Chapter 121: The Heavenly Tribulation
Chapter 121: The Heavenly Tribulation
The sky had turned ominously dark and crackling bolts of lightning could be seen dancing across the clouds. The air was charged with an otherworldly energy, and the ground trembled with each thunderous roar.
"I almost forgot how scary these heavenly tribulations are." Xiang Ling whispered from where she was standing under a pavilion inside her Spatial Realm. It was finally the moment when the White Lion would undergo her heavenly tribulation and the knowledge was making Xiang Ling feel extremely anxious.
She was pretty new to being a master of a spirit beast and had no idea what she should do to help the White Lion in successfully passing the tribulation. If encouraging words were the solution, then she had already performed that duty as she gave a really motivating speech to the White Lion.
"How come? Haven’t you already passed two of your heavenly tribulations with flying colors? Why do you still find them scary?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously and his questions left Xiang Ling shocked.
Once again, he had said something about her that he shouldn’t have known. First, it was when he knew that she was an Immortal, and then he just mentioned her going through two heavenly tribulations. At this point, she had started suspecting that the man knew her true identity.
Taking in a deep breath, she stayed silent just like before and focused her attention back on the White Lion as a powerful thunderous sound shook her Spatial Realm. The very next moment, a vortex formed above in the sky, swirling with celestial power.
"Give your best!"
Xiang Ling shouted to the White Lion who gave a nod of her head right before the first bolt of powerful divine lightning made its way down the vortex. The White Lion channeled her inner energy and created formations above her to keep the lightning from hitting her.
Xiang Ling’s anxiety was reaching its peak as she watched the White Lion doing her best to withstand the trial and prove to the heavens that she was deserving of her hard-earned cultivation. She was so fixed on watching the White Lion that she didn’t notice her fingers were tightly clutching Zhang Xuan’s sleeve.
It was only when the man wrapped one of his hands around her waist and pulled her against his side, did her attention shifted toward him. "What are you doing?" She asked while arching her eyebrows high in question.
"The wind is cold. I’m trying to provide you with some warmth." He replied with a soft smile and an innocent look in his eyes.
Xiang Ling opened her mouth to reply but her attention was pulled back to the White Lion when the spirit beast suddenly cried out as a lightning bolt hit her. Zhang Xuan’s hold immediately tightened on her waist as if he was worried she would try to interfere with the tribulation to save the White Lion.
"You are almost there. Don’t give up!" She shouted again and watched as the White Lion faced the lightning with new resolve. The lightning continued for several long minutes and the spirit beast performed her ultimate best to pass the trial. With a final bolt, the trial came to an end and the lightning stopped. The vortex disappeared from the sky and the dark clouds started dissipating.
A powerful golden energy surrounded the White Lion as she flew toward the sky. Spiritual energy from the heavens and the Spatial Realm surrounded the spirit beast.
"She’s ascending."
Xiang Ling’s surprised and proud gaze took in the view as the golden light flickered brightly for a moment before it scattered away, finally allowing her to take a look at her spirit beast. However, in place of the White Lion, there stood a beautiful woman with long white hair that played with the soft wind along with her long white dress.
"She’s beautiful." Xiang Ling couldn’t hold herself from being in awe of how pretty her White Lion looked in her human form.
"Not more than you." Zhang Xuan whispered from beside her and as Xiang Ling spared him a glance, she realized that while she had her gaze fixed on the White Lion all this time, the man hadn’t removed his gaze from her even for a second.
"You must fix your eyes. How can you compare my simple looks with someone as beautiful as my White Lion?" Xiang Ling teased the man as she tried to not focus on the fact that he had refused to look anywhere but at her.
"I’m not talking about this mortal shell of yours. Instead, I’m talking about the most beautiful woman in the five realms." Zhang Xuan replied and his words almost confirmed Xiang Ling’s guess - he knew exactly who she was!
"Master."
Xiang Ling was pulled out of her shock by the sweet voice of the woman who was now standing right outside the pavilion. As she turned to face her, the woman greeted her with a deep bow and a warm smile.
"You should give her a name." Zhang Xuan reminded her.
Nodding her head, Xiang Ling spoke to the woman, "Come here." She then took out a white jade pendant from her sleeve and tucked it into the waist belt of the woman once the latter came to stand in front of her. "From this day onwards, you are named Xuelin."
Xuelin smiled brightly as she accepted the jade pendant and the name with another courtesy. "Thank you, Master." Her dark obsidian eyes sparkled as she looked at Xiang Ling as if the latter was her entire world.
"You have just ascended. Go and rest for a while. I will soon take you out to have a look at the mortal world." Xiang Ling informed the woman and noticed how the latter’s eyes sparkled at the idea. Nodding her head in acknowledgment, Xuelin immediately took her leave.
Left alone with Zhang Xuan, Xiang Ling turned her attention toward the man and finally asked, "When did you find out about my real identity?"