To ensure that the Five Elements Beast-Controlling Art – Azure Jade Ginseng King could undergo the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation, Li Mu made thorough preparations in advance.
He refined a three-layered lightning rod using a more complex and safer structure, based on the principle of a Faraday cage.
Additionally, there was a shield and a short staff, two six-tier spirit treasures.
The simple small round shield appeared ordinary, but it was secretly engraved with countless artifact patterns and lightning-protection runes; each rune generated a protective shield to weaken the power of the heavenly thunder.
The other item was a short staff, engraved with various exotic beast patterns, the most prominent of which was a spiritual deer, carved so lifelike that it seemed ready to leap from the staff at any moment.
The Hundred Yao Soul-Summoning Staff, refined from the essence of hundreds of high-level Yao Beasts, could summon a soul to counteract the damage of a tribulation lightning strike to the Divine Soul.
Besides these, there were also high-level Spirit Pills for restoring wood Qi, and lightning-resistant defense talismans... Li Mu spared no effort and made extensive preparations to give the Azure Jade Ginseng King the highest chance of successfully undergoing the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation.
While Li Mu was preparing the Azure Jade Ginseng King for its tribulation, the Azure Jade Ginseng King itself was continuously cultivating.
Its Aura grew stronger and stronger, seemingly having recovered to its Peak state.
A large amount of mu yi essence and mystic wood essence was continuously absorbed by it, making its Aura increasingly powerful.
These Heaven and Earth spiritual essences not only rapidly improved its cultivation but also pushed it continuously towards a higher Realm.
Time flowed on, and with the blessing of the Years, the Azure Jade Ginseng King recovered to its full strength.
However, feeling the terrifying Lightning Tribulation condensing and enveloping its heart, the child-like face it had transformed into could not hide its fear.
It had already sensed the terrifying Lightning Tribulation outside the Grotto-Heaven Magic Treasure beginning to condense, like a massive dark cloud covering its head.
The child-like face that the Azure Jade Ginseng King had transformed into could no longer conceal the fear in its heart; it was an instinctive, deep fear, and even with tens of thousands of Years of cultivation, it could not resist this pressure from the Heavenly Dao.
Seeing the Azure Jade Ginseng King's pale face and trembling appearance, Li Mu quickly took out the spiritual items prepared for its Undergoing Tribulation.
"These are the lightning-protection Spiritual Artifacts, Spirit Pills, and so on that I prepared for you... Don't underestimate this lightning rod.
Refine it and stay inside; it can help you avoid the first few waves of body-destroying lightning, which cause the most damage to your body..." Li Mu handed the lightning-protection items to the Azure Jade Ginseng King and explained them in detail.
"Do these lightning-protection Spiritual Artifacts really have such powerful functions? Don't lie to me!"
"Please don't lie to me! If it doesn't work, I'll die!"
"I'll die!"
The Azure Jade Ginseng King looked at Li Mu expectantly, its body trembling with fear, clutching the Undergoing Tribulation Magic Treasure tightly, and continuously asking for confirmation.
Seeing its cowardly and panicked appearance, Li Mu was exasperated and scolded angrily, "Quickly refine them and firmly remember the lightning-protection methods I taught you, otherwise, you really will die!"
The Azure Jade Ginseng King was scared pale by Li Mu's words and quickly followed his instructions, beginning to refine the lightning-protection items in its hand and master their functions.
Seeing the Azure Jade Ginseng King calm down and focus on mastering the lightning-protection Spiritual Artifacts, Li Mu's figure flickered, and he left the Treasure Mansion Space.
Next, Li Mu took the Painting World Treasure Mansion and moved away from Yin Yang Valley, preparing to go to a chosen place for the Azure Jade Ginseng King to undergo its tribulation, so as not to affect Yin Yang Valley.
Looking at the thundercloud above his head, which moved with him and grew thicker and thicker, Li Mu knew it was almost time.
If he delayed any longer, the Painting World Treasure Mansion would also be implicated by the Azure Jade Ginseng King.
The next moment, Li Mu waved his hand and summoned the Azure Jade Ginseng King out of the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
As soon as the Azure Jade Ginseng King appeared, it immediately felt the dense Aura of the Lightning Tribulation above its head.
Looking at the rapidly gathering thunderclouds, it shrank its head, its body trembling uncontrollably, and its child-like face was filled with terror!
The Seven-Nine Lightning Tribulation! Its True Spirit Thunder Tribulation!
It's over!
This time, it's truly over!
The Azure Jade Ginseng King was filled with fear and despair, unable to muster any will to resist.
"Fearing before fighting! You'll surely die in this Lightning Tribulation, Ginseng King.
You've hidden for thousands of Years; are you going to keep hiding forever?!"
Li Mu's voice was cold, and he angrily questioned, "I've made so many preparations for your Undergoing Tribulation.
Now is the time to fight for a sliver of life.
If not now, then when?!"
The Azure Jade Ginseng King looked up at Li Mu, its eyes filled with bitterness and unwillingness.
It naturally knew that it had avoided the Lightning Tribulation for thousands of Years, and now there was no escaping it.
