lín xuān zài cì huà xiǎn wéi yí ， rán ér wēi jī ， yuǎn méi yǒu yīn cǐ jiù guò qù 。
林轩再次化险为夷，然而危机，远没有因此就过去。
Lin Xuan once again turned danger into safety, but the crisis was far from over.
zhè kě pà de tiān jié ， zài cǐ kè jiàng luò ， zì rán bú shì shén me lǎo tiān yé suàn cuò ， huò zhě jī yuán qiǎo hé 。
这可怕的天劫，在此刻降落，自然不是什么老天爷算错，或者机缘巧合。
This terrifying heavenly tribulation descended at this moment, not because of a miscalculation by heaven or mere coincidence.
míng míng zhōng zì yǒu tiān yì ， tiān dào fǎ zé ， suī rán shì kàn bú jiàn yě mō bù zháo de dōng xī ， dàn tiān dì wàn wù ， dōu shòu qí yuē shù 。
冥冥中自有天意，天道法则，虽然是看不见也摸不着的东西，但天地万物，都受其约束。
There was a will in the heavens, and the laws of the cosmos, although invisible and intangible, bound all things under their constraints.
chú fēi shì dù jié hòu qī de dà néng xiū xiān zhě ， cái néng gòu zhèng tuō fǎ zé de shù fù ， yōng yǒu nì zhuǎn qián kūn de kě pà shí lì 。
除非是渡劫后期的大能修仙者，才能够挣脱法则的束缚，拥有逆转乾坤的可怕实力。
Only great cultivators at late-stage tribulation transcendence could break free from these laws to possess terrifying power.
lín xuān hěn liǎo bù qǐ ， dàn bǐ zhī dù jié hòu qī ， yī jiù bù guò shì lóu yǐ 。
林轩很了不起，但比之渡劫后期，依旧不过是蝼蚁。
Lin Xuan was impressive, but compared to late-stage tribulation transcenders, he remained nothing more than an ant.
kě ruò shì xiāng jiào yú tóng jiē xiū xiān zhě ， tā yòu tài qiáng dà le ， qiáng dà dào lìng rén jí dù 。
可若是相较于同阶修仙者，他又太强大了，强大到令人嫉妒。
However, in comparison with his peers, he was too powerful, a strength that stirred envy.
bù ， bù zhǐ shì rén jí dù ， tiān jié zhī suǒ yǐ huì tí qián jiàng luò ， zài yú lín xuān de qiáng dà ， yǐ jīng yǐn qǐ le tiān dù 。
不，不止是人嫉妒，天劫之所以会提前降落，在于林轩的强大，已经引起了天妒。
No, it wasn't just humans who envied him; the heavenly tribulation had descended prematurely because Lin Xuan's power had already provoked divine jealousy.
tīng qǐ lái lí pǔ ， dàn zhè què fú hé tiān dào fǎ zé 。
听起来离谱，但这却符合天道法则。
It sounded absurd, but this conformed to the laws of the cosmos.
fēn shén jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， yuán běn shì bù yīng gāi yōng yǒu rú cǐ qiáng dà shí lì de ， zhè cóng mǒu zhǒng chéng dù shàng ， yǐ jīng tiào chū le tiān dào fǎ zé ， suǒ yǐ cái huì yǒu tiān jié jiàng luò ， zhè yǔ xiū xiān zhě shòu yuán hào jìn ， ér gāi lì jīng de yuán qì zhī jié ， gēn běn jiù shì wán quán bù tóng de ， shuō liǎng mǎ shì ， yě bù wèi guò 。
分神级别的修仙者，原本是不应该拥有如此强大实力的，这从某种程度上，已经跳出了天道法则，所以才会有天劫降落，这与修仙者寿元耗尽，而该历经的元气之劫，根本就是完全不同的，说两码事，也不为过。
Astral division cultivators shouldn’t possess such formidable power, which had already transcended the laws of the cosmos. Therefore, the heavenly tribulation was sent down, a completely different matter from the natural exhaustion of one's life force and the necessary tribulations that came with it.
