Supreme Master: Cultivation Starts After Recruiting SSS-Grade Talent-Chapter 55 - [Important notice at the End]

[A few moments earlier]

Outside the formation, the world seemed to freeze the moment the last lightning bolt disappeared into the sky. A heavy silence fell over the area, as if the air itself was holding its breath.

Then,

BOOM!

A powerful shockwave burst outward from the peak where Xie Ren and Lan Yue had stood, shaking the ground violently.

The earth trembled beneath everyone’s feet, and the cliffside cracked with a sharp groan. The shockwave spread like ripples on a lake, carrying with it an intense spiritual pressure that pressed against everything it touched.

Even cultivators standing hundreds of meters away were thrown off balance, stumbling backward to keep their footing.

The sudden force was so strong it felt like a wave of energy sweeping through the air, pushing and pressing against every soul nearby.

Birds in the surrounding forests screeched in alarm and took frantic flight. Loose stones tumbled down the steep slope, rattling and bouncing as they rolled into the undergrowth below.

Su Jie’s eyes widened as he fought to steady himself.

"That pressure..." he whispered, voice barely audible. "It’s coming from her!"

"That’s not just the power of the Nascent Soul realm," he said with a hint of awe. "She’s forming a spiritual domain."

Despite the awe and wonder, He did not dare step closer.

Though the tribulation had passed, the heavy aftershocks of its power still hung in the air.

The might of the storm, and the force of the one who had faced it head-on lingered like the echo of thunder long after the storm had moved on. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

From the shadows along the far cliffs, many hidden figures watched with tense expressions. Some recognized the significance of what had just happened; others could only guess.

The heavy spiritual pressure rolled across the cliff like a dark, invisible wave. It seeped into every crack and crevice, settling deep into the bones of those cloaked in shadows.

Even these secretive watchers, used to hiding from prying eyes, could not ignore the overwhelming force pressing down on them.

Su Jie swallowed hard, feeling his heart race despite his Nascent Soul cultivation. The pressure weighed on him like a heavy weight, stiffening his limbs and slowing his thoughts.

"How... how could that young man raise such a gifted disciple?" he murmured, eyes fixed on the place where the tribulation had raged moments before.

Now Lan Yue has broken through; he believed she could stand toe to toe with him. His mouth opened, but words failed to come. The impossible was happening right before his eyes.

He turned to look at the two women beside him, Mo Wushuang and Chen Yinyin.

Their faces showed no surprise, no shock. It was as if this kind of breakthrough was nothing new to them, something they had seen again and again.

As the crimson mist gradually faded, two blurry figures slowly came into view, walking side by side through the drifting haze.

Lan Yue was supporting Xie Ren by the shoulder, her arm steady around him. Her steps were sure and graceful, but her eyes remained focused on him, ready to catch him if he staggered.

Though her face looked calm, there was a quiet protectiveness in the way she held him up.

The closer they drew, the clearer the damage became.

Xie Ren’s right arm was a scorched wreck. His skin was blackened and cracked like dried earth after a wildfire.

A thin stream of smoke curled from his fingertips, and faint embers still glowed beneath the surface of his flesh, tracing along his veins like dying coals.

Su Jie’s eyes narrowed, concern flickering across his face. He had seen people getting struck by lightning before, but the wound looked similar, but not like this.

What happened to him? he wondered silently.

But then, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed two girls on the side, Mo Wushuang and Chen Yinyin, frozen. Their eyes narrowed the instant they laid eyes on Xie Ren’s right arm.

Their gazes locked on the blackened limb, unblinking, stunned.

Even when Lan Yue had endured a sky-shattering tribulation, the two women had remained composed. Not even a ripple of panic had shown on their faces.

But now, confronted with Xie Ren’s wounded arm, their calm was shattered. Their expressions twisted with disbelief.

In their minds, someone like him, the one they thought untouchable, a man whose strength was still a mystery, was bleeding.

A silence fell over the group, tense and strange. Their disbelief said more than words could. In their eyes, Xie Ren had always seemed invincible.

The heavy atmosphere was suddenly broken by hurried footsteps.

"Master!"

Little Roulan’s voice rang out clearly as she dashed forward, her blue robes fluttering behind her. Her bright eyes, filled with worry, locked onto the blackened ruin of his arm.

She came to a stop just in front of him, her small hands clenched at her sides.

"What happened to your arm? Are you hurt badly?" she asked, her voice soft but urgent.