However, facing that terrifying Lightning Tribulation, it could not muster the courage.
Seeing this, Li Mu sighed in his heart.
He understood that the Azure Jade Ginseng King's fear of death stemmed from its Acquired nature as a plant spirit, but he couldn't let it keep avoiding it, otherwise, it truly wouldn't be able to safely pass this True Spirit Thunder Tribulation.
"Ginseng King, if you retreat now, there will only be death.
The path of Cultivation is inherently Heaven-Defying; how can there be no tribulations?
This tribulation is unavoidable; you have been locked onto by the Lightning Tribulation and cannot escape anymore.
Do as I instruct, and if you can survive this tribulation, you will succeed."
Li Mu's voice was low but full of majesty.
The Azure Jade Ginseng King looked up at Li Mu, a glimmer of hope flashing in its eyes, and the fear on its face gradually disappeared.
It knew that Li Mu's words were true.
At this moment, the Lightning Tribulation had already formed, and the arrow was on the string!
If it didn't fight, it would truly die!
"Remember, those lightning-protection items can help you avoid the first few waves of body-destroying lightning, which cause the most damage to your body.
As long as you integrate your Divine Sense with the Spiritual Artifacts and use them as instructed, they can block most of the Lightning Tribulation's power for you."
Li Mu reminded again.
Upon hearing this, the Azure Jade Ginseng King's heart stirred.
It knew that Li Mu's words were true, and this was its last ray of hope.
As time passed, the thunderclouds in the sky grew denser, and within the rolling thunderclouds, terrifying thunderous might, like a sign of world destruction, pressed down with the force of a collapsing mountain.
Within the thunderclouds, streaks of silver lightning flashed from time to time; each bolt of lightning seemed capable of destroying everything in the world.
Watching the Azure Jade Ginseng King trembling under the Lightning Tribulation, Li Mu sighed helplessly and quickly flew away from the Lightning Tribulation area to avoid being implicated and increasing its Undergoing Tribulation difficulty.
He had done everything he could; now, he could only leave it to fate!
Li Mu stopped a hundred miles away from the Lightning Tribulation, floating in the air, witnessing the Azure Jade Ginseng King undergoing the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation.
"Crack!" A silver lightning bolt, like a giant pillar, streaked down from the sky, carrying the power to destroy everything.
Immediately after, with a loud "Boom!" the silver lightning exploded next to the Azure Jade Ginseng King, which was encased in three layers of metal spheres.
The Azure Jade Ginseng King, who had originally closed its eyes, waiting for the tribulation lightning to strike its body, was slightly startled by the loud noise, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on its small face.
"It missed!" The Azure Jade Ginseng King's eyes widened, and it cheered, "The tribulation lightning actually missed! Is this true? Can something like this happen?"
The Azure Jade Ginseng King was full of surprise, but before it could recover from the shock.
"Crack! Crack! ..." Bolts of thick tribulation lightning continuously descended from the sky; ten thousand bolts of lightning struck simultaneously, and the entire sky of silver tribulation lightning covered the area where it was.
However, the Undergoing Tribulation Magic Treasure it used—the lightning rod—took effect; those tribulation lightning bolts all lost their aim and smashed around!
"Haha, this is great, this is great! This lightning rod can really avoid lightning; I'm saved!"
The Azure Jade Ginseng King, hiding inside the lightning rod, looked at the tribulation lightning that couldn't strike it and immediately burst into tears of joy, laughing happily.
At this moment, the Azure Jade Ginseng King was filled with gratitude for its new master, Li Mu, constantly marveling in its heart.
This new master was not only handsome but also an Artifact Refining Genius; the lightning-protection Magic Treasure he refined was truly beyond its expectations in its effectiveness.
Streaks of thick tribulation lightning continuously descended from the sky, plunging the entire world into the terror of the Lightning Tribulation.
However, under the protection of the lightning-protection Magic Treasure, the Azure Jade Ginseng King was like a small boat swaying forward in a stormy sea, never truly suffering harm.
Whenever a bolt of tribulation lightning struck, the miraculous power generated by the lightning rod automatically deflected the aim of the tribulation lightning; it was truly amazing!
The Azure Jade Ginseng King hid safely inside the Magic Treasure.
It looked at the deflected tribulation lightning bolts around it, its heart filled with joy and relief.
However, good times did not last long.
As the color of the tribulation lightning gradually turned deep purple, a terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire space.
The deep purple lightning, like a world-destroying blade, struck the lightning-protection Magic Treasure fiercely with its destructive power.
The Azure Jade Ginseng King's joyful expression instantly vanished, replaced by a pale face.
The lightning-protection Magic Treasure's effectiveness seemed unable to completely withstand this deep purple tribulation lightning, and the Azure Jade Ginseng King began to panic a little.
It then remembered that its master had said that this lightning rod could only help it avoid some body-destroying tribulations, and subsequent soul-destroying tribulations could not be avoided.
"How can this be! Why can't this lightning rod avoid the later tribulation lightning!" The Azure Jade Ginseng King screamed loudly, beginning to feel a sense of despair.