rú guǒ yí dìng yào bǐ jiào de huà ， dào yǔ yāo shòu huà xíng ， suǒ yǐn qǐ de tiān jié yǒu jǐ fēn xiāng sì zhī chù ， dāng rán ， wēi lì yǔ qiáng dù ， nà yòu shì wán quán bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ le 。
如果一定要比较的话，倒与妖兽化形，所引起的天劫有几分相似之处，当然，威力与强度，那又是完全不可同日而语了。
If compared, it resembled the heavenly tribulation caused by beastly creatures transforming into their true forms, though the power and intensity were incomparable.
xuán tiān líng bǎo de wēi lì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， wèi lán shuǐ mù zuò wéi shàng gǔ dà wēi lì mì shù ， gèng bú huì yǒu làng dé xū míng yī shuō 。
玄天灵宝的威力非同小可，蔚蓝水幕作为上古大威力秘术，更不会有浪得虚名一说。
The power of the Azure Heaven Spirit Treasure was no small feat. Theazure water curtain (Azure Water Curtain) as an ancient high-power secret technique truly lived up to its reputation.
jí biàn zhè kě pà de tiān léi ， yě bèi tā wán quán dǎng zhù 。
即便这可怕的天雷，也被牠完全挡住。
Even this terrifying lightning could be completely blocked by it.
kě shì qíng bìng méi yǒu jié shù ， jǐn jiē zhe ， gèng dà de kǎo yàn jiù lái lín liǎo 。
可事情并没有结束，紧接着，更大的考验就来临了。
But matters didn't end there; a greater test soon followed.
tóu dǐng shàng kōng ， pī lì shēng bù duàn ， rú tóng chǎo dòu zi yì bān ， mì mì má má de lián chéng yī piàn 。
头顶上空，霹雳声不断，如同炒豆子一般，密密麻麻的连成一片。
Thunderbolts crackled in the sky above, like popping beans, densely covering the area.
ér yǔ qí xiāng huī yìng de ， shì yī dào dào tiān léi ， yě rú tóng lì jiàn chuān kōng ， yín shé luàn wǔ ， zhēng xiān kǒng hòu de wǎng xià luò 。
而与其相辉映的，是一道道天雷，也如同利剑穿空，银蛇乱舞，争先恐后的往下落。
In tandem with these were streaks of lightning that descended like silver snakes, vying to strike down.
wèi lán shuǐ mù shèng míng wú xū méi cuò ， tā de fáng yù lì què rán fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， rán ér zài qiáng ， zǒng yě yǒu gè dù 。
蔚蓝水幕盛名无虚没错，牠的防御力确然非同小可，然而再强，总也有个度。
The Azure Water Curtain's reputation was not in vain; its defensive power was indeed formidable. However, even the strongest has limits.
zhī chēng le xiǎo bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， pū chī yī shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， zhè jué qiáng de fáng yù fǎ shù ， zhōng yú yě zhī chēng bú zhù ， rú tóng shuǐ pào yì bān ， pò miè diào le 。
支撑了小半盏茶的功夫，噗嗤一声传入耳朵，这绝强的防御法术，终于也支撑不住，如同水泡一般，破灭掉了。
After supporting for a short while, a puff of air entered his ears as this supreme defense finally gave way, breaking apart like a water bubble.
zhè yī huí ， tiān léi zài wú zǔ gé ， zhēng xiān kǒng hòu de luò xiàng nà xiǎo xiǎo de shān gǔ 。
这一回，天雷再无阻隔，争先恐后的落像那小小的山谷。
With no more obstruction, the lightning descended onto that tiny valley.
páng guān de liǎng rén liǎn dōu bái le ， lín xuān qī shēn de bǎi huā gǔ fēng jǐng suī rán yōu yǎ ， zhè miàn jī què shì yì diǎn bù dà ， nǎ jīng dé zhù rú cǐ duō de tiān léi mì rú yǔ diǎn bān de là xià 。
旁观的两人脸都白了，林轩栖身的百花谷风景虽然优雅，这面积却是一点不大，哪经得住如此多的天雷密如雨点般的落下。
The two observers' faces paled. Although the Hundred Flowers Valley was picturesque, its small area couldn't withstand so many lightning strikes raining down like raindrops.
