Chapter 24: Eyes

The violent energy fluctuations within the black clouds worked in Li Xuan’s favor, converting life force into a fount of energy. The lotus flower standing tall in the sky poured out a continuous stream of power.

The black clouds grew increasingly heavy. Compressed energy collided repeatedly, erupting in unprecedented waves of force. Li Xuan, enveloped by the heavenly tribulation, sensed a peril unlike any he had known before, for this was Misty Shadow Mountain—a forbidden zone of life formed by the fall of a great being from the Mythological Era.

Li Xuan was forced to push his strength to the limit, carving intricate and bizarre Source Runes into the surrounding space with every movement. In this moment, Li Xuan finally understood what it meant to be a "variable." A variable emerges silently; when it truly arrives, no one can resist it. Such is the nature of a variable.

A tribulation is an event destined to occur, and likewise, no one can stop it. Only by rising to meet the ordeal can one achieve perfect merit and complete wisdom.

"Come then, Heavenly Tribulation! I, Li Xuan, have never committed evil in this world, and I refuse to believe that the Heavenly Dao is so unjust!"

Li Xuan opened his arms to welcome the baptism of the tribulation.

Boom!

The black clouds churned in treacherous and unpredictable patterns. Lightning pythons surged, and the world seemed to return to its primordial state. Rolling thunder bestowed the majesty of the heavens. In an instant, the world plunged into darkness—a void deeper than the dead of night descended upon the earth, followed by a succession of eerie visions.

A sea of lightning poured from the sky. The ancient and weathered aura felt as if he had been transported back to the Mythological Era—a time when gods roamed the earth and countless mighty beings chased each other across the vast starry sky, striking terror into the hearts of all races.

Yet, that was but a drop in the ocean. More terrifying entities began to harvest life. Grotesque images drifted by; skeletal apparitions that filled even the gods with fear. They were slaughtered silently, their life force ruthlessly reaped. Beneath ancient and mysterious bronze masks were snarling, starving faces, and while they devoured life, they were themselves watched by a pair of enigmatic eyes.

Yes, those eyes.

After using his Source Rune formations multiple times, Li Xuan had sensed their presence. They were omnipresent, monitoring every primate in the world, waiting for the fruit to ripen before beginning the harvest. Those eyes filled cultivators with confusion and dread. They lurked in the shadows, impossible to guard against.

"What is this vision?"

Li Xuan was lost in confusion. As he questioned himself, the sea of thunder surged, whipping up a tsunami of lightning pythons that swallowed him whole. The purification of his soul caused him to be reborn.

Li Xuan’s divine soul was scrubbed and refined within the sea of lightning, erasing all the worldly grit and dust, while ancient memories came flooding back. Li Xuan was both shocked and terrified. What kind of blood feud could drive someone to commit such apostasy, such defiance against the heavens?

Li Xuan dared not imagine what those entities hidden in the deep darkness sought, or why they would poison the world so, spreading this slaughter across the entire galaxy. Though they were of the deepest darkness and cruel beyond measure, a powerful life force was still resisting them—the First Emperor Cangqiong, the Dao Emperor Wuran, the Empress Yaotian…

But they were too lonely. Throughout history, how many heroes had stood like them to protect the common people? Their final fate was nothing more than a mound of yellow earth. These visions were truly inconceivable; the vast land was filled with the bones of heroes who had defied fate, and even buried in the underworld, they continued their silent resistance.

Boom!

The sea of thunder churned, and in a single clash, Li Xuan’s soul was ruthlessly extinguished.

The lightning sea fell silent, ripples of electricity spreading into the distance. Suddenly, deep within the lightning sea, a light of origin flashed. All things coalesced; the power of creation stirred up massive waves, and the immense energy formed a giant vortex, crushing everything while simultaneously creating infinite, vigorous life.

Despite the thunder and lightning, the energy swirled madly until the sea of thunder withered and the lightning vanished. A figure emerged from the depths of the depleted sea. The infinitely compressed black cloud had finally dissipated.

However, the lotus flower blooming in the sky began to spin frantically, erupting with terrifying fluctuations. The powerful, horrific magnetic field made it impossible for anyone to look directly at it, including the eyes hidden in the darkness. Finally, the lotus halo retracted, condensing into a golden seed that tore through the void and struck Misty Shadow Mountain.

With a thunderous rumble, it dropped into the center of Li Xuan’s brow. A flash of golden light vanished into his sea of energy. The illusions of the world collapsed, and he vanished from beneath the tribulation clouds.

When the members of the three great families arrived, they saw a young girl sitting cross-legged, surrounded by lotus petals. The radiant auspicious light had not yet fully faded. Only when she opened her bright, limpid eyes did that radiance sink into her body.

The girl stretched and looked around, shouting angrily, "Get lost, now!"

Her voice rang like a great bell—ancient, distant, and carrying the aura of an empress. The three great elder patrons were chilled to the bone.

Kong Sheng looked at the girl in shock. "Who are you? And where is he?"

