Grey Tribulation Thunder

*Rumble...* Thunder echoed in his ears. Dark clouds billowed, casting the sky into gloom. Wind and thunder sounded in unison across the vast, desolating expanse. As the oppressive weight of the Heavenly Dao bore down upon him, Qin Sang felt as though he were shouldering an entire mountain. He had already driven away all the demonic beasts in the vicinity, and the ordinary creatures left behind fled in a wild panic, driven by an instinctive dread of imminent mortal peril. Qin Sang’s Daoist robe snapped and billowed in the gale. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly, which had alighted on his shoulder at some point, took flight and circled the area, confirming one last time that no entity nearby posed a threat to him. Qin Sang had already scouted the terrain thoroughly beforehand. This was a tribulation ground he had chosen with great care. It was far from Mount Heming, situated south of the Huangquan Path, nearly at the very edge of Jushan Diocese, with the Sin Plains lying just a short distance farther south. Because the Huangquan Path occupied the southern reaches of Jushan Diocese, the territory to the south was far less expansive than in the north and easily embroiled in strife should war break out. Consequently, most sects of Jushan Diocese were clustered in the north. There were no sects nearby. Barring an accidental passerby, true experts were unlikely to visit such a remote borderland. *Swish!* The Grey Oriole Sword transformed into sword light and coiled around his body. Yet his sword arts would hardly be of much use this time; his physical body was his true reliance. Qin Sang gazed up at the tribulation clouds. His premonition had not been mistaken. This Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was extraordinary; even before the tribulation thunder fully formed, the pressure had already far exceeded his expectations. Fortunately, he had not been overconfident. Had he failed to achieve his physical breakthrough before the heavenly tribulation descended, his chances today would have been grim. *Rumble...* The tribulation clouds took shape with astonishing speed. Watching them, an unusual look surfaced in Qin Sang's eyes. The tribulation thunder was being birthed deep within the clouds, and Qin Sang could already see thunder pythons gallivanting through the vapor. Bizarrely, the thunder pythons were grey. Grey tribulation thunder! Qin Sang had seen the silver tribulation thunder of spirit insects, his own azure tribulation thunder, and the two-toned azure-gold tribulation thunder of Yunyouzi, but this was the first time he had ever seen grey tribulation thunder. To his knowledge, cultivators in this realm—just like in the Storm Realm—faced azure tribulation thunder, while demon cultivators faced golden tribulation thunder. At least among the ancient texts Qin Sang had gathered, there was no mention of grey tribulation thunder. Before he could ponder further, the tribulation thunder descended! *Crack!* Lightning cascaded like a waterfall. Qin Sang had never witnessed such a bizarre spectacle. When the thunder erupted, instead of illuminating heaven and earth, it cast an added layer of gloom over the void, as though light itself were being swallowed by the tribulation thunder. While the grey thunder lacked the deafening roar and dazzling spectacle of ordinary lightning, its violent essence remained unchanged—and inspired far greater dread. Contemplating the Buddhas in his heart, he forged the mind seals. Golden radiance circulated through his entire body as his internal essence surged into action. Without hesitation, Qin Sang formed the Auspicious Seal and the Golden Astral Heavenly Armor Seal, while his right hand shaped the Demon-Subduing Seal. A strength cultivator had to possess the valor to smash through everything in his path. Qin Sang would never sit idly by and await doom; stomping heavily against the ground, he sprang into the air to confront the tribulation thunder head-on. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was eager to join, but Qin Sang held her back. Still ignorant of the true nature of the grey thunder, he dared not let her devour it directly. *Whoosh!* Qin Sang soared toward the heavens with a solemn gaze. A strange, refined light surfaced over his right palm, transforming into a brilliant golden great hand seal. *Boom!* In the instant before the thunder and the hand seal collided, everything seemed to slow down. It was an illusion born of the clash between two terrifying forces. The grey tribulation thunder swallowed Qin Sang whole, and an instant later, a figure crashed violently into the earth. *Thud!* The ground shook, and a crater was gouged out. Bizarrely, the tribulation thunder did not press its advantage. It froze in midair, then shattered inch by inch. *Crack!* The thunder broke! The tribulation thunder had actually been shattered by Qin Sang's single blow! *Swoosh!* Qin Sang leaped from the crater. Grey arcs of lightning crawled across his skin, some seeming to penetrate his celestial armor and seep into his body. His hair was disheveled, but he acted as though he felt nothing. He laughed aloud with wild abandon, shouting his exhilaration, his laughter ringing with supreme confidence. *Crack!* The second bolt of tribulation thunder followed immediately. With far fewer misgivings now, Qin Sang sent a mental command to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly as he vaulted into the air once more to meet the thunder, this time switching to the Altar-Turning Seal. The Altar-Turning Seal lacked the indomitable charge of the Demon-Subduing Seal; once formed, the space surrounding the hand seal turned sluggish and stagnant. When the tribulation thunder struck that boundary, it also faltered, its momentum visibly slowing. This seal targeted more than magic treasures. At Qin Sang's realm, he could rely on it to neutralize even the Daoist arts and divine abilities cast by his opponents. Naturally, the seal could not truly bind the tribulation thunder; it could only delay it for a fleeting breath. Yet a fleeting breath was all Qin Sang needed. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly darted forward impatiently, lightning crackling between her wings before shooting out a net of thunder. The thunder net converged, trapping the bolt within before snapping back and being devoured by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The next instant, a layer of grey mist seemed to veil her heavenly eye. Her wings snapped tightly shut, her frail body trembling. Seeing that the butterfly showed no signs of serious harm, Qin Sang turned away and focused entirely on the tribulation thunder. When facing a heavenly tribulation, evasive tactics were useless. Thus, Qin Sang rarely employed the Lotus Seal, alternating instead between the Demon-Subduing Seal and the Altar-Turning Seal. The thunderclouds churned, and the tribulation thunder fell in what felt like an endless barrage. Each bolt was more formidable than the last, and the calm on Qin Sang’s face steadily faded. Just then... Beyond the tribulation grounds, along the border of Jushan Diocese, four figures in Daoist robes were speeding across the mountain ranges—three men and one woman. The four had varying auras, with the woman being the strongest, possessing a cultivation around the late Core Formation stage. They traversed peak after peak, seemingly in search of something. After searching for a long time, the short, plump Daoist at the rear could not help but speak up: "Senior Sister, we've searched so long without finding that spiritual herb. The information must be wrong. If we go any further, we might run into demon soldiers from Guifang State. What if..." The woman ignored him. The man ahead of the plump Daoist turned back. "The news came from the Dao Court, so it ought to be reliable. That spiritual herb is of utmost importance to Senior Sister; we must find it. Junior Brother, you need not worry. It's still quite a distance from the boundary between the two factions, and this area is so remote that even if demons are present, they won't be very strong." The plump Daoist nodded. He was a reasonable man, but after searching for so long with nothing to show for it, he had grown anxious. Right then, the woman suddenly came to a halt. "Senior Sister, what is it?" Her companions were startled and looked around vigilantly. The plump Daoist felt uneasy, fearing his senior sister was about to reprimand him. Unexpectedly, the woman raised her escape light once more and flew off into the distance. The others hurried to follow. After flying for a while, the four stopped on a mountaintop, staring blankly ahead. "A heavenly tribulation!" the woman said in a deep voice. They were still very far from the tribulation site, yet they dared not take another step forward. From where they stood, they could see the horizon shrouded in pitch-black gloom, obscured by billowing dark clouds. Even at this distance, they could feel the aura of the heavenly tribulation, their very souls shivering under its weight. "It seems... even stronger than Master's tribulation," a Daoist wearing a tall crown said, his voice trembling. The woman remained silent, staring at the tribulation clouds with a glimmer of bewilderment in her eyes. She had witnessed her sect elders undergo tribulation before; on those occasions, dazzling lightning had illuminated the heavens with majestic celestial might. Yet this mass of tribulation clouds was utterly bizarre. Only black clouds surged, with no striking arcs of lightning visible—only an oppressive, heavy gloom. "This..." The woman was perplexed, wondering if her spiritual sense was playing tricks on her. How could such a heavenly tribulation exist in this world? Alerted by her reaction, the others realized something was amiss and looked equally bewildered. "Senior Sister, should we go closer to take a look..." Before the Daoist with the tall crown could finish, the woman cut him off sharply. "Absolutely not!" The others quickly swallowed their words, knowing their senior sister was right. Regardless of what kind of tribulation thunder it was, the cultivator undergoing it was far beyond their realm. Moreover, anyone undergoing a tribulation out in the wilderness most likely had protectors standing guard. If they were discovered, they would all die! Still, having encountered such a strange heavenly tribulation unrecorded in any text, their curiosity burned, and leaving like this left them somewhat unwilling. The plump Daoist's eyes suddenly lit up. "Senior Sister, didn't you bring a Fleeting Shadow Talisman?" Hearing this, the others looked at the woman with hopeful eyes. The woman hesitated. That talisman could transform into a water mirror to quietly observe enemy movements from afar. She had begged her master for it, specifically preparing it for this herb-hunting expedition. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to use it. With a flick of her fair wrist, a shimmering blue talisman appeared in her palm, followed by the soft sound of a bursting bubble. A palm-sized water mirror materialized before the four of them. The mirror reflected the void at the edge of the tribulation clouds. Had she directed it toward the center, it might have revealed the figure undergoing the tribulation, but a cultivator of such immense strength would have extraordinarily sharp spiritual senses. If discovered, bringing pursuit upon themselves would spell disaster. Just at that moment, the tribulation clouds brewed another wave of thunder. Grey tribulation thunder flashed across the mirror's surface. The four stared blankly at the water mirror. Though the mirror only captured a distant illusion, they felt as if the tribulation thunder were bursting through the glass to strike them down, and their bodies stiffened in terror. *Crack!