nà hái bù bèi yí wéi píng dì a ！
那还不被夷为平地啊！
It would be flattened!
zhè ge niàn tou shàng wèi zhuǎn guò ， dān xīn de yí mù guǒ rán chū xiàn le 。
这个念头尚未转过，担心的一幕果然出现了。
Before this thought could fully form, the feared scene unfolded.
lín xuān zài dòng fǔ sì zhōu ， yuán běn yě bù xià le bù shǎo jìn zhì ， néng gòu ràng tā kàn shàng yǎn de dōng xī ， nà fáng yù lì ， zì rán ruò bú dào nǎ lǐ 。
林轩在洞府四周，原本也布下了不少禁制，能够让他看上眼的东西，那防御力，自然弱不到哪里。
Around Lin Xuan's cave, he had also set up numerous prohibitions that could only be seen by him. The defensive power of these barriers was naturally not weak, but they were fragile against such a heavenly tribulation and were swept away effortlessly without much use.
kě nà yě yào kàn duì shuí lái shuō 。
可那也要看对谁来说。
Boom!
cǐ kè miàn duì tiān jié ， cuì ruò dé jiù xiàng zhǐ hú ， cuī kū lā xiǔ bān de jiù jiāng nà xiē zhèn fǎ jìn zhì quán bù héng sǎo diào le ， jī hū méi yǒu qǐ dào bàn fēn yòng tú 。
此刻面对天劫，脆弱得就像纸糊，摧枯拉朽般的就将那些阵法禁制全部横扫掉了，几乎没有起到半分用途。
The mountain crumbled into powder.
hōng ！
轰！
No, it wasn't just that; several nearby peaks completely collapsed.
shān shí huà wèi le fěn mò 。
山石化为了粉末。
Countless lightning fires had already engulfed the Hundred Flowers Valley. Though the smoke obscured his view, there was no doubt that it would be flattened to the ground.
bù ， bú duì ， shì fù jìn de jǐ zuò shān fēng wán quán tān tā diào le 。
不，不对，是附近的几座山峰完全坍塌掉了。
"Junior Brother..."
zhǐ jiàn wú shù de léi huǒ ， yǐ jiāng bǎi huā gǔ wán quán yān mò ， jǐn guǎn màn tiān de yān chén ， kàn dé bìng bù qīng chǔ ， dàn bèi yí wéi píng dì nà shì fēn háo xuán niàn yě wú 。
只见无数的雷火，已将百花谷完全淹没，尽管漫天的烟尘，看得并不清楚，但被夷为平地那是分毫悬念也无。
The silver-eyed maiden let out a sorrowful cry, her voice filled with sobs. Lin Junior Brother's prowess once brought her joy, but now she was plunged into despair.
“ shī dì ……”
“师弟……”
The power of this heavenly tribulation had reached such an extent that it wasn't something mere mortals could resist. While Lin Junior Brother was impressive, human strength has its limits; would the final outcome still be inescapable?
yín tóng shào nǚ yī shēng bēi hū ， shēng yīn yǔ qì ， yǐ dài shàng le gěng yè de yì tú ， lín shī dì de shǒu duàn céng ràng tā jīng xǐ guò ， rán ér yǎn qián de yī qiè ， què zài cì ràng tā xiàn rù jué wàng le 。
银瞳少女一声悲呼，声音语气，已带上了哽咽的意图，林师弟的手段曾让她惊喜过，然而眼前的一切，却再次让她陷入绝望了。
She mourned Lin Xuan's fall and worried about the sect's future.
tiān jié zhī wēi ， yī qiáng dào le zhè bān dì bù ， xiǎn rán yǐ bú shì qū qū rén lì kě yǐ kàng héng de ， lín shī dì yǐ hěn liǎo bù qǐ ， kě rén lì yǒu shí ér qióng ， zuì hòu de jié guǒ ， yī jiù shì zài jié nán táo me ？
天劫之威，一强到了这般地步，显然已不是区区人力可以抗衡的，林师弟已很了不起，可人力有时而穷，最后的结果，依旧是在劫难逃么？
Without a tree to rely on, where would Cloud Concealment Sect go from here?
