**”Crack!”**
A golden serpent reared its head, slithering hundreds of miles across the sky, illuminating the pitch-black heavens with an intense, scorching brilliance.
A heavy rain was imminent. Dark clouds gathered, thick and oppressive, like a colossal black cauldron pressing down upon the earth. Lightning flickered intermittently within the roiling storm.
Apart from the thunder, the mountains were eerily silent. Birds and beasts alike had gone into hiding, sensing the ominous aura that permeated the area, instinctively avoiding calamity.
Atop a solitary peak, Shi Hao stood alone, gazing upward at the sky. He was adjusting himself, aligning his essence, energy, and spirit to reach their utmost limits.
He was ready. He would ascend into the heavens in his strongest form, using the thunder as a crucible to temper himself, enduring a trial of life and death beyond ordinary imagination.
**”Whoosh!”**
A fierce gale rose, howling through the mountains. Towering ancient trees swayed violently, their leaves and vines fluttering like waves, rising and falling in an endless rhythm.
This mountainous region was particularly tumultuous, the rustling of pine trees resembling the roar of an ocean, carrying an overwhelming, majestic force.
The heavens were changing. Lightning grew denser, the black clouds surging faster, many on the verge of collision.
Shi Hao’s battle robes flapped wildly in the wind. Facing the tempest, he stood firm as a divine bamboo rooted in the earth, his gaze toward the sky burning ever brighter.
**”Here it comes!”**
Arcs of electricity spread across the clouds, tearing through the ink-black sky like spilled ink. One after another, golden flashes erupted.
Shi Hao launched himself into the sky.
When he was eight or nine years old, he had obtained a drop of Thunder Tribulation Liquid in the Heaven Mending Pavilion, which had triggered a transformation in him. If he could seize an entire pool of such liquid now, the possibilities were unimaginable.
Compared to those days, his cultivation had skyrocketed, reaching an entirely new level. The lightning he could summon now would be incomparably stronger!
Back then, he had ventured into the clouds with Thunder Ancestor Mu Yan—but only after the storm had passed, when the lightning was fading. This time, however, he was charging headlong into the heart of the tempest.
Because this time, he sought not only the Thunder Tribulation Liquid but also the most mysterious lightning arcs to refine his body, undergoing a profound baptism.
Of course, this was merely recorded in ancient bone scriptures. Could one truly temper oneself this way? A single misstep could spell eternal doom.
**”Crack!”**
A bolt of lightning struck Shi Hao as he soared upward. His body convulsed violently, blood spraying from his wounds.
This was no mere spell cast by a cultivator—this was the true might of the heavens.
**”Hiss!”**
A surge of silver light enveloped him, residual lightning crackling across his body, raising every hair on his skin and covering him in goosebumps.
Shi Hao staggered. He sensed an unfathomable danger. If he continued upward, he might be reduced to ashes.
**”The ancients’ predictions were true,”** he murmured. **”The Immortal Ancient Era was buried. In this epoch, there are no thunder tribulations, no divine punishment. But once provoked, they will retaliate with annihilation.”**
This was perilous.
For countless ages, thunder tribulations had lain dormant, the world peaceful—but this was merely superficial tranquility. Once disturbed, the backlash would be more terrifying than in any era of divine retribution.
Now, he understood. He hadn’t even reached the clouds yet, and a single lightning arc had already drawn blood. What would happen if he truly entered?
**”I might face the strongest thunder tribulation of this realm,”** Shi Hao muttered.
This was no baseless speculation. After so many years of silence, invoking this heavenly punishment would be like breaching a dam—certain laws and orders would rage uncontrollably.
Shi Hao took a deep breath, acclimating to the lightning at this altitude. Though arcs still struck intermittently, their power was manageable—for now.
**”Rise!”**
He inhaled sharply and ascended further, staring at the oppressive clouds. He could already sense the divine wrath within, vast as an ocean, ready to pour down at any moment.
