Tribulation!

It's time to claim ancestor's inheritance. Aside from my foolish younger brother, no one else knows about it. Jian Bu was deep in thought, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed. "I really hope I can find a Soul-Path inheritance. I don't need stronger offensive methods right now urgently; I need to fix my weaknesses first."Soul Path is one of the many cultivation paths. There have been many great Soul Path cultivators in history, but the most famous one is Ethereal Gleam Immortal Emperor. She is the person who made Soul Path reach its peak. Even after she ascended, the Soul Path flourished. She started a new era for cultivation.Ethereal Gleam Emperor was one of the first few emperors. Her era dates back to the Legendary Era, but she was not a human emperor; she was a Fairy, born in the Woodland Forest. In fact, humans did not have an emperor until the Desolate Era, so they were suppressed and treated as slaves or cattle. But everything changed with the birth of the Human Emperor. Most details about him are forgotten through history, or rather, details about his life were deliberately removed from the annals of time.The stars in the sky were shining as usual. On this tall mountain that was piercing the sky, the wind was as sharp as a blade, and it was as cold as the northern glaciers. Soon, the darkness started to be stained with light, heralding a new day. On a tall tree inside of the forest, a chubby little owl was looking curiously at the sky. Quick drowsiness appeared in its eyes, and it quickly fell asleep.An elderly man noticed all of this and smiled. His face was full of wrinkles, his hair was whiter than the snow, and his eyebrows were like vines falling down gently on his face. He looked like your average grandfather in his seventies, but even though he was old, his eyes were bright and displayed an infantile innocence. He looked like an Immortal traveling through the mortal world. His white robe perfectly synergized with the snow-covered plains; it was as if he came straight from a painting. His every step pierced deep into the earth covered with snow. His hands were behind his back; he was moving calmly as if nothing could disturb his peace, as if he was the only living being in the world."It's about time I return," this was Elder Jian Feng. He was out patrolling during the night, making sure the clan was safe from danger. He was a peak rank seven Qi Condensation cultivator. Soon, he reached the entrance of the cave. The first thing he saw were guards protecting the entrance of the cave. He nodded at them, but while they nodded back, their eyes showed a perplexed expression. Sweat beads were dripping down their faces.Jian Feng was confused. "What's wrong with them?"The guards both cupped their hands and greeted Elder Jian Fan. "Greetings, Elder, welcome back!"Jian Feng smiled and said, "No need for courteous greetings. We are no longer in the clan; we are all family here. Did anything happen in the cave?"One of the guard's mouths kept opening, but nothing was coming out. Eventually, he finally gathered the courage to say, "Elder Jian Feng, I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but I have to say it... your grandson Jian Fan has died in an explosion together with his followers."Soon, the earth started shaking, the snow turned to water and then steam. The picturesque scene from earlier was gone. Jian Feng grabbed the guard by the neck and lifted him in the air. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" The guard was shaking from fear. "E-Elder, I am telling the truth, please spare me!"Harrumph! Jian Feng threw the guard inside the cave. The guard didn't stop until he crashed into a wall. This loud commotion brought everyone nearby to the entrance. They were all armed, some having swords, others spears, but they all shared one thing in common, and that was that they were all battle-ready and in formation. But when they saw Elder Jian Feng's face, a complicated look quickly appeared on their faces, and also a feeling of understanding.Jian Zhen also appeared on the scene and started to attempt to pacify Jian Feng. "I am sorry that this happened while in my presence. I couldn't save your grandson, but I was able to preserve his body. You can still hold a funeral for him."Jian Feng, when he heard Jian Zhen's words, quickly calmed down and then said, "It's good you reformed his body. I have a method to revive him as long as his body was not destroyed."Jian Zhen had a surprised look on his face and said, "Does your method have something to do with the Mortal Soul still being intact?"Jian Feng nodded and said, "The Mortal Soul plays a major part, but it's also that he hasn't died for long enough for his Earth Soul to have left his body. Alas... when you die, your Heaven Soul will immediately ascend and eventually reincarnate through the reincarnation river. My method will use my life as a cost to bring him back to life, but he will lack intelligence and lose the ability to advance in cultivation. But that's good enough for now... his parents will do the rest."Jian Zhen's face changed, and he was full of worry. "Are you sure this is worth it for a junior? I know he is your flesh-and-blood grandson, but your strength is much needed to protect our clan members until we reach safety."Jian Feng had a complicated look on his face but it quickly turned resolute. "I sacrificed my entire life for the clan. It's time I do something for myself. I entrust Jian Fan to you after I die. As long as he is alive, his parents will eventually find his Heaven Soul and allow him to return to normal."On the other side of the mountain, Jian Bu was having his own thoughts. "Should I use the rest of the Qi Advancement pills to push myself to Rank 8 or even Rank 9?" At the same time, he heard the loud commotion from the other side of the mountain, at the entrance of the cave where his clan is currently residing. "I wonder if this is Elder Jian Feng returning. It seems I will have to think about this later."Jian Bu quickened his steps. He didn't want to deal with Jian Feng right now as he doesn't know whether the elder has investigation methods to find the true culprit. Jian Bu has been looking for clues for the last hour but he has not found anything yet. Suddenly, a loud BOOM was heard. Jian Bu startled jumped in the air. "What was that?" His eyes couldn't help but stare at the sky. Thunder was bellowing and lightning was striking. The peaceful sky quickly turned cloudy. "Is this someone going through tribulation? Only people ascending to Nascent Soul will have tribulations. Who is breaking through the next level?"Jian Bu was covered in sweat. He had a panicked expression. "I hope whoever this is that they didn't claim the ancestor's inheritance." But he quickly had a moment of realization and calmed down. "Whoever is going through tribulation, they could easily fail if someone disturbs them at the worst time. Maybe I will be able to gain something from this," thought Jian Bu. His eyes shined with a demonic glint, and a large smile crept up on his face.