Chapter 1378: The Shameless Gourd

The Void Tribulation was extremely dangerous. According to the normal plan, Luo Xuanqing would have triggered the thunder tribulation at the special tribulation site in the Holy Son Hall, so that he could receive the protection of Master Kong's will and reduce inner demons.

But now, having triggered the thunder here, there must have been some uncontrollable变故 that led him to summon the tribulation, either to repel enemies or to perish together with them.

Knowing this, Zhang Xuan did not rush forward. Instead, he activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the surroundings. After a moment, he frowned.

There was not a single person around.

Could he have been mistaken? Or perhaps those who had been fighting him had all fled in fear when they saw the fierce tribulation?

“Forget it for now. Brother Luo is agitated; rushing into the tribulation is very dangerous…”

Seeing no one around, Zhang Xuan stopped worrying and looked at the young man beneath the thunder.

The Void Tribulation involved spatial changes. Even he would find it difficult to cross. At this moment, Luo Xuanqing's eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating his mind was not right. If he forced his way through, he might not only fail but also die in the process.

“I have to save him…”

No longer caring about anything else, Zhang Xuan shook his body and shot straight toward the thunder.

Just as he flew in, less than three hundred meters from where he had stood, two figures slowly emerged.

They seemed to have squeezed out of space itself, as if they were not in this world at all. Even a sweep of divine sense could not detect them.

“Who is he?”

The first, an old man in a golden robe, looked at Zhang Xuan's disappearing back and frowned.

“Reporting to the elder, this man is called Zhang Xuan. He is a friend that Young Master Xuanqing just made at the Holy Son Hall. The two went together to find the Void Gourd, which allowed the young master to successfully break through to Half-Step Void.”

The other old man behind him cupped his hands and explained.

“Zhang Xuan? The Zhang family?” The golden-robed elder was startled.

“According to our investigation, he is not from the Zhang family. He came step by step from a small kingdom and is said to be a direct disciple of Master Yang Xuan.”

The second old man continued.

“Yang Xuan? That fellow has started taking students too?”

Shaking his head, the golden-robed elder was puzzled: “Since he is his student, he should have good insight. Why would he rush over? Does he think that with his peak Out-of-Body strength, he can help Xuanqing?”

Crossing a tribulation requires one's own effort; the most taboo thing is to help.

The more people interfere, the greater the thunder becomes, even leading to uncontrollable situations.

Although this fellow's strength is not great and has little effect on the Void Tribulation, rushing in like that is not helping but seeking death…

What was he thinking?

“This Zhang Xuan, according to my investigation, is also a complete destroyer. He probably shares the same temperament as the young master. Seeing him suffer the thunder tribulation, he couldn't hold back and went to check…”

The second old man explained.

“Couldn't hold back?” The golden-robed elder snorted: “Acting without a plan. When Xuanqing succeeds in crossing the tribulation, tell him not to associate with such rash people…”

He already disliked Luo Xuanqing's habit of causing destruction everywhere. Hearing that he had found a kindred spirit made him even more displeased.

“Yes…”

The second old man nodded.

Zhang Xuan did not know that figures had emerged from the empty space his Eye of Insight had scanned. He had now arrived not far from Luo Xuanqing.

“Why are you here…”

Seeing him appear and directly enter the tribulation range, Luo Xuanqing grew anxious.

“In your current state, you definitely won't succeed. I'm here to help you…”

Zhang Xuan explained.

“Help me? How can you help with my tribulation?”

Luo Xuanqing shook his head: “Leave quickly, or once the thunder fully gathers, I might not be able to withstand it, let alone protect you…”

Before he finished speaking, the thunder in the sky finally gathered its power and crashed down.

Crack! Crack!

A thick bolt of lightning spanning over ten meters tore a black line through space and fell straight down.

“Block it!”

No longer caring to talk to the young man before him, Luo Xuanqing raised both palms, sending a surge of mighty power upward.

The power of Half-Step Void was like an ocean, colliding with the thunder. The surrounding space shattered layer by layer.

Crack!

Though he blocked most of it, a bolt of lightning still struck his head. Luo Xuanqing's hair stood on end, and his body was charred black.

The Void Tribulation was many times more powerful than the Out-of-Body Tribulation Zhang Xuan had triggered before. Even with his rapidly improved cultivation reaching Half-Step Void, he was still struck weak all over, and his true qi nearly scattered.

“Leave quickly! I really can't withstand this thunder…”

Panting heavily, feeling limp and having consumed nearly half his strength, Luo Xuanqing's eyes were bloodshot.

The Void Tribulation had six bolts of lightning, each more powerful than the last. He could barely hold against the first; if all fell, he didn't know if he could endure.

