Chapter 134 - 0102 Stay Calm (Two-in-One)_2

That must be her hair ribbon; she left in a hurry this morning and forgot it on Celestial Bright Peak.

But, that’s a minor matter now.

"Junior Brother, you carry on; I’ll take a break." Shi Qingjun faced the Ninefold Thunder Tribulation overhead, her breath quickening, her chest heaving.

"Alright." Xu Chang’an responded. Although he found it odd, he didn’t inquire further and continued watering the flowers with his kettle.

Speaking of which.

Since Senior Sister mentioned it might rain and thunder later, I’d better prepare in advance.

Xu Chang’an walked over and propped up the canopy over the flowerbeds to shield them from the possible rain.

The weather at Chaoyun Sect had become unpredictable lately, so everyone cultivating plants and fruits was prepared in advance to prevent the sudden "Mortal Water" from contaminating the Spirit Grass.

——

Shi Qingjun: "..."

She averted her gaze from Xu Chang’an and let out a gentle sigh.

Clearly, from the ordinary disciples to the Peak Master, none of them noticed the terrifying Tribulation Thunder swirling in the sky.

Even Xu Chang’an, who is shrouded in mystery, claimed he couldn’t see it, indicating——

This Tribulation Thunder wasn’t meant for Xu Chang’an to undergo, but for... her?

She hadn’t made a breakthrough.

And her Mental Realm had been disrupted by Xu Chang’an.

With her Cultivation regressing instead of advancing, where could this tribulation possibly come from?

If it’s a punishment tribulation...

A Celestial Tribulation that only one person could see, does such Tribulation Thunder truly exist in this world?

Even if it does, how could such a terrifying, heaven-dominating tribulation thunder exist?

Using this much power against her seemed a bit excessive.

This wasn’t a lack of self-confidence; in fact, she knew her limits well. After all, the lingering power of that "light as a feather" Purple-White Jade Pillar from this morning was more than enough to kill her.

Cultivation, cultivation, because one is not an Immortal, one has to cultivate.

Thinking deeply about it, one would find this overwhelming Tribulation Thunder strange and discordant in every way.

Shi Qingjun took a deep breath, her eyes gradually stabilizing.

She quickly realized.

The Tribulation Thunder in the sky was an illusion; it wasn’t a True Thunder Tribulation, but a knot in her heart wanting Enlightenment, or a Heart Demon she had conjured.

It was the appearance of the reincarnated immortal Xu Chang’an that caused ripples in her stagnant heart like a veil; she had seen the Tribulation Thunder Xu Chang’an had passed through, thus imagining such terrifying tribulation thunder.

It was her impatient desire to ascend, to the point that she was speculating even when Xu Chang’an was just watering the flowers.

In hindsight, her behavior of clutching at straws was indeed laughable.

So, she gave the Heart Demon an opportunity to exploit, imagining such an unprecedented Tribulation Thunder.

Ascending tribulations were indeed terrifying.

But she didn’t have the ability to become an Immortal.

If she truly treated it as a great enemy now, taking grand measures to confront that terrifyingly powerful "Cyan Dragon" in the sky, that would truly be falling into madness, and her Heart Tribulation would destroy her Dao Fruit.

Qing Jun... Qing Jun...

The name she hadn’t used since her youth might just be part of the tribulation.

The Cyan Dragon, whether it’s Qing Province or Qing Jun.

It matched the source of her pressure; thus, indeed, it was her Heart Tribulation.

All aspects fit.

——

Shi Qingjun had never experienced a Heart Demon troubling many cultivators.

It was the first time since stepping onto the path of cultivation that her Mental Realm was disrupted by someone else.

Therefore, she wasn’t that familiar with Heart Demons.

Because her desire to ascend was a real longing, she couldn’t easily shatter the true illusion with a calm heart. But, just as Xu Chang’an wasn’t in a hurry to have Yun Qian move to Mu Yu Peak, she didn’t have to rush either... to ascend?

"Calm down... stay calm." Shi Qingjun muttered a few times.

From any angle, one could feel the despairing Thunder Tribulation above her head, under the terrifying celestial power, her cultivation couldn’t help but want to spread and form a barrier.

However, Shi Qingjun forcibly halted her self-defense instinct. She took a deep breath, her bones creaking under the heavenly pressure.

The Heart Demon was never just an illusion, so she would still be injured.

No one could quickly calm down with such terrifying celestial power above their head.

But now, she had a mirror.

