Originally, Lin Ye just asked casually, but he didn't expect Zhao Shijie to nod slightly.
"There's one last way."
As Zhao Shijie spoke, he took out several Foundation Establishment Pills from his pocket and handed them to Lin Ye, keeping one for himself.
"You want to... undergo tribulation?" Lin Ye's eyes widened slightly, looking at Zhao Shijie in confusion.
"Mm." Zhao Shijie nodded in acknowledgment.
"No, with your current state, undergoing tribulation is a dead end. Even if you revive, your foundation will be damaged, and it's very likely you'll be stuck at the Qi Refining Stage forever!"
Without another word, Lin Ye grabbed his flying sword, intending to stab Zhao Shijie to death.
If he died, he died. They could just find another opportunity to kill the Matriarch of Shadows, but a failed tribulation had a different meaning.
Zhao Shijie somewhat speechlessly batted away the flying sword, took out the Dan Jing from his robes, handed it to Lin Ye, and said with a wry smile:
"I don't have much time left. This book was given to me by Xian Ge. I'm leaving it to you now. I originally had some contribution points, but I've used them all up."
"What the hell do you mean?"
Lin Ye's brows furrowed. Zhao Shijie's words sounded like a farewell message before leaving the game.
But he knew best that Zhao Shijie was more serious about this game than anyone else, cherishing it more. He wouldn't just quit without reason.
Could it be...
Lin Ye suddenly realized, his eyes wide, staring blankly at Zhao Shijie, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.
Zhao Shijie smiled and patted Lin Ye's shoulder, then calmly stood up, "This should be my last time. From now on, Hua Xia Sect will depend on you all."
With that, he swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Lin Ye stared at Zhao Shijie's back with complex emotions, silently stepping back.
The Matriarch of Shadows controlled her Dharma Idol, clenching her fist and smashing it down fiercely.
Boom—
Just then, the sky instantly darkened, and streaks of lightning weaved through the clouds.
The Matriarch of Shadows felt the power of the lightning tribulation, her movements suddenly stiffening as she looked up in confusion.
A dark cloud carrying the power of lightning appeared above Zhao Shijie's head.
Bang—
Without warning, a bolt of heavenly lightning struck down.
Zhao Shijie extended his hands, resisting the heavenly tribulation with his physical body.
He had seen Chu Huaian's tribulation before and was deeply shocked by Chu Huaian's domineering aura at the time.
Rumble—
A total of nine bolts of heavenly lightning struck down one after another, giving Zhao Shijie no chance to breathe.
Although it was just an ordinary One-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, Zhao Shijie, who was severely injured, could not withstand it. During the eighth bolt of heavenly lightning, he was struck flying and fell into a deep pit nearby.
When the ninth bolt of heavenly lightning struck down, cracks had already appeared on his body, and a large amount of blood seeped out from his pores.
If it were an ordinary cultivator, a One-Nine Heavenly Tribulation would be enough to complete the tribulation ritual, but unfortunately, Zhao Shijie was not. On the contrary, his heavenly tribulation had just begun.
Not far away, the Matriarch of Shadows dispersed her Dharma Idol and retreated sharply, wanting to escape the range of the lightning tribulation.
Zhao Shijie struggled to get up, a faint smile playing on his lips, and charged towards the Matriarch of Shadows regardless of his injuries.
"Are you crazy?!" The Matriarch of Shadows shrieked, fleeing as if for her life.
But just as she turned around, several bolts of lightning descended from the sky, blocking her path.
In that short time, Zhao Shijie had already rushed in front of her, attacking her like a madman.
"Stop! Stop quickly!" The Matriarch of Shadows' voice was sharp, her face filled with terror.
Rumble—
The dark clouds dispersed, and a Lightning Pool suddenly descended.
"The Lightning Pool, it's the legendary Lightning Pool!"
The already panicked Matriarch of Shadows suddenly froze in place the moment she saw the Lightning Pool, completely ignoring Zhao Shijie's attacks.
Legend has it that a primordial being resides in the Lightning Pool, controlling the lightning of the three thousand worlds. Once a monstrous genius appears, immeasurable lightning tribulations will descend.
