Chapter 60: Chapter 59: 9 Tribulations Burial
Lei Wu roared, the Primordial Qi in his palm sizzling as he struck out at Wen Qingye.
"Master, go! Take down that sickly wretch!" Xiaxia exclaimed, excitedly waving her little fists.
Wen Qingye stomped his foot, and the roiling Primordial Qi around him formed into waves, surging slowly forward. His dense Primordial Qi was far more substantial than that of Lei Wu, a cultivator at the Refining Essence Second Layer Heaven.
"Tear Monument Hand!"
Wen Qingye thrust his palm forward. A massive Hand Seal descended from the sky, carrying an unparalleled, domineering aura as it crushed down.
"BANG!"
Lei Wu met it with a punch and instantly felt his body tremble, forcing him to stumble back four or five steps.
Yue Shan was astonished. ’This kid... His Primordial Qi is so dense! It’s on par with, if not better than, a typical Martial Artist at the Refining Essence Third Layer Heaven. The characteristic weakness of a Pill Master’s Primordial Qi is nowhere to be seen in him.’
Lei Wu was also horrified, but his horror quickly turned to rage from the humiliation.
"Giant Cauldron Eight Techniques!"
Lei Wu slammed his fists together, and the surrounding Primordial Qi let out a low rumble. A majestic, heavy aura, like that of a great mountain, emanated from his fists.
A trace of greed flashed in Yue Shan’s eyes. ’A Seventh-Grade Martial Technique, the Giant Cauldron Fist Technique!’ He had coveted it for a long time, ever since he’d learned Lei Wu possessed it.
Lei Wu violently thrust his fists upward. For a moment, it was as if the onlookers could see a massive, azure cauldron appearing above his head. Under the suppressive force of this dense and majestic fist intent, the very air seemed to stagnate.
"Immortal One Pointing at Heaven and Earth!"
Wen Qingye abruptly extended his index finger, a point of starlight glittering on its tip. It was like a faint glimmer of light appearing in the ink-black darkness, carrying with it a profound insight, a will that could pierce through anything.
"SWISH!"
Wen Qingye leaped into the air. He extended his finger, and the brilliant light touched the illusory cauldron. The cauldron instantly shattered, and Lei Wu was sent flying, crashing to the ground.
BLECH! Lei Wu spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Although Yue Shan was astonished, his shock was quickly replaced by an expression of immense joy.
Lei Wu suddenly cried out in alarm, "My meridians! What’s happening to my meridians?"
Wen Qingye smiled coldly. "Consider this punishment for your disrespect. If you’re not gone in ten seconds, I won’t be so courteous."
Wen Qingye’s gaze was like an exceptionally sharp knife, piercing straight through Lei Wu’s heart. Lei Wu’s breath caught in his throat. He knew Wen Qingye meant every word. If he didn’t leave now, he was a dead man.
It wasn’t just Lei Wu; Yue Shan and the other members of the Yue Family were also horrified.
This was a true aura, one he was born with!
Lei Wu’s expression changed instantly. He shuddered, took a few deep breaths, then scrambled frantically toward the Xia Family’s gate like a beaten dog. Seeing this, Yue Shan quickly chased after him.
Watching Lei Wu’s retreating back, Wen Qingye sneered inwardly. ’Meridians? What I did was far more than simply crippling his meridians.’
Wen Qingye had promised to make him wish for death, so he certainly wouldn’t kill him.
Just then, Xia Heng happened to walk in through the gate. He was puzzled to see Lei Wu stumbling away, and at that moment, Yue Shan came out after him.
Yue Shan looked at Xia Heng, a cold sneer forming on his lips. "Xia Heng, just you wait for the Xia Family’s destruction!"
Before Xia Heng could react, Yue Shan had already chased after Lei Wu.
A confused Xia Heng walked into the Xia Family residence.
"THUD!"
Wen Qingye had just turned around when he saw Xiaxia suddenly collapse. He moved in a flash and caught her.
"Xiaxia!" Xia Heng cried out, rushing over. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Wen Qingye and demanded, "What’s going on? Was this Lei Wu’s doing?"
Wen Qingye frowned. "No. Let’s get her to her room first. I’ll take a look at her."
...
Wen Qingye gazed at Xiaxia lying on the bed. As he looked at the nine patterns on her snow-white neck, he was utterly shocked. Very few things could still move him.
’Nine Tribulations Burial!’
In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, there were always people with special constitutions. Some possessed extraordinary talent, an exceptional Immortal Body, or a peerless Divine Soul. Of course, there were also inauspicious existences.
The Nine Tribulations Burial was a legendary curse. Rumor had it that this Curse Seal was inscribed upon a person’s body, and its most obvious sign was the appearance of nine patterns on the neck when it flared up.
A person afflicted with the Nine Tribulations Burial had to endure nine great calamities in their lifetime to survive. In his past life, Wen Qingye had known of one such person: the Zi Yue Immortal Emperor, a peerless figure of his generation. When it came time to face the Eighth Tribulation, he failed to find the Soul Reviving Flower needed to nourish his Heart Spirit and ultimately died a terrible death.
