After fully absorbing the power of the demon core, Long-browed Daoist’s cultivation surged. Wanting to show off in front of everyone, he dramatically declared, “My fate is mine, not heaven’s!”
The moment the words left his mouth, heavenly tribulation descended.
A ten-thousand-zhang bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky.
Long-browed Daoist’s face turned ashen. He frantically shouted at the heavens, “My fate is not mine, it belongs to heaven! Old Heaven, please take the tribulation back!”
Heaven, of course, paid no heed to his pleas and struck mercilessly.
Before the first bolt even landed, several more thunder dragons burst from the ninth heaven. Blinding light pierced the sky and earth, surging with overwhelming might.
Boom!
The deafening roar of thunder nearly shattered souls. It shook heaven and earth.
Where the tribulation passed, even the void itself seemed ready to explode. It was as if the Milky Way of the ninth heaven had poured down. Terrifying beyond measure.
“Fall back!” Yun Xi shouted.
The Azure Cloud Sword Sect disciples instantly retreated a thousand metres.
Lin DaNiao and Mo Tianji retreated as well.
Just as Ye Qiu and Yun Xi were about to withdraw, Long-browed Daoist came running over in panic. “This poor Daoist isn’t ready to face tribulation! Little brat, save me!”
Before he could finish, Ye Qiu kicked him square in the chest.
Bang!
Long-browed Daoist flew backwards and was instantly swallowed by the lightning.
“Little brat, this isn’t over between us!” His furious yell echoed from within the thunder.
Ye Qiu grabbed Yun Xi’s hand and swiftly retreated a thousand metres. He had no intention of getting caught in heavenly tribulation.
Boom!
The tribulation was world-shaking.
It stunned every onlooker.
This realm of lightning could annihilate all things. The spectators felt their hearts tremble and their hair stand on end.
Inside the sea of thunder, Long-browed Daoist was scorched black, skin splitting open, blood soaking his robes. He suffered unimaginable damage.
“Ahh, it hurts so much…”
Long-browed Daoist howled.
“Once Master successfully transcends, he should step into mid-Dongtian stage,” Mo Tianji observed.
Lin DaNiao looked worried. “This tribulation is so terrifying, like it wants to erase all life. Can Second Brother survive it?”
Mo Tianji glanced at Ye Qiu before answering calmly, “Don’t worry. Master’s fortune is strong. He will definitely succeed.”
Hearing this, Lin DaNiao turned to Mo Tianji. “I never expected someone so young to be this composed.”
Mo Tianji replied, “My master once taught me that a true man must remain unflinching even if mountains collapse before him. Only by staying calm in all situations can one achieve great things in the future.”
“Besides, Master’s destiny has already changed. Heaven itself dares not kill him.”
Lin DaNiao didn’t believe a word. “What kind of joke is that? Is there anyone in this world that even heaven dares not kill?”
Mo Tianji looked at the tribulation again and said, “Though heaven’s way is supreme, some people are born with extraordinary fates. Even heaven cannot casually slay them.”
Seeing how serious Mo Tianji was, Lin DaNiao exclaimed, “Such people really exist? Who?”
Mo Tianji gave a mysterious smile. “When the time comes, you will know.”
As they spoke, the tribulation grew even more horrifying. Long-browed Daoist’s body was nearly pierced through, blood raining from the sky.
If the tribulation was a raging storm-tossed sea, Long-browed Daoist was a lone leaf adrift upon it.
Boom!
Another wave of lightning submerged him. The light was too brilliant; onlookers could not count how many bolts struck him. They only heard the constant crack of breaking bones from where he stood.
“Never thought swallowing one demon core would summon such a terrifying tribulation.”
“Too frightening!”
“I hope the Daoist makes it. I still want to drink and play drinking games with him.”
“…”
The Azure Cloud disciples murmured, staring anxiously at Long-browed Daoist.
Though they had known him only a short while, they had grown very fond of him.
The tribulation continued without end, and Long-browed Daoist’s injuries worsened.
Later, he used his “one step, ten li” movement technique to weave through the lightning, trying to evade the strikes.
Yet he underestimated the tribulation.
The bolts pursued him as if they had eyes. Wherever he dodged, they followed and struck.
Crack!
A bolt hit him square in the back, carving a long gash. His body was hurled away.
“Aiyo, that nearly killed this poor Daoist… damn, more?!”
Before his cry ended, several more bolts came crashing down.
“It’s over, it’s over. I’m done for today.” Long-browed Daoist shouted in terror.
Then Ye Qiu’s voice rang in his ear. “If you keep running like this, the tribulation will definitely kill you.”
Long-browed Daoist cursed, “Damn it, even now you’re mocking me? Have you no conscience?”
Ye Qiu replied, “When a man dies, his balls face the sky. If he doesn’t die, he lives ten thousand years. Don’t be afraid. Fight it!”
Long-browed Daoist knew that only by facing the tribulation head-on did he have any chance of survival. Otherwise, it would mercilessly obliterate him.
Encouraged by Ye Qiu’s words, his confidence surged. He stopped fleeing.
“Kill!”
With a mighty roar, he charged straight into the tribulation.
Almost simultaneously, Ye Qiu’s voice sounded again in his ear. “Relax. If you die under this tribulation, I’ll collect your corpse.”
Collect your grandpa!
Long-browed Daoist nearly went cross-eyed with rage. If he died here, his body would be blasted into ash. There would be nothing left to collect.
“You little bastard, thinking of collecting this poor Daoist’s corpse? Hmph, I won’t give you the chance!”
With that, he soared upward against the heavens, instantly becoming a living target. Every bolt of tribulation thundered toward him.
“Oh no, Second Brother is going to be fried to death!”
Lin DaNiao’s face paled. Such terrifying tribulation could reduce Long-browed Daoist to dust.
“No need to worry. The worthy have heaven’s blessing,” Mo Tianji said with absolute calm, his young face as serene as an ancient well, forming a stark contrast with his age.
The Azure Cloud disciples held their breath, eyes locked on Long-browed Daoist, not daring to make a sound.
Boom!
Finally, more than a dozen bolts struck him simultaneously. To everyone’s shock, Long-browed Daoist did not die. In fact, he began to fight back.
Standing within the sea of lightning, unyielding and defiant, he battled the tribulation with everything he had.
Yet how difficult is it for a man to triumph over heaven?
Soon his body was in tatters, bones exposed, blood soaking his robes.
Time slipped quietly by.
After more than ten minutes, the heavens finally grew still.
Long-browed Daoist sat cross-legged in mid-air. His wounds healed in an instant. Then, behind him, a pitch-black Dongtian realm manifestation slowly emerged!
