Cultivating with Bragging System-Chapter 695 - 342 Forty-nine Heavenly Tribulations_1

The Heavenly Tribulation appeared quickly.

Countless terrifying bolts of thunder exploded with booming roars, fiercely striking down. In an instant, heaven and earth seemed to be torn in two.

Feeling that fearsome power, Nie Linglan and Yan Ji's expressions changed slightly. Such tremendous power was overwhelming; if it were them, they feared they couldn't withstand even a single bolt.

Such a commotion… Could this be a high-level Heavenly Tribulation? Wang Xiu was also stunned, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

As is well known, the Heavenly Tribulation faced by Earth Immortals of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage is divided into four types: the ordinary Heavenly Tribulation, the Forty-nine Heavenly Tribulations, the Sixty-nine Heavenly Tribulations, and the Ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations.

Most cultivators in the world only ever face the ordinary Heavenly Tribulation, which consists of nine bolts in total. Each bolt is stronger than the last, with the final one's might often exceeding the first by more than tenfold.

Beyond that, some prodigies with exceptionally powerful foundations face even more severe tests from the Heavenly Dao, which escalates their trial to the Forty-nine Heavenly Tribulations—a total of thirty-six bolts. Its might is countless times more terrifying than an ordinary Heavenly Tribulation.

Stronger still is the Sixty-nine Heavenly Tribulations, with a full fifty-four bolts of thunder. It is said to be world-destroying, a trial only those with peerless talent are qualified to face. In the current Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, many Quasi-Emperor Supremes from great powers and Ancient Clans have undergone this very test.

The strongest of all is the Ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations, a trial seen almost exclusively in legends. It is said that only two kinds of people can trigger it. The first are those so wicked, their hands so stained with the blood of living beings, that they can no longer be tolerated by the natural order and must face Heavenly Retribution. The second are those with talent so monstrous that even the Heavenly Dao grows envious, fearing their potential and seeking to obliterate them before they can fully mature. This is far beyond what any so-called common villain could ever hope to trigger.

A legend from ancient times tells of an unparalleled Human Demon who plotted for tens of thousands of years. He used a secret method to sacrifice an entire starry sky's worth of worlds and their inhabitants, converting them into his own nourishment in an attempt to reach the supreme Emperor Realm. In the end, he was only a single step away when he fell beneath the might of the Ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations.

The so-called Ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations represents one of two outcomes. Either the person being struck is annihilated, returning peace to the world, or they endure it, and from that day forward, not even the heavens can touch them.

…

Wang Xiu didn't believe his two incarnations could possibly trigger the Ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations. That was an impossibility.

Although both Saint Tai Yi and Saint Taishi had extraordinary origins—one achieving sainthood through the faith of the masses, the other through boundless merit—they were undoubtedly the most dazzling existences among all who had attained Saint Manifestation, their potential and power beyond question. Even so, they still weren't qualified to provoke the Ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations.

Unless… it was his main body undergoing the tribulation. That would be a different story.

Besides, this wasn't a late-stage tribulation, but the very first Celestial Thunder Tribulation for entering the Tribulation Transcendence Realm! It shouldn't be that terrifying.

…

BOOM!

As he was pondering, the Heavenly Tribulation began.

Bolts of thunder as thick as water buckets slammed down on Tai Yi and Taishi one after another. The sheer force of the display was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Was I too rash? I shouldn't have let them both face their tribulations at the same time. A flicker of worry crossed Wang Xiu's mind.

Fortunately, Tai Yi and Taishi were far from ordinary. Although they were Wang Xiu's incarnations, they were fundamentally Divine Soul Incarnations, meaning all their thoughts and powers could be shared with him. Any Divine Skills Wang Xiu knew, they knew as well. Wang Xiu could even take direct control of their bodies, fighting remotely as a substitute.

This was the terrifying power of the Great Luo Immortal Consciousness Scripture. It was far stronger than any common incarnation technique. Most cultivation methods in this world required years of accumulated practice to master. If an incarnation lacked that training, it would have to learn from scratch, even if it knew the theory.

But the incarnations condensed by the Great Luo Immortal Consciousness Scripture were different.

"Yin-Yang Devil Luo Seal!"

"Immortal Great Luo Heaven!"

The two acted in unison. Runes transformed into a vast sea of stars, converging into a terrifying seal that blasted directly into the fearsome thunder, instantly reducing it to nothing.

One bolt!

Three bolts!

Nine bolts!

Soon, the ninth bolt of the Heavenly Tribulation had passed. The two figures shone with a brilliant light, their auras boundless and a tier above what they were before, resembling descending deities.

But the tribulation clouds overhead had not yet dispersed. A destructive power even mightier than before was gathering.

"As expected… this is no ordinary Heavenly Tribulation!" Nie Linglan said, standing behind Wang Xiu and staring at the terrifying sight with a grave expression.

Yan Ji, clad in a red robe, stuck out her tongue, her pretty face a little pale. "That's so scary. Will we have to face a Heavenly Tribulation like that in the future?"

"Don't worry," Nie Linglan comforted her. "The Master's two incarnations have extraordinary origins. They're comparable to prodigies seen only once in a millennium, which is why they've attracted such a Heavenly Tribulation. We… we shouldn't have to face the same thing."

Hearing their conversation, Wang Xiu's lips curled into a slight smile. "Who says you won't? Yan Ji, you possess the body of a Divine Beast. Since ancient times, the tribulations of Divine Beasts have always been several times stronger than those of humans at the same realm.

"And as for you, Linglan," he continued, "you've condensed the Yin-Yang Holy Body, which gives you an advantage over other Ghost Cultivators during their tribulations. You won't suffer the multiplied damage from Heavenly Tribulations that they normally do. However… precisely because your foundation is so much stronger, you will have to face at least the Forty-nine Heavenly Tribulations in the future. It's even possible you might face the Sixty-nine Heavenly Tribulations!"

Hearing this, Nie Linglan and Yan Ji were left speechless, their faces etched with pitiful expressions.

Wang Xiu burst into laughter.

Nie Linglan bit her red lip and said, "You can talk! This is just your incarnations' tribulation, and it's already such a spectacle. If your main body were to face its tribulation one day… wouldn't that surely be the Ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations?"

At her words, Wang Xiu's smile instantly vanished, his face darkening.

This damn girl! Why must she bring up the one thing I'd rather not think about?

"Get over here. Let me give you a swat!"

Seeing Wang Xiu's reaction, Nie Linglan was about to snicker. But when she heard his words, her face flushed scarlet. She covered her behind and shook her head. "No, Master… It will actually hurt now!"

Wang Xiu replied irritably, "The pain is so you'll remember the lesson!"

With that, he raised his hand and brought it down squarely on her pert rear.

SMACK!

"Still dare to gloat over my misfortune?"

"Mm…" Nie Linglan's face was crimson. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, a hint of secret pleasure mixed with her shyness. "I… I wouldn't dare!"

Yan Ji giggled on the side as she watched.

Wang Xiu glared at her. "You think I wasn't talking to you? Stick it out!"

Yan Ji's expression changed in an instant. "Master, it wasn't my fault…" she pleaded.

SMACK!

Before she could finish, a stinging slap had already landed.

The sudden sting made Yan Ji leap into the air, yelping like a startled pup.

While Wang Xiu and the others were joking around, the terrifying Heavenly Tribulation in the distance had already surpassed thirty bolts.

The divine light surrounding Tai Yi and Taishi had dimmed slightly, yet their auras grew even more powerful. Their pupils shone as brightly as the sun, with fine traces of a special energy flowing within.

That was… Immortal Qi