"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm the one who brought this on. This is a Transformation Tribulation. Once you pass it, you'll be able to take human form, which will make it easier for you to serve me."
Lin Yu waved his hand dismissively. 'It's just a Transformation Tribulation. In myths and legends, monsters pass them with ease.'
"But, Master, my intuition is screaming at me. I have a premonition that I won't make it. I was just about to go get my affairs in order."
"Are you sure?" Lin Yu leaped up from his chair in astonishment. "The Transformation Tribulation is supposed to be the easiest of them all. And you think you can't pass it?"
Lin Yu wasn't surprised by Phantom's claim of having a premonition. 'He's about to transform into a spirit beast, so isn't it perfectly normal to have a gut feeling about things?'
"It's true, Master! The voice also said I can only use my own abilities and items I've made myself to withstand the Celestial Tribulation. If anyone else interferes, its power will increase tenfold and strike the helper with equal force. So... I think I'm doomed."
"Doesn't your Wind Barrier let you evade ten attacks? Where's your confidence?"
"Master, I have a feeling the Wind Barrier won't be able to block it. Besides, who knows how many times the Celestial Tribulation will strike?" Phantom sounded completely dejected.
"Don't panic, don't panic. Let me think." Seeing Phantom in this state, Lin Yu couldn't help but worry. 'Logically, the Transformation Tribulation shouldn't be this difficult. The only explanation is that Phantom's power isn't high enough. It seems his blue-grade quality is too low.'
Hearing this, Phantom hung his head.
'My grade really isn't high. If I were gold-grade, passing the Celestial Tribulation would be a breeze.'
"But don't worry. The simplest way to circumvent a Celestial Tribulation is with a Lightning Rod. But if you want to perfectly nullify the heavenly lightning, you'll need a—Faraday Cage."
"Wait here a minute. I'm going to see if anyone is selling steel bars and iron wire."
Luckily, the moment Lin Yu put out a call to buy steel bars in the World Channel, he received a private message from Ding Dong. Ding Dong had captured a large iron mine, had plenty of ore, and owned a Blacksmith Shop, which meant he could smelt metal. Lin Yu ended up buying more than a dozen steel bars and a large coil of iron wire.
Just as they finished the fruit, Lin Yu called Phantom and Chenxi to head outside to an open area, ready to teach Phantom how to build a Faraday Cage.
Phantom took the lead, striding out of the Lord's Mansion, with Lin Yu and Chenxi following behind.
"My Lord, can I bring you food every day from now on?"
"Of course! I can grant you access to the Lord's Mansion."
As he spoke, Lin Yu connected his consciousness to the Territory Core and adjusted the settings. 'Being fed by a beautiful woman feels pretty good,' he thought, wanting to enjoy it a little longer.
"There. You now have access to the Lord's Mansion. From now on, you can come and go as you please."
(P.S. Inside the Lord's Mansion, besides the administrative areas, there were also private quarters. Chenxi was not granted access to the private quarters.)
"Thank you, My Lord! You're so kind!"
Overjoyed, Chenxi hugged Lin Yu and gave him a light peck on the cheek before leading the way out of the Lord's Mansion.
Lin Yu followed behind, touching his cheek and chuckling to himself. A moment later, he quickened his pace and walked out.
-----------------
The group walked to a secluded spot far from the World Tree.
It was a clearing in the forest, with no large trees or buildings nearby. It was the perfect place for Phantom to face his tribulation, and it would also prevent any innocent bystanders from being harmed.
"This spot will do."
Lin Yu took the steel bars out of his personal inventory and began teaching Phantom how to build the Faraday Cage.
Since Lin Yu lacked the physical strength to work the steel bars himself, he could only give Chenxi step-by-step instructions. Phantom, meanwhile, watched, learned, and began to work on it himself.
"First like this... then like this..."
Following the image of a Faraday Cage from his memory, Lin Yu had them first connect the steel bars into a cube. Then, they used iron wire to link the bars at various points. Finally, they placed a thick wooden plank on the ground inside for someone to stand on, completing a simple Faraday Cage.
Phantom was a quick study. Lin Yu only had to guide Chenxi through the process once before he'd learned how to do it.
He was also incredibly strong, easily bending the steel bars. His claws weren't well-suited for the task, however, so he had to use both them and his mouth to get the job done.
After considerable effort, Phantom finished his own Faraday Cage. He had built a rectangular one, much longer than it was tall, to perfectly accommodate his lupine form.
"Master, will this work?"
Phantom gave the iron cage a gentle push. It swayed precariously, looking as if it might fall apart at any moment.
"Don't be afraid," Lin Yu reassured him. "A Faraday Cage conducts electricity into the ground without affecting anything inside."
"Its strength isn't in its sturdiness, but in its conductivity."
"For the next few days, don't worry about the construction of the Training Camp. Just focus on preparing for your tribulation. And by the way, try to make this Faraday Cage a little more solid."
"Remember, as long as you don't touch any part of the cage, you won't be harmed."
-----------------
「Three days later.」
The sky was clear for miles. Back in the same flat clearing, Lin Yu, Chenxi, Phantom, Phantom's family, and some of the territory's subjects who had been promoted to heroes gathered to watch.
All except for Phantom, the lone wolf, who stood inside the Faraday Cage at the center of the clearing. The rest of the spectators watched from a distance, perched on the canopies of the surrounding trees.
"It's starting!"
A cluster of pitch-black clouds materialized out of thin air above the clearing. The cloud mass swelled, quickly blanketing the sky directly over Phantom.
The heavy clouds roiled like boiling ink, with bolts of lightning snaking through them, threatening enough to destroy the world.
This Celestial Tribulation was a fundamental law of the world. According to legend, it was the Celestial Dao's way of testing and baptizing the strong, using heavenly lightning as its instrument.
From behind the thick tribulation clouds, Lin Yu sensed a familiar, majestic pressure, just like when he faced the Territory Core. Before he could dwell on it, a long howl cut through the air.
"AWOOOO—"
Phantom threw his head back and howled at the sky. He stood beside the cage, preparing to face the first wave of the Celestial Tribulation on his own. After all, no one knew if it would even count as passing the tribulation if he wasn't struck by a single bolt of heavenly lightning.
CRACK!
A bolt of green lightning shot out from the thundercloud, striking Phantom directly.
Sensing an irresistible power within the lightning, Phantom decisively activated his "Wind Barrier" skill.
The lightning passed through his body and struck the ground beside him.
"It worked!"
"Haha! See? I told you the Transformation Tribulation wouldn't be that hard! You can just nullify it with a skill!"
Lin Yu, watching from the sidelines, was ecstatic. But his smile vanished in an instant, and his expression changed.
'Wait, that's not right! Why is the lightning still attacking?'
One end of the green heavenly lightning passed through Phantom's body to strike the ground, but the other end remained connected to the tribulation cloud in the sky, continuously channeling its power into him.
'9... 8... 7... 6...'
The number of attacks Phantom's Wind Barrier could nullify was rapidly decreasing. In just a few seconds, it hit zero.
The moment the count dropped to zero, the heavenly lightning ceased its assault.
The onlookers breathed a collective sigh of relief, and Phantom's tense expression finally relaxed as well.
But in that very instant, another bolt of heavenly lightning came crashing down with a BOOM.