From the fake emperor to the concubine

With that long roar, Zheng Yi's Zheng Yang Heart Sutra began to operate wildly within his body.

The golden core in the dantian suddenly began to vibrate, and dense cracks appeared on its surface.

"He's about to break through?" A hint of surprise flashed in Yun Xuzi's eyes. "To trigger a breakthrough at the brink of life and death, this kid's will is truly tenacious."

"Unfortunately, even breaking through to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage won't change anything."

But soon, Yun Xuzi realized he was wrong.

Zheng Yi's breakthrough did not stop at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, but continued to strive for higher realms.

"boom!"

The golden core shattered completely, but instead of forming a nascent soul, it transformed into pure energy and began to recombine.

"This is... the Nascent Soul Tribulation?" Yun Xuzi's expression finally changed. "He's actually going to break through to the Nascent Soul stage directly?"

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a terrifying lightning tribulation was brewing.

The Tribulation of Nascent Soul is a heavenly tribulation that cultivators must undergo to break through from the Nascent Soul stage to the Nascent Soul stage. Its power far exceeds that of ordinary lightning tribulations, and even well-prepared cultivators may not be able to overcome it smoothly.

Zheng Yi is currently in a state of combat, and triggering the Nascent Soul Tribulation without any preparation is simply risking his life.

"He's gone mad! This kid's gone mad!" Yun Xuzi hurriedly retreated. "He triggered his Nascent Soul Tribulation during the battle; is he trying to take me down with him?"

The power of the Nascent Soul Tribulation is indiscriminate; any cultivator within the tribulation cloud's range will be attacked. Even a Nascent Soul stage expert like Yun Xuzi dares not easily take the risk.

"Boom!"

The first bolt of lightning crashed down, striking Zheng Yi directly on the head.

This tribulation lightning was far more terrifying than a typical Nascent Soul tribulation, because Zheng Yi's foundation was simply too solid. Heaven seemed to have sensed his extraordinary nature and deliberately unleashed an even stronger tribulation lightning.

"Zhengyang Sword Technique - Rise Towards the Thunder!"

Instead of retreating, Zheng Yi advanced, wielding his sword to meet the tribulation lightning head-on.

The golden sword light collided with the purple lightning in mid-air, bursting out with dazzling light.

"What is he trying to do?" Yun Xuzi's eyes widened. "He's actually going to actively resist the tribulation lightning?"

Most cultivators would try to avoid or weaken the power of tribulation lightning when undergoing tribulation, so it was unheard of for someone like Zheng Yi to actively resist it.

But Zheng Yi had his own ideas.

Although tribulation lightning is terrifying, it also contains the essence of heaven and earth. If one can absorb and refine it, it will greatly help improve one's cultivation level.

"If we're going to break through, let's go all the way!" Zheng Yi's eyes burned with a frenzied fighting spirit. "Come on! Let me see just how powerful this tribulation lightning really is!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

One bolt of tribulation lightning after another descended, each one more terrifying than the last.

Zheng Yi thus used his swordsmanship to fight against the tribulation lightning, tempering his body and soul in the sea of ​​lightning.

His clothes had long been torn to shreds by lightning, and his body was covered in charred marks. But his aura was constantly rising, already very close to the Nascent Soul stage.

"Impossible! Is this kid a monster?" Yun Xuzi stared in horror at what he was seeing. "He was actually able to fight back amidst the tribulation lightning!"

When the ninth bolt of tribulation lightning struck, its power was terrifying. The entire Qingyun Mountain trembled under the oppressive force of this lightning.

"The True Yang Sword Technique - Ultimate Secret: Fighting Against Heaven!"

Zheng Yi unleashed an unprecedented move, a supreme sword technique he had comprehended on the spot at the brink of life and death.

A dazzling sword light shot into the sky, as if it wanted to challenge the heavens and earth.

"boom!"

The sword light collided head-on with the tribulation lightning, and the resulting power distorted the entire space.

As the light faded, the tribulation clouds slowly dispersed, and the tribulation lightning finally ended.

Zheng Yi emerged from the sea of ​​lightning, looking disheveled, but his aura had completely transformed.

The stage of transformation of spirit!
He actually broke through to the Nascent Soul stage during the battle!

"Impossible, absolutely impossible," Yun Xuzi muttered to himself, his eyes filled with disbelief.

In the history of the cultivation world, no one has ever been able to trigger and overcome the Nascent Soul Tribulation in battle. This is simply against common sense.

"Now, we're at the same level," Zheng Yi said coldly, looking at Yun Xuzi. "Shall we continue?"

Although he had just broken through, Zheng Yi's strength had already undergone a qualitative leap. A Nascent Soul stage expert possesses rudimentary spatial control abilities, which increased his combat power several times over.

"Hmph! So what if you've broken through to the Nascent Soul stage?" Yun Xuzi feigned composure. "I've cultivated for thousands of years; how could you, a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator, compare?"

