Chapter 426

Chapter 426: Short-tempered

Ji Yang hurried forward and quickly approached the entrance to the upper levels of the secret realm.

When Ji Yang arrived, he found that he had misunderstood.

The cultivators present were not noisy, nor was anyone blocking the secret realm entrance. Instead, everyone was in harmony, with many cultivators sitting down as if they were meditating.

Yet, despite the open entrance to the upper levels of the secret realm, no one seemed inclined to enter.

This left Ji Yang puzzled, unsure why everyone had come but chose not to go inside.

Ji Yang’s arrival did not create much of a stir; some cultivators remained immersed in their self-cultivation.

However, some others cast curious glances his way. Upon seeing Ji Yang’s muscular physique, a few cultivators appeared stunned. Even among cultivators, few had physiques as large as Ji Yang’s.

As they assessed him, they silently labeled Ji Yang in their minds: naïve and easy to deceive, slow in flight, accomplished in body-refining.

Upon realizing Ji Yang’s Late Spirit Transformation cultivation level, they silently shifted their gaze away and ceased to pay attention.

Ji Yang did not dwell on the stares from others; he released his primordial spirit energy.

Confirming that the entrance to the upper levels of the secret realm was the same as the one he had seen before and posed no danger, Ji Yang no longer hesitated and flew toward the entrance.

Seeing someone heading into the upper levels of the secret realm, those who were initially in meditation opened their eyes to observe.

However, upon seeing Ji Yang, they all exhibited strange expressions, soon followed by excitement, as if they were anticipating something.

Just as Ji Yang stepped into the vortex, preparing to enter the upper secret realm, a sudden strong resistance emerged from within the vortex, pushing Ji Yang back out.

Before Ji Yang could understand what was happening, laughter erupted around him:

“Hahaha, another fool has come!”

“This is clearly someone who’s never been here before; they don’t even know they need to be at the Void Refinement stage to enter the upper secret realm!”

“How amusing; I might as well waste some cultivation time to watch this.”

…

Listening to the laughter around him, Ji Yang finally understood why so many Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators were lingering here—it wasn’t that they didn’t want to go to the upper secret realm; rather, they couldn’t.

The resistance he felt when he first stepped into the vortex came from a powerful force that no cultivator could resist; it seemed to be the result of the rules governing this place.

Ji Yang also recalled the astonished expressions on Cui and the others’ faces when he mentioned going to the upper levels of the secret realm.

Clearly, they had misunderstood and thought he had reached the Void Refinement stage, a fact he had not recognized at the time.

“Hahaha, I wonder which sect this clueless disciple belongs to. How can they be so reckless and not know the rules? They’re really a laughingstock.”

…

Seeing another cultivator laughing uncontrollably, Ji Yang’s icy gaze turned sharply towards him.

When the man noticed Ji Yang’s stare, he showed no intention of backing down. After all, they were both Late Spirit Transformation cultivators—how could he possibly intimidate Ji Yang? Besides, Ji Yang was alone, while he had two fellow disciples beside him.

This made the man unable to resist mocking Ji Yang further.

But the next moment, the laughter died on his lips as a figure suddenly appeared before him.

By the time the Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator reacted, a massive fist was already in front of him, with a fierce punch sending ripples through the surrounding space.

Under the threat of life and death, the Late Spirit Transformation cultivator responded swiftly. As the punch came at him, he summoned his defensive treasure.

Before he could activate the second layer of his defense, a loud crashing sound echoed from his chest.

"Bang!"

In an instant, a figure shot out at incredible speed, leaving only Ji Yang, who was slowly retracting his fist, in place.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. It was only after Ji Yang had sent the cultivator flying that the two fellow disciples beside him reacted.

“How bold!”

“Do you not value your life?”

They shouted in anger, ready to avenge their comrade.

“Hiss!”

But hearing the gasps of other cultivators nearby, they sensed something was wrong and quickly turned to look at their brother who had just been punched away by Ji Yang.

When they saw their brother’s current state, their eyes widened in disbelief.

Their once lively comrade now held a nearly shattered treasure in his hand, and a huge pit had formed in his chest, gushing blood.

This punch was terrifyingly powerful.

Such an injury was quite serious for a cultivator and would greatly affect his combat ability.

The key was that this person had attacked first, and they had all failed to react. If their brother hadn’t managed to activate his treasure in time, he would likely be dead or severely injured now.

“Brother, did you see anything just now?”

“I saw nothing.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Okay.”

The two, who had previously been furious and ready to avenge their friend, exchanged calm words as they casually left the area, as if the brother who had been knocked down by Ji Yang had nothing to do with them.

Meanwhile, the cultivator who had been sent flying by Ji Yang dared not say a word. He couldn’t even check his injuries and hurriedly picked up the shattered treasure from the ground, quickly fleeing the scene.

As this person fled, Ji Yang did not chase him. Instead, he cast a cold gaze toward the other cultivators present.

