Chapter 23: Fairy Fengya is Here?

“Tribulation of Emotions, that’s the toughest hurdle in the world, no wonder you couldn’t pass.”

“In this world, tribulations are abound, but none are as difficult as those of the heart.” The crow also sighed, as if reminiscing about something from the past.

The mute fell silent, her gaze shifting to the sleeping Ye Wenxin, hiding a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. She had lived in this world for twenty-five years, but in reality, she had never felt affection for anyone.

There was no one now, and there would never be anyone in the future who could stir her emotions, who could help her overcome her tribulations.

“It’s also a matter of fate. Lass, don’t be too impatient… Oh, quickly get rid of those pests outside. If it weren’t for this humble one’s agreement with your founding ancestor not to harm the Azure Wings Sect’s disciples, This Humble One would have killed them all by now.” Hearing the commotion outside, the crow could not help but feel annoyed.

The mute simply nodded her head upon hearing this and unwaveringly walked towards the cavern entrance.

The door opened automatically, the mute disappeared into thin air and reappeared before the crowd that had long been waiting.

Clad in white, with a bare face, she could not hide the radiance emanating from her body. Everyone present stared wholeheartedly at her, but the mute merely swept her gaze at them, eventually snapping to the face of the Azure Wings Sect’s Sect Master.

“Junior Sister Fengya, why are you here?” The Sect Master was surprised, it seemed the supposedly in closed door training Fairy Fengya showing up at this place was rather unexpected.

If Ye Wenxin were to wake up now, she would be shouting the mute’s real name for half the day.

The beautiful mute’s real name was Fengya, one of the twelve school masters of the Azure Wings Sect. She had been the world’s number one beauty on the Unparalleled Beauties List for ten years, and also the first genius to break through to the Nascent Soul stage at the age of twenty-five.

“Breakthrough.” Fairy Fengya explained, seeming unwilling to waste more words with the Azure Wings Sect’s Sect Master.

After saying this, she tried to leave, but the Sect Master hurriedly stopped her, “Wait, if it was just an ordinary breakthrough, how could there be a Heavenly Tribulation? Could it be that the rumors about you breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage in a year are true?”

The Azure Wings Sect’s Sect Master could not help asking one more question, entirely unable to hide the fear in his eyes.

The cultivation path from the Nascent Soul stage to the Soul Transformation stage consisted of nine stages, each extremely difficult to cultivate. The current Azure Wings Sect’s Sect Master was already over a hundred years old, yet he was only at third-stage Nascent Soul. If Fairy Fengya truly broke through to the Soul Transformation stage as rumored, she could not be considered merely a genius.

She would have transcended into a true deity, her speed surpassing the cultivators’ realm of perception.

“Senior Brother doubts me yet believes in hearsay?” Fengya stopped in her tracks, showing no intention of turning back.

The Azure Wings Sect’s Sect Master felt a chill down his spine. Although Fairy Fengya did not say it directly, the overwhelming pressure she exuded indicated that her abilities had long surpassed his cultivation level, possibly rendering him powerless to retaliate.

Others seemed to sense the change in Fairy Fengya as well, remaining silent and bowing their heads. Some seemed genuinely convinced, while others harbored their own thoughts.

“How could it be? Of course I have faith in Junior Sister. But as you know, the foremost demon cultivator, Gu Qingcheng, has also entered closed door training. She’s now at ninth-stage Soul Transformation. I fear that when she breaks through, it will lead to bloodshed and chaos in the Martial World once again.” The Azure Wings Sect’s Sect Master had to bring up the age-old scapegoat, Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng, to cover up his own unease.

Fairy Fengya showed little emotion, turning to activate the array once more, leaving behind the group of bewildered onlookers.

The Azure Wings Sect’s backwoods returned to tranquility, but Ye Wenxin was nowhere to be found.

Some said that during Fairy Fengya’s Tribulation, Ye Wenxin was accidentally struck down. Others claimed she was killed by Ling Jue’s admirers. And yet, there were even more rumors circulating, suggesting that Ye Wenxin was captured and devoured by a demonic beast.

“That mute’s too heartless, running off just like that.” Ye Wenxin complained discontentedly to the crow, who responded with caws, leaving Ye Wenxin perplexed about what it was trying to express.

Ye Wenxin had been asleep for three days now. Unable to sense her own hunger, she thought she had only slept for a few hours.

However, she noticed something different about her body. Sitting on the ground, she began to meditate, exploring the power within her, only to discover with pleasant surprise that all her cultivation had returned. Not only that, but she seemed on the verge of breaking through to ninth-stage Soul Transformation.

In other words, not only had she regained her cultivation, but she could even reach the pinnacle of cultivation—Tribulation.

This was a pinnacle that many people could not reach in one lifetime, and it had always been a bottleneck for Ye Wenxin. However, she never expected that after nibbling a few bites of Fairy Fengya, such a change would occur.

Yearning for the Tribulation stage, Ye Wenxin could hardly contain her excitement and wanted to break through right away.

But even as she thought this, she quickly remembered the prior commotion in the Azure Wings Sect. In the end, she decided to find a place far away from the sect to make her breakthrough.

