"This world is truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—I never imagined there would be so many Pseudo-Immortal experts here," Evan Yang muttered.
He spent several days observing, making sure the fifth map fragment did not appear, before finally leaving at ease. Then he found a secluded spot and began cultivating.
For every year that passed outside, fifty years went by inside Evan's tower. So even after five hundred years in the tower, only ten years had elapsed in the outside world.
Thus, Evan cultivated at fifty times the normal rate.
It was as if the outside world was cut off from him; he was completely immersed in cultivation.
Until one day, Evan faintly sensed that familiar feeling again—the sign of an impending tribulation.
Where was the safest place to face a tribulation? Evan decided to go to Genius Star—only there could he be truly safe. So he stepped out of the tower and headed for Genius Star.
When the people of Genius Star saw their Grand Pavilion Lord return after a century, they were overjoyed. Upon learning Evan was about to face another tribulation, their expressions became both shocked and delighted.
"Grand Pavilion Lord, you truly are incredible—it's only been a hundred years and you're already facing another tribulation," the Heaven Pavilion Lord exclaimed in excitement.
Evan knew it was entirely because his tower accelerated time fifty-fold. Decades inside the tower meant thousands of years of cultivation—an astonishing number by any measure.
"I've recently had some insights, so I want to face a tribulation. That's why I came to Genius Star—I need your help," Evan said with a smile.
Hearing this, the Heaven Pavilion Lord and the others understood that Evan wanted them to protect him during the tribulation. Besides, there was also that unfathomable old woman on Genius Star.
Evan valued this point—even if a Pseudo-Immortal appeared, that old woman could suppress them.
"No problem, let's get ready right away," the Heaven Pavilion Lord said with a smile. He led Evan, the other Pavilion Lords, and elders to the same tribulation site as last time.
Once everything was prepared, Evan released his suppressed aura.
Instantly, dark clouds gathered again—three massive thunderclouds, marking the Third Tribulation. Everyone nearby saw it, and when they learned it was the Grand Pavilion Lord facing tribulation, they were shocked. Only a hundred years had passed, and he was already advancing to the Third Tribulation.
Even the hidden old woman showed a surprised expression. "It's only been a hundred years—his cultivation speed is unbelievable," she murmured.
Those who didn't know Evan's background all assumed his cultivation was progressing too quickly. But Evan kept his secret—if anyone found out, countless powerful experts would come after him.
The Third Tribulation required twenty-seven lightning bolts. Evan had to endure all twenty-seven, each stronger than the last, making the ordeal even more intense.
But to Evan, it was nothing—facing tribulation was as easy as eating a meal. Yet to everyone else, it was a dangerous act; they could only pray he survived, or else the Pavilion would suffer great losses.
Under the anxious gazes of the crowd, Evan endured all twenty-seven bolts, one after another. When it was over, everyone finally relaxed and burst into joy. But just as they were about to congratulate him, another miracle happened—a Fourth Tribulation, with four thunderclouds gathering overhead.
"No way—last time it was two, and now it's happening again?" the Heaven Pavilion Lord exclaimed in shock. The others were even more worried than before. If last time was luck, this time couldn't possibly be just luck. After all, most people are exhausted after a single tribulation; to face consecutive tribulations is extremely difficult.
But to Evan, it was nothing—he treated it as a trivial matter. The hidden old woman frowned, "Who exactly is this kid? How can he face consecutive lightning tribulations like this?"
Unaware of what everyone else was thinking, Evan simply enjoyed the bath of tribulation lightning. Incredibly, he noticed that the lightning in his unique divine-sense space was increasing, all thanks to absorbing these bolts.
"I wonder how much I can absorb," Evan mused, continuing to enjoy the lightning bath as bolt after bolt struck down, each one stacking on the last.
The Fourth Tribulation required thirty-six bolts. Everyone was on edge, truly worried for Evan. Originally, they had only prepared for a single tribulation, just to prevent interference. Had they known there would be a second, they would have set up protective arrays to buffer the lightning's power.
With the Fourth Tribulation underway, all they could do was watch and pray that Evan could withstand it.
Evan didn't disappoint them—he remained standing the whole time, showing no signs of weakness. When the thirty-sixth bolt ended, everyone was overjoyed; their nerves finally relaxed, and they rushed forward to congratulate him.
Evan awkwardly laughed, "You'd better not come over yet—there's more."
"More? What do you mean?" The crowd looked up and were startled—the Fifth Tribulation was forming. No one had ever seen three consecutive tribulations before. Their faces shifted from joy to dread; some even started sweating, too nervous to utter a word.
"The Fifth Tribulation—forty-five bolts. He just went through the Third and Fourth; he's doomed," the Left Pavilion Lord muttered, clutching his hand.
"Sigh, is Heaven jealous of genius?" the Heaven Pavilion Lord said gloomily. Many watching felt the same way, thinking Heaven was determined to strike Evan down.
