Chapter 090: Opening the Soul Space

  "What... what's going on?" Sensing the ancient energy around them rapidly diminishing, countless cultivators opened their eyes, their gazes filled with confusion as they noticed the energy in the surroundings was being drained.

  "Is the Martial Dao Platform closing?" someone exclaimed, voicing a thought that sent a ripple of panic through the crowd.

  "That can't be! It hasn't even been that long since it opened!" another shouted, disbelief etched on their face. The Martial Dao Platform was supposed to remain open for an entire day—it couldn't possibly close early.

  "Wait... the energy is being drawn toward Yang Tian... look!" someone pointed out, their voice trembling as they noticed the massive vortex spinning above Yang Tian's head. Deep, rumbling sounds emanated from within.

  "What's happening?" Many were left speechless, their eyes wide with shock.

  "Is he undergoing a tribulation?" Shan Qu muttered, scratching his head as he stared at the energy vortex. Dark clouds had begun to gather above it.

  A restraining force suddenly enveloped Yang Tian's body. He sighed, his consciousness sinking into the Ancestral Dragon Ring. He still had some time before the heavenly tribulation descended.

  "It's time to open the soul space!" Yang Tian murmured, his gaze falling on the Soul Crystal within the ring. Without hesitation, he swallowed it.

  Within his sea of consciousness, faint traces of soul power flickered like tiny sparks. This soul power was incredibly fragile, and the moment Yang Tian tried to gather it, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over him.

  "Let's gather energy slowly," Yang Tian thought, glancing at the dark clouds forming above. His consciousness then focused on the Soul Crystal, which had settled near his sea of consciousness.

  "How do I use this thing?" Yang Tian frowned. Soul Crystals were exceedingly rare, and he had no idea how to open a soul space. Just as he was pondering, the Soul Crystal suddenly stirred.

  Within his sea of consciousness, the faint soul body Yang Tian had just formed floated toward the Soul Crystal. A wave of joy washed over him as the crystal seemed to melt from within.

  Yang Tian closely observed the changes in the Soul Crystal, unaware that chaos had erupted outside. Within a thousand feet of him, not a single person remained.

  "What kind of cultivation technique is Yang Tian practicing? He's actually triggering a heavenly tribulation!" Qing Yuan muttered, his eyes fixed on the dark clouds forming above. He couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.

  Heavenly tribulations were the greatest fear of cultivators. For Yang Tian to trigger one just as he was stepping into the Martial Artist realm was almost unheard of. In the history of the Eastern Continent, only a handful of prodigies from the Holy Lands had achieved such a feat.

  "A heavenly tribulation? How is that possible?" Gu Mo licked his dry lips, unable to believe his eyes. Tribulations were terrifying. According to records from the Holy Lands, there had been cases where even a divine child was struck down by a tribulation.

  "Is Yang Tian cultivating a Heaven-grade technique?" Many began to speculate.

  "A Heaven-grade technique? Impossible! Just mastering a Star-grade technique is already a miracle. This can't be real!" Others refuted the idea. Heaven-grade techniques weren't something one could simply cultivate—they required an astronomical amount of energy.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  If it took someone ten years to reach the Martial Artist realm using an Earth-grade technique, a Heaven-grade technique would require dozens of times more effort. For someone at the Blood Refining stage to master a Heaven-grade technique was nothing short of a fantasy.

  Many refused to believe it, but their eyes betrayed their greed. Even if it wasn't a Heaven-grade technique, whatever Yang Tian was cultivating was far superior to their own. The thought of obtaining his technique filled them with desire.

  While Yang Tian was engrossed in observing the changes in the Soul Crystal, he remained oblivious to the many eyes now coveting his secrets.

  Within his sea of consciousness, a dark, swirling energy began to surge. Yang Tian's soul body, no larger than a sesame seed, was immersed in this black mist, visibly growing.

  At the source of the black energy, a space the size of a fingernail began to take shape, resembling a well that continuously spewed black gas. Yang Tian's soul power soaked in this well, growing stronger by the moment.

