Chapter 331: 331 Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique
On that day, the Heavenly Path Journal, the Poison Gazette, and other publications jointly issued a statement demanding that those who had descended from the heavens withdraw from the Justice League. Otherwise, they would launch a comprehensive attack against them.
At the same time, Cultivators from the Poison Sect and the Valley of Thousand Souls commenced their migration. They sought to avoid a scenario where Lin Bai, in a frenzy during his Heavenly Tribulation, might drag them all to their doom by bringing the Tribulation to their sects.
The senior Cultivators of the Five Demon Sects rushed to the Holy Extreme Sect, guarding all access routes to prevent Lin Si Bai from bringing reinforcements to Lin Bai.
...
Initially, the Players cultivated by the Sects to deal with Lin Bai received commands from the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demon Sects. Commanders then led them to strike at those who had descended with Lin Si Bai, destroy the Beggar Gang’s assets, and undermine the power of the Beggar Gang Disciples.
Due to Lin Bai’s words, the situation had suddenly become extremely hostile towards the Players, growing very tense.
The Taiyi, Taichu, Taihao, and other countries watched from the sidelines. Although those who descended from the heavens had demonstrated great potential, they had not yet gained momentum. Since the Sects were determined to keep Lin Bai pinned down in the Heavenly Tribulation, these countries wouldn’t risk their national fortune for them.
Previously, Taiyi Country had benefited from Lin Bai’s rise. Now that Lin Bai was trapped in the Heavenly Tribulation, Taiyi found itself in an awkward position...
The corporations were distressed and immediately declared through publications that they were dissociating themselves from Lin Si Bai, stating they were also hostile to Lin Si Bai’s Justice League. The Players lacked high-level combat power. Once the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demon Sects fully suppressed them, their path to advancement would undoubtedly be cut off. They considered maintaining peace between the two parties; at this stage, Players still needed the support of the Sects.
After much thought, the corporations made a decision. They would sacrifice the interests of some Players, cooperate with the Players within the Sects to stage a play, pretend to fight a few battles, and thereby secure the status and interests of the Players already embedded within the Sects. These Players were all adept at this; besides, there wasn’t much to lose. Who hadn’t engaged in player-versus-player combat while gaming anyway?
Treat it as practicing Skills and training troops!
Meanwhile, Lin Si Bai’s Justice League also issued a statement through the Justice Weekly. In response to the malicious activities of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demon Sects, he declared he would retaliate comprehensively, and each major Sect would pay the price for its actions.
No longer bothering with the Magpie Bridge, Lin Si Bai led the Players of the Justice League straight towards the Beast Taming Sect...
The Chief Supporting Role System also had a major long-term task—destroy the Beast Taming Sect, with a reward of Auspicious Qi. Lin Bai felt it was necessary to complete this task first. Auspicious Qi sounded like a great thing. Even if it wasn’t particularly useful, it could help solidify his reputation as the true orthodox figure in the world!
...
The world was in chaos, but there wasn’t much actual contact between the two sides. After all, deploying troops and traveling took time; for now, it was merely a war of words between them. Occasionally, minor skirmishes would occur between Players from the Beggar Gang and the Sects, but these were only small-scale incidents. Most people’s attention remained on Lin Bai, who was still under the Heavenly Tribulation.
Qing Yun had said she could only hold out for three days. If Lin Bai died under the Heavenly Tribulation after those three days, then all problems would be easily resolved. The real Lin Si Bai was a Player and definitely wouldn’t resurrect Lin Bai. If the Sects pressed too hard, they might as well stage a show, let Lin Si Bai seemingly perish with Lin Bai’s death, and then lie low, seeking gradual development in the shadows...
In summary, the key to everything lay in how long Lin Bai could hold on under the Heavenly Tribulation.
...
After continuous strikes for over ten days, those within the Heavenly Tribulation remained unscathed. The Heavenly Tribulation itself seemed to feel its dignity had been insulted. It redoubled its efforts, striking down with increasing ferocity, as if intending to eliminate Lin Bai and the others in the shortest possible time.
