Chapter 253: First-Rank Heavenly Tribulation, Heaven-Slaying Thunder Tribulation!

Chapter 253: First-Rank Heavenly Tribulation, Heaven-Slaying Thunder Tribulation!

"Boom, boom, boom!!!"

Just as the crowd at the entrance of the Celestial Palace was discussing, a deafening thunderclap suddenly reverberated through the heavens and earth. The explosive roar shook the air, and some mortals with insufficient cultivation levels were instantly stunned by the sheer sound.

This was the fury of the heavenly tribulation!

A deep-seated anger born from the constant provocation by this man.

And then—

Without any hesitation, a horrifying white lightning bolt, visible from a thousand miles away, suddenly struck the distant sky where Chen Qiu was located. The power of this tribulation was unparalleled in the world, the mightiest thunder tribulation on the Vast Continent, without a doubt.

The power of this tribulation far exceeded that of any tribulation a Body Fusion Stage cultivator could encounter.

If the previous tribulations were mere appetizers, this one was the main course.

"Damn it!"

The Heavenly Axe Sect's leader, standing at the entrance of the Celestial Palace, gazed in terror at the lightning bolt that tore through the sky in the distance. Even the mere leakage of its power was enough to fill him with an overwhelming sense of dread.

This fear was not due to a difference in cultivation levels.

It was a qualitative difference.

It was as if an ordinary mortal had been thrown into the dark depths of the ocean at night, surrounded by nothing but the endless sea merging with the heavens, with only the stench of seawater and the constant roar of waves in their ears.

The entire ocean seemed to transform into a terrifying monster, ready to devour them whole.

There seemed to be no hope of survival.

It was as if death was the only option.

This was the kind of despair he felt as he gazed at the distant lightning bolt, an extreme hopelessness that left no room for resistance.

Just then—

A figure suddenly shot towards them, and upon closer inspection, it was the Elder. However, he appeared rather disheveled, his clothes torn and tattered, his body covered in wounds, and he looked bloody all over, clearly severely injured.

"Elder!"

The leader of the Heavenly Axe Sect glanced up, quickly taking in the heavenly tribulation rushing towards the Celestial Palace and the overwhelming force of nature bearing down on them. His eyes filled with terror and despair, he trembled, "How can I help you?"

The situation was taking a turn for the worse.

It was evident that even the Elder couldn't withstand this tribulation. This was just the first tribulation, and there were at least eight more to come in the Body Fusion Tribulation, each more powerful than the last.

The Elder had sustained such severe injuries from just the first tribulation, so it was unimaginable that he could survive the remaining eight. In other words, he was as good as dead!

The Elder was about to meet his end.

However, the Elder suddenly shot towards them, which would cause the tribulation cloud to identify them as Dao protectors, forcing them to face the tribulation alongside Chen Qiu. There was no way they could survive a tribulation of this caliber; they, too, would perish.

He almost immediately wanted to turn and run.

But his trust in the Elder held him back. He forcibly suppressed his fear, his legs trembling like chaff, but he didn't take a single step back. Instead, he stood his ground, looking at the Elder, hoping to be of some assistance.

After all, based on his understanding of the Elder's character, he wasn't the type to drag others down with him when he knew death was certain. The Elder's return meant that they must have a role to play.

". . ."

Chen Qiu, covered in blood, transformed into a streak of light and shot towards the entrance of the Celestial Palace. After landing, he casually glanced at the others and waved his sleeve, rolling up the Monster-Suppressing Tower that stood in the center of the Celestial Palace. Without further delay, he left the Celestial Palace and shot off into the distance once more!

The tribulation cloud quickly followed Chen Qiu's direction.

"Hmm."

Fat Dragon, who had previously trusted Chen Qiu implicitly, now stared at the distant lightning bolt and the bloody figure of Chen Qiu leaving. After a long silence, he pulled out a leather-bound book from his bosom, licked his finger, and began flipping through the pages.

