Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 198 – Murderous World Tribulation

Calm down. Don’t panic!

Qin Yu forced himself to settle his fluctuating state of mind, but no matter how hard he tried there wasn’t any effect. He couldn’t help but bitterly laugh about himself. Indeed, just what sort of confidence did he pretend to have all the time? Everything was established based upon his bottom line. If there was a problem with the little blue lamp, then he really would panic.

He thought back to Moon Praying Shrine and that mysterious Saint Flower. Could it be that ever since the little blue lamp met it, there would be similar problems? But, if Moon Praying Shrine could find him, who would he find? Well, even if someone knew what was happening, could he still go there?

If someone were to discover the little blue lamp’s secret, Qin Yu found it hard to imagine what sort of consequences would result from it!

But no matter how panicked he was, there was eventually a time when he would calm back down. As the moon rose into the skies, Qin Yu was finally able to sit down and coolly consider the situation. He looked at the little blue lamp in his hand. There weren’t any changes to its outside appearance. He attempted to pour some magic power into it and even probe it with his divine sense, but all his efforts were futile. What it seemed like was a genuine lamp, one that had burnt through its oil and was inevitably extinguished.

And, in Qin Yu’s heart, this was his greatest lurking fear.

He sat through the night, unable to find a clue as to what was happening. As he was physically and mentally exhausted, there was a sudden ruckus in the skies above Severed Spirit Mountain. A terrifying invisible will had arrived in this part of the mountain range, shrouding over the hearts of all living beings. The countless wild beasts throughout the mountain range sobbed and screamed, each one falling to the floor and shivering.

At the stone monument that Qin Yu had cut off from a mountain top and placed into the ground, several cultivators were discussing amongst themselves in a low voice, their faces dignified. At this time, their complexions changed as they looked up into the skies. It was like an inkwell had been overturned and rich blank ink was rapidly spreading outwards. In several blinks of an eye, the entire sky darkened, turning a pitch black that shook the hearts and minds of those watching. An incomparably terrifying aura descended down from this darkness. It seemed to carry with it the anger of the world, capable of exterminating all life in existence.

“This…what is this…” A female cultivator cried out in horrified alarm.

No one replied to her. Beside her was a man who normally flattered her all the time, but right now he also had a pale face filled with fear. They wanted to run away but it was like their feet had taken root in the ground. They couldn’t move in the least and could only stand there, waiting. An invisible fear grabbed onto their hearts tightly, making even breathing a difficult task.

Within the mountain valley, Qin Yu looked up. His eyes passed through the array formation and towards the dark skies. He wasn’t unfamiliar with this sort of aura; when he first tried to help Yun Xueqing cross her Golden Core heavenly tribulation, he had felt a killing intent from the world, just like this.

But compared to back then, it was far stronger and far more terrifying today.

Qin Yu immediately understood that the world had sensed a problem with the little blue lamp. So, it wanted to take advantage of this time to destroy it.

He would not allow this!

He clenched his fists and placed the little blue lamp back in his spatial ring. Then, he took a deep breath, turning all of his panic and fear into anger. In his opinion, the sudden extinguishment of the little blue lamp was inevitably connected to this world. After all, he knew that it was urgently trying to destroy it.

How hateful!

To ruin the little blue lamp was to destroy his very foundation and sever the road of his great dao. Even if it were the world, it still couldn’t be forgiven!

Bang –

The cabin was broken apart by a wild strength. Qin Yu shot up into the skies, leaving the valley in the blink of an eye. He looked up towards the endless vault of heaven.

The world seemed to sense the anger and contempt coming from him. The dark clouds in the skies began to tumble and roil.

Between the heavens and earth, howling winds whipped into existence.

This wind was not an invisible force; faint black lights glowed within it.

Whoosh –

Whoosh –

As if filled with the wailing of life, this horrifying black wind roared through the world. It was like invisible sabers, capable of tearing apart blood and flesh and twisting one’s divine soul to pieces. This was astral wind, rumored to exist above the highest heavens, separating the heavens from what lay beyond. It possessed the horrifying ability to snuff out souls and pulverize bone!

Qin Yu didn’t know any of this, nor did he care about it. He only knew that the world wanted to destroy the little blue lamp and cut off his path of cultivation. With an angry shout, he shot up into the skies. Strong astral winds howled in from all directions, instantly tearing open numerous ribbons in his robes.

Faint marks appeared on his body. The Demon Body wasn’t powerful to the point where it could resist the strong astral winds all by itself. Rather, from his dantian sea, the blue wood-attribute Golden Core began to erupt with a light as bright as the sun.

The forests blocked the winds.

This was something even the common people knew. Qin Yu had a wood attribute Golden Core. Then, following the principles of how the five elements constrained and enhanced each other, he began to transform all his magic power into the wood attribute. Right now, there might be no difference between him and a Nascent Soul who specialized in the wood attribute. By relying on this counterbalance, he was able to safely resist the astral winds.

“I am right here! If you want to kill me, then come!”

The thunder was like endless roars. It cracked through the world, like the shout of a god sweeping in all directions.

At the place where the stone monument was situated, the complexions of the several people changed once more.

A person…

This voice…

Could the sudden appearance of this world phenomenon be aimed at a cultivator?

This was simply unbelievable!

Rumble rumble –

This sound was different from the roaring astral winds. It was like a giant smashing into a wall, shaking the air.

Several cultivators nearly cried out loud. Just who was this person? They were actually so terrifying that even facing the elimination of the world’s will, they could still be so ferocious! Hey, could we talk about this? How about waiting a moment before you start fighting and allow us to screw off first? Right now, they were all frightened silly. They felt like little ants in a storm; they could be smashed to pieces at any moment!

