I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

Blinding lightning filled the entire field of vision, the deafening roar almost ripped eardrums, and the destructive aura made the soul tremble. Time seemed to stretch out, or perhaps freeze in that instant. Li Bai's seated figure appeared as small as dust under the lightning's reflection. Yet, his eyes shone with an astonishing light at that moment, devoid of fear or panic, only a near-boiling fighting spirit and absolute calm.

Within his dantian, the Azure Lotus Sword Core suddenly shone brightly, its rotation accelerating, and a vast expanse of pale golden core energy and chilling sword intent burst forth.

Just as that terrifying pillar of lightning, crackling with bronze, was less than three feet overhead—

Li Bai made a move.

It wasn't dodging, it wasn't retreating, it was rising up!

With a sudden burst of strength from his legs, the bronze platform emitted a dull thud, propelling him upwards like an arrow released from a bow, standing defiantly against the destructive lightning. His robes billowed wildly in the raging air, his black hair whipped back, revealing a young face now etched with excitement and determination. Golden light gleamed in his eyes, and a wild, almost unrestrained smile played at the corners of his lips.

The tribulation lightning struck fiercely, carrying the power of heaven and earth intertwined with destruction and rebirth. This pressure was enough to shatter the minds of ordinary Golden Core cultivators, but Li Bai only felt his blood burning. Having lived two lives and experienced life and death, from a modern engineer to a sword immortal of Mount Shu, the romantic and unrestrained spirit of "Li Bai" and the rational and tenacious spirit of "geologist" in his bones were perfectly integrated at this moment.

"Well done!"

A clear whistle burst forth from the depths of his throat, clear and stirring, subtly overpowering the roar of thunder.

Thoughts raced through my mind.

Within the dantian, at the center of the slowly rotating blue lotus, the illusory image of a small blue sword, about an inch long, suddenly trembled!

"Buzz—"

A clear, melodious sword cry resonated from within his body, echoing the buzzing of the Azure Lotus Sword Pill, instantly spreading throughout his limbs and bones. The next moment, the illusory image of the small sword rapidly enlarged, solidifying from the ethereal, and a cool, sharp, yet vibrant aura burst forth from his palm.

A flash of light.

A three-foot-long sword was already in Li Bai's hand.

The sword's blade was a warm, lustrous cyan, neither gold nor jade, its material seemingly originating from the same source as the bronze divine tree, yet even purer. Fine, lotus-vein-like patterns naturally appeared on the blade, flowing with a pale golden luster of cinnabar energy. At the hilt, a lifelike relief of a budding cyan lotus was adorned. Even before the sword moved, its chilling sword intent already cleaved the air, emitting a soft, hissing sound.

Azure Lotus Sword!

This natal flying sword, born alongside the Azure Lotus Sword Core and intertwined with his life, has descended upon the world in physical form for the first time.

The moment he grasped the sword hilt, a feeling of perfect harmony, of effortless mastery, welled up within him. The sword was him, and he was the sword. The sword contained not only unparalleled sharpness and sword intent, but also the boundless vitality and unwavering Daoist spirit of the Azure Lotus Sword Core.

A bolt of lightning is already overhead!

Less than ten feet away, bronze-colored electric snakes darted wildly, their bright white lightning cores emitting a scorching, blinding light. The air was ionized, releasing a burnt smell, and a burning stinging sensation spread through the skin.

Li Bai's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Instead of retreating, he advanced and stomped heavily on the platform with his right foot!

"boom!"

A shallow dent was carved into the bronze beneath his feet, and cracks spread. Using the force of the recoil, he soared into the sky like lightning, his Azure Lotus Sword tracing a mysterious azure path as he fearlessly thrust it forward to meet the destructive lightning!

"The first bloom of the blue lotus!"

A clear shout rang out.

A flash of blue light appeared at the tip of the sword.

Immediately, that point of green light burst forth like a seed breaking through the soil, blooming in an instant!

It wasn't a single flower, but rather layers upon layers of countless fine, silken, and tangible azure sword energies, emanating from the sword tip and spreading gracefully and swiftly in all directions toward the descending lightning. Each sword energy precisely outlined the shape of a lotus petal, and the countless sword energies intertwined to form a gigantic, lifelike azure lotus flower, over ten feet in diameter, in the air!

The lotus flower slowly rotates, its petals unfurling. The movement appears slow, but in reality, it moves with a speed beyond the reach of the eye. At the center of the lotus, Li Bai stands tall, sword in hand.

