Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 693 - 687 Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, God-Slaying Platform!_1
The Purple Thunder Dragon’s severed claw, lost beneath the tribulation clouds, regenerated. Now whole, and having mastered the Purple Sky Divine Thunder, it battled Jia Ren.
The purple figure slashed repeatedly, its power quickly devoured by the Ancient Thunder Roc.
The tribulation clouds’ recovery couldn’t match the pace of its consumption. In the time it took for half an incense stick to burn, Jia Ren had completely devoured the Purple Thunder Dragon.
Is it over?
The Mahayana Thunder Tribulation is far from simple. The known forms include the Threefold, Sixfold, and Ninefold Heavenly Tribulations.
Ordinary Mahayana Stage Cultivators face the Threefold Heavenly Tribulation.
Talented cultivators undergo the Sixfold Heavenly Tribulation.
And for the highest, the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, less than one in a hundred survives.
The tribulation began with the formidable Purple Sky Divine Thunder manifesting as a thunder dragon. Its power was alarming, and Jia Ren suspected he was facing the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation.
No sooner was the thunder dragon slain than the shadow of another Divine Beast emerged.
It was a purple Kylin, commanding countless divine thunders as it charged. It was clearly more than a notch stronger than the Thunder Dragon.
Jia Ren absorbed the remnants of the slain Thunder Dragon while simultaneously countering the destructive Purple Sky Divine Thunder raging within his body.
This was far more difficult than dealing with the Thunder Dragon, and it took twice as long.
His body brimmed with an immense accumulation of Purple Sky Divine Thunder, incessantly ravaging his flesh.
The potent vitality gained from the Yang Anode Blood Essence Pill surged under the Heavenly Tribulation. Refined by the tribulation’s power, it began to manifest wondrous changes.
The legendary Rebirth from a Single Drop of Blood drew ever closer, as if beckoning to him.
The third stage of the Heavenly Tribulation condensed into a Kui Ox.
Its body was azure-green, with a single horn, and it pulsed with a tidal wave of White Thunder.
A series of dull, thunderous rumbles assaulted their ears and minds, causing splitting headaches.
Brilliant White Thunder, like countless electric needles, stabbed relentlessly at his body.
They seemed like living entities, poised to invade through his pores and wreak havoc within.
Its lethality and destructive power far exceeded the previous two stages of the Heavenly Tribulation.
However, against his body, enhanced by the State of Law, Heaven, and Earth, it too failed to penetrate.
"Swallow!"
After the Thunder Roc swallowed the Kui Ox, the vast expanse of White Thunder vanished without a trace.
The fourth stage of the Heavenly Tribulation was slow to appear. It seemed Jia Ren had defeated the first three stages too quickly for the fourth to form.
Jia Ren gladly seized the opportunity to assimilate the power.
Within his body, Purple Thunder and White Thunder—distinctive lightning forces—wreaked havoc.
Yet, this destruction also concealed the seeds of new life.
Since they couldn’t truly harm Jia Ren’s core essence, the effects were ultimately beneficial.
His body, tempered by the Heavenly Tribulation, rapidly grew stronger.
BOOM!
An indigo thunderbolt flashed and vanished. Jia Ren looked up to see the power of a Thunder Cone erupting.
The indigo bolt was so swift and sudden that evasion was impossible.
Where the indigo bolt struck, large, charred marks appeared on his body, and a faint, burnt odor filled the air.
He was injured by the Heavenly Tribulation for the first time, a sign that its power had escalated to a new level.
Before Jia Ren, in his Thunder Roc Form, could approach, another thunder hammer materialized in the sky, crashing down with a deep blue thunderous glow.
A thunder drum boomed, unleashing sonic attacks that assaulted the mind.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth stages of the Heavenly Tribulation arrived simultaneously, manifesting Punishment Thunder Soldiers determined to annihilate Jia Ren on the spot.
Each Punishment Thunder Soldier was as formidable as a Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. Empowered by the Heavenly Tribulation, they surpassed even those wielded by early Mahayana Realm Cultivators.
This escalated power of the Heavenly Tribulation was not something a cultivator new to the Mahayana Realm could handle.
The Thunder Roc beat its wings, pushing through the lightning. The three Punishment Thunder Soldiers relentlessly unleashed thunderbolts, scarring its body.
