Chapter 129: The Crimson Tribulation (Continued)

If it were not for the significant increase in Wang Luo’s mental strength within the Qilu Space, coupled with the Spirit Pearl inside his body that could replenish his consumed energy at any time, he would never have dared to attempt this refinement, as the result would have been destined for failure.

Even so, Wang Luo had already completely failed his first three attempts, nearly causing the furnace to explode each time, which left him feeling quite distressed. The spiritual herbs required for refining a Seven-Star Pill were incomparable to those needed for a Spirit-Condensing Pill; every single herb was of immense value. Wang Luo had scoured his entire portable herb collection to scrape together enough for five batches. Three were already ruined, and the fourth was currently in the furnace, its outcome uncertain.

Of course, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. If Wang Luo succeeded with this batch, its value would be enough to cover the cost of twenty batches of Seven-Star Pill ingredients.

"Do not be impatient. Stay calm, and fuse them slowly!"

Staring at the liquid mass within the furnace, Wang Luo constantly reminded himself, while controlling the energy flames with even greater care, coaxing the clusters of spiritual herbs to move toward each other and merge.

*Boom—*

Just then, a muffled thud passed through the sound-insulating magic array and reached Wang Luo’s ears. The surrounding elemental energy became chaotic, the energy flames within the furnace fluctuated wildly, and the liquid mass they encased suddenly began to boil.

"Damn it! Who is making such a racket? Don't they know this place is for quiet meditation?"

His expression shifting instantly, Wang Luo cursed under his breath while pouring every ounce of his mental energy out of his sea of consciousness. He threw himself into the furnace, doing his absolute best to control each individual droplet of liquid.

*Sizzle...*

Droplets of liquid broke free from the mass, falling into the energy flames and being incinerated instantly. However, thanks to Wang Luo's formidable mental strength, the majority of the liquid mass gradually stabilized.

"Phew... That was close. The sound-insulating array doesn't require much energy, so the elemental disruption caused by its shattering wasn't too severe!"

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Wang Luo watched as the liquid mass returned to a state of calm. His heart settled, though he continued to curse the person responsible for such a massive disturbance.

"Public equipment is truly shoddy. The sound-insulating array was so poorly constructed, no wonder it shattered!"

Multitasking, Wang Luo moved his left hand in a continuous series of gestures. Specks of earthy-yellow light escaped his fingers, transforming into runes that shot toward the ground. Moments later, an earthy-yellow barrier flashed around the alchemy room and vanished; a new sound-insulating array had been formed.

"Better to reinforce it for safety."

After a brief pause, Wang Luo continued to weave his left hand, casting more runes into the walls until they disappeared, fortifying the array to prevent any further interruptions. This was, after all, his second-to-last batch of Seven-Star Pill materials.

***

"Step back!"

A flash of surprise crossed Elijah’s eyes. He ordered his students to retreat, and with a wave of his hand, he deflected the incoming red lightning and cyan light.

"The ancestral battle techniques of the Fengge family are indeed not to be underestimated!"

Staring intently at the figure still standing at the center of the explosion, Elijah felt a brief moment of admiration. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. He looked back at the spot where Hanluo had been standing; he was still there, but in that split second, he had clearly seen Hanluo’s body vanish.

*Rumble...*

In the sky, the red lightning tribulation attacked again with impatient fury. Nine red lightning serpents emerged instantly, shooting toward Hanluo’s location and exploding simultaneously without a moment’s hesitation.

Seeing this, everyone’s expression shifted dramatically. They retreated without hesitation, the blinding red lightning engulfing the entire area where Hanluo stood, obscuring even Elijah’s vision.

"This lightning tribulation is terrifying!"
"The power of those nine serpents exploding together in the final strike is horrifying!"
"Even an eighth-rank powerhouse might not be able to withstand such a terrifying attack!"
"Could Hanluo be—"

Far from the blast zone, the crowd began to whisper. Suddenly, one person voiced the thought that everyone else had been afraid to utter. Before they could finish, however, the atmosphere around them seemed to freeze. A companion pulled them aside, and the speaker immediately realized their mistake, hanging their head in silence.

"Teacher Elijah, will Hanluo be alright?"

After a moment of silence, Chelsea took a deep breath to suppress her overwhelming shock and asked, her gaze fixed on the flickering flashes of light. Hearing this, everyone turned their eyes toward Elijah. Regardless of his eccentricities, no one could deny his formidable strength and vast experience.

"This lightning tribulation is somewhat strange!"

Staring at the still-flickering red lightning, Elijah recalled the moment Hanluo had vanished. He did not believe his eyes had deceived him. After a moment of contemplation, he offered this peculiar answer.

At that moment, it wasn't just Elijah who felt the strangeness of the tribulation. Every teacher at Tianxuan Academy who wasn't currently in seclusion was watching. Having witnessed countless tribulations, they all sensed that this one was unique—as if it were… unfamiliar.

That was it: unfamiliar. It was as if the lightning tribulation had suddenly undergone a personality shift. If a tribulation could be considered a living thing subject to birth and decay, this one felt like a newborn—inexperienced in conducting a tribulation, lacking in temperament, and easily provoked to anger by Hanluo.

It wasn't just the observers who felt the oddity; Hanluo himself, currently undergoing the tribulation, felt deeply bewildered. He looked around, seeing nothing but vast, white mist, unable to see an end and having no idea where he was.

"Where is this? Wasn't I undergoing the tribulation?"

Clad in a cyan coat and holding a long sword, Hanluo moved forward cautiously, scanning his surroundings for any potential danger.

"Qing'er, what are you doing?"

Suddenly, a thunderous roar rang in Hanluo’s ears. The surrounding mist trembled violently. Through the blur, Hanluo saw a young boy in cyan robes frantically casting spells, while behind him, an old man with a white beard and purple robes slowly coalesced into reality.

Seeming to notice Hanluo’s gaze, the old man looked toward him. As their eyes met, Hanluo felt a splitting pain erupt in his mind.

"Master, it is my first time… performing this… please punish me, Master…"
"Master, I… forgot… which realm…"
"Master…"

Listening to the intermittent, muffled voices that seemed to resonate within his own heart, Hanluo collapsed under the unbearable pressure and lost consciousness.

The blinding red lightning vanished as abruptly as it had appeared, as if it had never existed at all. Had it not been for the scene of devastation in front of the earth-fire room, one might truly have mistaken it for a dream.