"boom--!!!"

The bronze lightning pillar slammed heavily into the sword-qi lotus!

The anticipated explosion and collapse did not occur.

The azure lotus flower, as if possessing life, gently closed its petals, enveloping the thick pillar of lightning. Countless fine sword energies, like the most skillful weavers, cut into the gaps between the violently surging bronze lightning snakes on the surface of the lightning pillar, precisely cutting, dividing, and guiding them.

"Hiss hiss hiss hiss—!"

The grating cutting sound mingled with the thunderous roar. The bright white lightning core was peeled away layer by layer by the sword energy, transforming into countless tiny sparks of electricity; the bronze-colored electric snakes on the periphery were drawn and tamed by the sword energy, flowing in two directions along specific trajectories.

A portion of it, guided by the sword energy, flowed like rivers flowing into the sea, surging towards the Green Lotus Sword in Li Bai's hand.

"Sizzle!"

The Azure Lotus Sword trembled violently, emitting a joyful, clear sound. The lotus veins on the sword's surface suddenly lit up, greedily absorbing the surging bronze lightning power. The sword visibly solidified and smoothed, its azure hue subtly revealing an ancient bronze sheen. Its sharpness was restrained, yet it appeared even more weighty and profound. The azure lotus bud at the hilt seemed to open slightly.

Another part, an even more powerful force of thunder, surged into Li Bai's body like a flood bursting its banks, following the connection between the sword energy and his body!

"Well--!"

Li Bai shuddered violently and let out a muffled groan.

In that instant, it felt as if a million red-hot steel needles were simultaneously piercing every pore of my body, rushing wildly along my meridians and blood vessels towards my limbs, bones, and internal organs! My muscles spasmed, my bones creaked under the strain, and my meridians were stretched to the point of almost bursting by the violent lightning force. Fine sparks danced on my skin, my hair stood on end, and my clothes were charred in many places.

Excruciating pain! Torn apart pain!

But within this intense pain lies the purest and most domineering tempering power in the world.

The surging lightning power within his body, guided by the Golden Core chapter of the "Red Dust Sword Manual," did not wreak havoc. Instead, it was divided into countless streams, forcefully washing over Li Bai's muscles, flesh, meridians, and even deeper into his bone marrow and internal organs. Each wash brought extreme pain, but it also relentlessly burned away and removed impurities hidden in his flesh, subtle blockages in his meridians, and fragility deep within his bones.

After the pain comes an indescribable sense of comfort and enhancement.

He could clearly feel his muscle fibers becoming stronger and denser under the stimulation of lightning, his bone density increasing, and his bones gleaming with a faint jade-like luster. His meridians were widened and reinforced, their inner walls covered with a very faint membrane containing lightning patterns, becoming more flexible and able to withstand more violent spiritual energy circulation. His internal organs trembled slightly, their vitality becoming more vigorous and their functions more powerful under the tempering of lightning.

More importantly, the Azure Lotus Sword Pill within the dantian was also frantically absorbing the introduced lightning essence.

On the pale golden surface of the pill, fine, silver lightning patterns, resembling natural Dao patterns, began to emerge. The sword pill spun faster, its emanating power becoming purer and more powerful, imbued with a trace of the fierce and violent attributes of lightning. The illusory image of the small sword residing in the lotus heart also became more solid, its sword intent now imbued with the swiftness and destructive aura of lightning.

The whole process may seem long, but it actually happens in the blink of an eye.

As the azure lotus of sword energy in the air completely closed and slowly dissipated, the terrifying first bronze tribulation lightning bolt had vanished without a trace. Only the faint smell of ozone remaining in the air and the lingering tingling sensation on the skin proved that it had once existed.

Li Bai landed gracefully, staggering slightly, but quickly regained his footing.

He looked down at the Azure Lotus Sword in his hand; its blade shimmered with azure light, and lightning patterns flickered within, making it appear even more extraordinary. He then felt the surging power within his body and his increasingly resilient physique, and the smile on his lips deepened.

The first tribulation lightning has been successfully passed!

Moreover, it was done in this proactive way, by using the sword to control the lightning and absorbing and tempering it!

This was not recklessness, but rather based on his understanding of the characteristics of his own "Azure Lotus Sword Core" and his grasp of the essence of the sword moves in the "Red Dust Sword Manual". The move "Azure Lotus First Bloom" is a sword move that integrates offense and defense and contains the meaning of growth and inclusiveness. It is just right to use it to deal with, differentiate and guide the tribulation lightning.