“Brother Crow, can I consult something with you?” Ye Wenxin immediately set her sights on the crow. If she relied on the crow’s speed, which could potentially be much faster than her own, it would also help her avoid drawing too much attention to herself.

The crow backed away in resistance, clearly unwilling to accept this exchange of interests.

“I have something to do now and need to leave the Azure Wings Sect for a while. If you’re willing to give me a ride, I’ll treat you to a feast fit for a demonic beast, the kind that will fill you up.” Ye Wenxin remembered the crow’s fondness for cooked food last time, which might serve as a highly favorable bargaining chip.

The crow seemed somewhat tempted upon hearing this but continued to squawk randomly; it was unclear what it was trying to say.

“Three meals.” Ye Wenxin gestured with three fingers. The crow’s voice softened considerably, but it still grumbled discontentedly.

“Five meals, that’s the limit. If you want more, I’ll just go by myself.” Ye Wenxin reluctantly stated her final bottom line. The crow took the initiative to come closer, seemingly agreeing to the request.

Upon seeing the crow agree at last, Ye Wenxin continued to ask tentatively, “So, can I ride you?”

The crow bobbed its head a few times then slowly lowered its wings, providing Ye Wenxin with a place to step onto, seeming willing to let her sit on its back.

Ye Wenxin quickly jumped on, feeling the softness and warmth of the crow’s body. This was immeasurably more enjoyable than riding on some flying magic item.

As Ye Wenxin lay comfortably, the crow said a few incomprehensible words, and then suddenly soared into the air. It was still as fast as before, almost beyond the limits of the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, they could see the backwoods’ green mountains and clear waters.

The crow flew naturally and unrestrained, creating a small storm in the sky, but it did not care at all. It flew faster and faster, seemingly excited perhaps because it had been a long time since it had carried someone.

Ye Wenxin held onto the crow’s neck tightly, watching as they had already flown out of the Azure Wings Sect. She had returned to her original appearance, and she lowered her head to examine the surrounding scenery.

In the grand scheme of things, all things in the world seemed as insignificant as ants, and she, once again felt the joy of flying.

This flight lasted a full day at the crow’s speed, until they found a remote place and Ye Wenxin let the crow stop.

There were no villages nearby, nor any countries. It was not even within any sect’s territory. As a place for Tribulation, it was quite suitable.

“Brother Crow, I’m going to undergo Tribulation here. Could you please protect me? After it’s done, I’ll take you to eat something delicious.” Ye Wenxin looked at the crow beside her. The Soul Transformation stage’s Thunder Tribulation was not like any other Thunder Tribulation; it was grander and more dangerous, and ordinary people would definitely not dare to approach.

However, Ye Wenxin’s other identity had garnered too much attention, making her worry that those people would come at once upon seeing the Thunder Tribulation.

The crow cawed, seemingly speaking nonsense again. Ye Wenxin had to increase the stakes, changing the offer from five meals to ten before finally getting the crow to agree to cooperate.

“My Thunder Tribulation is more terrifying. Don’t get too close; it might harm you.” Ye Wenxin added after a moment of thought, but the crow seemed indifferent. Ye Wenxin chose to ignore her and changed out of her disciple attire, instead wearing a black chiffon saint garb.

The saint garb was crafted from ancient materials, impervious to even the Thunder Tribulation. Ye Wenxin rejoiced in her foresight for bringing it. Sitting upright, she began to gather the surrounding qi.

Intense red light flickered around her as dark clouds blanketed the sky, plunging the world into darkness.

The sudden weather change startled the crow, yet it remained, curious about the nature of this Thunder Tribulation. In the next moment, crimson lightning struck down. The crow attempted to flee but found itself trapped within the Thunder Tribulation zone.

“You should’ve kept your distance, Brother Crow. Now you can’t escape. Well, since that’s the case, you’ll accompany me through this Tribulation.” Ye Wenxin noticed the crow’s predicament. Though she was the one undergoing Tribulation, it seemed that the crow’s presence attracted the red lightning bolts.

At the same time, widespread lightning struck all around.

Wherever the red lightning touched, it instantly turned everything to ash.

The sound grew louder, tinted in a vast expanse of blood-red. Ye Wenxin shielded the crow beside her with one hand, focusing her mind to resist the red Thunder Tribulation.

Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng practiced a cultivation method called “Flower Burial.” Originating from the earliest ancient demonic cultivation method, once mastered, it made one invincible and unparalleled in the world.

However, this technique was extremely lethal, once used, it would not stop until all enemies were vanquished. Even Ye Wenxin sometimes found it hard to control. After several incidents of Qi Deviation, she switched to learning a Buddhist cultivation method to somewhat suppress Flower Burial.

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TL passing by: MC is finally OP again, yay! Was waiting for it since this series has an OP tag. And confirmation of FL’s identity! We all knew it’s her all along but solid proof is nice. So will MC pass her Tribulation? Find out next time in Release the Female Lead Chapter 24: Play the Pig to Beat the Tiger! Hm, this title sounds familiar…

TL note: I’ll also be releasing some character illustrations from the author’s original work after this, so look forward to it!