Jian Lin was stunned. Why did breakthrough feel like this? It was nothing like what she had sensed before.
It wasn't a feeling of proud satisfaction, of eager excitement.
It was pain, burning heat, and the terror of nearing death.
"Let's go, we'll find another spot. Heavenly lightning will surely strike soon. This place is a hollow, it'll collect water, and these flowers are difficult to deal with. We're going to higher ground," the Demon Lord said, pulling her up regardless of her reaction and heading towards higher ground.
Jian Lin was dumbfounded. Her voice was hoarse, her body weak, and she feebly protested, "No, don't lie to me, I don't feel... like I'm about to break through..."
The Demon Lord, finding her a hindrance, bent down and picked her up, carrying her on his back. He said in a deep voice, "I told you, enlightenment and breakthrough aren't the only paths. Destiny is mysterious. When the time comes, it comes. Don't think about why now, think about how to cope."
Jian Lin's head was spinning. Previously, she had felt a sense of righteousness that was violated when she used spirit stones to buy victory. The feeling she had finally grasped vanished, and she had no ideas at all now.
"I don't know," Jian Lin said painfully, lying on the Demon Lord's shoulder. "I don't know anything."
As they spoke, the previously quiet and clear sky gradually gathered clouds. A gentle breeze blew past the man-eating flowers, making a clicking sound, signaling that something terrifying was about to happen.
The Demon Lord looked up at the sky, deciding to quicken his pace and leave the man-eating flower forest. As for Jian Lin, he would deal with it when they reached their destination.
Jian Lin lay on the Demon Lord's shoulder, the familiar and reassuring scent filling her breath. His shoulders were so broad and comforting. In a daze, she seemed to see another scene.
It was also a gloomy, rainy day. He was carrying her on his back, running back quickly. The wind and rain howled, yet she felt exceptionally safe because he was there.
The familiar feelings overlapped, and Jian Lin became confused. Just as she was about to think carefully, the Demon Lord turned and placed her on the ground.
"This is it," the Demon Lord said, supporting Jian Lin's shoulders to help her sit steadily. The wind ruffled his hair, and his gaze was incredibly firm. "Jian Lin, you are about to face the lightning tribulation. This isn't your first time enduring heavenly lightning. I believe you can definitely get through it. You must be strong, do you understand?"
Jian Lin swayed precariously. She suddenly reached out and touched the Demon Lord's face, saying with confusion, "It's you, how can it be you?"
The Demon Lord took her words as rambling and didn't take them seriously. He held Jian Lin's hand and replied, "It's me, it's always been me. Jian Lin, this is about your breakthrough. I can't protect you, but I believe you can do it."
Of course, if Jian Lin truly couldn't pass the tribulation, the Demon Lord would definitely intervene to save her. However, initially, he truly couldn't interfere.
Thinking this, the Demon Lord stood up and stepped back, wanting to distance himself from Jian Lin. Jian Lin's heart suddenly ached. She reached out to grab him, and at that moment, lightning flashed in the sky, and a bolt of heavenly lightning struck down.
"No..." Jian Lin groaned in pain, unsure if it was because the Demon Lord was leaving or because of the heavenly lightning.
No, she couldn't let the Demon Lord leave. This thought was firmly lodged in her mind. The heavy rain poured down. Jian Lin closed her eyes, redirected the restless power in her dantian, circulated it, and broke through layer after layer of obstruction, flowing within her body.
She wanted to live. She wanted to find the Demon Lord. She wanted to hold his hand.
Jian Lin finally subdued the rampaging power, which circulated wildly within her. The Demon Lord stood not far away. Through the wind, rain, lightning, and thunder, he saw a faint golden light appear on Jian Lin.
His eyes lit up with joy, knowing that this was it. Jian Lin was about to break through!
Several bolts of heavenly lightning struck consecutively. The golden light on Jian Lin grew stronger and stronger. Finally, with the last bolt of heavenly lightning, the golden light surged back, merging with the heavenly lightning. The sight was filled with crackling electrical currents.
The Demon Lord, seeing himself being affected, had to retreat a couple of steps to save himself. At the same time, a hint of confusion arose. What was happening?
He had seen many people break through to the Golden Core stage. Jian Lin's situation was too grand! Could it be the spirit-absorbing formation that caused her belated breakthrough to be so abnormal?
Before he could figure it out, a ring of light waves suddenly appeared centered on Jian Lin with a "pop." The power was extremely potent. The Demon Lord tapped his foot and flew backward to dodge it.
The power spread out arrogantly, shearing off a nearby hilltop and the heads of countless man-eating flowers. After a long time, it gradually dissipated.
The dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight reappeared. The man-eating flowers after the rain were even more vibrant. The entire world felt full of vitality.
The Demon Lord walked closer slowly. He saw Jian Lin sitting in place with her head bowed, but her aura had changed. A golden light barrier protected her. The Demon Lord knew at a glance that her Golden Core had been formed.
He congratulated her from afar, "Congratulations, you've become a Golden Core cultivator!"
He expected the person to look up with a smile, run towards him excitedly, and happily circle him.
However, Jian Lin remained motionless.
The Demon Lord suddenly panicked. He quickly walked up to her and touched her shoulder. Jian Lin seemed unresponsive, her body listing to one side, and she collapsed softly to the ground.
The Demon Lord caught her quickly, reached out, and clasped her wrist, confirming once again that there was no problem.