* Unable to withstand the aura of the tribulation thunder, a crack split across the water mirror. The woman's expression changed drastically as she cried out in alarm. "Retreat!" The four fled in panic. Even when the tribulation clouds were no longer in sight, they remained dazed and shaken. "Grey tribulation thunder... Such a thing actually exists in this world. What a pity we couldn't see the one undergoing it..." the Daoist with the tall crown murmured to himself. "The world is vast; there are all manner of wonders," the woman said, quickly regaining her composure. "This place is too dangerous. We cannot continue our search here." "Right! Right!" "Let's leave!" ... In the heart of the tribulation clouds, Qin Sang was knocked down by the lightning once again. Even if those onlookers had seen him, they would not have recognized his true appearance, for Qin Sang had already cast the *Postcelestial Wooden Man Stele* and assumed his spirit wood body. Anyone who saw this without knowing better would have assumed an ancient tree demon was being struck by lightning. The landscape here was entirely ruined, the earth pocked with deep craters. Grey lightning tore through the tribulation clouds, growing ever darker as its power mounted. Heavy, black clouds blotted out the sky, confining Qin Sang within this narrow space. *Rumble...* *Crack!* Countless lightning bolts wove into a net, cascading down like rain, all converging upon a single target. The treant's towering form seemed almost insignificant beneath the onslaught. His rough, wooden face showed little expression, but his eyes shone with vibrant brilliance, entirely devoid of fear. The wounds on Qin Sang's body healed at a blistering pace, sustained on one hand by the spirit wood body's continuous absorption of ambient wood spirit qi, and on the other by the form's inherent vitality, ensuring he never fell into exhaustion. He leaped high into the air once more. Executing the *Seven Master Buddha Seals* through the spirit wood body elevated their power to a higher level. The Altar-Turning Seal slowed the tribulation thunder, followed by the Demon-Subduing Seal. Qin Sang's hand sliced down like a blade, cleaving the lightning bolt in two. A portion was knocked aside and instantly swallowed by the waiting Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The remainder was either snuffed out or slammed heavily into Qin Sang's body. Another deep crater was carved into the earth, but Qin Sang scrambled out of it moments later. Within the clouds, the next wave of thunder was gathering. Though Qin Sang appeared full of vigor, his expression was grave. He commanded the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to retreat. Moving forward, he would likely be unable to protect her, and having devoured so much thunder, she was nearing her limit. *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* ... Struck down time and again, he rose to his feet time and again. Tirelessly, Qin Sang battled the heavenly tribulation. Vast swathes of the surrounding mountain forests began to wither as Qin Sang siphoned away their wood spirit qi, dragging the flora into their own calamity. No one knew how much time had passed. Finally, the tribulation clouds dispersed. The earth was sunken deep, the final bolt having torn open the ground to carve out a canyon from nothing. Once the clouds vanished, a rough hand reached out from the canyon, gripping the edge, and hauled its owner up in a single leap. ... In a certain courtyard. The grounds held no rare flowers, strange grasses, rockeries, or lotus ponds; the scenery was rather austere. Inside the courtyard's solitary wooden building, a dark-skinned stranger sat cross-legged in quiet meditation, surrounded by complete stillness. Suddenly, the ward outside the courtyard was disturbed. The dark-skinned stranger awoke to hear a voice outside: "Reporting to Real Person Mo, the Lord requests your presence." He stood and walked out of the courtyard. Seeing that it was an immortal official from the Tianshu Court, he nodded slightly and followed behind, arriving shortly before a lavish, grand hall. The hall doors stood open. The official bowed and withdrew. The dark-skinned stranger stepped into the hall and saw the Imperial Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace staring intently at an object in his hand. "Did I disturb Daoist Mo's meditation?" The Imperial Censor looked up with a smile. "Come quickly and see this." The dark-skinned stranger stepped forward and saw a palm-sized jade slice in his hand. Within the jade slice, a brief scene played on an endless loop. "This is..." The dark-skinned stranger's gaze hardened. "Do you see it? Grey tribulation thunder! Our hard work has paid off; we have finally found it." The Imperial Censor handed the jade slice to the stranger. "This footage was discovered and recorded by disciples of a sect in Jushan Diocese. It is a pity their cultivation was too low to risk peering at the person undergoing the tribulation. However, this image is enough to corroborate the ancient records: this is the heavenly tribulation faced by ascended cultivators! That companion of yours..." Pausing, the Imperial Censor clasped his hands behind his back and looked out the hall. "Since she crossed her tribulation in Jushan Diocese, and closer to our territory, she likely has not joined Guifang State. However, according to the ancient texts, although grey tribulation thunder brings immense benefits to cultivators from small thousand worlds, its power far exceeds ordinary tribulations. If she survived it unscathed and hasn't joined Guifang State, she may have already been brought into the fold by one of our fellow Daoists." The dark-skinned stranger stared at the jade slice for a long time. "If the records are true, that cultivators from small thousand worlds face such a tribulation only upon entering a great thousand world, then this can only be a great thousand world! Why... did you say that might not be the case?" The Imperial Censor gazed into the heavens and said indifferently, "Because the Dao Court has reached no definitive conclusion! Perhaps one day, when you and I have the strength to venture deep into the Sin Sea and the Sin Plains to reach the other shore, we will finally know."