Strike while the iron is hot!
Li Mu extended his hand and summoned the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, the Azure-Eyed White Ape, Little Gold, and Little Wa.
Their powerful lineup instantly charged into the Ape group, eager to begin the slaughter.
The Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, having been guarding the Spirit Pond, was already bursting with pent-up energy.
Upon appearing, it immediately locked onto its target.
With a dragon roar, a blue shadow flashed, and it flew straight towards the Rank Six Crimson-Eared Monkey King.
The Rank Six Crimson-Eared Monkey King frantically met the attack.
With a loud bang, the two collided violently, overturning countless Crimson-Eared Monkeys around them.
Shattered stones and broken wood flew everywhere, and the heavens and earth changed color.
The Azure-Eyed White Ape extended its six arms, unleashing golden fist shadows.
Each fist shadow that hit a Crimson-Eared Monkey directly vibrated it to death, leaving almost no opponent capable of a single exchange.
Little Gold seemed to want to compete with the Azure-Eyed White Ape in killing efficiency, directly throwing the golden staff in its hand and fully manipulating the golden long staff with its magic.
The golden long staff, trailing a long golden flame, struck the heads of the Crimson-Eared Monkeys one by one.
“Pa, pa, pa…” Wherever the golden staff passed, the heads of the Crimson-Eared Monkeys exploded like watermelons, dying miserably.
For a time, the speed at which the two Apes slaughtered the Crimson-Eared Monkeys was evenly matched.
They did not treat the Crimson-Eared Monkeys as their own kind, and as they got excited, they began to vie for targets.
Little Wa was somewhat helpless.
It couldn't snatch the immediate targets, so its massive body burrowed underground, only able to target the panic-stricken Crimson-Eared Monkeys fleeing.
Seeing that the four Spirit Beasts could control the situation and would likely resolve the battle soon, Li Mu did not intervene.
He flew towards the Bodhi trees, cast the Earth Splitting Art, and dug up each Bodhi tree, storing them in the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
After collecting the Bodhi trees, he obtained 775 Bodhi wood pieces, large and small, which was much more than the intelligence provided by Tianji Pavilion.
Li Mu was extremely satisfied and continued to collect the surrounding Spiritual Objects.
Patches of Rank Three Ice Mist Spiritual Plants, dozens of Rank Four Seven-Leaf Spiritual Ginseng, thousands of Rank Three Dark Star Wood… This mountain range contained a top-grade Spiritual Vein, which nurtured a large number of Rank Three, Four, and Five Spiritual Objects.
Li Mu's harvest was abundant.
He collected various Spiritual Plants one by one and transplanted them to the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
Having completed all of this, Li Mu did not stop; the biggest spoils of war were still under the mountain range!
Top-grade Spiritual Veins are extremely rare.
The Painting World Treasure Mansion is equivalent to a Small World and cannot naturally nurture Spiritual Veins.
It also needs to support a large number of Spiritual Plants, so the consumption of Spiritual Qi is considerable.
It can only rely on the Spiritual Vein Seizing Method to move the entire Spiritual Vein into the Treasure Mansion.
Li Mu waved his hand, and over a thousand Spiritual Swords flew out from the Nine-Hidden Spiritual Plant, covering a range of dozens of miles, completely encircling the core area of the Spiritual Vein.
“Ha!”
Li Mu stood suspended in the air, forming a sword seal with his hand, and with a loud shout, he formed a Sword Domain.
Eighteen hundred Rank Four Spiritual Swords, like a torrential rain, plunged downwards.
“Puff, puff…” One after another, the Spiritual Swords submerged into the ground, instantly severing the Spiritual Vein within dozens of miles from the earth, and the heavens and earth changed color.
Li Mu's face was slightly pale, having consumed a large amount of Spiritual Essence.
This Spiritual Vein was much larger in scope than the top-grade one he had collected last time.
He took out a Rank Four Heaven-Returning Pill and consumed it, refining it to recover a portion of his spiritual power.
Li Mu then fully infused Spiritual Essence into the Painting World Treasure Mansion, his Divine Thought covering the Spiritual Vein that had been dug out and trapped within the Sword Domain.
