Chapter 465: Tribulation! Tribulation!

"Huai Jing, you should..."

Wang Sheng felt like his earlier moments of cultivation and comprehension had all happened in the blink of an eye, as though they were just a few fleeting thoughts. He even believed he was still strolling with Huai Jing when the heavenly tribulation's sudden appearance snapped him back to his senses. However, when he instinctively tried to warn him to move away, the monk was already nowhere to be seen.

Did that guy really just show up, "wake" me up, say a few words that can hit any cultivator deeply, and leave? It's like he just kicked me straight into a heavenly tribulation and then slipped away scot-free.

A corner of Wang Sheng's mouth twitched as he sensed the growing force of the heavenly tribulation. He wasn't in any real hurry. Letting out a long roar, he headed toward the vertical passage that was connected to the center of the Small Immortal Realm.

Since the heavenly tribulation was still gathering strength, he had enough time to choose where to face it. He naturally headed to the lunar surface to avoid damaging the scenery of the Small Immortal Realm.

A streak of sword radiance pierced through the air and returned to the scabbard on his back. He then used Soaring Red Feathers, making rainbow light envelop him and take the shape of the Golden Crow. When he took to the skies, the tribulation cloud followed above him at equal speed, ignoring every barrier in the Small Immortal Realm.

Wang Sheng soon shot upward through the passage as though he planned to crash into the tribulation cloud. However, when he reached the upper layer of the Small Immortal Realm, the cloud appeared once more right above his head.

Beneath it, motes of light began to gather. The Golden Crow spread its wings and flew to the celestial gate in the distance, leaving behind a long trail of flames.

"You don't have to go outside, you know. Pre-ascension heavenly tribulations can't damage the Small Immortal Realm," Yaoyun said as she appeared on Wang Sheng's shoulder in her three-inch-tall form. She then looked up at the storm gathering above. "What's the plan?"

Shooting past the celestial gate, Wang Sheng answered, "Face it head-on."

A bucket-thick lightning bolt cleaved downward from the tribulation cloud. Though Wang Sheng was fast, it still hit him squarely, scattering the radiance around him.

Yaoyun immediately turned into a streak of immortal light and returned to Spiritless. Meanwhile, Wang Sheng was forced to stop in midair.

His heavenly tribulation had begun.

This lightning...

It felt tingly and itchy. To his surprise, it was actually rather pleasant.

He now stood just beyond the celestial gate, near the top of the moon laurel tree. It was a fine place to face the tribulation, especially since it was far enough not to damage the flowers and grass below.

What should I do next?

Looking up at the tribulation cloud, Wang Sheng tried to look as serious and uneasy as normal Tribulation Realm cultivators would be in this situation. But after some effort, he ended up just standing his ground calmly.

The second bolt crashed straight down on him.

The Small Immortal Realm was always bathed in soft and gentle light. Hence, its sudden brilliance felt piercing to the eyes.

The lightning struck with all its fury, yet Wang Sheng didn't even flinch. It managed to burn the shoulder part of his Daoist robe to ashes, but it couldn't even scratch the special material of his long trousers.

He couldn't help but reflect for a moment, wondering if he should loosen his control and release some of his enchanted power. His heavenly tribulation couldn't even break through the defenses of his Dao Body, let alone touch his Nascent Soul.

He relaxed, ready to embrace the storm's descent.

The third bolt, thicker and brighter than the previous two, then hit him. The blast made his hair stream wildly and evaporated the clouds under his feet, revealing the jade-paved ground below.

The tribulation cloud swirled afterward, which Wang Sheng found fortunate.

Now that the "appetizers" were done, the "main dish" was finally about to be served.

How many bolts will my heavenly tribulation have? Six? Nine?

Wang Sheng's mind wandered as he watched the swirling cloud. Insights into summoned tribulations began to flow into him, but he quickly severed them.

The heavenly might had already warned him once before that heavenly tribulations shouldn't be casually analyzed. If he provoked a second warning, he'd only have one last room for error in the long road of cultivation ahead of him.