The girl cast a sidelong glance at Kong Sheng, her eyes flashing with brilliance. "What are you trying to say?"

The girl’s tone held a clear threat, signaling him not to meddle in affairs that did not concern him. She was bright, moving, and graceful, possessing a natural charm even beyond Jiang Qingyue, like a fairy descended to the mortal world, holy and incomparable.

The girl was none other than Xu Luobing.

Her appearance completely masked the aura of Li Xuan’s tribulation, leading everyone to believe that it was she who had undergone the ordeal. The grand display was world-shaking, and it led everyone to conclude that the girl was certainly no ordinary person.

"A bunch of ants! Do not disturb my rest. Get lost!"

Hearing this, the members of the three families trembled, including the three elder patrons, and they turned to flee immediately. Given the aura she released, those at the peak of the Profound Entry Realm were indeed like ants to her.

Kong Sheng was deep in thought, but he dared not linger for even a second. He knew that Li Xuan was the one who had been undergoing the tribulation, and his sudden disappearance must be a secret of great import.

Suddenly, Xu Luobing moved, grabbing a man’s ankle and dragging him out, dumping him onto a hillside. She released her hand, and the man let out a pig-like shriek.

"You wretched woman, I’m not finished with you!"

Then came the man’s heavy panting: "Do with me as you please!"

Xu Luobing giggled. "If it weren't for your loyalty in protecting your master, I would surely have tortured you!"

The man was none other than Old Hei. Though severely wounded, he had not fled; instead, he had risked being swallowed by the lightning to stay by and wait for Li Xuan to emerge. To show such loyalty in just a few days meant his character was surely not lacking.

"Can you walk? Follow from a distance, and do not get too close to me!"

Old Hei wasn't the brightest, but he understood from her words that she held no malice toward Li Xuan, so he followed her instructions and kept his distance. He remained convinced that Li Xuan was protected by heaven. After all, had he not escaped the Desolate Ancient Temple, which struck fear into the hearts of all? Could there be any place in the world more terrifying than that?

Thus, Old Hei was certain the girl was leading him to Li Xuan. He traveled over mountains and through streams, sleeping in the open without a single complaint, following Xu Luobing from afar.

Although Li Xuan had been taken away by the golden light, he still felt those deep eyes watching him. Furthermore, both Old Hei and Xiao Ning had mentioned the Source Master lineage, and he had learned of the "Tomb Kui."

This was definitely not simple. It was not just because he had frequently used Source Rune formations, but more crucially, how those eyes had silently set their sights on him.

Li Xuan urgently wanted to know the answer. Currently, three people knew it: the masked girl at the gambling den, Xiao Ning, and Xu Luobing.

Among them, Xu Luobing was a master of Source Rune formations, capable of breaking even the Three Talents Universe Source Array. Xiao Ning could have killed him but had missed the chance because she was too busy asking about the Source Master lineage.

Xiao Ning and Xu Luobing were the prime suspects, and they knew the most.

Li Xuan climbed up from the mountain stream and felt his Qiankun bag; fortunately, nothing was lost. He looked toward the distance, where the fog rolled and the mountain mist shrouded the Misty Shadow Mountain. His heart was filled with immense reverence. His cultivation was currently too shallow; it was not yet time to delve into the depths of Misty Shadow Mountain.

After tidying up, Li Xuan calculated that the seven-day deadline was approaching, and he had to return to the Sacred Dao Academy. As for the mysterious eyes, he had to force himself to stop thinking about them and warned himself that he must never use Source Rune formations unless absolutely necessary, lest he one day lose himself and become a Tomb Kui.

***

Sacred Dao Academy! Canglang Villa!

"Uncle Liu, why didn't you go to save Li Xuan? Is it because you hold a grudge for him insulting you?"

Jiang Qingyue curled up on the soft sofa, her head resting on her knees, her eyes blurred with tears as she wept bitterly.

Just as Uncle Liu was about to reply, a figure turned the corner, waving a delicate hand to signal him to withdraw.

"Little Yueyue, Li Xuan is protected by heaven. Perhaps he will appear before your eyes in a moment? You aren't pretty when you cry like this!"

The newcomer’s voice was gentle and soothing, but Jiang Qingyue continued to sob. "Cousin, you don't understand. Although that boy is glib, I like him so much. I would even trade my life for his!"

The speaker was Gong Jinglin, the eldest princess of the Sacred Moon Imperial Court. Hearing Jiang Qingyue’s heartfelt words, she frowned. The raw stone had been opened, but the ancient scroll remained sealed. She had hoped to have Li Xuan try again, but she never expected it to lead to such a disaster.

The Desolate Ancient Temple, that forbidden zone from the Mythological Era, had not seen a single person emerge alive in thousands of years.

"Uncle Liu, how do you plead?"

Uncle Liu fell to his knees immediately, his face full of grievance. Just as he was about to defend himself, a hearty voice rang out: "Big sister, have you missed me? Your ears are blushing, you must have been thinking of me!"

Suddenly, Li Xuan’s appearance was like a depth charge, leaving the three of them stunned and bewildered.