“Boom!”
The heavens and earth trembled violently. Above the void, thunder roared vast and boundless, electric arcs flashing everywhere, utterly terrifying.
“The saint tribulation is too frightening.”
Ye Qiu sighed inwardly.
At that moment, Little White Fox and the other elders of the demon clan appeared one after another beside Ye Qiu.
“What is happening? Why has Old Niu suddenly started crossing the tribulation?” Elder Xiong asked.
Little White Fox frowned and said, “Logically, Old Niu would need nearly another hundred years of cultivation before he could possibly face the tribulation. How could the saint tribulation descend so suddenly?”
“Ye Changsheng, what exactly happened?”
Ye Qiu touched his nose and said, “I taught Elder Niu a divine ability. After he mastered it, the heavenly tribulation arrived.”
Hm?
All the elders looked astonished. What kind of divine ability was so powerful that the tribulation came right after learning it?
“That… Little Fox, can Elder Niu survive the tribulation?” Ye Qiu asked.
“He must succeed,” Little White Fox said gravely. “If he fails, he will perish completely, body and soul.”
The group of elders shouted, “Old Niu, hold on!”
In the void.
The booming sounds continued without stop. Elder Niu’s body was struck until it shattered into pieces, a horrifying sight.
Bolt after bolt of lightning transformed into various forms.
Some resembled gods and demons dancing chaotically, with ghosts wailing and wolves howling. Some were like kunpeng spreading their wings, soaring upwards. Others were like divine beasts roaring, tearing apart heaven and earth. Still others were like peerless divine weapons, slashing through the firmament…
The saint tribulation was more like a vast catastrophe.
Grand and ferocious, the void was struck full of holes, making souls quiver.
Elder Niu’s physical body shattered time and again, then recovered time and again, as he fought desperately.
The Heavenly Dao was merciless. Only by withstanding the tribulation could one find a chance of survival.
Elder Niu clearly understood this principle. Even after suffering countless severe injuries, there was no trace of dejection on him.
Time passed minute by minute.
In the blink of an eye.
A quarter of an hour had gone by.
The lightning grew fewer, the sounds grew quieter, until finally, all the thunderclouds vanished.
The sky became calm.
Elder Niu sat cross-legged in the void, healing his wounds. Gradually, a vast vitality emanated from his body.
Ye Qiu let out a breath and said, “The heavenly tribulation has finally ended.”
“Ended?” Little White Fox shook her head. “It has not ended yet.”
“Not ended yet?” Ye Qiu said incredulously. “The thunderclouds have all disappeared.”
Little White Fox said, “The disappearance of thunderclouds does not mean the tribulation is over. The saint tribulation is far more terrifying than you imagine. Ye Changsheng, you will face this kind of tribulation in the future too. You can take this opportunity to observe it carefully.”
“And all you elders, watch closely as well. It will benefit you when you cross your own tribulations in the future.”
Having said that, Little White Fox looked up into the void, her expression solemn.
Ye Qiu glanced at Elder Xiong again and noticed that Elder Xiong’s face was extremely grave.
After a while.
Winds rose and clouds surged. Above the ninth heaven, a thick layer of thunderclouds appeared, like a massive curtain blotting out the sky. Instantly, the heavens darkened.
In the very centre of the thunderclouds was a large vortex, where lightning flickered, filled with destructive power.
Immediately, Ye Qiu felt extreme unease in his heart.
It was as if, in the next moment, that expanse of sky would come crashing down.
Elder Niu’s wounds healed completely. He stood up, looked up at the firmament, clenched his fists, and roared, “Come on!”
Boom—
The ninth heaven shook madly. Then, a blinding bolt of lightning rushed down from the vortex.
As this lightning bolt neared Elder Niu, it suddenly stopped.
Abruptly, the bolt transformed into a figure.
Ye Qiu looked closely. The figure was tall and imposing, with thick hair, profound eyes, and emanating a towering saintly might. However, its face was shrouded in a hazy glow, making it impossible to see clearly.
“How has the lightning turned into a person?” Ye Qiu asked, shocked.
Little White Fox said, “The saint tribulation is different from other heavenly tribulations. It produces various anomalies. Some tribulations transform into ancient divine beasts, others into demons and devils… In short, they change in countless ways. Every cultivator’s saint tribulation is unique.”
“The appearance of these anomalies is all to prevent the cultivator from achieving sainthood.”
“The figure you see is actually an imprint left behind from when a saint powerhouse crossed their tribulation long ago.”
“Though it is only an imprint, it possesses the strength of a true saint powerhouse.”
“As long as Elder Niu defeats that imprint of the saint powerhouse, he will have successfully crossed the tribulation.”
Ye Qiu said, “Elder Niu has the strength to fight horizontally against saints. Defeating that figure should not be difficult, right?”
“It is hard to say,” Little White Fox replied. “If it were a real saint, Elder Niu would actually have a good chance. But since that figure is formed from lightning, it is indestructible and immortal. Defeating it will be considerably difficult.”
Bang!
The figure moved. It threw a punch at Elder Niu, filled with an aura that dominated ancient and modern times.
“Kill!”
Elder Niu roared loudly, showing no fear whatsoever. He charged straight at the figure, meeting force with force, and the great battle began.
The two figures fought like dragons and tigers contending, vital energy soaring to the heavens, locked in an inseparable struggle.
Soon, blood splashed. Elder Niu was injured and sent flying.
“Moo—”
A furious roar shook the universe.
Disregarding his wounds, Elder Niu used Nine Steps Nine Heavens. In an instant, his combat power doubled. A mighty pressure covered the sky and earth as he rapidly threw nine punches at the figure.
“Mighty God Fist!”
Ye Qiu recognised it at a glance. Elder Niu had used the first move of the Mighty God Fist, testing the waters.
The nine fist imprints in the void turned into nine blades ten thousand zhang long, converging to bombard the figure.
This strike was peerlessly powerful.
With a “boom”, the void collapsed. The figure was sent flying tens of thousands of li. Though it was merely an imprint, it still spat blood, just like a living person.
“Clang!”
The sound of a sword rang out. The figure sacrificed a long sword, which transformed into a great dragon, soaring into the sky and slashing towards Elder Niu.
This sword seemed capable of cleaving through eternity, its killing intent shaking the heavens.
“Kill!”
Elder Niu fought to the point of madness, showing no hesitation. He unleashed the second move of the Mighty God Fist, Nine Oxen One Hair.
Boom!
Heaven collapsed and earth cracked.
A vast power surged from Elder Niu’s fist, endless and unrelenting. Wherever it passed, the void was utterly destroyed.
The long sword slashing towards him shattered in an instant. Elder Niu’s fist pressed forward unstoppably, landing on the figure’s head.
“Thump!”
The figure was forcefully struck back into the thunder vortex.
After two punches, Elder Niu stood in the void, his vital energy flourishing, his gaze cold and stern, exuding an aura of invincibility under heaven.
“Using the Mighty God Fist consumes a great deal of physical strength. Elder Niu must be running low on stamina…”
Just as Ye Qiu worried, Elder Niu suddenly swung his fist, punching towards the heavens.
“Bang!”
The void trembled.
A massive fist imprint rushed into the thunderclouds. Suddenly, the vast thunderclouds transformed into endless divine radiance, sprinkling down upon Elder Niu.
Elder Niu spread his arms, seemingly enjoying the bath of divine radiance.
In that instant, Elder Niu’s wounds healed completely, his vitality boundless. A profound saintly might emanated from his body.
