(Second Update!) With this Heavenly Tribulation over, everyone present, whether contemporary masters or common folk, would be utterly annihilated!
That damned bastard!
Who on earth breaks through and attempts tribulation in a densely populated area?
Especially one as terrifying as this lightning tribulation!
This is simply courting death while dragging everyone else down with him...
The pillar of lightning roared down, but the anticipated cataclysmic explosion never materialized. This massive bolt of lightning seemed to dissolve soundlessly into the vast ocean, utterly silent from beginning to end, without even the faintest noise...
What in the world is going on?
Every mind harbored a huge question mark.
But... the imposing aura of the lightning was undeniable; such terrifying power, could it truly be just a feint? They had never heard of such a thing...
Then came the second, the third... the frequency of the lightning pillars descending increased rapidly, and their girth grew even thicker, striking down from the heavens incessantly, one after another...
The entire earth shuddered violently, shaking as if winnowed by the wind; small stones on the ground bounced and leaped from the sheer resonance of the thunder...
Yet, the ensuing sound of explosion after the lightning struck never sounded...
"Heavens... what is happening?? Could the one undergoing tribulation be nullifying such a massive tribulation with their own power? How is that possible!" He Zhiqiu stood at the window, utterly dumbfounded, watching everything unfold. His thoughts had stalled; this seemed the only plausible explanation, but... could it truly be real?
Elsewhere in the city.
On the roof of an inn, three figures stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing intently at the spot where the furious lightning and thunder were raining down. Each face was etched with solemnity.
Of these three, the central figure, slender and graceful in flowing white robes, was Qiao Ying. To her left and right stood two lean, middle-aged men. They stood silently on the rooftop, not exerting the slightest trace of profound energy, yet all three exuded an otherworldly bearing, towering like mountains. It was as if the entire expanse of darkening clouds was being held aloft by their tall figures.
"What exactly is happening? Is this... truly someone undergoing passage?" Qiao Ying’s low voice seemed directed both inward and toward the other two beside her.
The expressions of the two men flanking her became instantly complicated. They exchanged glances but remained silent, for even now, they could not be certain what was truly transpiring!
If this spectacle was caused by just a single person undergoing passage, and they could calmly resolve it without showing any sign of strain... that would be too sensational to believe!
"Perhaps... it should be a pair, right?" The middle-aged man on the left hesitated, his voice laced with extreme uncertainty. His eyes, usually sharp as a peregrine falcon's, were now filled with rare bewilderment. As he uttered the words, a question echoed in his own mind: "Is this... really the case?"
"If... the cause of this spectacle is only one person undergoing passage..." The eyes of the man on the right glittered with a mixture of reverence and shock, "Then this person's strength, even if falling short of the Nine Nether First Young Master from ten thousand years ago... would not be far behind!"
"Even the most perilous moment during our own passage was at best only a fraction of what we see now!"
Qiao Ying gasped in shock, "If that’s true, then this person’s strength surpasses ours by several times! Does such a powerful being truly exist in this world? Such strength is something even the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master could never possess. Such a powerhouse is truly only comparable to the Nine Nether First Young Master of yesteryear, though the First Young Master was still stronger! Looking at the world today, there is no other rival!"
"Precisely. If it truly is just one person passing the trial and ultimately succeeding, then their strength is unequaled among their contemporaries; the title of World's Foremost is undeniably theirs!" The two men stared at the spot where the lightning struck with fervent gazes, their faces slowly alight with excitement.
Qiao Ying rubbed her eyes, looking at her two companions with an expression of utter disbelief. Her cherry lips parted slightly, leaving her speechless.
Were these two Divine Guards of hers—the absolute pinnacle experts of the current generation—truly the Heart-Sealing Heavenly Sword and the Unfettered Raging Blade? This was almost too incredible to fathom!
Qiao Ying half-suspected that these two might be imposters, someone masquerading as the Heavenly Sword and the Absolute Blade just to stay by her side!
Heavenly Sword, Absolute Blade! The two great Guardians of the Heaven Saint Palace! Two supreme experts whose power was absolutely no less than that of the Palace Master!