Throughout the long river of time, there was only one outcome for those afflicted with the Nine Tribulations Burial: death. It was only a matter of when. Some perished after only a few tribulations. Others barely clung to life, spending their entire existence endlessly searching for a cure.
It was rumored that after someone with the Nine Tribulations Burial died, a Nine Burial Flower would grow from their body. This flower was said to contain the mysteries of time and space and even a sliver of opportunity to comprehend the Great Dao. It was ranked third on the List of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders. Throughout countless eons, Wen Qingye had heard of the Nine Burial Flower, but he had never once seen it.
The items on the List of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders could only be chanced upon, never actively sought. Some existed only in legends, as if they weren’t real at all.
Wen Qingye’s brows furrowed tightly. He tried to recall the day of the Zi Yue Immortal Emperor’s death from his past life, but he suddenly found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember it. It was as if that specific memory had been scooped out from his mind.
The more he dwelled on it, the more terrifying the implication became. ’Why is a piece of my memory suddenly missing? Could it have been obscured by the Great Dao?’
Wen Qingye took a deep breath, his expression calm as he stared at his own hands. After a long moment, having found no answers, he turned his gaze back to Xiaxia.
On Xiaxia’s neck were two purple patterns and seven black ones. This indicated that she was currently enduring the Third Tribulation.
Each tribulation required specific medicinal ingredients and methods to overcome. For Wen Qingye, the method for the Third Tribulation was not difficult. He only needed to slowly circulate the Primordial Qi from his Longevity Technique into a few of her acupoints.
Wen Qingye slowly channeled Primordial Qi from his palm into Xiaxia’s body, guiding it through her Ren Meridian, Du Meridian, Wei Meridian, Yangwei Meridian, and Yin Qiao Meridian, among others.
Xiaxia’s complexion gradually grew rosy. On her neck, one of the black patterns slowly turned purple. Finally, Wen Qingye let out a long breath. He looked at the sleeping Xiaxia, a sense of helplessness in his heart. ’I never expected her to be a host of the Nine Tribulations Burial. So her headaches these past few days were real. She wasn’t lying or being lazy... she was enduring the pain all this time.’
Seeing Wen Qingye emerge, Xia Heng hurried forward. "Young Master Wen, is my daughter going to be all right?"
Wen Qingye shook his head. "She’s out of immediate danger for now."
Xia Heng’s brow furrowed. "’For now?’"
"Yes," Wen Qingye affirmed, then asked, "Has Xiaxia ever had any serious illnesses before?"
Xia Dong thought for a moment before speaking up. "I remember she fell gravely ill when she was ten. We consulted many doctors at the time, but none could cure her. In the end, she was saved by a passing Fifth-Grade Alchemist, Master Yangg Hee."
"Oh?" Wen Qingye pressed. "Were there any other instances?"
A flicker of sorrow passed through Xia Heng’s eyes. "Other than that... her birth was very difficult. In the end, her mother..."
Wen Qingye nodded. ’That confirms it. The first tribulation requires a massive amount of Essence Qi. Xiaxia faced it at birth, and her mother must have exhausted her own Essence to save her, leading to her death.’
’The second tribulation was her illness at age ten, and she was lucky a Pill Master saved her. Today was the third, which required Primordial Qi to regulate her body and clear her meridians. These are the first Three Tribulations of her Nine Tribulations Burial.’
Xia Heng looked at Wen Qingye anxiously. "So, Xiaxia’s illness...?"
Wen Qingye replied in a grave voice, "It’s extremely difficult to cure. But I will do my best. She should be fine for the next few decades."
Hearing this, Xia Heng finally let out a sigh of relief. If she would be fine for the next few decades, that was good enough for him.
Wen Qingye thought to himself, ’I need to start preparing for the fourth tribulation. It requires a specific pill: the Spiritual Mist Pill.’
’The Spiritual Mist Pill is a peak Ninth-Grade pill. Its two main ingredients are Spirit Dew and the Purple Jade Flower. Spirit Dew is a type of Water of Heaven and Earth, ranked 374th. I should be able to find it within the Celestial Martial Country.’
’The Purple Jade Flower, on the other hand, is a Ninth-Grade medicinal herb containing a potent toxin. I wonder if it can be found in the Hundred Break Mountains.’
The night was as black as ink. Wen Qingye looked up at the sky, and a feeling of helplessness washed over him as he thought of the Nine Tribulations Burial. Each successive tribulation was harder to overcome than the last; otherwise, that great Immortal Emperor would not have met such a tragic end. Even if he had access to all the resources of the Immortal Realm, Wen Qingye wasn’t confident he could cure it.
Wen Qingye knew the road ahead for Xiaxia’s survival would be incredibly difficult and that she would ultimately have to rely on herself. He just didn’t know if she had the strength to persevere.
Gazing at the moonlit sky, Wen Qingye murmured, "No matter what, you are my disciple. I will do everything in my power to help you. The rest... will be up to you."
