Chapter 137: The Tribulation of Celestial Decay

“Good, Junior Brother Lin. You are refreshingly straightforward. Since that is the case, I will not beat around the bush either. I will solve the problem of the Tribulation Crossing Pills for you. No matter how many you need, we can supply them.”

The Ancestor of the Mo Family rose with a hearty laugh. It was not yet time to reveal everything. If they wanted someone’s help, they naturally had to offer some benefits first. Neither of them was young anymore; it was impossible for them to act on impulse and provide assistance for nothing.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two parted ways. The Ancestor of the Mo Family arranged for Lin Fan to stay in a small courtyard near his own residence.

“What exactly is the Ancestor of the Mo Family planning? I do not believe it is merely because we both came from the Heavenly Capital Sect.”

That night, Lin Fan sat cross-legged on a stone bed, deep in thought.

“There is no hatred without a reason, nor love without a reason. What is the Mo Family truly after?”

Lin Fan’s voice carried a chill. When two sides possessed equal strength, sincere cooperation might be possible. But when the disparity was too great, only the law of the jungle remained, and so-called fairness disappeared.

If the Ancestor of the Mo Family had not broken through to this level, things would have been easier to discuss. The Five Decays of Heaven and Man were powerful, but not impossible to resist; at the very least, escaping would not have been a problem. But now that he had entered the Void-Breaking Realm, the possibility of cooperation had fallen to its lowest point.

“No matter what you are plotting, I will deal with soldiers with generals and water with earth. So long as you do not betray me, I will accept this favor from your family.”

Lin Fan muttered to himself. A bottle stood before him, radiating medicinal power.

These were the Tribulation Crossing Pills that the Ancestor of the Mo Family had sent Mo Die to deliver—and there was more than one. Lin Fan had yet to check the exact number.

“The Tribulation Crossing Pills can summon the Decay Tribulation ahead of time. I would like to see what my Decay Tribulation will look like. I wonder whether this one bottle will be enough.”

Lin Fan opened the bottle, and a trace of shock appeared on his face. There were actually a hundred Tribulation Crossing Pills inside.

“For an ordinary person, one pill is enough. A genius who appears once in a thousand years needs ten. The number increases from there. I do not know how many I will need, but a hundred should be enough, right?”

Lin Fan’s eyes flickered. A hundred Tribulation Crossing Pills represented a considerable fortune. It seemed the Mo Family had placed a heavy wager on him.

“Having me stay here is probably also so they can monitor my every move. In other words, surveillance.”

Lin Fan let out a cold laugh, but did not dwell on the matter. He opened his mouth and swallowed ten Tribulation Crossing Pills at once. At the same time, an indescribable force spread outward.

This was the power of the Tribulation Crossing Pills. It communicated with Heaven and Earth. It did not belong to the category of energy and was probably related to the laws.

Immediately afterward, an aura of decay swept outward. This was the power of the Decay Tribulation of Heaven and Man. External forces could not resist it; one could only rely on one’s own strength to endure it. There were also certain heavenly treasures that could alter the situation, but unfortunately, Lin Fan possessed none of them at present.

“Grandfather, who exactly is this man? Why are we placing such a heavy wager on him? A hundred Tribulation Crossing Pills are no small matter.”

In a nearby courtyard, Mo Die stood beside the Ancestor of the Mo Family, gazing into the distance at the place where Lin Fan was staying.

“A hundred Tribulation Crossing Pills may seem like a great deal, but compared with that man’s value, they are nothing.”

The Ancestor of the Mo Family smiled faintly. No one could see his true thoughts. It was as though a layer of fog shrouded his mind, making him impossible to read.

“Our attack on the Yi Family must not fail. This man’s talent is indeed impressive, but he is merely at the First Decay of Heaven and Man. Is he truly worth so much of our attention? The Mo Family may not be large, but aside from you, Grandfather, we have more than a dozen experts above the Heaven-and-Man Realm. We outnumber the Yi Family by far. And now that you have entered the Void-Breaking Realm, we already have absolute confidence. Whether Lin Fan is here or not should make little difference. Besides, by sheltering him, we are bound to offend the Purple Robe Pavilion. The loss outweighs the gain.”

Mo Die removed her veil, revealing an exquisite face. Yet at this moment, her expression was indescribably cold, utterly different from her usual approachable manner, as though she were an entirely different person.

“The Purple Robe Pavilion is indeed powerful, but we are not weak either. Especially now that I have entered the Void-Breaking Realm, even the Purple Robe Pavilion will not act rashly.”

The Ancestor of the Mo Family shook his head, wearing the same faint yet confident smile as always.

“Grandfather, what exactly are you thinking?”

Once again, Mo Die felt that she could not see through the old man before her. He was like a towering mountain, so high that she could not perceive everything hidden within.

“Go back for now. His Decay Tribulation will take some time to overcome—about a month, more or less. Make your preparations. Launch the attack in one month.”

The Ancestor of the Mo Family saw the doubt in Mo Die’s eyes but did not expose it.

Just as the Ancestor of the Mo Family had said, Lin Fan’s attempt to overcome the Decay Tribulation was extremely prolonged, far exceeding even his expectations.

“It is still not enough. I seem to have reached that threshold, but I still cannot summon the Decay Tribulation.”

Lin Fan opened his eyes. Half a month had passed since he entered seclusion, and he had consumed a full fifty Tribulation Crossing Pills, yet he still had not summoned the Decay Tribulation.

“I will risk it. I will swallow every remaining Tribulation Crossing Pill!”

Lin Fan hardened his resolve and waved his hand, swallowing all fifty of the remaining pills in one go. It had to be said that this was an extraordinarily bold act. The Decay Tribulation summoned by fifty Tribulation Crossing Pills might well exceed the limits of what Lin Fan could endure—not to mention that he had already consumed fifty before this.

“What a bold move. I am becoming more and more interested in you. You swallowed a hundred Tribulation Crossing Pills in succession. Back then, I consumed only twenty. Die’er possesses the greatest talent among the younger generation of my Mo Family, yet she took only thirty.”

Just as Lin Fan had expected, the Ancestor of the Mo Family truly was monitoring him.

“If you can overcome this Decay Tribulation, then I will take you seriously. I wonder whether the legendary Bodhi Seed is really in your possession.”

The Ancestor of the Mo Family muttered to himself. After watching for a while longer, he withdrew his gaze. He already knew that Lin Fan possessed the Bodhi Seed.

Lin Fan, however, knew nothing of this. Even if he had known, he would not have cared. Since the existence of the Bodhi Seed had already been exposed, it would be difficult to hide it from the great clans. He had long been prepared for the Ancestor of the Mo Family to discover it.

Only half an hour after Lin Fan had consumed all one hundred Tribulation Crossing Pills, the Decay Tribulation of Heaven and Man finally arrived.

A mass of red clouds drifted over and stopped above the small courtyard where Lin Fan resided. A terrifying aura spread through the air, as though the entire world had reached the end of an era. All things were destined to decay and become nothing more than the past.

“This is the Decay Tribulation of Heaven and Man?!”

The appearance of the red clouds could not escape the notice of the Mo Family’s experts. The overlords of the Heaven-and-Man Realm awakened first, each turning their attention toward the Decay Tribulation.

“This is the Decay Tribulation of the First Decay of Heaven and Man. Could someone in our family be about to enter the Second Decay? But as far as I know, no one in the family has reached the peak of the First Decay. Die’er should be in the later stage of the First Decay, still far from the point where she could summon the Decay Tribulation.”

Confusion spread through the hearts of the Mo Family members as everyone began guessing the identity of the person who had triggered the Decay Tribulation.