Chapter 186: Breaking Through to the Spiritual Consciousness Realm!

As the speed of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surging toward Li Qingqiu grew faster and faster, a great gale arose, causing the forests of Qingxiao Mountain to shake violently, like green waves expanding down the mountain.

Xu Ning’s elegant hair fluttered in the wind, and her robes billowed as if she were an Immortal standing atop a tree, facing the wind and remaining motionless.

Her gaze was fixed on the thunderclouds in the sky; for some reason, she actually felt an impulse to fly into them.

“I must be crazy. Could this also be a part of Undergoing Tribulation?”

Xu Ning shook her head, thinking warily to herself.

If that were true, then this Heavenly Tribulation was far too terrifying, capable of even bewitching onlookers.

Shen Yue’s thoughts were not as complex as hers; he was simply curious about how strong Li Qingqiu would be after undergoing the tribulation.

Disciples were constantly going up and down the mountain, spreading news of Li Qingqiu’s tribulation; now, the entire sect was concerned about this Heavenly Tribulation.

Some worried for Li Qingqiu’s safety, some were curious why he had to undergo a tribulation, and others, like Shen Yue, looked forward to what he would become after it.

When the ninety-ninth bolt of heavenly lightning struck, the Heavenly Tribulation came to an abrupt halt, and no more lightning fell.

The terrifying heavenly might that had shrouded the mountains began to slowly dissipate.

As a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and spilled between Qingxiao Mountain and Ziyang Peak, many Disciples breathed a sigh of relief, and the clamor on the two peaks grew louder and louder.

A prompt popped up before Li Qingqiu’s eyes:

【Given that you have undergone your first Heavenly Tribulation, allowing the dao lineage to gain a deeper understanding of the path of Immortal cultivation and planting the concept of fighting against heaven in the hearts of the Disciples, this is a milestone in the development of the dao lineage. You receive a Divine Ability Legacy reward.】

A Divine Ability Legacy reward?

Not bad, stronger than a regular Legacy reward. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an opportunity to select a destiny.

Li Qingqiu thought silently as he began to consolidate his cultivation.

After stepping into the Spiritual Consciousness Realm, his Origin Qi reserves grew twofold. At this moment, the 【Hundred Refinements Demonic Body】 destiny began to take effect. His body became like a bottomless pit, frantically absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and the speed at which it converted into Origin Qi far exceeded that before his Breakthrough.

The thunderclouds in the sky slowly parted, and more and more sunlight spilled down, allowing the Qingxiao Sect to see the light of day once again.

This tribulation lasted less than half an hour, but it felt like an entire day to the Disciples.

They were desperate to know the Sect Leader’s condition after the tribulation, so a large number of Disciples rushed toward the mountain.

Zhang Yuchun immediately had Chai Yunshang lead people to stop the Disciples, not allowing them to disturb Li Qingqiu.

Looking ahead, the mountain path was crowded with people, extremely congested.

Cloud Color and her seven companions stood in the forest. Looking from afar, they were all shocked. They knew there were many Disciples in the sect, but seeing them today, they realized they had underestimated their numbers.

“I’ve only seen things like Undergoing Tribulations in myths and legends. Is the Sect Leader truly an Immortal?”

“Nonsense, if the Sect Leader weren’t an Immortal, could the Qingxiao Sect have developed so quickly?”

“Will those lightning bolts hitting him shatter his robes? I’m really worried about him.”

“I think you’re just lusting after his body.”

“Oh, don’t talk nonsense! You girl, your words are getting more and more bold.”

As the seven female Disciples talked, they began to play and mess around.

Cloud Color had no heart to listen to their chatter; her heart was full of worry, fearing that Li Qingqiu might have some mishap.

Her right hand rested on the bamboo gourd pot at her waist, her palm turning white from the grip, forcing three Mountain Bees to fly out from the pot… No matter how noisy it was down the mountain, Li Qingqiu focused on consolidating his cultivation.

