Chapter 80: A Perfect Opportunity to Practice Before the Tribulation!

"What?"
All four sect leaders were greatly startled.

"How is that possible? He’s just a boy—a sixth-rank advanced alchemist. Even if he started practicing from the womb, he couldn’t have reached this level," the eldest elder was the first to voice his disbelief.

He himself was also an alchemist, and moreover a fifth-rank advanced alchemist, just one step away from comprehending the sixth rank. He had even considered taking Chen Xiang as his disciple. If Chen Xiang truly was a sixth-rank advanced alchemist, then all his own thousand years of alchemical study would have been for naught.

The other three nodded in agreement. This was simply too absurd! Not to mention their disbelief; even if it were true, the pill tribulation summoned by a sixth-rank advanced elixir would not be something a mere late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could withstand!

Yet at that moment, the patriarch shook his head and said, "At first, I didn’t believe it either—of course, I still don’t. But this person managed to reach the seventh floor of the Ice Spirit Tower and even had one foot in the eighth. That means his spiritual sense is strong enough to refine sixth-rank pills, so I am just a bit suspicious."

The group nodded in sudden understanding—so it was only suspicion. Still, if this person were to study alchemy, they could believe he would reach the sixth rank with ease, perhaps even the seventh. But as of now...

"But, Patriarch, if that’s the case, why did you throw him into the Thunder Pool Forbidden Ground? If he dies or his foundations are damaged, won’t we suffer a great loss?" The eldest elder stepped forward as he spoke, evidently still harboring the intention to take Chen Xiang as a disciple, for this youth was simply too dazzling.

"Hmph. The boy is far too arrogant. If we don’t teach him a lesson now, what will become of the sect in the future?" the patriarch snorted coldly.

"Uh..." The crowd fell silent, realizing that the patriarch was still angry over what had just happened.

Naturally so—for the boy had humiliated the patriarch in public, and had criticized the rest as well. They themselves felt a surge of anger.

"Patriarch, a lesson is one thing, but let’s not truly harm him," the sect leader interjected on Chen Xiang’s behalf, knowing that if the boy joined the sect, he could very well become a cornerstone for their future development.

"I know what I’m doing," the patriarch responded with a dark expression and said no more. With a wave of his hand, a surge of spiritual power shot into the Thunder Pool Forbidden Ground.

"Boom!"

A dull rumble followed as several pillars of light shot straight into the clouds above. The sky instantly darkened, thick with thunderclouds, and flashes of lightning flickered—far more intense than the pill tribulation Chen Xiang had summoned during his last alchemical attempt.

Chen Xiang stood in the valley below, directly beneath the churning sky. The sudden appearance of the thunderclouds startled him.

"What the hell? Is this my heavenly tribulation arriving?" Chen Xiang exclaimed in surprise.

Though he had made all sorts of preparations and his chance of surviving the tribulation was as high as ninety-five percent, the arrival of the thunder still left him uneasy.

This was a heavenly tribulation, not a man-made disaster—there was nowhere to run!

But on closer inspection, he realized something was off.

These thunderclouds contained only pure lightning energy; they were nothing like the pill tribulation he had previously endured.

What was missing? It seemed to lack something—an oppressive force, the aura of heavenly might!

Without the pressure of heaven, could it still be called a heavenly tribulation?

"What’s going on here?" Chen Xiang was puzzled.

But then he remembered: the gatekeeping disciple had just told him this was an ordinary Thunder Pool. The thunderclouds were likely caused by the Thunder Pool itself.

"Heh, so they want to play tricks," Chen Xiang snorted coldly when he figured it out.

Ordinary Thunder Pool? Judging by the look of those clouds, they were aiming for his life!

Without hesitation, Chen Xiang donned the Negative Pole Cloak and the Enchantress Veil, gripping the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand.

The Jade Bamboo Sword was too precious to use lightly, especially given its unique connection with him—if it was destroyed, who could he blame?

Fully armed, he looked up at the gathering storm, lightning ready to strike at any moment.

A cold smirk crossed his lips. "Perfect opportunity for some practice before my tribulation!"

"Boom!"

A deafening crash sounded as a bolt of lightning, as thick as a baby’s arm, shot down toward Chen Xiang.

"Patriarch!" The onlookers above were alarmed, wanting to urge the patriarch to intervene.

The power of that lightning was far beyond the initial Nascent Soul stage; it was at least late Nascent Soul! Was the patriarch trying to kill him?

But the patriarch stood unmoved, his face cold, and it was too late to interfere.

Chen Xiang saw the lightning strike and felt its terrifying power, but showed no fear. This level of thunder was nothing to him!

Lightning poured down, engulfing Chen Xiang’s figure, but he merely smiled.

The once-a-day shield from the Enchantress Veil made him fearless!

All five observers watched him intently. Except for the patriarch, who remained calm, the other four were sweating nervously.

Yet, as the lightning struck and they saw through the dazzling brilliance, all were astonished.

A sharp gleam appeared in the patriarch’s eyes as he stared fixedly at Chen Xiang.

The sect leader and the three elders were equally shocked.

"What... what’s going on? Why did the thunder scatter at his surface?" the third elder exclaimed in disbelief.

"I suspect he’s using some precious artifact that can block thunder’s power," said the eldest elder.

"If he possesses such a treasure, could it resist a true tribulation as well?" the sect leader mused aloud.

At his words, silence fell. If this treasure could withstand heavenly tribulation, then it could certainly block a pill tribulation—perhaps Chen Xiang really was the sixth-rank advanced alchemist they sought.

As the lightning dispersed before Chen Xiang, the shield from the Enchantress Veil faded as well.

After all, the shield could only block one magical attack per day.

"Tch, what a letdown," Chen Xiang brushed imaginary dust from his shoulder, gripping the Coiling Dragon Staff tightly. The rest would depend on his own strength.

The patriarch’s expression fluctuated, then he sent out another surge of spiritual power, causing the thunderclouds above to expand further.

"Boom!"

Thunder writhed through the clouds like little serpents, rumbling ominously, while the inky clouds grew ever denser.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, before Chen Xiang could react, a second bolt of lightning crashed down—thicker than the first, and not alone but accompanied by several others at once.

With nowhere to run, Chen Xiang had no choice but to take them head-on.

"Hmph, do you think I’m afraid just because there are more of you?" Chen Xiang sneered, leaping into the air to meet the lightning head-on.

The five onlookers watched with bated breath. Seeing him charge straight into thunder of late Nascent Soul strength, they felt a twinge of disappointment—he was overestimating himself. But then they recalled his treasure and relaxed.

Because of the anti-flight restrictions, Chen Xiang could only leap several dozen meters high.

He spun midair with a one-eighty, then a three-sixty backflip, followed by a seven-twenty-degree side twist, brandishing the Coiling Dragon Staff as he let out a thunderous shout, "First move of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique!"

The Coiling Dragon Staff came down in a mighty arc, smashing directly into a bolt of lightning. The thunder shattered instantly, bursting into a wash of blue arcs that scattered in all directions.

"To be continued..."