Heart-Sealing Heavenly Sword, Cheng Yin Xiao; Unfettered Raging Blade, Qu Wu Hui!
These were two legends, two great prides of the Profound Profound Continent!
And now, these legendary figures watched the direction of the lightning and thunder with expressions steeped in reverence, their gazes filled with near-worship, like primary school students suddenly meeting their idols—showing complete, prostrate respect!
Who was the one undergoing tribulation beneath that storm of lightning and thunder? Who could it be?
Man or monster?
"Whether man or monster, they are unquestionably the World's Foremost!" As if discerning Qiao Ying's thoughts, Qu Wu Hui offered a measured conclusion.
In the distance, shrouded in dense darkness, a solitary black silhouette silently ascended. Illuminated intermittently by the boundless blackness and the flashing lightning, this figure was like a faint shadow, seeming to merge seamlessly with the endless darkness surrounding him.
This person's position was less than fifteen zhang from the epicenter of the descending tribulation lightning! This was an extremely perilous distance. If the lightning field expanded even slightly, he would have nowhere left to escape!
Who could possess such skill to approach this closely, and harbor such audacity to draw near a location where entry was forbidden to all others?!
If anyone in this era possessed such audacity and such ability, there seemed to be only one candidate! And that person was here!
The Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master!
He too was watching the core area of the storm from afar, his gaze complex, murmuring to himself, "Who is this person who provokes divine punishment upon breaking through, yet is currently devouring the might of heaven and earth? In this age, who possesses such capability?"
The Fourteenth Young Master's insight was undoubtedly far sharper than the others! While others merely wondered why there was no noise after the lightning struck—at best guessing that the cultivator was neutralizing it with personal power—they had not considered another possibility! Or perhaps, they dared not even contemplate it.
But the Fourteenth Young Master watched from close proximity, seeing clearly. The descending bolts of lightning vanished not because they were neutralized by the cultivator, but because... they were directly devoured by that person!
Most terrifyingly, even at this close range, he still could not discern what was actually there—there appeared to be nothing but a single great tree!
The Fourteenth Young Master looked with profoundly complex eyes. This might of heaven and earth truly humbled this arrogant, self-proclaimed World's Foremost!
Whoever is in there, I am no match for them. I concede defeat!
The moment this thought arose, the Fourteenth Young Master almost wished for death! Overwhelmed by remorse to the extreme!
Because he knew he absolutely could not replicate the feat of the one undergoing tribulation!
Even during his own breakthroughs, the Fourteenth Young Master could only forcibly withstand the tribulation, moving far away from populated areas to a desolate peak. After each passage, he would be covered in wounds, and the unfortunate peak would be wiped from existence!
But this mysterious expert before him could not only pass the tribulation with ease but could also silently devour the most violent energy between heaven and earth!
What a colossal gap in ability!
The Fourteenth Young Master stood stunned, gazing vacantly at the place where the lightning struck, completely forgetting the need to conceal his silhouette.
Under the frenzied dance of the silver lightning serpents, the tall, solitary, distinctive figure of the Fourteenth Young Master was simultaneously discovered by the masters of the Three Great Sacred Lands!
"It's him!"
"Yes! It’s that madman, the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master!"
"He is our most important target for this expedition, our most powerful and terrifying foe!"
Everyone's eyes widened as they watched the figure near the edge of the lightning glow.
But the might of heaven and earth was at its zenith; no one dared to make a move.
All the masters, amidst this unbelievable event, became like immobile statues. Regardless of past grudges or grievances, they maintained a temporary truce!
In their ears, only the thunderous roar that seemed intent on destroying the world and the massive lightning continued to boom, descending almost without pause...
One after another, densely packed like a sudden downpour, ceaselessly striking toward that direction, toward that mysterious powerhouse, with unparalleled frenzy!
And the hearts of the onlookers pounded in their chests. Saints, Sacred Sovereigns, and Guardians alike were all tongue-tied and dry-mouthed.
If... the person resisting the heavenly might at the point of lightning impact right now... were me?
