Heavenly Tribulation

The aura of tribulation lightning was unmistakable, imbued with the divine majesty of the Heavenly Dao. It was a terrifying pressure that instilled dread in all immortal cultivators, one that could be clearly felt even amid the wildly chaotic storm of energy. None felt it more acutely than Yin Changsheng! *Rumble...* The storm grew increasingly violent, seeming to rage all the more furiously at the lightning's emergence. Suddenly, a figure shot into the sky, flickering in and out of sight within the turbulent tempest. Yin Changsheng was not dead. Previously in the ice coffin, he had worn a jade crown and bore the countenance of a young man. Except for being leaner and paler than an ordinary person, he had possessed an extraordinary, graceful bearing. Now, however, his hair was disheveled, and he looked like a mad demon. He was emaciated to the bone, his flesh shriveled and his blue veins bulging. His original features were unrecognizable, his twisted expression brimming with madness, as if he had completely lost his sanity. His eyes bulged, bloodshot, glaring fixedly at the tribulation lightning. Fear, fury, hatred, and mania swirled within his gaze! "Vile Heavens! How dare you obstruct my path to the Dao!" Yin Changsheng roared to the heavens, demonic intent shaking the firmament. In deploying the Suspended Sword Tower against Qin Sang, his mind had wavered, allowing demonic thoughts to silently infect him. It had drastically warped his temperament, plunging him into demonhood. Though the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's tribulation lightning was hollow bravado that lacked the true might of tribulation lightning, the pressure of heavenly tribulation radiating from it was exceedingly close to the real thing. Under these circumstances, the crazed Yin Changsheng could no longer distinguish truth from falsehood and mistook it for his true heavenly tribulation! He had not hesitated to practice evil arts, hide in an ice coffin, and endure boundless cold and desolation, all to evade and delay his heavenly tribulation, fighting Heaven for his life and defying the natural order. Now, just as his scheme was nearing completion, the heavenly tribulation had suddenly descended. How could Yin Changsheng not despair? A lifetime of bitter cultivation. Pains taken to plan every detail. Everything had lost its meaning. How could he not be enraged! "Ahhh!" A shrill, agonizing screech ripped from Yin Changsheng's throat. Terror and rage utterly shattered what remained of his sanity. *Ding, ding, ding...* The chiming bells remained crisp, yet now carried a touch of desolation, as if foreseeing the fate of both master and treasure. The Suspended Sword Tower flew back to its master's side, spinning rapidly. The nine hanging swords swayed ceaselessly, their multicolored haze glowing brighter than ever before. Releasing its final brilliance, it brazenly charged toward the tribulation lightning! Qin Sang drew in a sharp breath at the sight. Yin Changsheng still had strength to spare! Or rather, this was Yin Changsheng's true power. When he had stayed inside the ice coffin confronting him and Tong Lingyu earlier, he had been constantly distracted, maintaining the evil art that evaded his tribulation. Yin Changsheng was likely infinitesimally close to the Deity Transformation stage. This was the might of a half-step Deity Transformation cultivator! *Boom!* It was like the approach of a night storm, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling. The vivid sunset clouds on the horizon seemed on the verge of being torn apart by heavenly thunder, only to be swallowed by darkness. Yet no such spectacle occurred. What happened next exceeded Yin Changsheng's expectations. The tribulation lightning plunged into the multicolored haze and was instantly engulfed. It never burst back out; it was simply devoured clean by the haze, without creating the slightest ripple. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was merely at the mid-fourth transformation. No matter how powerful its thunder-controlling divine ability was, it could never match the Suspended Sword Tower. *How could the heavenly tribulation be so weak?