With Jian Xingzhi’s presence, the thunder tribulations seemed much easier to endure. The lightning struck one after another, but with the experience of forming her Golden Core in the past, Qin Wanwan adapted well, allowing the thunder to refine her body once more. She transformed the heavenly thunder into spiritual energy and circulated back into her body, solidifying her already formed Nascent Soul, over and over again.
Unlike the tribulation she faced when forming her Golden Core, the tribulation for the Nascent Soul also includes the Heart Demon tribulation. During this, one’s inner demon will manifest into deepest fears or obsessions. If one cannot overcome these illusions, there is a risk of falling into demonic way.
The two exchanged their spiritual energy. As the thunder tribulation neared its halfway point, both of them had almost lost consciousness, only relying on with a sliver of willpower. The surroundings gradually darkened. Before Qin Wanwan could even react, she found herself sitting in front of a desk, a thick stack of documents dropped in front of her. Next to her, an indistinct person, whose face she couldn’t see, began chattering, “The boss wants these contracts reviewed by tonight, so you’ll have to overwork later. The clients are in a hurry.”
Hearing these words, Qin Wanwan’s heart sank. Then, she heard the another party next to her continue rambling, “You’re not getting any younger. Don’t be too picky. Stop being so selective, just find someone to marry, and have a couple of kids. Otherwise, when you’re old and sick, who will take care of you?”
Qin Wanwan swallowed her saliva. Memories that she had not seen for two hundred years flooded back to her. The fear was just as strong as it had always been.
This illusion, it was too realistic to ignore.
She just sat there, listening to the chattering voices around her. After holding it in for a long while, she finally spoke slowly, “You are violating the labor law by doing this.”
The voices fell silent. Even the people standing in front of her seemed momentarily stunned.
Qin Wanwan thought for a moment, then said the words she had always wanted to say to her boss back then: “And also, it’s not that I can’t work overtime, but if I’m going to, you need to compensate me for it. Three times the salary on holidays, and 1.5 times the regular salary for regular overtime on weekdays. If you pay me well, everything can be negotiated. But if you don’t pay me, how do you expect me to be motivated to work?”
As soon as she finished saying this, not only the illusions, even 38 fell silent.
What she said seemed to make sense.
“I won’t be compensating you.”
The boss, out of nowhere, said: “If everyone can bear this hardship, why can’t you?”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan decisively pulled Yuan Ning out from under the desk. With the momentum of a heroic big sister, she slammed the sword down onto the tabletop.
“Do you know where this is?”
“Where…where is this?”
“This is the immortal cultivation world, where killing is not against the law!” Qin Wanwan said with a fierce aura, “Daring to make a cultivator work overtime, do you truly want to do this?!”
The boss was stunned to mute.
After a moment, all the illusions vanished, and a pleasant fragrance wafted at the tip of Qin Wanwan’s nose. She inhaled subconsciously and turned her head in the direction of the smell, only to see her parents from the Immortal Realm standing there, with a spread of delicious food laid out beside them.
Qin Wanwan was momentarily stunned, her parents from the Immortal Realm waved at her: “Wanwan.”
“Mother… Mother?”
Qin Wanwan was too surprised to say anything. She hadn’t seen her parents from the Immortal Realm for almost two hundred years.
She had a poor relationship with her family in the 21st century. After arriving in the Immortal Realm, she had only spent a little over twenty years with her immortal parents. When she was about 23 or 24 years old, the couple had made all the necessary arrangements before leaving the Immortal Realm to search for medicine on her behalf.
Although the time they spent together was short, it had truly been the happiest period of her life. So much so that even after so many years had passed and with her 300th birthday steadily approaching, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.
If she truly couldn’t live past 300 years, then the time she spent with her parents was far too brief. The years they spent searching for medicine would have been wasted.
But Qin Wanwan thought it was good. She thought that if the child they had been with for three hundred years died suddenly one day, it would have been a devastating blow to her parents. Perhaps it was better this way, without too much deep attachment.
Now, suddenly seeing them in the illusion, Qin Wanwan found herself unable to look away. She truly couldn’t bring herself to leave either.
Her immortal mother beckoned her over and pulled her to sit down. Her father, Supreme Monarch Taiheng, sat beside her and picked some food for her as he said: “Our Wanwan has lost weight recently. Here, have some crispy pork belly.”
Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but fall more into the illusion at her parents’ love and care. She felt both touched and happy. While eating the meat, she asked her father vaguely: “Father, have you been doing well recently? Have you found the medicine you have been looking for?”
“We have.” Supreme Monarch Taiheng smiled gently as he answered. Her immortal mother was busy serving her more food. “Your father and I searched for a long time, but we’ve finally found a way to solve your physical condition. Once you take the medicine, you’ll get better. From now on, your parents will be by your side every day. No one will dare to bully you. You can just eat, drink, and live as the happiest little lady of the Immortal Realm.”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan instinctively felt that something was amiss. She chewed on the lotus root slices that her immortal parents had served her and mumbled, “I still need to practice cultivation. I can’t just rely on you forever.”
“Practice cultivation?!”
