Chapter 924: Chapter 99 Final Preparations

Ningning seems to be in low spirits lately.

Of course, she’s nearly reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and almost everyone starts getting nervous around this point. It’s not unexpected for her to be out of sorts.

After all, once Cultivation reaches perfection, one must cross the tribulation.

Whether they are cultivators from Lu Country or Transcendents from abroad, almost all of them must cross a life-and-death barrier to advance to the next realm. This thing is like a giant sieve, sifting out most of the Transcendents who don’t have strong enough combat power. You can imagine how terrifying it is.

Different occupational systems have different life-and-death barriers. For instance, cultivators are struck by lightning, witches reshape their bodies, Clerics undergo baptism, and Onmyojis cross the River of Forgetfulness… Regardless of the form or content, the difficulty is definitely sky-high, with little difference between having one chance in ten of surviving or nine and a half chances in ten of dying.

In this regard, the countries of East Asia are particularly cautious. Since most of the Transcendents are officially trained and play a leading role, even if just one of the top talents were to die, the pain would be long-lasting, so they unanimously choose to temporarily retreat and avoid conflicts.

This atmosphere has trickled down to the cultivators, leading to an involuntary tension among everyone, even if the officials haven’t said anything. Just seeing the base staff bustling about makes everyone stiffen up.

The first one to have a problem was Xie Ruoxi because her efficiency in Breathing and Energy Refining was so high; her progress in Cultivation led the entire army. Just when she was about to be the first to reach the Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Realm (maybe even the first to undergo Core Formation and Crossing Tribulation), she suddenly announced she was ill and needed to pause her Cultivation.

Yan Yu was puzzled and came to Xie Ruoxi’s room, knocking on the door:

“Ruoxi?”

A shout came from inside immediately:

“I’m not here!”

“Haha.” Yan Yu sneered, “If Ruoxi isn’t here, then who are you? Why are you in her room?”

“Uh…” Xie Ruoxi cursed her own naivety internally for failing even to lie properly. She could only squeeze out in a pinched voice, “I’m a janitor from the base, cleaning her room! Could you please come back later to find her?”

“Oh, the janitor.” Yan Yu drawled, “I won’t disturb you then.”

Xie Ruoxi inside the room breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear Yan Yu continue:

“If you see her when you’re working, please relay a message for me.”

“You’re done for, just wait for your death.”

Yan Yu was just about to leave when he heard the door behind him snap open. Xie Ruoxi rushed out, grabbed his waist firmly, and dragged him into the room.

“Captain, save me!” As soon as the door was closed, she skillfully slid to her knees and clung to Yan Yu’s thighs, wailing hysterically.

“Just calm down,” Yan Yu said soothingly, “and don’t use my pants as a tissue for your tears and snot… I told you to stop! Are you asking for a beating?”

Xie Ruoxi stopped, tearfully whimpering:

“I really can’t undergo the tribulation. I’m useless, I’ll die with just one strike of lightning!”

“Ruoxi, you’re too timid.” Yan Yu remarked lightly, “Aren’t you a talented cultivator who can control thunder? Shouldn’t Tribulation Thunder be like taking candy from a baby?”

“Don’t lie to me!” Xie Ruoxi exclaimed loudly, “Heavenly Tribulation and the Thunder Method are not the same thing at all!”

“Tsk.”

“You tsk! You can’t fool me!” Xie Ruoxi gritted her teeth, “You just want to trick me into facing certain death!”

“How could this be a trick?” Yan Yu argued passionately, “To achieve Core Formation, you must face the tribulation; sooner or later you’ll have to face it, unavoidable and inevitable. Instead of tremblingly waiting for death, why not bravely seize a chance for survival, right?”

“No, no, no!” Xie Ruoxi shook her head vigorously, “I don’t want to wait tremblingly for death, nor do I want to face danger for a chance at life. I just want to live a safe, comfortable, and laid-back life!”

“Don’t refuse the toast only to drink the forfeit,” Yan Yu scolded sternly, “Since you’ve become a cultivator and enjoyed the honors and benefits of a cultivator, you must naturally bear the responsibilities a cultivator should. This attitude of wanting only benefits without responsibilities is truly nauseating.”

“That’s too much!” Xie Ruoxi started crying again, “When you recruited me, you never told me about the responsibilities of a cultivator! Had I known becoming a cultivator meant facing lightning strikes and undergoing life-threatening Heavenly Tribulation, I would never have agreed to become one!”

Yan Yu:……

Maybe, it seems, perhaps that’s true? When I tricked her into joining the Zhenghai Team, I indeed never mentioned these things. I remember just offering her a job…

Ahahaha, after all, if I had told the whole truth, she definitely would’ve refused outright. This beautiful useless thing just loves to back out, an utterly spineless person. I’m really doing this for her good!

Thinking this, Yan Yu also dropped his stern expression and gently asked:

“Ruoxi, is there anything you’ve wanted to eat lately?”

“No use bribing me with food!” Xie Ruoxi said despairingly, “This is a life-or-death matter!”

“I know.” Yan Yu stroked his chin thoughtfully, “Or do you have any unfulfilled wishes that I could help realize?”

“My wish is not to die!” Xie Ruoxi passionately retorted, “And why do you suddenly sound like you’re giving me a last hurrah before death! Have you already resigned to my definite death during the tribulation?”

“I just want you to sprint without worries,” Yan Yu quickly explained, “Crossing the tribulation is certainly not a guaranteed death. For a normal cultivator, it’s a one in ten chance of survival, but given your mastery of the Thunder Method and abundant True Yuan, I estimate your chances of encountering disaster are less than seventy percent.”