Fenghua rubbed her butt with a hiss. “Main body didn’t have to use so much force. It was only a joke.”
She was currently residing inside Tianyi’s martial body, his cosmos. Normally, this would not have been possible even if Tianyi’s had a conceptual cosmos in his body as it was still far from the real thing. He was unable to bring objects into it, much less living things into his body. Even pills had to be swallowed. But Fenghua was different as she was technically a part of Tianyi.
“Why did say I such a stupid thing!?” Fenghua internally screamed as she held her head in a fetal position. She didn’t know what went over her. After awakening, her mind just shortcircuited after realizing that she had been naked and thus leading to her nervousness, making Fenghua speak words without running them through her brain.
Although both of them were Tianyi at the fundamental level, they couldn’t share their thoughts at all. Otherwise, Tianyi would have known how nervous Fenghua was.
Keep in mind that Fenghua’s core was still Tianyi, so what does this say about Tianyi?
“Still, it’s quite lonely here,” Fenghua whispered as she uncurled herself from her fetal position and gazed into the infinite cosmos.
She could glimpse the single sun-like and eight planet-like cores, the five Nascent Souls sitting above the Dragon Yin Pearl Core, and the endless sea of dazzling stars that filled the space around her.
Despite being seemingly stranded in outer space without any protection, a hostile environment that would pose threats to most Nascent Soul Grandmasters, Fenghua felt no such dangers. In total contrast, it felt as if she submerged in a warm liquid that protected her completely. Although it was a disgusting comparison, Fenghua felt like she was a baby still in her mother’s womb.
But there was no one else besides her here. She was just a speck of dust in this vast world, alone.
Fenghua knew that this wasn’t true, but she still couldn’t shake off the melancholic feeling. It was as if no one in the world truly understood her. As Tianyi’s clone, neither she nor Tianyi could easily allow anyone else to know that they were foreigners, but the more you suppressed something, the more it wanted to erupt.
Fenghua closed her eyes as she allowed her body to drift in the warm embrace of the cosmos.
The cosmos was saturated with Tianyi’s Chaos True Qi. It was originally something that Fenghua should not have been able to stand, both as a Foundation Establishment Disciple and someone who did not cultivate any of the Heavenly Scriptures. But under Tianyi’s deliberate control, the chaotic qi became gentle like a spring breeze, allowing Fenghua to absorb it.
Fenghua snapped open her eyes. There was a deep urgency in her eyes.
Tianyi paused in his steps as he walked out after receiving Fenghua’s message. The corner of his lips twitched while he suppressed the urge to introduce his face to the palm of his hand.
Tianyi had exited his room a while earlier. After compensating the owner for the damage caused by the Tribulation Lightning, he and Elder Meng left Ocean Lake City so that he could find a place to deposit his clone away from prying eyes.
And he had a small time frame to do it as well because the Heavenly Connection Gathering was starting the next day. But at least it would divert the attention away from his clone. Not that Tianyi was underestimating the local forces, but he was warier of the first-rate sect’s forces discovering his newly created clone.
But now, his clone had done it. Tianyi had purposely made his qi gentler so his clone wouldn’t be harmed, but who knew that she would go and absorb it. And she had absorbed too much! Now she would begin her Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation at any moment.
Tianyi looked up, expecting to see the aggregation of Tribulation Clouds at this very moment. But there was no such thing, to his surprise.
“Is there something wrong, young master?” Elder Meng asked from behind.
“No, it’s nothing,” Tianyi said as he continued to strode forward.
Can the Heavenly Tribulation not detect my clone while she is inside of me? Once she exits, doesn’t this mean that the Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation would immediately begin? Ugh, just when I wanted to be lowkey, she does this!
And this is not considering whether or not the Heavenly Tribulation’s power would increase because of my presence or being my clone! And I haven’t finished refining her Lifebound Artifact!
Ugh, I’m going to be late for the Heavenly Connection Gathering. I should have kicked Fenghua’s ass more.
After finding a secluded location, Tianyi ordered Elder Meng to stay at the base of the mountain while he ascended. The mountain wasn’t particularly dense in spiritual qi or significant in other aspects, but this was enough for Tianyi.
Once he finished ascending the mountain, Tianyi spread out his spiritual sense to ensure that no other cultivator or spiritually sensitive individual was near. Concluding that no one would be able to spy on him or anything near, Tianyi began to work.
First, he employed a presence concealment formation as insurance. It had no combat effectiveness, but for hiding, it was more than adequate. Even Unity Realm Venerables would be hard-pressed to detect anything.
Next, he brought several materials he had pre-selected beforehand. Chaotic Void Silk Strand, a thread that could only be found in the Vast Void, Bodhi Heart Flame, the core of a deceased Bodhi Tree that had been specially treated in an immortal level flame, Purple Cloud Fabric, a cloth that had been woven using a unique purple cloud found in small quantities and known to bestow good luck, Demon Fox Fur, and even an incomplete phoenix tailfeather.
They were all materials at the Immortal Realm, but they had been pre-treated, so even a Nascent Soul Grandmaster like Tianyi could refine them. The material used to create a Lifebound Artifact had a significant effect on their future potential.
Tianyi started to refined each individual component and many miscellaneous but no less essential materials as well. Afterward, under his meticulous control, Tianyi started to shape the Lifebound Artifact for his clone.
The preliminary shape was that of a dull dress with fur around the collar. Nothing about the dress seemed too outstanding. Even the fur seamed gray despite having come from a silver Demon Fox. But Tianyi nodded with satisfaction.