Immediately after, the Painting World Treasure Mansion erupted with a powerful suction force, opening a terrifying energy vortex that swallowed the severed and peeled-off land.
Countless spiritual wood and shattered stones surged, and the heavens and earth changed color.
Soon, a mass of purple dragon-shaped spiritual mist appeared, extremely nimble, and began to pull against the suction force of the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
With its appearance, the surrounding Spiritual Qi density suddenly increased by several Ranks.
Li Mu took a deep breath, and the Spiritual Essence within his body immediately recovered by seventy to eighty percent.
“Transformed Spiritual Vein?”
Li Mu's eyes lit up, overjoyed, and he continued to increase the spiritual power supply to the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
The Painting World Treasure Mansion suddenly generated an even greater suction force, instantly drawing in the purple dragon-shaped spiritual mist.
The Artifact Spirit of the Painting World Treasure Mansion appeared, as if it had let out a satisfied burp, looking excitedly at Li Mu, as if about to say something.
However, at this moment, with the disappearance of the purple dragon-shaped spiritual mist, the heavens and earth trembled, and a massive thundercloud suddenly gathered.
Immediately after, with a “rumble,” a thick blue bolt of lightning suddenly descended, striking fiercely towards the Artifact Spirit of the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
Li Mu had already noticed the appearance of the thundercloud above his head.
He had already stored the Painting World Treasure Mansion in his storage compartment one step ahead.
At the same time, he released the seven-tier spirit ore - meteorite crystal nucleus from the storage compartment to help the Painting World Treasure Mansion resist the thunder punishment.
With a “sizzle,” the blue lightning bolt struck the meteorite crystal nucleus fiercely, and lightning exploded.
However, it failed to leave even a single trace on the surface of the crystal nucleus.
Seeing this, Li Mu couldn't help but smile happily; his sudden decision had saved him a lot of trouble.
This thunder punishment was due to the Painting World Treasure Mansion seizing the dragon-shaped Spiritual Vein, causing the Heavenly Dao of this realm to resent and reject it, thus sending down punitive lightning.
If it had suffered this, its spirituality would surely have been damaged, and its Artifact Spirit might even have been annihilated.
Using the meteorite crystal nucleus to bear it was different.
Firstly, it was merely a Spiritual Ore Material, possessing no Artifact Spirit.
Moreover, its inherent characteristics—indestructible and forming its own heavy domain—meant it simply did not fear the power of thunder punishment.
Hmm?
Why hasn't the thundercloud dissipated yet?
Li Mu looked at the increasingly dense thundercloud above his head, utterly bewildered!
Using the stratagem of the Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell, the meteorite crystal nucleus had already taken the thunder punishment for the Painting World Treasure Mansion, so the thundercloud should have dissipated.
However, the thundercloud above his head not only did not dissipate but gathered more and more, forming a vortex, no less formidable than the Rank Eight or Nine Nascent Soul Tribulation he had undergone previously.
Li Mu frowned; he sensed that the eye of the Lightning Tribulation was locked onto him.
No way!
The thunder punishment didn't strike the Painting World Treasure Mansion, so it blamed him instead? That shouldn't be!
Li Mu's heart fluttered in panic, and just as he didn't know what to do, a familiar voice suddenly sounded by his ear.
“Jiji! Ma… Master!”
At some unknown point, a small girl, palm-sized, like a butterfly fairy with a pair of colorful wings, flew in front of Li Mu and timidly called out.
“You, you, you are Little White? You successfully advanced? And you're about to undergo Lightning Tribulation?”
Li Mu's eyes widened as he looked at the little fairy in front of him, instantly understanding why the thundercloud above his head was growing denser.
It turned out the thundercloud wasn't locked onto him, but rather, on Little White, who had been sleeping in the Spiritual Beast Bag all along.
“Mmm! Little White is going to Undergo Tribulation!” Little White looked at Li Mu and smiled sweetly, but there was an unshakeable hint of sorrow on her face.
Seeing Little White's uneasy expression, Li Mu's face subtly changed.
Through the Spirit Control Contract Seal, he sensed Little White's fear.
