Chapter 499: Ling Qingzhu Departs, Charging into the Reincarnation Tribulation!
After returning to Dao Sect, Ling Qingzhu expressed her intention to return to the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace. She had originally stayed to comprehend reincarnation, and now that she had successfully broken through to the Reincarnation Stage, the Ancestral Palace was no longer of much help to her.
Since she wouldn't be cultivating in the Ancestral Palace anymore, there was little reason for her to remain in Dao Sect. Moreover, for certain personal reasons, she felt somewhat uncomfortable staying.
Lin Fan understood her feelings, so he didn't try to stop her. They agreed that he would visit her at the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace after some time.
Once Ling Qingzhu left, Lin Fan spent three more leisurely days in Dao Sect, walking around with Ying Huanhuan and Qing Tan.
As for Lin Dong, not long after returning to Dao Sect, perhaps because his heart had finally relaxed, he encountered an opportunity for a breakthrough and entered deep seclusion.
"Huanhuan, I'm planning to enter seclusion to challenge the Reincarnation Tribulation. I'll leave Qing Tan in your care," Lin Fan said one day while strolling with Ying Huanhuan and Qing Tan.
Lin Fan had made this decision because of the Bodhi Heart-Fortifying Pill he had recently received—it gave him the confidence he needed.
The Reincarnation Tribulation arises from within. As long as one's Yuan Power cultivation and understanding of reincarnation have reached a certain level, it can be triggered voluntarily.
However, many cultivators who had been at the Reincarnation Stage for years still dared not face the tribulation easily—because they feared falling into the cycle of reincarnation.
Once trapped in reincarnation, there would be no escape. One could lose all sense of self, gradually decay, and ultimately perish completely.
Lin Fan had once been wary too, but the effects of the Bodhi Heart-Fortifying Pill had greatly boosted his confidence.
Ying Huanhuan looked worried. "You've only broken through to the Reincarnation Stage less than a year ago. Isn't this too soon?"
"Don't worry, I'm fully prepared," Lin Fan said gently, pulling her into his arms.
"Hmph, Lin Fan-ge is playing favorites!"
Qing Tan stood nearby, pouting slightly as she watched the embrace with a hint of displeasure.
Lin Fan glanced at her and smiled. "Qing Tan, come here."
"Okay," she replied without hesitation and walked over.
Lin Fan extended his other arm and wrapped Qing Tan into the embrace as well.
The two girls, pressed together in his arms, exchanged glances and shyly lowered their heads.
Ying Huanhuan struggled slightly, trying to escape Lin Fan's arms, but he tightened his hold and said, "Don't move."
Qing Tan, on the other hand, shamelessly nestled into Lin Fan's chest, enjoying the warmth.
After hugging them for a while, Lin Fan let go and, in a flash, appeared atop a quiet, unremarkable mountain deep within Dao Sect. He sat down cross-legged.
Ying Huanhuan and Qing Tan looked at him, concern flickering in their eyes.
"Sister Huanhuan, don't worry. Lin Fan-ge will definitely pass the Reincarnation Tribulation," Qing Tan murmured as she gazed at the mountaintop.
It was both reassurance for Ying Huanhuan—and for herself.
"Yes, he will," Ying Huanhuan nodded firmly.
Atop the solitary peak, Lin Fan sat quietly, gazing at the surrounding sea of clouds, calming his state of mind.
He gave a gentle nod to the two girls watching from afar, then retrieved a fragrant, lustrous pill from his system space and swallowed it.
It was the Bodhi Heart-Fortifying Pill.
As the pill dissolved, an invisible energy spread through his body.
Lin Fan's eyes slowly closed, and in moments, he entered a state of ethereal clarity. Past events and the world's truths flowed through his mind in vivid detail...
The Yuan Power around him disappeared without a trace. Even his aura faded entirely.
If not for his visible form, it would be impossible to sense his presence—even from just inches away.
Mist drifted in and obscured his silhouette. At that moment, it was as if he had vanished from the world, completely undetectable.
Outside the peak, Ying Huanhuan and Qing Tan couldn't tear their eyes away from where Lin Fan sat.
"Let's stay here and watch over him. We can use the time to cultivate, too," Ying Huanhuan said softly to Qing Tan.
"Mhm." Qing Tan nodded and sat cross-legged, beginning to cultivate in silence. She wanted to grow stronger—to be of help to Lin Fan.
Ying Huanhuan waved her hand, forming a gentle dome of ice around the mountain to protect Lin Fan. Then she, too, sat and quietly cultivated.
Not just the two of them—Ying Xiaoxiao, Wang Yan, Wu Dao, and others also gathered upon hearing Lin Fan was challenging the Reincarnation Tribulation, paying close attention.
Even the Flame Master's avatar, whose whereabouts had been unknown, returned to observe Lin Fan with a complicated expression.
At the same time, Dao Sect's leadership declared the area a forbidden zone, barring all disciples from approaching.
As time passed, Lin Fan's body began to change. At first, he aged rapidly—his black hair turning gray, a thick aura of decay surrounding him.
This sight made Qing Tan and the others nervous. But soon, that aging reversed. He grew younger, even youthful—cycling between decay and rebirth.
His body shifted between old age and youth in an extraordinary transformation.
Ying Huanhuan and the others could sense that, beneath these physical changes, Lin Fan's very being was undergoing a profound evolution.
These trials—unseen and untouchable—were the tempering fires of reincarnation, deadly enough to instill fear in any heart.
While Lin Fan attracted the attention of Dao Sect's upper echelons, atop the Pill River, Lin Dong sat cross-legged on a cultivation platform, drawing countless curious gazes.
His spiritual power was surging and might soon make a major breakthrough.
With both Lin Fan and Lin Dong in seclusion, all of Dao Sect entered a quiet and tense atmosphere.
Everyone waited, expectantly…
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, terrifying thunderclouds gathered above Dao Sect, covering the heavens.
It was the Wind and Thunder Tribulation!
The massive phenomenon briefly drew Qing Tan, Wu Dao, and the others' attention.
"That's… Lin Dong! That kid's about to break through to Grand Symbol Master!"
Wu Dao's voice trembled with excitement.
Lin Fan and Lin Dong were both disciples of the Desolation Hall, brought back from the Hundred Empire War. Watching their growth filled Wu Dao with pride and emotion.
But as he sensed the terrifying storm above, worry crept in. "Do you think Lin Dong can overcome the Wind and Thunder Tribulation?"
Thankfully, they didn't have to worry long. Lin Dong passed the tribulation with ease and successfully broke through to the Grand Symbol Master realm, even leaving behind a Thunder River to aid Dao Sect disciples in cultivation.
"I thought I'd finally caught up to Lin Fan-ge, but now he's pulling ahead again…"
Finishing his breakthrough, Lin Dong quickly rushed over upon hearing that Lin Fan was facing the Reincarnation Tribulation, muttering to himself as he went.
As for whether Lin Fan would succeed, Lin Dong didn't doubt it for a second.
He had absolute faith in Lin Fan.
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