Chapter 304: The Tribulations of Zhang Haoxuan's Ascension

In an instant, the sky darkened, heavy with clouds, as if the heavens were about to collapse.

It was time for the Divine Ascension Tribulation.

It was something every being aspiring to the god level had to face. This was why Zhang Haoxuan could not undergo his tribulation within the Kali Mountains; if he was too close to Kali City, powerful beings would surely come to investigate. He had no one to back him, so if someone interfered, his breakthrough might well fail.

The clouds in the sky thickened, adding an invisible pressure between heaven and earth that made breathing somewhat difficult. Even Tang San was forced to descend near the sea and conceal his divine consciousness.

He certainly did not want to be recognized by the plane as a foreign element and be struck down.

The golden-red flames on Zhang Haoxuan burned ever more fiercely, and within him, his bloodline underwent a profound transformation amidst the blazing fire.

A terrifying aura rose from the intense flames, tingeing the dark clouds above with shades of red.

Boom!

A muffled thunderclap sounded, and the world around them changed.

Zhang Haoxuan's short hair stood on end, his eyes wild with frenzy. He spread his arms wide, and behind him, the immense silhouette of a red lion appeared, letting out a silent roar toward the heavens.

The Blaze Lions ranked high among third-tier bloodlines, but they did not reach the second tier. Therefore, under normal circumstances, it would not be easy for Zhang Haoxuan to ascend to the god level. At this moment, however, his cultivation was at the absolute pinnacle of the ninth order, and he had so much energy he literally could not contain it.

Suddenly, a crisp sound echoed, and a speck of golden light shone on the forehead of the immense blaze lion. It illuminated Zhang Haoxuan, rendering all his flames golden.

This was somewhat reminiscent of the Golden Holy Fire Tang San had once seen on the Golden Lion Dog during Mei Gongzi’s expedition to hunt Winged Tigers. However, the characteristics of this fire were different. From the golden flames enveloping Zhang Haoxuan, Tang San could feel an intensity, an unmatched ferocity.

The seawater below began to warm up. The golden flames permeated Zhang Haoxuan’s body, making him look entirely golden. This was why all beings aspired to godhood—ascension equated to a metamorphosis of the bloodline, providing a substantial boost to those of lower bloodline tiers.

Of course, even when someone with a second-tier bloodline broke through to the tenth order, their bloodline could not become a first-tier bloodline. A first-tier bloodline was entirely a matter of innate gift, either they had it or they didn’t.

However, during the transformation of a third-tier bloodline, if the power was sufficient, it could evolve to possess capabilities at the level of a second-tier bloodline. Zhang Haoxuan's transformation into gold was such a metamorphosis. His path to godhood had opened, and he was transforming completely. With such a long period of accumulated power, he was able to choose the most advantageous method for his breakthrough.

Just then, the clouds in the sky slowly turned dark red, and in the next instant, a terrifying bolt of crimson lightning descended from the sky, striking Zhang Haoxuan.

Boom!

Zhang Haoxuan shuddered violently, but the giant lion shadow behind him suddenly turned golden, spewing a burst of golden flames that shone upon him, turning his charred body back to gold.

The ascension to the god level in this realm was a transformation, and it was also a form of tempering. Through the baptism of heavenly lightning and the evolution of one's bloodline, one reached another level of existence. Obviously, this transformation was not easy, and the pain endured was also quite significant. It was no wonder that one could reach godhood even without inheriting a godly seat.

Tang San silently assessed this in his mind.

In his world, genuinely becoming a god required a godly seat—a legacy handed down from god to god that granted control over a domain. In this realm, however, it was all about refining oneself to reach the god level. This was, of course, logical; this plane lacked a divine realm altogether, so there was no such thing as a godly seat to begin with.

The gods of this realm and the true deities Tang San knew from the divine realm of his original world were different. However, one thing was clear: gods who successfully cultivated in this realm definitely possessed physical strength far surpassing those in Tang San's original world.

Tang San could also faintly sense that the heavenly lightning formed from the plane's energy harbored ill will toward him. Although he had concealed his divine consciousness completely, he still felt a numbing sensation when Zhang Haoxuan was struck, as if he also was about to be targeted at any moment. His spirit core pulsed incessantly, seemingly on the verge of breaking through. Tang San desperately used his divine consciousness to suppress it, to avoid being triggered.

It almost seemed as if the heavenly lightning was deliberately tempting him!

Despite his current cultivation being at the eighth order and spiritual power at the ninth order, he could genuinely die if he tried to break through, even with the protection of his divine consciousness. If the plane confirmed that he was an alien, the lightning striking him would be far more severe than what Zhang Haoxuan experienced; it would be less of a trial coupled with tempering and more of an attack with intent to kill.

Thus, Tang San was laying low, hoping that the heavenly lightning would ignore him. At the same time, as Zhang Haoxuan was struck, Tang San silently observed the changes in the lightning, particularly the will emanating from it, which was directly related to the will of the planar ruler.

He most needed to determine whether the planar ruler was an instinctual being or one with consciousness and perhaps even superior intelligence. He would need to employ different strategies to deal with these different scenarios.

Boom!

Once again, a bolt of crimson lightning struck from the sky, hitting Zhang Haoxuan hard and nearly casting him into the sea.

"Awesome!" Zhang Haoxuan roared as the golden flames on his body intensified once more. The robust life force accumulated within him evolved and rapidly replenished his energy.

Although the lightning brought terrifying force, it also tempered his physique and his sea of consciousness, evolving every bit of him to another level. Zhang Haoxuan was well-prepared for this; he simply continued to release his own power to withstand the tribulation.

The benefits of his long and careful preparation became apparent at this time. After enduring the tribulation of lightning twice in succession, he began to feel changes in his body, and he was still far from his limit.

The reason he had intended to ask the Redemption Society for help was that those tribulations typically needed to be guarded by others; in critical moments, god-level beings might intervene to help share the burden to ensure a safe ascension. Although this would reduce the intensity of the tribulation and result in an incomplete tempering, any kind of tempering was better than dying.

This was also why the Redemption Society did not press Zhang Haoxuan too hard. They were sure that if Zhang Haoxuan wanted to ascend to the god level, he would need the protection of the organization. The tribulation would be extremely dangerous without at least two gods to help.

They did not expect him to be so bold. Zhang Haoxuan had been at the peak of the ninth order for a long time, and in the past year he had accumulated more than enough. This was why he dared to attempt the tribulation directly. He knew that if he could successfully undergo the tribulation all by himself, the benefits would be far greater. Complete tempering would grant him more power after ascension and even the possibility of further advancements in the future.