Atop the Qingmu, everyone was searching for love. Even the withered Puppet, Peach Ancestor, became the apple of everyone’s eye, with wave after wave of Mahayana Realm Cultivators taking turns to confess their love to her. Peach Ancestor remained utterly unmoved. She had been heartbroken, transformed into a Puppet, and only longed for the day she could turn to ash under the Heavenly Tribulation and fully regain her freedom. How could she possibly accept another’s confession?
"Mother, aren’t you going to find someone to fall in love with?" the Little White Fox asked, looking at Hu He with concern.
Hu He gently looked at her Qi, tousled her hair, and shook her head. "There’s no need. I believe in Master. He will certainly ensure we survive."
Hu He knew her own situation well. Lin Bai was so indulgent toward the Little White Fox. If they could survive the Heavenly Tribulation, they were destined to be together in the future. She was both Lin Bai’s Disciple and his future mother-in-law; what male Cultivator would be foolish enough to pursue her and risk Lin Bai’s resentment? Out of consideration for the Little White Fox, she couldn’t express her feelings for Lin Bai. This was an unsolvable dilemma. Thus, her best outcome was to become Lin Bai’s Puppet; there was no other way to survive...
...
"Are you really unable to hold on any longer?" Lin Bai stood beside Qing Yun, watching her single-handedly withstand the Heavenly Tribulation, and asked in a low voice.
"Yes," said Qing Yun. "Our speculation is that the Heavenly Tribulation will last eighty-one days. My Spiritual Power is depleting very rapidly, and I can’t recover during the brief lulls. If someone could replace me so I could recuperate, I could hold on for longer. But now... it’s difficult."
Replacement? Is she talking about me?! Lin Bai was taken aback. Is Qing Yun that eager to become a Puppet sooner?
"Are Spirit Condensing Fruit no longer helpful?" Lin Bai looked down at the Qingmu, which was still lush and green. The flowers nurtured by the Spirit Condensing Fruit were even more gorgeous, but they weren’t growing any larger.
"They can be used to recover mental energy, but they don’t do much to enhance strength," Qing Yun replied.
CRACK!
A lightning bolt as thick as a bucket plunged straight towards Qing Yun. She shuddered violently, and the green defensive barrier she had conjured flickered, becoming somewhat illusory.
Qing Yun said, "Master, did you see that? Lightning strikes like that are becoming more frequent. If I falter even slightly, those below—even those in the Crossing Tribulation Realm—won’t be able to withstand more than a few. A Tribulation involving tens of thousands has never happened before; it’s not something ordinary people can endure. You should prepare to have Martial Uncle Four White return..."
Why hasn’t a new System appeared? Could it be that even the entity behind the System has no solution for this Heavenly Tribulation?
Lin Bai looked up at the tribulation clouds and lightning, racking his brain for a solution. After a moment, his gaze shifted to Qing Yun’s true form—the Qingmu tree, nearly three thousand meters tall. Then, as if on a sudden inspiration, he used the Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique on the Qingmu!
Beneath the tribulation clouds, a vast rain cloud suddenly materialized, sprinkling a misty drizzle over the Qingmu...
"Ah!"
The moment the drizzle touched the Qingmu, Qing Yun involuntarily let out a low moan. She licked her lips and looked sharply at Lin Bai. "Master, what kind of water is this?"
"The Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique!" Lin Bai asked, "Is it effective on you?"
"It’s effective!" Qing Yun nodded vigorously, saying excitedly, "My true form has grown to this extent, where the nutrients and Spiritual Power from the ground can barely keep me alive, let alone allow me to grow. But that drizzle just now... I felt a refreshing nourishment I haven’t experienced in ages! I feel like I can continue to grow! Are the Two Divine Woods that span the universe nourished by this Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique?"
Holy crap! The breakthrough point is here...
Lin Bai’s heartbeat quickened slightly. He had just instinctively used the Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique, never expecting such a seemingly trivial Spell to have any effect on the Qingmu. Who would have thought it would actually work?
The Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique created a rain cloud out of thin air to moisten the land and accelerate crop growth. It turned out that any kind of ’crop,’ as long as it fit the definition, could be stimulated by this Spell. Grass would grow, Spiritual Medicines would mature, and even towering trees like the Qingmu could thrive... but the effects of such growth on these different ’crops’ were entirely different!
