hapter 17: Unprecedented and Unparalleled, Stirring the Heavens and Earth

What Lin Yinyin didn’t know was that just as she had finished her Foundation Establishment Tribulation, Zhang Xian was already preparing for his own.

He had chosen the Small World of the Great Liang Kingdom as the place to undergo his trial. When he reappeared at the nameless Taoist temple, Xuanwei’s jaw nearly hit the floor—Zhang Xian had already reached the peak of Qi Refining!

How could this be happening so fast? Back then, Senior Sister Li Miaoyin had spent a full twenty years cultivating to reach the peak of Qi Refining. But Zhang Xian—barely a year into his journey—was already preparing to face his tribulation! And he was just a mortal without Spiritual Roots!

“Xiao Xuanzi, here’s a box of Foundation Establishment Pills for you. Take good care of them,” Zhang Xian said.

Xuanwei was utterly dumbfounded. He had never heard anyone quantify Foundation Establishment Pills by the “box.”

When he opened it, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted up immediately—these were top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills, incredibly valuable for Qi Refining cultivators like themselves. And there were fully twenty pills in this single box!

He almost burst into tears. The only other time he’d seen Foundation Establishment Pills was over a hundred years ago, during the Grand Competition at the Shuiyun Sect. Back then, only the top three received one pill each. His sister had placed fourth, leaving her deeply disappointed for a long time afterward.

But Zhang Xian wasn’t done yet. He casually tossed over a dozen mid-grade magical artifacts. They clattered onto the ground with a careless whoosh. “Pick whatever you like. Don’t hold back—I’ve prepared something for each of you.”

Xuanwei’s eyes nearly popped out again as he stared at the pile of mid-grade artifacts scattered across the floor. He collapsed to his knees, reaching out to touch one after another, completely abandoning any semblance of dignity as a handsome young cultivator.

Just then, Li Miaoyin arrived, her robes fluttering in the wind, her voice preceding her presence. “Junior Brother, what are you doing? How can you behave so disgracefully?”

As soon as she landed, a box was thrust into her hands. “This box of Foundation Establishment Pills is for you, Miaoyin. Pick out a few items too. My storage space is about to overflow!”

Thud!

Another person hit their knees.

[Beep! Transaction successful. Returning 3,000 Foundation Establishment Pills.]

[Beep! Mid-grade magical artifacts gifted successfully. Returning 10 high-grade magical artifacts.]

[Beep! Mid-grade magical artifacts gifted successfully. Returning 10 high-grade magical artifacts.]

After a long while, Xuanwei helped Li Miaoyin to her feet. Both of them clutched several magical artifacts, their expressions somewhat unnatural. They had lost control of their emotions earlier and behaved rather improperly.

“Lord Zhen, where on earth did you get so many magical artifacts and pills?” Xuanwei asked.

“Oh, I just got lucky—I unearthed a hidden cave dwelling. Don’t you want to pick some more? I still have plenty left.”

Zhang Xian thought to himself regretfully, It’s such a pity I can’t give you high-grade magical artifacts. You can’t use them, and I won’t get anything in return. I had to spend my own money to buy these lower-grade ones specifically for you.

Who would believe him if he told the truth? His System storage was overflowing with high-grade artifacts he couldn’t give away, yet he had to spend money to buy “trash” to gift!

“Enough! Enough!” the two of them exclaimed repeatedly, their faces unable to hide their joy. Xuanwei even slapped himself several times to check if he was dreaming.

“Oh,” Zhang Xian said, pulling out several large bags and dumping them onto the ground with a clatter.

“You’ve had a tough time here too, haven’t you? I’ve got a few bags of mid-grade Spirit Stones for you—just enough for your cultivation. Xuanwei and Miaoyin, take one bag each. These are all Water-attribute mid-grade stones. There’s also a mixed bag—leave that for your nephew Yu Yun and the others.”

The sight of three and a half bags piled up to waist height—each containing at least several hundred stones—left Xuanwei and Li Miaoyin utterly bewildered.

Who am I? Where am I?

[Beep! Transaction successful. 184 stones exceeded Li Miaoyin’s usage limit. Equivalent return: 1,160 high-grade Spirit Stones.]

“Lord Zhen, you’re giving us far too much! My Sister and I simply can’t use this many Spirit Stones here in this Small World. Spirit Stones are the very foundation of cultivation. Your kindness is beyond measure,” Xuanwei stammered, his voice trembling.

“Xiao Xuanzi, you’re being too polite. If you and Miaoyin hadn’t helped me resolve my doubts and guided me onto the path of cultivation, how could I have obtained such opportunities? Sharing these blessings is only natural. Otherwise, my conscience wouldn’t allow it, and I’d fear developing a Heart Demon. Xiao Xuanzi, surely you wouldn’t stand by and watch me descend into madness?”