Anyone who met Ji Yang’s gaze averted their eyes, too intimidated to make eye contact. The previously noisy atmosphere fell into silence.

What a joke.

Those who had mocked Ji Yang assumed he was simply weak and unaware of the local rules.

But now that Ji Yang had displayed such inhuman strength, who would dare to laugh at him?

They certainly didn’t think their treasures could withstand Ji Yang’s punch.

At that moment, the crowd silently labeled Ji Yang with two additional tags:

Short-tempered and quick in evasion skills, strong and formidable, a top body-refining cultivator, and someone to avoid!

Seeing that he had intimidated everyone, Ji Yang finally withdrew his gaze.

If it were the old him, he would not have cared about the mockery of others.

But the current Ji Yang was not the same as before. With a changed identity, he naturally needed to adopt a new persona, and this brute behavior was quite effective.

The key was that it felt amazing, and he didn’t have to deliberately suppress his strength, allowing his strong body, cultivated over many years, to fully express itself.

Just as Ji Yang was about to ask those around him if there were any other rules in this place, he noticed the sky above transforming with dark clouds as numerous layers of clouds gathered, slowly forming a group of calamity clouds.

Within the calamity clouds, flashes of lightning flickered, indicating that powerful lightning calamities were brewing.

Everyone was captivated by this unusual sight in the sky and looked up.

All the cultivators present were at the Spirit Transformation Stage, so they were not surprised by the phenomenon, as it signified the ascension of a cultivator.

From the intensity of the lightning calamities, it was clear that this was a lightning calamity for cultivators advancing from the Spirit Transformation Stage to the Void Refinement Stage.

Following the calamity clouds downward, they saw a young man seated on the ground, quietly cultivating.

The rising momentum from the young man matched the calamity clouds overhead; clearly, he was the one crossing the tribulation.

This made the other cultivators present cast envious glances.

Crossing the tribulation was no easy task. The cultivators who had reached the Late Spirit Transformation Stage and arrived at this secret realm were all prepared for this moment.

Firstly, the rich spiritual energy within the secret realm allowed for better advancement in cultivation.

Secondly, there were rumors that crossing the tribulation in the Ancient Realm of Yuan Kong resulted in weaker lightning calamities than those outside, but the increase in realm would not drop even if they left the secret realm.

Furthermore, once they entered the Void Refinement Stage, they had greater chances to explore the upper levels of the secret realm in search of the essence of the Way.

The reason they chose to cultivate here was that there was an entrance to the upper levels of the secret realm, and it was said that some spiritual energy from above would seep down through this entrance.

Now, seeing someone about to break through, how could they not feel envy?

After envying, they did not forget to watch closely, as they would eventually have to cross tribulation too. They thought they could learn from this experience, perhaps gaining some insights.

Ji Yang stood among the crowd, observing quietly.

He had yet to see other cultivators cross tribulation, and it was a good opportunity to expand his knowledge while also examining the power he would possess compared to the young man crossing tribulation.

As the calamity clouds quickly condensed, the young man slowly stood up.

Looking at the calamity clouds crackling with lightning above, the young man’s face showed excitement mixed with a hint of pride.

To cross tribulation at his age set him apart among his peers, and once he entered the Void Refinement Stage, his future would be limitless. He would even compete with top disciples from other sects in the upper levels of the secret realm. How could he not feel thrilled?

This was how cultivation should be!

"Boom!"

Under everyone’s gaze, a bolt of lightning calamity struck down onto the young man.

Although he was well prepared, a flicker of fear still appeared in his eyes as the lightning descended.

However, this momentary fear vanished quickly; a cultivator should possess an indomitable spirit.

In the next instant, the young man summoned his treasure to meet the descending lightning calamity.

The two clashed, and the first bolt of lightning dissipated into the air.

The young man’s momentum surged further.

Seeing that the first lightning calamity was easily surmounted, the young man regained confidence, and the watching cultivators nodded slightly.

Though it wasn’t their tribulation, the young man’s present situation mirrored their future; if he could overcome the lightning calamity, they felt they had a strong chance too.

“I just wonder how many lightning calamities he has to face!”

“This person’s talent is quite good; perhaps he’ll face four lightning calamities. I hope he can withstand them!”

The voices of various cultivators filled the air.

Listening to their discussions, Ji Yang furrowed his brow. Four lightning calamities might be too few.

Moreover, the power of these lightning calamities was far weaker than Ji Yang had expected. Could it be due to the unique characteristics of this secret realm? Or was it influenced by his own talent?

The lightning that struck him felt more powerful, while this one seemed soft and weak.

This lightning calamity was truly inconsistent!

Ji Yang cursed inwardly, and at that moment, the young man faced his second lightning calamity.

This lightning calamity was more ferocious than the last one, yet in Ji Yang’s eyes, it was still weaker than the lightning calamity he faced when advancing to the Spirit Transformation Stage.