"Let me check and see if dying in the heavenly tribulation would cause the divine soul to be annihilated. Let's see if we still have a chance to reconnect in the underworld."

"Right—"

"Why don't we plan ahead and bring some old acquaintances along? Like the leader of the Heavenly Axe Sect, so that when Brother Qiu goes to the underworld, he won't feel lonely due to a lack of familiar faces."

". . ."

The leader of the Heavenly Axe Sect, standing by, had no intention of responding. His entire being was shaken, his divine soul disturbed as he stared at the tribulation cloud engulfing the sky. He couldn't understand why the Elder had suddenly returned to take the Monster-Suppressing Tower. Was there some reason for this?

He was at the peak of the Essence Refinement Void cultivation level and had been preparing to break through to the Body Fusion Stage, so he was quite familiar with the power of the Body Fusion Tribulation. However, the tribulation Chen Qiu was facing far exceeded his expectations.

If a typical cultivator at the peak of the Essence Refinement Void stage faced a Body Fusion Tribulation with a power level of 1,

The tribulation the Elder was enduring now would be at least 10, a tenfold difference. This was a conservative estimate, as he couldn't accurately determine the exact multiple.

"Sigh."

At that moment, Chen Qiu, suspended high in the sky, looked up at the tribulation cloud above him. The pitch-black cloud had locked onto him, brewing the second tribulation. He then lowered his gaze to the thousands of wounds on his body and sighed, saying nothing.

His injuries looked terrifying, with his clothes torn and tattered, and his body covered in a thousand wounds, as if he had been subjected to a thousand cuts.

However, despite the severity of his injuries, they were only skin deep and didn't affect his movement or life. They just looked frightening.

These wounds were nothing compared to the ones he had suffered in the Evil State, which had been far more severe, leaving him unconscious for ten days afterward.

This time, the injuries were not nearly as bad.

They just hurt a bit.

He wiped away the blood from a wound on his cheek with his finger and suddenly had the odd thought of licking it. It tasted salty, like rust. Losing so much blood, he wondered how many heavenly treasures he would need to consume to recover afterward.

The power contained within that bolt of lightning was something he had never witnessed before.

Whether it was the Annihilation Lightning Tribulation or the Profound Void Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation, they all seemed insignificant compared to the might of this lightning. Most importantly, this lightning tribulation not only contained lightning but also wind!

He managed to withstand the lightning tribulation with the help of the 'Virtue Body Protection' entry, which had a foundation of several billion virtue points. However, his body had been tingling non-stop, and for the wind tribulation, he could only endure it.

He relied on his own protective spiritual energy and several protective spirit treasures.

But the mixed wind tribulation was also exceptionally powerful. His dozens of layers of protective spiritual energy were shattered in an instant, and his protective spirit treasures were all shattered as well!

He didn't have many protective spirit treasures; the Celestial Umbrella was one of them.

He hadn't used the Celestial Umbrella during the previous tribulation, fearing that the power of the tribulation might damage it. This umbrella had been with him for a long time, and it was a growth-type spirit treasure. For both sentimental and value considerations, he didn't want to use the umbrella as a consumable for breaking through tribulations.

So he decided to use the vast collection of treasures he had accumulated over the years, which included a large number of low-grade protective spirit treasures. Although they were of lower rank, not his innate spirit treasures, and couldn't unleash their full power without recognizing their master, they could still be used to defend against tribulations.

The first wave of tribulations had already damaged dozens of his spirit treasures.

At this moment, without time for further thought, the sky suddenly resounded with a deafening roar. The power of heaven and earth quickly gathered, and the second heavenly thunderbolt was ready to strike again!

There was a full hundred breaths between the first and second lightning tribulations, indicating the terror of this tribulation. The longer the interval, the more time it took for the tribulation to increase its power.

"Huff!"

Chen Qiu looked up at the constantly flashing lightning arc above the tribulation cloud and felt that this tribulation was far more powerful than the first one. He took a deep breath without hesitation.

