I Was the Sun Before I Became an Immortal

Leaving behind the oppressive cavern of the Dragon's Fall, the outside air felt remarkably fresh.

Chifeng carried Si Chen, traveling alongside Heishan as they darted swiftly through towering mountain ranges, heading back toward their familiar den.

On Si Chen's shoulder, Red Bean had curled into a tiny red ball of fur, fast asleep.

Ever since swallowing Lü Ci's Nascent Soul, she had remained in this state, radiating a faint warmth from her body, as though quietly digesting that surge of pure energy.

Si Chen could sense the hidden flame power within her slowly growing, so he let her sleep undisturbed.

Sitting atop Chifeng's back, Si Chen gazed down at the rolling, mist-shrouded mountain ranges below. Several times he opened his mouth, suggesting that he join the search party for Fang Yuheng.

"Perhaps I could start from the eastern side—"

Before he could finish, Heishan cut him off with a rough voice, shaking his head like a rattle-drum. "No! Brother! My dear brother! We don't need your help finding him!"

"You just go back and focus on your Closed-Door Cultivation! Leave that little punk Fang to your big brothers! I swear on Chifeng's tiger sinew — we'll drag him out for sure!"

Chifeng, who had been flying along perfectly fine, nearly lost control of his breathing at those words.

He shot Heishan a fierce glare, then turned to Si Chen and said earnestly, "Si Chen, Wanji Mountain is our territory. I've already mobilized every demon in the mountain who has awakened their spiritual intelligence. They know every blade of grass and every tree here."

"It will be far more effective than us… well, than searching aimlessly."

Si Chen watched the two demons acting as though facing a great enemy. He was silent for a moment, then finally accepted the reality.

"All right."

He gave up on the idea with a helpless sigh.

"Then I'll focus on completing the second tribulation first."

* * *

Chifeng brought Si Chen to an old den he had lived in during his early, weaker days.

The place was truly well-hidden, tucked behind a roaring waterfall. The curtain of water acted like a natural veil, completely concealing the cave entrance behind it. Unless one was deliberately searching, it would be nearly impossible to find.

"Well, well, old cat — didn't expect you to be so good at hiding back in the day." Heishan looked the water-curtain cave up and down, clicking his tongue in admiration.

Chifeng shot back without missing a beat: "Still better than some idiot who only knows how to hollow out tree trunks."

"Who are you calling an idiot?!"

"Whoever answers to it!"

The two demons fell into their habitual bickering. Si Chen had long since grown used to it and walked into the cave on his own.

Inside, it was dry and well-ventilated. Though not particularly spacious, it was more than sufficient as a temporary place for Closed-Door Cultivation.

Bicker as they might, the two demons were utterly serious when it came to real matters. Heishan thumped his broad chest with a resounding thud. "Brother, just focus on your cultivation in there! With your big brothers on guard, not even a male housefly will get through!"

Chifeng gave a solemn nod as well.

Si Chen said nothing more. He found a flat stone platform and sat down cross-legged.

Heishan and Chifeng withdrew to just outside the waterfall at the cave entrance, standing one on each side like a pair of door gods, personally standing guard for him.

The cave fell into silence, with only the sound of the waterfall filtering through the stone walls.

Si Chen took a deep breath, adjusted himself to peak condition, then retrieved the dragon pearl wreathed in violet lightning.

The moment the dragon pearl appeared, a vast and overwhelming pressure filled the cave. Within it lay not only the blood essence and demonic power the Flood Dragon had spent its entire life cultivating and condensing…

But deeper still — a supremely yang and supremely unyielding force, carrying the punishment of the Heavenly Dao — the tribulation lightning of the dragon's transformation!

An ordinary Cultivator who obtained such a pearl would do everything possible to absorb its pure blood essence and demonic power to advance their cultivation.

But to Si Chen, those were merely byproducts.

What he needed was precisely that strand of tribulation lightning — the very force that made countless Cultivators tremble at its mere mention!

