* rén liǎn shàng jiē chōng mǎn le 〖 xīng 〗 fèn zhī sè 。
*人脸上皆充满了〖兴〗奋之色。
The faces of the people present were all filled with excitement.
hù pài dà zhèn zǎo yǐ jīng chè qù le 。
护派大阵早已经撤去了。
The protective formation for the sect had already been withdrawn early on.
tiān kōng zhī zhōng ， xiáng yún duǒ duǒ ， fàn zhe wǔ cǎi guī lì de duó mù zhī sè ， rán ér zǐ xì kàn ， zhè suǒ wèi de yún duǒ ， qí shí shì yóu tiān dì yuán qì zǔ chéng de ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， dōu huì jù dào le bǎi huā gǔ de shàng kōng 。
天空之中，祥云朵朵，泛着五彩瑰丽的夺目之色，然而仔细看，这所谓的云朵，其实是由天地元气组成的，此时此刻，都汇聚到了百huā谷的上空。
Above the sky, colorful clouds swirled, radiating a dazzling array of colors. However, upon closer inspection, these so-called clouds were actually composed of primordial energy from heaven and earth, converging over the area above Hundred Herb Valley.
shàng guān yàn lái dào mǔ qīn de shēn biān ， liǎn rèn yī lǐ ， liǎn shàng yě dài zhe jǐ fēn qī dài zhī yì ：“ rú cǐ nóng hòu de tiān dì yuán qì ， nán dào shuō ， shì shī fù zài chōng jī dòng xuán qī de píng jǐng ？”
上官雁来到母亲的身边，敛衽一礼，脸上也带着几分期待之意：“如此浓厚的天地元气，难道说，是师傅在冲击洞玄期的瓶颈？”
Shangguan Yan approached her mother and bowed respectfully, a hint of anticipation on her face: "Such dense primordial energy—could it be that Master is breaking through to the Profound Concealment realm?"
tīng jiě jiě zhè yàng shuō ， shàng guān líng yě shù qǐ le ěr duǒ ， shī fù rú guǒ néng gòu jìn jí ， hǎo chù bù yán ér yù ” tā dāng rán shì fēi cháng xī wàng dì 。
听姐姐这样说，上官翎也竖起了耳朵，师傅如果能够晋级，好处不言而喻”她当然是非常希望地。
Hearing what her sister said, Shangguan Ling also perked up her ears. If Master could advance, the benefits would be immeasurable. She naturally hoped so.
“ wèi niáng yě bù xiǎo de ， bì jìng dòng xuán qī lí wǒ men tài yáo yuǎn le ， ér guān yú chōng jī cǐ píng jǐng de yì xiàng ， diǎn jí shàng suī yǒu miáo shù ， dàn jù shuō ， měi wèi qián bèi gēn běn jiù shì bù yí yàng de 。” shàng guān mù yǔ tàn le kǒu qì ：“ suǒ yǐ wéi niáng yě bù hǎo píng shù ， bù guò kàn zhè tiān dì yuán qì nóng hòu dào rú cǐ chéng dù ， yīng gāi shì dà yǒu kě néng de ……”
“为娘也不晓得，毕竟洞玄期离我们太遥远了，而关于冲击此瓶颈的异象，典籍上虽有描述，但据说，每位前辈根本就是不一样的。”上官暮雨叹了口气：“所以为娘也不好评述，不过看这天地元气浓厚到如此程度，应该是大有可能的……”
"Mother doesn't know either," Shangguan Muyu sighed. "After all, the Profound Concealment realm is far from us. The anomalies that occur when breaking through such a bottleneck are described in ancient texts, but each senior's experience is unique."
huà yīn wèi luò ， cǐ nǚ de shēng yīn tū rán gā rán ér zhǐ le 。
话音未落，此女的声音突然嘎然而止了。
Therefore, she couldn’t make any definitive statements. However, given how dense the primordial energy had become, it was highly likely.
fēng qǐ yún yǒng ， tiān kōng zhī zhōng ， tū rán guā qǐ le yī dào dào nóng liè de gāng fēng ， nà wǔ yán liù sè de yún cǎi ， kāi shǐ jù liè huàng dòng ， kàn shì zá luàn wú zhāng de piāo yí fēi wǔ 。
风起云涌，天空之中，突然刮起了一道道浓烈的罡风，那五颜六色的云彩，开始剧烈晃动，看似杂乱无章的漂移飞舞。
Before her words could finish, this woman’s voice suddenly cut off abruptly.