tā jì shāng xīn lín xuān de yǔn luò ， yě wèi zōng mén rì hòu de mìng yùn yōu chóu 。
她既伤心林轩的陨落，也为宗门日后的命运忧愁。
The silver-eyed maiden's mind was in turmoil as tears slid down her alabaster face.
méi yǒu le zhè kě yǐ yī kào de dà shù ， yún yǐn zōng jiāng hé qù hé cóng ne ？
没有了这可以依靠的大树，云隐宗将何去何从呢？
"Senior Sister, don't worry. Junior Brother Lin is still alive."
yín tóng shào nǚ xīn luàn rú má ， lèi shuǐ ， cóng bái yù bān de liǎn páng shàng huá xià 。
银瞳少女心乱如麻，泪水，从白玉般的脸庞上滑下。
At this moment, the words of the dragon-named youth sounded like a strong heart stimulant to his ears.
“ shī jiě ， nǐ bú yào zháo jí ， lín shī dì hái huó zhe 。”
“师姐，妳不要着急，林师弟还活着。”
"What? Junior Brother Lin is still alive?"
jiù zài cǐ kè ， lóng xìng shào nián de huà yǔ ， rú yī jì qiáng xīn jì bān de chuán rù ěr lǐ 。
就在此刻，龙姓少年的话语，如一记强心剂般的传入耳里。
The silver-eyed maiden's joy was evident as she widened her eyes and used her powerful divine sense to probe into the smoke.
“ shén me ， lín shī dì hái huó zhe ？”
“什么，林师弟还活着？”
Sure enough, the tiny valley had been reduced to ashes. Not only was it flattened but also a huge pit appeared in view, with a diameter of over a thousand feet. Countless cracks spread out like spider webs, extending in all directions.
yín tóng shào nǚ dà xǐ ， máng zhēng dà shuāng móu ， tóng shí jiāng qiáng dà de shén shí ， xiàng yān chén shēn chù tàn qù 。
银瞳少女大喜，忙睁大双眸，同时将强大的神识，像烟尘深处探去。
And there sat Lin Xuan at the bottom of that massive pit.
nà xiǎo xiǎo de shān gǔ ， guǒ rán yǐ huī fēi yān miè diào le ， bù jǐn bèi yí wéi píng dì ， hái yǒu yī jù dà de shēn kēng chū xiàn zài shì xiàn lǐ ， zhí jìng zú yǒu qiān zhàng yú ， sì zhōu mì mì má má ， shǔ bù qīng yǒu duō shǎo dào fèng xì ， xiàng zhī zhū wǎng yì bān ， cháo zhe sì zhōu yán zhǎn ér qù 。
那小小的山谷，果然已灰飞烟灭掉了，不仅被夷为平地，还有一巨大的深坑出现在视线里，直径足有千丈余，四周密密麻麻，数不清有多少道缝隙，像蜘蛛网一般，朝着四周延展而去。
With his abilities, he wasn't easily going to fall.
ér lín xuān jiù duān zuò zài nà jù kēng de kēng dǐ 。
而林轩就端坐在那巨坑的坑底。
The lightning strikes earlier were formidable, but they weren't enough to take his life; they had been deflected by his great power.
yǐ lín xuān de shǒu duàn ， yòu nǎ shì nà me róng yì yǔn luò de 。
以林轩的手段，又哪是那么容易陨落的。
However, the crisis was far from over. The thunderous sounds continued, and more lightning fell.
gāng gāng ， nà yī dào dào de tiān léi shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， dàn xiǎng yào tā de mìng ， hái yǒu diǎn bù gòu gé ， bèi tā shī zhǎn dà shén tōng gěi huà jiě diào le 。
刚刚，那一道道的天雷是非同小可，但想要他的命，还有点不够格，被他施展大神通给化解掉了。
The previous wave of lightning had already been dense, but this new one doubled in quantity.
rán ér wēi jī bìng méi yǒu jiě chú ， tóu dǐng de hōng lōng shēng hái zài bù tíng de chuán rù ěr duǒ ， gèng duō de tiān léi wǎng xià luò 。
然而危机并没有解除，头顶的轰隆声还在不停的传入耳朵，更多的天雷往下落。
Lin Xuan, though bold, felt a chill at the thought.
