Chapter 561 - Time For The Tribulations

Lin Mu's wait was going to be a long one. But he was taking this opportunity to observe the finer changes that occurred when someone was about to have their heavenly tribulation.

After all, if his plan went as he was expecting it to. The tribulation that the Fire Fang Snake underwent would be the tribulation that will help him break through to the Nascent Soul realm as well.

About two days passed like this, and there were no particular changes in the Fire Fang Snake. 

But then…

~Huala~

The Black Water Snake who had been asleep this entire time, woke up. Spirit Qi vortex appeared around him as he started to absorb it too.

"He's close to the breakthrough as well?" Lin Mu said, feeling rather surprised.

"The standard is a bit low for the Black Water Snake, it seems like. The bloodline of the Fire Fang Snake should be a slightly superior to it and thus it took longer to reach the same point. It just needed to gather a larger amount of spirit Qi." Xukong said.

"I see…" Lin Mu muttered, feeling a bit pleased that he would now have two attempts with the heavenly tribulation.

Originally he was going to try out with the Fire Fang Snake's heavenly tribulation first and see if the bolts were enough for him to successfully break through. If they were enough, then it would be perfect. If not, then he would have to search for a secondary beast to use.

But with the Black Water snake's progress, Lin Mu would not have to wait as long and the process would be much faster for him.

"How long do you reckon this will take, senior?" Lin Mu questioned.

"Hmm… there are no spatial disturbances in the sky yet so it should be a couple more days at the very least." Xukong answered.

Lin Mu looked up at the sky and could tell that the spatial borders were fully stable at this time. He remembered the condition of Alchemist Bilao and how the spatial fluctuation around him got stronger as time went by.

Lin Mu closed his eyes for a moment and opened them, this time using his spatial perception at full power. Lin Mu could barely spot a tear the size of a hair in the space around the Fire Fang snake. 

"It's gonna take a while…" Lin Mu muttered and was about to close his eyes when he spotted something.

"Huh? Where did that mountain come from?" Lin Mu said, feeling stunned.

But when he blinked again, the mountain that had just appeared in front of him disappeared. Lin Mu rubbed his eyes and looked again, but saw nothing there.

"Must be an illusion…" Lin Mu shook his head.

Using spatial perception sometimes caused Lin Mu to see things that did not exist. He had asked senior Xukong about this and was given the answer that what he was seeing was the traces of old spatial fluctuations that sometimes leaked out from the void.

They were from a different place or the same places and had become lost in the void. They would end up storing an illusion of how things used to be and could appear like the real thing to the person who was observing it at that time using spatial perception.

Just to be sure, though… Lin Mu took a look around in better detail and could not see anything. Though when he gazed at the Ripple Mist sect in the distance, he could see a few black dots moving around the sect. Some came towards the sect while some went away from it.

"Hmm… Teleportation channels…" Lin Mu recognized.

Unlike the Tri Cauldron Peony Sect, the teleportation channels here were highly active, showing that the sect was greatly involved in trade and exchange. It could be of anything, items, letters, treasures, information, and much more.

His gaze lingered at the moving dots for a few more moments before he withdrew it closing his eyes, lightly rubbing them.

"Using spatial perception is still quite exhausting if I use it continuously…" Lin Mu said.

"It takes time to get used to it. Besides the way you are learning to do it is quite different from the cultivators who use a technique for it. While your method gives you a short time period, it also has no consumption of spirit Qi." Xukong spoke.

"I understand senior… this will only help me in long term." Lin Mu replied.

***

Seven days passed like with Lin Mu continuing to keep an eye on the Fire Fang Snake and The Black Water snake. The spatial fluctuations were steadily getting stronger and today they had reached a peak.

Surprisingly, both the snakes were about to have their heavenly tribulation at the same time.

"Looks like the spatial fabric destabilizing made their tribulations sync up. If the border is weak, the heavenly tribulation will have an easier time appearing in the world." Xukong spoke.

Lin Mu looked up at the large crack in the sky with his spatial perception and knew the Heavenly Tribulation clouds would be forming at any time now.

"Little Shrubby," Lin Mu called out.

The beast in question had been having a few lazy days as he just absorbed the Beast Qi that Lin Mu gave him and spent the rest of the time sleeping. 

"Yes, master?" Little Shrubby, who had just woken up, asked lazily.

"You should retreat to the cave for now. The Heavenly tribulation will be coming soon, you would be in danger if it hit you as well." Lin Mu said.

"Will you be getting injured again?" Little Shrubby asked with concern.

"I… don't know. But this is the only way I can get stronger now." Lin Mu stated.

Little shrubby soundlessly stared at Lin Mu for a bit before speaking, "don't worry, if you get injured I'll come to get you quickly." 

"Alright," Lin Mu said while rubbing his head.

~RUMBLE~

The sky darkened as black clouds appeared overheard.

"It is time…" Lin Mu muttered as he looked up at the sky.