Yet… he only had the great dao in his heart. But now that he already had her, the perfect master, she would never let him be alone again!

Layer after layers of clouds gathered in the sky, looming overhead.

Now, even Ji Hongyan didn’t dare to get too close, afraid that she might be caught in the lightning. With such a fearsome tribulation, was this person really just at Foundation Building?

Finally, the tenth bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, like a great dragon.

Ye Chenyuan closed his eyes and activated a talisman they had previously prepared, blocking the lightning. 

Luckily, he had followed his master and traveled far and wide in the last few years. Otherwise, this tribulation would have been very hard to bear.

Yuan Chu placed her other thoughts on hold and started focusing.

Originally, Ye Chenyuan should have Foundation Building when he was sixteen. There were twenty-one lightning strikes when he hadn’t opened any pores.

But now, he was building his foundation at fourteen years old. He also had an additional two opened pores. Thus, Yuan Chu had prepared for a lightning tribulation of thirty-two strikes. With this much preparation, there shouldn’t be any issues, right?

Just as she was thinking of this, several more strikes rained down from the sky, adding up to more than twenty-one strikes.

Yuan Chu’s heart sped up. If it really was a lightning tribulation of thirty-two strikes, even if Ye Chenyuan endured, it would be quite miserable.

The lightning destroyed the nearby tree in an instant. Even the waterfall was swallowed in a gushing current of electricity, sparks glittered across the rushing water, and the lightning dragon roared.

Yuan Chu was rapt with attention as she counted to herself. “Thirty-one, thirty-two… thirty-two!”

Sure enough, the lightning stopped at the thirty-second strike. Yuan Chu’s heart let out a silent cheer, and she smiled.

Fortunately, it was thirty-two strikes. She had foreseen correctly!

But just as she let out a sigh of relief, the sky blackened into darkness.

What? Isn’t it only midday? Luo Xin had a bad premonition and quickly escaped. Meanwhile, Ji Hongyan glanced at Ye Chenyuan, somewhat unwilling to stand in there. 

Still bewildered, Yuan Chu heard Venerable Li’s exclamation. “Not good! This isn’t a three-two heavenly tribulation; it’s most probably a four-nine heavenly tribulation! Ye Chenyuan won’t be able to endure a four-nine heavenly tribulation at just Foundation Building!”

Startled, Yuan Chu took a few steps forward.

How could it be a four-nine tribulation? There were usually only forty-nine strikes when advancing to Nascent Soul!

That aside, giving up right now would mean failing at Foundation Building. If Ye Chenyuan failed here, not only would his cultivation drop, his foundation would also be harmed.

Yuan Chu gave Ye Chenyuan a fretful glance. She didn’t know what to do. Burn wounds from the scorching lightning riddled Ye Chenyuan’s body, and the smell of charred flesh hung in the air.

But still, his back was straight, his expression taut. Not a hint of abandonment had surfaced on his face.

Seeing him like this made Yuan Chu remember that stormy day she had first met him. He was also covered in wounds back then, yet he stood tall and unyielding. Even when she pointed her sword at her, he showed not an ounce of fear.

And so, Yuan Chu withdrew the hand she had reached out. She would wait a bit longer; she needed to believe in Ye Chenyuan. The four-nine tribulation was very scary, but this was Ye Chenyuan. Maybe, just maybe, he could withstand it!

The lightning gathered into a vortex, spiraling out in the pitch-black sky, and a great convergence of clouds knotted together. A piercing light crashed downwards and the rumble of thunder roared out! It was the thirty-third strike! Every strike that followed was more fearsome than the previous. By the time the thirty-seventh bolt struck, Ye Chenyuan had used up all the treasures and talismans that could protect him. If there was any more lightning, he would have to bear it with his flesh body. The excruciating pain of suffering lightning directly to your body, Yuan Chu’s blood ran cold just thinking about it.

In the end, Ye Chenyuan spat out a mouthful of blood at the fortieth lightning strike. He looked like he had come from a bloodbath, his skin and flesh ripped to shreds.

Ji Hongyan couldn’t bear it any longer. She threw all the magical items that she had saved for her tribulation to him. However, they were soon broken into pieces. This tribulation was even worse than the one she had undergone for Core Formation!

Venerable Li’s worried voice traveled over.

“Give up! This tribulation isn’t something a Foundation Builder can withstand. If this keeps on, he will die!”

Since Venerable Li inhabited Ye Chenyuan’s sea of consciousness, he knew his current situation the best. His root bones were near shattering, his organs boiling. He wouldn’t last much longer! And if it really was a four-nine heavenly tribulation, there would be nine more strikes remaining. Ye Chenyuan didn’t have anything left to shield him from the lightning. How could he endure it with just his mortal body?

Yuan Chu’s face darkened, but she still didn’t make her move.

Lightning tribulations were frightening, but if he could endure it, the tribulation could thoroughly cleanse his marrow. It would be more useful than any heavenly or earthly treasure.

He could either stop here or accept its baptism. There was no third option.

Eventually, after the forty-third strike, Ye Chenyuan spat out another mouthful of blood. His face had paled to paper-white and so had his lips. He hadn’t thought that the legendary four-nine tribulation would occur when he was only at Foundation Building. Under these under-prepared circumstances, he could only rely on willpower!

He must not disappoint his master. Never!

With these thoughts in mind, the spiritual energy in his body liquified. Foundation Building, reached!

However, although he had reached Foundation Building, there were still six more strikes left in the lightning tribulation. Spirit force formed into countless gusts, sweeping towards him, but the lightning blocked it out. Ye Chenyuan had to use his heavily injured body to endure the rest of the tribulation. Only then would he receive the baptism of spiritual energy to shed his mortal body and exchange his bones!

But… it seemed like he couldn’t bear it any longer.

Ye Chenyuan smiled bitterly. Just as the sixth to last strike was about to hit, Ji Hongyan let out a light cry. A little girl had appeared out of thin air and broke through the spiritual energy storm. She hovered in front of Ye Chenyuan.

“M… Master.” Ye Chenyuan’s mouth moved, but he couldn’t make any sound. Yuan Chu stood in front of him. Although she was already ten years old, she still looked like she was seven; she was the same height as Ye Chenyuan when he was sitting down.

She reached out and interlaced her fingers with his,

“There are six lightning strikes left. You can fight past them, right?”

Yuan Chu’s focused eyes brought out the faith in his heart. He knew his appearance must be very frightening at the moment, but in order to protect his master in the future, he could do it!

Only, he reached out and pushed her away.

This was his tribulation. He could endure it. She had to stay away to avoid bringing disaster upon herself.

But Yuan Chu wouldn’t leave.

“I’ll undergo the lightning tribulation with you.”