"The Great Handprint of Nothingness!"

Yun Xuzi unleashed his full power, and a gigantic handprint descended from the sky, its power several times stronger than the previous Void Palm.

"The Righteous Yang Sword Technique - Light of New Life!"

Zheng Yi was not to be outdone and unleashed a new move he had mastered after his breakthrough.

A more radiant sun rose behind him, its light seemingly capable of purifying all evil in the world.

"boom!"

The two supernatural powers clashed again, but this time the result was completely different.

Zheng Yi's attack not only blocked Yun Xuzi's giant handprint, but also had the strength to counterattack.

"What?!" Yun Xuzi's expression changed drastically. "How could your strength be so great?"

He couldn't understand why Zheng Yi could possess such terrifying combat power so soon after his breakthrough.

In reality, this was because Zheng Yi's foundation was extremely solid. The Zheng Yang Heart Method he cultivated was already a top-tier technique, and coupled with the refinement of the Immortal Essence Pearl's essence, his foundation was far more profound than that of ordinary people.

With such a foundation, once one breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, the power that erupts is naturally incomparable to that of an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Looks like you haven't grasped reality yet." A cold glint flashed in Zheng Yi's eyes. "Then I'll give you a wake-up call!"

"Zhengyang Sword Technique - Spatial Slash!"

This is a spatial sword technique that can only be used by those at the Nascent Soul stage, and its power far surpasses all previous moves.

An almost invisible sword light appeared in front of Yun Xuzi in an instant, even cleaving the space itself with a crack.

Yun Xuzi was shocked and hurriedly tried to use his Void Escape Technique to evade, but Zheng Yi's sword had already locked onto the space, leaving him nowhere to escape.

"Pfft!" The sword flashed, and a deep bloody gash appeared on Yun Xuzi's chest. If he hadn't shifted his body at the crucial moment, this sword would have taken his life.

"Impossible! How could I lose to you?" Yun Xuzi clutched the wound on his chest, his eyes filled with shock and fear.

He couldn't accept that he had been defeated by a junior who had just broken through to a higher level.

“Nothing is impossible,” Zheng Yi said coldly. “Your Taixu Sect thinks you’re superior, but in the face of absolute power, it’s all just empty talk.”

"Today I'm going to show you what it truly means to be outmatched and have a limitless potential!"

"The True Yang Sword Technique - Ultimate Secret: The Sun Burns the World!"

Zheng Yi unleashed his strongest move, and the entire sky was covered in golden flames.

These flames are not ordinary fire, but the true fire of the sun, with terrifyingly high temperatures that can even burn through space itself.

Faced with such a terrifying attack, Yun Xuzi finally succumbed to fear.

"I surrender! I surrender!" he cried out in terror. "My Taixu Sect is willing to reconcile with the Zheng family!"

But Zheng Yi's attack had already been launched; it wasn't so easy to take it back.

"It's too late to admit defeat now!" Zheng Yi said coldly. "Since you dared to come and kill me, you should be prepared to be killed!"

The true fire of the sun surged toward Yun Xuzi like a tsunami, and it looked like it was about to engulf him.

"Tai Xu Sect Secret Technique - Breaking Through the Void!"

At the critical moment, Yun Xuzi used the Taixu Sect's life-saving technique.

His body instantly became ethereal, as if it did not exist in this space.

The true fire of the sun passed through his body, but caused no harm.

"Space jump?" Zheng Yi's eyes flashed with surprise. "I didn't expect the Taixu Sect to have such a secret technique."

"Zheng Yi! I will remember this humiliation!" Yun Xuzi's illusory figure gradually faded into the distance. "But this matter is not over yet! The Taixu Sect will not let this go!"

"I'm ready anytime!" Zheng Yi replied coldly. "But next time you come, you'd better be prepared to die!"

Yun Xuzi's figure disappeared completely, clearly indicating that he had fled back to Taixu Sect.

Only Zheng Yi remained standing on the battlefield, while Li Xiaoyao had long been knocked unconscious by the aftershocks.

"It's finally over." Zheng Yi let out a long breath, feeling the surging power within him.

His Nascent Soul stage power gave him an unprecedented sense of strength, as if the entire world was under his control.

But he also knew that this battle was only the beginning.

A force of Taixu Sect's caliber would not give up easily; Yun Xuzi's injury and escape would only enrage them further.

"However, we'll meet force with force, and water with earth." A determined glint flashed in Zheng Yi's eyes. "I'm not someone anyone can bully now."

He approached the unconscious Li Xiaoyao, pondering how to deal with this enemy.

Logically, since Li Xiaoyao framed him, he should have been killed outright. But seeing Li Xiaoyao's disheveled state, Zheng Yi felt a pang of sympathy.

"Fine, I'll spare your life." Zheng Yi ultimately chose to forgive, "But if there's a next time, you won't be so lucky."

