Meihui’s heart was in shambles.

She had lost consciousness after using the only Peak-Grade Tier 6 Artefact on her to help Ye Jun’s Ascension. However, a harrowing scream filled with agony shook her awake.

When she raised her head, she found a purple pillar connecting the heavens with the central pillar. And at the centre of it was the love of her life.

’Purple... Tribulation?’

It took her a moment to realise what was happening and when it did, her eyes widened in horror as her entire body trembled. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

The terrible screams sent chills down her spine, as she struggled to get on her feet, ,"N-No. This can’t be happening."

The Ninth Tribulation of Soul Ascension, the Purple Tribulation. It was the most horrifying of all Tribulations, so rare that the last time someone triggered it was five thousand years ago.

However, what truly scared her was the fact that the cultivator didn’t survive it. Most cultivators facing the Purple Tribulation had died in history.

’How?’ Meihui pushed herself up. ’I need to do something. I’m not losing you, not before confessing my feelings.’

Right before her eyes, Ye Jun’s arms were blown into smithereens and then the other parts of his body followed. He fell forward and she almost jumped to catch his head before it hit the ground.

"NO!!!"

Her scream turned louder than Ye Jun’s, as she rushed forward, a thought crossing her mind. ’Maybe...maybe if I interfere, I can shoulder the pain with him.’

However, before she could even reach him, a soft hand on her shoulder pulled her backwards. She tried to resist it but she still hadn’t recovered from using the Artefact.

As more and more of Ye Jun’s body got destroyed, erasing from existence and snuffing whatever life remained in him, rage took over Meihui as she turned around and glared at the person blocking her way.

But the sight of Song Liangxue’s flawless face made her pause. Song Liangxue looked past her and said, "Don’t be stupid. If you enter the seal now, the Heavenly Dao will kill both of you."

"Better than watching him die all alone," Meihui gritted her teeth and shouted. "He’s in pain. I can feel it. Immense pain!"

Song stepped forward and said, a small smile hanging on her lips, "He’s my love too, so I know what you’re feeling. But I trust him. He will survive this and become stronger than ever."

Meihui wanted to protest, but her legs wobbled and she almost fell down the chasm. Song Liangxue caught her in time and said, "Just wait and see. Trust in him."

She didn’t say anything and fell on her knees. She knew Song Liangxue was right. The Tribulations were supposed to be passed alone, and if others tried to interfere, the Heavens would make sure they were punished for it.

If she intervened for Ye Jun, neither of them would survive the aftermath.

Her lips quivered as she stared at the leftover mess of Ye Jun and a light of hope ignited in her eyes. A normal cultivator would have died by now, but the mere fact that the Purple Tribulation still remained strong meant Ye Jun was still alive, struggling against the destruction of his Physique.

’Please, come back to me.’

They watched silently as more of Ye Jun’s body was obliterated. At one point, they could see nothing but half of his head. Everything else was already erased from existence by the Purple Lightning.

Despite all of this, the Purple Lightning didn’t disperse.

Then, a change finally happened in the one-sided attack of Heavenly Tribulation. Meihui’s eyes widened in shock while Song Liangxue grinned.

Right before their eyes, the half skull began to regenerate at an incredible rate and in seconds, it was full again...only to get destroyed a second later.

Yet, it marked the shift in their battle.

Ye Jun’s Physique rapidly began to regenerate, fighting against the destruction brought by Heavenly Dao. His mind was engulfed by his indomitable Will to survive, as everything else had already become numb by the constant terrifying pain.

A single thought filled his being, echoing not only in his consciousness but also in the Spiritual Realm.

"I want to survive!"

"I will survive!"

Song Liangxue watched a different kind of battle happening before her eyes and muttered, "They’re in a stalemate."

Indeed, the battle between the Heavenly Dao and Ye Jun had come to a standstill. No matter how much the Lightning destroyed Ye Jun’s Physique, it regenerated back, but it also couldn’t regenerate fully.