It had originally thought that with this lightning rod, it could safely pass the Lightning Tribulation, but it hadn't expected that it would be ineffective against the later tribulation lightning.
The deep purple lightning struck a crack in the lightning-protection Magic Treasure; the crack was like the sharp claws of a monster, instantly tearing the Magic Treasure apart.
The powerful lightning instantly struck the Azure Jade Ginseng King's body, and a puff of black smoke rose with it.
"Ah!"
"It hurts so much!"
The Azure Jade Ginseng King let out a mournful cry, its voice filled with endless pain and despair.
It trembled, its once lively eyes now somewhat dim.
It was struck back to its original form by the Lightning Tribulation: a charred, radish-thick ginseng body.
In this critical moment, the Azure Jade Ginseng King did not completely give up.
It suddenly remembered that there were still two Lightning Tribulation Magic Treasures it had not used, and immediately sacrificed the small round shield and the Hundred Beasts Soul-Summoning Staff.
As soon as the two Magic Treasures were sacrificed, they immediately emitted a strong light, activating a verdant green protective shield, and a terrified high-level Yao Soul transformed into a streak of light and directly met the purple tribulation lightning.
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the purple tribulation lightning collided with the small round shield, unleashing a powerful energy.
The small round shield's light instantly dimmed considerably, but it still toughly blocked in front of the Azure Jade Ginseng King.
The Yao Soul summoned by the Hundred Beasts Soul-Summoning Staff was destroyed by the purple Lightning Tribulation and dissipated.
The Azure Jade Ginseng King's body trembled, and the purple lightning struck it to the ground.
However, it quickly adjusted its state; the power of this Lightning Tribulation was largely offset and still within its tolerance range.
Soon, another purple tribulation lightning struck, and the Azure Jade Ginseng King had no time to think of anything else, continuing to control its treasures and hastily respond.
...
Watching the Azure Jade Ginseng King's Undergoing Tribulation state from afar, Li Mu breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Although the Azure Jade Ginseng King looked disheveled at this moment, it had made all the necessary moves.
Currently, apart from some superficial injuries, it was still fine.
The Lightning Tribulation continued, and relying on the power of the two Undergoing Tribulation Spirit Treasures, the Azure Jade Ginseng King passed several waves of purple lightning, and soon, it ushered in the red tribulation lightning...
This Lightning Tribulation was indeed too cruel for the Azure Jade Ginseng King, but for a Seven-rank plant Spiritual Root, it was already very impressive that it could withstand so many waves of lightning.
Time continued to pass, and the Lightning Tribulation gradually became sparser.
Finally, after the last bolt of tribulation lightning struck, the Azure Jade Ginseng King's body was completely enveloped in a layer of golden light.
Upon seeing this, Li Mu's heart rejoiced, knowing that this was a sign that the Azure Jade Ginseng King was about to pass the Lightning Tribulation.
Soon after, the golden light on the Azure Jade Ginseng King's body gradually dissipated.
It slowly opened its eyes, a hint of fatigue appearing on its small face.
However, its eyes were filled with joy and excitement.
However, at this very moment, an anomaly occurred.
Several dark figures were excitedly speeding towards the center of the Lightning Tribulation.
The Seven-rank True Spirit Thunder Tribulation spanned a hundred miles, with a grand momentum.
The place Li Mu chose for the Undergoing Tribulation was already an extremely remote area, but such a vast thundercloud certainly could not escape the notice of high-level Cultivators.
Seeing that the Azure Jade Ginseng King was about to complete its Undergoing Tribulation, those who had been secretly spying could no longer resist making a move!
"Haha, a mere plant spirit, how can it Heaven-Defyingly pass the Seven-rank True Spirit Thunder Tribulation?" A dark figure sneered and was the first to act.
"Old Ghost Lin, this thing is too hot to handle; it's not something you can covet!"
"If you don't want to die, get lost!"
The red-haired old man, the old Daoist Qingdao, and several other figures instantly appeared above the Lightning Tribulation, angrily vying to attack, aiming directly at the Azure Jade Ginseng King, who was receiving the golden light baptism after the Lightning Tribulation, their eyes filled with greed.
A Ginseng King that successfully passed the Seven-rank True Spirit Thunder Tribulation!
If such a Spirit Medicine could be consumed, extending life by a thousand Years and greatly increasing cultivation would be minor benefits.
Perhaps it could even cleanse one's Aptitude and Break through to the next major Realm.
Everyone could no longer hold back; they all wanted to claim the Azure Jade Ginseng King for themselves.
They might have had some friendship among them, but at this critical juncture, they were like enemies who had killed their fathers or blocked their Dao, striking ruthlessly and without mercy.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Several attacks landed, and violent explosions erupted one after another; the thunderclouds, which were about to dissipate, instantly churned, forcefully shattered.
Under the thunderclouds, the Azure Jade Ginseng King, who had not yet fully recovered, tumbled within the thunderclouds, its body flashing with golden light, but the violent explosions forced it to awaken.
Seeing this scene, Li Mu sighed helplessly and was forced to act! (End of Chapter)