fāng yuán qiān lǐ ， tiān dì yuán qì yī xià zi biàn dé hùn luàn yǐ jí 。
方圆千里，天地元气一下子变得混乱以极。
The wind began to stir, and a series of intense gales swept through the sky. The colorful clouds started to shake violently, seemingly moving in an erratic pattern.
shàng guān mù yǔ jiàn le cǐ mù ， biǎo qíng dùn shí biàn dé fēi cháng yán sù ：“ bǎi cǎo mén dì zǐ tīng zi ， quán dōu lí kāi cǐ chù ， gè huí zì jǐ de dòng fǔ ， bù dé běn mén zhǔ fēn fù ， bù xǔ suí yì xuān huá zǒu dòng 。”
上官暮雨见了此幕，表情顿时变得非常严肃：“百草门弟子听子，全都离开此处，各回自己的洞府，不得本门主吩咐，不许随意喧哗走动。”
Within a thousand miles around, the primordial energy became chaotic beyond measure.
“ shì ， zōng zhǔ 。”
“是，宗主。”
Seeing this scene, Shangguan Muyu's expression turned grave: "Hundred Herb Valley disciples, all leave this area and return to your own abodes. Do not move about without permission from the sect leader."
zhè yàng de mìng lìng ràng zhòng dì zǐ xīn zhōng jīng è ， dàn biǎo miàn shàng ， zì rán méi yǒu rén gǎn wéi bèi shén me ， xíng le yī lǐ ， biàn fēn fēn tuì le xià qù 。
这样的命令让众弟子心中惊愕，但表面上，自然没有人敢违背什么，行了一礼，便纷纷退了下去。
"Yes, Sect Leader."
bù xiāo piàn kè ， zhěng gè dǎo yǔ jiù biàn dé qīng jìng kōng kuàng qǐ lái le ， jǐn shèng xià shàng guān mù yǔ hé liǎng gè nǚ ér dài zài yuán dì 。
不消片刻，整个岛屿就变得清静空旷起来了，仅剩下上官暮雨和两个女儿待在原地。
Such an order left the disciples in shock, but outwardly, none dared to defy it. They bowed and retreated.
ér tā zhī suǒ yǐ zhè me fēn fù ， dāng rán shì yǒu mù dì de 。
而他之所以这么吩咐，当然是有目的的。
In no time, the island became quiet and empty, leaving only Shangguan Muyu and her two daughters behind.
rén tài duō ， bù zhī dào huì bú huì dǎ rǎo dào lín qián bèi jìn jí 。
人太多，不知道会不会打扰到林前辈晋级。
She had given these instructions for a reason: too many people might disturb Lin Xuan as he advanced.
cǐ qí yī 。
此其一。
Firstly, high-ranking cultivators breaking through bottlenecks—whether successful or not—would cause immense commotion. It was easy to inadvertently harm others. Although the sect's disciples' cultivation levels were now far beyond what they once were, with condensation core and foundation establishment stage practitioners sprouting like mushrooms after rain, Shangguan Muyu knew that their true situation was just a facade.
qí èr ， gāo jiē xiū shì tū pò píng jǐng ” jí shǐ shùn lì ， nà shēng shì yě shì hào dà yǐ jí ” yí bù xiǎo xīn jiù huì yāng jí chí yú ， bié kàn běn mén dì zǐ de jìng jiè ， rú jīn nà shì jīn fēi xī bǐ ， bié shuō níng dān zhù jī ” jiù suàn shì yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě ， yě rú yǔ hòu chūn sǔn yì bān de mào chū ， dàn zì jiā rén de qíng kuàng ” shàng guān mù yǔ qǐ huì bù qīng chǔ ” nà jǐn jǐn shì biǎo miàn bà le 。
其二，高阶修士突破瓶颈”即使顺利，那声势也是浩大以极”一不小心就会殃及池鱼，别看本门弟子的境界，如今那是今非昔比，别说凝丹筑基”就算是元婴期修仙者，也如雨后春笋一般的冒出，但自家人的情况”上官暮雨岂会不清楚”那仅仅是表面罢了。
The Five Elements True Explanation bestowed by Lin Xuan was indeed miraculous; even mediocre disciples could advance rapidly. However, the power of this technique was truly abysmal.