Pinching the hem of her clothes with her fingers, Shi Qingjun’s pinky trembled slightly under the Tribulation Thunder. Yet, she still walked under the canopy with a calm face, looking at Xu Chang’an, "Is Junior Brother’s family name Xu?"

Xu Chang’an shook his head at these words, saying, "I decided it myself."

When he chose the name for himself, if not for the poor implication of longing for Chang’an, he almost named himself "Gu Chang’an."

"I see." Shi Qingjun nodded.

Indeed, the records noted that Xu Chang’an had some memory issues and was picked up by his wife.

"Xu Chang’an, it’s a good name," Shi Qingjun said earnestly.

After finishing her sentence, she raised her head in surprise. The Cyan Dragon overhead lingered, and yet, perhaps it was an illusion, but after speaking those words, the pressure from the Tribulation seemed to lessen significantly.

Xu Chang’an blinked, unclear why her sudden praise, but he still courteously responded with a couple of sentences before continuing to tend to the flowerbeds.

Beside him, Shi Qingjun watched him watering the flowers without baselessly speculating about his actions this time.

In this way, watching Xu Chang’an, skillful and gentle in his every move, meticulously tending to the flowers, she suddenly found this scene very comforting.

This wasn’t about any romantic feeling between a man and a woman; rather, she hadn’t possessed such feelings for a long time. Here, it was simply the most pure form of appreciation. Even if Xu Chang’an were a girl, this scene would still be captivating.

Chang’an.

It’s not about not obtaining Chang’an.

It was her own speculation that summoned the unease of her Heart Tribulation. If she had looked at him with such a peaceful mindset sooner, perhaps she’d have seen this scenery earlier.

Seek slowly, advance towards Chang’an.

Rushing achieves nothing.

She had clearly reviewed Xu Chang’an’s records and knew his nature, yet she ignored this vital matter alone.

She shouldn’t have rushed to seek Enlightenment from him this way, because whether it be name or his way of doing things, they seemed to indicate... how one should approach the Dao.

Step by step.

Unable to find the upward path was ultimately because her cultivation wasn’t enough, or perhaps, she should try cultivation in every sense?

Hold on.

Weren’t the girls on Mu Yu Peak always doing just that?

With the Celestial Tribulation rolling above, the Cyan Dragon extended its claws, spewing electric light, its massive pressure crashing down like a mountain, forcing a gush of blood that Shi Qingjun quietly swallowed before discreetly wiping her mouth.

Shi Qingjun had already completely ignored the Celestial Tribulation because she had more important things to do at this moment.

"Junior Brother, if I... if I wanted to plant some flowers, what would you recommend?" Shi Qingjun suddenly asked.

"Flowers?" Xu Chang’an shook his head, his back to Shi Qingjun, saying, "In reply, Senior Sister, I don’t have any good recommendations, but the senior sisters in the hall like to grow pothos, white plum, and crabapple."

This answer was very skillful, maintaining a comforting, mild sense of distance.

"I understand, I will go back... cough, and try." Shi Qingjun nodded.

At this moment, perhaps due to her disregard and contempt, or maybe it was the right time, the Cyan Dragon in the sky finally moved, rumbling with thunder and wind, roaring downward, preparing to dive.

Conventionally, with this completely Tribulation Thunder-formed "Lord of the Cyan Heaven" descending, just one could turn Qing Province into nothingness.

But if it was targeted at one individual, it could completely erase that person from the world, no exceptions.

Yet, even as the person facing the tribulation, Shi Qingjun, after inquiring Xu Chang’an about the preference between pothos, crabapple, and plum blossom, glanced at the Cyan Dragon, fearsome and with the force of Heaven and Earth Destruction, casually asked, "How does Junior Brother perceive Celestial Thunder?"

Even though no longer anxious, she still wanted to know Xu Chang’an’s attitude towards the Celestial Tribulation.

Everyone had seen today’s Celestial Tribulation, so Xu Chang’an found the topic not abrupt.

He was also long used to being on the receiving end of idle chatter from young women.

"Appropriately, it can be pleasant, like spring thunder." Xu Chang’an looked at the flowerbeds beside him, saying, "But... I don’t like it when it’s inopportune."

"Inopportune? What do you mean?" Shi Qingjun was puzzled, thinking that Celestial Thunder, Tribulation Thunder, and spring thunder were essentially no different.

Xu Chang’an eyed the rain shelter he had erected, thinking of Miss Yun who was still sleeping, and earnestly said, "Now is inopportune."