Chapter 1397: Calamity (II)

Boom!

The third thunderbolt materialized. This time, both Li Daoheng and Bone Eclipse widened their eyes. Li Hao remained smiling, however, and sighed softly at the sky. “The third thunderbolt... is already so strong. How interesting!”

Pfft!

A mouthful of blood intermixed with chaos and the power of time drifted down from the sky. He was a false exalted emperor, but had been gravely injured after three thunderbolts.

Li Daoheng’s longsword shattered in his hand. Bone Eclipse’s fist was charred from the lightning. Both men looked solemnly at the sky!

Whatever they might want to do now was too late. The thunderbolts came too quickly; they had no time to prepare.

“Li Hao, you can die by yourself if you want to court death!” Bone Eclipse couldn’t help but curse. “And you can take Li Daoheng with you! But this emperor hasn’t done anything or killed anyone since entering Silver Moon. You guys have done all the killing! Send me out of Silver Moon right now, this emperor promises to never return...”

Kaboom!

The fourth thunderbolt was here—

bam!

The enormous blow shook the entire world. Li Hao, Li Daoheng, and Bone Eclipse coughed up blood at almost the same time.

These three powerhouses infinitely close to exalted emperor had been injured by a thunderbolt to the point of coughing up blood! Bone Eclipse even saw a vast sum of Red Moon power dissipate from his body.

Their strength melded into Silver Moon world. Thanks to Zheng Yu’s death, the arrival of the two dao universes, the chaos tribulation, and the strength wafting from the three whenever they were struck... The entire world seemed to be evolving!

It absorbed all of the blood and energy that was pummeled out of the trio. In the distance, Ash Mountain grew at a furious pace. The nearly trashed Forbidden Sea churned as it expanded endlessly. The entire central continent also swelled with unstoppable momentum.

“Don't say that, Exalted Emperor.” Li Hao’s smile remained radiant as he looked at Bone Eclipse. “It’s only been four thunderbolts. I’m sure that if we make it through this tribulation, there will be a lot in it for us. Even the status of the world seems to be rising.

“As the major contributors, we will be rewarded in kind. We might realize a connate great dao or gain the power of thunder and lightning... Regardless, we just need to see it through to the other side!”

Oh fuck you!

Bone Eclipse cursed madly.

What does an increase in world status have to do with me??

He really felt that he was the definition of misfortune. He’d never felt this way before, but the first task facing him after breaking out of the seal was a tribulation. His mentality was going to pieces! He’d never been so unlucky in his life! This was just the fourth bolt, but he could barely keep it together!

Kaboom!

The fifth bolt arrived. It crashed into the trio with a loud bang. Bone Eclipse was the first to be driven into the earth. The ground split open, then spontaneously recovered. Bone Eclipse was outright shoved below ground.

Li Hao also stumbled and fell down from the sky, cracks creeping through his body.

Li Daoheng’s sword intent shot into the sky, but this time, the thunderbolt scattered it instead! His expression shifted slightly. This fifth bolt... was even more challenging than an exalted emperor tribulation!

If the three of them were to undergo an exalted emperor’s tribulation, they would absolutely pass it. Yet when it came to this chaos tribulation, while it’d only been five bolts spread over the three of them, they were all injured. Their injuries were also starting to be very serious!

“Do you still want to thank me, Li Daoheng?” Li Hao remained composed.

“Why should I not thank you for something good?” Li Daoheng continued to be indifferent to their plight. “I will certainly become an exalted emperor after weathering the nine bolts. I won’t be the weakest exalted emperor, at the very least. I won’t be trash like Bone Eclipse!”

On the ground, Bone Eclipse crawled to freedom just in time to hear this denouncement. His glowered—the words were crude and crass, but the logic within them was sound!

Although these two weren’t exalted emperors and were a bit of a distance away from his peak, he was the first among them to be smashed into the ground in this tribulation. There was mud and dust on his face—utter humiliation!

Sure, Li Hao’s power was flimsy and a sham. It was also true that Li Daoheng had failed to become an exalted emperor. But...

Bone Eclipse snorted to himself.

Yes, I am not at my peak condition, but my body is the genuine body of an exalted emperor. At the very least, I recover faster than Li Hao and Li Daoheng!

That was the key!

So long as he hung on, he would be the first to recover even if his injuries seemed worse than them after each bolt.

......

On the sidelines, everyone watched as world-ending thunder and lightning struck their home! General unease permeated in the seven main cities.

A regular cultivation session from Li Hao had somehow drew all of Silver Moon’s lurking powerhouses into the open. Those on Zheng Yu’s level were dead, and now exalted emperors were injured and coughing up blood. These developments were completely outside the realm of everyone’s expectations.

Hong Yitang silently infused a vast sum of vitality into Lin Hongyu’s body, suppressing the air of death within. However, he continuously frowned throughout the process. There was so much death qi in the woman!

The Great Li king had also summoned the past, but since it wasn’t his past self, he was fine for the moment. Yet Lin Hongyu had summoned her future, that of being a dead person. So while her half step emperor strength had receded, a deathly air still wrapped around her.

Even Hong Yitang couldn’t determine if she was dead or alive. Li Hao had taken her dao star the moment she connected to her future self. Hong Yitang wasn’t certain where her dao star was now, so he couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead.