lín qián bèi cì xià de 《 wǔ xíng zhēn jiě 》 què shí shén qí ， lián zī zhì píng yōng de dì zǐ ， xiū liàn qǐ lái dōu xùn jié wú bǐ ， kě cǐ gōng fǎ de wēi lì ， shí zài —… cǎn bù rěn dǔ 。
林前辈赐下的《五行真解》确实神奇，连资质平庸的弟子，修炼起来都迅捷无比，可此功法的威力，实在—…惨不忍睹。
The combat capabilities of these disciples were far from proportional to their cultivation levels.
zhū dì zǐ de zhàn dòu lì ， yǔ jìng jiè ， nà shì wán quán bù chéng bǐ lì 。
诸弟子的战斗力，与境界，那是完全不成比例。
Shangguan Muyu had no complaints. She only felt gratitude towards Lin Xuan for his teachings. As he said before, one couldn't have both fish and bear's paw; the weakness in this technique was negligible compared to the extended lifespan gained by advancing.
dāng rán ， shàng guān mù yǔ háo wú yuàn yóu zhī yì ， duì lín xuān zhǐ yǒu gǎn jī ， zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng ， qián bèi zǎo jiù shuō guò ， yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé ， gōng fǎ wēi lì ruò diǎn yòu yǒu shén me ， tí shēng jìng jiè hòu shòu yuán zhì shǎo yán cháng le xǔ duō 。
当然，上官暮雨毫无怨尤之意，对林轩只有感激，这种情况，前辈早就说过，鱼与熊掌不可兼得，功法威力弱点又有什么，提升境界后寿元至少延长了许多。
After other disciples left, Shangguan Muyu and her two daughters retreated a bit further. At the same time, she activated protective barriers to prevent any collateral damage.
qí tā dì zǐ lí kāi yǐ hòu ， shàng guān mù yǔ tóng liǎng gè nǚ ér yě xiàng hòu tuì le yī duàn jù lí ” tóng shí jiāng hù zhào kāi qǐ ， miǎn de yāng jí chí yú 。
其他弟子离开以后，上官暮雨同两个女儿也向后退了一段距离”同时将护罩开启，免得殃及池鱼。
As time passed, the surrounding primordial energy grew increasingly chaotic.
ér suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí ” sì zhōu de líng qì ， yuè fā de hùn luàn wú bǐ 。
而随着时间的推移”四周的灵气，越发的混乱无比。
Suddenly, the clouds converged in the center, forming a vortex that appeared before their eyes.
tū rán ， nà xiē yún cǎi wǎng zhōng jiān yī jù ， yí gè xuán wō chū xiàn zài shì xiàn lǐ 。
突然，那些云彩往中间一聚，一个漩涡出现在视线里。
Bottomless and filled with vibrant colors, it seemed.
shēn bú jiàn dǐ ， lǐ miàn wǔ sè bān lán yǐ jí 。
深不见底，里面五色斑斓以极。
After some time, the primordial energy inside suddenly became violent. A beam of light as thick as a bowl shot out from within, crashing onto Hundred Herb Valley.
yòu guò piàn kè ， lǐ miàn de tiān dì yuán qì ， tū rán biàn dé bào nüè qǐ lái le ， cóng lǐ miàn pēn chū yī dào wǎn kǒu cū dào guāng zhù ， xiàng zhe bǎi huā gǔ hōng rán zá là xià qù le 。
又过片刻，里面的天地元气，突然变得暴虐起来了，从里面喷出一道碗口粗到光柱，像着百huā谷轰然砸落下去了。
While the volume of this beam wasn't particularly impressive, its power was not determined by size.
píng xīn lái shuō ， nà guāng zhù tǐ jī bìng bù páng bó ， rán ér wēi lì què bìng bú shì yóu zhí jìng dà xiǎo jué dìng de 。
平心来说，那光柱体积并不磅礴，然而威力却并不是由直径大小决定的。
Boom!
hōng ！
轰！
Rocks flew everywhere, and nearby mountains collapsed entirely.
suì shí fēi wǔ ， páng biān de shān fēng ， jū rán zhěng gè tān tā diào le 。
碎石飞舞，旁边的山峰，居然整个坍塌掉了。
"What…?"