This must be the way of Laws, dammit!
Lin Bai swallowed lightly, suddenly feeling that the Qi Yun bestowed by the System was incredibly powerful. Turning peril into safety, misfortune into luck; it was like being given a pillow when sleepy. If Qing Yun’s true form hadn’t been a plant, but some other kind of spirit creature, the Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique would have had no effect. Those with great Qi Yun truly never reached a dead end...
The Super Farming System I abandoned wasn’t bad either! Indeed, one shouldn’t underestimate any System. I need to find time to go back to the Sect, check on the crops I planted, and start grinding those Farming System tasks. It’s time to become a Divine Farmer!
"Master, what are you thinking about?" asked Qing Yun. At this moment, she believed even more strongly in the prophecy about fate given by Taishang Laojun. Her salvation was indeed in the Righteous Door. She looked at Lin Bai expectantly. "Did the Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique consume a lot of energy?"
"Not too much, I can sustain it. Qing Yun, does this Divine Skill enhance your strength?" Lin Bai asked, his expression odd. Dammit, this is just a basic reward!
"Immensely so," Qing Yun said. "All my power comes from the Qingmu. As the Qingmu grows, my strength naturally increases."
"Good. You defend against the Heavenly Tribulation, and I will help you grow." Lin Bai smiled. "I told you before, I am a child of destiny with great Qi Yun. How could I possibly not overcome even a mere Heavenly Tribulation?"
The Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique didn’t care what kind of crop was underneath. Its consumption of Spiritual Power was based on area; the larger the area, the more Spiritual Power it consumed. The Qingmu was a behemoth; completely covering it with rain clouds would require a vast amount of Spiritual Power. But that was for others. Lin Bai had more than ten large ’power banks’ on him; consumption was the least of his worries. He would use the Mahayana Realm Puppets in rotation. Whichever one ran out of Spiritual Power would be sent back to its Card to recover, then replaced by another. This cycle could continue indefinitely without interruption...
...
「During the three chaotic days that passed outside.」
Qing Yun defended against the Heavenly Tribulation while Lin Bai continuously used the Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique for her; neither of them stopped.
Under the nourishment of the gentle rain, the Qingmu grew silently. The people on the tree might not have sensed it, but Lin Bai could see Qing Yun’s complexion becoming rosier. The green, ethereal form she used to resist the Heavenly Tribulation, which had been wavering before, was now gradually stabilizing...
The understanding had been that Qing Yun could only shield those below for three days. But after three days passed, the many Cultivators on the Qingmu were astonished to find that although the lightning from the sky was far fiercer than before—terrifying bolts, each a meter thick, rained down one after another—Qing Yun managed to block them all. They remained safe...
That’s a true master for you! Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief for the moment, and their hope of surviving the Heavenly Tribulation was rekindled.
...
It must be the effect of the rain! Zuo Lan glanced up at the sky, and the speed of his hammering suddenly increased. The Alliance Hierarch had bought him some time; perhaps this Faraday Cage could achieve a miraculous effect!
Xiao Yu looked at the sky, then at Zuo Lan. After pondering for a moment, he reached out and gently wiped the beads of sweat from Zuo Lan’s forehead with his sleeve.
Prevention is better than cure, he thought. He felt it was necessary to deepen their bond in preparation for the Metamorphosis Butterfly stage!
The sudden display of gentleness startled Zuo Lan. His hand trembled, causing his hammer to miss its mark and waste a phase equalizer. He glanced helplessly at Xiao Yu and said with a wry smile, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, next time you decide to show your gentle side, could you perhaps give a signal beforehand? Coming at me so suddenly... this old man can hardly bear it..."
"Fellow Daoist Zuo, to be honest, I also had to fight back my disgust to wipe your sweat," Xiao Yu said, looking at the surrounding Cultivators. They were hugging, feeding each other, and desperately trying to learn about love and immerse themselves in it. He continued in frustration, "If our feelings aren’t pure, what if the Metamorphosis Butterfly isn’t successful? Wouldn’t that be a waste of the opportunity the Alliance Hierarch created for us? Fellow Daoist Zuo, you still need to learn to get used to and adapt to this."