Wounds crisscrossed its body. With every advance, a shower of azure feathers rained down from the sky.
The might of the Sixfold Heavenly Tribulation far surpassed the previous three stages, especially with three tribulations striking at once; their combined power was astounding.
Assaulted by the thunder drum’s reverberations, the concussive blows of the thunder hammer to its head, and the terrifyingly penetrative Thunder Cone, the Thunder Roc found itself somewhat overwhelmed.
If not for its body being strengthened by the State of Law, Heaven, and Earth, it would have been impossible to withstand their destructive force.
This was the dire consequence of Jia Ren’s profound foundation and his repeated interference with Heavenly Tribulations past; all of it culminated and erupted at this moment.
The vanished sun disc within his sea of consciousness reappeared, now vastly larger than before.
The crimson light formed a solid barrier, shielding his mind from the thunder’s assault.
The colossal azure figure charged into the tribulation clouds with unstoppable momentum, crashing against the three Punishment Thunder Soldiers.
Their forms were solid, resisting damage even after multiple slashes.
Jia Ren realized ordinary methods wouldn’t destroy the three Punishment Thunder Soldiers. He decisively gathered Yin and Yang energies in his palm, spinning them rapidly.
"Yin-Yang Great Grinding Disc!"
"Spirit Devouring Treasure Art!"
It was uncertain if these entities qualified as Spiritual Treasures, but it was worth a try. If successful, he could even fleece a bit from the heavens.
The Yin and Yang energies struck first. The Thunder Cone bore the brunt; its indestructible surface was ground into fragments, which then dissipated into pure Spiritual Energy.
The hidden treasure-light within, drawn out by the Spirit Devouring Treasure Art, flowed unceasingly into Jia Ren’s body.
Indeed, though not true treasures, having been formed by the Heavenly Tribulation, they possessed some characteristics of Spiritual Treasures.
Drained of its power source, the Thunder Cone’s form weakened, making it even harder to resist the Yin-Yang Great Grinding Disc.
The first Punishment Thunder Soldier crumbled. The thunder drum and thunder hammer didn’t last much longer, soon following suit.
The tribulation clouds showed no sign of dissipating. Jia Ren’s suspicion was confirmed: this was most likely a Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation.
The Thunder Roc opened its massive maw to devour the boundless tribulation energy, determined not to allow the next three stages of the Heavenly Tribulation a chance to descend simultaneously.
He did this to weaken the Heavenly Tribulation’s power and reduce the risk.
He didn’t want to fail at the last hurdle due to a careless mistake.
Swallowing the tribulation clouds was futile. Not only did it fail to diminish their power, but the Heavenly Tribulation seemed to take it as a provocation.
The tribulation clouds began a second expansion, gathering their full might to intensify the Heavenly Tribulation.
Before long, the range of the tribulation clouds surpassed 30,000 li. Vaguely, one could glimpse a Jade Color Palace coalescing in the firmament above.
It resembled the legendary Immortal Palace, resplendent with jeweled towers and jade pavilions—seemingly the abode of Immortals.
Anyone who beheld the silhouette of the Immortal Palace would feel an indescribable pressure welling within them.
The next nine stages of the Heavenly Tribulation would undoubtedly be immensely powerful. Withstanding them with only the State of Law, Heaven, and Earth, and his Thunder Roc Form might be impossible.
Meanwhile, Heavenly Demons emerged from their hiding places—and not just one.
Initially, a Demon Lord of the Skies had been attracted. Unfortunately, Jia Ren’s combat prowess was so formidable that it scared the Demon Lord away, forcing it into an ignominious retreat.
After all, this was the man who had been capable of exterminating a Demon Lord of the Skies even while only in the Body Integration Realm.
If things became too dire, he would just pretend the Heavenly Demon Tribulation didn’t exist...
The arrival of the Sixfold Heavenly Tribulation, and the subsequent escalation to the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, continued to attract more Demon Lords of the Skies.
They were like flies drawn to the scent of carrion, eager to claim a share of the spoils.
Four Demon Monarchs arrived simultaneously, all coveting Jia Ren’s flawless body.
At the same time, two Jade Void Divine Boats lingered in the Void. Cultivators from the Wushan Alliance and the Tai Xu Alliance used treasures to observe the battle from afar, awaiting their chance to strike.