gāng gāng nà yī bō tiān léi ， wēi lì zàn qiě bù tí ， shù liàng yǐ shì fēi cháng mì jí ， ér zhè yī bō ， zài yuán yǒu de jī chǔ shàng jū rán yòu fān shàng yí bèi le 。
刚刚那一波天雷，威力暂且不提，数量已是非常密集，而这一波，在原有的基础上居然又翻上一倍了。
Had he offended someone?
lín xuān jí biàn dǎn dà ， kàn jiàn zhè yí mù ， yě yǒu diǎn tóu pí fā má 。
林轩即便胆大，看见这一幕，也有点头皮发麻。
Lightning should not have descended now, yet it did, and by the looks of it, it was determined to annihilate him!
yǒu méi yǒu gǎo cuò ， zì jǐ zhè shì zhāo shuí rě shuí le a 。
有没有搞错，自己这是招谁惹谁了啊。
With so many strikes, even with his great powers, Lin Xuan couldn't continue focusing on breaking through without risking being overwhelmed. The tribulation seemed far from over.
tiān léi běn bù gāi zài zhè shí hòu jiàng luò ， rán ér tā piān piān là le ， ér qiě kàn zhè jià shì ， shì bù jiāng zì jǐ miè chú ， shì bù gān xiū a ！
天雷本不该在这时候降落，然而牠偏偏落了，而且看这架势，是不将自己灭除，誓不甘休啊！
"Alas!"
zhè me duō ， lín xuān suī rán zì fù shén tōng liǎo de ， dàn ruò shì jì xù yī xīn èr yòng ， jiāng dà bù fèn fǎ lì ， dōu yòng lái chōng jī píng jǐng ， yǎn qián de tiān jié ， shì bì nán yǐ yìng fù ， guān jiàn shì kàn zhè jià shì ， sì hū yuǎn yuǎn hái méi yǒu jié shù ！
这么多，林轩虽然自负神通了得，但若是继续一心二用，将大部分法力，都用来冲击瓶颈，眼前的天劫，势必难以应付，关键是看这架势，似乎远远还没有结束！
Lin Xuan sighed. He had to choose between fish and bear's paw; in this instant, he decided to postpone the breakthrough and first pass this heavenly tribulation.
“ āi ！”
“唉！”
While it sounded reasonable, most cultivators would never dare do so.
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ， yú yǔ xióng zhǎng ， bù kě jiān dé ， zài zhè zhuǎn shùn jiān ， tā yǐ zuò chū jué dìng le ， zàn huǎn chōng jī píng jǐng ， xiān jiāng yǎn qián de tiān jié dù guò 。
林轩叹了口气，鱼与熊掌，不可兼得，在这转瞬间，他已做出决定了，暂缓冲击瓶颈，先将眼前的天劫渡过。
Jokingly, the process of advancement couldn't be paused at will. If it could, there wouldn’t be a saying about not disturbing anadvance (promotion).
zhè jué dìng tīng qǐ lái sì hū shì hé qíng hé lǐ de ， dàn ruò shì huàn yī míng xiū xiān zhě ， jué bù gǎn zhè me zuò 。
这决定听起来似乎是合情合理的，但若是换一名修仙者，绝不敢这么做。
Pausing advancement might seem harmless for a couple of hours, but soon after, one would face comprehensive backlash from their essence energy, with all meridians and bones damaged, the dantian destroyed, and even the yuanling... in short, irreparable damage leading to certain death.
kāi wán xiào ， jìn jiē tū pò de guò chéng ， nǎ ér shì xiǎng tíng jiù néng tíng de ， ruò zhēn shì rú cǐ ， yě bú huì yǒu ， jìn jí bù néng dǎ rǎo yī shuō 。
开玩笑，进阶突破的过程，哪儿是想停就能停的，若真是如此，也不会有，晋级不能打扰一说。
However, Lin Xuan was different. He carried countless spirit pills and even the Ethereal Nine Immortals Pill, a treasure that could reverse the cosmos.