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
The expressions on Shangguan sisters' faces showed shock. Although they had the power to move mountains after advancing to the Immortal Core realm, what they were witnessing now was different. A single beam of light so casually released turned a mountain into nothingness.
shàng guān jiě mèi de liǎn shàng ， jiē lù chū hài rán zhī sè ， suī rán jìn jiē yuán yīng qī yǐ hòu ， tā men yě yǒu yí shān dǎo hǎi de shén tōng ， dàn yǔ yǎn qián ， què shì wán quán bù tóng ， zhè me suí yì de yī dào guāng zhù ， jiù ràng shān fēng huà wèi le xū wú 。
上官姐妹的脸上，皆露出骇然之色，虽然进阶元婴期以后，她们也有移山倒海的神通，但与眼前，却是完全不同，这么随意的一道光柱，就让山峰化为了虚无。
"Is Master safe?"
“ shī zūn tā méi yǒu shì me ？”
“师尊他没有事么？”
Both sisters felt anxious. But at that moment, the entire Hundred Herb Valley was enveloped in colorful light, with dust clouds obscuring everything, making it impossible to see clearly.
liǎng jiě mèi de xīn zhōng dōu chōng mǎn le tǎn tè “ rán ér cǐ shí cǐ kè ， zhěng gè bǎi huā gǔ dōu bèi wǔ yán liù sè de guāng yùn bāo guǒ ， yáng qǐ de yān chén ， gèng dào le zhē tiān bì rì de chéng dù ， gēn běn jiù kàn bù qīng chǔ 。
两姐妹的心中都充满了忐忑“然而此时此刻，整个百huā谷都被五颜六色的光晕包裹，扬起的烟尘，更到了遮天蔽日的程度，根本就看不清楚。
"Don't worry. Lin Xuan is no ordinary person; he will surely succeed in breaking through this bottleneck. This minor difficulty is nothing," Shangguan Muyu said, pulling her daughters' hands and speaking with a reassuring smile.
“ fàng xīn ， lín qián bèi shì hé děng rén wù ， chōng jī píng jǐng yí dìng huì chéng gōng ， qū qū kùn nán suàn bù liǎo shén me 。” shàng guān mù yǔ lā zhe liǎng gè nǚ ér de qiàn shǒu ， wēi xiào de shēng yīn chōng mǎn le ān dìng zhī sè 。
“放心，林前辈是何等人物，冲击瓶颈一定会成功，区区困难算不了什么。”上官幕雨拉着两个女儿的纤手，微笑的声音充满了安定之色。
"Mm."
“ ń 。”
“嗯。”
The sisters nodded. The girls were just worried, but they had complete faith in their master.
jiě mèi liǎ diǎn le diǎn tóu ， liǎng gè yā tou zhǐ shì guān xīn zé luàn ér yǐ ， qí shí tā men duì shī zūn gèng shì xìn xīn shí zú 。
姐妹俩点了点头，两个丫头只是关心则乱而已，其实她们对师尊更是信心十足。
The sounds of explosions grew louder.
bào liè shēng yuè fā de cì ěr le 。
爆裂声越发的刺耳了。
From the vortex, another beam of colorful light shot out, this time mixed with lightning and fireballs. It didn't seem like breaking through the bottleneck; it looked more like a tribulation.
cóng nà xuán wō zhī zhōng ， zài cì pēn shè chū wǔ yán liù sè de guāng zhù ， zhè yī cì ， hái hùn zá yǒu léi diàn yǔ huǒ qiú ， kàn shàng qù ， dào bù xiàng jiāng píng jǐng tū pò ， fǎn dào yǒu jǐ fēn lèi sì yú dù jié le 。
从那漩涡之中，再次喷射出五颜六色的光柱，这一次，还混杂有雷电与火球，看上去，倒不像将瓶颈突破，反倒有几分类似于渡劫了。
Of course, compared to true tribulations, this was different. Lin Xuan's advancement had caused unique anomalies in the primordial energy, which continuously bombarded him with thunder and fire.
dāng rán ， yǔ zhēn zhèng de dù jié yòu shì wán quán bù tóng ， lín xuān cǐ shí jìn jí yǐn qǐ de tiān dì yì xiàng bǐ jiào tè shū ， tiān dì yuán qì huà wèi le sì fāng léi huǒ ， duì tā bù tíng de hōng jī qì 。
当然，与真正的渡劫又是完全不同，林轩此时晋级引起的天地异象比较特殊，天地元气化为了四方雷火，对他不停的轰击弃。
This situation was far more dangerous than when Meng Ruyan encountered false heavenly tribulations. Generally, even demons or ancient fiends rarely faced such tribulations during their own. For human cultivators, encountering it usually meant certain death. Throughout history in the cultivation world, only a few managed to survive such a tribulation.
