Chapter 102: Turning Danger into Safety

“Crack!” This strike of the Pill Tribulation was no less powerful than the final heavenly thunder that Zhou Yi faced during his own tribulation. Yuan Tingyu and the two Maoshan elders instantly soared into the air, attempting to combine their strength to block the pill tribulation.

But the pill tribulation was not something so easily halted. The moment it made contact, the three were blown backward, hastily rising only to realize it was already too late to intervene further.

At that moment, Zhou Yi felt every hair on his body stand on end. Even the three elders who had survived their heavenly tribulations could not withstand this pill tribulation, let alone his own weakened state. If this pill tribulation struck him, his life would surely be extinguished.

A flicker of ruthless determination flashed in Zhou Yi’s eyes. His stubborn nature refused to yield. Without hesitation, he opened the pill furnace and plunged his hand inside, pulling out two pills. The two pills were identical—perfectly round and deep red—suggesting they had yet to be tempered by any tribulation, their surfaces dull and lifeless.

Zhou Yi examined them carefully, wanting to discern which pill was poisonous and which was safe, but in this moment of urgency, such distinctions were impossible.

Clenching his teeth, he stuffed both pills into his mouth, regardless of their toxicity. Unless the tribulation struck him down, no harm would come to these pills under his protection.

The thought flashed through Zhou Yi’s mind as the pills entered his stomach. “Crack!” The pills had barely settled when heavenly thunder struck him again.

In that instant, the power of the lightning surged through Zhou Yi’s entire body, paralyzing him. He couldn’t even remove his hand from his mouth. The electric force pierced deeply into his lungs, heading straight for the pills within.

This Pill of Replenishing Heaven was a defiant existence—it could instantly grant innate spiritual energy to a broken man, a pill that altered fate itself and was forbidden by the heavenly order. Thus, the pill tribulation was even stronger and more terrifying than the heavenly tribulation when purple aura enveloped him.

As the pill tribulation bore down, Zhou Yi felt his consciousness blur. The lightning tore at his soul as it wished to leave his body. Although he struggled to resist, how could one oppose the power of the heavenly way?

“Is it about to end?” Zhou Yi whispered in his heart. Though stubborn, his hope to live was fragile; he was powerless to fight.

At this critical moment, a Buddhist chant echoed: “Amitabha.”

It was Xu Hua, who had been waiting below Maoshan for Zhou Yi. Upon seeing the strange phenomena in the sky, he hurried up the mountain and witnessed the pill tribulation descending.

Without hesitation, he recited the Great Bright Mantra of Guanyin, his feet moving swiftly as he charged toward the pill tribulation.

As the chant completed, Xu Hua unleashed a radiant, multicolored Buddhist light.

When the pill tribulation touched this five-colored Buddhist light, it resisted briefly before vanishing instantly.

With the pill tribulation dispersed, Zhou Yi knelt on one knee, his clothes gone, his body translucent yet vividly red.

Around Maoshan, the spiritual energy began to stir restlessly, converging toward Zhou Yi as if he were a magnet. The spiritual energy within a hundred-mile radius rapidly gathered around him.

The four present, all survivors of heavenly tribulations, wasted no time. They sat cross-legged around Zhou Yi, eager to absorb as much spiritual energy as possible.

Though Zhou Yi seemed to have survived the immediate danger, the true peril lay within his abdomen.

Two pills—one the Pill of Replenishing Heaven, the other a poisonous pill. The former replenished innate spiritual energy, drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into Zhou Yi’s body, while the latter was a potent dispersing poison pill.

Both pills were inside him now. His body resembled a large funnel, drawing in spiritual energy that briefly stored in his meridians before dissipating again.

This was utterly uncontrollable; no one could stop it. Yet this situation benefited Yuan Tingyu and the two Maoshan elders, as even Xu Hua found the spiritual energy boundless. All four showed signs of their pale purple spiritual energy shifting toward purple.

At some point, Zhou Yi had already seated himself cross-legged on the ground. The madly converging spiritual energy continually flooded his meridians, which grew increasingly robust and resilient with each influx and outflow.

However, the Pill of Replenishing Heaven, forged from countless heavenly treasures, was potent yet toxic—a constant yin and yang clash without rest.

Zhou Yi slowly regained clarity. Looking inward, he saw both pills clustered in his dantian, continuously emitting medicinal power.

Spiritual energy still flowed ceaselessly, and he directed his awareness to seize a trace of spiritual energy passing through his meridians for his own use, slowly moving it toward the poisonous pill.

He aimed to use the spiritual energy to expel the poison pill from his body, thus no longer suffering from the inability to store spiritual energy.

But the poisonous pill’s power was no trivial matter. Before the spiritual energy could approach, its medicinal force absorbed it entirely, vanishing in an instant.

Upon closer inspection, the poison pill seemed somewhat smaller. Zhou Yi felt a surge of hope—this method was effective. Day and night, he continuously summoned spiritual energy for the poison pill to absorb.

One day, two days passed; the spiritual energy of heaven and earth grew increasingly scarce. The flora around Maoshan withered, deprived of celestial nourishment.

Finally, after ten days, the small poison pill was fully refined. At this time, the Pill of Replenishing Heaven had shrunk to the size of a grain of rice. No more spiritual energy entered the body; only the residual medicinal power of the pill remained.

Zhou Yi slowly opened his eyes, feeling the spiritual energy surge within him. A long, piercing roar escaped his lips, causing countless birds to take flight and beasts to flee from Maoshan.

A flicker of deep blue spiritual light shone in his gaze before quickly withdrawing.

“Haha, I’m alive! I’m alive!” Standing up, he laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the clouds.

Yuan Tingyu stroked his white mustache beneath his brow and frowned. “Master Zhou, why is your spiritual energy deep blue?”

Zhou Yi turned to Yuan Tingyu, gratitude in his eyes beyond words. “It is a great blessing to have recovered to this deep blue spiritual energy level. I dare not hope to reach the realm of the Heavenly Dao again.”

Yuan Tingyu nodded in relief. To him, Zhou Yi’s regression in cultivation was certain to disturb his Dao heart, and a chaotic Dao heart made entry into the Heavenly Dao realm much more perilous.

“Congratulations, young one, on Master Yuan’s advancement into the Two Yin-Yang Division Realm,” Zhou Yi said after careful observation, noting Yuan Tingyu’s cultivation had reached the realm of purple energy.

“Congratulations, Senior Brother Sect Leader, on your entry into the Two Yin-Yang Division Realm,” the two Maoshan elders bowed respectfully.

“Blessings from the Boundless Heavenly Lord, congratulations, congratulations,” Yuan Tingyu returned the bow. This breakthrough was the greatest joy for any cultivator.

Yuan Tingyu’s spiritual energy was now purple; one more step forward and he could ascend to the heavens in broad daylight. Yet many cultivators, even at death’s door, could not comprehend this final mystery.

“Alas, Senior Brother and I were just one step short. If the celestial spiritual energy had continued for two more days, we too could have entered the Two Yin-Yang Division Realm.”

“Ten days of cultivation here equals years of effort for us. Younger Third Brother, contentment is true happiness.”

Though the two Maoshan elders had not advanced, they accepted it with grace, beginning to share their grievances and offer comfort.

“Monk Xu Hua, my debts are clear. You saved me this time. I owe you, bald monk, my life. Whenever you want it, just come and take it,” Zhou Yi said with a grin, looking at Xu Hua standing nearby.

“Amitabha. I only ask you, benefactor, to now return with me to Mount Wutai to fulfill your master’s command.”