Hearing Zhang Xian’s twisted reasoning, Xuanwei could only laugh and cry at the same time. Lord Zhen was truly generous beyond compare. He didn’t just call him Xiao Xuanzi; he might as well ask him to become his adoptive father right now!

After several attempts, Zhang Xian had gradually figured out the System’s return rules.

First, the System returned items based on the actual needs of the recipient. When he secretly slipped two high-grade Spirit Stones into Li Miaoyin’s bag, he received no return, presumably because the System determined she couldn’t use them. The same applied to high-grade magical artifacts.

Second, the items returned to him were limited by the maximum amount he could currently use based on his cultivation level.

Having spent time in the cultivation world, Zhang Xian knew that top-tier prodigies at the Qi Refining stage could wield high-grade artifacts—a phenomenon known as “transcending one’s stage.” Fortunately, the artifacts and talismans returned by the System had already been refined, meaning Zhang Xian could use them freely beyond his current stage.

Finally, the return rate was generally either two grades higher or 100 times the original value, prioritizing the increase in grade. If he couldn’t use the higher-grade items, the return would be scaled down to 10 times the original value. For instance, when he forcibly gave Li Miaoyin a low-grade artifact, she was puzzled but accepted it. As expected, Zhang Xian received a high-grade artifact in return.

It seemed he could only receive higher-grade returns once his cultivation level increased.

Upon hearing Zhang Xian’s purpose for returning to the Great Liang Kingdom this time, Xuanwei and Li Miaoyin both felt anxious. Every cultivator harbored a deep-seated fear of Heavenly Tribulations.

“Lord Zhen, please don’t take this lightly. You should refine more defensive artifacts and prepare plenty of restorative pills, not to mention talismans that resist tribulation lightning,” Xuanwei urged earnestly.

Zhang Xian nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself, If I pulled out a dozen high-grade defensive artifacts, I’d probably scare you to death!

However, he had heard that Heavenly Tribulations treated people differently—the more extraordinary one’s cultivation, the fiercer the tribulation. What if his tribulation turned out to be unprecedented, causing the heavens and earth to change color?

That was precisely why he had chosen to undergo his tribulation in this Small World—not only was it safe, but it was also discreet.

After making thorough preparations, Zhang Xian selected a secluded spot and began his cultivation, quietly awaiting the arrival of the Heavenly Tribulation.

Ten days later, a glimmer of insight dawned upon Zhang Xian—his tribulation was imminent.

A month later, thunderclouds slowly began to gather above his head.

“The tribulation is coming!” Not far away, Xuanwei and Li Miaoyin stood watch, monitoring every change.

Li Miaoyin’s expression remained calm as she nodded. “Lord Zhen’s fortune is astonishing. To rise from Qi Refining to its peak within less than a year is unprecedented. Even waiting for the tribulation took a full month—this one certainly won’t be simple!”

Not far behind them, the other disciples of the temple had also been summoned to witness the event.

Back when Xuanwei accepted disciples, he only sought those with Spiritual Roots. Now, however, they had no shortage of Spirit Stones, allowing them to easily embark on the path of cultivation. Among them, Yu Yun had already successfully completed Qi Refining and joined the ranks of cultivators.

Dressed in precious armor, holding a talisman in his left hand and a pill in his right, Zhang Xian faced the impending tribulation with utmost seriousness.

After a long wait, a crack echoed through the air. A bolt of tribulation lightning as thick as a thumb descended.

Yet before it even reached Zhang Xian’s body, his protective aura dispersed it entirely.

Finally, it’s here—the first strike!

Zhang Xian’s eyes narrowed slightly. No big deal.

Then, he suddenly felt his internal Qi condensing. Hmm?

Immediately afterward, a gust of wind swept across the tribulation cloud above his head… causing it to dissipate slowly.

Dissipated.

An increasingly awkward silence filled the air.

After a long pause, Xuanwei hesitantly asked, “Sister, was that really a tribulation cloud just now, or did a rain cloud just pass by?”

“It must have been a tribulation cloud—I could sense its energy,” Li Miaoyin replied, equally uncertain.

A little while later, Zhang Xian walked over, looking as though he were constipated. “I—I think I’ve established my foundation!”

“Hmm… perhaps it’s because Lord Zhen cultivated a False Core, making the tribulation cloud difficult to detect.”

“That’s right! Maybe the rules of this Small World are incomplete, causing the tribulation power to weaken. In any case, Lord Zhen has successfully passed his tribulation—congratulations!” Xuanwei and Li Miaoyin quickly offered words of comfort.

Pfft! Yu Yun almost burst out laughing.

Zhang Xian was utterly bewildered. He had expected the Heavens to deliver a severe punishment, but instead, it had produced nothing more than a weak, insignificant spark.

What a pathetic tribulation! It clearly demonstrated just how poor my innate talent is!