They had arrived in the Mysterious Realm years ago but hadn’t dared reveal themselves because the Heavenly Tribulation had yet to begin.
The bird that sticks its head out gets shot; exposing themselves prematurely was tantamount to suicide.
Their plan was to slay Jia Ren when he was at his weakest.
Only after the Heavenly Demons made their move would it be their turn.
"Can the Grand Elder withstand it?"
"If we return to the Sect now, can the Nine Heavens Star Luo Formation still block the Heavenly Tribulation?!"
Perhaps because the Nine Heavens Star Luo Formation had successfully blocked a Heavenly Tribulation before, the Lingbao Sect cultivators held some confidence in it. At least, it represented a possible retreat.
"Have faith in the Grand Elder. This isn’t the full extent of his power."
Although Jia Ren hadn’t demonstrated his full strength at the Lingbao Sect for a long time, his current display was clearly far from his peak.
Moreover, if he truly faced an insurmountable problem, the Grand Elder could transform into the Golden-Winged Peng Bird and flee. The Heavenly Tribulation would never catch him; it would be left eating his dust.
The Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation had arrived, manifesting in its most potent form.
Within the Heavenly Palace, strands of black lightning emerged. They seemed to represent pure destructive power, emitting an aura more than ten times stronger than the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder.
The black lightning twisted into chains that snaked towards him.
Jia Ren dared not be careless. At some point, he had already transformed into his Golden-Winged Roc Form.
Golden wing-blades slashed at the black chains, producing metallic clangs and leaving only inch-deep notches.
The destructive power of the Golden-Winged Roc Form far surpassed that of the Thunder Roc. Its casual strikes possessed astonishing lethality, yet they couldn’t shatter these chains.
He repeated the technique, conjuring Yin and Yang energies in his palm and transforming them into the Yin-Yang Great Grinding Disc to crush the black chains.
The Technique-Nearing-Dao Level Yin-Yang Great Grinding Disc did not disappoint; the black chains crumbled quickly before it.
The treasure-light was absorbed by his Spirit Devouring Treasure Art and converted into power. He then attempted to absorb a sliver of the Heavenly Tribulation’s energy.
Just then, a premonition struck him—his Whims of the Heart activated. He saw a vision of himself absorbing the black lightning, only for it to transform into black chains that bound him from within.
Without his Thunder Roc Form, his ability to process lightning was greatly diminished.
Moreover, he was now facing the even more dangerous black lightning.
Jia Ren decisively beat a retreat, wielding the Yin and Yang energies to shatter the black chains descending upon him from all directions.
The Yin-Yang Great Grinding Disc continuously ground down the power of the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, converting it into nature’s spiritual energy.
As long as he proceeded steadily, the tribulation’s power would eventually be exhausted.
The Black Thunder Lightning Chains kept falling, but none could even touch the Golden-Winged Peng Bird as he destroyed them one after another.
Again, his Whims of the Heart stirred, and he faintly perceived the silhouette of an Immortal within the Heavenly Palace.
"You have offended the majesty of Heaven! You shall be slain!"
The voice was majestic, seemingly embodying the will of Heaven and Earth.
The Golden-Winged Peng Bird decisively flapped its wings, instantly covering 90,000 li and escaping the area enveloped by the tribulation clouds. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
The voice from the Heavenly Palace resonated throughout the Mysterious Realm, seemingly omnipresent.
The escaped Golden-Winged Peng Bird had barely paused when its body suddenly stiffened.
Tribulation clouds rapidly reconverged overhead, and black chains wrapped around its body with astonishing speed.
The destructive power of the lightning invaded its body, wreaking havoc throughout.
Alas, its physical form had not yet reached a level comparable to a Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. Under the assault of the lightning, its flesh and bones continually dissolved into a bloody pulp.
Its potent regenerative abilities were suppressed, and its recovery was agonizingly slow.
This was only the beginning, not the end.
The black chains dragged the stiffened body of the Golden-Winged Peng Bird atop the newly formed Heavenly Palace, before a black-red glaive.
The God-Slaying Platform!
These words seemed forged from congealing blood, accompanied by the wails of countless wronged souls. The overwhelming aura of blood and slaughter shook one to the core.
Once this glaive fell, it was feared that even a True Immortal in the mortal realm would not escape death.