Thinking about it, Little White was indeed a Gu Spirit Physique, living by soul, hated by heaven and earth, and at the same time, an extremely fragile Insect Cultivator.
To undergo this tribulation, the chances of survival were probably slim.
However, the Lightning Tribulation gave Li Mu and Little White no time to discuss.
The thunderclouds rumbled, and lightning snakes flashed and gathered within them.
The first wave of Lightning Tribulation, the first bolt of lightning, was about to descend.
Seeing this, Little White flapped the wings on her back, turning into a streak of light, and in the blink of an eye, flew more than ten miles away to Undergo Tribulation, avoiding the aftermath of the tribulation lightning from harming Li Mu.
The Lightning Tribulation thought its target was escaping.
With a “crack,” a thick blue bolt of lightning struck directly onto the rapidly flying Little White, displaying the might of heaven.
Immediately after, blue lightning bolts struck down one after another, instantly turning Little White's tiny body into a blue ball of lightning, sizzling with countless lightning snakes.
“Too terrifying, what Rank of Lightning Tribulation is this?”
At some unknown point, the Azure-Eyed White Ape flew to Li Mu's side, looking at the Lightning Tribulation and asking in a daze.
Having just undergone his own Lightning Tribulation, he had originally thought his tribulation was terrifying enough.
However, compared to this one, it was simply a drop in the ocean, not worth mentioning.
Li Mu watched Little White Undergoing Tribulation in a daze, and couldn't help but worry about her life.
“This is the Nine-Nine Transformation Tribulation, and it's an insect body undergoing the tribulation.
The hope of passing it is extremely slim!
Unless there is a Tribulation Artifact to help it withstand a portion of the Lightning Tribulation's power, it might be able to save its life.” The Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, having finished its battle, flew to Li Mu's right side, looking at the Lightning Tribulation with fear as it answered the Azure-Eyed White Ape's question.
Little Gold and Little Wa also stopped fighting.
They all came to Li Mu's side, looking worriedly at Little White, who was undergoing the tribulation, and began to worry about her life.
As Li Mu's Spiritual Beasts, they had spent decades together, forming a deep friendship.
Now, the Transformation Lightning Tribulation Little White was undergoing was extremely perilous.
A huge boulder weighed heavily on their hearts, and their mood was incredibly suppressed.
Li Mu sighed.
Little White was locked onto by the Lightning Tribulation as soon as she woke up, and he hadn't prepared any Tribulation Artifacts for her.
It seemed Little White's tribulation would be unavoidable.
What to do?
Should he just watch Little White die under the Lightning Tribulation?
Li Mu stared intently at Little White, who was barely Undergoing Tribulation, his heart secretly anxious.
Little White had rendered him many meritorious services, saving him from danger several times.
Li Mu was unwilling to just watch Little White fail her tribulation and die under the Lightning Tribulation.
No! I can't just stand here, there must be a way!
The Lightning Tribulation has just begun, it's still in the early stage of the tribulation.
There's still time to refine a Tribulation Spiritual Artifact to help Little White resist the Lightning Tribulation.
What kind of Tribulation Lightning Artifact can help Little White isolate the power of the lightning?
I've got it!
Li Mu's mind raced, and suddenly his eyes lit up as he thought of an excellent idea and quickly took action.
Li Mu extended his hand and summoned the Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire, silently operating the Eightfold Heavenly Fire Tempering Method.
In an instant, he condensed a Skyfire Refining Furnace, placed dozens of Rank Two Thousand-Year Red Copper and Rank Three Geng Metal into it, and quickly began Artifact Refining.
The Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, the Azure-Eyed White Ape, Little Gold, and Little Wa all widened their eyes, staring blankly as Li Mu suddenly began Artifact Refining, wondering what kind of Tribulation Spiritual Artifact he intended to refine to help Little White withstand the tribulation lightning.
In less than twenty breaths, Li Mu had refined a Rank Three Spiritual Artifact: a golden, hollow, spherical Spiritual Artifact.
Li Mu's face was filled with joy as he quickly threw this lightning-rod sphere towards Little White, who was Undergoing Tribulation.
At the same time, he used the Spirit Control Contract Seal to inform Little White how to use this lightning-rod sphere.