The crack in the sky has not closed.

On the contrary, the thunder from the depths of darkness behind the torn chaotic rift became even more intense and violent. It was as if Li Bai's response had angered some unseen will, or perhaps it was simply the natural rhythm of the tribulation.

"Boom!"

The second bolt of tribulation lightning, almost without any pause, was already fully prepared and struck down!

This one was similar in thickness to the first, but its color had changed significantly. The core was still a dazzling bright white, but the lightning swirling around it had changed from bronze to a scorching crimson! Like flowing lava, or like blood staining the surface, it carried an even more violent and scorching aura.

The air temperature suddenly rose, and the bronze at the edge of the platform even began to glow slightly red. A wave of heat hit us, and breathing made our lungs feel like they were being burned.

Li Bai's eyes narrowed, but he was not surprised; instead, he was delighted.

"Crimson Fire Lightning? Come!"

He let out a long roar and moved again. This time, he did not choose to confront the attack head-on, but instead used profound footwork, leaving afterimages on the platform. The Azure Lotus Sword in his hand drew continuous arcs of azure light.

"The world is a turbulent place!"

The sword technique changed; it was no longer a blooming lotus, but transformed into a long river of sword energy, like waves in the mortal world, layer upon layer, meeting the crimson tribulation lightning. The river of sword energy did not block it head-on, but rather used softness to overcome hardness, constantly washing away and wearing down the violent and scorching energy in the crimson lightning, and peeling away, guiding, and absorbing the pure fire attribute energy within it bit by bit.

Crimson lightning and azure sword river entangled, collided, and annihilated in the air. Scorching air currents and sharp sword energy scattered and flew in all directions, leaving scorch marks and sword marks on the bronze platform.

Li Bai's figure weaved through the river of swords and the thunder and fire, sometimes using his sword to draw in lightning, channeling some of its power into his body for tempering; sometimes using his sword energy to slay the excessively violent parts. His skin was scorched red by the high temperature, and sparks flew from many places on his robes, only to be extinguished by his protective inner energy. But his eyes remained bright, and his movements became increasingly fluid.

The second crimson lightning bolt, under the influence and guidance of the "Rolling Red Dust" sword intent, gradually weakened and eventually dissipated into countless crimson light spots.

As Li Bai's breathing calmed, the fire-attribute energy within his body circulated, merging with the lightning power from before, further tempering his physical body and golden core. A faint crimson fire pattern appeared next to the lightning patterns on the Azure Lotus Sword Core.

Before he could catch his breath, the third bolt of tribulation lightning struck!

This strike transformed into a chilling silver-white! Like the condensed essence of the moon from the heavens, it contained a soul-chilling coldness and a penetrating sharpness. As the silver-white tribulation lightning descended, the air itself seemed to freeze, emitting a soft, cracking sound. A layer of white frost instantly formed on the platform's surface.

"Frost Lightning?"

Li Bai took a deep breath, the cold air entering his lungs bringing a pricking pain. He changed his sword stance again.

"Azure Lotus Reaching the Sky!"

The Azure Lotus Sword thrust vertically towards the sky, its tip erupting with a dazzling beam of azure-gold light. Within this beam, a gigantic azure lotus phantom bloomed proudly, its stem straight as a pillar supporting the heavens. This move emphasizes the word "support," representing the ultimate in defense and counterattack.

Silver-white lightning struck the illusory blue lotus, unleashing blinding light and a terrifying chill. The illusory blue lotus trembled violently, its petals rapidly covered in frost, yet it remained standing, its stem deeply "rooted" in Li Bai's immense internal energy. The extreme cold eroded through the connection, instantly covering Li Bai's body with a thin layer of ice, turning his eyebrows and hair white.

However, the Azure Lotus Sword Core within his dantian spun rapidly, surging with life force. Combined with the Crimson Fire Lightning Power he had previously absorbed, it formed a tempering field within his body, a tapestry of ice and fire. The alternating stimulation of extreme cold and scorching heat brought even more intense pain, but also a more thorough tempering. Impurities in his bones were further removed, and his meridians became even more resilient under the test of the dual forces of ice and fire.

After a few breaths of stalemate, the silvery-white lightning exhausted its power, and the illusory blue lotus shattered. Li Bai shuddered, the thin ice on his body cracked, revealing his even more lustrous skin, which faintly shimmered with a jade-like sheen.

