"Will it be effective?" Gu Qingyin asked.

"There’s no harm in trying. I’m sure the fairies will pay attention to you if they see natural qi in your body," Gu Qinghe replied.

She listened to him, her eyes fixed on the condensed qi orb.

Gu Qinghe had done things far beyond what she had ever imagined.

Even though Gu Qingyin had refused to go to their mother, Gu Qinghe still treated her as his younger sister. That clearly made her feel ashamed.

By trusting him, she might be able to survive her fate in this place.

Gu Qingyin held the qi orb and nodded slowly.

If what Gu Qinghe said was true, then she had a chance to cooperate with the remaining fairies in this world.

She chose to head in a different direction, not staying at the same Light altar as Gu Qinghe.

However, before she began cultivating, Gu Qingyin turned back, curious about him.

From within the forest, she watched what Gu Qinghe was doing.

He swallowed a two-colored pill, black and white, formed hand seals, and began cultivating using a natural qi absorption technique.

"The momentum in his body... could it be that Brother Qinghe is trying to break through to Nascent Soul?!"

"This is insane! He’s really that reckless. Without abundant qi to stabilize his body, he’s forcing a breakthrough to Nascent Soul and facing the Tribulation Lightning here?"

Elsewhere, a surge of qi energy erupted and could be felt from Gu Qinghe’s body right after he swallowed the Yin-Yang Nascent Soul Pill and began cultivating with natural qi.

Saint Yue formed hand seals. Golden qi runes appeared in front of her face and were immediately directed forward.

A beam of golden natural qi shot toward Gu Qinghe, increasing the amount of natural qi available to him.

The momentum of breaking through from Golden Core to Nascent Soul was a grand event that shook the heavens.

Those attempting to break through would face a single tribulation lightning strike as a test of their worthiness to ascend to a higher realm.

Many cultivators were injured when facing tribulation lightning outside of dimensions, let alone Gu Qinghe doing it recklessly within a closed natural dimension with different qi.

Gu Qingyin began to worry, but she was also curious about the outcome.

The effects of Gu Qinghe’s breakthrough were not only felt in the fifth mountain range but spread beyond the Closed Natural Dimension.

Cultivators immediately turned and looked at the sky, watching black clouds rumble as dangerous lightning flashed within them.

The old man who always acted relaxed now narrowed his eyes, his attention sharpening.

He clearly understood what those rumblings meant. Something far greater and more terrifying.

"Is that person trying to break through to Nascent Soul? In the Star of Natural Transformation?"

"Sigh!"

"Talented and intelligent cultivators are often impatient and reckless. But if he succeeds, he won’t be an ordinary Nascent Soul."

Within the Star of Natural Transformation, the rumbling black clouds spread across every corner of the world, shaking the ground and unleashing powerful winds.

Blue lightning struck aimlessly, so powerful that it frightened both cultivators and monsters alike.

Saint Yue remained in front of Gu Qinghe. Although her body was not well suited to handling large amounts of natural qi, her soul was able to contain it and convert it into ordinary qi.

Her body was indeed unique.

The longer Saint Yue channeled natural qi, the more the spiritual qi needed for Gu Qinghe’s breakthrough was filled.

Gu Qinghe opened his eyes, releasing a massive burst of qi that spread everywhere, shaking trees, knocking down leaves, and stirring fear in the hearts of cultivators.

Gu Qingyin watched his momentum, trying to stay calm as she focused on him.

From the sky, rumbling black clouds gathered, followed by dominant and powerful lightning strikes.

Gu Qinghe acted quickly, summoning his Golden Sky Energy Sword and preparing to face the heavenly lightning.

If he could defeat or withstand it, he would be able to break through to Nascent Soul.

All the lightning energy gathered at one point and struck down at Gu Qinghe with a thunderous explosion. Fierce winds uprooted trees and destroyed the Light altar.

Gu Qinghe narrowed his eyes and pointed his sword upward. He dropped to his knees and coughed up blood, but he refused to give up.

He switched to using his own qi and swung the Golden Sky Energy Sword upward. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The tribulation lightning clashed against his golden slash.

The lightning tried to suppress the attack, but Gu Qinghe reacted quickly by using his primordial soul essence.

He released it upward, merging it into the golden slash, increasing its power and momentum.

For a moment, it seemed like he had a chance to win against the Tribulation Lightning. Gu Qingyin saw this and her face filled with shock.

"Brother Qinghe can handle it so easily?"

The lightning began to shrink, and an explosion of energy erupted in the sky, right in the center of the rumbling clouds.

Gu Qinghe and Saint Yue remained at the destroyed Light altar.

"Are you alright, Gu Qinghe?" Saint Yue asked.

Gu Qinghe turned and nodded slowly, clearly indicating that he was fine.

"The Heavenly Tribulation Lightning has ended. You should return to cultivating and break through to—"

THUMP!

Gu Qinghe, Saint Yue, and Gu Qingyin never expected a second tribulation to appear.

He looked up at the sky and realized it was not heavenly lightning.

The rumbling clouds split apart. The sky turned red, revealing the figure of a cultivator wearing a judgment mask.

Gu Qingyin’s eyes widened. Her hands and legs trembled as she fell to her knees.

"What... is that?" she asked.

Among all of them, only Gu Qinghe knew exactly who it was.

"An Immortal from the Cultivator Alliance!" Gu Qinghe said firmly.

"An Immortal?!" Saint Yue exclaimed in shock.

The Immortal acted differently. Instead of punishing Gu Qinghe with lightning, he used the Finger Technique of the Heavenly Envoy.

"If an Immortal comes to punish you, it must mean something has gone wrong beyond the destined path of the heavens," Saint Yue said.

Gu Qinghe fell silent for a moment, summoning his Golden Sky Energy Sword again.

However, his attack was not strong enough to defeat the Heavenly Envoy Finger Technique.

He did not stop. He tried with everything he had to destroy the attack.

But with only Early Nascent Soul strength, Gu Qinghe was at a disadvantage.

"I have no other choice!" he declared.

He unleashed the strongest technique available to him at his current cultivation level. He also infused it with his Primordial Soul essence to enhance its power.

A projection of a giant golden cultivator appeared, holding a sword.

Gu Qinghe shouted as he executed the attack, mirrored by the giant projection.

The clash of the two forces triggered an uncontrollable explosion, destroying both attacks, injuring Saint Yue and Gu Qingyin, and flattening the Light altar in the eastern region.

Gu Qinghe was blasted far away, severely injured. His clothes were destroyed, his body covered in wounds, and his strength drained.

That attack had failed. It severely damaged his Primordial Soul, leaving his Nascent Soul cultivation extremely unstable.

He had no time to think of a solution. The pain overwhelmed him, and Gu Qinghe lost consciousness.