“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Lin Yun bowed again.
His refusal naturally displeased Wang Shaoqing.
“Lin Yun, they say you were once a bold and spirited man, but after being poisoned with Soul-Severing Toxin, you’ve lost even that courage and fire? I’ve already promised not to use inner energy, yet you still don’t dare accept? Are you afraid of losing to me and tarnishing your legacy?” Wang Shaoqing’s icy words dripped with mockery.
Lin Yun’s gaze sharpened as he stared at Wang Shaoqing, “You really want to fight me, don’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll indulge you. I said I’ll be back after a while, and when I return, I’ll definitely face you in the arena!”
“Lin Yun, you said it! Everyone here heard you. If you still want any shred of dignity, you’d better keep your promise and return before the celebration ends!” Wang Shaoqing declared loudly.
“Don’t worry, I’m just concerned you won’t dare when the time comes,” Lin Yun said, a faint smirk on his lips.
With that, he turned and left.
The banquet hall was certainly no place for this, so Lin Yun planned to find a suitable location to quickly prepare for this crucial moment!
“Lin Yun just left like that? Will he actually come back?”
The crowd watched his departing figure, sparking a flurry of discussion…
At the Dongguo father and son’s seats.
Dongguo Lie sneered, “I bet Lin Yun’s sudden excuse is just to avoid the fight. I didn’t expect him to be such a coward now, talking about coming back later? All nonsense. If he actually returns, it’d be a miracle.”
Many shared Dongguo Lie’s view.
Most believed that Lin Yun, now a broken man with only a nominal rank and no real position, could have no urgent business. Even if he did, couldn’t he fight in the arena first?
To the crowd, Lin Yun’s sudden departure was nothing but a cowardly escape.
“Alright, let’s continue! Anyone else want to challenge?” Emperor Huoyun interrupted the crowd.
Even Emperor Huoyun found it odd.
From his understanding of Lin Yun, he knew Lin Yun was a proud man at heart, not one to bow easily to others.
He had thought that with Wang Shaoqing agreeing not to use inner energy, Lin Yun would accept the challenge.
Soon, others rose to issue challenges, and a new round of arena matches began.
Lin Yun’s departure was quickly forgotten.
…
Meanwhile.
After leaving the palace.
“Spirit, you know a lot. Please give me some guidance,” Lin Yun said, sounding a bit nervous.
After all, this was his first time facing the Ninth Tribulation.
“Find a place outside the city. The divine capital isn’t suitable for tribulation. It’s the capital, with a powerful protective array that could interfere and cause you to fail,” the artifact spirit advised.
“Got it!”
Lin Yun nodded and headed out of the city at top speed.
With the spirit’s guidance, he felt more at ease.
Of course, whether he could successfully pass the Ninth Tribulation depended entirely on himself.
No one knew Lin Yun was about to face his tribulation. Even if the event caused a stir, the demon clan wouldn’t have time to interfere, as planning and acting would take too long.
Besides, with Lin Yun undergoing tribulation just outside the divine capital, the demon clan wouldn’t dare cause trouble here.
…
Over an hour later.
Back at the palace.
The millennial celebration was still in full swing.
The earlier incident between Lin Yun and Wang Shaoqing had long been forgotten.
Suddenly, the clear sky and blazing sun were covered by two massive dark clouds, and a fierce wind began to blow.
“What’s going on? Why’s the weather changing so suddenly?”
The abrupt shift caught the attention of everyone at the celebration.
The two enormous clouds had completely blocked the sun, plunging the scene into darkness.
It was morning, yet it felt like dusk.
“This weather change…”
“It’s a tribulation! It’s the sign of a tribulation!”
Emperor Huoyun shot to his feet, his eyes wide with astonishment.
It was the celestial phenomenon of a tribulation!
“What? A tribulation sign?”
The crowd erupted in shock and amazement.
“Yes! Someone’s undergoing a tribulation, and it must be close to the divine capital!” an knowledgeable guest exclaimed.
How could someone suddenly be undergoing a tribulation?
Everyone knew what a ‘tribulation’ meant—a breakthrough to immortality!
“Your Majesty, who’s facing a tribulation? Which figure in our Huoyun Empire? Why haven’t we heard anything?” Many turned to Emperor Huoyun, seeking answers.
For eighty percent of those present, they had never witnessed a tribulation.
“Who is it?” Emperor Huoyun gazed skyward, puzzled.
If someone in the Huoyun Empire was about to face a tribulation, they were required to report it to him in advance. After his approval, they would push their realm to the peak of the Ninth Tribulation Realm and await the tribulation’s arrival.
Typically, the empire would help select a location and arrange protectors.
After all, a tribulation was a monumental event.
But Emperor Huoyun had received no such report.
No one was supposed to be facing a tribulation anytime soon!
Even he was at a loss.
“What? Even His Majesty doesn’t know who’s facing a tribulation?”
“How bizarre! Someone in our Huoyun Empire is undergoing a tribulation, and even His Majesty doesn’t know? Who could it be? What’s going on?”
The crowd buzzed with speculation.
“Father, do you know who it is?” Dongguo Lie hurriedly asked his father.
“I don’t know either. It’s truly strange. To my knowledge, no one in our Huoyun Empire is due to face a tribulation,” Chancellor Dongguo Wuji said, equally baffled.
At the front.
“Grand Commander, do you know what’s happening?” Emperor Huoyun asked the leader of the imperial guard.
“Your Majesty, I’m completely in the dark. Could it be someone from a clan or faction at the Ninth Tribulation Realm? But that’s impossible. By regulation, any faction in the empire must report a tribulation to the empire first. And why would any clan or faction choose to undergo it just outside the divine capital?” The Grand Commander was equally puzzled.
It didn’t make sense from any angle.
Emperor Huoyun looked to the sky, “The person undergoing the tribulation is to the west of the city. Let’s go see who it is and what’s happening!”
With that, he soared into the air.
“Let’s go, let’s see what’s happening!”
“Let’s find out who’s facing the tribulation!”
Everyone rose and followed Emperor Huoyun into the sky.
Such an unexpected event naturally piqued their curiosity.
What baffled them most was that even Emperor Huoyun didn’t know who was undergoing the tribulation, making everyone eager to find out.
Wang Shaoqing was also intrigued, “Witnessing a tribulation is fascinating. I just wonder who it is, unknown even to Master.”
With that, he too took to the air.
Dongguo’s father and son, Prince Jiyuan, Huo Zhen, Liang Yuan, and others followed suit.
None of them knew that the one facing the tribulation was the ‘broken’ Lin Yun…