The fourth strike, a deep cyan wind and thunder, roared in, carrying a sharpness capable of tearing everything apart and an unpredictable trajectory.

The fifth bolt, a thick, earth-yellow thunderbolt, was like a mountain pressing down, carrying unparalleled weight and suppressive power.

The sixth strike is a bright, sharp golden lightning bolt, its edge fully revealed, capable of piercing anything.

Li Bai unleashed the sword techniques he had learned from the "Red Dust Sword Manual" one by one, combining them with the characteristics of the Azure Lotus Sword Elixir, using his sword to control lightning, dancing on the edge of life and death.

Faced with wind and thunder, he responded with "Sword Dance in the Mortal World," his figure as ghostly as a dragon, his sword light as swift as a dragon, using speed to counter speed and change to counter change, cutting, capturing, and absorbing the invisible wind and thunder.

Faced with the earth thunder, he used "Azure Lotus Suppressing Prison" to withstand it head-on. His sword intent was as strong as a mountain, and his internal energy was as powerful as a mountain. He endured the terrifying pressure and used it to temper the strength of his physical body and the solidity of his internal energy.

Facing the golden lightning, he thrust straight forward with "Lotus Heart Breaks Illusion," simplifying his sword technique and condensing a single point of extremely sharp sword intent. He met the sharp golden lightning needle head-on with it, and in the collision, they honed each other, absorbing its extreme sharpness to temper his sword intent and the flying sword itself.

Each bolt of tribulation lightning increased in color, attribute, and power. Li Bai's response became increasingly difficult, and real wounds began to appear on his body. Wind lightning tore a deep gash to the bone on his shoulder, earth lightning caused his internal organs to shift, and he spat out blood, while metal lightning nearly pierced through his protective sword aura, leaving a charred burn mark on his chest.

But the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

The pain was real, the wounds were real, but the gains were immense. His physical body grew stronger with each destruction and rebirth, its regenerative abilities astonishing. The Dao patterns on the Azure Lotus Sword Core became increasingly complex, interwoven with patterns of gold, silver, red, blue, and yellow, its aura growing ever deeper and heavier. The Azure Lotus Sword in his hand, tempered by tribulation lightning of various attributes, had a restrained brilliance, yet it faintly exuded a sharpness that caused even space to tremble slightly.

As the sixth bolt of bright golden lightning dissipated, Li Bai, using his sword as a crutch, knelt on one knee on the platform, panting heavily. His body was covered in blood, his clothes tattered, and his exposed skin was covered in scorch marks, frost, and cracks. But every wound, nourished by the life force of the Azure Lotus Sword Pill, was visibly wriggling and healing. The newly formed skin was even more resilient, gleaming with a faint metallic sheen.

He raised his head and looked up at the sky.

The darkness beyond the crack now seemed to have transformed into a boiling sea of ​​lightning. The seventh tribulation lightning was brewing.

This time, the preparation period was exceptionally long.

Deep within the sea of ​​lightning, bolts of various colors converged, compressed, and merged frantically. Crimson, silver-white, deep blue, earthy yellow, bright gold… the attributes of the first six tribulation lightning bolts seemed to have been extracted and infused into it. Finally, all the light collapsed inward, transforming into something profound, noble, yet filled with an aura of destruction—

Purple!

"boom!!!"

A bolt of lightning, only as thick as an arm but condensed to its fullest extent and a deep purple in color, slowly "pierced" out from the center of the sea of ​​lightning, like a spear of judgment that transcends time and space.

Its descent was slow, even somewhat deliberate. But with each step it took, the pressure within the entire secret realm increased. The bronze divine tree creaked under the strain, and cracks spread wildly across the platform. The air solidified, making breathing extremely difficult. A tremor and fear originating from the depths of one's soul involuntarily arose.

This is no ordinary lightning; it is the condensation of the essence of the first six tribulation lightning bolts, one of the ultimate tests of the strength and potential of the tribulation seeker by the Heavenly Dao!

Li Bai slowly straightened up.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his tattered robes remaining motionless in the stagnant air. The Azure Lotus Sword in his hand seemed to sense the threat of the purple lightning, emitting a low, excited hum. Various Dao patterns on the sword lit up in succession, eventually converging into a chaotic azure.

He took a deep breath and poured all the remaining internal energy into the sword without reservation. The Azure Lotus Sword Core spun wildly, and the phantom of the lotus heart sword almost burst through his body.

