When Reed Kong saw Elder Mu, he smiled and said, "Elder Mu."
"Good, good." Elder Mu nodded in relief, seeing Reed Kong reunited with his daughter.
"Elder Mu, what is Evan Yang's current status?" Reed Kong didn't know what identity Evan Yang had now, or what kind of Pavilion Lord he was.
Elder Mu smiled, "He is now the Grand Pavilion Lord."
Reed Kong was shocked. The Grand Pavilion Lord outranks even the three Pavilion Lords. He stared at Evan Yang in disbelief, while Evan Yang shook his head helplessly, "Alright, that's settled. But don't call me Grand Pavilion Lord—just call me as before."
"That won't do, it would mess up the order. You're still the Grand Pavilion Lord." Elder Mu laughed, and Reed Kong agreed. Seeing them like this, Evan Yang could only shake his head in resignation.
"Let's go," Evan Yang sighed.
Elder Mu nodded, then led Yang Han and Reed Kong onward to their destination. They stopped at a cave entrance, which was guarded by multiple mechanisms and formations. Even powerful experts might not be able to get in, so Elder Mu said confidently, "Anyone who doesn't know the path will definitely not make it out."
"Is it really that strong?" Evan Yang asked curiously.
"Of course. This is where the Genius Pavilion keeps its most precious things," Elder Mu laughed.
Evan Yang was looking forward to this—if so, he could get some good medicinal herbs to help his Heaven-Cold Seed grow.
Reed Kong and his daughter waited outside the cave, since this place wasn’t somewhere they could enter. Evan Yang didn’t say much, and continued inside with Elder Mu. Elder Mu moved step by step according to a set pattern, and Evan Yang could only follow.
"There really are formations here," Evan Yang observed carefully, noticing that there were hidden arrays all around—if you weren’t careful, you’d step right into one.
And these formations weren’t simple either; at least they were pseudo-Immortal grade. Evan Yang muttered inwardly.
After a while, Evan Yang reached a wall. Elder Mu tapped around the wall in a specific sequence, and the wall opened. A thick aura swept out from inside, letting Evan Yang know there were many things hidden within.
"Go ahead, I'll wait for you here," Elder Mu said.
Evan Yang nodded and went in, and then the wall closed behind him.
Inside, there were many precious items. Evan Yang glanced around and saw quite a few Immortal artifacts, but those weren’t much use to him. He focused directly on the herbs.
"Herbs, herbs," Evan Yang muttered to himself, then released his divine sense to search.
After a while, he spotted a small tree bearing three fruits.
"This is... the Immortal Spirit Fruit Tree." Yang Han was stunned. He'd seen it in the Herbal Heart Codex, but never dreamed he'd find one here.
"How did this place even form?" Yang Han clicked his tongue in amazement, staring at the tree.
After carefully studying the Herbal Heart Codex, he realized that only places with exceptionally dense spiritual energy, accumulated over tens of thousands of years, could give rise to such a fruit tree.
This fruit tree absorbs spiritual energy from its surroundings as it grows, so its aura is incredibly thick. Its medicinal properties are far superior to ordinary Immortal-pill ingredients—a rare treasure, impossible to find by chance.
Yang Han gently placed his hand on the tree. A surge of dense essence flowed from the tree into his palm, then spread throughout his body.
Soon, the markings across Yang Han's skin reappeared—his whole body was covered in tattoo-like lines, each resembling tree roots. If anyone else were here, they'd be shocked by the sight.
"It's really dense," Yang Han said, excited. If he could absorb all of it, his Heaven-Cold Seed would surely be able to suppress his bloodline again.
The markings deepened and finally turned black, looking strange, as if his whole body was about to split apart. But Yang Han wasn't worried; he knew this was just the Heaven-Cold Seed changing inside him.
It took a full half hour to absorb everything, and the Immortal Spirit Fruit Tree withered away.
Yang Han didn't let it go to waste—he immediately revived the tree and transplanted it into his Sky-Piercing Tower, instantly doubling the spiritual energy inside.
"If I add more rare herbs and spiritual artifacts later, the Sky-Piercing Tower will become a true cultivation paradise," Yang Han thought, pleased by the changes inside the tower.
Meanwhile, the markings on his body faded and disappeared. Yang Han felt that as soon as he released the suppression from the Tyrant Seal Art, he would definitely break through.
After calming himself, Yang Han lost interest in the remaining herbs—after all, the Immortal Spirit Fruit Tree was already an extraordinary find, making everything else seem ordinary. Still, he gathered some to keep in the Sky-Piercing Tower for emergencies.
He also picked up a few artifacts and tossed them into the tower, setting up several spirit-gathering formations inside.
Once everything was settled, Yang Han glanced at the remaining treasures and sighed, "I should leave some for the others in the Genius Pavilion."