Fourteenth Rank Profound Void Domain 'Infinite Spirit Qi' activated!

Fourteenth Rank Profound Void Domain 'Three Thousand Thunder Stirring' activated!

Fourteenth Rank Profound Void Domain 'Snow Births All Things' activated!

Immediately, three light circles rapidly expanded outward from Chen Qiu as the center. But it wasn't over yet!

Fourteenth Rank Profound Void Domain 'Spell Enhancement' activated!

Fourteenth Rank Profound Void Domain 'Physical Body Enhancement' activated!

Two more light circles expanded outward from Chen Qiu as the center. He originally had three Soul Transformation Domains, but he also had two Soul Transformation Domain Tokens, allowing him to possess two additional Soul Transformation Domains.

However, he had never used them before.

He wanted to see if he could encounter better domains by chance, but when the first lightning tribulation fell, he realized that he might have encountered the greatest challenge of his life. There was no room for error, and he couldn't afford to wait.

Without hesitation, he immediately exchanged for these two domains.

One was for enhancing spell strength, and the other was for enhancing physical body strength. He obtained them from the Virtue Points Shop at a cost of one billion points each.

The price was relatively cheap compared to his other domains. These domains were primarily basic functional domains without flashy effects. One enhanced spell strength, and the other enhanced physical body strength, perfectly meeting his current needs. He had no use for anything else.

Below the tribulation cloud—

Chen Qiu was surrounded by five Fourteenth Rank Domains, and without hesitation, he channeled all his power into the Monster-Suppressing Tower, quickly releasing a barely alive Profound Void Cultivator.

This cultivator was one of the group that had besieged him when he first arrived in the Vast Continent.

He had placed several people in the Monster-Suppressing Tower, and as the tower was activated, the creatures inside would be slowly refined, thus increasing the cultivation speed of those nearby!

And this was the perfect time to use it.

Fortunately, these people were tough enough to last for almost a year without being completely refined, still clinging to life. This was just what he needed to help him through the tribulation, as the pressure of this tribulation was immense, and he had to use every available means.

"You beast!"

It was hard to deny that this cultivator, who had just been released, was also a stubborn one. After being refined for half a year, his body was almost completely refined, yet he still had the audacity to speak out. As soon as he was released, he glared at Chen Qiu with a weak and resentful gaze, cursing him.

But soon, the cultivator realized what was happening. He lifted his head and looked up, only to see the pitch-black tribulation cloud covering the entire sky and the terrifying aura that made it difficult for him to even breathe.

This innate fear made him want to escape immediately.

However, the cultivator didn't have to endure this fear for long.

The next moment—

Countless bolts of heavenly thunder instantly surged into the cultivator, but it wasn't the tribulation; it was the Thunder Summoning Art! Immediately, a thick white shield enveloped Chen Qiu, suspended in mid-air. This white shield was different from protective spiritual energy; it was layered in white, and its thickness was a full ten zhang wide!

One zhang is approximately three meters, so ten zhang is thirty meters wide.

A thirty-meter-thick white shield completely enveloped Chen Qiu. From a distance, one could only see a snow-like sphere, and Chen Qiu's figure was nowhere to be seen.

At this moment!

"Boom!!!"

The second heavenly tribulation struck him with full force, and once again, it was primarily lightning with a mix of wind!

After several breaths—

The white shield on Chen Qiu's body was completely destroyed, and his injuries became more severe, with countless fine wounds appearing on his body.

"Damn it."

He took a deep breath, feeling the stinging pain on his body, and couldn't help but sigh. Then, he took out a healing pill and swallowed it, cursing under his breath.

The plan had gone slightly awry.

He had a special red entry called "Ten Ten Ten Ten," which was an additional entry to the Heavenly Dao's Entry Group "Great One Nine." Its effect was that when dealing a fatal blow to an enemy of the same cultivation realm, the excess damage would be converted into a white shield to protect him. The white shield would dissipate after a hundred breaths.

