Suddenly, Lin Qian came to a realization. He snapped his eyes open, and the memories that had faded away surged back like a tidal wave.
The Thunder Night Sword and the Cloud Sword were both inherited from his parents—how could either be missing?
His master, Wei Wushuang, had clearly been cured by him—how could he have died?
Ye Xin had always stood by him—how could she ever despise him and want to break off their engagement?
The Huaxia Empire was an inseparable part of him, a bond that spanned two lifetimes—how could it simply vanish?
Flames of imperial soul power roared to life, and his imperial robe condensed instantly. The nine dragons roared as they charged forward, smashing the disciples of the Shengtian Sect who had been closing in on Lin Qian into pieces, leaving no trace of them behind.
The overwhelming imperial might radiated outward, crushing the disciples of the Shengtian Sect around him. One by one, they coughed up blood and perished, eventually disappearing altogether.
Crack, crack...
A crisp sound of breaking echoed, and the scene before Lin Qian began to crumble, eventually shattering like a broken mirror.
Lin Qian slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring at a tear-streaked face, gazing at him with deep concern.
"Xiao Qian!" Ye Xin cried out with joy when she saw Lin Qian finally awaken. She threw herself into his arms, her tears of relief falling freely.
"Hiss..." As Ye Xin embraced him, Lin Qian couldn't help but gasp in pain. The spot where she touched him throbbed intensely.
Hearing his sharp intake of breath, Ye Xin quickly pulled away from him, realizing she had caused him pain.
As Lin Qian sat up slowly, he noticed that he was back in the courtyard of the Ye family estate where he had lived as a child. The bed he lay on was the same one he had slept on as a boy.
It was clear that he was now in Bashan City in Linhai Province.
Looking down at himself, Lin Qian saw that his body was covered in blood. As he assessed his condition, he realized that he was gravely injured, with wounds identical to those he had sustained in the illusion where he had been surrounded and attacked.
"The Heart Tribulation... it truly lives up to its reputation." Lin Qian sighed inwardly as he sat up. Then, he turned to Ye Xin and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry, I'm fine now."
Ye Xin visibly relaxed and nodded, her voice filled with relief. "Thank goodness, Xiao Qian. You made it through."
"Give me a moment." Lin Qian retrieved a bottle of healing potion and drank it in one go.
Afterward, he sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a meditative state, focusing on his recovery.
At the same time, the Heavenly Mark within him began to release pure spiritual energy, which transformed into soul power and circulated throughout his body.
In his meditative state, Lin Qian's soul power absorbed the healing potion's effects, rapidly restoring his injuries.
It had been a long time since Lin Qian had sustained such severe injuries. If it weren't for this Heart Tribulation, he might never have suffered such a blow again.
Breaking down to build up!
After enduring such grave injuries and recovering, Lin Qian's already formidable body would become even stronger.
This qualitative transformation could only occur after enduring severe wounds and then breaking through to a new realm.
Indeed, Lin Qian had now reached the Heart Realm of the Life-and-Death Stage.
Everything he had experienced earlier was an illusion created by the Heart Tribulation, directly affecting his soul.
Even though Lin Qian had lived two lifetimes and had the blessing of the Huaxia Empire's fortune, he couldn't escape the rules of this world. He had to go through the Heart Tribulation to temper his soul, breaking free from the illusion to achieve a spiritual breakthrough and reach the Heart Realm of the Life-and-Death Stage.
The events in the illusionary world of the Heart Tribulation would manifest as real consequences for the one undergoing the tribulation.
For example, the severe injuries Lin Qian had sustained during the attack by the Shengtian Sect disciples in the illusion had also appeared on his actual body.
If he had died in the illusion, Lin Qian would have truly died as well.
Having already experienced the Heart Tribulation herself, Ye Xin knew how perilous it was. Seeing Lin Qian's injuries worsening, she knew he must have encountered trouble in the illusion.
"Thank goodness Xiao Qian made it through!" Ye Xin sat quietly by Lin Qian's side, watching him with lingering fear in her heart.
If something had happened to Lin Qian, she didn't know how she would have coped.
As Lin Qian immersed himself in his cultivation, he could clearly sense the changes within himself. His mind felt noticeably clearer, and concepts in cultivation that had previously seemed difficult to grasp suddenly made sense.
Moreover, Lin Qian could feel that his soul within his sea of consciousness had become more solid, showing a significant improvement.
As his realm advanced, his soul power and physical body also grew stronger.
After an entire day and night passed, Lin Qian finally emerged from his meditative state. His severe injuries had fully healed, and his physique had noticeably strengthened.
In addition to his physical enhancement, his soul power had also increased significantly.
Lin Qian was confident that if he were to face Wu Xuan again, he could defeat him with a single strike.
After solidifying his cultivation, Ye Xin, who had been sitting beside him, smiled and said, "Xiao Qian, congratulations on successfully advancing to the Heart Realm of the Life-and-Death Stage. You're just one step away from becoming an Awakening Realm expert!"
Hearing her words, Lin Qian couldn't help but smile wryly. "Advancing to the Awakening Realm isn't that easy. It'll still take some time."
Ye Xin nodded in agreement, her voice trembling slightly as she recalled the past few days. "Xiao Qian, you were unconscious for a whole month. It scared me to death, especially when your injuries started to worsen. It was terrifying."
Lin Qian smiled bitterly in response. "Who would have thought the Heart Tribulation would be this powerful? I didn't even realize it had begun. And to think it lasted so long—I was unconscious for an entire month!"
Lin Qian knew that time flowed differently in the illusion compared to the real world, but it still surprised him that he had been in a coma for so long.
When Li Yunfeng and the others had gone through their Heart Tribulations, Lin Qian had been present. However, their trials had only lasted five or six days, and they had emerged with only minor injuries—nothing like the severe wounds he had sustained.
"My memories were taken, and my strength was reduced to such a low level?" Ye Xin couldn't hide her shock after hearing Lin Qian describe his experience in the illusion. She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
When she had undergone her Heart Tribulation, she had been unable to recognize that she was in an illusion, but her strength hadn't diminished, nor had her past memories been altered.
But Lin Qian's illusion had not only taken him back in time, but it had also gradually erased most of his memories and reverted his strength to when he hadn't even begun cultivating.
Why had such a strange situation occurred? Ye Xin found herself completely at a loss to understand it.