Beyond the Divine States

Chapter 37 The Inner Demon Tribulation

When one broke through the realm of Long Life and reached the realm of Purple Court, there would be two tribulations. One was the inner demon tribulation and the other was the thunderbolt tribulation. When the inner demon tribulation was broken, the disappearance of the demonic nature would trigger the thunderbolt and the thunderbolt tribulation would arrive thereafter.

The previous realm of Zhao Xiang'er was borrowed so no thunderbolt tribulation was triggered.

Now, Ning Xiaoling was about to reach the realm of Purple Court as a new life. As Ning Changjiu helped her break through the bottleneck, the tribulation just followed.

Now, it was because she was trapped in the inner demon tribulation that Ning Xiaoling was standing in situ still.

Her body started to be wrapped up by the white silk formed by the spiritual power. Every streak of spiritual silk was clearly seen and extremely resilient, which ordinary swords couldn't cut off. It was meant to protect the tribulation transcender after she suddenly broke through the original realm and became incapable of acting.

Lu Jiajia understood Ning Changjiu's action. He helped Ning Xiaoling break through the realm simply to trap her with the tribulation.

"You can trap her for a moment but when she transcends the tribulation and reach the realm of Purple Court, who can kill her?" Lu Jiajia shouted loudly, "You are definitely bringing about your own destruction!"

Then, the immortal sword beside her, Minglan hummed, seeming to turn into a sword light and fly away anytime.

However, Lu Jiajia was aware of the resilience of the spiritual silks. When she was in her prime, she might have a chance but due to the fight with the old fox, her realm was reduced by half of a level. Currently, it would be as difficult as going to heaven to slay it open.

Ning Changjiu looked at the woman in white and saluted deeply at her, asking sincerely, "Miss Lu, could you please let us go?"

"What did you say?" Lu Jiajia was slightly shocked. "I don't know where you borrow the power but how much of it is left? When she wakes up, what should you do?"

Ning Changjiu knew that time was limited. He must immediately convince her so he didn't conceal anything. "Xiaoling is seriously obsessed but her actual realm is too low. Now that she is undergoing the tribulation hastily, she will be trapped in the inner demon tribulation for a long time. I will use the heart-cleansing spells of Taoism to radically repel her demonic nature, awake her original consciousness and suppress the evil nature of the evil seed."

After hearing him out, Lu Jiajia only felt unbelievable. How could the heart-cleansing spells make someone about to reach the realm of Purple Court lose the initiative and step back?

"It's not that I don't want to trust you but that what you said can't be feasible," Lu Jiajia said with a sigh.

Ning Changjiu insisted, "I'm confident about it."

Lu Jiajia asked, "If the evil seed is suppressed, how will Ning Xiaoling become?"

Ning Changjiu said, "If everything goes well, the evil seed at the realm of Purple Court will be hidden in the depths of the sea of consciousness and Xiaoling will become the old her."

Lu Jiajia asked with puzzlement, "If she changes back, what about the rumbling thunderbolt tribulation?"

Ning Changjiu said calmly, "When I decided to save her, I've been ready to withstand the thunderbolts."

A look of surprise flashed across Lu Jiajia's face. "You've calculated this before?"

Ning Changjiu said with a bit of guilt, "I didn't have enough time. I only thought about three possible results. Luckily, this is one of them."

"If your constitution is a bit better, you will be a real genius," Lu Jiajia stared at him with a complicated look and then sighed pitifully. "I know you are extraordinary but I still find it quite unbelievable... Luckily, it is not you who became a demon."

Ning Changjiu looked her in the eye and asked seriously, "Miss Lu, you will let us go, won't you?"

Lu Jiajia said gently, "You've done a great favor for me before. By reason, I shouldn't stop you. However, if I let her leave, I will be sorry for the people of the city."

Ning Changjiu grabbed the cocooned young girl with four furry illusory tails slumping on the cocoon feebly. She looked quite cute now but within the lovely "snowball", there was a demon who could ruin the city and eliminate the state when waking up.

Ning Changjiu thought for a while silently and raised his head, uttering every word clearly, "Then I shall demand reward for the favor I've done for you."

Dressed in white, Lu Jiajia harnessed the sword and landed on the ground. She slowly walked to Ning Changjiu and stared at his handsome face and clear eyes, seeming to see through some secret.

"You can take her away but I will report this to my sect. By then, if you fail, the sovereign will slay her with his sword."

Eventually, Lu Jiajia nodded resignedly.

Ning Changjiu let out a sigh of relief and saluted again, saying with a smile, "Thank you, Jiajia."

Lu Jiajia frowned. Obviously, she was somewhat sensitive to the way he called her. She snorted, "Don't need to thank me. Actually, now I'm incapable of cracking the cocoon. I would rather let you have a try than wait for her to transcend the tribulation and get out."

Ning Changjiu slightly nodded and said, "As to Zhao Xiang'er, please help me hold her back."

Lu Jiajia shook her head and said, "I can't stop that kind of crazy girl. She is determined to kill the old fox. I'm afraid that she won't listen to me no matter how I explain. What I can do is to let you go and you just need to hide well. If you are found by her, I can't help you then."

Ning Changjiu said with a nod, "That's kind enough of you. Many thanks."

Lu Jiajia suddenly grinned. "Her Highness is also good at calculating. I kind of want to know which one of you is the better."

Ning Changjiu said with a bitter smile, "If I meet her now, I will only dare to take a detour."

Lu Jiajia bantered, "You are a perfect match."

Ning Changjiu shook his head lightly without answering her.

Lu Jiajia took a glance at the distance and said, "Leave now. Zhao Xiang'er is coming."