“Don't worry about me. I'll go up and take a look…”

Ignoring his words, Zhang Xuan suddenly moved and leaped into the sky.

“You…”

Seeing that the other had rushed into the thunder to save him, going to the most dangerous place, Luo Xuanqing was deeply moved.

True friendship is revealed in times of life and death.

Not to mention friends; even many couples fly separately when disaster strikes. To disregard everything and rush into the most dangerous place to save him… This Master Zhang was indeed a man of true character!

“Could it be that he… likes men?”

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and Luo Xuanqing shuddered.

Since they met, this Master Zhang had been exceptionally good to him, far beyond ordinary friendship… Could it be that he had improper thoughts about him?

“Either way, I would rather die than submit…”

Shaking his head, he stopped thinking and quickly recovered his qi to prepare for the second thunderbolt.

“This fellow… is he crazy?”

Not only was he shocked, but the two old men outside were also dumbfounded.

They had seen people saving others by jointly resisting the tribulation, and they had seen people protecting with their lives… but rushing straight into the thunder to seek death was unheard of…

Yang Xuan, such a formidable master, how did he teach such a foolish disciple?

“The thunder of the Void Tribulation—even a Saint Domain Eighth Layer expert would not dare to enter it lightly. He, a Saint Domain Fifth Layer peak Out-of-Body cultivator, rushing in is certain death… We'll collect his corpse later!”

The golden-robed elder shook his head.

He had seen crazy people, but never this crazy. This was no longer saving someone but seeking death.

Sizzle!

Ignoring everyone's shock, as soon as Zhang Xuan entered the thunder, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Little tribulation, your big brother Zhang Xuan is here…”

With a long shout, he no longer concealed his aura. He opened all his acupoints and began absorbing frantically.

It had taken only five or six days to find the Void Gourd, but the return trip had taken over ten days.

Helping Bi Hongyin and the others break through had taken only a few hours. Zhang Xuan hadn't wasted the remaining time; he had been using the Void Gourd to expand his dantian, forming a ring-shaped space.

Hard work paid off. Before returning to the Holy Son Hall, he had indeed succeeded. But then a problem arose.

After forming the ring-shaped space, the volume of his dantian had increased more than tenfold, but his true qi filled only a tenth of it. He was worried about how to fill it, and then he saw the thunder—how could he not be excited?

With this, he could definitely pile his true qi back to the peak, no longer pitifully hiding in a corner.

Sizzle!

As the lightning entered his body, it transformed into thunder true qi and flowed into his dantian. Inside, the gourd, which had been lying lazily motionless, suddenly trembled and leaped out.

“What are you doing?”

Zhang Xuan was startled.

Ignoring his question, the gourd let out an excited cry, flew straight to one side, and began spinning rapidly.

As it spun, countless bolts of lightning converged densely around it. When they touched the gourd, they seemed to fall into a black hole and vanished.

“Hey… slow down! You're just a gourd. Can you have some shame?”

He hadn't expected the gourd to devour lightning like him. Zhang Xuan was stunned, then furious.

What kind of thing is this…

I finally caught Luo Xuanqing's thunder tribulation. Do you know how hard it is for me?

My body is still full of emptiness, and you're grabbing first… Where's your face?

As a treasure, don't you know to respect your master?

Frustrated, he saw that calling it back didn't work and continued absorbing. But after a while, he felt the lightning decreasing again. Looking up, he saw another vortex forming in the thunder. Unnoticed, the vine that had been in his storage ring had also flown out, gulping down lightning.

“Damn it… This lightning is mine!”

Zhang Xuan was about to go crazy.

Too shameless! Robbing openly like this. Are this gourd and vine even decent?

His face twitching, he was about to curse again when he saw his clone appear before him. It snorted and also ran into the thunder, absorbing rapidly.

“You all…”

Seeing these fellows absorbing faster than him, he knew this was not the time to be angry. Gritting his teeth, Zhang Xuan let his soul leave his body and worked on two fronts, devouring continuously.

As both accelerated, streams of true qi quickly flowed along his meridians into his dantian, replenishing the emptiness.

He had only filled a third of his true qi when he felt the lightning growing scarcer. Looking again, he saw the gourd, vine, and clone absorbing faster and faster. The once dense lightning had become as thin as mist.

“How infuriating…”

The more he thought, the angrier he got. Zhang Xuan cursed, clenched his teeth, and sped up his absorption.

While he was about to explode with rage, Luo Xuanqing, who had been recovering his strength below, finally awaited the second thunderbolt.

Pfft!

A sound like a fart rang out. The bolt that had been over ten meters thick was now only as thick as a finger and weakly descended to his head.

Pfft!

It landed on his head with less force than a wooden stick and fizzled out.

“…” Luo Xuanqing.

“…” The golden-robed elder and the second old man.