Author Notes:
I thought the last statement wasn't clear enough in expressing my intent in the previous chapter so I have changed it to this:
What they didn't know was that one day, they would look back on Su Wen's words... claiming Death itself as a wife... remember them clearly, and shake their heads with a strange expression.
But that's a story for another time…
Author Notes//
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For the next week, the Su Wen and Du Yue completely immersed themselves in the cultivation.
Du Yue had finally finished refining her Heart. Now, she only needed to circulate her Vital Qi throughout her entire body to reach the Sevenfold Body Refinement realm. Once she did, the Heavenly Tribulation would descend.
Moreover, her Soul and Spirit cultivation had been tightly compressed, and again, she was simply waiting for the tribulation to push her into the next realm.
On the other hand, Su Wen had finally broken through to the Peak Soul Awakening Realm in his soul cultivation. As for his body cultivation, he was still at the Brain Refinement stage.
His Spirit cultivation had reached Mid Foundation Establishment, and he had already completed two revolutions of Spiritual Qi refinement within his Spiritual Sea. After one more refinement, he would be ready to break through to Peak Foundation Establishment.
Today, they were about to head out for Du Yue's breakthrough. She needed a secluded place with no settlements within at least a five-kilometre radius; otherwise, the Heavenly Tribulation could cause collateral damage to innocent bystanders.
Du Yue wore a light blue robe that Su Wen had bought for her in Treasure Town during their date. He had asked whether she wanted to wear his robes and dress as Young Master K. Although she had been tempted, she refused for some reason. Su Wen hesitated for a moment, then let it go and respected her choice.
A veil covered her face. Even without revealing it, she looked enchanting, her figure reflecting sunlight like a diamond.
She looked at his slightly nervous face and took his hand in hers, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, husband. A Heavenly Tribulation is nothing compared to the monster of a foundation you've built for me."
Su Wen sighed softly.
"My dumb wife is about to go through one of the most important tests on her cultivation path," he said gently. "How could I not worry about her?"
She tightened her grip on his hand but didn't say anything. She knew that nothing she said would truly calm him… only a successful breakthrough would.
With a thought, they left the mountain and arrived at the place where they had once dealt with Du Yufeng. Now, the area was lush and overflowing with greenery, a stark contrast to how barren it had been back then.
Du Yue had set this location earlier, using her authority to mark it as a temporary gate.
They wandered through the wilderness for a while until Du Yue finally stopped on a small hilltop. She removed her veil and turned to look at her husband. Her eyes were bright and clear. Su Wen stood there calm and proud as always, though she knew well enough how tense he was inside.
Without wasting any time, she leaned in and gave him a big smooch.
Caught off guard by the kiss, Su Wen felt a strange calm spread through both his body and soul.
"Husband…," Du Yue said, blinking innocently, "is there a reward for breaking through to the Golden Core realm?"
She gave him a playful wink, her fingers lightly poking and tracing small circles on his chest.
"Reward?" Su Wen asked, genuinely curious. "What reward do you want, lovely wife?"
She rose onto her toes and whispered into his ear,
"Mmm… I don't know. I'll think about it…"
She licked her lips thoughtfully and added softly,
"Depends on what my husband has to offer."
Su Wen's eyes twitched. He coughed lightly, clearing his throat.
"Alright," he said helplessly, "whatever my wife wants." Then his tone turned a little more serious as he gently patted her head. "Now stop letting your mind wander into strange places and stay focused."
With that, he turned around and gave her a confident look, then hurried away to about five kilometres from her, all the while using his Soul Sense to scan the surroundings for any unwanted dangers.
Du Yue stood on the hilltop, looking like an empress challenging the heavens. After completing her Heart Refinement, a strand of Vital Qi was born within her Heart. She needed to circulate it through her entire body, allowing it to travel a full cycle before finally returning to the Heart, completing one full revolution.
She sat down and began circulating her Vital Qi, which, thanks to her physique, wasn't ordinary… it carried a dense, potent Yin Qi. It would be better to call it Yin Vital Qi.
As more and more strands of Yin Vital Qi were generated and circulated throughout her body, she continued to grow stronger. If she could endure the Heavenly Tribulation, the additional refinement it provided would push her firmly into the Sevenfold Body Refinement realm.
At the same time, she began compressing her Liquid Spiritual Qi in her Spiritual Ocean in the dantian, forming it into a solid core. The goal was to create a Spiritual Qi Core… a highly compressed mass of solid Spiritual Qi.
Later, she would plant a small part of her pure soul into this core, allowing it to be nurtured by the rich Spiritual Qi. This nurtured fragment of pure soul would eventually evolve into something that would assist her in the higher realms… but that is a story for another time.
Regarding her breakthrough to the Soul Sea realm, she had simultaneously begun refining her Spiritual Qi into Soul Qi using her Soul Sense, channelling it into her consciousness with the aid of her Soul cultivation technique.
With everything prepared, she invited the Heavenly Tribulation to descend upon her, her expression calm, as if she were performing a simple, everyday task.
Her entire aura radiated confidence and arrogance, like she was looking at something not even worth her attention.
The dark, black clouds gathered ominously above Du Yue, resembling a world-destroying catastrophe. The clouds expanded to a massive size, covering a 10-kilometer radius, forcing Su Wen to retreat about 12 kilometers away. His brow furrowed in concern.
Lightning crackled like a dragon, seeming to tear apart everything in its path. 'Nine Revolution Tribulation,' Su Wen thought with a deep frown.
The tribulation targeted Du Yue with terrifying precision, as if a dragon had spread its claws to snatch its prey.