Xie Ren gave her a faint smile. He reached over with his good hand and gently patted her head, ruffling her soft hair. "I’m alright. Just need a bit of rest."

She frowned, unconvinced, but she didn’t argue.

With a small pout, she stepped closer and stood quietly at his side, eyes still glued to his arm as if watching it might somehow heal it faster.

A few breaths later, the others approached.

Before anyone else could speak, Su Jie stepped forward. He gave a respectful bow, cupping his fists and lowering his head slightly toward Lan Yue.

"Congratulations, Daoist Lan Yue. From this day forward, you’ve entered the Nascent Soul realm."

Lan Yue blinked, unused to such formal recognition, but gave a graceful nod. "Thank you, Senior Su."

She knew, as of now, the two were in the same realm, making them peers.

Mo Wushuang and Chen Yinyin remained oddly quiet. Their eyes, however, hadn’t left Xie Ren’s injured arm for even a second.

They studied every detail, the cracked skin, the slight tremble in his fingers, the heat still rising from the wound.

Finally, Chen Yinyin spoke, her voice light, though it carried a strange undertone. "So even you can get hurt..."

Xie Ren let out a low chuckle.

"Of course I can," he said with a relaxed shrug. "I’m only human."

Chen Yinyin crossed her arms and tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"That burn on your arm... was it from the lightning? Maybe I should start cultivating thunder arts. Might come in handy if I ever want to beat you one day."

Xie Ren raised a brow, about to respond, but Lan Yue cut in sharply.

"Yinyin." Her voice was calm, but reprimanding.

Chen Yinyin flinched slightly at the tone. She glanced at Lan Yue, saw the hard look in her eyes, and went silent. After a beat, she sighed, turned away, and said no more.

Then the atmosphere shifted.

Even before the mist had fully cleared, Lan Yue’s expression changed. Her gaze drifted past the group, toward the far treeline where the mountains met the clouds.

"They’re coming," she said.

Su Jie followed her line of sight, his spiritual sense stretching out. Sure enough, multiple signatures, strong and swift, were closing in from every direction.

The disturbance from the lightning tribulation had clearly drawn attention. Dozens of cultivators were converging on the mountain, their auras filled with curiosity and caution.

But Lan Yue showed no sign of worry. If anything, her presence seemed to grow sharper. If anyone dared approach with ill intent, they would find her ready.

Moments later, shapes appeared through the trees and above.

One by one, the figures descended from the skies. Some stood upon sleek flying swords. Others glided silently on spiritual clouds, robes fluttering in the wind.

Su Jie narrowed his eyes as he studied the incoming cultivators. Recognition soon lit his face.

"That’s Sect Leader Yong from Thunder Manor... and Tower Master Lewei of the Alchemy Tower... and Sect Leader Luan from Tiger Claw Sect," he murmured, surprised.

The three leaders landed gracefully on solid ground, standing tall with the kind of presence only experts carried.

Their expressions were calm, but their eyes were sharp as blades, each taking in the aftermath of the tribulation, the scorched terrain, and the faint glow that still lingered around Lan Yue.

After the formal cupped-fist greetings were exchanged, Su Jie stepped forward to break the silence.

"Old friends," he said with a polite smile, "what brings you all to this remote peak?"

Sect Leader Yong, a middle-aged man with streaks of silver in his beard and a bolt-shaped emblem pinned to his chest, returned the gesture.

"The wind that brought us here roared loud enough to shake the heavens. We sensed a tribulation beyond the ordinary and came to investigate. We didn’t expect to find it tied to someone in your circle."

Tower Master Lewei, a slender elder with a soft voice and the lingering scent of rare herbs, nodded thoughtfully. "The lightning we sensed wasn’t normal. At first, we feared a calamity or an evil incursion."

Sect Leader Luan, a towering man with broad shoulders and sharp tiger-like eyes, added, "It turns out to be a Nascent Soul breakthrough. And a mighty one, at that."

...

[Important notice]

[Start-off of this book was great, I got daily 50-60 valid reads. But after writing for month and two, I’ve noticed this book’s growth has stagnated, and currently (June 09) there was only 4 people still reading.

I don’t’ know, if my writing is not appealing or is it the story itself.

So, after a thought, I’ve come to a decision. I’ll likely be putting this book to hiatus and focus on my other book,

(Invincible young master)

To those of you who supported and are still reading this book, Thank you.

Once again, Thank you.]