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng ， bǐ xī rì mèng rú yān yù jiàn de jiǎ tiān jié hái yào wēi xiǎn ， yì bān lái shuō ， biàn shì yāo xiū ， huò zhě gǔ mó dù jié shí yě bù cháng jiàn ， zhì yú rén lèi xiū xiān zhě ， yí dàn yù dào le ， zé jī běn shàng zhǐ yǒu yī zhǒng jié jú ， yǔn luò ， fàng yǎn xiū xiān jiè de lì shǐ ， jìn jí de shí hòu yù jiàn zhè zhǒng sì fāng léi huǒ jié hái néng píng ān dù guò de yě qū zhǐ kě shǔ ， zhēn de zhǐ yǒu nà me liáo liáo jǐ gè 。
这种情况，比昔日梦如嫣遇见的假天劫还要危险，一般来说，便是妖修，或者古魔渡劫时也不常见，至于人类修仙者，一旦遇到了，则基本上只有一种结局，陨落，放眼修仙界的历史，晋级的时候遇见这种四方雷火劫还能平安度过的也屈指可数，真的只有那么寥寥几个。
Four-sided Thunder and Fire Tribulation.
sì fāng léi huǒ jié 。
四方雷火劫。
As its name suggested, this was an attack by primordial energy-induced lightning and fire. Its power far exceeded false heavenly tribulations, comparable to ordinary primordial energy tribulations.
gù míng sī yì ， jiù shì yóu tiān dì yuán qì suǒ yǐn qǐ de léi huǒ gōng jī ， qí wēi lì ， yuǎn yuǎn chāo guò jiǎ tiān jié ， kě yǐ shuō ， zú yǐ yǔ yì bān de yuán qì zhī jié xiāng pǐ dí 。
顾名思义，就是由天地元气所引起的雷火攻击，其威力，远远超过假天劫，可以说，足以与一般的元气之劫相匹敌。
If it were any other time, cultivators could easily withstand such tribulations, as the first primordial energy tribulation was relatively easy to handle.
ruò huàn yí gè shí kè ， xiū xiān zhě dǐ dǎng ， yě shì qīng ér yì jǔ ， bì jìng dì yī cì yuán qì zhī jié ， hái shì bǐ jiào róng yì dǐ dǎng dì 。
若换一个时刻，修仙者抵挡，也是轻而易举，毕竟第一次元气之劫，还是比较容易抵挡地。
However, during a cultivation breakthrough, external disturbances were strictly avoided.
rán ér xiū shì jìn jí ， zuì jì huì de jiù shì wài wù dǎ rǎo 。
然而修士晋级，最忌讳的就是外物打扰。
At this moment, movement was impossible. The only option was to endure with one's physical body.
zhè zhǒng shí kè ， gēn běn jiù dòng tán bù dé ， wéi yī néng zuò de ， jiù shì yǐ ròu shēn yìng káng le 。
这种时刻，根本就动弹不得，唯一能做的，就是以肉身硬扛了。
The power of the four-sided thunder and fire tribulation, though similar to the initial primordial energy tribulation, could not be resisted by any treasure or dodged. Overcoming it would be extremely difficult.
kě sì fāng léi huǒ jié de wēi lì ， suī rán zhǐ yǔ dì yī cì yuán qì zhī jié chà bu duō ， dàn bù néng shǐ yòng bǎo wù ， yòu bù néng duǒ ， xiǎng yào káng guò de nán dù shì kě xiǎng ér zhī de 。
可四方雷火劫的威力，虽然只与第一次元气之劫差不多，但不能使用宝物，又不能躲，想要扛过的难度是可想而知的。
Even demons or beasts, with their thick skin, found it arduous, with an 80% chance of perishing.
jiù suàn shì gǔ mó huò zhě yāo zú ， pí cāo ròu hòu ， chēng qǐ lái yě shí fēn xīn kǔ ， yǒu bā chéng yǐ shàng de jī lǜ yǔn luò 。
就算是古魔或者妖族，皮糙肉厚，撑起来也十分辛苦，有八成以上的几率陨落。
Ordinary cultivators had no hope; even if they excelled in body-cultivation techniques, they could not withstand it and would surely perish.
