Yang Hong's spiritual wine could not be kept secret in the end, as he had given away three jars, equivalent to three demon races.
These demon races were from major clans, with varying levels of demon quality, and naturally, the news leaked.
Thus, by the second month, these demon races, including the Silver Star Black Fish Clan, had all sent fifth-grade formation jade slips, requesting to trade for spiritual wine.
Ten million spirit stones per jar!
Yang Hong had no objections.
After all, he no longer drank fourth-grade spiritual wine; he used it as mouthwash.
He only drank the fifth-grade brewed **Bai Guo Niang**.
He no longer drank **Shi Guo Niang** or **Shi Hua Jiu**.
Even the fifth-grade **Bai Hua Jiu** was not consumed, as his Hundred Flower Brewing Technique had not yet reached perfection.
Those with ability were truly extravagant!
Furthermore, as some of his spiritual plants had advanced to sixth grade, his staple food also began to shift to sixth-grade spiritual fruits.
Spiritual fruits that could incite wars between two races in the outside world were merely Yang Hong's staple food.
Oh, and the specially raised fifth-grade spiritual fish also tasted excellent, sweet and delicious.
The fish soup boiled from it was like softened white jade, not only flavorful but also beautiful.
"Ai ya, thinking about it makes me crave it again. I must quickly finish today's infusion and head back to stew some fish soup."
Licking his lips, Yang Hong flew to the center of Gai Zhu Mountain, the place where the Ironbark Birch trees were planted.
"The potential of this Ironbark Birch is truly remarkable. It's already upper sixth grade. It's estimated that in a little while, it will advance to seventh grade."
As usual, Yang Hong chose to begin the infusion with the Ironbark Birch.
"Ding~ You infused 900 days of cultivation to the Ironbark Birch, receiving a hundredfold return, gaining 90,000 days of cultivation."
"Ding~ Your Ironbark Birch has accumulated sufficient energy and is beginning to evolve..."
Huh? It's evolving already.
Yang Hong was somewhat surprised by the Ironbark Birch's evolution.
According to his estimation, it should have taken at least another three months of infusion.
Perhaps it was due to the increased spiritual energy on Yu Liu Island.
Because, besides Yang Hong's infusions and the ripening effect of the **Gan Lin Shu** spell, spiritual plants also absorbed spiritual energy on their own to grow.
"Is it dark already?"
Suddenly, Yang Hong noticed something was wrong. The morning sunlight was blocked.
"Dark clouds! Heavenly tribulation!"
"Hahaha~ Excellent, this Ironbark Birch is about to transform!"
Yang Hong looked up at the sky and was overjoyed.
It had been 7 years since Yu Ke Wei transformed. He had infused over 60 sixth-grade spiritual plants, yet none of them had transformed. Now, a second spiritual plant was finally about to undergo transformation.
He decided not to leave and stayed beneath the tree, awaiting the heavenly tribulation. He could offer assistance to the Ironbark Birch if necessary.
However, he overlooked one crucial point: his presence within the Ironbark Birch's tribulation range would not help but harm it.
His existence would cause the heavenly tribulation to sense him, thereby increasing the power of the lightning strikes.
It would directly double!
This was a tribulation of transformation, the most forbidden for sentient beings to interfere with or assist, according to the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.
Therefore, the number of descending tribulation lightning bolts was directly the maximum of eighty-one, and their power reached the late seventh-tier!
Yang Hong was not unaware of this, but he had subconsciously ignored it.
There was a long-standing taboo in the cultivation world: one must not help others cross tribulations. He remembered this.
It was just that he had been present during Yu Ke Wei's tribulation as well, and had subconsciously overlooked it.
This brought immense trouble to the Ironbark Birch.
The first 18 tribulation lightning bolts were manageable. However, from the 19th strike onwards, the Ironbark Birch began to manifest a human form, making it difficult to resist with full force.
With a single strike, the newly formed head spurted out a basin of green blood.
"This Ironbark Birch is a bit weak."
Seeing the Ironbark Birch spit blood, Yang Hong muttered with some dissatisfaction and then voluntarily flew above it, intending to share the pressure.
"Rumble~"
A lightning bolt, tinged with blue and purple, struck down.
"Holy—holy—holy—holy crap!"
With a single lightning strike, Yang Hong's clothes were not only vaporized but his entire body hair was scorched once more.
