Chapter 1212: The Ghost Cave Appears

Under the illumination of the Eye of Clarity, the power of thunder and lightning raged, and Hall Master Xing's primordial spirit was on the verge of collapse at any moment, seemingly unable to hold on much longer.

"Many people have reached pseudo-Out-of-Body but, fearing the might of thunder, still dare not attempt the breakthrough for years. For instance, Hall Master Gou, who clearly reached Out-of-Body long ago, never dared to summon the thunder tribulation. Hall Master Xing must have had his primordial spirit controlled by someone using the method of capturing a witch's soul, leading to this situation!"

His brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

"Hall Master Xing's primordial spirit has entered the thunder, and there's no way to stop it. Forcibly stopping it will only increase the power of the lightning, ultimately burning him to death..."

Master Ji shook his head.

Although he was only a peak Primordial Spirit realm expert, he still knew something about the Out-of-Body realm and the Out-of-Body tribulation.

This was heaven's judgment on the strong; using cheating methods would only invite greater backlash.

"Yes, it's quite troublesome!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The thunder tribulation could only be overcome by oneself; if others interfered, it would only grow stronger and become uncontrollable. Just like when he faced his Saint Seal tribulation—Luo Ruoxi knew the danger but did not intervene.

If he were to act, he had at least dozens of ways to eliminate the thunder tribulation, but not being able to intervene... that was the problem.

"But if we don't think of something soon, Hall Master Xing definitely won't hold on..."

Hall Master Liao was extremely anxious.

"Hmm..."

Without overthinking, Zhang Xuan moved his mind, and a book appeared in his sea of consciousness. He gently opened it.

After a moment, he exhaled and turned to look at Master Wu not far away.

"Only you can save him!"

"Me?"

Master Wu was startled.

"Does anyone have a Primordial Spirit Pill?" Without explaining, Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd.

"I have one..." Hall Master Liao stepped forward and handed over a jade bottle.

"Take this pill..."

With a flick of his hand, he tossed the Primordial Spirit Pill over.

Master Wu caught it casually, his brows jumping.

A seventh-grade pill, one that contained spiritual energy to replenish physical strength. Even if he had reached half-step Out-of-Body, taking it forcibly without injury or depleted true qi could easily cause his body to explode.

"No time to explain; hurry up!"

Seeing his hesitation, Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

"Yes!"

Knowing that this young man possessed abilities beyond ordinary imagination, Master Wu dared not waste words. He uncorked the bottle and swallowed the pill.

In an instant, he felt a heat surge within his body, and violent energy stirred restlessly, seeming ready to tear him apart.

"The cultivation technique you practice has several flaws. Correct these flaws, and you will break through smoothly..."

Zhang Xuan's voice slowly rang out, like heavenly sound, exploding abruptly in his ears. Before Master Wu could react, he felt the true qi in his body begin to flow slowly under the control of the other's words.

"Master's words are heaven's gift... Is Master Zhang planning to have me repair the flaws... and break through to Out-of-Body?"

His pupils contracted.

Swallowing the pill, explaining the flaws of the primordial spirit... Even a fool would understand what was happening.

Just as he was at a loss, he felt the true qi in his body, gathering the spiritual energy of the Primordial Spirit Pill, accumulating and growing stronger.

Boom!

In less than three minutes, it reached the limit his body could bear. A primordial spirit identical to him shot straight out from between his brows and hovered in the air.

"Go!"

With a raised brow, Zhang Xuan pushed his palm forcefully.

Before he could react, Master Wu's newly emerged primordial spirit shot straight toward the thunder before him.

"This..."

His body trembled, and Master Wu nearly fainted from fright.

He had just reached the Out-of-Body realm, without even time to consolidate, and was pushed in... Was Master Zhang thinking that Hall Master Xing's predicament alone wasn't enough, wanting him to join in?

"Quickly pull Hall Master Xing's primordial spirit back into his physical body..."

Seeing Master Wu dazed in the air, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shout.

"Pull him back?"

Master Wu was startled. Only then did he realize that although he had entered the thunder, he hadn't been attacked by the thunder tribulation. He couldn't help but sigh in relief, quickly grabbed with his hand, and pulled Hall Master Xing's primordial spirit, which was being struck by lightning, over.

He pressed down hard.

Swish!

The primordial spirit flew straight toward the physical body.

Whoosh!

It immediately drilled in. Nourished by the former, Hall Master Xing's primordial spirit became much safer. The lightning surrounding him, though still powerful, could not harm him for the time being.

"This... what's going on? Isn't it impossible to interfere with the thunder tribulation?"

Witnessing this, everyone was shocked, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Under normal circumstances, one couldn't interfere with the thunder tribulation. So why was there no problem when Master Wu's primordial spirit went to rescue him?

"Who said there's no problem? It's already here..."

With a solemn expression, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Everyone quickly looked up and saw the thunderclouds in the sky growing stronger. They had been about to disperse, but now they began to gather again.

"Master Wu has just broken through to pseudo-Out-of-Body and cannot attract thunder. Therefore, when he went to rescue Hall Master Xing, he could successfully retrieve the primordial spirit... However, this move has also been detected by the thunder, and he now faces the Out-of-Body tribulation as well!"

Zhang Xuan said.

"He also has to face it?"

Everyone staggered.