pǔ tōng xiū shì gèng bú yòng shuō ， jiù suàn jīng shàn liàn tǐ shù ， yě dǐ dǎng bú zhù ， huī fēi yān miè jī hū shì yí dìng de 。
普通修士更不用说，就算精擅炼体术，也抵挡不住，灰飞烟灭几乎是一定的。
However, every coin has two sides. While the four-sided thunder and fire tribulation was terrifying, successfully passing through it brought immense benefits. The effects of washing away impurities were unparalleled by any elixirs or medicines.
bù guò fán shì yǒu lì jiù yǒu bì ， sì fāng léi huǒ jié yù jiàn le suī rán kě pà wú bǐ ， rán ér yí dàn dù guò ， yě yǒu jí dà de hǎo chù ， qí yì jīng xǐ suǐ de xiào guǒ ， bù guǎn shén me líng dān miào yào ， dōu shì méi yǒu bàn fǎ xiàng bǐ 。
不过凡事有利就有弊，四方雷火劫遇见了虽然可怕无比，然而一旦度过，也有极大的好处，其易经洗髓的效果，不管什么灵丹妙药，都是没有办法相比。
Only those who endured such a tribulation could gain an incredible resilience. It could be said that while this tribulation was terrifying, it also presented an opportunity.
zhǐ yào néng gòu dù guò cǐ jié ， qí shēn tǐ huì jiān rèn dào yí gè bù kě sī yì de chéng dù ， kě yǐ zhè yàng shuō ， cǐ jié zài kě pà zhī yú ， yě shì yí gè jī yù 。
只要能够度过此劫，其身体会坚韧到一个不可思议的程度，可以这样说，此劫在可怕之余，也是一个机遇。
Alas, the danger was too great.
zhǐ shì zhe shí tài wēi xiǎn le xiē 。
只是着实太危险了些。
Such opportunities were not what cultivators wished for.
zhè yàng de jī yuán ， xiū xiān zhě kě shì bù yuàn yì zāo yù 。
这样的机缘，修仙者可是不愿意遭遇。
But once encountered, how could one avoid them? As they say, if it's your fate, you can't escape it. Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in his cave, fully aware of his current situation.
rán ér yí dàn yù jiàn le yòu néng rú hé ， sú huà shuō ， shì fú bú shì huò ， shì huò duǒ bù guò ， lín xuān zài dòng fǔ zhōng pán xī ér zuò ， duì zì jǐ cǐ kè de jìng yù shì qīng qīng chǔ chǔ 。
然而一旦遇见了又能如何，俗话说，是福不是祸，是祸躲不过，林轩在洞府中盘膝而坐，对自己此刻的境遇是清清楚楚。
What bad luck!
yùn qì hái zhēn shì tài dǎo méi le 。
运气还真是太倒霉了。
With a determined look, Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and continued to circulate his inner breath while breaking through the Profound Concealment realm bottleneck. He also allocated some primordial energy to prepare for the tribulation洗礼.
The faces of the people present were all filled with excitement.
The protective formation for the sect had already been withdrawn early on.
Above the sky, colorful clouds swirled, radiating a dazzling array of colors. However, upon closer inspection, these so-called clouds were actually composed of primordial energy from heaven and earth, converging over the area above Hundred Herb Valley.
"Mama."
Shangguan Yan approached her mother and bowed respectfully, a hint of anticipation on her face: "Such dense primordial energy—could it be that Master is breaking through to the Profound Concealment realm?"
Hearing what her sister said, Shangguan Ling also perked up her ears. If Master could advance, the benefits would be immeasurable. She naturally hoped so.
"Mother doesn't know either," Shangguan Muyu sighed. "After all, the Profound Concealment realm is far from us. The anomalies that occur when breaking through such a bottleneck are described in ancient texts, but each senior's experience is unique."
Therefore, she couldn’t make any definitive statements. However, given how dense the primordial energy had become, it was highly likely.
Before her words could finish, this woman’s voice suddenly cut off abruptly.
The wind began to stir, and a series of intense gales swept through the sky. The colorful clouds started to shake violently, seemingly moving in an erratic pattern.
Within a thousand miles around, the primordial energy became chaotic beyond measure.
Seeing this scene, Shangguan Muyu's expression turned grave: "Hundred Herb Valley disciples, all leave this area and return to your own abodes. Do not move about without permission from the sect leader."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Such an order left the disciples in shock, but outwardly, none dared to defy it. They bowed and retreated.
In no time, the island became quiet and empty, leaving only Shangguan Muyu and her two daughters behind.