Little White was obedient to Li Mu and would not waste any of his efforts.
Little White moved her body again despite the tribulation lightning, absorbed the lightning-rod sphere, and following Li Mu's guidance, burrowed into the lightning-rod sphere, hiding her body inside, then closed the lightning-rod sphere.
The tribulation lightning struck down one after another, but for a time, it could not cause any harm to Little White, who was inside the lightning-rod sphere and undergoing the tribulation.
“This?” The Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon's eyes widened, astonished by this scene.
“What's going on? Master, what kind of Tribulation Spiritual Artifact is that? It's only Rank Three, yet how can it avoid the tribulation lightning?” The Azure-Eyed White Ape was also stunned, asking Li Mu incredulously.
“Because it's a Faraday cage!” Li Mu smiled slightly and replied.
“Faraday cage?” The Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon murmured, its eyes growing even more confused.
A Faraday cage is a cage formed by metal or a good conductor.
In his previous life, it was a special device named after the surname of Michael Faraday, the pioneering physicist and founder of modern electromagnetism.
It was primarily used to demonstrate electric potential, electrostatic shielding, and the principles of high-voltage live-line work.
The principle and structure of a Faraday cage are extremely simple.
In the modern world, the shell of a car, commonly seen, is a large metal shell, forming an equipotential body that can isolate lightning.
Therefore, people inside a car during a thunderstorm do not have to worry about being struck by lightning.
Li Mu combined his modern scientific knowledge of lightning protection and the structural principle of the Faraday cage to urgently refine a lightning-rod sphere for Little White, helping her resist some of the most damaging yet physically isolatable lightning in the initial stages.
Of course, the lightning-rod sphere cannot completely help Little White pass the entire Lightning Tribulation.
There are many types of Lightning Tribulations.
Besides ordinary physical damage tribulation lightning, there are also Divine Sense Tribulations, Heart Demon Tribulations, Illusion Heart Tribulations, and so on, with different Lightning Tribulations arising based on the different growth of the Tribulation Undergoer.
However, Little White is an Insect Cultivator with an extremely fragile Physique, specializing in Divine Soul and Primordial Spirit, and is precisely most afraid of ordinary tribulation lightning, which causes the greatest physical damage.
With this Divine Artifact, the lightning-rod sphere, to help her pass the most dangerous ordinary tribulation lightning in the beginning, her chances of successfully Undergoing Tribulation have greatly increased.
As for the subsequent other Lightning Tribulations, she can only rely on herself to pass them.
Tribulation lightning bolts struck down one after another.
However, Little White was hiding inside a lightning-rod sphere, which created a lightning-proof barrier, preventing the tribulation lightning from locking onto her.
Countless lightning bolts, like torrential rain, struck the ground around the lightning-rod sphere.
The lightning poured down like rain, directionless, and the entire area instantly turned into a thunder swamp.
Such a terrifying scene scared Li Mu and the four Spiritual Beasts, who quickly fled dozens of miles away to avoid being caught in the crossfire and struck by those indiscriminate lightning bolts.
“Master, you are truly amazing!
With the help of that Tribulation Spiritual Artifact, it will definitely be able to pass the Lightning Tribulation.” The Azure-Eyed White Ape looked at Li Mu, expressing sincere admiration.
“Indeed!
This kind of lightning-rod Divine Artifact doesn't seem difficult to refine!
If word gets out, other Cultivators who need to Undergo Tribulation will surely flock to it!” The Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon looked at Li Mu and said with emotion.
Hearing this, Li Mu's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but seriously consider whether to refine some lightning-rod spheres for sale.
Li Mu pondered for a moment, then gave up on the idea.
The principle of the Faraday cage was too simple; promoting it would be thankless and it could easily be counterfeited.
His Artifact Refining efficiency was already too high; he didn't need to rely on this method to get rich.
Time passed bit by bit.
Since the tribulation lightning couldn't strike Little White, who was undergoing the tribulation, the thundercloud subsequently changed, continuously contracting and gathering, and blue lightning no longer struck down.
With a “crack” that seemed to split the heavens, a purple lightning bolt suddenly struck down, instantly shattering the lightning arrester into fragments, its target clearly Little White within.