Chapter 132: The Heavens Unleash Their Wrath

Xu Zhong headed east, yet the corresponding direction within the Valley of the Sleeping Dragon was south.

The south belonged to the territory of the Longque—a hybrid of a True Dragon and a Vermilion Bird, possessing the formidable abilities of both.

No sooner had he entered the Xuanzhou Outer-Scene Grotto-Heaven of the Longque than he felt a heavy, overwhelming sense of karmic retribution pressing down from above, leaving him gasping for air. Overhead, a thundercloud swirled, with arcs of violet lightning churning within, stretching out in all directions like a massive spiderweb. The deafening roar of thunder was relentless.

"Disaster! It’s the Yaochi Lightning Tribulation!" Xu Zhong’s heart skipped a beat, his expression tightening.

The Yaochi Lightning Tribulation, which followed the Twelve-Story Tower Tribulation, was the trial required for a cultivator to transition from the Qiwu (Equalizing Things) stage to the Neijing (Inner-Scene) stage.

Cultivators must endure tribulations from the moment they condense their spirit and step onto the path of "riding objects." The Ride-Object stage requires a lightning tribulation. Transitioning from Ride-Object to the Scene stage requires the Six-Yao Lightning Tribulation—"Yao" referring to Yin and Yang. The transition from Outer-Scene to Qiwu requires the Twelve-Story Tower Tribulation. Finally, one must pass the Yaochi Lightning Tribulation to refine the Outer-Scene into the Inner-Scene.

What Xu Zhong faced now was the Yaochi Lightning Tribulation. It was not the full-scale manifestation, perhaps only one ten-millionth of its true power. However, there were countless living beings within the Xuanzhou Outer-Scene Grotto-Heaven; with each sharing a fraction of the burden, the force falling upon the Longque was still immense.

"This Longque intends to drag us all into the Yaochi Lightning Tribulation with it."

Xu Zhong could not move. Karmic retribution clung to him, his accumulated sins ignited by the lightning, transforming into a rising red cloud. Beneath this cloud, he trembled.

"Seed of Divine Lightning!"

Lightning surged in his eyes as the gods of the Thunder Marsh manifested one by one. The supreme light erupting from within them formed a glowing white cocoon around him, merging his essence with the karmic tribulation. Yet, once caught in the midst of the trial, there is no escape.

The thundercloud overhead transformed into a golden vortex, spewing green light and raining down divine lightning.

"The Jia-Yi Wood Divine Tribulation!"

Jia and Yi represent the Yin and Yang of the Wood element, capable of transforming into Metal and Fire. Now, these forces intertwined, plummeting from the heavens with a crushing force that tore through the void.

But the Jia-Yi Wood Divine Tribulation was not aimed at Xu Zhong. The Longque flapped its wings, unleashing sixty-four streaks of ancient celestial fire. These fires, gathered from unknown origins, did not seem scorching at first, but the moment one blinked, the fire struck from the darkness, burning one’s vision and soul. By the time one opened their eyes again, their entire body would be engulfed in flames.

Xu Zhong observed these fires and felt they were far superior to his own Samadhi True Fire. Since fire is born from wood, it was clear the peacock intended to use the Wood-generated-Fire to fuel the celestial flames and burn the entire thundercloud away.

But how could the Yaochi Lightning Tribulation be so easily extinguished?

*BOOM!*

A smaller Jia-Yi Wood Divine Tribulation struck from above. Xu Zhong initially considered imitating the Longque, using the cycle of generation and restriction to survive. But he reconsidered: if the next stage of the Yaochi Tribulation was the Bing-Ding Fire Divine Tribulation, wouldn't their attempt to generate fire from wood only serve to bolster the power of the tribulation?

He slapped his Purple Jade Gourd. The gourd flew out, whistling through the air, its mouth acting as a vortex, greedily devouring the power of the tribulation lightning. He had previously brewed sword qi into fine wine; now, he was attempting to refine the lightning itself into wine.

Lightning flowed like a river into the gourd's mouth. However, the gourd could not sustain this for long; it shuddered as if hiccuping, then began to sway as if intoxicated, disoriented, until Xu Zhong reached out and pulled it back. Glancing into the gourd's mouth, he saw the lightning transformed into rings nested within the inner walls, where sword qi stirred, blooming like flowers.

After sealing the gourd, the second wave of lightning began to descend. As Xu Zhong had feared, it was indeed the Bing-Ding Fire Divine Tribulation.

Firelight surged, scorching the spiritual energy and air of the Xuanzhou Outer-Scene Grotto-Heaven, converting it into its own strength. It compressed into a single line that descended. Mountains, lakes, birds, and beasts were crushed until their orifices bled; their bones groaned and shattered inch by inch. As they gasped, the blood they spat out instantly transformed into the Bing-Ding Fire Divine Tribulation, flowing backward into their bodies. Thus, the fire raged both within and without.