Although it was unclear why this entry was named as such, the entry's name and effect seemed to have no connection whatsoever.

His initial idea was to use the "Virtue Body Protection" entry to withstand the thunder tribulation, and then use the white shield to block the wind tribulation. This way, he could even pass through the entire heavenly tribulation without a single hair harmed.

The plan sounded good, but it was a bit challenging to execute.

The thunder and wind tribulations descended almost simultaneously, and his "Virtue Body Protection" entry could only reduce the damage from the thunder tribulation when it struck his body. This meant that the thunder tribulation would first strike his white shield, destroying it completely before landing on him.

The idea of using the white shield to defend against the wind tribulation failed.

The wind and thunder tribulations didn't arrive at the same time; they came one after the other, with the thunder tribulation first and the wind tribulation following closely behind. However, the process in between was extremely brief, lasting less than a breath, and required precise control!

Soon after a hundred breaths, the third thunder tribulation descended.

"Boom, boom, boom!!!"

This time, Chen Qiu had learned his lesson and released another Refinement Void cultivator from the Monster-Suppressing Tower. However, he didn't immediately kill the cultivator; instead, he protected it under his body and held the Thunder Summoning Art in his hand, ready to strike.

As soon as the thunder tribulation descended, he activated the white shield, which surged out and blocked the wind tribulation that followed the thunder tribulation!

This time, the plan was executed perfectly.

The white shield didn't completely block the wind tribulation, but after it shattered, the remaining wind tribulation had almost no effect on him.

Chen Qiu let out a sigh of relief, a slight smile appearing on the corner of his mouth. With this method, he had successfully endured three thunder tribulations, and the sixth thunder tribulation was already brewing in the tribulation clouds!

The fifth thunder tribulation not only contained the wind tribulation but also the fire tribulation! After using up all the Refinement Void cultivators in the Monster-Suppressing Tower during these three tribulations, he could no longer use the "Ten Ten Ten Ten" entry as a means to pass through the thunder tribulation; he had run out of resources.

In fact, even if he had more resources, it wouldn't have been of much use. The strength of his white shield was basically fixed, but the power of the thunder and wind tribulations did gradually increase. During the fifth thunder tribulation, which contained the wind and fire tribulations, his white shield barely blocked any of it.

However, he had other means.

For example—

Entry Name: Body and Technique Conversion.

Entry Level: Purple.

Entry Effect: You can activate the 'Melee Form,' during which you are unable to use any spells, and your physical body strength will be significantly enhanced. The extent of the enhancement depends on your overall spellcasting ability. The stronger your spells, the higher the grade of your Nascent Soul, and the more spirit qi in your Dantian, the greater the increase in your physical strength!

At that moment, the thunder rumbled once again throughout the heavens and earth, and Chen Qiu didn't hesitate. He immediately activated this entry, and his physical strength increased significantly under its effect.

One couldn't help but marvel at this.

In terms of enduring thunder tribulations, body cultivators had an advantage over spellcasters. After all, with a stronger physical body, they could withstand more attacks.

With his physical strength greatly enhanced, Chen Qiu effortlessly withstood the sixth heavenly tribulation. The accompanying wind and fire tribulations didn't cause him much harm, and everything remained within controllable limits.

"Huh?"

At the entrance of the Celestial Palace, Fat Dragon, holding a leather book, looked up at the distant horizon in a daze, listening to the booming thunder and the heavenly tribulation tearing through the heavens. He muttered, "It seems... it doesn't seem like a big problem?"

The thunder tribulation that had just descended was the sixth one.

He had thought that Brother Qiu might not be able to withstand this thunder tribulation, especially since it was only the first one. When he saw the injuries Brother Qiu had sustained from the first tribulation, he was surprised to find that Brother Qiu had already endured the sixth thunder tribulation.

Judging from the situation.