He reached out and absorbed the unfinished Artifact into his internal cosmos. Tianyi could also absorb other things into his cosmos, like a walking spatial ring. But his chaos qi would always corrode and even destroy whatever that entered without his conscious thought.
But this time, he was using his Chaos True Qi and Tribulation Essence to refine the nascent Lifebound Artifact. He could also do it outside his body, but his influence and control would be far inferior compared to within his cosmos.
“Watch it!” Fenghua cried within the Tianyi’s body as the unfinished Lifebound Artifact began to go up in flames against the raging Chaos True Qi that assaulted it.
Under the Chaos True Qi’s oppression, the flame of sprung from the unfinished Artifact began to decrease, but the flames’ purity and intensity increased. Reduce all the excess, leaving behind only the true essence of the immortal phoenix flame.
Just before the completion of the Artifact, Tianyi brought it out of his internal cosmos.
Unlike the dull dress that it was before, the dress positively glowed with a warm light. The garment was like brocade with a flame-like pattern over its now crimson body, and the now-former gray fur now seemed to burn white.
“Let’s call it the Heavenly Flame Garment,” Tianyi said with a slight smile upon his lips. “No, that’s too much. For now, Earthly Flame Garment would work. My clone won’t be able to exhibit its true powers until she is at least in the Unity Realm at least.”
Tianyi adjusted his condition first before placing the Earthly Flame Garment near the center. With a wave of his hand, Fenghua quickly appeared next to the Earthly Flame Garment, and Tianyi quickly retreated as far as possible from Fenghua.
As Tianyi expected, as soon as Fenghua appeared, the Tribulation Clouds gathered above the mountain. Just based on how fast the clouds gathered and the sheer size, it was undoubtedly an unnatural Core Formation Heavenly Tribulation.
Tianyi sighed as he quickly returned next to Fenghua and stood protectively in front of her.
“For the record, I blame you for this.”
“Me? Did you forget? I am you. So you are technically blaming yourself.” Fenghua unreservedly replied.
“…smartass.”
“Right back at you, who did you think I got it from?”
For a brief moment, Tianyi understood why Immortal Redseal attacked him with the intent to cripple his cultivation. But it was only for a brief moment.
The tribulation clouds maintained their silence as if gathering power; it was an extremely familiar sight to Tianyi. As Tianyi expected, a giant in an embellished armor created from several bolts of Tribulation Lightning appeared. It appeared slightly different, but the general aspects were nearly the same as the one Tianyi faced in his Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation.
Like a video on repeat, Tianyi once again formed his Cosmos Giant to fight the Tribulation Giant. But this time, the process was much different.
Unlike the previous time, Tianyi wasn’t physically or mentally exhausted, and he had long grown accustomed to his strength as a Nascent Soul Grandmaster. The Tribulation Giant fell under Tianyi’s hand even faster than the first time.
“That’s it? I feel as if that was too simple.” Tianyi muttered as he dispersed the Cosmos Giant. Although the Tribulation Giant was defeated, the Tribulation Clouds still lingered despite not having any more strength to send any bolts of Tribulation Lightning.
Tianyi descended back onto the ground that had long been destroyed between the battle of two giants. “Damn, it’d be weirder if no one detected anything strange. I can’t release Fenghua here. I’ll have to wait for another opportunity.”
“Couldn’t you have considered my plight more?” Fenghua grieved to Tianyi. She had worn the Earthly Flame Garment, but aside from that, it looked like someone had dragged through layers of dirt and rocks. Her hair was in a mess, and scratched covered her whole body.
“Shouldn’t you be more focused on forming your Spiritual Core instead of bantering with me?” Tianyi asked, annoyed more than anything.
“Can’t,”
“Excuse me?”
“I can’t. You took all the tribulation lightning, without overcoming the tribulation, I can’t form my Spiritual Core.” Fenghua said with a blaming expression upon her face.
Tianyi looked up. “Is that why the tribulation clouds haven’t dispersed?”
“So what are you going to do? If I’m stuck at this state, all your efforts would have been in vain.” Fenghua asked while resting her head on her palm.
“You just need to overcome the Tribulation Lightning of the Heavenly Dao. It’s not like I don’t have away. Have you forgotten? I can produce Tribulation Essence myself.” Tianyi said.
“Psh, we both know that it can’t compare to the real Tribulation Essence of the Heavenly Dao.” Fenghua rebutted.
“Yep.” Tianyi happily said. “But I just finished fighting a giant formed of Tribulation Essence and absorbed some of the Tribulation Lightning. I haven’t fully digested them, so I’ll just direct them towards you.”
“W-wa-wait a moment! You don’t even know if that would work!” Fenghua said as Tianyi pointed his finger at her without any warning.
“Don’t wanna,” As soon as Tianyi said that, a bolt of Tribulation Lightning had been directed at Fenghua. “Besides, since this Tribulation Lightning originated from your Heavenly Tribulation, it should suffice even though it came after me. Why are you such a small fry?”
Although Fenghua was unprepared, she still circulated her qi and manifested a barrier of flames. Tianyi’s clone cultivated Suiren’s Primogenitor Flame Scripture and thus was most skilled in flame techniques.
After much struggle, Fenghua resisted the first bolt of Tribulation Lightning from Tianyi.
“Asshole! That power definitely isn’t something a regular Foundation Establishment Cultivator can manage! It already reached the threshold of the Core Formation Realm in power!” Fenghua raged at Tianyi.
“Of course. You have all my experience and memories as a Nascent Soul Grandmaster. This should be a piece of cake for you. There are eight more. If you have the energy to complain, focus on this.” Tianyi said.
“ASSSSHOLLLEEEE!”
For the record, it did indeed sufficed for Fenghua to form her Spiritual Core.