Chapter 259 – Thousand-Mile Thunderclouds Block Nine Luminaries, Enlightened Spirit Light Shoots Rainbow at the Sun

A blood moon hung in the sky, with mountains of corpses piled high.

Lu Chen walked through the inner landscape created by the Heart Demon Tribulation, step by step heading toward the Bone Mountain Summit not far away.

The Heart Demon Tribulation, also known as the Heart-Tempering Trial, was a specific ordeal that every cultivator would face when breaking through a major Realm.

The reason for this was that whenever a cultivator’s Realm underwent a breakthrough, their Divine Soul and rapidly increasing cultivation required a period of adaptation.

During this process, some of the darkness originally hidden within the cultivator’s heart would seize the opportunity to amplify and influence the cultivator themselves.

The principle that human nature is inherently evil originated from this.

Upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, especially when it came time to inscribe the core patterns, the difficulty of the Heart Demon Tribulation would increase further.

This was because, at this stage, the Heart Demon was no longer the kind of mere “illusion” that only sought to bewilder the mind.

Instead, it became a special trial capable of affecting reality.

If one could not overcome the Heart Demon, not only would all the efforts the cultivator had made before come to nothing, but they themselves would also undergo a drastic change in personality due to the Heart Demon’s invasion, falling into the Demonic Path and fully unleashing the darkness within their heart.

At this point, there were two solutions.

One was to immediately halt the breakthrough upon realizing that one could not overcome the Heart Demon Tribulation, then spend a significant amount of time nurturing one’s Heart-Nature to expel the Heart Demon’s influence.

The other was to allow external intervention.

That’s right, breakthroughs at this stage permitted outside assistance.

Or rather, they permitted outside interruption.

This was precisely why Lu Chen had previously sought several Azure Cloud Sect Elders to protect his Dao.

Once the Heart Demon took root in the upper core, Lu Chen would become completely lost in the inner landscape, with his body controlled by the Heart Demon.

And since the Heart Demon represented the evil of human nature, it was entirely possible for it to go on a killing spree or even commit acts of madness that ordinary people could not comprehend.

To protect both himself and others, even though Lu Chen believed he would not be troubled by the Heart Demon, he still prepared to have several Azure Cloud Elders watch over him.

After all, if such a situation truly arose, a mere Golden Core Stage cultivator would be unable to awaken him.

Only a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator could do so.

And it was best to have multiple Nascent Soul Stage cultivators at that.

Always preparing for the worst and making ample arrangements for it—this had always been Lu Chen’s philosophy.

Just as Lu Chen reached the foot of the Bone Mountain, the surrounding environment instantly transformed.

Countless people who had once died by Lu Chen’s hands appeared on both sides of the Bone Mountain.

These individuals wore ferocious expressions, their eyes filled with malice.

It seemed as though they wished to devour Lu Chen alive.

They glared at him with bared teeth and claws, as if the moment he dared to set foot on the Bone Mountain, they would all attack him in unison.

In response, Lu Chen merely glanced at them expressionlessly before calmly stepping onto the Bone Mountain.

And this step acted as a signal, immediately causing the surrounding Karma wraiths to swarm toward him.

But before they could get close to Lu Chen, a white spiritual light erupted from his body.

“Ah!”

The moment the Karma wraiths touched the white light, they retreated one after another.

Those who were too slow to dodge melted away like ice and snow within Lu Chen’s pure white spiritual light.

Without even glancing at the state of these Karma wraiths, Lu Chen silently walked toward the blood-red Sword embedded at the summit of the Bone Mountain.These mere manifestations of the Heart Demon were no match for him in life, let alone in death.

It was precisely this flawless heart that transformed into Lu Chen’s protective spiritual light at this moment.

As long as this spiritual light remained unbroken, these Karma-filled vengeful spirits could not affect Lu Chen in the slightest.

Protected by the spiritual light, Lu Chen effortlessly reached the Bone Mountain Summit.

At this location, an unexpected figure appeared.

“Little Lu, are you sure you want to pull it out?”

“You should know what this Sword means. From the moment you draw this Sword, there will be no turning back.”

“If you return now, you’ll still be the peerless prodigy of the Azure Cloud Sect, with a smooth path ahead in life.”

“But if you draw it, you’re destined to walk a path of no return. Do you think everyone will understand what you’re doing?”

“Don’t be naive. Many people aren’t unable to see clearly—they simply don’t want to.”

“They won’t thank you for waking them from their beautiful dreams; instead, they’ll resent you for not letting them continue dreaming.”

“Turn back. It’s not too late to turn back now.”

Looking at Jing Gong who had appeared beside the Blood Sword, Lu Chen fell silent.

He hadn’t expected that the person appearing at the final moment of this first Heart Demon inner realm would be his master, Jing Gong.

Although he hadn’t spent much time with Jing Gong,

the other had indeed provided significant assistance on his cultivation path.