She had given these instructions for a reason: too many people might disturb Lin Xuan as he advanced.
Firstly, high-ranking cultivators breaking through bottlenecks—whether successful or not—would cause immense commotion. It was easy to inadvertently harm others. Although the sect's disciples' cultivation levels were now far beyond what they once were, with condensation core and foundation establishment stage practitioners sprouting like mushrooms after rain, Shangguan Muyu knew that their true situation was just a facade.
The Five Elements True Explanation bestowed by Lin Xuan was indeed miraculous; even mediocre disciples could advance rapidly. However, the power of this technique was truly abysmal.
The combat capabilities of these disciples were far from proportional to their cultivation levels.
Shangguan Muyu had no complaints. She only felt gratitude towards Lin Xuan for his teachings. As he said before, one couldn't have both fish and bear's paw; the weakness in this technique was negligible compared to the extended lifespan gained by advancing.
After other disciples left, Shangguan Muyu and her two daughters retreated a bit further. At the same time, she activated protective barriers to prevent any collateral damage.
As time passed, the surrounding primordial energy grew increasingly chaotic.
Suddenly, the clouds converged in the center, forming a vortex that appeared before their eyes.
Bottomless and filled with vibrant colors, it seemed.
After some time, the primordial energy inside suddenly became violent. A beam of light as thick as a bowl shot out from within, crashing onto Hundred Herb Valley.
While the volume of this beam wasn't particularly impressive, its power was not determined by size.
Boom!
Rocks flew everywhere, and nearby mountains collapsed entirely.
"What…?"
The expressions on Shangguan sisters' faces showed shock. Although they had the power to move mountains after advancing to the Immortal Core realm, what they were witnessing now was different. A single beam of light so casually released turned a mountain into nothingness.
"Is Master safe?"
Both sisters felt anxious. But at that moment, the entire Hundred Herb Valley was enveloped in colorful light, with dust clouds obscuring everything, making it impossible to see clearly.
"Don't worry. Lin Xuan is no ordinary person; he will surely succeed in breaking through this bottleneck. This minor difficulty is nothing," Shangguan Muyu said, pulling her daughters' hands and speaking with a reassuring smile.
"Mm."
The sisters nodded. The girls were just worried, but they had complete faith in their master.
The sounds of explosions grew louder.
From the vortex, another beam of colorful light shot out, this time mixed with lightning and fireballs. It didn't seem like breaking through the bottleneck; it looked more like a tribulation.
Of course, compared to true tribulations, this was different. Lin Xuan's advancement had caused unique anomalies in the primordial energy, which continuously bombarded him with thunder and fire.
This situation was far more dangerous than when Meng Ruyan encountered false heavenly tribulations. Generally, even demons or ancient fiends rarely faced such tribulations during their own. For human cultivators, encountering it usually meant certain death. Throughout history in the cultivation world, only a few managed to survive such a tribulation.
Four-sided Thunder and Fire Tribulation.
As its name suggested, this was an attack by primordial energy-induced lightning and fire. Its power far exceeded false heavenly tribulations, comparable to ordinary primordial energy tribulations.
If it were any other time, cultivators could easily withstand such tribulations, as the first primordial energy tribulation was relatively easy to handle.
However, during a cultivation breakthrough, external disturbances were strictly avoided.
At this moment, movement was impossible. The only option was to endure with one's physical body.
The power of the four-sided thunder and fire tribulation, though similar to the initial primordial energy tribulation, could not be resisted by any treasure or dodged. Overcoming it would be extremely difficult.
Even demons or beasts, with their thick skin, found it arduous, with an 80% chance of perishing.
Ordinary cultivators had no hope; even if they excelled in body-cultivation techniques, they could not withstand it and would surely perish.
However, every coin has two sides. While the four-sided thunder and fire tribulation was terrifying, successfully passing through it brought immense benefits. The effects of washing away impurities were unparalleled by any elixirs or medicines.
Only those who endured such a tribulation could gain an incredible resilience. It could be said that while this tribulation was terrifying, it also presented an opportunity.
Alas, the danger was too great.
Such opportunities were not what cultivators wished for.
But once encountered, how could one avoid them? As they say, if it's your fate, you can't escape it. Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in his cave, fully aware of his current situation.
What bad luck!
With a determined look, Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and continued to circulate his inner breath while breaking through the Profound Concealment realm bottleneck. He also allocated some primordial energy to prepare for the tribulation洗礼.