Gan Wuliang attempted to approach for a look, but Hong Yitang’s icy glare sent him packing each time. The former smiled obsequiously, indicating that he meant no harm.

At the same time, Gan Wuliang was quite resigned!

No one had expected that he would inherit the immaterial dao universe. It wasn’t just Hong Yitang keeping an eye on him, so were Zhang An and the Great Li king secretly watching him from the shadows. They wanted to be prepared in case Gan Wuliang tried anything.

But... am I a fool?

Gan Wuliang sniffed to himself.

Li Hao is still alive. How do I dare do anything while Li Hao is still alive? Just take a look at this situation!

Even an exalted emperor has no choice but to go along for the ride and weather a tribulation. Everyone’s enveloped by the heavenly will, but not even an exalted emperor can get through this thunder and lightning. I’ll be blown to dust the second the heavenly will includes me as well!

Anyone who dares try anything now is dead without a doubt!

In all of Silver Moon world, even Celestial Pole would die by the third bolt if he had to endure this tribulation. Apart from the three madmen in the field, who else would conduct themselves thus?

......

The sixth thunderbolt was upon them!

Kaboom!

An enormous collision shook the world; it was so much stronger than could be imagined. It’d absolutely reached the level of a blow from an exalted emperor.

Li Hao’s body disintegrated in the blow. A dao star appeared within his body. The power of time circulated and materialized the haggard young man. His presence was much weaker than before as, being a false emperor, he was unable to withstand this blow.

Close at hand, the stubbornly stalwart Li Daoheng saw all of his flesh and blood vanish as well. While he promptly brought it back., he saw that endless sword intent flowed through his bones. Those dissipated from him as well.

Sword bones!

Celestial Pole took a deep breath from his position on the sidelines. Li Daoheng was truly impressive. He’d cultivated his skeleton to the point of creating sword bones, which were so much stronger and terrifying than the white jade bones of New Martial!

This person would’ve long become an emperor if he was in New Martial. What a pity!

If it wasn’t for Celestial Pole seeking his mission in this minor world, then he stood a chance to ascend to exalted emperor as well. Granted, the odds weren’t high as there were too many New Martial powerhouses around. Even if Celestial Pole possessed great potential, there would be a lot fewer chances as a result.

Bone Eclipse’s body started crumbling as well. He looked at Li Hao, then at Li Daoheng.

Damn it!

He cursed to himself again.

One had the power of time and the other was the formidable sword skeleton. There didn’t seem to be anything special about him compared to them. Although he was an exalted emperor and his body a bit stronger as a result, that was just a bit stronger. There were no unique points of interest to him.

Comparison was always the thief of joy!

There was no time for his thoughts to run wild. He looked up at the sky, at where the seventh thunderbolt brewed.

“The sixth thunderbolt nearly killed us.” Bone Eclipse ground his teeth. “The three of us will be hard pressed to withstand the seventh. We should try joining hands together against it. If not... we don’t stand a chance. I suspect that the ninth will be able to kill exalted emperors!

“Li Hao, that cat, Celestial Pole, and the two masters of dao can take some of the heat off us,” he snapped with irritation. “Why do you insist on dying with the two of us?”

Bone Eclipse strongly suspected that he wouldn’t be able to survive the ninth bolt! It was better to spread out the pressure. Even if the new additions took on a lower proportion of the load, it would still be good news for him.

“If you’re out of ideas, you can try summoning that cat’s past again...”

Although the Ash Emperor was terrifying, would’t they make it through the tribulation if the Ash Emperor sucked away some of the tribulation again through the void? It’d already done so once, Celestial Pole had spoken of it!

“We all have to die!” Li Hao responded with indifference. “The tribulation will abate when the three of us are dead. What are you in a rush for?”

“Li Hao!” raged Bone Eclipse. “Do you believe me when I say that I’ll—“

“Nope.” Li Hao shook his head. “The seventh bolt is almost here, so you can go attack the central continent if you want. I’ll stop you, Senior Celestial Pole and the seven main cities are also there. Even if we stop you for only a split second, that will be enough to ensure you’re a smoking husk at the end of the seventh bolt. Go on, then!”

Bone Eclipse tore the ground in his fury!

But when he raised his head next, he cursed anew. The seventh bolt was upon them. The tribulation really wasn’t giving them any breathing space. The sixth bolt had only been seconds ago! An exalted emperor’s tribulation wouldn’t be like this.

Three incredibly thick thunderbolts sizzled down at the same time.

RUMBLE!

The trio was hit hard. Li Hao’s body flickered in and out of sight, broken one second, recovered the next. A star within his body was the picture of docility as it supplied the power of time to the young man.

It was no longer mischievous. Since Li Hao had devoured it, the tribulation wouldn’t stop until the star was also annihilated if the young man died. In fact, all of this had to do with the star of time.

A tiny minor world had given birth to a dao universe and time itself. This was mind-boggling!

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Time had not appeared in dao universes as strong as core origin and Red Moon. To be able to summon the past and future was truly going against the heavens!

The past, present, and future should have been limited to one and not available for random summoning. Li Hao in particular was using this power in a haphazard fashion; he dared to summon even masters of the world!

This completely roused the chaos and the tribulation was here to erase time. This power defied the heavens too much so and should not be here or exist in the chaos.