REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST WAR HERO-Chapter 288: NOT DONE

Dark clouds began to gather, swirling above Logan as if the sky above him had turned into a magnet attracting all of them. The moon disappeared behind their thick shroud, plunging the area where Logan sat into pitch-black darkness.

Lightning cracked across the sky — each strike like a warning of what was about to unfold.

Most people had already gone to bed, but the sudden roar of the wind and the violent shaking of doors and windows jolted them awake. Those who were already up rushed outside, bewildered by the chaos.

People pointed toward the horizon, their voices trembling. "What the hell is that? Why did the clouds suddenly started gathering there?"

"A storm is coming… a ferocious one at that," others murmured in disbelief.

At the Smith Villa, everyone awoke with a start and hurried outside. Their gazes lifted to the sky, in the same direction where the black clouds were thickest.

Lilith, half-asleep, rubbed her eyes and stepped out, followed by Daliah and Rowan. "What's happening?" she asked. But none of them had an answer — the question was the same on everyone's lips.

While those in Arcadia could see the phenomenon clearly, people from distant kingdoms could also feel it. They were also staring toward the sky above the kingdom. "Something's happening there," they whispered, fear mixing with awe.

In a forsaken house miles away, Charles and Robert were bound to a pillar. Seated before them were the young man and the young woman from earlier, calmly eating their meal. Since Charles and Robert had refused to reveal anything about Logan, they had been kept as prisoners. The young girl and the young man were formidable when it was about strength but clearly inexperienced in interrogation — otherwise they wouldn't still be struggling to extract an answer.

"The food here is really good," the girl said, chewing casually.

"Yeah…" the man replied, but then paused abruptly. His expression stiffened. The girl noticed it too, and both turned their heads toward the same direction — the one leading to Arcadia. "Someone's undergoing a breakthrough," the man said gravely.

"Yes, but how can it be this intense? Do you think someone's breaking through the final shackle… going beyond the Martial Emperor Realm?" she asked softly.

The man didn't reply. His eyes remained fixed on the distant, storm-choked sky.

Hearing their words, Charles and Robert exchanged glances — both thinking the same thing. "It's him." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

During Logan's previous breakthrough, his tribulation had already been extraordinary. But this time, the pressure was overwhelming. The lightning had not even struck yet, and people across entire regions could already feel the tremor in their souls.

Even within the Spirit Mountain, unrest spread like wildfire. The cultivators there could feel the shift in the air — someone was about to ascend to a new level.

Inside one of the rooms atop the mountain, Elder Wang was calmly sipping tea when he first sensed the disturbance. Alarmed, he set down his cup and went outside. The moment he looked up, realization struck him — and so it did for the other elders who quickly gathered. Even the old man from earlier, the patriarch of the family appeared, his expression grave.

And it wasn't just them. The four great spirit families — and even the three evil spirit families had all turned their eyes toward one direction.

Toward the place where Logan was.

The surge of power inside Logan's body became unstoppable. His entire being trembled as waves of energy flooded every corner of his meridians. His internal energy roared, shattering every boundary within. What he once thought would take him years of cultivation was happening now — his breakthrough toward the next realm unfolding in mere moments.

A golden radiance began to spread from within, illuminating the darkness around him. The earth beneath his feet cracked and split apart as the aura surrounding him thickened, forming a translucent layer of divine pressure.

Suddenly.....

CRACK!

The first bolt of lightning descended.

It struck him squarely, like a celestial spear piercing through his soul. Logan's body convulsed violently as his skin tore apart, glowing veins visible beneath. Blood splattered over the scorched ground, but his eyes did not waver. Instead, an unwavering golden light began to shimmer from within his wounds.

That was when his aura started changing—growing warmer, brighter. The pain that could have shattered a mortal's spirit only fueled his will. His body began to heal on its own, golden energy knitting the torn flesh together as if commanded by some ancient force within him.

Far away, in the Spirit Mountain, chaos erupted.

