Boom! Boom! Boom!

One bolt of Blood Echelon Creation Tribulation Lightning fell after another. Each strike was thicker and more terrifying than the last.

Yet with the support of his Chaotic Source, Ling Feng took in as much as came. Every strand of lightning could be used to expand his dantian world and push his cultivation higher!

"Now this feels good!"

The power of the Blood Echelon tribulation was steadily absorbed and transformed into his elemental force. It surged forward and slammed against the barrier of the third level.

At last, the tribulation clouds began to weaken. The lightning grew thinner. The dark clouds that filled the sky slowly started to disperse.

"That's it?"

Ling Feng frowned and looked up at the sky.

"Come on! Strike me again! Don't hold back now!"

Not far away, the three peak Great Emperors watched with twitching brows and stiff expressions.

Most people faced tribulation with extreme caution. They feared every strike and struggled to survive.

After surviving, they would feel relief and gratitude for having escaped death.

Ling Feng did the opposite. The tribulation had barely ended and he was already calling it back for more. The contrast was ridiculous!

The tribulation clouds gave no response. They scattered completely and vanished without a trace, as if even they wanted nothing more to do with him.

After all, even tribulation lightning had its dignity. Failing to destroy its target was one thing. Being treated as nourishment was another.

Once the tribulation ended, Ling Feng's cultivation stabilized at the peak of the third level of the Creation Realm. The fourth level was already within reach.

Xu Zhengfeng and the other two Supreme Elders rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

They had been ready to step in and help him survive the tribulation. In the end, Ling Feng handled it as if it were nothing.

What appeared to be devouring lightning was not simple absorption. He drew the lightning into his dantian space and suppressed it using the Chaotic Source. Without that power, such an attempt would have led to certain death.

That Chaotic Source traced back to the Ancient Cave of Time, where another child of the Heavenly Dao had condensed a Chaotic Seed with his entire life's strength.

Ling Feng was also a child of the Heavenly Dao, yet he would normally be far from forming such a seed. By chance, he had inherited one and it had already evolved into a Chaotic Source.

His current strength came from more than his own bloodline. It also carried the Chaotic Power of another child of the Heavenly Dao. The fusion of both forces placed his talent far beyond ordinary limits.

The one who left that Chaotic Seed must have reached an unimaginable level. The power born from it could not possibly be destroyed by something like a Human Emperor tribulation.

After enduring the purification of the Blood Echelon lightning, Ling Feng had reached a new state. His body had ascended to the Emperor level while his Qi cultivation stepped into the Human Emperor realm. His presence felt like a sheathed blade, calm and restrained, yet capable of revealing unmatched sharpness the moment it was drawn.

After a brief silence, Xu Zhengfeng stepped forward, studied Ling Feng, and burst into laughter.

"Kid, congratulations on reaching the Human Emperor realm!"

In the Hall of War, Human Emperors were not rare. If one picked ten people at random, most would already be at that level.

Ling Feng was different.

Even at the Spiritual Sea Realm, he could fight early tier Great Emperors head on. Now that he had stepped into the Human Emperor realm, his strength would rise to an entirely new level.

He might already be capable of clashing with Great Emperors around the third level of the Divine Destiny Realm.

No matter how one looked at it, he now counted as high tier combat strength within the Hall of War.

"Elder Xu, I was focused on the tribulation earlier and did not have the chance to thank you and the other two elders for helping me resist the lightning!"

Ling Feng bowed respectfully.

He had made the process look easy, but when he first came out of the War God Temple, he had been completely unprepared. If that first wave had struck him directly, the outcome might have been very different.

His idea of devouring lightning had only come midway through the tribulation.

"No need to make a fuss. I only stepped in because I did not want you destroying the War God Temple."

Xu Zhengfeng narrowed his eyes and looked at Ling Feng with growing approval. It was a pity that once Ling Feng returned to the sect, the sect master would likely take him in as a direct disciple. Otherwise, even he would have been tempted.

"Hehe..."

Ling Feng gave a dry laugh. The old man was really realistic when he spoke.

"Now that the northern barbarians have retreated, you should return to the Dongling Immortal Pool soon. You would not want to miss the Sunset Heaven Selection in four months. Once you return, the sect master might personally take you as a disciple. A few pointers from him would benefit you for life."

"Understood. I will set out in the next few days. Regardless, thank you for your care during this time, Elder Xu."

Ling Feng bowed again.

Without Xu Zhengfeng's support, he might not have been able to safely keep the three Bloodthirsty Soul Chasing Arrows.

"Take this!"

Xu Zhengfeng flicked his wrist and tossed out a black token with an ancient design.

"This is your Heaven Slaying Ten Absolutes identity token. With it, you can request forces from the Hall of War when needed. Just remember, if you misuse it against the sect, do not blame me for being ruthless!"

"I would never."

Ling Feng accepted the token.

On the front was a towering immortal mountain with a sacred pool at its center, symbolizing the Dongling Immortal Pool. At the heart of the design were the words "Strength Master", his title.

On the back was the emblem of the Hall of War, crossed blades representing endless battle.

He stored it carefully. With this token, he could command up to five hundred Hall of War disciples. It would be invaluable in the future.

"Hmph! You caused quite a stir with that tribulation. I still have to clean up after you!"

Xu Zhengfeng shot him a glare before turning and leaving in a blur. With the tribulation over, it was time to recall the scattered disciples.

Ling Feng scratched his neck awkwardly. His strength had risen sharply, but against someone like Xu Zhengfeng, he still had no choice but to keep his head down.

Still, all his efforts had paid off. He had finally stepped into the Human Emperor realm.

Back in the Tianbai Empire, when his master Yan Cangtian broke through to the Human Emperor level, the entire empire had been shaken. That realm had always symbolized true power.

Now, he had reached it himself.

He wondered how his companions back in the Tianbai Empire were doing.

"One year agreement..."

Ling Feng narrowed his eyes as he recalled the promise at Tianmang Fortress.

Li Bufan.

Jiang Xiaofan.

Those brothers of his would surely rely on their own strength to enter the Dongling Immortal Pool when the time came!