Strong astral winds flooded in endlessly, but they clearly weren't able to kill Qin Yu. Thus, that deep darkness in the skies began to tumble about once more. Within the black winds, blue rain drops began to fall from the clouds. Each drop was incomparably heavy, as if entire rivers were concentrated within them. What was even more astonishing was the icy cold aura contained within. It was like a sharp needle that ruthlessly pierced deep into the body. They even seemed capable of freezing the soul.

The name of this rain was the heavy rain. In this world, there was rumored to be a certain river. The waters of this river were said to be as heavy as stone, and this water did not return to the sea. Rather, it flowed in a continuous circular path, endlessly going around and around. Every 1000 years, the river waters would seethe and tumble, and rise into the heavens where they would condense into heavy rain.

Just like its name, when this rain fell from the heavens, every drop was as heavy as a boulder. And because it absorbed the cold air in the nine heavens, it could penetrate through flesh and blood and enter the soul, freezing and shattering it.

The heavy rain was like a curtain, submerging Qin Yu within. There were loud thumping sounds, like the constant hammering heard within a blacksmith’s shop.

“This is enough? You think this is enough?” With a deep roar, Qin Yu stepped forwards. His steps appeared incomparably heavy, each one emitting a thunderous roar. Then, bathed in a baptism of this heavy rain, he moved unceasingly towards the black clouds above.

A trace of blood appeared at the corners of Qin Yu’s lips. It was clear he had suffered an injury through the astral winds and the heavy rain. However, his imposing momentum didn’t weaken at all. Instead, he seemed to become even more dreadful. An invisible aura swept out. That roaring astral wind and falling heavy rain seemed to slow down a little.

He was like gods and demons!

The world’s will was clearly enraged. So, flames appeared in thin air. They were a bleak white, icy cold without any heat. But, only after touching it would one understand that all of its burning strength was condensed deep within the flames.

Burial flames. After being touched, they would burn unendingly, until everything it tainted – including the body and soul – was completely reduced to ashes. Only then would it extinguish.

The black astral winds, the blue heavy rain, the white burial flames; three colors wove together, forming a startling image of the world’s killing intent. With the power of these three forces joined as one, even Nascent Soul realm powerhouses would only be able to resist for a moment before being eliminated.

Qin Yu hadn’t yet entered the Nascent Soul realm, but he was far stronger than a common Nascent Soul. And, within his dantian were five Golden Cores formed using five-element spiritual objects as the base.

Five-element spiritual objects belonged to the strength of the five elements. They were amongst the highest existences, and after condensing into Golden Cores, they allowed Qin Yu’s magic power to also possess a higher quality.

Astral winds were scary, heavy rain was heavy, and burial flames were even more horrifying. But, the strength of five elements within Qin Yu’s body wasn’t something to be trifled with either. In terms of pure raw power, they were absolutely at a disadvantage. But in terms of quality, there was only the tiniest of differences.

Because of this, even though Qin Yu faced a world killing tribulation that could murder Nascent Souls, he still survived, even if it was difficult. Tangled up in the three colors, Qin Yu’s face was deathly pale and blood flowed out from all the pores of his body. His soul seemed to be burning in flames and also freezing to ice. Every switch caused that pain to be even more horrifying.

But he stood there all the same. His back was straight and tall and his steps didn’t stop; he only slowed down a great deal. His eyes were filled with anger and reckless insanity.

“This…cough cough…is your strength? But…if you want to kill me…it still isn’t enough…” He forcibly spat out a mouthful of blood and his breathing became smoother. He paused for a moment, rested a little, and then took another step forwards. “I really want to know…if you…can do this…could the world’s killing tribulation…really…have no limits…?”

The world had its limits.

This was something that Qin Yu had determined. Ever since he understood that his destiny was inseparable from the little blue lamp, he had thought deeply about this subject and had come to this conclusion. If it weren’t so, why had it tried to trick Qin Yu into offering the little blue lamp as a sacrifice? Why not simply bring down a power so great that nothing could stop it, and then just erase it from existence? Wouldn’t that be simpler?

Since there were limits, then what were they exactly? Perhaps it had to observe some unknown rules if it wanted to kill someone.

In truth, Qin Yu’s guess was correct. The world had its limits. The world had its furthest extremes.

It was above everything and everyone, and possessed a strength surpassing all. But, this strength was also its greatest shackles. Only within the scope of the rules could it utilize its strength. In other words, even if some dark and invisible will wanted to kill Qin Yu, it could only summon the strength it was allowed to.

For instance, strength surpassing a realm.

Originally, this should have been enough to kill any cultivator that the world wished to destroy. After all, with the disparity of a boundary and the horrifying strength of killing tribulation, when added together this was almost impossible to resist.

But, an anomaly had appeared. This person possessed not only the Five Element Golden Cores, but also the incomparably potent Demon Body. At the Golden Core realm, they could fight against a Nascent Soul. This was the reason why the world’s killing tribulation had been dragged into such an embarrassing situation.

It couldn’t kill Qin Yu. Of course, if the astral winds, heavy rain, and burial flames continued on for hours and hours, then it could slowly wear him down. Unfortunately, time was also a limit placed upon it, and once that time limit arrived, even if the person facing this tribulation hadn’t died, it could only retreat and wait for another chance.

This was a rule.

So, when Qin Yu began to truly approach those black clouds in the skies, almost touching them, it was at this time that they began to vanish. The astral winds, heavy rain, burial flames, everything began to dissipate. It was like all that happened just now had been nothing but an illusion. However, the ruined land that spread out for a hundred miles was the best proof that it did happen!

The world’s killing tribulation had arrived without warning, and then retreated haplessly.