What difference did that make from not rescuing him?

Having just saved one, they put another in danger, and he might even be struck dead on the spot...

"Master Wu, quickly return to your physical body..."

Ignoring the crowd's shock, Zhang Xuan shouted.

"Yes!"

Realizing he had attracted the thunder, Master Wu trembled with fear, quickly flew back, and drilled into his body.

"Master Zhang, what should I do?"

He hurriedly looked over.

"This thundercloud gathered because it sensed your aura. Most of the lightning has already been absorbed by Hall Master Xing. As long as you don't leave your body, you should be able to withstand it..."

Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan patted him a few times and said that Master Wu had caused the thunder to gather again by rescuing someone. However, since most of the lightning had been absorbed by Hall Master Xing during the first tribulation, the hastily gathered thunder shouldn't be too powerful.

Although Master Wu had just broken through, having just taken the Primordial Spirit Pill and with his primordial spirit flaws fully repaired, even without practicing the simplified Heavenly Dao technique, with the help of his physical body, he should be able to hold his own.

"Most of it absorbed by Hall Master Xing? That's good..."

Hearing the explanation, Master Wu sighed in relief. Just as he felt comforted, he heard a crackling sound, and a bolt of lightning struck straight at his head.

Crack!

His hair stood on end, and his primordial spirit was suddenly attacked, nearly shattering into powder.

"...You call that most of it absorbed? It feels even more powerful..."

His vision went dark, and Master Wu nearly fainted.

Wasn't it said that Hall Master Xing had absorbed most of it? Why was it still so powerful?

Just as he was gritting his teeth and enduring, at a loss, he heard the young man not far away speak somewhat apologetically: "Sorry, miscalculation... It seems that because of your addition, the thunder's power is even greater than before. But don't worry, I believe in your strength; you should be able to get through it easily!"

"..." Master Wu.

He had thought this guy was trustworthy, but he turned out to be so unreliable.

You didn't confirm before sending me in... How can I withstand this!

Just as he was at a loss, he felt the lightning accumulating more and more inside his body. He could no longer attend to anything else and focused all his energy on resisting.

Crack!

The thunder exploded within his body, and his primordial spirit was severely injured under the immense force, on the verge of collapse at any moment.

His physical body was also like a tattered sack, broken in many places. Blood continuously seeped from the corners of his mouth, as if he might not be able to bear it and would die directly.

"It's over..."

His face darkened, and Master Wu was filled with despair.

Having just broken through, without even consolidating his cultivation, he faced the Out-of-Body tribulation—he simply couldn't withstand it.

Zzzzzz!

Just as he felt that another strike of lightning would shatter his primordial spirit and cause him to vanish completely, he sensed a surge of true qi welling up inside his body. His previous injuries visibly healed.

This true qi carried the pressure of the Heavenly Dao, extremely pure, and could easily repair even primordial spirit injuries.

"This is... left by Master Zhang in my body?"

His fists clenched.

He had witnessed with his own eyes that Master Zhang was a Heaven-Approved Master. This true qi was so miraculous—it must have been left by him.

No wonder he dared to let him rescue Hall Master Xing; he had already prepared a contingency plan.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, his damaged primordial spirit recovered, and then the thunder struck again.

Injured, recovered, recovered, then injured again...

After enduring for over ten minutes, feeling as if he had been through hell several times, Master Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Out-of-Body tribulation was over!

Opening his eyes, he saw that Hall Master Xing's thunder tribulation had also passed, and the dark clouds in the sky had dissipated.

Although he had been severely injured at the start, as the Hall Master of the War Master Hall, he was extremely formidable in all aspects, especially his cultivation, which was exceptionally pure. Despite the danger of the process, he had managed to endure it in the end.

"Thank you, Master Zhang..."

He came before Zhang Xuan and quickly clasped his fists.

If not for the true qi left in his body by the other, he surely would not have been able to withstand it and would have died.

Although it was painful, it was equivalent to raising his cultivation by two levels in a short time, from half-step Out-of-Body directly to the initial stage of Out-of-Body. No matter how great the pain, it was worth it.

Full of gratitude, he was about to say a few words when he heard Master Zhang's voice transmission in his ear.

"Don't speak; pretend to be seriously injured..."

He didn't know why the other said this, but Master Wu knew it must involve something significant. He dared not say more, immediately went limp, and collapsed to the ground, as if all his strength had left him.

"Master Wu..." Zhang Jiuxiao quickly came over.

With the other's support, Master Wu barely stood up. He was about to see what Master Zhang intended to do when he heard the latter's calm voice ring out.

"It seems you already know we're here. Since that's the case, just come out directly. After all, you want to kill me, and I want to kill you. There's no need to keep hiding!"

"Hiding? Who is Master Zhang talking to?"

Master Wu was startled.

Not only he, but everyone was puzzled.

On this isolated island, apart from them, there was no one else. If someone were truly hiding, logically, they would not escape their divine sense search.

"Hehe... As expected of Master Zhang, truly impressive. I only made a small move, and you discovered it..."

Everyone was perplexed and about to ask, when a sinister voice rang out. Then, they saw a stretch of land slowly emerge from the depths of the swamp, as if rising from underground.

"This... this is the Ghost Cave!"

Looking at it, Zhang Jiuxiao clenched his fists.