A streak of crimson light flashed—a sinister lightning bolt struck Shi Hao, tearing his flesh and sending blood splattering.
**”This isn’t right. That was far stronger than before.”** Shi Hao was stunned. The lightning’s intensity had escalated far too quickly. The crimson arcs carried terrifying power.
A sudden premonition made him look up—and his heart lurched.
**”What is that?”**
Shi Hao froze. He had glimpsed a living creature—a fleeting flash of something resembling a blood-red foal or a small dog. It vanished before he could see it clearly.
**”Am I seeing ghosts?”** How could there be living beings within the thunderclouds? Did creatures thrive inside lightning?
He had never heard or seen such a thing before. What was happening?
Shi Hao continued upward, the pressure intensifying. The clouds above were thick and heavy, like a million mountains pressing down, suffocating him.
This was a spiritual oppression.
Shi Hao grew cautious. He could no longer rely solely on the bone scriptures’ records. This epoch was entirely different—thunder tribulations no longer existed, yet he was forcibly invoking them. No one could predict the consequences.
**”Swoosh!”**
A streak of blue light shot toward him like an arrow, miles long, descending from the clouds and striking his body.
**”Cough!”**
Blood spilled from Shi Hao’s lips, but he endured.
**”Not actively resisting, just letting my body passively endure… this is brutal.”** He wiped the blood from his mouth.
Had anyone witnessed this, they would have cursed him as a madman. Who would willingly let lightning ravage their body without fighting back? And yet, he was surviving.
For the first few arcs, Shi Hao hadn’t resisted. If he couldn’t withstand these, how could he enter the clouds?
That was where the true danger lay.
For safety’s sake, he was testing the waters. If he suffered severe injuries now, he would retreat immediately—no need to proceed with the tribulation.
This also proved how formidable Shi Hao’s physique truly was. Even at the Noble King Realm, he had reached unimaginable heights, standing at the pinnacle.
Shi Hao looked up, realizing the blue lightning had been unusual. Within the clouds… another creature had darted away.
What was going on? Did these creatures generate the lightning? It was unsettling—this was the second living being he’d seen.
**”Enough. I’m going in!”**
Shi Hao steeled himself. Whatever lurked within, he would face it. There was no turning back now. To grow stronger, he had to gamble with death.
Lately, he had felt immense pressure. Even his unshakable confidence wavered. Ancient freaks were emerging one after another, each more monstrous than the last.
These were individuals who had once dominated their eras, unrivaled across three thousand provinces. Their talent and combat prowess were beyond measure—each had been the protagonist of their age.
That glory was destined to continue.
**”This era will not be peaceful.”**
Shi Hao knew that soon, all the ancient monsters would appear, clashing in the most dazzling spectacle of this epoch, forever etched into history.
How could he not feel pressure? His opponents weren’t just one or two—each was a nightmare. The Six Crown King, the Undisputed Sword Sovereign, the Unparalleled Physique, the Supreme Magus of the Ages… each more terrifying than the last, true embodiments of dread.
In truth, Shi Hao wasn’t even certain of the strength of his contemporaries—the true forms of the Immortal Palace’s inheritor, the hidden geniuses of ancient sects, the prodigies of imperial clans—none had yet revealed their full power.
And then there were the ancient paragons, sealed away in ice for eons.
So he had to grow stronger. Otherwise, he was doomed.
Shi Hao shot upward, piercing the clouds.
Instantly, hundreds—no, thousands—of lightning bolts descended. Not striking, but crashing down, drowning him in a sea of electricity.
Now, Shi Hao began to resist. No longer daring to let the lightning ravage him unchecked, he activated bone scripts to shield himself, guiding the lightning’s power to temper his body.
This was a trial of life and death. An ordinary person would have been reduced to ashes instantly—any single bolt could slay a Noble King. This was a divine punishment unseen for countless ages.
