A pitch-black grotto-heaven appeared behind Immortal Longbrow. At first, it was only the size of a washbasin, but it quickly grew larger, soon resembling a millstone, expanding rapidly and devouring the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
“Second Brother has opened a grotto-heaven!”
Lin Da-niao exclaimed in shock, then added, “I wonder how many grotto-heavens Second Brother will manage to open?”
Mo Tianji replied, “Senior Brother’s destiny is extraordinary. However, he has only just broken through to the Grotto-Heaven realm. With his current strength, three grotto-heavens is the most he can create.”
Boom!
At that moment, a second grotto-heaven appeared behind Immortal Longbrow. This one was as large as an entire room.
The second grotto-heaven was far bigger than the first and absorbed even more spiritual energy from heaven and earth. At the same time, everyone clearly felt Immortal Longbrow’s strength rising, his aura becoming considerably more terrifying.
Immortal Longbrow sat cross-legged in mid-air, clad in Taoist robes, his whole body enveloped in a shroud of white light. He looked utterly immortal, very much like an ancient deity.
“One more!”
Immortal Longbrow roared, continuing to open another grotto-heaven.
Rumble!
Heaven and earth trembled.
A third grotto-heaven slowly emerged. Like the previous two, once it appeared, it began frantically absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
The aura around Immortal Longbrow grew ever stronger, as though he had become a god.
A few moments later.
Immortal Longbrow withdrew his grotto-heavens, stood up, pointed at the firmament and shouted, “You thieving heavens, didn’t you want to strike me dead with tribulation? Did you succeed?”
“Hmph, this poor Taoist not only survived the tribulation, but also opened three grotto-heavens.”
“Thieving heavens, if you have the guts, send another tribulation to strike me…”
Boom!
Before Immortal Longbrow could finish speaking, a thunderous peal rang through heaven and earth, followed immediately by a ten-thousand-zhang bolt of lightning crashing down from the sky.
“Bloody hell, you’re really striking me?”
Immortal Longbrow jumped in fright and hurriedly cried, “Old Heaven, can you stop playing with me? This poor Taoist knows he was wrong. I will never dare offend you again. I beg you, please take the tribulation back!”
Yet the heavenly tribulation ignored Immortal Longbrow’s pleas and smashed down with overwhelming force.
Everyone who saw this scene was struck dumb.
No one had expected that a single sentence from Immortal Longbrow would actually draw down another tribulation.
They had seen people court death, but never anyone who courted it quite so spectacularly.
“Challenging the Heavenly Dao, he brought this on himself,” Ye Qiu said irritably.
Boom!
This tribulation lightning was swift and ferocious, like a comet streaking across ten thousand li of sky at inconceivable speed before striking Immortal Longbrow squarely.
Immortal Longbrow was instantly blasted away. His recently healed body was once again covered in wounds, blood sprayed everywhere, and bones snapped with audible cracks.
“Strange. Didn’t Second Brother already pass his tribulation successfully? Why is another tribulation descending? Could it really be because he ran his mouth and angered the Heavenly Dao?” Lin Da-niao asked, puzzled.
Mo Tianji shook his head and said, “Although Senior Brother possesses remarkable destiny, his strength is still too weak. In the eyes of the Heavenly Dao, he is no more than an ant right now. Even if he cursed it a few more times, the Heavenly Dao would not become angry.”
“The reason another tribulation has come is that Senior Brother has not yet finished crossing his tribulation.”
“What happened earlier was merely the Heavenly Dao giving him a brief respite to catch his breath.”
Lin Da-niao was astonished. “It’s not over yet?”
“
“Mm.” Mo Tianji looked up at the firmament. With a tremendous boom, a second bolt of lightning tore through the vault of heaven and plunged downward.
This wave also consisted of only a single bolt.
Yet the power of this single bolt was more terrifying than the combined might of the dozen-odd bolts from Immortal Longbrow’s earlier tribulation. It actually shattered the void itself.
“Sevenfold Annihilation Tribulation!”
Mo Tianji’s eyes narrowed. He immediately sent a sound transmission to Immortal Longbrow: “Senior Brother, this is the Sevenfold Annihilation Tribulation.”
“You must endure.”
“As long as you withstand it, your strength will soar tremendously!”
Immortal Longbrow said nothing. At this moment he dared not divert his attention in the slightest, for under heavenly tribulation the smallest lapse could lead to complete annihilation.
Right now his entire body ached unbearably. The previous bolt had already left him covered in wounds.
Boom!
The second tribulation lightning drew ever closer. Suddenly, Immortal Longbrow flicked his wrist, seized his Demon-Refining Sword, took a step into the sky, raised the sword, and charged straight at the tribulation.
“Damn it, you dare strike me? I’ll cut you down.”
Boom!
Immortal Longbrow plunged directly into the lightning. In an instant, the ten-thousand-zhang bolt wrapped around his body.
He assumed a desperate, all-or-nothing stance, striking with his sword at frantic speed. Though he suffered fresh injuries, there was no trace of dejection on him; on the contrary, his battle spirit burned higher than ever.
At last, he endured the second bolt.
Boom!
The third tribulation lightning appeared. Like the previous two, it was a single bolt, resembling a world-shaking dragon linking heaven and earth in majestic splendour.
“This is the Sevenfold Annihilation Tribulation,” Yun Xi recognised it as well, declaring in shock.
“What is the Sevenfold Annihilation Tribulation?” Ye Qiu asked.
Yun Xi explained, “Besides the ordinary tribulations we usually see, there exist certain special tribulations. The Sevenfold Annihilation Tribulation is one of them.”
“In simple terms, this tribulation unleashes seven successive bolts of lightning, each one stronger than the last.”
“For ordinary cultivators facing this tribulation, the odds are nine deaths and one life, overwhelmingly perilous.”
“Of course, ordinary cultivators would never encounter such a special tribulation. Only when the Heavenly Dao targets exceptional cultivators will it send down a special tribulation.”
Ye Qiu had already seen that the tribulation Immortal Longbrow now faced was several times more powerful than the previous one. Hearing Yun Xi’s words, his expression changed slightly. He thought to himself, just two bolts have already gravely injured the old fellow, and there are still five more. Will the old fellow hold out?
He quietly clenched his fists, eyes fixed on Immortal Longbrow, ready to act at any moment.
If Immortal Longbrow could no longer endure, Ye Qiu would immediately bring out the Cosmos Cauldron.
Although many Qingyun Sword Sect disciples were present and revealing a divine artefact would surely shock them, Ye Qiu absolutely could not let Immortal Longbrow die beneath heavenly tribulation.
After all, Immortal Longbrow was his best friend.
Not far away, the Qingyun Sword Sect disciples also held their breath, silently watching Immortal Longbrow cross his tribulation.
Third bolt, fourth bolt, fifth bolt…
Sixth bolt!
In just a short while, Immortal Longbrow had endured six tribulation bolts. His body was battered by the lightning, bones and flesh flying, yet he stubbornly held on.
After the sixth bolt, the seventh did not descend for a long time. Thunderclouds churned above the Ninth Heaven, the sky grew dark, and an oppressive aura weighed on everyone’s heart.
Seizing this chance, Mo Tianji pulled out a porcelain vial, tossed it to Immortal Longbrow, and shouted, “Senior Brother, heal quickly. The final tribulation bolt is coming.”
Immortal Longbrow immediately opened the vial, tilted his head back, swallowed all the pills inside, and rapidly mended his injuries.
The moment his wounds recovered, the seventh tribulation bolt arrived.
Boom…
