Yan Xiaolong returned to his palace and casually ordered Zhong Yun to establish a tight bond with Tai Shan before locking himself in his room. He took all the spirit stones in his interspatial ring and began cultivating. The Hell-Scorching Flame danced around him like guardian spirits as he sat in cross-legged meditation. 

 

The human body had one hundred eight meridians and a dantian. In the Foundation Establishment stage, a cultivator refine the one hundred eight meridians to perfection. The meridians were responsible for carrying and filtering the flow of spiritual qi throughout the body. Having sturdy meridians meant having a quick circulation of pure spiritual qi. 

 

The dantian was for the storage and production of spiritual qi. To breakthrough to Golden Core stage would require refining the dantian until it properly released the cultivated spiritual qi. Since Yan Xiaolong cultivated the Immovable King's Scripture, he was able to cultivate fire-type, earth-type, and metal-type spiritual qis. However, the primary spiritual qi cultivated, according to the cultivation art, was that of the berserk-type. 

 

The nature of berserk-type spiritual qi was strong, violent, destructive. It could increase the strength, defense, and agility of any cultivator. Although he never once used it before,  Yan Xiaolong had only ever cultivated a few slivers of berserk-type spiritual qi since his meridians could not handle the stress of this dangerous power. To form a Golden Core of the berserk-type would require the firmest of meridians. 

 

Time quickly passed by as Yan Xiaolong spent his life in secluded meditation. By now, many people in the sect were in secluded meditation to prepare for the Necropolis Trial. 

 

Day after day. Weeks after weeks. Months after months. 

 

The seasons passed one after another. 

 

......

 

Three years quickly passed and Yan Xiaolong had long since reached the peak-stage Foundation Establishment. He was at least a hundred times stronger than before, thrumming with spiritual qi that shook the palace every now and then. Most of his spiritual qi had converted to the berserk-type and he was comfortable with controlling it. 

 

"Alas... the final step is the hardest." He shook his head and concentrated. "Almost there... Almost there..." 

 

In Yan Xiaolong's body, his dantian was spinning rapidly, shimmering with golden radiance. His pile of spirit stones had reduced to a mere few dozens. However, it was a good way to track his progress with cultivation. 

 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

 

Suddenly, the air over him crackled with electricity. Dark clouds manifested high above his head while sharp wind screamed, opening all the windows and doors to his palace. Streaks of blue lightning danced in the dark clouds like dragons in the sea. Yan Xiaolong looked up with undisturbed eyes and did not even bother to sit up. 

 

"That's my first time seeing them. Is that the so-called 'heavenly tribulation?'" 

 

[Heavenly tribulation occurs when something momentous that defied the Dao of Heaven appear. Naturally, breaking through to the next major stage would result in heavenly tribulation. Other events that could result in heavenly tribulation are the creation of incredible objects, such as pills or weapons, and birth of something dangerous and powerful.] 

 

"So the main theme is anything that's dangerous to the Dao of Heaven would result in heavenly tribulation." Yan Xiaolong saw a streak of blue lightning shot toward him. It struck him cleanly on his chest. However, he remained seated. 

 

"Ho? Heavenly tribulation doesn't actually hurt all that much!" Yan Xiaolong slapped his thigh. "Bah! All that preaching about preparing for heavenly tribulation is a load of crap. This is overrated." 

 

Though he said that, Yan Xiaolong was aware that his body was insanely strong and even highly resistant to tribulation lightning.

 

The Immovable King was a holy figure, born to vanquish evil and defeat devils. He was the perfect embodiment of the concept of Yang. Tribulation lightning also harnessed power of Yang so cultivating in the Immovable King's Scripture made sure that disciples of the cultivation art would be well guarded against heavenly tribulation. 

 

The heavenly tribulation did not last long. It disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, almost as if the Dao of Heaven was giving him a pass. 

 

Yan Xiaolong could sense the presence of tribulation lightning inside of his body. When guiding it, the tribulation lightning actually accelerated in the refinement of his Golden Core. 

 

There was a common belief in the world of cultivation that tribulation lightning was not only used to punished, but also to temper. Anyone who can not survive heavenly tribulation would be considered rightfully punished. Anyone who can survive heavenly tribulation would be justly tempered. 

 

"This is it! This is the final step!" 

 

He continued to guide the tribulation lightning to his dantian, waiting patiently so condense his Golden Core. There were conveniently nine small streaks of tribulation lightning in him. One streak of tribulation lightning after another was quickly refined. 

 

His dantian radiated golden light so intense that it was visible through the skin of his chest. In fact, his body was quickly glowing in golden radiance. Combined with the berserk-type spiritual qi and the Hell-Scorching Flame, he looked very like the ancient Immovable King. 

 

Some time later, he only had one steak of tribulation lightning left to refine. “Golden Core, here I co-”

 

Oooooaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! 

 

The moment Yan Xiaolong tried to refine the last streak of tribulation lightning, the rage of a mighty will battered his body and soul. It was like the stampede of many beasts trampling on his cultivation base. The sudden interference collapsed his Golden Core and reverted his cultivation back to the peak-stage of Foundation Establishment. 

 

As the golden radiance faded, he let out a series of bloody cough from his mouth. It ejected from his mouth like streams of ink that painted the bed, walls, ceiling, desks, chairs, and floor in a dark-red color. The light of morning sun brighten the room and made the blood sparkle like rubies. 

 

A dark flame appeared, something wicked and vile in aura, that began to consume the Hell-Scorching Flame. Yan Xiaolong quickly popped a medicinal pill into his mouth and tried to recuperate while fighting the dark flame. 

 

“What the hell just happened!?” Yan Xiaolong said through his bloody teeth. 

 

The crimson Hell-Scorching Flame was ferocious in appearance, but genuinely holy in nature.  It represented the natural law of punishment, similar to tribulation lightning. The purpose of the holy flame was to burn away sin and scorch hellish beings, thus it was called the Hell-Scorching Flame. 

 

However, this dark flame was like a fire from Hell itself, used by fire-demons and flame-devils. It simply existed to destroy all creation to ashes. It was an antithesis to the Hell-Scorching Flame which was why it was also so effective against the latter. Yan Xiaolong had to concentrate on recovery or else he might be consumed by this strange fire. 

 

Fortunately, he had medicinal pills and elixirs to stabilize his cultivation base and heal his internal injuries. Even the dark flame disappeared under the constant barrage of the Hell-Scorching Flame. 

 

“Peh!” Yan Xiaolong spat out the remaining blood in his mouth. He lied down and took some time to rest. “That will... shouldn’t be part of the tribulation, right?” 

 

[Heavenly tribulation can take many forms. A heart-devil was the most likely cause for failure. Heart-devils represent internal conflicts, or psychological disorders, and are the main reason why many cultivators fail to breakthrough.] 

 

“No, I knew that already. I’m sure that whatever heart-devil I was going to face would be vanquished by my own will. That century of isolation and fighting was not for nothing. I’m positively, absolutely certain that whatever interfered with me was not a heart-devil!” 

 

He clutched the bed sheet with a iron grip. “Damn it! It would probably take a month before I can try that again. No, I have to see Uncle Tie first. After all, it has probably been a year or two and the Necropolis Trial should be starting soon. Let’s hurry. I’m sure that he’ll help me resolve this issue before it’s too late.” 

 

Just when Yan Xiaolong was about to head out, his disciple medallion started to glow with brilliant radiance and Tie Wuqing’s voice rang out. 

 

“Xiaolong, exit secluded meditation right now and hurry up to the chief palace. The Necropolis Trial starts today!”