She had safely passed the lightning tribulation, and her Golden Core was formed. Why was she unconscious?
The Demon Lord picked her up. Seeing that it was getting dark, he decided to find a safe place to rest first.
In the center of the man-eating flower forest, there was a giant dead tree. Near the middle, there was a tree hollow. The Demon Lord, carrying Jian Lin, hid inside.
He sat down cross-legged, letting Jian Lin lie in his arms. Using the moonlight shining in from outside, he took out a restorative pill from his Qiankun bag and put it into her mouth.
Jian Lin, completely unaware, held the pill in her mouth without swallowing. The Demon Lord sighed softly, lowered his head, kissed her, and pushed the pill further in, helping her swallow it.
After taking the restorative pill, he continued to hold Jian Lin's pulse, confirming once again that there were no problems with her body. In fact, she didn't even need to take that restorative pill.
The Demon Lord fell into thought. If it wasn't a physical problem, then it must be a problem with her sea of consciousness. What was trapping Jian Lin?
In fact, the Demon Lord was not wrong. Jian Lin was indeed trapped, unable to wake up within her own sea of consciousness.
At this moment, she was lying on a golden-pink beach, with the system screen above her head, listening to the soothing sound of the waves, and complaining that the Demon Lord had taken advantage of her.
"A'zha, look at him, isn't he very bad?" Jian Lin said incredulously. "It's just giving medicine, can't it be done more normally?"
The system didn't respond, only reminding Jian Lin, "Host, you should find a way to get out quickly. Staying trapped in your sea of consciousness for too long can lead to trouble."
For cultivators, being trapped in their sea of consciousness for a long time could lead to becoming a vegetable.
"You should be saying that to me," Jian Lin propped herself up, raising her finger to scold it. "With so many points I have, aren't there any helpful items? This is your problem."
Jian Lin's breakthrough to Golden Core stage rewarded the system with twenty thousand points at once. Although it seemed like a lot, it was only equivalent to +4 in the Demon Lord's affection value.
Jian Lin had objections to this. She had suffered so much, and only received twenty thousand points for her Golden Core breakthrough, which she felt was too little.
The system emotionlessly emphasized that it was a "scum system" to begin with, and its main mission was to conquer the Demon Lord, so affection points were naturally worth more points.
Because of this, Jian Lin and the system had an argument, and she was still upset, speaking with barbs.
The system was silent for a moment, then replied faintly, "Host, I admit this is a system loophole. At this point, I can't do anything. You can only rely on yourself."
The system gave up, throwing the problem back. Jian Lin was about to faint from anger but was helpless.
Yes, she could only rely on herself.
She continued to lie flat on the beach, clasped her hands together, and silently prayed, "Demon Lord, oh Demon Lord, I hope you discover the problem soon and give me a hint on how to break through my sea of consciousness."
As Jian Lin understood it, the sea of consciousness was her spiritual world. She didn't understand why breaking through to Golden Core would make her shut down.
She recalled the various details of her breakthrough process, the pain, the Demon Lord carrying her, his words that breakthrough required self-reliance, and then him stepping back and her heart suddenly aching.
Jian Lin clutched her chest. Why did her heart ache when the Demon Lord left? What was that familiar yet elusive feeling?
The key was, the Demon Lord didn't seem to intend to leave her! What kind of melodramatic plot was she acting out alone?
Jian Lin scratched her head, unable to figure it out.
Suddenly, the system's alarm blared. It said urgently, "Host, someone is invading your sea of consciousness. I'm hiding first!"
As soon as the words fell, a figure was thrown towards Jian Lin. Jian Lin screamed and rolled to dodge. The person landed lightly beside her, looking at her with disdain.
"Jian Mu Sheng! You're really here?" the Demon Lord said in disbelief. "You're trapped in your own sea of consciousness, ha!"
Jian Lin was speechless. She sat up and looked at him, wronged and angry, "So what if I am? You, you dare to mock me? You scoundrel..."
Just as she was about to curse, the Demon Lord suddenly hugged her tightly, his strength so great that it felt like he was trying to crush her.
Jian Lin froze because she felt the Demon Lord trembling slightly.
"It's good that you're okay, that you're okay..." the Demon Lord whispered in her ear.
Jian Lin hugged the Demon Lord back, saying softly and coquettishly, "I'm fine, don't worry. I was just praying for you to come and save me. I didn't expect you to actually come. You're like Superman."
The Demon Lord released Jian Lin, sighed, and said, "Don't say those things I don't understand. Let's hurry and leave. If both of us stay in your sea of consciousness, and someone comes at this moment, one strike could end two lives."
Jian Lin realized that the Demon Lord meant that by coming into her sea of consciousness, his body was defenseless, which was extremely dangerous.
"Take me away quickly," Jian Lin urged. "Let's leave the sea of consciousness quickly!"
The Demon Lord said helplessly, "Jian Mu Sheng, I can't take you away. This is your sea of consciousness. Only you can leave!"
"That's fine then, tell me, how do I leave my own sea of consciousness?" Jian Lin asked anxiously.
"If you want to leave, you can leave!" the Demon Lord was going crazy. "Since ancient times, only those who actively sealed their sea of consciousness to seek death have existed. No one has ever been trapped in their sea of consciousness and unable to get out!"
Jian Lin panicked, "Then... why can't I get out?"
Of course, she wanted to leave. She desperately wanted to leave. She had thought about this action so many times!