Ning Changjiu held the huge and tough white cocoon and run opposite the direction where Lu Jiajia looked at. There were many empty yards in the imperial city. It wouldn't be difficult to find them with a careful search.

Lu Jiajia suddenly looked back and asked, "The last question. As far as I know, you've known your fellow disciple only for one year. Why would you make so much effort to save her?"

Ning Changjiu said smilingly, "My fellow disciple is so adorable. How can I stand watching her become a monster?"

...

...

Outside the imperial city, Blood Feather stared into the darkness with a sad face.

Previously, when its restraint was lifted, it wanted to follow the old fox into the city and kill people. However, it saw from afar the light pillar caused by the fighting between Zhao Xiang'er and the old fox in the imperial palace. Feeling the destructive Qi of the light pillar, it hurriedly fled away in fear.

After the rain stopped, it gazed at the imperial palace from the distance until the clouds cleared up and the moon emerged. The whole imperial city was veiled in the faint moonlight as if covered by a layer of deadly frost.

"Alas... Old man, I didn't expect that you would leave ahead of me. Zhao Xiang'er is really horrid. This time I left without saying goodbye to her. If I meet her somewhere else, maybe she will tear off my skin." Blood Feather flapped its feathers. After all, it was related to the old fox by blood. Now that the old fox was dead, it could feel that subtly.

In the past, it did consider that if it was released, it must seek revenge against Zhao Xiang'er by all means but as the old fox was dead now, its last glimmer of aspiration was also gone.

Zhao Xiang'er could only become stronger and stronger. And it should just hide away as much as it could...

Blood Feather heaved a sigh and muttered to itself, "This old guy was an evil king before. I wonder whether it hid any treasures in the caves or secret realms... It should have left some last words before dying. What a bummer for its descendant! No, what descendant? Since I'm alive, I shall be the boss of myself!"

It looked haughty. No matter how miserable it was over the past decade, it was finally free now.

It flapped its wings and shrugged the water off its feathers. It leaped from the high branch on the cliff and flew into the depths of the dense forest flapping its wings. The state of Zhao was established in the mountainous area, where there were a lot of unexploited holy places for cultivation with rich aura. As long as it found one and cultivated itself for decades, it was possible to return to the realm back then.

Soon, it flew back to the branch with its pupils full of shock.

Just now, it really heard the last words of the old fox.

...

In the imperial city, Zhao Xiang'er slim shadow appeared in the long street. With hair swept back in a ponytail, she was wearing a suit of soft armor suitable for combat. Holding the ancient red umbrella, she looked at the terribly shattered street and collapsed attic on both sides. Then she just turned her gaze to the beautiful woman in white.

"Jiajia, where are they?" Zhao Xiang'er asked.

Lu Jiajia said apologetically, "The little fox is more capable than I imagined. Her escaping skill is so exquisite that I couldn't stop her, but now she should be in the imperial city."

Zhao Xiang'er lowered her head and looked along the ruined long street. With her nostrils flaring, she looked around as if to search for any clue, asking, "Where is the Taoist priest? Is he still alive?"

She was just asking. She knew that if one became a demon, he would disown his close relatives. How could he let anyone stay alive? However, Lu Jiajia's answer was out of her expectation.

Lu Jiajia said, "He is still alive. Seized by the little fox, he was also taken away."

"Oh?" Zhao Xiang'er was slightly surprised and asked with puzzlement, "They are so close? Seriously?"

Lu Jiajia sighed, "It is pointless to think about that now."

Zhao Xiang'er nodded her head. "Yeah. Now we must find the little fox as soon as possible, or we will be in big trouble when the evil seed is completely integrated."

Lu Jiajia asked, "Did you think of the situation before?"

Zhao Xiang'er thought for a moment and then said seriously, "I've thought of the evil seed and even looked into various families in the imperial city when I was in the imperial preceptor's mansion. However, I didn't find anyone had the innate spirit of the fox spirit. As the wandering Taoist priests are traveling around, there are very few records about them. Unexpectedly, such an almost impossible thing still happened."

Lu Jiajia said with a nod, "Indeed. I've got to say that the old fox is too lucky."

Zhao Xiang'er slightly shook her head and said, "I couldn't prevent this slight possibility, which is my fault."

Lu Jiajia asked, "What if the little fox reaches the realm of Purple Court?"

Zhao Xiang'er stayed silent for a while and suddenly gave a faint smile. Looking at Lu Jiajia, she said seriously, "As long as her ream is below the Five Realms, I will kill her even at the cost of my life."

Lu Jiajia looked at her smiling face full of killing intent, asking curiously, "What deep grudge do you hold against the old fox?"

Zhao Xiang'er said calmly, "None."

In her heart, she had been certain that this was the test prepared by her mother for her.

Lu Jiajia stared at the young girl who was wearing a suit of soft armor with a handsome look, saying sincerely, "You shouldn't have stayed in the secular world, or you couldn't just be stuck in the Immortal Realm by now."

Zhao Xiang'er smiled lightly and said, "Rest assured, Jiajia. My Immortal Realm can be as powerful as the realm of Long Life. As to why I haven't broken through the realm..."

She hedged and suddenly had a look of worry flashing across her pretty face. Twisting and rubbing her wrists, she said resignedly, "I was born with shackles. I'm tired too."

...

In a yard with the door closed of the imperial city, Ning Changjiu sneaked inside with the cocooned young girl.

He looked at the young girl sleeping in the semi-transparent cocoon and gently muttered the Dharma name that his eldest fellow disciple chanted while performing the ritual.

"Fortunate Boundless Heavenly Lord."