* Yin Changsheng was left in stunned disbelief. And in that moment, Yin Changsheng's true aura was completely exposed! *** The cavern's ceiling was not solid rock, but an illusion formed by an ancient restriction. Looked down upon from above, the cavern was actually a sinkhole atop a colossal peak situated on a floating mountain. Not a single blade of grass grew here, leaving bare stones exposed in utter desolation. The ceiling was merely part of the ancient restriction. Around the sinkhole, dense fog lingered year-round, forming a thick barrier that sealed off the area into a forbidden zone. This fog was pitch-black, blending seamlessly with the darkness of the Sacred Ground and making it nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye. At the edge of the black mist, a fierce battle was underway. Without exception, all the combatants were cultivators of Xuantian Palace. One faction was led by Hall Master Yin of Huangyu Hall alongside Shanglu and Cultivator Yue of the Tianshan lineage, while the other was comprised of Hall Master Jiang of Yuanji Hall, Elder Mei, and their companions. The battle inside the sinkhole was obstructed by the ancient black mist restriction, preventing any disturbance from reaching the outside. Xuantian Palace was torn apart from within over the Palace Master and the Grand Elder. Unable to concern themselves with the demons invading the Sacred Ground, they had turned to fighting among themselves first. These people knew nothing of the situation inside, unaware of whether Yin Changsheng or Tong Lingyu had gained the upper hand. Striking against the unprepared, Hall Master Yin, Shanglu, and their side held a clear advantage, surrounding Hall Master Jiang's group on all sides. The black mist roiled as rays of treasure light flashed in succession, glowing with myriad colors amid relentless booms. A dazzling array of magic treasures and divine abilities bombarded back and forth in a dizzying display. Though hailing from the same sect, neither side showed the slightest mercy. Hall Master Jiang and his companions appeared in dire straits, forced into a tight circle and relying on a battle formation to desperately hold their ground. Seeing victory within reach, Shanglu threw his head back and laughed, barking fiercely, "Surrender now! Did you really think the traitor Tong could survive at the Palace Master's hands? To dare collude with the traitor Tong and attempt the Palace Master's murder is a monstrous crime! Abandon the darkness for the light and repent with sincerity, and the Palace Master may show mercy and spare your lives!" Elder Mei retorted furiously, "Yin Changsheng stopped being our Palace Master long ago! You act as accomplices to a tyrant, standing by as he slaughters the Grand Elder—you will doom Xuantian Palace to eternal ruin!" "Insolent slander!" Shanglu's face darkened in incandescent fury. Right at that moment, he suddenly felt a tremor from the depths of his soul and snapped his head up toward the sky. Almost simultaneously, everyone else sensed the anomaly. They all looked up into the heavens, feeling the oppressive majesty stemming from the Heavenly Dao and the dread welling up from within their hearts. Their expressions shifted drastically. "This is... heavenly tribulation..." a cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage stammered in a trembling voice. Having formed his Nascent Soul not long ago, the memory of his heavenly tribulation was still fresh. What shocked him was that the tribulation above was only just gathering, yet the terrifying pressure it radiated already vastly surpassed his own. He had no doubt that if this tribulation were aimed at him, he would instantly be reduced to dust. All at once, a dead silence fell over the battlefield. Everyone seemed to forget their attacks. Varying expressions crossed their faces as a torrent of thoughts surged through their minds. Shanglu stared fixedly at the sky above, a fanatic grin spreading across his face. "Haha! Hahaha! The heavenly tribulation descends! The Palace Master has finally broken through the bottleneck of the Deity Transformation stage..." Deity Transformation! Those words struck like a heavy hammer, shaking everyone to their core. Hall Master Jiang and Elder Mei exchanged a glance. Neither had ever witnessed the heavenly tribulation of the Deity Transformation stage, yet they sensed that matters were not so simple. *** Within the Sacred Ground. Darkness swallowed everything, with only the floating mountains shimmering with faint, fluorescent light, appearing insignificant against the vastness of the Sacred Ground and the dark turbulence. Suddenly, an earth-shattering boom erupted from a floating mountain deep within the Sacred Ground. Endless thunder clattered as dark clouds gathered from who knew where, blanketing the sky above the colossal peak. Gales howled, and black mist billowed across the peak. This entire transformation occurred in the blink of an eye. Heavenly majesty had descended! At that moment, the cultivators across the other floating mountains felt the disturbance and turned toward that direction in unison. The souls of lower-ranking cultivators trembled in sheer panic, completely at a loss as to what was happening.