Though he had broken through the limit of the 13th stage of the Skin Tempering Realm, Long Huang found himself perplexed as a month passed without achieving the Meridian Tempering Realm. It was baffling after all, he had advanced through nine stages in just a month.
"Why can't I break through?" he pondered, frustration creeping into his thoughts.
"Hmm, now thinking about it, I don't sense any changes after breaking through to the 13th stage," said Long Huang, his mind racing with anticipation as he began to cultivate.
As he sat down to circulate his Cultivation technique instead of his usual absorbing and converting spiritual energy, he began to focus on every part of his body that absorbed qi, first the largest consumer, his skin, then his organs, and so on, but he found nothing strange.
Just as he was about to give up, he noticed something simply remarkable: his meridians felt more flexible and noticeably larger than a normal person.
This discovery brought joy to Long Huang. He knew from the dragon's inheritance just how much this would benefit him in his future cultivation and battles.
With such meridians, he could absorb and use twice as much qi. And his qi shield in the future, when he broke through to the Blood Tempering Realm, would be twice as big other. But this also meant his cultivation in the Meridian Tempering Realm would be twice as hard and painful.
This realm was known as the second most unbearable realm.
There were twelve main meridians in this realm, which had to be tempered to withstand future qi usage, but most cultivators only tempered nine of the twelve main meridians.
Simply due to excruciating pain or being unaware of the remaining three, and only geniuses with strong wills would temper them.
However, the dragon's inheritance had granted him knowledge of the additional 2 meridians and 108 mara points crucial for the flow of qi in the body, insights that even the most astute geniuses didn't know. Now understanding his situation properly, Long Huang began to focus a bit more on cultivating, and the days flew by once more.
One evening, as the sun dipped behind the jagged mountain peaks, casting long shadows over the land, Long Huang stopped practicing and began his usual cultivation. Channeling the Chaos Battle Devil Dragon Art, he felt an ominous shift in the atmosphere.
The sky darkened unnaturally, thunderclouds gathered like a looming storm, and fierce winds whipped around him, uprooting trees in their wake. Then, the unmistakable crackle of tribulation lightning lit up the sky above him.
Craaaack! Boom!
"Heavenly tribulation? But I thought this was only supposed to happen at the Qi Converging Realm!" He exclaimed, disbelief mingling with a twinge of fear.
"Damn that dragon! He lied to me, and if I ever get the chance, I swear I'll make him pay!" Anger surged within him as he cursed under his breath. The weight of uncertainty pressed on him, and as the thunder rolled.
What Long Huang didn't know was that it was his evolved cultivation technique that threatened the very heavens. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the entire forest as it came rushing towards Long Huang.
Before he could react, his Ancient Chaos Battle Dragon bloodline surged to life, a primal force awakening within him.
The spectral dragon roared to life, its Draconic might suppressing every beast on the Archdevil Mountain Range. It lunged skyward, mouth agape as it tried to devour the violent arcs of lightning aimed at Long Huang.
Each bolt of lightning seemed to scream as it clashed with the dragon, sending shockwaves rippling through the air, transforming the lethal strike into a vibrant show of light.
But this wasn't simply a battle of strength; it was a clash of wills. The storm didn't relent, spiraling into a vortex of lightning and death as more bolts rained down, striking with a fury that threatened to annihilate Long Huang and the entire Archdevil Mountain Range.
Long Huang felt a tingle of fear and exhilaration mingle within him. The battle went on for a while, and as the last bit of lightning began to dissipate, the clouds parted like curtains, revealing the bright blue sky.
The dragon shadow, now sated, flowed back into Long Huang, invigorating him with lightning energy. But he wasn't done yet. Seizing the moment, he maximized his breathing technique, feeling each breath resonate deep within as he drew strength from the lightning.
A resonating boom echoed through his core as he ascended to the 2nd stage of the Meridian Tempering Realm.
"Haha, now this is what I'm talking about!" Long Huang laughed. He had averted a heavenly tribulation and had finally broken through after a month of being stuck at the 13th stage of the Skin Tempering Realm.
Meanwhile, in a land blanketed by snow far north, a young man stood amidst a council of men much older than him.