A servant hurried to the terrace where everyone from Wang's family including their patriarch were standing, panting heavily. "M... Master! The Dragon Lamp! It suddenly started glowing again!"

The old man, who had been staring with awe toward the direction of Arcadia, sharply turned his head. "What?!" he barked.

"It's true, Master," the servant stammered.

The patriarch's hands trembled slightly. His expression hardened as realization struck. "It's him," he muttered under his breath. He turned sharply toward Elder Wang. "Wang! Contact your children immediately. The one facing this tribulation — he's the one we've been searching for. The successor of the Golden Dragon's legacy."

"Yes, Father!" Wang replied without hesitation, and rushed inside.

He soon found a communication jade and activated it right away.

Meanwhile, in the forsaken house hundreds of miles away, the young man and woman were still watching the lightning storm from afar when a faint buzzing sound came from the man's robe.

He took out a similar jade. "Father?" the young man asked.

"Listen carefully," Elder Wang said, his tone grim yet trembling with excitement. "The one undergoing the tribulation is the we have been looking for, the one who has awakened the ability to inherit the golden dragon's legacy. Find out about him quickly. Approach and talk to him possible. And don't you dare be disrespectful toward him."

The man's eyes widened and then he quickly replied. "Don't you worry, father. We will soon find out who this person is."

The jade dimmed, ending the connection.

For a moment, silence hung between the two. Then the young man clenched his fist. "Let's move."

Without another word, they vanished from the room, moving at full speed toward the direction of the storm. Behind them, Charles and Robert remained tied to the pillar, staring in confusion.

"Golden Dragon?!" they both exclaimed at once.

Back where the tribulation raged, the second bolt of lightning tore through the clouds, descending like divine punishment.

BOOM!

It struck him again, this time fiercer, heavier.

Yet before the smoke cleared, his body started to shine once more. His hair fluttered wildly as his eyes snapped open, glowing faintly gold.

The third strike followed, then the fourth, the fifth. Each one struck harder, but his body refused to fall. With every flash of lightning, his aura grew stronger, his mortal limits dissolving piece by piece.

Miles away, the entire Smith Villa was trembling under the storm. The sky above blazed with flashes of gold and silver lightning.

Rowan who was also standing with everyone else, felt something a miss. "That place… it isn't far from here," he said slowly. Then his eyes widened. "Wait… where's Logan?"

Everyone froze.

Alice's heart sank.

Rudeous's expression also darkened.

Everyone began running around frantically, searching for Logan. But Rowan didn't move. He stood still, his eyes fixed on the direction of the dark clouds, as if his instincts were telling him exactly where Logan was.

Back at the site, Logan's body was engulfed in light. He was in lotus position, his aura swirling violently. Each bolt of lightning that struck him no longer tore his flesh, it was as if his body had adapted to withstand the destructive power.

Soon another thunder bolt came down.

The internal energy within him surged exponentially, flooding every vein and meridian. Each cell in his body trembled as it evolved, growing stronger by the second.

And then, all at once....

The aura around him erupted, bursting forth with unstoppable force.

The clouds above trembled as an unseen force spread across the sky. His presence surged beyond the limits of the Ultimate Grandmaster Realm, shattering into something higher.

He had broken through to the Martial King Realm.

But the clouds did not disperse. The winds grew wilder, and the lightning thickened, turning gold.

The tribulation wasn't over.

His internal energy still soared, endless, uncontrollable.

The clouds above trembled as an unseen force spread across the sky. His presence surged beyond the limits of the Ultimate Grandmaster Realm, shattering into something higher.

He had broken through to the Martial King Realm.

But the clouds did not disperse. The winds grew wilder, and the lightning thickened, turning gold.

The tribulation wasn't over.

His internal energy still soared, endless, uncontrollable.

Logan still kept his eyes closed. Despite all that had happened, all the blows he had taken, all the pain he had endured he hadn't moved an inch.

Even after ascending to a new level, there was no reaction. No relief.

Because he could feel it. The flow of spiritual energy from the dragon core hadn't stopped yet.

He wasn't done.