Chapter 133: The Tribulation of Celestial Decay

As twilight descended deep within the dense forest, a solitary figure sat cross-legged on the ground, radiant beams of divine light emanating from his body, giving him the appearance of an immortal.

“Young one, if you release my clone, perhaps you can still save your life,” a voice spoke from the darkness. It was the mysterious man.

Yet, he no longer held the commanding presence he once had; his eyes were arrogant no longer, for he had been suppressed by Lin Fan for half a month.

Indeed, it had been half a month since the conclusion of the Wangwu Mountain affair, and the man on the ground was none other than Lin Fan.

“Are you negotiating with me?” Lin Fan opened his eyes, a brilliant gleam flashing within his gaze.

“Young one, I don’t know your true intentions, but one thing you must understand—my true self has already learned of what has transpired here. He will certainly arrive, and even if you have powerful allies behind you, they will not be able to withstand my wrath.”

The mysterious man remained calm. He was a Zujing realm master—an invincible figure of legend, possessing unfathomable power. Even in ancient times, he was a dominant presence, unrivaled across eras. Moreover, even among the Zujing, he was formidable.

Thus, he had the right to speak with such confidence, even though he was currently trapped and only a clone.

“I do not deny that, but surely you understand this as well: even if you are of the Zujing realm, you cannot extend your reach into the Great Jin Kingdom. Besides, you must have noticed the connection between myself and the Judgement Spear. Should you act, it would never stand idly by.”

Lin Fan rose to his feet, a cold smile curling his lips. A vertical eye appeared on his forehead, allowing him to see through the mysterious man’s clone clearly.

The clone was not a true flesh and blood being, but a terrifying manifestation condensed from rare heavenly materials, imbued with immense force and tension. No wonder it could withstand the power of an Emperor-level strike. Lin Fan even suspected that, given time, the mysterious man might summon the supreme might of the Zujing realm itself.

“The Judgement Spear? Is that your reliance? Let me advise you: the Judgement Spear cannot appear in the mortal world, lest it be detected. But I am not bound by such restrictions—I can freely walk among mortals. You should remember that.”

The mysterious man furrowed his brow; the Judgement Spear indeed caused him some apprehension. Yet, clearly, he was privy to many secrets and was not overly concerned.

“You are no match for it.”

Lin Fan retracted his energy-sensing technique, his mind already made up.

Now at the late stage of the Tianren Realm’s first decline, the next step would be the second decline. To reach that point, he needed to survive a decline calamity and accumulate tremendous power—like filling a vessel to the brim before reaching its peak.

The appearance of the mysterious man’s clone was perfect to supplement Lin Fan’s energy reserves, so now his focus could be solely on surviving the Tianren calamity.

“Though I am no match for it, it cannot slay me. But you are different—you are but a mere nobody.”

The mysterious man sneered, a murderous gleam flickering in his eyes.

“And even if I am a nobody, what of it? You are still in my grasp,” Lin Fan retorted coldly.

He extended his hand, pressing it firmly against the mysterious man’s forehead, unleashing a tremendous suction force.

The Devouring Technique activated once more. Lin Fan’s face flushed as he sensed a surge of power flowing into him.

He had spent the past half month recuperating, elevating his cultivation to its zenith. Now, he was confident he stood at the pinnacle.

A full month passed in this way.

“The power of the Poxi Realm is indeed overwhelming. I have barely used even one percent. With the mysterious man’s power absorbed, it seems I no longer need to worry about energy accumulation until the fifth decline of the Tianren Realm.”

Lin Fan exhaled deeply and slowly stood up. By now, the mysterious man had vanished, reduced to a surge of energy within Lin Fan’s dantian.

“The Tianren calamity approaches. I am currently at my lowest point—my strength fluctuates wildly. At my strongest, I can defeat an opponent at the late stage of the third decline; at my weakest, I am barely equivalent to the fifth level of the Condensed Vein Realm.”

Shaking his head, Lin Fan reflected on what he already knew about the Tianren calamity. This fluctuation in strength was just the beginning, but also the most critical.

Imagine facing an opponent you could barely overcome in a hard-fought battle, only to suddenly weaken yourself; it would be courting death. Hence, most choose to avoid combat during the Tianren calamity and instead retreat into seclusion.

But Lin Fan could no longer afford to remain secluded—he had to venture out.

To survive the Tianren calamity, a special pill was needed—the legendary Tribulation-Transcending Pill. The calamity struck fiercely, and without it, survival was difficult. Furthermore, Lin Fan required the pill to actively trigger the calamity.

“I am confident I can pass through the calamity on my own, but its arrival is random. Sometimes, fortune smiles upon one, and it comes naturally. I have no time to wait—I need external means to provoke it. The Tribulation-Transcending Pill allows me to do so. I must obtain it.”

Determination gleamed in Lin Fan’s eyes. He had resolved to return to the Tianwu Domain.

It was easy to imagine the storm that would greet his return—many would be terrified to their core. Who could have imagined that nearly a year later, Lin Fan would possess power at the level of the third decline of the Tianren Realm? Even Chu Yunji would be no match at that time.

“But obtaining the Tribulation-Transcending Pill is no easy feat, at least for me now.”

Lin Fan smiled wryly, feeling somewhat at a loss.

There were only two known sources for the pill: either from powerful families or by purchase. But both paths were blocked.

First, in the Ancient Buddha Domain, he knew no influential families personally. The only contacts he had were the Purple Robe Pavilion and the Yi family—both utterly impossible to approach. If they learned he had slain their rising stars among the younger generation, the rift would be irreparable. As for the Xiang family, it was even less likely—they were not from the Ancient Buddha Domain, nor even from the Ying Tian Prefecture, so possession of the pill seemed improbable. Besides, Lin Fan had no desire to encounter the Flowerfall Young Master at this time.

Second, purchasing the pill was a fantasy. Its price was astronomical, and Lin Fan was nearly penniless. It was almost laughable that he could be troubled by such a problem.

“Enough of this—first, I must leave here. Not far from here lies a city in the Ancient Buddha Domain. There should be Tribulation-Transcending Pills there. How I obtain one can be figured out later.”

Lin Fan sighed, lifting his leg to step out of the cave, unaware that both the Purple Robe Pavilion and the Yi family had already discovered that he was the one who had slain their prodigious young heirs.