Chapter 130: Forcing the Ship-Cultivation Strategy: Winning the Male Lead’s Favor from the Start(The young lady walks with confidence, unafraid to go her own way.)

At this moment, Yan Shu’s mind was entirely focused on how to withstand the final heavenly tribulation. She paid little attention to Xiao Jihan’s words. After all, having shared life and death, even she herself had been moved, so it was only natural that Xiao Jihan would be as well. It was a normal progression for him to make a vow of eternal loyalty under the influence of such emotion. If it were possible, she would have loved to swear a blood oath with him—a pact of "best brothers for life," not asking to be born on the same day, but willing to die on the same day. After all, the male lead could never die.

Yan Shu glanced at Xiao Jihan. The space above his head where his affection level usually appeared was empty, just as it had been during his last tribulation. Although she couldn't see it, the level had certainly increased. Yan Shu flashed him a graceful smile and said, "Mm, in this life, I shall certainly never fail you either."

When Wen Youhe, Bing Shi’en, Liu Zhiqing, and Shi Wanqing arrived at Wushang Peak, this was the scene that greeted them: a man and a woman, both of striking appearance, their fingers tightly interlaced. They were gazing at each other, faint smiles gracing their lips. Beneath their feet lay the lotus throne of the Karmic Fire Red Lotus, and around them, the lotus petals were half-closed, still flickering with the flames of karma. The handsome man and the beautiful woman, hands clasped and eyes locked—the red lotus blooming like fire, the petals curving to cradle the pair—it was a scene worthy of a painting.

Seeing this, Wen Youhe and the others instantly felt it was an eyesore. Yan Shu, naturally noticing her senior brothers' arrival, was overjoyed. She hurriedly pulled her hand away from Xiao Jihan’s, hopped off the lotus throne, and dashed toward them. "Senior Brothers! You’re here! That’s wonderful! We were barely holding on!"

Wen Youhe’s expression darkened further, and Shi Wanqing barked, "What do you mean 'we'? The one undergoing the tribulation is clearly that brat Xiao Jihan. What does that have to do with our Junior Sister?"

Yan Shu chuckled. "He is my disciple and also my junior brother; it’s only right that I help him."

Wen Youhe glanced at Xiao Jihan, who remained on the lotus throne, and let out a soft huff. He said to Yan Shu, "Enough, put away the Karmic Fire Red Lotus. We will handle the final bolt of heavenly lightning for him."

"You got it!" Yan Shu happily retracted the lotus throne. Her eldest senior brother was now at the Mahayana stage; his strength alone was sufficient to withstand this final tribulation, not to mention the fourth senior brother, who was also at the Mahayana stage, and the second and third senior brothers, who were at the Combined Integration stage. However, Xiao Jihan, the protagonist, was far from happy; his face was as dark as soot.

He looked at his own hand, where the phantom warmth of her delicate fingers seemed to linger. Xiao Jihan narrowed his eyes. This was the second time he had been abandoned by Yan Shu just because she had encountered her four senior brothers! Truly, how wonderful! Unfortunately, Yan Shu could not see his affection level and could not possibly guess his thoughts; even if she could see the level, she would never have guessed them anyway.

Liu Zhiqing patted Yan Shu on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, leave the rest to us. Go to the side and rest."

Upon hearing this, Yan Shu retreated to the side with peace of mind. She summoned her lightning whip, inspecting it carefully; it was much better than the charred rope it had become last time. She fed most of her remaining spiritual power to the golden fur, and before long, the whip regained its shimmering, iridescent glow.

Having done this, Yan Shu looked toward Xiao Jihan. Wen Youhe, Bing Shi’en, Liu Zhiqing, and Shi Wanqing had already taken their positions at the four corners, surrounding him. The four knew that this final bolt of lightning would be extraordinary; after all, the previous eight had been so powerful—how could the final gatekeeper be weak? Furthermore, this last bolt had been gathering energy for half a day. Consequently, the four were on high alert, releasing their spiritual power in unison to place layer upon layer of defensive barriers around Xiao Jihan. Not only that, but they also used their combined energy to erect a shield above his head.

Just then, the ninth bolt of lightning, which had kept everyone in such a state of tension, finally descended!

*Boom!*

With a thunderous roar, the lightning struck!

However... staring at the bolt of lightning, which was no thicker than a pinky finger, everyone was stunned. Yan Shu was also dumbfounded. What was this? This was supposed to be heavenly lightning?! A standard spark of static electricity was thicker than that! Were they playing with her?! The lightning hit the barrier and vanished in the blink of an eye, not even a single spark splashing out. It simply disappeared without a trace.

Yan Shu suddenly felt the deep, malicious intent of the Heavenly Dao. Honestly, she highly suspected that the lightning was being controlled! It had not only forced her to get close to Xiao Jihan and pressured her into sharing life and death with him, but the moment she brought in outside help, the person controlling the lightning felt bored, tossed out a fake bolt, and left. This was practically forcing her to ship the couple!

The lightning ended, and the thunderclouds gradually dispersed. The rays of the setting sun spilled down, shrouding everyone in a golden-red glow. The atmosphere was somewhat awkward, given that they had prepared for a battle only to be met with a tiny spark. Wen Youhe withdrew his spiritual energy and stood in silence. Liu Zhiqing followed suit, clearing his throat. "Well... since the tribulation has passed, we should be heading back."

Bing Shi’en and Shi Wanqing, hearing this, snapped out of their stupor and hurriedly withdrew their energy as well. Bing Shi’en looked at Xiao Jihan and said, "You have just ascended to the Transformation stage; go quickly and cultivate to consolidate your realm."

Xiao Jihan did not move. Instead, he stood where he was and cupped his hands toward the four. "Xiao Jihan thanks the four Martial Uncles."

Hearing this, the four men felt somewhat awkward, as they had arrived only to find they had not actually been of any help. Wen Youhe glanced at Xiao Jihan and said coolly, "Let’s go."

Xiao Jihan bowed. "I respectfully see off the four Martial Uncles."

Wen Youhe gave a grunt of acknowledgement and beckoned to Yan Shu. "Junior Sister, come here."

Yan Shu hurried over. Wen Youhe looked her up and down, and seeing that she was unharmed, he finally set his mind at ease. "Junior Sister, what is your current cultivation realm?"

At this question, Yan Shu’s heart skipped a beat. Before her master returned to the seal, he had repeatedly warned her never to disclose the existence of the seal to her four senior brothers. Because if they discovered the seal, they would realize that she was no longer the original Yan Shu. Her master could accept her existence, but her four senior brothers might not—after all, in the cultivation world, such a crossing would only be seen as soul-snatching!

Yan Shu steadied herself, estimated the original owner’s cultivation speed, and replied in a low voice, "I have just reached the late Transformation stage."

Yan Shu had only just turned one hundred years old this month. Logically speaking, reaching the late Transformation stage at one hundred was a speed unprecedented in history. Yet, upon hearing her, Wen Youhe frowned. "Why so slow?"