Boom!
As the dark clouds in the sky grew denser, thunder roared, and lightning tore through the heavens.
The next moment, a torrential downpour began.
“It’s starting soon, I wonder how confident Lin Yun is,” the Fire Cloud Emperor said, his gaze fixed on Lin Yun’s distant figure.
For the past twenty years, Lin Yun had lived as a cripple, keeping a low profile, so the Fire Cloud Emperor had no knowledge of Lin Yun’s current strength or circumstances, nor even how he had recovered.
Then, the Fire Cloud Emperor turned to the Commander of the Imperial Guard, instructing, “Commander, immediately deploy the Imperial Guard to secure a ten-mile radius around Lin Yun’s tribulation site, no one is allowed to approach!”
“Yes, sir!” The Commander promptly accepted the order.
At that moment, a gaunt middle-aged man approached the Fire Cloud Emperor. He was an Eternal, one from the Xingwu Empire’s camp, known as Ice Wing.
“Ice Wing, you and I will stay vigilant and protect Lin Yun. If anything unusual happens, or if anyone dares to interfere with his tribulation, stop them immediately!” the Fire Cloud Emperor declared.
All the Fire Cloud Emperor could do now was guard Lin Yun, ensuring he could undergo the tribulation safely. The rest was up to Lin Yun himself.
“Understood, Your Majesty,” Ice Wing replied.
After a pause, Ice Wing continued, “If Lin Yun succeeds in his tribulation, our Xingwu Empire will gain another Eternal. I reckon his chances of success are higher than most.”
“Undergoing a tribulation is extremely difficult, no one can guarantee success. We can only hope he pulls through,” the Fire Cloud Emperor said, gazing ahead, his eyes tinged with tension and anticipation.
“Indeed, tribulations are too hard. Nine out of ten cultivators who attempt them fail,” Ice Wing sighed.
The difficulty of tribulations was well-known, and many at the Nine-Turn Tribulation Realm trembled at the thought of facing the Nine Tribulations.
Outside the city tower below, residents continued to pour out, eager to witness this rare tribulation scene.
Though the Xingwu Empire had seen tribulations before, they were usually conducted in secluded locations arranged by the Fire Cloud Emperor, not outside the Divine Capital City.
For many residents, this was their first time witnessing a tribulation in person.
On the hill ten miles away.
“Everyone’s here, huh?” Lin Yun looked up, glancing towards the distant city tower.
Though ten miles separated them, with no obstacles in between, Lin Yun’s sharp eyesight easily made out the figures on the tower.
He could clearly see the dense crowds gathered on and below the tower.
This included the Fire Cloud Emperor and all the attendees of the Thousand-Year Celebration, as well as the city’s residents. Lin Yun saw them all.
Naturally, he also spotted his friends and family in the crowd.
“So many people watching my tribulation, this is quite the spectacle,” Lin Yun said with a wry smile.
With such a large audience, Lin Yun knew that failing this tribulation would be utterly humiliating.
“Master, it looks like the first tribulation is about to descend,” the Artifact Spirit reminded.
“Alright!”
Lin Yun flipped his hand, producing an Immortal Fate Fruit.
He had obtained it while crossing the Monster Beast Mountain Range, a treasure that could protect a cultivator during a tribulation.
Without hesitation, Lin Yun swallowed the Immortal Fate Fruit.
As it entered his body, it transformed into a surge of immense inner strength, flooding through him, shielding his body, heart, and mind.
Boom!
Thunder and lightning continued to flash in the sky, fierce winds howled, and heavy rain pounded down on Lin Yun.
The winds grew stronger, eventually forming white blades that swept towards Lin Yun with ferocious force!
The first tribulation, the Heavenly Wind Tribulation, had arrived!
On the distant city tower.
“Lin Yun’s tribulation has begun!”
All eyes were fixed on Lin Yun’s figure on the hill.
Though the first tribulation was the weakest of the Nine, many cultivators had perished under it in the past.
“Father, you have to succeed!” Lin Kexin clutched Yu Ying’s hand, tense with worry.
Palace Master Yun Shang, the other four, Grandfather Liu Zhizhong, White Shark, Lone Wolf, Wei Qi, and Yang Wan were all on edge for Lin Yun.
They knew the success or failure of this tribulation would determine Lin Yun’s future.
Success meant stepping into eternity, becoming an Eternal revered by millions, with boundless prospects.
Failure meant falling into ruin, and even if he survived, his future would be lost!
“Crossing the Nine Tribulations is as hard as climbing to the heavens. I don’t believe you, Lin Yun, can pass them all!” Wang Shaoqing stared at Lin Yun’s distant figure, silently praying.
Wang Shaoqing knew that if Lin Yun succeeded, he would rise to a level Wang could only look up to.
But if Lin Yun failed even one tribulation, he would plummet from heaven to hell once more.
So, Wang hoped for Lin Yun’s failure.
He also knew that tribulations were notoriously difficult, with success rates abysmally low. He was convinced Lin Yun couldn’t possibly succeed so easily!
He wasn’t the only one harbouring such thoughts.
…
On the distant hill.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sitting atop the peak, Lin Yun felt the terrifying white blades formed by the wind slashing at his body.
The first tribulation required an exceptionally strong defence to withstand.
Lin Yun remained unfazed, showing no signs of pain.
Ordinary cultivators would, at this point, channel their full inner strength to protect their bodies, relying on physical resilience to resist.
But Lin Yun didn’t even use his inner strength. He sat calmly, accepting the onslaught of white blades.
Of course, the power of these wind-formed blades grew stronger!
In the end, the winds suddenly transformed into a cascading torrent, pouring into Lin Yun’s body from above, surging through his organs!
At this stage, surface-level defences were useless, it was all about internal resilience.
This move was particularly brutal. Some cultivators could block external blades by forming a defensive layer on their skin or using protective treasures.
But this internal assault couldn’t be countered by such means, it required the body’s internal defences to be strong enough.
Even as the winds poured into his body, Lin Yun’s expression didn’t change, effortlessly withstanding the internal onslaught.
“The power of this wind tribulation is indeed significant,” Lin Yun quietly remarked.
Though it was trivial to him, he had to admit that for a Nine-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivator with weak defences, even this first wind tribulation would be insurmountable.
Even if they barely survived it, they’d be in no condition to face the remaining eight tribulations.
Gradually, the terrifying white blades of wind dissipated, and though the winds around Lin Yun still howled, they had returned to normal.
