Chapter 378 - Progression to Soul Formation
Atop the Full Moon Mountain, about a dozen students were gathered at the summit.
Xu Xiaolan, Xuanyuan Cheng, Su Qianyun, Liu Qianhuan, Luo Ziping, Miao Tian, Zong Yongyan, Sun Shenglian, Yao Mingxi, Yao Xiu, Hu Guan, Tang Ximen, Liu Dabao, Zhao Huaiyin…
All of An Lin’s friends immediately gathered at the summit of the Full Moon Mountain after receiving news that An Lin was going to make a breakthrough.
There was another handsome man in white robes with a sword strapped to his waist standing at the summit as well. He was An Lin’s home-room teacher, Sword Immortal Ling Xiao.
An Lin could only transcend the tribulation through his own power, there was no one who could help him during this process.
Sword Immortal Ling Xiao was here partly in case mishaps arose outside of the process of tribulation transcendence, and also just to provide moral support for An Lin.
An Lin’s imminent breakthrough attempt was still a secret. If he really had broadcasted it to everyone, the whole school would probably be in a state of uproar. If that happened, there would probably be a few tens-of-thousands of students gathered at the Full Moon Mountain. Hence, An Lin decided to only inform a handful of his closest friends in order to avoid such a situation from occurring.
“Back in the day, I could fight on par with An Lin. Who would have thought that he would be progressing to Soul Formation Stage now…” Liu Dabao’s pitch-black face was etched with sadness.
“People always change, even dogs can change.” Zhao Huaiyin raised his head to look up at the sky and heaved a forlorn sigh.
Liu Qianhuan giggled excitedly. “Who would have thought that the first person from our school to progress to Soul Formation Stage would be An Lin. I’m feeling a little embarrassed as his upperclasswoman!”
Tang Ximen rolled his eyes at Liu Qianhuan. “You don’t look embarrassed at all. But I truly am feeling quite embarrassed as his upperclassman.”
“I recall when he first came to the school, he was only zero stage Dao Body, and I had encouraged him to try harder in his cultivation. But in a short three years, he’s already going to become the first Soul Formation Stage cultivator among all of us.” Xuanyuan Cheng lamented as he wore a reminiscent expression.
“But An Lin hasn’t even reached the Half-Step Soul Formation Stage yet, how is he going to progress to Soul Formation Stage straightaway?” Su Qianyun’s porcelain-like features were etched with confusion.
Zong Yongyan waved his fan with a knowing expression. “This is Big Brother An we’re talking about here, how can you judge him with normal standards? He could crush a cultivator at the Return to Void Pinnacle Stage back when he was only at tenth-stage Dao Body; I wouldn’t even be surprised here if he skipped straight to Return to Void Stage!”
“Exactly, this is Great God An we’re talking about here!” Miao Tian’s delicate features were filled with admiration.
“Big Brother An is the best!” Yao Mingxi and Hu Guan chimed in collectively as the retarded superfan duo.
Xu Xiaolan turned her gaze onto a winding path paved with bluestone, where she saw a figure in a red robe. A lovely smile blossomed on her face. “An Lin is here.”
Everyone turned in the same direction, and they were greeted by the sight of An Lin in a red robe. Behind him, there was a monkey and a dog trailing along, as well as an exquisitely beautiful young woman in a crimson red dress.
An Lin came to the summit and was a little embarrassed that everyone had arrived before him. He bowed slightly in an apologetic gesture. “Sorry to keep you all waiting.”
“Hehe, there’s no need to apologize, we all arrived early of our own accord.” Ling Xiao looked at An Lin with anticipation in his eyes.
“By the way, Classmate An Lin, why are you wearing a red robe? I’ve never seen you wear one before.” Su Qianyun blinked with curiosity.
“You’re not getting married, why are you dressing up like that? Should we pin a red hydrangea to your chest?” Xu Xiaolan rolled her eyes with disdain.
An Lin puffed his chest out with a smug smile. “How would you understand my amazing fashion sense? Transcending the tribulation to Soul Formation Stage is a big event, of course I have to dress for the occasion!”
“Oh…” Su Qianyun’s eyes lit up as if she had just learned something important.
“Big Brother An is right!” Miao Tian and the others yelled excitedly.
“Xiao Hong.” An Lin waved his hand at the young woman behind him.
The young woman nodded and transformed into a streak of red light before setting on top of his head as a little red flower fluttering in the wind.
