Chapter 1497 - Tribulation of Inner Demons

“Oh damn, did he loot an immortal stone mine or what? He is burning hundreds of thousands of immortal stones at once as if they’re really just stones!”

“I saw him before. Just a month ago, he suddenly appeared in the sky above Chang’an City. I didn’t expect him to be this wealthy. If I had known, I would have tried to nab him back then.”

“Look, the immortal mark he’s condensed is so thick. It’s ten times the thickness of mine. He must be a prodigy from some large clan.”

Quite a crowd had gathered in the vicinity of the mountain valley, including Immortal Platform realm experts.

The mercenaries, emitting ferocious auras, looked at Chen Fan with fiery gazes because he was burning unreal sums of money right before their very eyes.

In their eyes, Chen Fan was no different from a mountain of treasure. And as mercenaries, they loved few things more than immortal stones. After all, they could support their cultivation and daily life. Ten thousand immortal stones were already a huge fortune to them, and Chen Fan had actually burned two to three hundred thousand. They couldn’t even imagine such a huge fortune.

“Excellent. This person is the ultimate big fat sheep. If I slaughter him, I will become rich overnight. I could leave the cutthroat life behind and finally stop wondering if I’ll even see tomorrow

A blood thirsty look flashed across a mercenary leader’s eyes as he licked his lips.

Chen Fan paid no attention to these people’s reactions, nor could he spare a moment to care. All his effort was put into breaking through.

The immortal ascension tribulation was a trial of life or death for a martial artist. Survive, and it’s like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate: the vast sky opened for soaring birds, and the boundless sea for leaping fish alike. If you failed, you’re reduced to ash by the heavenly tribulation, erased completely.

This wasn’t just an upgrade—it was the transcendence from mortal to immortal; the essence of one’s life elevated.

No one dared to take lightly the terror of the immortal ascension tribulation. It was the same for Chen Fan, even with his thorough preparations. After all, the slightest carelessness meant that everything would come to an end.

Throughout the ages, countless prides of heaven had fallen at this step. He didn’t want to become one of them.

Voom, voom.

Hundreds of thousands of immortal stones burned, releasing enough energy to propel a peak Immortal Platform realm martial artist to the Immortal King realm

As the immortal stones burned, a surge of energy rushed into Chen Fan, allowing him to condense the immortal marks quickly. His aura edged ever closer to the true immortal threshold.

Woo, woo, woo. Woo, woo, woo...

The immortal Dao storm grew even fiercer, with Chen Fan at the center. Suddenly, wisps of black demonic winds appeared within the storm.

In a flash, all manner of demons materialized flamboyantly, streaming directly into Chen Fan. He’d stepped into the tribulation of inner demons: a test preceding the celestial showdown itself. The real heavenly tribulation hadn’t started yet; it was still coiling, quietly building.

This tribulation of inner demons was but the starter, the opening act before the heavens unleashed their fury. Only after one had subdued their inner demons—proving their Dao heart was unshakable, and their immortal platform was cast—would the true tribulation cascade down. If you couldn’t beat your own demons, you’d spiral into qi deviation, incinerate in madness, and perish; the heavenly tribulation wouldn’t need to do a thing.

Now, all manner of earthly distractions and worries surged in, threatening to pitch Chen Fan into the abyss of desire.

Loved ones, ambitions, beautiful faces, every emotion took shape, crowding his consciousness and looming in his vision.

Although the tribulation of inner demons was merely the appetizer for the immortal ascension tribulation, sometimes, for the person undergoing the tribulation, the tribulation of inner demons was even more terrifying than the immortal ascension tribulation itself.

That was because many people didn’t have a firm will. As soon as the tribulation of inner demons manifested, it exposed the flaws in their inner hearts, drawing them into downfall and destruction before they noticed.

That’s why seasoned cultivators made a point of training their minds, forging their resolve, and patching up weaknesses, lest their inner demons seize the moment.

Naturally, Chen Fan also had his inner demons. For example, his parents, Qin Yao, and the Tianwu Continent.

These phantoms pounced at once, attempting to ensnare him.

Before his eyes, he saw the Blood Emperor breaking free from his restraints and going on a massacre on the Tianwu Continent, causing rivers of blood to flow. He instantly destroyed the True Martial Academy, captured his parents and loved ones, and drained their blood dry, leaving them to die, wailing in agony.

He saw Qin Yao trapped within the Phoenix Ancient Realm, clad in crimson wedding robes and marrying a phoenix clan prodigy, while Chen Fan knelt helplessly, forced to witness from the sidelines by a Phoenix Ancient Realm’s expert.

All kinds of inner demons tried to disrupt Chen Fan, instantly turning his eyes bloodshot.

“

Ahhh

, go away, go away!”

“Go to hell, Blood Emperor! No, Father, Mother, Wushang, Master...”

“Senior Sister, no, Senior Sister...”

Chen Fan roared wildly. Wisps of black demonic flames appeared around him, spewing from his pores.

“He’s undergoing his tribulation of inner demons. Look, those are demonic flames. He’s about to go into qi deviation!”

“It’s over. It seems that his will isn’t firm enough, and he succumbed to his inner demons. It’s over. He’s finished.”

“No! He’s a mountain of treasure. If he goes into qi deviation, all his fortune will turn to ash.”

The onlooking crowd’s expressions twisted, especially among peak Void Immortal and Half-Immortal realm experts. Their next step was the immortal realm; seeing Chen Fan about to lose himself filled them with terror. Seeing this tribulation for real was another level of dread.

If one failed to overcome their tribulation of inner demons, they would be turned to ash within the demonic flames. They would not even be aware of their qi deviation, and die without knowing how it happened.

However, a coolness suddenly spread through Chen Fan’s sea of consciousness. The Bodhi Ancient Tree had intervened.

Chen Fan calmed down almost instantly. The demonic flames spewing from his pores also vanished completely.

“The tribulation of inner demons is indeed terrifying!” Chen Fan sighed inwardly. However, after this trial, his will had become firmer.

“That which is eternal, in time, must wither; what has faded will become ash. Only the martial Dao should remain at the heart.”

Chen Fan suddenly flipped his palm, unleashing thousands of divine lights. The tribulation of the inner demon dissipated, leaving his will pure and singular, in a state of eternal vibrance and clear as ice.

“Eh? The demonic flames on him have disappeared.”

“The tribulation of inner demons has also dissipated. This is too strange. He was clearly on the verge of qi deviation. How did he overcome the tribulation of inner demons all of a sudden?”

“Some people would use the tribulation of inner demons to temper their will. Could that be what he was doing earlier?”

The observing crowd’s faces were filled with shock when they saw Chen Fan overcoming his tribulation of inner demons.