The sun set and the moon rose. Even as night fell, Qingxiao Mountain remained lively, and the lights in each courtyard stayed lit.

Li Qingqiu was still absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, though the commotion was no longer as great.

It took a full three days and three nights for Li Qingqiu’s Origin Qi to reach a state of abundance.

First Layer of the Spiritual Consciousness Realm!

At twenty-eight years old, at the First Layer of the Spiritual Consciousness Realm. Li Qingqiu didn’t know how his cultivation speed compared to the past, but in today’s world, no one should be able to match him.

He felt a slight sense of pride, but after he stood up, he cast that pride aside.

As the leader of a sect, he could not be arrogant. He must always remain wary of the world; only then could he lead the Qingxiao Sect further.

He walked down the mountain. Lin Chuan, Nangong E, and Chu Jing immediately floated over, concerned about his condition, and Gold Lad also jumped onto his shoulder.

“Excellent. I have now reached a higher Realm. When you reach the Ninth Layer of the Nourishing Origin Realm, you can look up to this major Realm of mine.”

Li Qingqiu chuckled softly, his words leaving the ghosts and demons enthralled.

Chu Jing couldn’t help but ask, “Master, when the heavenly lightning struck you, didn’t you feel pain?”

Li Qingqiu snorted, “How could it not hurt? It was a pain that went deep into the Soul. But as the Sect Leader of the Qingxiao Sect, how could I scream in pain? No matter how much it hurts, I can endure it.”

Chu Jing felt a deep sense of respect, filled with admiration for Li Qingqiu.

Nangong E and Lin Chen looked at him with worship, their eyes burning with fervor. Even Gold Lad tilted his head to look at him.

Although Li Qingqiu was boasting, he did so for the sake of the others; he didn’t want them to underestimate the power of heavenly lightning because of him.

They chatted as they walked down the mountain.

It was just past noon. When Li Qingqiu arrived at the Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Dongyue was still waiting there.

Seeing his figure, Li Dongyue looked up in surprise and immediately went to meet him. She came before Li Qingqiu and reached out to feel all over him.

“Junior Sister, what are you doing?” Li Qingqiu asked nervously.

Fortunately, Li Dongyue didn’t touch anywhere she shouldn’t have. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Li Qingqiu with a resentful gaze, saying, “I was worried about you! Senior Brother, really, you didn’t even tell us in advance about the tribulation. This was too sudden.”

Li Qingqiu felt a warmth in his heart. The other Junior Brothers and sisters were all busy, and only Li Dongyue was still waiting here. How could he not be moved?

“This wasn’t something I could predict in advance. The feeling of a Breakthrough just comes when it comes,” Li Qingqiu replied helplessly.

After hearing this, Li Dongyue’s brow relaxed. She pulled Li Qingqiu to the long table to sit and then poured tea for him.

“Senior Brother, how do you feel now?” Li Dongyue asked curiously.

Li Qingqiu said with a smile, “Excellent. I have already surpassed the nine layers of Nourishing Origin and reached the higher Spiritual Consciousness Realm.”

Li Dongyue’s eyes widened, and she said in surprise, “Surpassed the Ninth Layer of the Nourishing Origin Realm? Senior Brother, you’re too amazing!”

Her expression and tone greatly satisfied Li Qingqiu’s vanity.

Li Qingqiu encouraged her, “You will have this day too.”

Li Dongyue’s expression darkened as she said, “With my talent, I’m afraid I won’t even see the Ninth Layer of the Nourishing Origin Realm before I die.”

Hearing these words, Li Qingqiu’s excitement instantly vanished. He frowned, the joy of his Breakthrough dampened by worries about the future.

“The Spiritual Wealth Hall has already developed. You don’t need to keep such a close eye on it. Delegate power to the Disciples. That way, you’ll have more time for cultivation, and the Disciples will be happy too, as they also want to strive for more power,” Li Qingqiu said earnestly.