From the moment he became Jing Gong’s Disciple, the other had supported him unconditionally.

And Lu Chen had to admit that while this unconditional support made him feel at ease, it also brought some worries.

This worry was Lu Chen’s fear that one day in the future, even Jing Gong might not approve of what he was doing.

If it truly came to that, Lu Chen wasn’t sure if he could continue walking his path.

After all, opposing the whole world and opposing someone you trust are two different matters.

Perhaps the Heart Demon had detected this small worry hidden in his heart and materialized it, amplifying it completely.

However…

Bang!

Ignoring ‘Jing Gong’s’ words, Lu Chen gripped the Gluttonous Fiend Weapon embedded in the bone mountain with one hand.

Instantly, the entire blood sea inner realm began to shake violently.

Along with it, the Heart Demon transformed Jing Gong flickered and changed into Lu Chen’s appearance.

But unlike Lu Chen’s usual steadiness, this Heart Demon Lu Chen appeared much more exaggerated.

Not only was he dressed entirely in white, but his hair and eyebrows were completely white as well.

Paired with that frivolous expression, he was the complete opposite of Lu Chen, who preferred dressing in black.

The Heart Demon looked at Lu Chen and asked puzzledly, “I was following your true heart to question you, so why aren’t you shaken at all?”

Lu Chen completely pulled the Gluttonous Fiend Weapon from the bone mountain, whereupon it transformed into a crimson streak of light that slowly entered the Spirit Pill at his Dantian.

During this process, Lu Chen calmly replied, “Don’t use speculation to judge people’s hearts. If that day truly comes, I believe my Master will still support my decision, just as he does now.”

The Heart Demon was taken aback, then seemed to understand something, realizing: “So that’s how it is. Although you have worries about the future, you won’t be troubled by things that haven’t happened yet.””But are you really so confident in your own judgment, so trusting of human nature? You must know that human hearts can change.”

Lu Chen shook his head and said calmly, “Time will provide the answer. Neither you nor I… are qualified to judge.”

“Hmph.”

The Heart Demon curled his lips disdainfully, then clasped his hands behind his head and said resentfully, “Look how arrogant you are. I refuse to believe I can’t find your weakness. We… have plenty of time ahead of us.”

Boom!

As the Heart Demon’s inner realm collapsed, Lu Chen found himself back at the Ascension Platform of Azure Cloud Main Peak.

On the Spirit Pill in his Dantian, three distinct pill patterns had now clearly appeared.

These three patterns intertwined with each other, resonating in harmony like a complete whole.

Seeing this, Lu Chen knew his Transcendent Golden Core was already one-quarter complete.

He only needed to condense nine more pill patterns, and his Transcendent Golden Core would be just one step away from completion – awaiting only the final baptism of the Lightning Tribulation.

Without hesitation, Lu Chen immediately began condensing the next pill pattern.

This time, the inner realm that appeared was the ‘Dragon Burial Ground’ symbolizing the True Dragon Sword Intent.

Throughout this Dragon Burial Ground, there were countless enormous draconic skeletons.

The largest dragon skeleton was precisely where Lu Chen stood.

Because the entire Dragon Burial Ground was built upon one massive dragon skeleton.

Similar to the first inner realm, the first challenge Lu Chen encountered in this True Dragon Sword Intent realm was attacks from some Bone Dragons.

But these Bone Dragons were merely impressive in appearance, unable to cause Lu Chen any real trouble.

Soon enough, Lu Chen arrived before a black longsword.

This time, standing beside this black-golden sword was someone from reality… Chen Fugui.

“Little Lu, this Dragon-Slaying Sword is an extraordinary treasure. Your teacher has never encountered such a fine sword in his entire life. How about giving it to me?”

Chen Fugui rubbed his hands together, perfectly portraying the ‘greed’ of a rich man’s son.

Unexpectedly, Lu Chen’s breakthrough speed this time was even faster than in the previous bloodshed inner realm.

He ignored the ‘Heart Demon’s’ request and directly placed his hand on the pale golden Sovereign Dragon Sword.

“Huh? How are you even faster this time than last? Was my acting not convincing enough?”

While drawing the Sovereign Dragon Sword, Lu Chen nodded and said, “You don’t understand Teacher Chen, nor can you portray what he truly covets. Thus, your performance is full of flaws.”

“Ah?”

The Heart Demon looked unconvinced and said, “Where did I fail? I clearly acted according to his personality, creating the most likely scenario where he would obstruct you.”

“If you ask me, this isn’t about my poor acting, but rather the ‘greed’ in your bones that prevents you from handing over acquired treasures to anyone else.”

“This is your problem, not mine.”

To this, Lu Chen – who had now completely drawn the Sovereign Dragon Sword – replied without changing expression: “The essence of greed lies in human desires.”

“Some seek wealth, some seek fame. Although Teacher Chen may appear worldly and vulgar, what he truly covets is beyond ordinary imagination.”

“Huh? What makes you say that? Do you have proof?”