If this Body Fusion Tribulation only had nine thunder tribulations, it didn't seem like a significant problem for Brother Qiu.

"Hmm."

The scholar, who had been standing by with a green peak slung across his shoulder, spoke calmly, "There shouldn't be any issues. Although the Body Fusion Tribulation is terrifying, it doesn't seem to cause too much harm to Brother Qiu. The injuries on Brother Qiu's body are mostly superficial; they look scary, but there doesn't seem to be any real damage to his muscles or bones."

"That..."

The leader of the Sky Axe Sect, who had been standing beside them, also breathed a sigh of relief. After confirming that there were no problems, he secretly rejoiced in his heart, feeling that he had proven his loyalty. At such a difficult time for his senior, he hadn't retreated or fled; instead, he had stayed by his side. Wasn't this considered loyalty?

His desire was simple.

He wanted to visit the Third Rank Continent and see how people lived on a higher-ranked continent. He wanted to see if there would be more opportunities, if the spirit qi would be denser, and if there would be anything new that he hadn't seen before.

However, he was also self-aware.

Even though he was already an absolute powerhouse on the Vast Continent, with his cultivation at the peak of the Refinement Void realm, no one dared to call him weak wherever he went. As long as he didn't provoke those few exceptional individuals, he could roam freely on the Vast Continent.

Even so, he knew in his heart that without the help of a benefactor, it would be difficult for him to set foot on the Third Rank Continent in this lifetime.

So, he had been working selflessly for his senior all this time, and his goal was simple: to hitch a ride with his senior to visit a higher-ranked continent. The fact that the Vast Continent would be destroyed in ten thousand years didn't seem as urgent to him.

After all, his lifespan wouldn't last that long.

He didn't have any descendants either.

As for the Sky Axe Sect, it was uncertain if it would still exist in ten thousand years. Ten thousand years was too long, and many unknown events could happen during that time. Perhaps tomorrow, another lower-ranked continent would be destroyed, greatly advancing the time of the Vast Continent's destruction.

Just at this moment—

The seventh thunder tribulation rumbled down once more!

The eighth thunder tribulation followed closely behind!

Then, after a long period of brewing, much longer than any previous interval, the entire world seemed to come to a standstill. Within a radius of ten thousand miles, all living beings were faced with a blinding white light, and nothing else!

A thunder tribulation with power far exceeding the combined might of the previous eight descended from the tribulation clouds, striking the figure high in the sky!

"Boom!!!"

At almost the same moment, Fat Dragon and the others held their breath, their protective spiritual energy surging as they anxiously gazed into the distance. They had been confident just moments ago, but this ninth thunder tribulation completely shattered their confidence!

From the very first tribulation, its power had far surpassed that of a typical Body Fusion Tribulation, an extremely terrifying sight.

And the power of this ninth tribulation was even more terrifying than the combined might of the previous eight, its strength beyond imagination.

They watched helplessly.

The figure that had been suspended in the distant sky was now nowhere to be seen after this tribulation. Amidst the raging storm, the sky seemed empty, and Qiu was gone!

Just then—

A Heavenly Dao Edict resounded throughout the heavens and earth!

"Heavenly Dao Edict": The Heavenly Dao senses that in the Profound Heaven State of the Vast Continent, the Human Race cultivator Chen Qiu, the Sect Leader of the Mock Heaven Sect, the Heavenly Path Saint, the Heavenly Path Villain, the Human Race Protector Deity, the Supreme Heavenly Prodigy, and the King of Xuantian, has successfully passed through the 'Heaven-Slaying Thunder Tribulation', a First Rank Heaven Tribulation, with astonishing means while at the peak of the Profound Void Realm!

He is bestowed with a strand of Absolute Prodigy Fortune, a strand of Heavenly Dao's Fortune, and a limited-time, one-year version of a Multicolored Entry. May the common people take this as an example.