If he violated the universal taboos enough times, the Great Dao would abandon him, preventing him from taking even just one step forward. He'd suffer the same fate as Haotian, who was the most famous example of it.

Rumble~

The swirling tribulation cloud roared like ten thousand galloping horses as it fired another bolt right at Wang Sheng's head. The attack lasted more than two seconds. When the light faded, his Daoist robe hung in tatters, and smoke curled from his hair. He spat out a mouthful of primal qi laced with electricity as he crackled all over.

The fourth strike finally made him feel something. His Dao Body was finally under pressure, though not as intensely as he would have liked. At the very least, though, it was far less comfortable than when he had been struck in the Palace of Heavenly Punishment.

Several people flew over from deep within the Small Immortal Realm, stopping at the edge of the tribulation cloud to watch lightning blast Wang Sheng. The first to arrive was Mu Wanxuan. If Jingyun hadn't warned her in time, she would have likely rushed straight into the tribulation zone out of worry.

Wang Sheng had once considered asking the Daoist masters to help amplify the power of his tribulation, but that was only an option before it began. Now, with the fifth bolt already forming, the cloud would attack any Daoist master who entered. The heavenly tribulation had come so suddenly that he missed out on the best chance to use that plan.

Within the swirling core of the cloud, a lightning dragon formed. It then plunged from the heavens in a flash, swallowing Wang Sheng whole.

Mu Wanxuan tensed up, her slender fingers trembling as she clutched her sleeve. The expressions of the Daoist masters, who had never faced a heavenly tribulation, turned solemn as they felt its violent power.

One of the weaker Daoist masters whispered, "Will Fei Yu be okay?"

No one answered at first. Then, as the lightning faded, they saw Wang Sheng standing unharmed, hair disheveled but calm. A Daoist master finally replied, "Safe."

"No need to worry, everyone." The Celestial Master sighed as he stroked his beard. "He'll probably get through this with ease. Look at him. He's just standing there with his hands behind his back. His aura's calm, and he hasn't even unleashed a drop of his enchanted power."

His mouth twitched slightly.

"He even seems to be looking down on the heavenly tribulation."

Looking down on the heavenly tribulation?

The Daoist masters stared intensely at Wang Sheng. As the Celestial Master had said, his aura was calm and steady. Every bit of his Pure Yang Enchanted Power remained dormant, too.

The lightning within the tribulation cloud gathered into a vortex and struck Wang Sheng with another blinding bolt, making the Daoist masters' hearts tighten. Feeling the true might of a Tribulation Realm heavenly tribulation, they could not help but wonder what their own trials would be like or what technique they could use to withstand it.

Wang Sheng's hair tie and Daoist robe had been destroyed, but he was still unscathed. Even now, he still hadn't drawn his sword, used any enchanted power, or unleashed a defensive technique.

Fortunately, the sixth strike didn't disappoint him. Threads of lightning broke through his Dao Body's defenses and touched his Nascent Soul. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he found it rather pleasant.

Wang Sheng then began to worry that the tribulation cloud would disperse. After all, according to ancient texts, most cultivators only faced six lightning bolts. Moreover, his aptitude wasn't extraordinary. He reached his standing in the cultivation world through effort and fortune, not innate brilliance.

The tribulation cloud stopped swirling, which made him frown slightly. Soon, however, it began to churn again, creating lightning spots all over it.

Wang Sheng exhaled in relief.

Hopefully, the next three bolts of tribulation lightning will be more comfortable—I mean, I hope they'll be able to temper my Nascent Soul.

The heavenly tribulation tested a cultivator's foundation, but it was also a fated opportunity.

Like caterpillars liquefying in a cocoon before turning into butterflies, one had to endure the agony of transformation before they could emerge reborn. Cultivators were no different. They had to survive heavenly tribulation and allow their Nascent Soul to transform into a Primordial Spirit before they could take the first step toward becoming an Ascended Immortal.

The process carried immense risk. Wang Sheng only felt at ease because he had tempered his Dao Body with heavenly tribulation multiple times, giving him partial resistance to lightning tribulation.