zàn tíng jìn jí ， kě néng zài qǐ chū de yī liǎng gè shí chén hái bú huì yǒu shì ， dàn suí hòu ， jiāng yíng lái fǎ lì de quán miàn fǎn shì ， hún shēn jīng mài jù sǔn ， gǔ gé jǐn suì ， dān tián qì hǎi yě huì bèi wán quán pò huài ， shèn zhì lián yuán yīng …… zǒng zhī yī jù huà ， wàn jié bù fù ， yǔn luò nà shì tiě dìng de 。
暂停晋级，可能在起初的一两个时辰还不会有事，但随后，将迎来法力的全面反噬，浑身经脉俱损，骨骼尽碎，丹田气海也会被完全破坏，甚至连元婴……总之一句话，万劫不复，陨落那是铁定的。
Lin Xuan estimated that while pausing advancement would bring backlash from his essence energy, with these spirit pills backing him up, he might still survive.
rán ér lín xuān bù tóng ， tā suí shēn yōng yǒu líng dān miào yào wú shù ， shèn zhì hái yǒu piāo miǎo jiǔ xiān dān zhè zhǒng jù yǒu nì zhuǎn qián kūn de bǎo wù 。
然而林轩不同，他随身拥有灵丹妙药无数，甚至还有飘渺九仙丹这种具有逆转乾坤的宝物。
Though this outcome was undesirable, he chose the lesser of two evils. After all, the heavenly tribulation was more dangerous.
lín xuān gū jì ， zì jǐ zhōng duàn jìn jí ， suī rán yě huì yíng lái fǎ lì de fǎn shì ， dàn ruò shì yǒu zhè xiē líng dān miào yào bǎo jià de huà ， què yě wèi bì huì wàn jié bù fù ， shí yǒu ** hái shì néng ái guò qù de 。
林轩估计，自己中断晋级，虽然也会迎来法力的反噬，但若是有这些灵丹妙药保驾的话，却也未必会万劫不复，十有**还是能捱过去的。
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged and suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the tribulation clouds above with a look of hatred. He then moved, standing up abruptly as his sleeves flapped. A stream of sword lights emerged from his sleeves, expanding in the wind and appearing above him.
suī rán zhè yàng de jié guǒ ， yě shì lín xuān bù yuàn yì kàn dào de ， dàn liǎng quán xiāng hài qǔ qí qīng ， bì jìng tiān jié gèng yào mìng 。
虽然这样的结果，也是林轩不愿意看到的，但两权相害取其轻，毕竟天劫更要命。
His actions were striking. Most faced heavenly tribulations defensively, but Lin Xuan's methods defied common sense; he seemed ready to clash with the tribulation itself.
Lin Xuan once again turned danger into safety, but the crisis was far from over.
This terrifying heavenly tribulation descended at this moment, not because of a miscalculation by heaven or mere coincidence.
There was a will in the heavens, and the laws of the cosmos, although invisible and intangible, bound all things under their constraints.
Only great cultivators at late-stage tribulation transcendence could break free from these laws to possess terrifying power.
Lin Xuan was impressive, but compared to late-stage tribulation transcenders, he remained nothing more than an ant.
However, in comparison with his peers, he was too powerful, a strength that stirred envy.
No, it wasn't just humans who envied him; the heavenly tribulation had descended prematurely because Lin Xuan's power had already provoked divine jealousy.
It sounded absurd, but this conformed to the laws of the cosmos.
Astral division cultivators shouldn’t possess such formidable power, which had already transcended the laws of the cosmos. Therefore, the heavenly tribulation was sent down, a completely different matter from the natural exhaustion of one's life force and the necessary tribulations that came with it.
If compared, it resembled the heavenly tribulation caused by beastly creatures transforming into their true forms, though the power and intensity were incomparable.
The power of the Azure Heaven Spirit Treasure was no small feat. Theazure water curtain (Azure Water Curtain) as an ancient high-power secret technique truly lived up to its reputation.
Even this terrifying lightning could be completely blocked by it.
But matters didn't end there; a greater test soon followed.
Boom!
Thunderbolts crackled in the sky above, like popping beans, densely covering the area.