Supreme Monarch Taiheng was shocked by Qin Wanwan’s words. “Why do you need to practice and cultivate? Cultivating is so difficult. You have your parents. With your mother and I here, we’ll protect you for life. You don’t need to cultivate, just rely on us.”
Qin Wanwan froze for a moment. Just at that very instant, she felt someone from behind forcefully pressing her head down, slamming her forehead hard against the table!
Jian Xingzhi’s voice rang out, full of emotion: “You are a disciple of the Shangji Sect! There is no reason for you to rely on others for food! Our sect practices the way of the Dao through battle, and we never accept free food!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the surrounding illusion shattered instantly. Her immortal mother and Supreme Monarch father were swept away like leaves in a storm, their figures distorting. They clung to Qin Wanwan’s sleeves, shouting her name desperately, “Wanwan! Don’t leave us, Wanwan! Wanwan, you don’t need to cultivate, you should be the happiest, salted fish in the Immortal Realm!”
Qin Wanwan: “…”
This Heart Demon is really desperate.
She sighed, lifted her face from the rice bowl, and raised her hand to wipe the rice grains off her face.
She couldn’t dare to think about being the happiest salted fish. Just thinking about it made her feel a dull ache in her body. If Jian Xingzhi knew that her illusion was about this, he would probably break her bones all over again.
The moment she thought of Jian Xingzhi, all the Heart Demons ran away. Her illusion became empty and desolate. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
While Qin Wanwan was struggling in the illusion, Jian Xingzhi had already been fighting through it for a long time.
He had already gone through the Heart Demon tribulation more than once, mostly through combat. This time, there were no surprises as he was still fighting.
As he continued fighting, Jian Xingzhi suddenly felt something was off. Then, he heard the voice of 666 echoing: “Master, you must rely on others.”
The moment the voice fell, a surge of tens of thousands of volts of electricity shot through his body. He skillfully dropped to the ground, immediately propping up his head, and struck a posture like a drunken Concubine lying slanted on the bed.
His experience taught him that the pain of electric current could be effectively reduced as long as it was in line with his character setting.
The electrical current indeed lessened. He thought it was finally over, unexpectedly, just as he caught his breath, he heard the voice of the Lady of Jishan. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a sneaky, gossiping tone, like some old woman gossiping about someone’s inability to have children. It was both distasteful and irritating. In a secretive whisper, she said, “Let me tell you something. In the Cultivation Realm, Daoist Monarch Suiheng not only couldn’t defeat others, but he also adorned in pink clothes, butterfly hairpins, tried to seduce turkeys, participated in beauty shows, and relied on others for protection like a soft rice man!”
“Ah,” the people around her exclaimed in surprise, “I didn’t expect him to be the kind of person who becomes a burden to others.”
“How unexpected…”
Everyone began murmuring and discussing among themselves. Jian Xingzhi trembled with anger. He knew this was the Heart Demon tribulation and that he shouldn’t be enraged, but when the Lady of Jishan turned back with a triumphant smile, he couldn’t hold himself back. With a violent roar, he swung his sword toward her and shouted angrily: “You’re seeking death!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a thunderclap struck down. When he opened his eyes, he found that he seemed to have returned to the very first time he was captured by Hua Rong and thrown into the City Lord’s mansion. He was tied up, his hands and feet bound, and his body was unbearably hot.
He was filled with both anger and resentment, fully aware that this was an illusion. He shouted toward the front, “Lady of Jishan!”
“Master,” a soft voice suddenly drifted from the side, “Do you think I’m beautiful?”
Jian Xingzhi heard Qin Wanwan’s voice and subconsciously turned around, only to find her next to him.
She was wearing the same red dress she had worn when she came to rescue him earlier that day, carrying a sword, stained with blood. However, compared to usual, the neckline was lower, revealing her slender neck. And the hem of the skirt had been lifted slightly, and he could faintly see her delicate, fair legs.
This time, they were even closer. She was chained to the wall with iron cuffs, and her beautiful eyes seemed to carry a pool of water. She gazed at him silently, and for a moment, he was completely stunned.
“Master,” Qin Wanwan blinked, “Would you like to drink my blood?”
“Change your face right now!”
Jian Xingzhi snapped back to his senses hearing this and shouted angrily, “Looking at your face right now is making me furious!”
The ‘Qin Wanwan’ in the illusion froze for a moment as Jian Xingzhi fumed, glaring at her. “And look at your clothes now, how unbecoming. Your neckline is so low, your clothes will fall apart as soon as you start fighting!”
Fake Qin Wanwan: “…”
“What was it that you said just now?”
Jian Xingzhi remembered what she had said earlier and quickly followed up with a question. ‘Qin Wanwan’ was immediately reignited with hope, switching to a professional demeanor, she gazed at him with affection and asked softly, “Master, do you want me to feed you blood?”
“A month has passed already?”
Jian Xingzhi was confused, feeling that time passed away too quickly.
‘Qin Wanwan’ nodded: “It has.”
Jian Xingzhi glanced around and asked: “Why are we in this situation again?”
“Master,” the fake Qin Wanwan urged him, “The situation doesn’t matter. What is most important now is, don’t you want to drink the blood?”