...
The Qingmu flower buds, nurtured by the Spirit Fruit and Temperament Fruit, had originally stopped growing. However, under the nourishment of the Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique, they began to grow again, swelling and blooming one by one...
Upon seeing this, the Cultivators of the Holy Extreme Sect were stupefied. It was common knowledge that the Qingmu flowered every thousand years, bore fruit every thousand years, and took another thousand years to mature... Barely more than ten days had passed since their Tribulation began, yet the entire flowering process was almost complete. This was nothing short of a miracle.
Indeed, wherever Lin Bai was, common sense simply didn’t apply!
...
"Master, is the rain Grandmaster created also a manifestation of a Law?" Ye Lan reached out, caught a handful of rainwater, and tasted it. "But it feels like ordinary rainwater to me! Why can it promote the Qingmu’s growth? The flowers bloomed so quickly; it won’t be long before we can eat Qingmu Fruit, right!"
"Possibly," Ye Song said. "Joining the Righteous Door, becoming his apprentice, is the most correct decision I’ve made in my entire life."
"It’s a good thing Grandmaster emerged late," Ye Lan murmured. "Otherwise, if he had appeared a few thousand years earlier, the Qingmu would have long since followed Master, and the Holy Extreme Sect wouldn’t have stood a chance, right?"
"The Righteous Door has Divine Woods covered in Spirit Condensing Fruit; they wouldn’t even care about the Qingmu, alright?" Ye Song said. Spanning the Three Thousand Worlds... I really want to visit the Righteous Door and see what kind of place it truly is.
...
Having learned their lesson from Lin Bai’s self-revelations, Hold Nothing Back in Happiness and the others had long since switched their live broadcast to a private channel. On the stream, sparse bullet comments drifted by, all expressing astonishment.
"What’s going on?"
"Didn’t they say the Heavenly Tribulation would strike in three days?"
"Why has it stabilized again?"
"Does the Heavenly Tribulation want to kill Lin Bai or not? Can’t it just strike with full force and kill him first? Why does it have to come step by step? Is there something wrong with it!"
"The Heavenly Tribulation is for helping people ascend, not for killing them."
"It wouldn’t really let Lin Bai pass the Heavenly Tribulation, would it? That would probably be the end of the world then."
"Actually, letting Lin Bai pass the Heavenly Tribulation might be a good thing."
"If he passes the Heavenly Tribulation, he’ll be the number one person in the world. With the Qingmu assisting him, how could that be a good thing?"
"All along, everyone has been focused on Lin Bai being killed by the Heavenly Tribulation, or they simply hate him to the bone, hoping he dies rather than ascends. But everyone seems to have overlooked: what happens to a Cultivator after they pass the Tribulation?"
"What do they do?"
"Damn, they ascend!"
"Right, ascend. The reason Cultivators at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage attract the Heavenly Tribulation as soon as they make a move is because their abilities have exceeded what the world can bear, and the world wants to exile them. I asked Cultivators from the Sects; after passing the Tribulation, a Guiding Light will descend to lead the ascendant upwards. There’s only one chance with the Guiding Light. If you choose not to ascend and stay behind, you remain in the Transcendence Tribulation Stage, and any move can still draw down a Heavenly Tribulation, even more powerful than the last one. So, Cultivators who succeed in their Tribulation almost always choose to ascend immediately. Not one of them is willing to stay behind. I assume Lin Bai will be no exception!"
"So, whether Lin Bai dies or ascends, he’s destined not to remain in this world. The so-called ’number one person in the world’ is just something we’re worrying about. Those Sects have always been afraid of Lin Bai dragging them down with him by using the Heavenly Tribulation..."
"Even if Lin Bai wants to cultivate some incredibly powerful technique and really chooses to stay, he’d be a cripple, unable to make a move anymore. Therefore, the Heavenly Tribulation is the true path of balance. The old ancestors of the Righteous Door can’t return, probably for this very reason..."