  "Is this soul energy?" Yang Tian muttered, feeling his soul power skyrocket. The well contained an immense amount of soul energy, enough to significantly enhance his soul.

  "The power of this tribulation is terrifying," Yang Tian thought, glancing at the dark clouds above. Faint streaks of lightning flickered within, exuding an overwhelming pressure.

  "It should still take some time," Yang Tian concluded, shifting his focus back to the Soul Nurturing Lotus Seed in his hand. He swallowed it without hesitation.

  Within his sea of consciousness, a dazzling burst of five-colored light erupted, filling the entire space. Yang Tian's soul trembled as the radiant energy surged into it.

  "This is insane!" Yang Tian exclaimed as his soul body, originally the size of a sesame seed, began to grow rapidly. When it reached the size of a fingernail, the growth slowed.

  "Just as I thought. This can enhance the soul's foundation, providing immense help to a nascent soul," Yang Tian realized, clearly sensing the surge of energy within his soul.

  Soul cultivation was divided into seven realms: Soul Gathering, Soul Wandering, Soul Forging, Soul Tempering, Soul Refining, Soul Manifestation, and Soul Divinity. Each realm was further divided into low, medium, high, and peak stages. Yang Tian's soul had now reached the medium stage of Soul Gathering. Once he reached the peak and broke through to Soul Wandering, his soul would be able to leave his body.

  The energy from the Soul Nurturing Lotus Seed had only been consumed by a fraction. The sheer amount of energy it contained was staggering, far more than his soul could absorb in one sitting. It would take a long time to fully digest.

  "If only I had a soul cultivation technique, my soul wouldn't have to absorb energy so slowly," Yang Tian sighed. Soul cultivation techniques were exceedingly rare, often more valuable than a Dao artifact. Even the ancient families might not possess such treasures, and most available techniques were incomplete.

  *Rumble...* Above, the dark clouds loomed ominously, streaks of silver lightning flashing within. A terrifying aura was brewing, and the ancient energy in the surroundings grew even thinner.

  "This tribulation is terrifying. I wonder how many lightning strikes it will have," the onlookers whispered. Within the ten-thousand-foot radius, only Yang Tian remained. If anyone dared to approach during a tribulation, they would be targeted by the lightning.

  "Brother Yang will definitely overcome the tribulation," Yun'er prayed silently. She had also broken through, manifesting the phenomenon of "Azure Waves Illuminating the Heavens," an incredibly powerful vision.

  "Don't worry, little sister," Xing Hao said, patting Yun'er's shoulder reassuringly. "Yang Tian is blessed by the heavens. He'll be fine."

  "This is the might of the heavens," Yang Tian murmured, opening his eyes to the dark clouds looming above. The oppressive aura was overwhelming, a destructive force that seemed to blot out the sky.

  "Since this is the ancient era, the power of the tribulation should be even stronger," Yang Tian thought, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

  "This little guy isn't scared at all," Yang Tian chuckled, noticing Xiao Bai's low growls as if challenging the heavens. Beasts were naturally terrified of tribulations. When a sixth-tier spirit beast advanced to a demon beast, it had to undergo a major tribulation, but fewer than one in ten survived.

  "Look, it's starting!" someone shouted. The energy in the clouds had reached its peak, and the oppressive atmosphere was unbearable. The tribulation was about to begin.

  "Yang Tian, even if you can trigger a heavenly tribulation, so what? Without proper preparation, you'll still perish under the lightning," Li Hongtao sneered inwardly. Overcoming a tribulation required numerous treasures and preparations. Yang Tian only had his powerful physical body, but how could that possibly withstand the might of heavenly lightning?

  *Boom!*

  A deafening roar echoed across the sky. The lightning within the clouds finally erupted. A bolt of lightning, as thick as a thumb, shot down from the clouds. The overwhelming pressure descended like a tidal wave, and a blinding silver light streaked across the heavens.