This thought was something all the masters dared not even entertain, yet the more they dared not think it, the more they couldn't help but secretly fantasize, lost in reverie... Every time this notion surfaced, they had to forcefully suppress it, while simultaneously feeling an exhilarating tremor run through their bodies, a sensation like an electric shock...
Under the gaze of all observers, although the thunder in the sky possessed immense sound and astonishing energy, it eventually had to wane. Under continuous consumption, the terrifying thunder and lightning gradually weakened and finally vanished completely. Then, the clouds overhead shifted, centering around the void like stars orbiting the moon; in a flash, they coalesced into another colossal single eye... then the three surrounding massive eyes churned and merged into the central one...
After a surge of rolling energy, even more ferocious lightning cascaded down like a waterfall!
"Heavens... am I mad, or is the world going mad?" The Saint who spoke trembled violently, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets!
This statement echoed the feelings of everyone present!
Incredibly, this second barrage of lightning continued from early morning until noon, and then through the afternoon... all the way into the night! It lasted a full day!
The lightning beams grew thicker, and the force seemed to increase; yet, they consistently failed to cause any destructive effect!
Even the great tree situated at the core of the tribulation remained perfectly upright and unchanged.
Everyone stood there as if struck dumb, watching for a whole day! They watched for an entire day without eating, drinking, or blinking!
Among these people were the three Sacred Sovereigns—Zhan Mubai, Hai Wuya, and He Zhiqiu—along with over forty Saints, plus Qiao Ying, Cheng Yin Xiao, and Qu Wu Hui; and furthermore... the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master!
All of them looked as if they were sleepwalking, displaying the same dreamlike expressions.
Finally, the thunder abruptly ceased! The electric light vanished instantly!
The dense dark clouds in the sky dissipated in a fleeting moment.
Only then did everyone dare to look up, realizing that the sky was... clear for ten thousand li, dotted with stars, with the bright moon hanging high!
"This tribulation lasted an entire day!" Cheng Yin Xiao uttered a groaning sound, and then his body flashed, disappearing from his spot!
Now, he had to go pay his respects to the senior undergoing tribulation.
Today, no matter what, he had to catch a glimpse of this senior whose cultivation had reached the realm of utter transcendence!
His sole purpose was pure, devoid of malice, even without any utilitarian agenda; just an extremely simple thought, a deep-seated yearning rising from his core: I must see him!
That was all!
Perhaps, apart from this opportunity, he would never in his eternal life see him, or even hear a single piece of news about him... Missing this chance would be the greatest regret of his life!
Qu Wu Hui immediately understood and followed like the wind, his eyes blazing with fervor.
Behind him was Qiao Ying.
Zhan Mubai and the others were also rushing frantically in the same direction.
But the fastest was the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master!
After all, he was too close to the incident site!
Only a mere ten-plus zhang away!
Barely having initiated any movement technique, the Fourteenth Young Master was already beneath the great tree.
Empty!
Not even a ghost of a shadow remained.
The Fourteenth Young Master reached out, stroking the bark of the towering tree, his gaze intensely focused.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...
Dozens of experts swiftly formed a large circle nearby.
They watched the area silently, and watched the Fourteenth Young Master.
But now, in everyone's minds, the Fourteenth Young Master was not the focus.
The protagonist was gone... Or perhaps... could it be...
That the tree itself was undergoing the tribulation??
This old elm tree that had lived for untold years??
Just as everyone stood bewildered and at a loss, Jun Moxie, holding Mei Xueyan, had already entered the depths of the Hongjun Pagoda. He had not forgotten that among these onlookers was Qiao Ying, who possessed the Insightful Eye.
Although his own cultivation had seen a massive breakthrough, Jun Moxie had no confidence that he could truly render her sharp eye useless, especially since, even if he himself could become immune, Mei Xueyan was a novice, and her mastery of the Heaven Opening Creation Art seemed quite shallow. Therefore, Young Master Jun decided to be thorough: he would go back into the Hongjun Pagoda and sleep...
Let this group remain stunned for a while longer. Besides, if the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master arrived and managed to fight them first! That would be the most wonderful scenario. He certainly couldn't disturb such a golden opportunity to reap easy rewards.
(This chapter is four thousand characters; another chapter follows shortly.)