The Power Tribulation involves the burning and tempering of one's soul energy, and a single misstep can cause permanent damage to the meridians and dantian, leaving them irreparable.
Thus, when soul warriors face this tribulation in the Strength Stage, they approach it with extreme caution. This is common knowledge among all soul warriors, and the human and sea tribe geniuses who entered the Four Corners World had thoroughly prepared themselves for it. They sought out secluded and safe locations where they wouldn't be disturbed, allowing them to focus on breaking through and enduring the tribulation.
However, one person shattered their understanding—Lin Qian, who had disappeared for nearly a year.
The inner depths of the Exchange Hall were blocked by formations, so no one knew what was inside. Yet, Lin Qian suddenly emerged from within.
But it wasn't just his sudden appearance that left everyone gaping in astonishment. What truly shocked them was the semi-transparent flames of the Power Tribulation that engulfed Lin Qian's entire body as he walked out from the depths of the hall, his expression showing no signs of discomfort.
"Are you... undergoing the Power Tribulation?" one of the human geniuses standing in the central formation, exchanging treasures, gaped at Lin Qian as he passed by and couldn't help but ask.
Lin Qian chuckled lightly, waved his hand, and replied, "Of course. Isn't it obvious?"
"…"
Everyone could see it, but the reality was so unbelievable that they couldn't accept what they were witnessing.
All eyes were glued to Lin Qian as he nonchalantly walked toward Ye Xin and the others, still enveloped in the flames of the Power Tribulation.
Just then, the flames around Lin Qian's body suddenly flared up, burning even more fiercely than before.
Everyone present focused intently on Lin Qian, eager to see how he would handle the situation.
The Power Tribulation consists of five levels of flames, with each level's fire growing progressively stronger. Only by enduring all five levels of flames can one successfully pass the tribulation and advance to the Strength Stage.
The raging flames completely enveloped Lin Qian's figure. However, his expression remained unchanged, just as calm as when he had first walked out of the Exchange Hall, seemingly unconcerned by the flames.
At this moment, though, Lin Qian's face showed a hint of impatience. "If I remember correctly, circulating soul energy should trigger the five levels of flames to appear faster, right?"
Lin Qian didn't bother to hide his thoughts, and although he was muttering to himself, everyone around him was a powerful warrior with sharp senses. They all heard him clearly.
When they realized that Lin Qian intended to circulate his soul energy to hasten the arrival of the five levels of flames, everyone thought he had gone mad.
The flames of the Power Tribulation grow increasingly intense with each level. In the past, there had been geniuses who, confident in their extraordinary talents, had circulated their soul energy to forcefully accelerate the process.
The result was always the same—their soul energy was completely consumed, their meridians and dantian were scorched beyond repair, and they lost their lives.
When facing the Power Tribulation, one should steadily endure each level of flames, rather than recklessly attempting to merge all five levels at once—a path that leads only to death.
"This Lin Qian is just like those self-assured geniuses. He thinks he's invincible, but it looks like he'll end up meeting the same fate," one of the human geniuses muttered.
"Judging by how easily he handled the initial flames, he could have safely passed through the tribulation by taking it one step at a time. What a pity," another genius from the human tribe sighed as he watched Lin Qian's soul energy begin to surge, shaking his head in disapproval.
While they lamented Lin Qian's impending demise, his soul energy surged within him, igniting the semi-transparent flames deep within his body. In an instant, the flames of the Power Tribulation flared up violently, and in the blink of an eye, they enveloped Lin Qian in a blaze over ten meters high.
The massive flames left everyone present, both human and sea tribe geniuses, aghast. None of them had ever seen such a formidable display of the Power Tribulation's flames.
At that moment, they all shared the same thought—Lin Qian was doomed.
He was playing with fire, and it was going to consume him.
Engulfed in the immense flames of the Power Tribulation, Lin Qian looked down at his outstretched hands, carefully sensing the changes within himself as his soul energy burned.
To the onlookers, Lin Qian's actions seemed suicidal, but in reality, he was still in full control of the situation.
The body and soul energy are intrinsically linked, always maintaining a delicate balance. For example, the Wuxing tribe possesses incredibly strong souls, resulting in powerful soul energy, but their physical bodies are weak, creating an imbalance.
No matter how powerful the soul energy becomes, the body mustn't be too weak. Similarly, a powerful body also requires strong soul energy.
A strong body needs the support of blood and strength, which in turn rely on soul energy. Conversely, vast and powerful soul energy needs a sufficiently strong body to contain it.
In Lin Qian's case, both his body and soul energy were equally strong, perfectly balanced.
When the Power Tribulation's flames burn soul energy, they don't harm the meridians and dantian. Instead, the flames temper them, strengthening them.
However, if the flames consume all the soul energy, they will begin to scorch the meridians and dantian, eventually destroying them and turning the soul warrior into a cripple.
At that point, the flames would erupt outward, incinerating the body until nothing remained but ash.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed through the air as the flames around Lin Qian intensified once more, surging up another ten meters and completely swallowing his figure.
Seeing this, many onlookers shook their heads in dismay, convinced that Lin Qian was doomed.
In a normal breakthrough, one would pass through each level of flames, gradually tempering their meridians and dantian, allowing their soul energy to grow stronger before moving on to the next level. This steady, methodical approach was the safest way to endure the tribulation.
"Overconfidence leads to arrogance, and that's what brings you down," one human genius remarked, his gaze filled with regret as he watched the blazing inferno surrounding Lin Qian. He couldn't help but feel it was a shame to see such a talent fall because of his own hubris.
"Great, now the old man's probably going to kill me..." Fang Ziqian muttered, rubbing his head in frustration as he watched Lin Qian disappear into the flames.
Li Yunfeng, Yang Tianhao, and the others also wore grim expressions, silently cursing Lin Qian's arrogance for leading him to forcefully summon all five levels of flames.
Among them, only Ye Xin remained steadfast in her belief that Lin Qian would successfully endure the Power Tribulation. "Don't worry. Lin Qian will make it through."
"Impossible," a young human genius scoffed from a distance, shaking his head as he looked at Ye Xin with pity, as if her faith in Lin Qian was nothing more than a hopeless delusion.