Facing the slowly descending purple lightning, a resolute glint flashed in Li Bai's eyes.

Should we resist head-on? Differentiate? Guide?

Faced with this seventh tribulation lightning, which combines multiple attributes and represents a qualitative leap, ordinary methods would likely be ineffective.

Therefore, there is only one option:

Destroy it!

With the purest sword intent of destruction, annihilate this destructive thunder!

He closed his eyes, his mind completely immersed in the Azure Lotus Sword Core, in the small lotus-heart sword, and in the "sword heart" he had accumulated through two lifetimes and three tribulations in the mortal world.

The rational understanding of modern geology, the romantic sentiments of the Tang Dynasty poet, the sharp will of the Shu Mountain sword immortal, the unwavering dedication to protecting Yang Xiaohuan/Yang Yuhuan across time and space, the compassion for all living beings... all emotions, memories, insights, and Daoist thoughts, at this moment, flowed into the sword like rivers flowing into the sea.

When he opened his eyes again, there was no sadness or joy in them, only a clear, mirror-like sword light that reflected all things.

He gripped the sword with both hands and slowly raised it above his head.

The tip of the sword was aimed at the purple lightning that had descended ten feet overhead.

There was no clear whistle, no angry shout.

Only a whisper, utterly calm yet seemingly containing the weight of the entire mortal world:

"Azure Lotus... Nirvana."

The sword fell.

There was no dazzling sword light, no grand display of power.

Only a faint, hazy sword aura shot out from the tip of the Azure Lotus Sword.

This sword energy appeared unremarkable, even somewhat illusory. Yet, wherever it passed, space seemed to be silently erased of its color, leaving only a faint, ethereal trace.

The purple lightning met the hazy gray sword energy in mid-air.

The anticipated massive explosion did not occur.

The extremely refined purple lightning, containing the essence of multiple attributes and possessing terrifying power, melted and disintegrated silently the moment it came into contact with the hazy gray sword energy, just like ice and snow under the scorching sun.

It wasn't that it was scattered or devoured, but rather that its very "foundation" was "negated" by some higher-level force, causing it to crumble from the level of the most fundamental laws.

The purple light quickly dimmed and dissipated.

The hazy, gray sword energy gradually faded, eventually disappearing into the air along with the last wisp of purple lightning.

The seventh purple tribulation lightning bolt—passed!

"puff!"

Li Bai suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, which was mixed with tiny, pale golden specks of light, like sword energy. He swayed, and with his last bit of strength, he planted the Azure Lotus Sword into the platform, barely managing to stay upright.

The sword intent of "Azure Lotus Annihilation," which surpassed his current realm, almost drained all his inner strength and mental energy, even damaging the origin of his golden core. At this moment, his body was completely empty, his meridians were throbbing, and his soul felt weak.

But when he raised his head and looked up at the sky, his eyes shone as brightly as stars, burning with an indomitable flame.

Covered in blood, riddled with wounds, and barely breathing.

However, within his dantian, the Azure Lotus Sword Core, after undergoing the tempering of seven tribulation lightning bolts of varying attributes, and especially after being baptized by the "Annihilation" sword intent that extinguished the purple tribulation lightning, not only did not dim, but instead radiated an even more brilliant, solid, and profound light. The Dao patterns on the core were naturally formed, intertwining into a chaotic pattern, with lotus flowers and sword shadows faintly floating within. Although the core's power was completely exhausted, its "quality" underwent some indescribable sublimation.

The golden elixir became increasingly brilliant and solid.

The crack in the sky fell into an eerie silence after the seventh tribulation lightning dissipated. The sea of ​​lightning continued to churn, but no new tribulation lightning immediately struck. However, the heavy pressure did not weaken; instead, it became more condensed, as if it were brewing something more terrifying and essential.

Li Bai leaned on his sword, breathing heavily. Sweat mixed with blood dripped from his chin, splashing into small, dark flowers on the charred bronze platform. He stared intently at the dark sea of ​​lightning, his mind unwavering.

The seven tribulation lightning bolts have passed; according to common sense, the Golden Core tribulation should be over.

But this is the secret realm of the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom, and the lightning tribulation here is special. Moreover, the sense of crisis that locked onto his soul not only did not disappear, but instead, like a cold, venomous snake, coiled around his heart, tightening its grip more and more.

The real test may have only just begun.