Shi Hao countered, employing the Thunder Emperor’s Treasure Technique to harness the lightning, gathering its power. At first, he felt invigorated—his skin glowed, his energy surged, and he sensed himself growing stronger.
But soon, he could no longer remain composed. His body was saturated with lightning; any more would cause him to explode.
**”Crack!”**
Shi Hao refined the lightning, transforming it into pure divine energy to baptize his flesh. Then, he manifested an ancient cauldron, using it to temper himself.
The cauldron had three legs and two handles, exuding an archaic aura.
Thankfully, no one was around to witness this madness. To forge a cauldron within lightning, sealing oneself inside to be tempered—it was beyond comprehension.
Shi Hao gritted his teeth, quickly regretting his decision. The agony was unbearable. Even with the Thunder Emperor’s technique, he couldn’t neutralize all the lightning.
**”Cough!”**
Blood sprayed from his mouth. His flesh split, his body charred. The thunder raged, as if punishing his arrogance, teaching him a lesson.
Blinding bolts plunged into the cauldron, clanging against its walls, leaving Shi Hao drenched in blood, groaning in torment.
As the thousands of lightning strikes gradually subsided, Shi Hao exhaled—electricity crackled from his lips, his every pore radiating arcs.
Though injured, a rejuvenating force also flowed through him. The Thunder Emperor’s technique cycled, refining his body with lightning, strengthening him.
**”This hurts…”**
Every pore emitted light, crackling with electricity. This was both destruction and tempering. Outside his body, the luminous cauldron solidified, refining his flesh and spirit.
**”Hah…”**
Finally, he exhaled in relief. The thousands of bolts had passed. He had survived the tribulation.
**”Good. It was intense, but not fatal.”** He smiled.
Of course, he knew tribulations matched one’s realm. This wasn’t like when he had summoned “Thunder Shakes the Heavens” to strike down True Gods, invoking lightning beyond his Noble King level.
But as Shi Hao looked up again, his smile vanished. His expression froze.
With a startled cry, he erupted with light, desperately circulating bone scripts to resist the heavenly wrath above!
He had thought it was over—but the sky still churned, the lightning now even fiercer than before.
This… was only the beginning!
What was this? Shi Hao was baffled. This lightning resembled blades—gleaming, relentless, slashing down with overwhelming killing intent.
**”Blades and axes upon my flesh, tempered by lightning.”**
Shi Hao endured, his brow glowing as his primordial spirit emerged, drawing the thunder into his skull for refinement.
This was supreme yang lightning, immensely beneficial to the spirit—purifying it, strengthening divine sense—if one could survive.
Since ancient times, many had sought to temper their spirits, but who dared do so like this? Even deities only used lightning spells to refine their spirits marginally.
Because in this era, heavenly tribulations were uncontrollable, no longer descending naturally. Forcing them was a death sentence.
Shi Hao’s recklessness was pure audacity. Had Qi Daolin known, he would have stopped him—provoking tribulations in this era was unthinkable.
Soon, Shi Hao reaped the consequences. As he resisted the blade-like lightning, a massive head lunged from the side, jaws gaping to devour him.
His hair stood on end. This was too bizarre—a living creature within the thunderclouds?
**”You’re just in time. I was getting hungry—perfect for roasting!”** After the initial shock, Shi Hao’s eyes blazed, and he lunged forward to attack.
The creature was bizarre—neither lion nor tiger, with bull horns and thunder wings, ferocious beyond measure.
**”Clang!”**
The lightning-forged cauldron sealed shut, its lid resonating like metal, trapping Shi Hao and the beast inside as they battled.
**”Hmm?”**
Mid-fight, Shi Hao noticed the monster shrinking, its wings dimming—while he grew stronger, his body brimming with vitality, nourished by an extraordinary thunder energy.
**”This tempering is miraculous!”** Even his primordial spirit grew clearer, absorbing lightning like a tiny figure, slowly strengthening.
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