Even the hidden old woman couldn't sit still anymore—she stood up and went outside, watching from farther away. Five thunderclouds swirled overhead, powerful energy gathering, preparing to unleash forty-five bolts.
"Kid, if you get through this, you'll truly be a genius among geniuses," the old woman muttered, now sincerely hoping Evan would survive.
Not just the old woman—everyone was hoping Evan could make it. But at this stage, all they could do was pray. Tribulations can't be stopped midway; you can't do as you please. They could only watch from the sidelines.
Evan let out a loud roar and the tribulation began. Bolt after bolt spiraled around him, then vanished above his head. One, two, all the way past thirty—only then did the crowd start to relax, secretly wondering, "Could he really make it?"
(End of this chapter ^.^ Please click next page to continue reading!)
At the very least, Evan's performance so far had already left them amazed.
The crowd kept praying until the forty-fifth bolt finished. Evan withdrew his aura, having advanced all the way to the Fifth Tribulation. He secretly wished he could borrow a few more tribulations and jump straight to the Pseudo-Immortal Stage, but that wasn't up to him.
But now his power had skyrocketed—even if he met a Pseudo-Immortal, he was ready to fight without relying on beast-fusion.
While Evan was lost in thought, he didn't notice the old woman giving him an approving look before vanishing. The people around him crowded forward—he was now the strongest in Genius Pavilion, truly the Grand Pavilion Lord, and no one doubted it.
"Grand Pavilion Lord, your strength—?" the Heaven Pavilion Lord asked excitedly.
"I've reached the Fifth Tribulation," Evan replied with a smile.
The Heaven Pavilion Lord was overjoyed and quickly spread the news across Genius Star. They arranged a grand banquet to celebrate Evan, but no matter how much he tried to decline, they insisted. He was formally introduced to all the Pavilion stewards as the Grand Pavilion Lord.
Helpless, Evan had no choice but to accept. When word of the events on Genius Star spread, the most shocked and resentful were the Fenn Family and the Three Palaces.
"How can there be three consecutive tribulations?" the Ninefold Palace Lord exclaimed in disbelief.
"This kid is far from simple. It's unbelievable he faced three tribulations in a row—and passed them all," the Fenn Family Patriarch said, now seeing Evan as a dangerous figure. If they didn't eliminate him soon, he might become uncontrollable.
Others felt the same. If they wanted to seize the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects, they'd have to deal with Evan first. But now that he'd reached the Fifth Tribulation, it was too late—if Genius Pavilion tried to control all the star systems, they'd be in serious trouble.
So the Three Palaces started to worry, even more than the Fenn Family Patriarch. They kept a close eye on Evan's movements.
The Ninefold Palace Lord and other Palace leaders took their leave, telling the Fenn Family Patriarch to contact them if the next map fragment ever appeared.
This alliance was stunned by Evan's triple tribulation—not just the Three Palaces and the Fenn Family, but even the hidden Pseudo-Immortal experts found it unbelievable.
The same was true for the Black Hand Syndicate. A figure in a black cloak sat on a beast hide, eyes closed. When the subordinate finished reporting, the figure opened his eyes. "Evan Yang really survived three tribulations?"
"Yes, that's the news from Genius Star," the subordinate replied.
"A century ago, I sent people to invite him—they never returned. Most likely, something happened. Looks like I'll have to handle this myself," said the Black Hand Master, rising to his feet.
"Master, isn't this overkill?" the subordinate asked.
"Don't underestimate the enemy. According to the data, he's a Violet Seventh-Tier. Even though he's only at the Fifth Tribulation, his strength could easily surpass ordinary Seventh Tribulation experts. With your current abilities, none of you can take him down," the Black Hand Master replied.
"Seventh Tribulation? That's really high," the subordinate exclaimed.
"That's why I need to act myself—capture him, bring him back, and investigate his origins, as well as the matter of soul-locking," the Master said.
"What about the old Master?" the subordinate asked suspiciously.
"Don't tell them for now—they're all in seclusion," the Master replied.
"Understood." The subordinate nodded, and the Black Hand Master set out—his target: Evan Yang.
Evan had no idea the Black Hand Master was coming for him. Not just him—hidden Pseudo-Immortal experts from the Three Palaces were also emerging, all targeting Evan.
At this point, it wasn't about the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects anymore. What they feared was Genius Pavilion producing such a leader. With their hidden strength, the Three Palaces would be powerless to resist if Evan became the figurehead.
Especially since Evan was a Violet Seventh-Tier—in their eyes, he was at least as strong as a Seventh Tribulation expert.
Evan, meanwhile, had no idea what was happening outside. On Genius Star, he officially took up his post as Grand Pavilion Lord and met the stewards. The Qi Family didn't show up, but Evan understood—they'd once made trouble for him, and coming now would just invite trouble.