Miles away in a seaside town, all the powerful cultivators were alarmed. The deep sea rumbled with thunder, indicating a sea monster undergoing tribulation. The commotion was so great that it could be heard from so far away.
Some brave souls who were closer to the deep sea had already arrived on flying ships. However, they dared not approach. It was a joke; getting caught within the lightning tribulation's range without sufficient power would only make them cannon fodder. If they had the ability, would they really help others withstand tribulation? Therefore, observing from afar was the only option.
From a distance, they watched lightning flash and thunder boom. The tribulation struck the sea surface at a certain spot. It was likely a sea monster undergoing tribulation. If it were a cultivator, where were the ships and flying vessels? It was undoubtedly a sea monster's tribulation.
Time to leave. They had long heard of a great sea monster living in the deep sea, a demon emperor. Now it was undergoing tribulation, meaning it was likely to become a demon saint. Seeing that the lightning tribulation was almost over, there was no better time to leave. Did they want to become food for a demon saint?
This was indeed a person with deep pockets. The flying ship moved at an extremely fast speed; it was a flash of light, and it had already traveled a thousand miles. When he returned to a certain city, how vividly he would recount his experiences is another story.
Meanwhile, Ye Ju had no strength to let the waves carry her back to the deck. The eastern horizon, where the sea and sky merged, seemed to be torn open by something, revealing the dawn's rosy glow. The sky was about to brighten. So she had been struck by lightning all night! How tragic!
After the lightning tribulation, a heavenly rain containing abundant spiritual energy descended to help Ye Ju heal her body. However, the lingering aftereffects of the electric shock remained, making her whole body feel numb and uncomfortable. She dove into the sea for a swim, shedding the scorched skin from the lightning strike, revealing newly repaired skin, and then cleaned herself again.
Ye Ju sniffed the burnt smell all over herself and was grateful that her hair had also grown back, luckily she hadn't gone bald. Her entire body was scorched black from the lightning, not a single part was intact. It hurt, but compared to the Stone Milk Body Tempering, the lightning tribulation was considered gentle.
In fact, Xiao Bai and Xiao Mo were Ye Ju's contracted spiritual pets. As soon as Ye Ju flew out of the barrier to undergo tribulation, they had sensed it and woken up to witness Ye Ju's fearlessness and struggle against the lightning tribulation. They knew it was their master's tribulation, and only their master could overcome it.
As soon as the Heavenly Dao bestowed the nourishing rain, Yu Shou had dispersed the barrier, and Ye Ju's post-tribulation nourishing rain also benefited the two of them, instantly allowing them to enter a state of cultivation. Xiao Mo was now floating in the sea at the bow of the ship, in meditation. Xiao Bai was also in a deep sleep on the deck.
"Yu Shou, thank you!" Ye Ju summoned Yu Shou, thanking him for his protection. Several times, when Ye Ju was about to collapse, Yu Shou had tried to fly out, but Ye Ju had stopped him with her divine sense. Yu Shou steadfastly protected Ye Ju's soul; as long as the soul was intact, there was a chance for rebirth. This was Yu Shou's way of showing his devotion to Ye Ju.
Looking at the uncleaned barbecue from last night, she went to the storage cabin to get some firewood, started a fire to cook, and roasted all the large squid segments from last night. These two little ones were in deep sleep ahead. She ate while guarding them.
Roasted squid needed cumin. When she reached a town, she must remember to buy more of these. Ye Ju ate and thought about her shopping list. She also needed to buy clothes. Although spiritual energy could form clothes, she still felt like she was always naked. If she ran out of spiritual energy during a fight, wouldn't she be exposed? Clothes were a must.
When Ye Ju had eaten her fill and drunk her fill, she lay on her self-made lounge chair, squinting and basking in the sun, about to fall asleep, when Xiao Bai finally stirred.
"Sister, I'm hungry, is there any food?" The gluttonous Xiao Bai, as soon as she woke up, thought about food.
Ye Ju twitched her finger: "Here, it's all on the stone table!"
"Wow, so much delicious food. While eating, she didn't forget to praise, 'Sister's cooking is the most delicious in the world!'"
