Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Heavenly Tribulation

Chapter 96: Heavenly Tribulation

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation      Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

A month was not a long time. For cultivators, it was normal for them to go into seclusion for a few years or even more than ten years.

During this month before the sect competition began, Li Ming cultivated nonstop. He practiced the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art almost every day without pause.

If he wanted to complete his core formation and enter the golden core realm by cultivating his body, he needed to temper his body nonstop every day through the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art.

Ten whole days.

Li Ming did not waste any time during these ten days.

However, it was these ten days of cultivation that allowed Li Ming to gradually calm down. At the beginning, his mind was completely filled with thoughts of how he could further his body cultivation foundation establishment. But as time passed, his mind eventually immersed itself in pure cultivation.

His mind was as still as water, devoid of any distracting thoughts.

After some time, Li Ming could no longer even feel the movements of his arms.

His body moved on instinct, moving without any conscious decisions!

Within his body, as the spiritual qi circulated, the golden crow, which had wrapped around the lotus flower on his foundation establishment stone platform, began to experience some changes.

The golden crow began to condense, contract, and shrink in size.

The events took place as if they were a matter of course.

Everything that took place happened outside of Li Ming’s control.

His muscles, blood vessels, bones, organs, and every inch of his body were being tempered by spiritual qi.

Waves of gentle yet powerful energy continuously circulated within his body.

Unknowingly, the meridians in Li Ming’s body were slowly transforming from blood-red to golden.

The entire process was carried out unconsciously.

His cultivation circulated continuously.

As his meridians changed, countless spiritual qi gathered and flowed toward his foundation establishment stone platform.

The seemingly boundless spiritual qi continuously interweaved from the outside to the inside.

After the transformation of his eight mysterious meridians, the spiritual qi became even denser. The golden crow on his foundation establishment stone platform also completely condensed. It all gradually formed a golden core!

However, this was not the end.

The golden core, which was supposed to be gold in color, suddenly changed at this moment. Another color emerged and the golden core became composed of two completely different colors.

The two colors intertwined, causing the golden core to be purple-gold in color.

At the same time that the golden core formed, black clouds gathered above Li Ming’s cave abode!

This indicated the arrival of his heavenly tribulation!

To advance from the foundation establishment realm to the golden core realm, not only did one need to cultivate sufficiently, but they would also need to endure the baptism of the heavenly tribulation. But in actuality, rather than calling it a baptism, it was more like a punishment.

The path of cultivation was one where cultivators seized the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, competing with heaven and earth. While it might seem that cultivators were abiding by the will of the heavens, in reality, everything they did was to contend with the heavens!

Rising to the foundation establishment realm did not trigger a heavenly tribulation. It was only after one reached the perfected level of the foundation establishment realm and broke through to the core formation realm that a heavenly tribulation would descend!

Once a golden core appeared within a cultivator, it meant that they had truly broken away from the boundaries of mortals!

If someone were to approach the heavens, they would naturally be punished by the heavens.

Of course, in the cultivation world, there have been countless cultivators and countless heavenly tribulations.

Not everyone could withstand their heavenly tribulation.

Many people would prepare many magical artifacts and treasures that would aid them in resisting the heavenly tribulation before triggering its descent.

At this moment, inside the cave abode, Li Ming gradually became clear-headed. He had been completely immersed in cultivation earlier, and his body had unconsciously and automatically formed its golden core. It was only after he woke up and regained his senses that he was able to examine and understand what had happened.

Even if he had progressed in body cultivation, the core formation was still the same as that of ai cultivation.

However, it seemed that while he cultivated both his body and qi, he only had one golden core.

In the end, the two separate paths had fused. Since he cultivated both his body and qi at the same time, this meant that his golden core would be a fusion of his two paths as well.

“I see.”

“The changes in one’s meridians are the manifestations of body cultivation and core formation?”

Li Ming could feel the changes in his body. In terms of strength, it had already increased by more than one level!

The changes in his meridians were the most direct manifestation of his increase in strength.

His meridians could now carry more spiritual qi and allow him to wield greater power.

Meanwhile, the golden core was the accumulation of his spiritual qi.

However, the golden core still needed to draw his soul and three spirits into it, and he needed to undergo the upcoming heavenly tribulation before it was truly complete.

It was only then that he could be considered to have officially stepped into the golden core realm!

When he sensed the surging heavenly tribulation above him, the entire cave abode instantly collapsed the next moment! The dark sky appeared before Li Ming’s eyes.

“This is the heavenly tribulation?”

As lightning continuously crackled within the black cloud, a rumbling sound reverberated throughout the entire mountain peak!

When the few consecrators guarding outside saw this scene, each and every one of them was incomparably shocked.

They had thought that after Li Ming finished refining the pill for the sect master, they would only be waiting for the sect master to complete her breakthrough and enter the soul formation realm.

Therefore, everyone thought that what they were seeing was Sect Master Fan Shuang’s heavenly tribulation.

After all, although Li Ming had reached the perfected level of the foundation establishment realm, he had only just entered it.

They absolutely would never have expected him to reach the core formation realm within just a single month.

However, when the heavenly tribulation appeared above Li Ming, the consecrators were stunned.

Before they could react, they saw Li Ming leap and directly rush to the peak of the mountain!

He had no intention of avoiding the heavenly tribulation at all.

For Li Ming, tempering his body with all kinds of means was simply natural.

He was already used to the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art triggering the descent of heavenly fire.

Now that the heavenly tribulation had appeared, he felt that this was the best opportunity for him to refine his body.

He believed that this would definitely allow his body to rise to another level!

Li Ming naturally would not let go of such a great opportunity.

On the mountain peak, Li Ming looked up and saw that the heavenly lightning was about to fall. Without hesitation, he immediately circulated the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art!

As the tempering began, his movements followed suit, and a boom resounded! Boom!

The silver-white lightning was like a falling star. It was not a single bolt, but a ball, and it crashed down on Li Ming!

The pressure it carried caused the entire mountain forest to instantly be crushed!

As the lightning descended, the entire ball of lightning completely enveloped Li Ming!

Under the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art, even though the lightning raged and constantly destroyed Li Ming’s body, how could the body that he had cultivated and tempered through so many different means be so easily destroyed by the heavenly tribulation?

On the contrary, under the stimulation of the lightning, the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art broke through to the next level on the spot!

He directly entered the eighth level!

At the same time, his divine soul split apart. One soul and three spirits were separated and merged into his golden core.

As the lightning invaded his body and merged into his golden core, a majestic power burst out from Li Ming’s body!

When the lightning around his body finally dissipated, Li Ming’s body was completely bare. His exposed skin was smooth and flawless, and there was even a faint golden light radiating from it.

The aura of his body rose, and his body and mind felt comfortable, leaving him very satisfied.

The golden core realm!

He had finally reached it!

He initially thought that there would be some obstacles when it came to body cultivation and core formation, but now he understood.

Body cultivation could not really be called core formation, but rather purification!

The purification of one’s body!

The purification of one’s meridians, bones, blood, and organs!

After entering the golden core realm, Li Ming had only purified his meridians, allowing his eight mysterious meridians to complete their transformation and become golden meridians!

After that, he would have to achieve golden bones, golden blood, and internal organs.

This was his path of body cultivation!

Tempering one’s body and allowing it to transform into something purer and stronger.