‘Qin Wanwan’ leaned forward: “You may have some.”
Jian Xingzhi nodded. “Alright, but this time, I want to come up with a new way to drink the blood, to avoid any awkwardness.”
“New… new way?” This time ‘Qin Wanwan’ was confused, “You are not going to bite my lips?”
“No need.” Jian Xingzhi flashed a witty smile and ordered ‘Qin Wanwan’, “Come a little closer.”
‘Qin Wanwan’ hesitated as she stepped forward. Jian Xingzhi grabbed her head and forcefully slammed it towards the ground!
The collision was modified with the Daoist Iron Head technique, which contained the power of the Dao to purify evil thoughts. The moment it struck ‘Qin Wanwan’ let out a sharp scream. Jian Xingzhi, as if oblivious to her pain, patted her sympathetically. “I gave you a nosebleed, so I guess I’ll reluctantly have to drink a drop. Although it’s a bit disgusting…”
Before he could finish his words, Jian Xingzhi sensed something was wrong. He looked up just in time to see ‘Qin Wanwan’ transforming into a wisp of black smoke and quickly dissipating. Jian Xingzhi immediately reacted, “The Heart Demon!”
As soon as he spoke, the iron chains around him disintegrated into dust. Jian Xingzhi drew his sword and charged forward, cutting through the black shadow with a single strike. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
Qin Wanwan also opened her eyes just at that time. As their gazes met, the final bolt of lightning thundered down. Qin Wanwan was afraid of the pain, so she tightly closed her eyes and gripped Jian Xingzhi’s hand. Jian Xingzhi also tightened his hold on her in return. When the lightning struck, Qin Wanwan was surprised to find that it didn’t hurt as much as she had expected.
When he saw Qin Wanwan across him closing her eyes in fear and leaning on him at that moment, Jian Xingzhi’s mind suddenly flashed to the image of ‘Qin Wanwan’ in the illusion. His mouth suddenly became dry. He was so scared that he quickly shut his eyes, thinking to himself that this Heart Demon was truly utterly disgusting.
This was his disciple! Was there no other woman in this world to fill the role in the Heart Demon tribulation?!
He calmed himself and guided most of the final bolt of lightning into his body. His body could not withstand such a surge of power, but Jian Xingzhi forcibly suppressed it and let it enter his body. After a while, beads of blood began to ooze out from his skin.
The thunder gradually dissipated, and a spiritual rain began to fall, washing over both Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi. The two of them sat down where they were. After understanding the heavenly perception given by this thunder tribulation, Qin Wanwan slowly opened her eyes.
At that moment, Jian Xingzhi, who appeared rather composed, stood opposite her. Before Qin Wanwan could even let out a sigh of relief, she saw countless soldiers surrounding them. Cuilu stood at the front, finishing the final stages. Xie Gutang immediately appeared beside Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi’s side, sword in hand, facing off against Cuilu and her soldiers.
Cuilu asked coldly: “I’ll ask you only this once, where is our City Lord?!”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan pulled her hand from Jian Xingzhi’s grasp. She stood up and stood in front of him, and calmly answered Cuilu, “Dead.”
“However,” Qin Wanwan raised her hand and pointed toward the surrounding formation, “Lord Cuilu, please take a good look at this formation. It is a formation that requires the lives of all the people in your city to exchange for the White Dragon Jade. Are you sure you still want to protect such a City Lord like this?”
Everyone was stunned after hearing this. Cuilu looked around blankly. Qin Wanwan’s tone remained calm and steady as she continued, “Years ago, Hua Rong killed Divine Lord Mingjing and stole his cultivation. Now, he regrets it and wants to use the lives of all the people in the city to revive Divine Lord Mingjing. Lord Cuilu, are you really willing to sacrifice both your moral integrity and the lives of your people for the sake of your City Lord?”
Cuilu fell silent. When she heard the name ‘Divine Lord Mingjing’, her face changed drastically. After a long pause, she trembled as she spoke, her lips quivering, “Who… who did you say killed Divine Lord Mingjing?”
The author has something to say:
【Mini Theater – 1】
Jian Xingzhi: “The Heart Demon was shameless, trying to use my disciple to seduce me! Are all the other women in this world dead? Why must it be my disciple?”
Heart Demon: “I am a Heart Demon, not some random monster changing faces. Why is it your disciple? That’s a question you should ask yourself.”
【Mini Theater – 2】
Before May Day:
Editor: “Dear, it’s going to be crowded during the May Day holiday, so you don’t need to go out. Just focus on updating.”
Me: “Don’t worry, I’m going to write ten thousand words today!”
The day of May Day holiday:
Morning: “Today, I’m going to write 12,000 words! One chapter will have 9,000, and it will be a double update!”
Noon: “Actually, 9,000 words would already be enough to get the highest full attendance reward.”
Afternoon: “6,000 words wouldn’t be bad either…”
Evening: “3,000 words can also guarantee full attendance reward…”
11 o’clock: “I can’t finish writing. I’m so sleepy. I’ll put in a leave request.”
At the end of May Day holiday:
Summary: Nothing accomplished