"The heavenly tribulation for a seventh-grade spiritual plant's transformation is this powerful?"
With smoke rising from his mouth, Yang Hong still managed to complain.
The power of this tribulation lightning exceeded his imagination.
This was even after he had not fully blocked it, allowing half of the tribulation lightning to strike the Ironbark Birch below.
This tribulation lightning was originally intended for demons to transform; he naturally could not intercept all of it.
However, the power was simply too great.
"Rumble~"
Without giving Yang Hong a chance to complain further, the even more powerful 21st tribulation lightning strike descended.
"Powerful!"
With this strike, Yang Hong's entire body hair was burnt to ashes.
He was bald again, both his "big" head and his "small" head were bare.
A trident appeared in Yang Hong's hand, and simultaneously, a wine jar was brought forth, containing a jar of fifth-grade **Bai Guo Niang**.
"Gulp~ Gulp~"
After taking five large gulps of the spiritual wine, he began to rapidly recover his true essence.
Fifth-grade spiritual wine, especially one with spiritual essence of creation, allowed for rapid recovery.
In just fifteen minutes, Yang Hong's true essence was fully restored.
He did not waste the remaining spiritual energy and began to cast defensive spells.
"Water Spirit Wall~"
A water-blue shield quickly enveloped Yang Hong. This was a fifth-tier great water-elemental spell, and with the amplification of the Black Water Trident, its power was enhanced by forty percent.
"Rumble~ Rumble~"
As the heavenly tribulation continued to strike, Yang Hong easily withstood it with just the **Water Spirit Wall**!
His cultivation of ten million years in the Golden Core stage was Yang Hong's greatest foundation. Coupled with the vast quantities of fifth-grade spiritual wine, measured in tens of thousands of jin, the terrifying heavenly tribulation merely served as a means for Yang Hong to temper his body.
He even guided a portion of the tribulation lightning into his dantian, tempering his Golden Core!
After the heavenly tribulation, although Yang Hong still possessed ten million years of Golden Core cultivation, he could clearly feel that his true essence had become two percent purer.
"Now that my wife is not by my side, I cannot refine my true essence through dual cultivation. However, using the heavenly tribulation for cultivation is also a viable method.
And it's even faster."
This discovery made Yang Hong's eyes gleam.
"From now on, I will fully cultivate those fifth-grade spiritual plants with superior potential, and by sheer quantity, I will strive to evolve more transforming spiritual plants as quickly as possible."
With this thought, Yang Hong descended to the ground.
The Ironbark Birch had completed its transformation, and indeed, its aura was at the peak of the third-tier Fusion Realm.
A young man with dark skin, a simple and honest appearance, and a tall, sturdy build of 2.30 meters appeared before Yang Hong.
This appearance bore a slight resemblance to Yang Hong. It was likely that he had transformed based on Yang Hong's appearance but could not completely alter his inherent characteristics, resulting in this form.
"Little Tree greets Master. Thank you, Master, for bestowing life, awakening intelligence, and guarding me!"
Upon seeing Yang Hong land, the young man knelt before Yang Hong with a "thump~" that shook the ground.
Yang Hong's lips twitched. What kind of physique and strength was this?
Right, the characteristic of the Ironbark Birch was its hardness!
"Get up."
"Thank you, Master! Thump~ Thump~ Thump~"
The young man did not get up immediately. Instead, he kowtowed three times before standing up.
Where his forehead had touched, a shallow pit three inches deep was formed.
This kowtow was truly impactful.
Considering that the ground had just been struck by the heavenly tribulation and was as hard as a fourth-grade spiritual artifact.
"You are truly sturdy. I shall give you a name.
Hua Xin Lei.
Since you are a birch tree, your surname is 'Hua.' Your body and strength are truly hard, like gold surpassing iron, hence the name 'Xin Lei' (meaning golden and solid)."
"Hua Xin Lei thanks Master for the bestowed name. Thump~"
Well then~
He knelt down again.
Yang Hong could feel Hua Xin Lei's respect and dependence. He seemed to truly regard Yang Hong as a father.
However, this child was 2.30 meters tall, with a sturdy, towering physique.
"Let's go, we'll go down the mountain. I will teach you some cultivation techniques and basic life knowledge.
No kneeling! Absolutely no kneeling!"
Seeing the child who kept wanting to kneel, Yang Hong felt a touch of helplessness.