He pressed a few acupoints on Li Xiaoyao, sealing his cultivation, and then turned and left Qingyun Mountain.

News of this battle quickly spread throughout the entire cultivation world.

"Zheng Yi has broken through to the Nascent Soul stage!"

"And they even injured Elder Yun Xuzi of the Taixu Sect!"

"The Taixu Sect has lost face big time now!"

Various discussions arose one after another, with everyone talking about this earth-shattering battle.

Meanwhile, at the Taixu Sect, Yun Xuzi, who had returned injured, was being reprimanded by the sect leader.

"You piece of trash!" roared the Void True Man, the sect master of the Taixu Sect, in a fit of rage. "To fail even against a Nascent Soul stage junior is a disgrace to the Taixu Sect!"

"Sect Master, that Zheng Yi is no ordinary person," Yun Xuzi argued. "He broke through to the Nascent Soul stage during the battle; his strength far surpasses ordinary people's imagination."

"So what if you broke through? You've cultivated for thousands of years, are you really inferior to a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator?" True Man Void was even more furious.

"Sect Master, what should we do now?" Yun Xuzi asked cautiously.

"What else can we do?" Master Xuwu said with a grim face. "This grudge must be avenged! But we can no longer underestimate him."

"Summon all elders! I will take action personally!"

Upon hearing that the sect leader was going to personally take action, Yun Xuzi felt both excited and apprehensive.

The sect leader's strength has reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, only one step away from the Integration realm. If he personally takes action, even Zheng Yi, no matter how strong, will not be able to withstand him.

However, this also means that the Taixu Sect is about to completely break off relations.

Meanwhile, in the Zheng family territory, Zheng Yi, who had just returned to the family, was receiving a warm welcome from his clansmen.

"Master! You've broken through to the Nascent Soul stage!" Zhang Yunfan exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes. "That's wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

"Master is mighty!" The other clansmen cheered.

Zheng Yi stood on the high platform of the Zheng family's council hall, his gaze sweeping over the dozens of core family members below.

"Gentlemen," Zheng Yi began in a deep voice, his words echoing through the hall, "although the Taixu Sect has temporarily retreated, this is merely the calm before the storm. Given their modus operandi, they will inevitably return with a vengeance, and their next attack will only be more ferocious."

The people below the hall wore solemn expressions and nodded in agreement. Zheng Hongzhi, the third elder of the Zheng family, rose and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "The patriarch is absolutely right. We have been strengthening our defenses during this time, but if the Taixu Sect truly launches a full-scale attack, I'm afraid..."

“Therefore, I have decided to go to a secret realm for secluded cultivation,” Zheng Yi interrupted him, his tone firm. “Only when I break through to a higher realm can I truly deter the Tai Xu Sect and prevent them from acting rashly.”

These words caused an uproar in the hall. Everyone exchanged worried glances. Zheng Bowen, the second elder of the Zheng family, said urgently, "Patriarch, if you leave at this time, won't the family be in trouble?"

Zheng Yi raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet: "I know what you're worried about. But that's precisely why I have to make sure everything is arranged before I leave." He took out an ancient scroll from his robes, and with the activation of his spiritual power, the scroll unfurled in the air, revealing a complex and profound array diagram.

"This is the 'Nine Luminaries Mountain Protection Formation' that I found in ancient books," Zheng Yi said, pointing to the formation diagram. "Once this formation is set up, it can cover the entire Zheng family's mountain gate. Even for a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, it would be extremely difficult to break through it by force."

Everyone gazed intently, and saw nine points of light distributed like stars on the array diagram, connected by countless spiritual runes, forming a profound whole. Zheng Bowen examined it carefully for a moment, then exclaimed in amazement, "What an exquisite array! But the spiritual materials required for this array..."

“I’m all ready.” Zheng Yi waved his hand, and dozens of storage bags flew out, hovering in front of everyone. “These storage bags contain all the materials needed to set up the array, including nine Five Elements Essence Stones, thirty-six Spirit Gathering Pearls, and over a hundred kinds of auxiliary spiritual materials. Zheng Hongzhi, you are an expert in array formations, so you will be in charge of setting up this array.”

Zheng Hongzhi respectfully accepted the storage bag, and after a brief inspection, a look of shock appeared on his face. Each of these spiritual materials was incredibly valuable; all of them combined were probably equivalent to the Zheng family's savings for decades. He took a deep breath and solemnly said, "Patriarch, rest assured, Hongzhi will do his utmost to complete the grand formation within seven days!"

“Good.” Zheng Yi nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the others. “Besides the defensive formation, I have other arrangements. Zheng Bowen, you are responsible for coordinating the family resources to ensure a sufficient supply of materials during the formation's deployment. Also, distribute the family's stockpiled pills so that all disciples above the Foundation Establishment stage can obtain enough cultivation resources.” (End of Chapter)