A while later, Xiao Mo also woke up. Shrinking its size, it climbed onto the deck. Xiao Bai fed it while eating. Their relationship had improved so much at some point. Just a few days ago, they had been like enemies, fighting as if they would never stop...
In less than half an hour, these two foodies had finished eating. Xiao Bai diligently washed the pots and bowls in the sea and put them back in the kitchen. Ye Ju looked at the sky. It was probably not yet noon, so she decided to set sail. She instructed Xiao Mo and Xiao Bai to speed up the ship as much as possible during the day and rest in place at night. She didn't know what else they might encounter in the deep sea. At night, visibility would be poor, making sailing more dangerous!
"Okay, sister!" Xiao Bai happily agreed.
"Then I'll leave it to you. I'm going to sleep. Call me if there's any trouble." Ye Ju said and returned to her small bed in the cabin to rest.
Ye Ju didn't know if other cultivators needed to sleep, but Ye Ju couldn't endure not sleeping for a night; she always felt drowsy. However, encountering a great sea monster on the first day of her voyage, Ye Ju thought about it and asked Yu Shou to come out and protect the ship. Only then did she feel at ease to lie down.
Sunlight streamed through the bamboo awning onto Ye Ju's delicate face. If she had a mirror, Ye Ju would probably discover that her features had changed. She was no longer the plain and ordinary her. The former Ye Ju had double eyelids that were long and slender. Her nose was straight, but the bridge was low. Her lips were beautiful and lustrous. When she smiled, faint dimples appeared. She possessed a charming facial beauty.
Now her features were three-dimensional and full. Her eyes leaned towards phoenix eyes, and her nose bridge was high. Her skin was fair and crystal clear. It is said that a beauty's charm lies in her bones, in her bone structure, making her enduring and able to withstand the test of time. Reshaping bones and tendons was never just talk. Cultivation was about defying fate. The more one cultivated, the closer the body became to perfection. When one's primordial spirit left the body, detached from the physical form, or even broke through the void, one would ascend in place.
Ye Ju was awakened by a pattering sound of rain. The light of the night-blooming pearl warmly illuminated the cabin. Was it cloudy outside? Waking up groggily, she didn't know if it was the second morning or afternoon.
"Xiao Bai~"
"Sister, you're awake." Xiao Bai's voice was by her ear before she appeared.
"What time is it now? Is it raining?"
"Sister, it's raining, and it's almost time for dinner."
Since starting with Ye Ju, Xiao Bai knew that there were three meals a day: one when the sun rose, one when the sun was overhead, and one when the sun set.
Ye Ju understood; it was evening. She came out and saw that the sky was overcast, the sea breeze was strong, and the rain was also heavy. Fortunately, it wasn't a storm. Xiao Bai was running around on the deck, very excited. It rarely rained on the island before, likely due to the barrier. Ye Ju stood at the entrance of the bamboo awning, and the simple reed curtain was already wet.
"It's so fun, Sister."
"Xiao Bai, how long has it been raining?"
"Sister, it just started raining not long ago. This rain feels so comfortable!"
The ship was still sailing, and Xiao Mo's speed was very fast, riding the wind and waves. The rain hitting her face was a bit painful. Ye Ju was a little worried about Xiao Mo. Ignoring the rain, she put up a spiritual energy shield and leaned over the bow to ask Xiao Mo.
"Xiao Mo, how are you? Are you tired? Does the rain affect you?"
"Master, it's fine. This rain is actually influenced by your tribulation. After passing this stretch of sea, there will be no more rain," Xiao Mo's slightly cold voice sounded.
Ye Ju breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that it wasn't a storm. She wondered if the ship could withstand it. The waves were a bit high, and sometimes waves would wash over the bow and then fall back. The cabin area had been specially laid with two layers of purple bamboo boards higher than the deck, so water would not pour into the cabin.
"Xiao Mo is a spiritual beast of the sea and can also control water. So, it's not afraid of wind and waves," Xiao Bai, seeing her sister's concern, specifically told Ye Ju.
Ye Ju suddenly realized; she had forgotten this.