Sword Immortal Ling Xiao asked with a curious expression, “Student An Lin, what is the purpose of this?”
An Lin smiled lightly. “Sir, this is for good luck!”
Sword Immortal Ling Xiao: “…”
Hu Guan, Yao Mingxi, and the others all yelled with excitement. “Big Brother An is so smart!”
Xu Xiaolan clapped her hand to her forehead. “You’re about to transcend the tribulation to Soul Formation Stage, can’t you be a bit more serious?”
Liu Qianhuan was already chortling with mirth at An Lin’s peculiar get-up, and she immediately snapped a picture on her phone for commemorative purposes.
Sword Immortal Ling Xiao soon regained his composure after being momentarily silenced by An Lin’s peculiar get-up. “Student An Lin, progression to Soul Formation Stage requires transcendence of 49 lightning tribulations. No one can help you during the process; you’ll only be able to rely on your own strength. If you succeed, you will progress to Soul Formation Stage, but failure means death. Are you ready?”
Everyone’s expressions became a lot more solemn after hearing this as they directed their anxious gazes toward An Lin.
Tribulation transcendence was no laughing matter. Even though the lightning tribulations that needed to be transcended to reach Soul Formation Stage were of the lowest tier, the survival rate was still less than half. Only the prodigies of all the large sects had a significantly higher survival rate, but there were still many who failed and lost their lives as a result. Hence, this lightning tribulation still posed a great threat to An Lin.
“I’m ready to start at any time,” An Lin replied with a calm smile.
If he wanted to progress forward on this path to attain immortality, he definitely couldn’t back down now.
Sword Immortal Ling Xiao nodded and looked around at the students around him. “Let’s clear out an area with a radius of a thousand feet. That way, there will be no chance of us interfering with Student An Lin’s tribulation transcendence.”
Everyone immediately began to retreat.
“An Lin, I believe in you!” Xu Xiaolan looked deep into An Lin’s eyes and offered up words of encouragement.
Her words instantly triggered a chorus of encouragement.
“Classmate, I have the utmost faith in you!”
“Go, Big Brother An!”
“Big Brother An, we’ll watch you destroy the lightning tribulations…”
A rush of warmth flowed through An Lin’s heart at their words and gestures of encouragement.
Da Bai, Xiao Chou, and Xiao Hong also left and retreated with everyone else. If others were present during the process of tribulation transcendence, the lightning tribulations would become even more powerful and fearsome. Not even spell formations or talismans could be used.
“An Lin, we’re all here for you!”
Xu Xiaolan’s clear, crisp voice sounded from over a thousand feet away.
An Lin took a deep breath and made a confident gesture to the green figure in the distance who had her hand clasped tightly before her.
Everyone else, who had also retreated to over a thousand feet away, were all staring intently at An Lin with anxious expressions. All of them were too scared to even blink.
An Lin slowly sat down onto the ground before everyone’s eyes.
It appeared that he had begun meditating, was he preparing to trigger the lightning tribulations?
They looked on as he brought out a golden ginseng from his storage ring!
What was he doing?
Holy f*ck, that ginseng could move!
Sword Immortal Ling Xiao’s expression shifted drastically. “This… These energy fluctuations are extremely peculiar. Is that a Divine Paragon Fruit?”
Divine Paragon Fruit? Big Brother An has a Divine Paragon Fruit!?
What is he doing with the Divine Paragon Fruit?
Just as everyone was looking on in confusion.
“Ah! He ate the Divine Paragon Fruit!”
Everyone in the distance gasped in unison.
Divine Paragon Fruits contained a vast amount of energy. Even Return to Void Stage mighty figure’s might self-detonate from eating one, how was a Spirit Nurturing Stage cultivator like An Lin going to survive?!
“Is Classmate An Lin going to be ok?” Su Qianyun couldn’t help but cover her mouth in shock.
“He should be fine, Big Brother An is invincible.” All the retarded superfans responded in kind, but their emotions were betrayed by the concern in their eyes.
In contrast to everyone else, Xu Xiaolan heaved a sigh of relief.
She always felt like An Lin had to eat something weird before making a breakthrough, otherwise, it just didn’t feel right. Now that he had eaten something, he should be able to make an easy breakthrough…
Just as everyone was looking on with concern, golden light suddenly began to burst forth from An Lin’s eyes.
Vital energy began to surge within a five-kilometer radius.
A few seconds later, dark clouds engulfed the entire sky and earsplitting claps of thunder erupted throughout heaven and earth!