With that, he stepped outside, feeling joyful.
Outside, Elder Mu saw Yang Han's expression and smiled. "Found what you needed?"
"Yeah, I found what I needed. By the way, have you ever been inside?" Yang Han asked curiously.
"Only the Pavilion Lords have entered a few times. No one else has. Why do you ask?" Elder Mu replied, curious.
Yang Han paused and asked, "Do they know what's inside?"
"Yes, they all know," Elder Mu nodded.
"Yes, they all know," Elder Mu nodded.
"I see. If I take it, they won't blame me, right?" Yang Han asked, feeling a bit guilty about taking the most precious tree.
"Now that you're the Grand Pavilion Lord, you could take everything and it wouldn't be a problem," Elder Mu said.
Yang Han gave a sheepish smile. "There's no need for that—I only took a part of it."
"Let's go then," Elder Mu said with a smile, seeing Yang Han's expression.
He led Yang Han out of the cave. Once outside, Yang Han asked, "Do you know who in the Genius Pavilion has reached the Nine Tribulations Realm?"
"All three Pavilion Lords have," Elder Mu replied.
"Take me to them," Yang Han said with a smile. Elder Mu paused, wondering to himself, Why does he want to see Nine Tribulations experts?
Still, Elder Mu didn't object to Yang Han's request. Reed Kong and his daughter followed them to the Genius Pavilion headquarters, where the high-level members gathered.
"You two go ahead. I'll take my daughter for a walk," Reed Kong said honestly outside the Genius Pavilion headquarters.
Elder Mu knew that only elders and Pavilion Lords had the right to enter, so he smiled. "Alright, go ahead."
Yang Han didn't notice anything unusual and continued inside with Elder Mu, where he saw the three Pavilion Lords.
When the three Pavilion Lords learned Yang Han wanted to see them, they looked at him curiously.
"What did you want to see us for?" the Heaven Pavilion Lord asked curiously.
"I wanted to ask, what is lightning tribulation really like?" Yang Han asked awkwardly.
"You're about to face tribulation?" the Heaven Pavilion Lord laughed, and the others showed delighted expressions.
"Yes," Yang Han replied honestly.
"The tribulation is divided into nine stages, each one far more terrifying than the last—not just a simple sum, but several times stronger lightning strikes," the Heaven Pavilion Lord said, very seriously.
"How do you tell which stage you're at?" Yang Han asked, suspicious.
"It's simple: one tribulation means one lightning cloud. If it's the second, there are two thunderclouds. When breaking through the ninth tribulation, there will be nine thunderclouds. If you pass, you'll reach the Pseudo-Immortal Stage," the Heaven Pavilion Lord explained.
Yang Han nodded in understanding. "I see."
"The most important thing is to have enough strength to survive the tribulation. Otherwise, you might suffer setbacks—not only losing cultivation, but possibly dying," the Heaven Pavilion Lord warned.
"That dangerous?" Yang Han muttered.
"Exactly. That's why so many people would rather stay at their current stage than risk it. It's a life-or-death gamble, and survival rates drop sharply with each stage. Very few ever reach the Pseudo-Immortal Stage—probably just a handful," the Heaven Pavilion Lord replied.
Everyone nodded. Yang Han understood, but since he'd never experienced it himself, he still didn't know how terrifying lightning tribulation really was.
He thought for a moment and asked, "Is there any way to reduce the power of the lightning tribulation?"
"There is. You can use artifacts or formations to help withstand some of it. But never let others help, or the tribulation will get even stronger—you might even have to face double the lightning," the Heaven Pavilion Lord cautioned.
"So ultimately, you have to rely on yourself," Yang Han realized. To survive lightning tribulation, you have to do it alone; helpers only make things worse for everyone.
"Exactly—and you can't let anyone interfere. If someone disrupts you, you might die before the tribulation is even over," the Heaven Pavilion Lord continued.
"So you need to find a safe, deserted place to face the tribulation?" Yang Han scratched his head.
"That's right. Otherwise, you'll attract trouble and risk dying before you even begin," the Heaven Pavilion Lord said.
Yang Han thanked them for their advice, then left to prepare for his own tribulation.
He returned to the Sky-Piercing Tower, summoned his Tyrant Seal Art, and began to release the suppression on his cultivation.
As soon as the suppression faded, Yang Han's aura exploded—his Heaven-Cold Seed surged, and he felt himself breaking through.
Thunderclouds gathered overhead. Lightning tribulation was about to begin.
Yang Han took a deep breath and faced the first tribulation, ready to step into the Nine Tribulations Realm.
He stood alone, surrounded by thunderclouds, determined to overcome every stage and reach the Pseudo-Immortal Stage.
The lightning flashed, and Yang Han's journey into the Nine Tribulations Realm began.