"Hmmm, a heavenly tribulation, it seems like one of those old bastards from the south broke through to the Empyrean Spirit Domain Realm," said the young man as he looked to the sky.
"Head south as soon as possible and set the plan in motion. We can't keep waiting on that idiot," said the young man as he pointed to a middle-aged man dressed in a crimson robe.
While his tone was calm, those who understood him could sense the volcanic rage simmering beneath the surface.
"Yes, your highness," said the middle-aged man calmly, but his eyes were filled with the savagery liken unto a beast.
While the young man was boiling with rage, Long Huang was excited, wanting to test his new strength. He turned to a nearby tree and threw a punch with all his might.
Boom!...
As his fists struck the tree, it split it cleanly in two and sending wooden splinters exploding outward like shrapnel. Based on this, Long Huang gauged that his strength had nearly doubled. With a satisfied grin, Long Huang sat down, thinking to himself about all the time he had spent here.
The forest had been his training ground, but now, it was time to return to the sect.
"With my current strength, I wouldn't be defeated by anyone my age," said Long Huang as his heart surged with pride and determination. He returned to his cultivation, focusing intently on solidifying his realm for the night.
As the first light of dawn broke through the trees, Long Huang felt a renewed sense of purpose.
Today was the day he would leave. He took a moment to breathe in the crisp morning air. He then donned his disciple robes and carefully packed up his tent. The little deer saw this and approached Long Huang.
"Little guy, I'm leaving today, and you can't follow me, okay?" Long Huang said as he rubbed the little deer's head, comforting it.
Snfffhh!
The little deer snorted as if to say it didn't care and still wanted to go with him.
"You can't come with me to the city, or the others will attack you, and I'm not powerful enough to protect you."
Phhhfrrt!
Hearing this, the little deer snorted, still reluctant.
"I'll come back and visit you when I get the chance, okay?" said Long Huang as he handed another Yang fruit to the little deer. Only then did it seem to believe Long Huang. Seeing this, Long Huang immediately left without saying another word in case the little deer changed its mind.
"Blossom City! Here I come."
Half an hour later, Long Huang spotted the City Gates in the distance. The city seemed to breathe in the soft, lingering light of the setting sun. It was a place woven from petals and twilight. Above, the blue sky was painted gold by the evening sun, a few early stars pricking the deepening blue like distant lanterns. But it was the streets themselves that held the true magic.
Ancient, gnarled cherry blossom trees lined every canal and pathway, their branches so heavy with blossoms they formed a continuous, cloud-like canopy over the entire city.
The air itself was thick with their scent, a delicate, almost imperceptible fragrance of spring and subtle sweetness as a gentle evening breeze stirred.
"The air isn't as fresh, and the spiritual energy isn't as abundant as it is on the Archdevil Mountain Range," he mused.
"But oh boy, I am glad to be back," he added, taking in the stunning view of the City Gate.
Long Huang then made his way to the most popular treasure pavilion in Blossom City, where beast parts were bought and sold. Although the Azure Lotus also had a treasure pavilion, they deducted a percentage from most transactions, claiming it was for the betterment of the Sect.
As Long Huang walked through the streets of Blossom City, he noticed many eyes lingering on him.
"Wow! Since when did the Azure Lotus Sect get such a hottie?" said one woman, staring at Long Huang.
A man nearby scoffed,
"So what if he's good-looking? I bet he isn't that strong and is scared to fight, just look at him." Another man chimed in,
"Yeah, he probably hides behind women."
"What a waste of a good physique and looks."
The first woman shot back, "Hmp, jealous much?"
Ignoring their gossip, Long Huang continued on his way to the pavilion. After a few minutes, he arrived at the seven-story building named Treasure Jade Pavilion.
"A good day to you, dear customer! How may I be of service?" greeted an old man with a long white beard and a sly smile.
"Same to you. I want to sell some wild beast corpses," Long Huang replied.
"Oh, right this way, sir," the old man said, leading him into a room.
Upon entering, Long Huang noticed a large space furnished with some chairs and a table.
"What a strange room," Long Huang thought.
"Have a seat. Would you like some tea, sir?" The old man spoke, his voice gravelly with age, but before Long Huang could fully register his words, the door swung open.