As the seventh tribulation lightning brewed, Wang Sheng crossed his legs and sat down, refusing to underestimate it. Even though he could roughly gauge its power, he still gave the heavenly tribulation his full respect. Hence, he focused, ready to meet it head-on with enchanted power if needed.

Crackle! Boom boom boom!

Drumbeats thundered within the tribulation cloud. Streaks of lightning appeared below, converging toward one point. Moments later, another bolt cleaved down.

It descended like an azure dragon or a divine spear, its tip swallowing Wang Sheng whole. For the first time, the ground of the Small Immortal Realm trembled.

When the light faded, Wang Sheng was still seated. His robes had been reduced to ashes, revealing his lean, well-built upper body. He had no unnecessarily large muscles.

As though the tribulation cloud was enraged, the eighth bolt took the form of a divine tree and fell immediately after. Its crown loomed over even the tribulation cloud, while its roots plunged into Wang Sheng. Having drained nearly half the cloud's energy, it was powerful enough to shake the Small Immortal Realm with aftershocks.

Nevertheless, Wang Sheng just remained seated. He gazed at the cloud above with a solemn expression, waiting for the final strike. It was bound to be the strongest.

With a deafening explosion, the vast tribulation cloud contracted violently.

To the Celestial Master's confusion, it then collapsed into itself, and a hundred-zhang-tall giant appeared in the sky. It had a vertical eye, a gaping mouth, and black battle armor. In its hand was a halberd made out of pure lightning, which it furiously pointed at Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng was even more astonishing. With his eyes closed, he sent out his Nascent Soul, which radiated a Pure Yang Dao Rhythm, above his head!

Alarmed, Yaoyun appeared on his shoulder and exclaimed, "Don't be reckless! That's a projection of the True Lightning Division God!"

"

Mm,

" Wang Sheng replied calmly.

The giant in the sky swung its lightning halberd straight down at him. In response, his Nascent Soul shone dazzlingly. The four sword intents circling it shot up to meet the descending halberd.

Wang Sheng's Nascent Soul let out a silent roar as the four sword intents blazed. They shimmered like starlight, embodied yin and yang, drew in the heavenly tribulation's power, and channeled the nearby Pure Yang Qi.

In the next moment, the light sphere that Wang Sheng's Nascent Soul had formed around itself clashed head-on with the lightning halberd. A shockwave rippled outward as the thunderous blast echoed across the Small Immortal Realm.

Mu Wanxuan didn't dare blink, while the Daoist elders and masters behind her held their breath unconsciously. Even Huai Jing and Xi Lian, who were usually confident in Wang Sheng's strength, now frowned and focused intently.

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.

Ping—!

The halberd then shattered and exploded into countless streaks of lightning!

The sphere then soared into the air and darted through the storm, devouring the power of the heavenly tribulation. The giant collapsed completely, while the scattered clouds turned into pure streams of qi and drifted away.

After circling above for a moment, the Nascent Soul flashed back into Wang Sheng's forehead. Wang Sheng opened his eyes. As cheers echoed from afar, he furrowed his brow slightly.

He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Despite trying to use the heavenly tribulation to refine his Nascent Soul, he barely gained anything from it.

No sense dwelling on it. Cultivation has always been like this. We win some, we lose some.

His Dao Body wasn't just perfect for close combat; it could also withstand his Dao of the Sword's full might. Failing to unlock his Primordial Spirit's full power was reasonable and acceptable.

Wang Sheng stood up to turn and leave when his heart trembled. A familiar aura then appeared above him. Looking up, he saw a vertical eye quietly suspended in the air.

Heavenly might? No, something's off. It's not completely identical to the one that served as a warning. This one feels weaker and lacks overwhelming pressure, but it seems far more dangerous.

The vertical eye flickered once, and the primal qi throughout the Small Immortal Realm surged wildly toward it.

Yaoyun's voice trembled with shock. "How is this possible?!"

She turned to Wang Sheng, who still looked calm.

In a deep tone, Wang Sheng asked, "What's happening?"

Before Yaoyun could answer, a gray tribulation cloud began to form in the sky.