Chapter 433: Cause of Death: Forced to Face Tribulation

The ancient Mount Mao cultivator, who had already survived one heavenly tribulation, was shocked. His eyes filled with dread. "Heavenly tribulation?"

A thin veil of cyan clouds now obscured the fierce battle in the sky. The onlookers could barely make out the sword cultivator darting through the haze and the lightning net wrapped in layers of thickening cloud.

The ancient Mount Mao cultivator was already trying to retreat. However, Wang Sheng's Spiritless, mysterious Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art, and relentless attacks that disregarded the cost of enchanted power forced him into a desperate situation.

The celestial-grade sword in Wang Sheng's hand exerted immense pressure on all who faced him, and the Mount Mao cultivator felt it most keenly. Now that he was facing him head-on, that pressure became even more apparent. He was well aware that his cultivation path would immediately end if Wang Sheng managed to get close and his sword so much as grazed him.

The young sword cultivator, who was progressing at such an absurd rate that he had somehow advanced from Nascent Soul Realm to the Rebirth Realm in no time, was clearly strong enough to instantly destroy both his Dao Body and Primordial Spirit.

Even that wasn't enough to bridge the vast gap in their cultivation, though. Wang Sheng's sword techniques were precise and refined, his sword momentum awe-inspiring, and his celestial-grade sword immeasurably sharp. Nevertheless, relying on his mastery of talismans and arrays, the ancient Mount Mao cultivator managed to withstand Wang Sheng's onslaught and keep the fight under his control.

For as long as he could drag this on, he was confident that he could exhaust Wang Sheng's enchanted power. Once the sword cultivator's offense faltered, he would strike back and end him.

Wang Sheng, a Rebirth Realm cultivator, would never have been able to force a mid-stage Tribulation Realm cultivator like him into such a humiliating situation if not for whatever treasure Wang Sheng possessed that allowed him to resist heavenly lightning. Still, considering the huge difference between their realms, this situation was nothing short of disgraceful.

Bzzz! Crack!

"

Mm?

"

While defending, the Mount Mao cultivator noticed tiny arcs of lightning flickering within the surrounding cyan clouds. His heart skipped a beat. With no knowledge of what array it could be, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Before he could ponder further, Wang Sheng darted behind him. Sword phantasms burst forth in rapid succession, forming a pattern that resembled the Big Dipper. He then swung Spiritless horizontally and vertically, creating a ten-meter sword net.

The old Daoist's expression turned vicious. He swung his cracked mahogany wood as swiftly as the wind, sketching talismans in midair. Yellow talisman papers spun around him, glowing brightly as layers of lightning wove into another net.

The sword phantasms clashed with it, causing sparks and lightning to explode all over the place. Dozens were blocked. Moreover, the ancient cultivator's enchanted power repelled Spiritless's radiance.

Several lightning serpents lashed back at Wang Sheng. In response, he drew a thunderbolt, sidestepped, and unleashed the same wave of attacks again.

On and on their battle went.

Wang Sheng continued to shift positions as the surrounding cyan clouds grew thicker and denser. It took only a few moments for him to use up seventy percent of his enchanted power. In exchange, the swirling cyan cloud above had expanded to over three thousand meters.

The dark clouds that Lady Meng's arrival had gathered had long since dispersed, leaving only a few white clouds drifting in the sky. The cultivators inside and outside the arena stared in confusion and alarm. Above them formed cyan clouds that were charged with heavenly might and layers of dark lightning clouds.

Finally, they remembered Wang Sheng's title from two or three years ago: Heavenly Tribulation Executor!

The ancient cultivators' expressions darkened. In a panic, one of them cried out, "Is that really a heavenly tribulation? That sword cultivator is only at the Rebirth Realm! How can he command the power of heaven itself?"

"That's absurd! It has to be some kind of lightning technique we've never seen before. A sword cultivator can't possibly wield the power of the heavens."

"Heavenly tribulation is divine punishment! It is the will of heaven! Even True Immortals or Celestial Immortals cannot command it."

