"This…"
Fang Wunian clearly hated Yang Cheng to the bone, yet he didn't belittle him. Instead, he said, "The Crown Prince is still young. At this stage, he can't compare to Martial Sovereign Lin, but given time, it's not impossible for him to surpass Martial Sovereign Lin."
"That's strange."
Ouyang Xue looked surprised. "Fang Wunian, the Crown Prince destroyed your whole Fang clan. You should hate him deeply and curse him, so why are you speaking so cautiously?"
Fang Wunian's face twitched.
"I get it."
Huang Yu said, "Martial Sovereign Su said he intends to take the Crown Prince as his disciple. That means the Crown Prince could become your martial uncle in the future. Naturally, you don't dare insult your future martial uncle."
Hearing this, the others couldn't help but stifle their laughter.
Fang Wunian's face darkened. "What's the point of mocking me? A true man bends and stretches as needed. Even the Crown Prince—his woman Xu Qingxue has been tormented by Martial Sovereign Su's Nine-Nine Thunder Origin Finger for over seventy days, and hasn't he also been forced to endure it in silence?"
At those words, the others fell silent.
They also knew about Xu Qingxue's situation.
It had been over seventy days, yet Yang Cheng hadn't gone to save her.
Most likely, Xu Qingxue had already been abandoned.
Outside Zhen'nan Pass, the entire world was buzzing with discussion about the situation there.
Most people didn't care about Xu Qingxue.
A young woman abandoned by Yang Cheng wasn't worth their attention.
Only those close to Xu Qingxue felt this was as loud as thunder in their hearts.
Like Li Xiang.
"Please, let me see the Crown Prince," Li Xiang begged bitterly. "If this is delayed any longer, my lady really will die."
Yu Qiuyue said helplessly, "I'm sorry, but before His Highness went into seclusion, he said this time was extremely important and no one was allowed to disturb him."
She also knew about Su Lingchen's matter.
But she didn't care much.
After all, she was an alchemist.
In her eyes, even if Yang Cheng's martial strength couldn't compare to Su Lingchen or Lin Zhuang, it didn't matter.
Yang Cheng's mastery of alchemy had absolutely reached the divine level.
With such skill, even if he went to the Azure Jade Realm, his status would surely surpass Su Lingchen's.
"There's truly no way to make an exception?"
Li Xiang pleaded.
Yu Qiuyue didn't budge. "No."
Li Xiang showed a sorrowful smile.
Perhaps she had overestimated her lady's place in the Crown Prince's heart.
"So this is the true face of great figures?"
Li Xiang's heart went cold. "When nothing was wrong, the Crown Prince treated my lady kindly, as if he valued her."
"But now, when something really happened, in his eyes, my lady is just a pawn that can be discarded."
She never expected this. She didn't want to stay in Divine Medicine Valley anymore.
She wanted to return and accompany her lady on her final journey.
When her lady died, she would follow her in death.
Just then—
Boom!
The entire Divine Medicine Valley shook.
Everyone there, including Yu Qiuyue, looked shocked.
Li Xiang froze, instinctively looking up at the sky.
And at that moment, she was completely stunned.
Above the loft where Yang Cheng was cultivating, a giant vortex had formed.
At first, the vortex was only several zhang across. But very quickly, it expanded to 100 zhang, 1,000 zhang…
In less than half a stick of incense, the entire Heavenly Heart Island was shrouded in darkness.
"What's happening?"
Li Xiang was bewildered.
The sight before her was so terrifying it felt like the end of the world.
"Someone is advancing in cultivation."
Yu Qiuyue's voice trembled. "Such terrifying phenomena—far beyond even a Martial Sovereign. Only the legendary gods possess such power."
"Divine Medicine Valley has given birth to a god!"
Li Xiang was completely stunned.
Recently, Su Lingchen had shaken the world, forcing countless Martial Sovereigns of the Wasteland Realm to bow their heads.
But even Su Lingchen was only a peak Martial Sovereign.
He claimed "invincible under the gods," which was just another way of admitting he wasn't equal to the gods.
Now Divine Medicine Valley had a god?
If that were true, once this god made a move, what would Su Lingchen amount to?
"Not a god."
Yu Qiuyue's eyes burned with heat. "In that loft, there's only one person cultivating. That's His Highness the Crown Prince Yang Cheng!"
"Wha… what?"
Li Xiang's eyes widened. "You… you mean this commotion was caused by His Highness?"
Yu Qiuyue didn't answer.
But Li Xiang had no time to keep listening.
Everyone in Divine Medicine Valley was already overwhelmed by what they saw.
From within that endless vortex of heaven and earth's qi, a figure stepped into the sky.
Then something even more terrifying happened.
Above, vast rolling black clouds appeared.
Thunder roared within them.
Boom!
The clouds churned, lightning twisting like dragons.
All of Heavenly Heart Island was soon drowned in this crushing pressure, as though doomsday had arrived.
Yang Cheng stood in the void, robes billowing, black hair flying wildly.
"I didn't expect that after breaking through, the leak of my aura would actually draw down a heavenly tribulation."
He raised his head toward the heavens, his eyes calm and profound.
When the Ten-Star Golden Dantian first appeared, Yang Cheng had already felt it was too heaven-defying, likely to attract misfortune.
The Ten-Star Golden Dantian wasn't the same as his other monstrous physiques.
Those bodies, monstrous as they were, still needed time to be gradually cultivated before they showed their full power.
The Ten-Star Golden Dantian was different. From the moment it appeared, it had given Yang Cheng terrifying combat strength.
If he fought Chu Xuzhi again now, Yang Cheng felt one palm would be enough to slap him to death.
But before, the Ten-Star Golden Dantian was hidden inside his body, beyond the awareness of the Wasteland Realm's heavenly will.
Now, because his cultivation broke through to the second level of Martial Saint, his aura leaked. The heavenly will sensed it and instantly drew down the heavenly tribulation.
"All the better."
Gazing at the surging thunder above, Yang Cheng's eyes lit with brilliance.
The Ten-Star Golden Dantian was terrifying, but because of it, the energy he needed for further breakthroughs was monstrous.
Even after exhausting all the replenishing pills in his void ring, he had only advanced from the first level of Martial Saint to the second.
But the thunder tribulation overhead—just one glance told him it carried unimaginable energy.
"This is… a heavenly tribulation?"
Yu Qiuyue's voice trembled, her face filled with disbelief. "His Highness Yang Cheng… is crossing a tribulation?"
"Tribulation crossing?"
Li Xiang was confused. "What does that mean?"
"In legend, only by reaching the peak of martial cultivation and stepping into godhood can one draw a heavenly tribulation."
Yu Qiuyue's entire body shook with excitement. "His Highness… he's about to become a god!"
Li Xiang's pupils shrank, her face filled with disbelief.
Boom!
The first bolt of lightning fell.
It was as thick as a mountain, blazing purple light across the heavens, as if to split Heavenly Heart Island in two.
Yang Cheng not only didn't dodge—he actively leapt into the sky to meet it head-on.
Bang!
The lightning slammed into him, the resulting wave of destruction tearing through endless miles of sky.
And yet, what unfolded shocked everyone.
The people of Divine Medicine Valley saw countless bolts of lightning crash into Yang Cheng's body, but instead of resisting, a giant vortex formed around him.
"Great Thunderous Sound Breathing Technique—swallow it for me!"
The Great Thunderous Sound Breathing Technique required thunder itself to cultivate.