Xu Zhong was drenched in sweat, yet he remained standing, his orifices clear of blood. Beside him stood the Four Symbols Divine Banners: the Vermilion Bird in front, the Black Tortoise behind, and the Azure Dragon and White Tiger on the sides. At this moment, the Vermilion Bird displayed its majesty, turning into a sea of flame that absorbed every bit of the Bing-Ding fire near Xu Zhong.

Other cultivators nearby had already suffered broken meridians, shattered organs, and pulverized bones, collapsing like mud. Yet, their Golden Cores remained. As these cores spun and opened, a massive surge of vitality emerged from within, forging their bones and regenerating their meridians. Their broken bodies began to show subtle changes.

"Their Dantians have been expanded," Xu Zhong sensed. "Not just their Dantians, but everything."

"Great opportunity born from destruction?" His heart wavered.

Then, he watched as a newly regenerated cultivator was pierced through by the Geng-Xin Metal Divine Tribulation. The Metal lightning, rich with killing intent, entered the flesh; in the blink of an eye, the cultivator's newly formed body was reduced to a blur of gore. The Golden Core tried to manifest its power, but it was sliced in two by the metal lightning and turned into dust, spewing out from every orifice until only a hollow skin remained drifting in the air.

Xu Zhong felt his scalp tingle. He realized, "This lightning is aimed at Qiwu-stage cultivators. For a Ride-Object cultivator to try to use this to reshape their physical form and destiny, they must possess the strength and destiny matching the Qiwu stage."

The Yaochi Lightning Tribulation was absolute. Though its power was divided among many, its quality remained unchanged. Every realm of a cultivator is a sublimation of life, a transformation. What they must endure is not meant for a lower level of existence.

Still, Xu Zhong felt respect for that cultivator. To dare to use the heavens' own power to temper one's body required immense courage and wisdom—though he had underestimated the horror of the tribulation and overestimated himself.

With that lesson, Xu Zhong dared not retract the Four Symbols Divine Banners. He hid beneath them, watching the Kui-Ren Water Divine Tribulation stir the tides of the void.

The Yaochi Lightning Tribulation consisted of thirty-six strikes. Only four had passed.

"I wonder if this Longque can survive all thirty-six," he mused, feeling a profound sense of awe.

He could see powerful figures gathering in the distance. These were Inner-Scene cultivators. They had not come to the Xuanzhou Outer-Scene Grotto-Heaven to watch for amusement, but to wait for the Longque's outcome. If it failed, its blood, bones, demon core, soul, and undying spiritual light would be harvested for alchemy. If it barely survived, they would strike to kill it and divide the spoils. Only if it handled the tribulation with ease would they depart.

The peacock bathed in lightning, its divine feathers gleaming. Intertwined black and white light swirled around it—thirty-three layers of rings, large and round at its feet, small and twisted at its crown. They rotated strangely, serving an unknown purpose, yet whenever lightning struck, it was naturally severed by these rings.

"A sword formation!" Xu Zhong, being a swordsman, recognized it. "Thirty-three nested sword formations—the power of this must be extraordinary." He watched as countless sword qi swam within the rings. "Did it refine its own feathers as magical treasures?" he wondered, clicking his tongue. "What a pity. If I had such feathers, I wouldn't need to scrounge for materials to forge swords."

Even now, with his current status, refining his own sword pellets would take an eternity. The Longque’s feathers erupted with sword light, severing the lightning before it even needed to employ the full arrays.

"These formations must be to guard against those cultivators outside the Grotto-Heaven," Xu Zhong whispered.

Yet, as the Yin-Yang transition completed, the entire Yaochi Lightning Tribulation suddenly shifted. The sky tilted, and the earth collapsed, all pointing toward the center of the Grotto-Heaven where the Longque stood. The thunderclouds dissipated, revealing the Yaochi (Jade Pool) itself.

The pool radiated celestial light for millions of miles, surrounded by dragons, phoenixes, and Qilin. Four-legged divine beasts loomed in the four directions. Purple clouds came from the east, golden light from the west, and a rainbow bridge spanned the heavens. Celestial maidens scattered flowers, and divine springs surged from the earth—a scene of supreme auspiciousness.

But this auspiciousness was not for the Longque; it was for the Yaochi. Xu Zhong saw the water of the pool—formless and intangible, yet perceptible to the body, existing between reality and illusion. Beside the pool stood dragon-headed giants, each sixty-six thousand feet tall.

Suddenly, one of the giants reached out and tore an opening in the Yaochi. The water cascaded down like a waterfall from the nine heavens, a torrent of death that roared across the world, washing over the Longque.

"So, the true Yaochi Lightning Tribulation has only just begun," Xu Zhong murmured, moved.

In that instant, the heavens unleashed their killing intent, beckoning the karmic retribution. No living soul could escape the calamity.