Chapter 664: The Equal of Heavens
Wu Long smiled, and stood up as Fen Baihu spirited away Butler Bang into the Mystic Realm, as all others who were supposed to enter it have been sent inside.
He looked toward Luo Mingyu and Gong Cui who had light signs of fatigue, after accompanying him for a few days straight.
Especially as both of them were using powers that they had acquired not that long ago, and therefore were only in the early process of mastering.
"Thank you, both of you.
Your Dao Field has gotten far more potent at allowing one to meditate, Mingyu.
And your Dao Music skills rose so much it is genuinely hard to believe you started practicing it not that long ago, Cui'er"
Wu Long chuckled as he pampered both of them with kisses, a glint of modestly suppressed, but intense happiness appearing in the purple eyes of the Dao Cultivator, while Gong Cui hugged her cheeks and started giggling with pure bliss.
Other members of the Dao Family also came to the terrace.
Wu Mengqi, Cao Mei, Song Lingfei, Bi Rui, and even the usually reserved Yu Huan, had faces that were filled with both nervousness and excitement toward the coming journey.
Hua Ziyan, Shen Min, Feng Yi and Hong Ye only had determined looks, ready to depart.
Meanwhile Ye Ling, Sui Luxiao, Cao Xiang, Wei Lan, Xue Bing and Nie Xiwang expressed calm and tranquil expressions.
"Are you ready to move out now?", Fen Baihu lazily asked as she disappeared from the spot she was in, while Yuanfen looked at her now empty hands with surprise for a moment, and then delightedly giggled to unknown thoughts.
"Mm, I only need to convince Yuanfen to enter your Realm as well", he chuckled, as Fen Baihu looked a little apprehensive about the idea.
After all, however innocent she looked, she was a World Spirit, not an ordinary being by the loosest of standards.
But as soon as he finished speaking, the World Spirit stood up and run up to him, as if in protest of being separated.
"Haha, it is only temporary, and you will not be really apart from me. See, my Dao Family will also all enter that realm too", he chuckled, seeing that reaction, as she looked at him with her eyes full of mysterious beauty and seemingly secrets of the universe hidden within them.
Yuanfen made a pondering look as she turned to look at the ladies, some of whom lightly chuckled at the sight, and some nodded with reassurance.
"...You said we can accompany you across this world at least...", Cao Mei asked with a bit of surprise and he nodded with a smile.
"Of course, but it would be a boring travel for the most part, so you can spend time while I cross the outer ocean within the realm.
Plus there will inevitably be Space Storms and distortions which would be dangerous for you to navigate now.
So you would need to take cover inside Fen Baihu's realm anyway.
I will tell you when there is something interesting to see along the way", he said with a light laugher, as he could tell they slightly overestimated how interesting the initial part of this journey was.
And then it dawned on the group that was most excited about traveling to the outside, that they would have to cross a massive distance of just ocean with nothing noteworthy, wry smiles appearing on their faces as he chuckled, and turned his gaze back to Yuanfen.
She looked back at him, and then slowly nodded, reluctantly letting go of his hand as he smiled, and nodded to Fen Baihu who sent all of the beauties inside her Mystic Realm.
Wu Long made a carefree smile as a little fox materialized on his shoulders, and he moved to the plaza where four people were waiting for him.
Feng Huan, Xia Jung, Lei Ding and Xin Ren were standing in a line, straightening their postures as he arrived.
"Remember, the time moves differently between the Boundless Mortal World and the higher worlds.
Two years here will only be one year for us when we cross over to the Boundless Profound World. And thus to catch up to us you will have to put in a lot of effort"
Wu Long spoke as the four nodded in unison, solemn and determined expressions on their faces.
"Well then, time for you four to undergo your Heavenly Tribulation. Overseeing you doing it is the last thing I can do for you all before leaving", he then chuckled lightening the mood, and the first three smiled back while Xin Ren only nodded with a respectful gaze.
The six of them moved out to a valley within the Spiritual Land, and as the four released their auras, the sky rapidly began being covered in dark heavy clouds, flashes of lightning within.
Xia Jung and Lei Ding were holding hands, as they looked above, their breaths becoming faster and more nervous, and all four of them were visibly bearing themselves for the coming tribulation.
*Crackle, crackle, rumble*, the skies lit with multiple lightnings that were traveling in between the clouds, as they began swirling above the four half-step Essence Awakening Realm cultivators.
Wu Long stood to the side, observing the situation with a serious expression and watchful gaze. His eyes were flashing with lightning, as were his fingertips.
But he did not interfere as he wanted them to pass their tribulations on their own if it was possible. He did not even tell them he could do it, as they were genuinely prepared to face it on their own.
*Crackle, Crakle... Boom!*, a flash illuminated the darkened valley, as four bolts of lighting struck them.
*Rumble, rumble*, the echoes of thunder were going through the valley as the four figures straightened after being forced to slightly bend under the overwhelming pressure.
'Mm, good', Wu Long nodded with approval, as none of the four lost their balance, although Feng Huan's lightning was a bit more powerful and severely damaged his armor.
A second strike fell on them under Wu Long's watchful gaze, and then another one. In total, nine strikes of increasing power fell onto the four, though unbeknownst to them, Wu Long took away some of the charge from the last two strikes, as the 8th strike would have likely threw off Feng Huan, which would put him in danger for the next one, and the 9th would have killed Lei Ding on the spot.
"Fuu", Wu Long exhaled as he confirmed he could indeed interfere with the Heavenly Tribulation without triggering Heavenly Punishment or any other side effects, as he watched the four successfully officially enter Seven Profound Realms.
At the same time, a sense of accomplishment appeared within him.
"Unbelievable...", Fen Baihu, who felt his interference unlike the four people in the distance, was frozen in spot on his shoulder.
What he just did was defying all norms previously known, and for the first time, he held power comparable to the Heavens themselves. Even if it was only in the Boundless Mortal World, Wu Long could be called The Equal of Heavens.
After all, although rarely, but even Heavenly Geniuses fell to Tribulation lightning, and the amount of ordinary cultivators lost to it was immeasurable.
Lei Ding, and possibly Feng Huan would have been lost to the Heavenly Tribulation, and if he did not obtain this power there would have been nothing he could have done to prevent it.
At the same time, he was now assured, that he would not lose anyone to the Heavenly Tribulation, ever again.
He smiled at the Mythical Beast's reaction, and stepped forward.
"Congratulations, you are now officially Essence Awakening Realm cultivators", he appeared in front of the four who were busy catching their breaths with a bright smile on his face, and looks of joy appeared in their eyes as the couple hugged each other with cries of happiness.
Feng Huan, seeing that instinctively turned to hug somebody as well as an expression of joy, but was faced with Xin Ren whose cold gaze cooled down his enthusiasm as he cleared his throat with a slightly awkward look.
Wu Long shook his head with a smile, and nodded, looking at the four with a slightly proud look in his eyes, remembering where they all were before and how far they came now.
"With this, I feel confident to leave you all to carry out your tasks.
But remember, there are numerous Essence Awakening Realm cultivators, and even some Essence Gathering Realm cultivators here in the Boundless Mortal World.
Don't become too overconfident, hone your skills and continue improving. So that we can meet once more after you have successfully return to my side"
""""Yes, Valley Master""""
He gave them a final warning, and receiving a unified answer with determined faces, nodded and disappeared from the spot, leaving the four to look in the direction he left.