Li Dongyue looked at him and asked, “What if, even so, my cultivation speed is still not fast?”

“Don’t hold such pessimistic thoughts. You should think, ‘I must surpass the Ninth Layer of the Nourishing Origin Realm.’ Set aside your pride as a Hall Master and Cultivate resolutely. Besides, with me here, even if I have to throw resources at you, I will push you and our Junior Brothers and sisters up there,” Li Qingqiu said seriously, his tone becoming domineering toward the end.

The Qingxiao Sect belonged to him. He could give the Disciples as much fairness as possible, but the sect’s resources were definitely under his say. He would naturally favor his own Junior Brothers and sisters and wasn’t afraid of what people would say.

Li Dongyue was stunned by his gaze. After a moment of daze, she smiled brightly and said, “Alright, then I really must work hard at cultivation and try my best to accompany Senior Brother on this journey.”

Li Qingqiu raised his hand, and Li Dongyue proactively leaned down, bringing her head close for him to rub.

The two began to reminisce about the past. Although they were still young, whenever they were alone, they always ended up talking about their childhood.

That day, news that the Sect Leader had finished consolidating his cultivation spread. Li Qingqiu did not return to his Immortal Cave but waited in the Lingxiao Courtyard. One by one, hall masters and Disciples came to visit him. Only after seeing that he was truly fine did they completely relax.

At dusk, Li Qingqiu even walked out of the Lingxiao Courtyard and headed down the mountain to let more Disciples see him.

Some Disciples asked Li Qingqiu why he had to undergo a tribulation, and he told them the truth.

Other Disciples asked him how to undergo a tribulation. He said that there was no fixed method, but one thing was certain: the Heavenly Tribulation could not be avoided and must be faced head-on. In the future, the sect would study Formations and Magical Artifacts to help Disciples undergo their tribulations.

The plan he revealed made the Disciples very excited.

After wandering the mountain for an hour, Li Qingqiu finally headed back up.

While walking along a stretch of mountain path, a person suddenly stepped out from the forest. He turned his head and saw that it was Cloud Color.

“Why are you here?” Li Qingqiu asked in surprise.

This girl didn’t even carry a lantern; was she trying to scare someone?

Cloud Color walked up to him, looked him up and down, and then breathed a sigh of relief. She took off the bamboo gourd pot from her waist and said, “Sect Leader, I have already initially raised the Heart-Devouring Bees. In another year at most, I can put them into battle.”

Li Qingqiu could feel the small things containing faint Spiritual Qi moving in the pot. He smiled and praised, “I didn’t expect you to actually be able to refine them. Impressive. Later, I’ll have Wu Xingyue from the Tiangong Hall forge a special Magical Artifact for you to house your Heart-Devouring Bees.”

Cloud Color nodded. She plucked up her courage and took a step forward.

Li Qingqiu frowned. What was this girl trying to do?

“Sect Leader, I want to become stronger. I want to share more of the burden for you. The Heart-Devouring Bees aren’t enough; they’re too simple for me. I want to learn truly powerful Spells,” Cloud Color said seriously, staring at Li Qingqiu.

Just that?

Li Qingqiu breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, while his face turned solemn. “Your cultivation is too low. Learning too many Spells now will only hinder your growth. When you reach the Yangyuan Realm Sixth Layer, I will pass on everything I have learned to you. I have high hopes for you; I hope you can become the strongest Disciple in the sect, and I have confidence in you.”

“The strongest…”

Cloud Color was pleasantly surprised, her heart racing.

There were so many geniuses in the sect; although she had confidence, she wasn’t absolutely certain.

But since Li Qingqiu had said so, she would work toward that goal.

She, Cloud Color, must become the strongest Disciple of the Qingxiao Sect to prove to the world that Li Qingqiu’s judgment was not wrong!

In the future, she would protect him just as Li Qingqiu had protected her!