As they heard this Heavenly Dao Edict, Fat Dragon, who had been tense, exhaled in relief. But soon, he realized what was happening and, alongside Ao Tian and the others, transformed into a stream of light, shooting towards the direction where Qiu had faced the tribulation. He turned to Ao Tian and the others beside him, puzzled, and asked, "What's going on? Did we get the rank wrong? You're telling me that this level of tribulation is only a First Rank Tribulation?"

"What is the Annihilation Lightning Tribulation?"

"The Annihilation Lightning Tribulation has no rank."

Ao Tian, who was also shooting towards Qiu's direction, was shocked. Facing the raging wind, his expression was complex as he spoke hoarsely, "In the Dragon Clan's heritage, there is information about this. Like the One-Nine Thunder Tribulation, the Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation, and the Annihilation Lightning Tribulation."

"They are all Rankless Heavenly Tribulations."

"Among them, from weakest to strongest, are the One-Nine Thunder Tribulation, the Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation, and the Annihilation Lightning Tribulation. Named tribulations are definitely stronger than the Nine-Nine and One-Nine Thunder Tribulations."

"The reason Qiu's Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation was stronger than the Annihilation Lightning Tribulation is mainly because of the difference in cultivation. The Annihilation Lightning Tribulation was experienced by Qiu when he broke through to the Soul Transformation Realm. At the same cultivation level, the Annihilation Lightning Tribulation is definitely stronger than the Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation."

"And all of these are classified as Rankless Heavenly Tribulations."

"Above that are the First Rank, Second Rank, and Third Rank Heavenly Tribulations."

"According to the Dragon Clan's records, these ranked tribulations rarely appear on lower-ranked continents like the First, Second, or Third Rank. These ranked tribulations are usually encountered only after reaching an extremely high level of cultivation."

"And also in special circumstances."

"For example, clan fortune changes or continent rank ascensions."

"Continent rank ascension?" Fat Dragon, standing nearby, suddenly caught the key point in Ao Tian's words and frowned, "Do you mean that the continent's rank can still increase?"

"Mhm."

Ao Tian's expression was complex. "Of course it's possible. Otherwise, where did these Second and Third Rank continents come from? They all gradually ascended from First Rank, and each time a continent ascends, it faces an extremely terrifying ranked tribulation."

"It's just that this happened many years ago, and I'm not sure how many years exactly. In the heritage, the time scale has been lost, and we only know that it's been a long time since a continent's rank ascended. Even the conditions for continent rank ascension have been lost."

"Not just the Profound Heaven Continent in the Vast Continent."

"According to the Dragon Clan's fragmented records, all continents have experienced two historical gaps. One was thirty thousand years ago, and the other was even earlier, but it's unknown how many years have passed."

The Sky Axe Sect Leader, standing nearby, nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, much of the information about the Vast Continent was lost thirty thousand years ago.

After a few breaths—

Fat Dragon arrived at the location where Qiu had faced the tribulation. The original wilderness had now become an enormous, pitch-black crater.

Chen Qiu lay in the center of the crater, his body drenched in blood, eyes tightly shut, and unconscious. Even in his unconscious state, he still tightly clutched a tattered Celestial Umbrella, his injuries appearing beyond severe—one could say he was on the brink of death.

His entire body was riddled with wounds, a gruesome sight.

Beside him, several shattered Nascent Souls lay scattered.

Countless fragments of Spirit Treasures slowly fell from the sky, accompanied by the raging storm. Chen Qiu had been directly struck to the ground by the ninth tribulation, and his descent was naturally faster than the free-falling fragments of Spirit Treasures.

They rarely saw Qiu use Spirit Treasures, and aside from the Celestial Umbrella, he rarely used others. At this moment, the fragments of Spirit Treasures that could cover the sky and block out the sun proved that Qiu had simultaneously activated over a thousand Spirit Treasures.

Some of the fragments were clearly not for protection.

The howling wind passed by, and the atmosphere became deathly silent.

PS: I'll be adding an extra chapter tonight! (I'm cheering myself on!)

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end