"We should retreat for now. That lightning tribulation makes me uneasy."

The others nodded, but just as they began to withdraw several

li

away from the range of the clouds, they heard a cold snort from behind them. They froze, seemingly rooted on the spot.

The thirteen ancient cultivators turned around, finding Lady Meng.

One of them turned sharply toward the arena, where he saw another "Lady Meng" standing beside Nameless. Together, they guarded Xiaomiao and Xi Lian.

Panic crept into the ancient cultivators' minds. Even the firmest Dao Hearts wavered before the two immortals.

"What is the meaning of this, Immortal?" the ancient sword cultivator questioned.

"Her Highness has commanded me to keep you all here," Lady Meng calmly replied.

She unleashed her immortal presence. The moment they moved rashly, they would face her wrath.

Just as the ancient cultivators hurriedly used voice transmission to plan their response, the dark clouds above erupted with a thunderous roar.

The Tribulation Realm cultivators who had not yet faced their heavenly tribulations turned pale at once.

At the center of the rotating cyan cloud, the ancient Mount Mao cultivator reappeared, still entangled within the layers of lightning net.

Wang Sheng never relented. Having switched to a different sword art, the starlight that had once shimmered around him was now gone. His new techniques were less mystically graceful, but they were far more precise and had a smoother flow.

Around the lightning net were countless afterimages of sword techniques, each one frozen in the air. They seemed almost elegant, but under their beauty lurked deadly intent.

Wang Sheng's pressure had waned enough for the ancient cultivator to finally have a chance to counter or escape the clouds' confinement, but the ancient cultivator remained oblivious to it. He remained focused on Wang Sheng's left hand—within which a sword of pure lightning emitted multicolored light—and the slowly turning cyan clouds around them.

Below, the ancient Mount Hua cultivator brightened.

Wang Sheng had used the Pure Yang Sword Song, which he had only recently mastered. Its power was inferior to the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art, but unlike the latter, some of its techniques required the use of dual swords.

However, the Pure Yang Sword Song had an unpleasant drawback: a special state of mind was required before its full power could be unleashed. For a beginner, the only way to reach that state was reciting poetry.

Wang Sheng hummed lowly as he pressed forward and launched another fierce attack. In a bold and resonant tone, he recited a mantra.

"Heaven and earth, mountains and rivers emerge from foam. The stars and sun, the moon and sky may cease to turn!"

His words echoed through heaven and earth. Spiritless shone brightly, and his enchanted power and footwork technique surged. He swung his sword effortlessly and seamlessly, launching dozens of crescent-shaped sword energy waves at the lightning net.

The ancient cultivator's defenses crackled with blinding arcs. In a fierce sweep, the barrage cut through them, breaking three layers in a row and making his expression darken.

Wang Sheng's momentum remained strong. He twisted gracefully, used his left hand to lift the Heavenly Tribulation Sword high, and then cleaved it down. From the swirling cyan clouds around him, dozens of lightning bolts fell on his opponent.

The old Daoist's spiritual perception suddenly screamed of mortal danger. Heeding it, he ignored everything and poured all his power into the talisman array, weaving layer upon layer of lightning nets. Terror filled his heart as the bolts rained down like punishment from the heavens, forcing him to prepare to do whatever it took to flee.

However, the attacks only tore through the two outermost layers of his defense. Safe within the remaining nets, the old Daoist froze, then looked around in confusion.

Wang Sheng frowned slightly. He lifted his sword for another assault.

"

Hahaha! Hahahaha!

"

The ancient Mount Mao cultivator suddenly burst into wild laughter. In a tone laced with madness, he mocked, "Is this the best you can do? I truly overestimated you! You call this a lightning technique? It's so pitifully weak that it's hardly worthy of the name! It's laughable—"

He stopped mid-sentence and looked down at himself in shock. A strange Dao Rhythm was surging within him. As his spiritual perception quivered, realization dawned on him: he was about to face a tribulation!