In tandem with these were streaks of lightning that descended like silver snakes, vying to strike down.
The Azure Water Curtain's reputation was not in vain; its defensive power was indeed formidable. However, even the strongest has limits.
After supporting for a short while, a puff of air entered his ears as this supreme defense finally gave way, breaking apart like a water bubble.
With no more obstruction, the lightning descended onto that tiny valley.
The two observers' faces paled. Although the Hundred Flowers Valley was picturesque, its small area couldn't withstand so many lightning strikes raining down like raindrops.
It would be flattened!
Before this thought could fully form, the feared scene unfolded.
Around Lin Xuan's cave, he had also set up numerous prohibitions that could only be seen by him. The defensive power of these barriers was naturally not weak, but they were fragile against such a heavenly tribulation and were swept away effortlessly without much use.
Boom!
The mountain crumbled into powder.
No, it wasn't just that; several nearby peaks completely collapsed.
Countless lightning fires had already engulfed the Hundred Flowers Valley. Though the smoke obscured his view, there was no doubt that it would be flattened to the ground.
"Junior Brother..."
The silver-eyed maiden let out a sorrowful cry, her voice filled with sobs. Lin Junior Brother's prowess once brought her joy, but now she was plunged into despair.
The power of this heavenly tribulation had reached such an extent that it wasn't something mere mortals could resist. While Lin Junior Brother was impressive, human strength has its limits; would the final outcome still be inescapable?
She mourned Lin Xuan's fall and worried about the sect's future.
Without a tree to rely on, where would Cloud Concealment Sect go from here?
The silver-eyed maiden's mind was in turmoil as tears slid down her alabaster face.
"Senior Sister, don't worry. Junior Brother Lin is still alive."
At this moment, the words of the dragon-named youth sounded like a strong heart stimulant to his ears.
"What? Junior Brother Lin is still alive?"
The silver-eyed maiden's joy was evident as she widened her eyes and used her powerful divine sense to probe into the smoke.
Sure enough, the tiny valley had been reduced to ashes. Not only was it flattened but also a huge pit appeared in view, with a diameter of over a thousand feet. Countless cracks spread out like spider webs, extending in all directions.
And there sat Lin Xuan at the bottom of that massive pit.
With his abilities, he wasn't easily going to fall.
The lightning strikes earlier were formidable, but they weren't enough to take his life; they had been deflected by his great power.
However, the crisis was far from over. The thunderous sounds continued, and more lightning fell.
The previous wave of lightning had already been dense, but this new one doubled in quantity.
Lin Xuan, though bold, felt a chill at the thought.
Had he offended someone?
Lightning should not have descended now, yet it did, and by the looks of it, it was determined to annihilate him!
With so many strikes, even with his great powers, Lin Xuan couldn't continue focusing on breaking through without risking being overwhelmed. The tribulation seemed far from over.
"Alas!"
Lin Xuan sighed. He had to choose between fish and bear's paw; in this instant, he decided to postpone the breakthrough and first pass this heavenly tribulation.
While it sounded reasonable, most cultivators would never dare do so.
Jokingly, the process of advancement couldn't be paused at will. If it could, there wouldn’t be a saying about not disturbing anadvance (promotion).
Pausing advancement might seem harmless for a couple of hours, but soon after, one would face comprehensive backlash from their essence energy, with all meridians and bones damaged, the dantian destroyed, and even the yuanling... in short, irreparable damage leading to certain death.
However, Lin Xuan was different. He carried countless spirit pills and even the Ethereal Nine Immortals Pill, a treasure that could reverse the cosmos.
Lin Xuan estimated that while pausing advancement would bring backlash from his essence energy, with these spirit pills backing him up, he might still survive.
Though this outcome was undesirable, he chose the lesser of two evils. After all, the heavenly tribulation was more dangerous.
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged and suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the tribulation clouds above with a look of hatred. He then moved, standing up abruptly as his sleeves flapped. A stream of sword lights emerged from his sleeves, expanding in the wind and appearing above him.
His actions were striking. Most faced heavenly tribulations defensively, but Lin Xuan's methods defied common sense; he seemed ready to clash with the tribulation itself.