As long as the trial is passed, this primordial being will manifest in the world and bestow the life-containing power of the lightning tribulation.
According to the historical records of the cultivation world, over millions of years, a total of three cultivators successfully passed this tribulation, and without exception, all of them became supreme rulers.
Whenever the Lightning Pool appears, it signifies that a supreme existence will be born in the cultivation world of that era, provided they can withstand the trial of the Lightning Pool.
In short, the appearance of the Lightning Pool means either heaven or hell for the tribulation-taker.
If they pass, their future achievements are limitless. If they fail, their soul will be scattered.
As a Golden Core Stage cultivator, the Matriarch of Shadows wanted to seize Zhao Shijie's opportunity but was also afraid she couldn't withstand the lightning tribulation.
Just as she was hesitating, a great roc formed of lightning flew out from the Lightning Pool, carrying an aura of destruction, soaring straight down.
At the same time, a hundred miles away, a middle-aged man was rapidly approaching on a flying sword, with an anxious-faced young girl standing behind him.
The moment he saw the Lightning Pool appear, the middle-aged man paused, stunned in place. No matter how the girl behind him urged, the middle-aged man remained unmoved.
"Why is the Lightning Pool here?" the middle-aged man muttered to himself.
To put it bluntly, it was impossible for such a prodigy to appear in Jizhou. Only Zhongzhou, with its abundant spiritual energy and countless geniuses, could possibly produce such a talent.
"Qianqian, are you sure this direction is where you want to go?" The middle-aged man looked at the girl suspiciously.
"Yes." Zhou Qianqian nodded vigorously, then urged, "Elder Zhong, can you hurry up? It'll be too late if we delay any longer!"
Hearing this, the middle-aged man suddenly burst into laughter: "Haha, I never thought, I never thought, such an opportunity would be encountered by my Star Sect! My Star Sect will protect this child!"
After saying that, the middle-aged man took out a sound transmission talisman from his storage ring and solemnly said, "First Elder, quickly send someone to inform Senior Brother Sect Master! A genius from a small sect is undergoing the Lightning Pool tribulation! Come quickly!"
Just as he finished speaking, in the distant sky, more than a dozen streaks of light were rapidly approaching the direction of the lightning tribulation from different directions.
At Hua Xia Sect, Chu Huaian sat up abruptly, muttered a silent curse, and with a flash of his figure, appeared at the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion.
"Luo Xi, I'm going out for a bit. Immediately gather the other players back to the sect, then activate the sect-protecting array. No one is allowed to leave! Wait for me to return!"
Luo Xi, who was reading under a tree, raised her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes, but she did not ask why, simply nodding gently.
Chu Huaian was still a bit uneasy, so he added several more seals at the entrance of the spirit stone mine before rushing frantically towards Zhao Shijie.
On the other side, Zhao Shijie, who had no idea he had become the focus of various forces, was stubbornly resisting the lightning tribulation.
If the Matriarch of Shadows hadn't shared most of the lightning tribulation, Zhao Shijie himself wasn't sure if he could withstand the great roc's attack.
The Matriarch of Shadows no longer had any of a Golden Core Stage cultivator's demeanor, continuously cursing Zhao Shijie, using all her methods and magic treasures to block the great roc's erosion.
Bang—
The great roc exploded, and the power of lightning pierced through both their bodies.
The Matriarch of Shadows let out a scream, her face charred black, and many parts of her body were incomplete, with several holes blasted through her.
Zhao Shijie was no better off. Lightning coursed through his body, causing extensive damage to his internal organs.
Both of them fell to the ground.
Zhao Shijie coughed up blood as he crawled towards the Matriarch of Shadows.
The Matriarch of Shadows took out a large amount of pills from her storage ring and directly shoved them into her mouth. Just as she was about to sit up to heal, she saw Zhao Shijie pounce on her. She was about to reach out to twist his neck when she heard a loud rumble.
The Lightning Pool above had finished brewing. A Three-legged Golden Crow stood on the edge of the Lightning Pool, its eyes coldly staring at the two below.
The next second, the Golden Crow spread its wings, surrounded by the power of lightning, and descended directly.
"I'll f***ing..."
The one cursing was none other than the Matriarch of Shadows, and these were her final words.