What's happening? I'm still two or three minor realms away from a tribulation. My Nascent Soul hasn't even transformed into a Primordial Spirit yet! Why would it come now?!

Though alarmed, the ancient cultivator continued to fight, forcing his talisman array to block Wang Sheng's attacks. However, the Dao Rhythm within him kept growing stronger. He could feel an unseen eye fixing its gaze upon him, seemingly from heaven itself. According to Daoist heritage texts, this was a sign that heavenly might was descending.

Am I seriously about to face a tribulation?!

Panic took hold. He had no way to stop it.

At that moment, he turned to the young sword cultivator and the lightning sword he held high above his head. Lightning roared again as dozens more bolts tore down from the cyan clouds. His eyes widened in horror as he finally understood what was happening.

It can't be!

Rumble!

The storm of lightning still hadn't hit him; it had only managed to destroy a third of his nests. However, out of thin air, new cyan clouds formed and gathered rapidly above him.

The cultivator turned pale. The pressure of heavenly might grew heavier, and the invisible heavenly eye weighed down on his Primordial Spirit even further.

"This is impossible!"

"

Hmph!

" Unfazed by the tribulation clouds rolling across the sky, Wang Sheng just continued his assault.

The ancient cultivator's last shred of calm shattered. All that remained in his heart was his will to survive. With his Primordial Spirit struggling to suppress the Dao Rhythm raging within, he quickly formed hand signs. He then grabbed two blood-red talismans and set them ablaze.

As a member of Mount Mao, he was no stranger to immortal talismans that allowed him to escape in exchange for two-tenths of his enchanted power. Using them would gravely wound him, but he no longer cared. All he could think of was escaping the heavenly eye.

His talismans blazed bright. In the next instant, he vanished. The lightning nets collapsed, and Wang Sheng's attack missed.

A streak of blood light appeared thirty

li

north of Mount Hua, shooting away toward the distant north. The tribulation clouds above dispersed as if they never existed, and with them, the cyan clouds that Wang Sheng had conjured also faded.

Wang Sheng breathed in softly, pulled an alchemical pill glowing with celestial light from his robe, and swallowed it. Afterward, he turned north. Pale light shimmered around him as he took off.

The three-legged Golden Crow once again manifested and let out a long, clear cry. It flew northward after him, only slightly slower than the fleeing blood light.

The blood light came from a mid-stage Tribulation Realm cultivator's celestial talismans. It was naturally unimaginably fast.

The tens of thousands of cultivators in the arena were dumbstruck. The immortals overseeing the event remained motionless, their senses locked onto the two rapidly vanishing figures.

Qing Yanzi and the others looked uneasy. After all, the ancient Mount Mao cultivator and Wang Sheng had flown far beyond the range of their spiritual perception.

About five minutes later, the blood light finally faded. The old Daoist stopped hundreds of

li

north of Mount Hua, heavily wounded and coughing up blood. With his Dao Body and Nascent Soul injured due to the immortal talisman, his aura weakened sharply.

He had barely caught his breath when lightning roared overhead. Tribulation clouds formed again in the empty sky, and heavenly might locked onto him.

His expression darkened. He swallowed several alchemical pills, forcibly stabilizing himself.

If I have to face tribulation, then so be it. I might be gravely wounded, but I'm still somewhat confident that I can survive it.

A talisman array flared around him as the heavenly might thickened. The clouds above began to swirl.

At that moment, flames flashed across the horizon, closing in fast. The ancient cultivator turned toward it and shouted in rage, "Do you really want to die with me?!"

The flames didn't stop. They plunged straight into the range of the heavenly tribulation, revealing a man with a sword held high in defiance of the heavens themselves.

By the laws of the heavenly tribulation, it would recognize anyone who entered its range as part of the tribulation, making it even more powerful.

Despair filled the ancient cultivator's eyes as he threw everything into his talisman defenses to block Wang Sheng's advance. Above them, the tribulation clouds thickened and widened. The lightning brewing within them doubled in number, ready to unleash a storm of annihilation.