"How is this possible?"

Even Meihui was confused by the change of events. She couldn’t understand how a newly born Soul Tempering Realm cultivator had such terrifying regeneration capabilities and vitality.

"Who knows?" Song Liangxue laughed lightly. "But it’s my dear husband, he can do anything. Perhaps, he even stole vitality from the Heavens itself."

As much as Meihui found the statement ridiculous, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was true.

A deafening roar filled the skies, shaking the very foundation of the White Gale Pavilion. Even the thunderstorm above them seemed to shift.

"Old bones are finally coming out of their shithole," Song Liangxue scoffed and turned around. "Look after him and please, don’t try anything stupid."

She flashed her a small smile and said, "If something happened to you, he will be very sad."

Then, she disappeared from her spot and soared high in the sky, ignoring the winds around her. A thin layer of shield protected her from the Wind Domain left behind by the Pavilion’s ancestors.

Before long, she reached the outskirts of the mountain range and finally had a view of the carnage. Hundreds of corpses piled upon one another, creating a small hill as if it wanted to become a new peak of the mountain range.

And there were hundreds of these hills spread over a few kilometres around the Sect. The corpses weren’t just of Spiritual Beasts but also of humans.

Now, even the humans were greedy to consume Ye Jun’s opportunity.

She felt powerful shockwaves striking through the air but there was nothing visible. But she knew it was her Aunt, Song Ying, going all out to defend the White Gale Pavilion.

Not just her but also all the Elders were fighting against the Beast Horde and the humans of unorthodox sects coming to attack. But she knew even the orthodox sects were mixed in it.

She couldn’t even remember the last time the North saw a war of this scale.

"How troublesome," she muttered, finally coming to a stop above the hill of corpses. "Your greed led you here, but do you really think I’m letting you go past me?"

When nothing happened, she unsheathed her pale blue sword as the temperature around her dropped by another few degrees. Her voice turned cold, "Reveal yourself!"

Finally, many presences materialized out of thin air, revealing many cultivators, all hailing from different forces. There were many intelligent Spiritual Beasts among them too.

Even the weakest of them was at Earth Realm and the strongest...a Ruler Realm powerhouse.

Song Liangxue focused on a bald middle-aged man wearing Daoist robes and having a small smile on his face. The world seemed to bend around him, as even the thunder wind went around him, as if afraid to even get close to him.

"I didn’t expect Senior Li Haolen to be this greedy," Song Liangxue said, fearless even in the presence of a Ruler Realm powerhouse. "Are you perhaps here to steal opportunity from a junior?"

Song Ying appeared behind her, her face solemn as she faced all the people before her. They could have easily broken past their defenses, yet they stood still before a newly ascended Origin Core Realm cultivator.

’It’s good that you’re here, young miss.’

Li Haolen turned to look at the purple pillar and said, "I didn’t expect to see you here too. As for your question, so what if I am? This is just a mediocre, lowly sect. It doesn’t deserve a talent like this."

He smiled at her. "I’m respecting you because of your mother, so get out of my way otherwise I’ll forget you’re her daughter."

"Let me guess, you think consuming the Heavenly Insights of Purple Tribulation will finally put you above my mother," Song Liangxue said, still holding onto her sword. "Then, let me also warn you."

She pointed her sword at him and declared, "Anyone who dares to touch what’s mine will be my enemy and I hunt my enemies even if I have to drag you out of Hell."

The humans of the other forces glanced at each other before withdrawing. Considering Li Haolen was already there, they didn’t have any hopes of getting the Heavenly Insights, so there was no point in making someone like Song Liangxue their enemy.

"You really think I care about being your enemy?" Li Haolen shook his head in amusement and said. "Now, I’m asking this for the last time, step aside."

As Song Ying prepared to fight, even if it was hopeless, Song Liangxue just stared back fearlessly and replied, "Then what about my Grandfather? Would you like a visit from him at your sect?"