This time, Lu Chen unusually adopted a serious expression as he explained to the Heart Demon: “Petty greed seeks wealth, moderate greed seeks power, great greed seeks aspirations.”

“I don’t believe someone who can disregard life and death, who would rather die protecting his students, would seize treasures from his own student.””His contributions to me, and to others, may not be selfless, but what he covets isn’t any specific object—it’s a potential that exists within us.”

“He wants me to climb higher, the better.”

“Because only then can he glimpse the scenery he himself cannot see.”

“That is his true greed.”

“To borrow another’s eyes and behold the view from the heavens.”

“What he truly desires is the wish in his heart. He has staked everything, betting that someone can fulfill the wish within him.”

“Until then, he is willing to pay any price, even his own life.”

“So… you don’t understand him.”

Hearing this, the Heart Demon froze momentarily, seemingly taken aback by Lu Chen’s perspective on Chen Fugui.

Though the Heart Demon intended to refute, his furrowed brow and contemplative expression revealed that he actually acknowledged Lu Chen’s interpretation.

After all, when the Black Lotus Sect attacked Luocheng High School, Chen Fugui—the son of a wealthy magnate who should have been indulgent and fearful of death—had genuinely stepped beyond the campus, doing everything in his power to contribute however he could.

This act wasn’t just about protecting the students; it was also about safeguarding the hope he had placed in them.

He was gambling, betting that among these students, someone would one day reach heights he could never attain.

Then, when they returned, they would tell him what the scenery looked like from that vantage point.

At this thought, the Heart Demon irritably shed his disguise and grumbled, “How could anyone stake everything on a mere hope? Is he really the son of a wealthy magnate? Does he even know how to do business?”

“No, no, I refuse to believe you’re truly flawless. You must have a weakness—I just haven’t found it yet.”

Despite his words, over the next two Heart-Nature inner realms, the Heart Demon frustratingly discovered that Lu Chen’s heart was as unyielding as forged iron—impervious to persuasion or infiltration.

In the third Heart-Nature inner realm, the Heart Demon attempted to tempt Lu Chen with ‘lust.’

Yet Lu Chen not only remained unmoved but critiqued the Heart Demon’s approach as superficial, pointing out that he failed to grasp the true essence of ‘lust.’

Flesh and appearance are merely superficial; true human lust lies in what can fulfill the depths of another’s heart.

A Heart Demon who only knows how to tempt with outward appearances employs the lowest form of seduction.

In the final Heart-Nature inner realm, the Heart Demon resorted to his ultimate tactic.

This time, he confronted Lu Chen with ‘wrath.’

He exhausted every method to provoke Lu Chen’s anger.

Including, but not limited to, killing and humiliating those he cared about.

To the Heart Demon’s surprise, Lu Chen remained composed.

He calmly stated that if such situations truly occurred, anger would solve nothing—it would only worsen matters.

This absolute calm was born from countless deaths in Instances.

At this point, the Heart Demon gave up entirely.

Invincible—this guy’s Heart-Nature was so invincible that he couldn’t find a single weakness.

It seemed that for every negative emotion, Lu Chen had already contemplated it in advance and devised countermeasures.

Faced with someone who had not only anticipated scenarios of inner turmoil but also prepared responses, the Heart Demon admitted he had no recourse.

Calling Lu Chen heartless might not be accurate, but describing his Heart-Nature as ironclad was no exaggeration.

And just as Lu Chen overcame the four Heart-Nature inner realms, the pill patterns on the Spirit Pill within him fully reached twelve marks.In an instant, the massive vortex swirling above Lu Chen’s head abruptly began to descend.

This was the Lightning Tribulation sensing that Lu Chen’s Spirit Pill had fully formed, signaling the descent of heavenly thunder for baptism.

Gazing at the Lightning Tribulation scene that blotted out the Nine Luminaries stars like doomsday itself, Lu Chen’s expression remained utterly tranquil, showing not a trace of fear.

Corresponding to this Heart-Nature was the spiritual radiance that had previously only appeared in his Heart Demon’s inner landscape, now shining forth through his body.

The light wasn’t dazzling, yet it became the sole illumination in the darkened world.

This light shot into the Lightning Tribulation vortex above Lu Chen’s head, seemingly capable of penetrating through the vortex to reach the sun, moon, and stars beyond the clouds.

Thunderclouds spanning thousands of miles obscure the Nine Luminaries, while unwavering spiritual light pierces the solar rainbow… This described the scene perfectly.

Such terrifying spiritual light left onlookers like Qing Yi and others profoundly shaken.

After all, Lu Chen’s rapid cultivation progress could be attributed to his extraordinary talent and continuous fortuitous encounters.

But this radiance of Heart-Nature was far more difficult to explain.

How could someone who had cultivated for less than ten years refine such Heart-Nature?

Could there truly exist a natural-born Immortal who knew the Dao from birth?

(End of Chapter)