The first tribulation of the "Nine Tribulation Thunder Body" — the Tribulation of Yin Thunder — had tempered his flesh and skin, and he had passed through it safely.

This second tribulation required drawing Yang Thunder into his body to temper his sinews and bones.

He needed to guide the thunder through himself, letting it flow and scour along his Meridians and skeleton, until his sinews and bones were as strong as a dragon's — only then would it be considered complete.

* * *

With a subtle shift of his intent, Si Chen carefully guided the strand of violet tribulation lightning within the dragon pearl, peeling it free.

That strand of violet lightning resembled a tiny serpentine dragon. Once separated from the dragon pearl, it radiated a heart-chilling aura of destruction.

Yet, just as it was about to surge violently into Si Chen's body through his Meridians, something strange happened.

The violet lightning, which had been so ferociously wild a moment before, suddenly shrank back as though it had encountered something utterly terrifying!

Not only did it swirl restlessly within the pearl, but even the light it radiated dimmed by several degrees…

Let alone destroying his Meridians — it didn't even dare burrow in the slightest. It looked more like a startled creature than anything resembling the majesty of a heavenly tribulation.

Si Chen let out a soft sound of surprise. Unlike the Yin Thunder of the first tribulation, this Yang Thunder seemed to possess a faint trace of consciousness.

And moreover… it seemed rather disobedient?

He needed it to temper his sinews and bones, yet here it was, hesitating and cowering.

How could that do?

Si Chen furrowed his brow slightly. He had gone through so much trouble to obtain this, and he couldn't afford to have it fall apart for such an inexplicable reason.

So he tried speaking to it:

"Come here. Help me temper my sinews and bones."

The violet lightning gave a violent shudder — and rather than coming closer, it shrank back even tighter, nearly coiling itself into a ball at the core of the dragon pearl.

Si Chen fell silent. What was going on? This Body Tempering tool had gone on strike?

He stared at the violet thunder "playing dead" inside the dragon pearl, deeply dissatisfied.

He was just about to scold it when he suddenly recalled something he had witnessed back in Wanggu City — some women coaxing children who refused to take medicine… apparently a gentler approach worked better?

Worth a try?

So he patiently switched tactics, this time adding a note of encouragement:

"Good, don't be afraid. Just come in for a quick pass."

The moment those words fell, the violet lightning inside the dragon pearl gave a violent tremor — as though engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

Si Chen watched its cowardly display, his patience nearly exhausted.

Then the violet lightning slowly drifted out of the dragon pearl, moved toward Si Chen on its own, and began to seep gradually into his skin.

The anticipated searing pain never came. Instead, there was a warm, tingly, and oddly pleasant sensation.

Rather than a violent tempering, it felt more like a careful, meticulous massage.

The violet current delicately cleared away impurities from his sinews and bones, reinforcing every inch of their structure — yet it didn't dare damage even the finest blood vessel by the slightest degree.

What's more, while this strand of Yang Thunder diligently went about its work, it continuously transmitted faint impressions to Si Chen — something along the lines of "I'm being very obedient."

Si Chen: "…"

This was quite different from the raging-inferno, break-and-rebuild Body Tempering process he had envisioned.

Still, the effect seemed… not bad?

His sinews and bones were being strengthened in a steady and highly efficient manner.

His bones gradually took on a warm, jade-like luster, with faint violet thunder-patterns flickering within them for a brief moment before vanishing.

Since the process was going smoothly, he stopped dwelling on the method.

Si Chen closed his eyes, fully settled his mind, and stopped paying attention to the "excessively well-behaved" Yang Thunder. He began running the cultivation technique of the "Nine Tribulation Thunder Body."

Time passed — how much, he could not say. The violet current enveloping Si Chen slowly sank beneath his skin, as though completely absorbed by his body.

He slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his pupils, a violet arc of lightning seemed to flash and vanish.

He gently clenched his fist. A surge of power — far mightier than before — filled his entire body.

Nine Tribulation Thunder Body, second tribulation — complete!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!