“I must grow stronger!” Shi Hao roared, facing the sea of lightning and gazing at the endless bolts, yearning to cultivate his third strand of immortal qi.
Boom!
Thunder struck, shaking heaven and earth, making ghosts and gods wail. Blood rain poured down beneath the firmament, crimson and blinding, as endless lightning erupted with deafening force.
The world was engulfed in chaos, nothing visible but the heavenly tribulation.
“Ah…” Shi Hao growled, having already ascended to the peak of his current limits—Divine Flame Perfection, sublimating to the extreme, on the verge of stepping into the True God realm.
Never before had he felt such overwhelming power, surpassing all his past states. His body overflowed with radiant light, burning in the darkness, illuminating eternity!
Clang!
The massive lightning bolt struck his body, sending sparks flying as if hammering iron, the metallic clang piercing the ears.
This was unimaginable. Those witnessing it from afar were left dumbstruck.
Was this still a human? When divine lightning struck, any other being would surely be unable to withstand the heavenly might, reduced to ashes—if not dead, then grievously wounded. Yet he defied the heavens like this.
Bang!
Another deafening crash followed. The lightning grew denser, each bolt as thick as a mountain, striking him one after another, sparks flying and the clanging resounding—utterly astonishing.
Everyone was stunned, feeling a chill run down their spines. The toughness of Shi Hao’s flesh was simply too terrifying.
Shi Hao was on the verge of a breakthrough, his potential fully unleashed. Having returned to his peak and sublimated to the extreme, he displayed astonishing means to resist the tribulation, enduring without crumbling.
Yet he remained vigilant, for the most terrifying lightning was yet to come. He knew that even the slightest carelessness here would mean death—this heavenly tribulation was too ferocious.
“Where is the third strand of immortal qi?” he fretted. At this final moment, there was still no sign of transformation, no step into the legendary realm.
Legends spoke of the Immortal Ancient Era, where some who endured the most dreadful tribulations would directly manifest another strand of immortal qi, ascending to the highest peak.
He could no longer suppress himself—his breakthrough was imminent. Yet the third strand of immortal qi remained elusive, filling him with profound disappointment.
“Nothing?!” Shi Hao looked up at the heavens.
Above, the sea of thunder churned violently, now erupting in full force, pouring down like an ocean.
“Not good!” Shi Hao’s expression changed. His worst fear had come to pass—the creatures within the thunder sea had awakened, brimming with life, now lunging to kill him.
“Roar…” A Taotie, swaying its head and tail, devouring all things, stepped forth from the thunderclouds. Towering over mountains, it pounced toward him.
This was a massive lightning bolt given form, solid and alive, as if birthed from a divine womb, now imbued with a soul—unstoppable.
Shi Hao let out a long cry, attacking with everything he had, holding nothing back as he fought to slay the Taotie in midair.
Boom!
The thunder exploded, tearing through the void, shattering the space around them.
Moreover, the Taotie devoured all, its massive maw melting everything in its path.
Thud!
Shi Hao’s flesh split open, blood pouring out. Under such tribulation, he could no longer endure, suffering this devastating blow, his hair disheveled.
“Kill!”
Yet his gaze only grew sharper. Staggering, he steadied himself and stood tall once more.
“If the third strand of immortal qi won’t come, I won’t force it,” Shi Hao muttered. Then, abruptly raising his head, he locked eyes with the Taotie and unleashed a frenzied assault.
At the same time, he began releasing his final reserves of energy, spirit, and will to break into the True God realm.
“Roar…” A deafening roar erupted, drowning out all thunder, a testament to its sheer volume. The Taotie went berserk, clashing head-on with him.
Thud!
Shi Hao, holding nothing back, was fiercer than any beast, moving with lightning speed. Dancing amidst the bolts, his fist pierced straight through the Taotie’s forehead.
For at this moment, he was incomparably powerful—half a step into the True God realm, his life sublimating, surpassing himself, undergoing a metamorphosis.
Thus, he was stronger than ever before!
And it was at this very moment that his eyes widened in shock—for a faint, indistinct strand of immortal qi slowly coalesced, manifesting outside his body.
Yet, in that instant, the heavenly thunder raged, the sea of lightning surging endlessly, crashing down upon Shi Hao, engulfing him entirely.
“Disaster!” Shi Hao’s heart pounded, a dreadful sensation washing over him, as if the apocalypse had arrived. His hair stood on end, goosebumps rising across his skin.
His heart nearly stopped, suffocating him—an instinctual warning that calamity was upon him, that he might perish here.
Boom!
Indeed, this bolt of lightning was beyond imagination. Vaguely, Shi Hao saw countless creatures roaring, lunging toward him, their shadows dense and terrifying beyond measure.
The entire sea of thunder crashed onto him, weighing more than billions of tons!
Shi Hao coughed up blood, his bones fractured in multiple places. Amid the roars of the creatures, swarms of beasts and divine birds surged forward to kill.
Bang!
Most horrifying of all, a golden stele materialized, descending from the heavens, pressing down upon him. In an instant, his body crackled, his bones on the verge of shattering.
“What is this?” Shi Hao gasped.
In this era devoid of heavenly tribulations, forcibly summoning one was indeed terrifying—every aspect of it was eerie, suffused with horror.
Even a golden stele had appeared, covered in endless glyphs, surrounded by countless dreadful creatures howling, their voices deafening.
And all of this was formed from lightning!
The thunder sea had birthed a heavenly stele—how? Was this its means of suppression?
Shi Hao refused to yield, raising his fist to strike the stele. Lightning erupted, the space between them blindingly radiant, obscuring all vision.
The next moment, Shi Hao was sent flying, blood splattering as the overwhelming lightning left him grievously wounded.
This heavenly stele was no ordinary thing. Around it, countless creatures knelt in worship, their shadows flickering, containing terrifying power. The lightning it unleashed was unparalleled.
“You think this can stop me?” Shi Hao bellowed, his blood-matted hair standing on end as he punched toward the sky.
Yet the stele was truly horrifying, pressing down inch by inch, crushing him beneath it, collapsing the void, intent on annihilating him.
“Rise!”
Shi Hao roared. The stele was inescapable, hovering above his head, now poised to obliterate him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
His fists struck the stele repeatedly, the deafening impacts causing it to tremble, fine cracks appearing on its surface.
At the same time, Shi Hao was on the verge of fully ascending to True Godhood, and the strand of immortal qi grew clearer, about to fully manifest in the world.
Crack!
As a corner of the golden stele shattered, the countless creatures kneeling in worship let out terrified screams, trembling uncontrollably.
Though formed of lightning, the scene felt unnervingly real.
Slash!
A blinding blade light surged, piercing the clouds, briefly dispersing the thunder sea and revealing the world once more.
“Heavens, what is that?” Those watching from afar widened their eyes, filled with terror and disbelief.
The golden stele had toppled sideways, and from within it erupted a blade light—dazzling white, nearly blinding, emanating sacred power.
It was an executioner’s blade!
The so-called heavenly stele was merely its outer form. Now, its glyphs blazed with radiant light, transforming into a mysterious blade.
Thud!
It was horrifying, wielding unfathomable power. Before Shi Hao could react, it swept him up—a spray of blood followed as the blade severed him in two!
“Ah…!”
Shi Hao screamed in agony, feeling himself torn apart—not just his flesh, but even his soul seemed split asunder.
“To pass beneath the blade of the Great Dao is to annihilate all living things!”
Faintly, he seemed to hear this grand proclamation. All of this was formed from the laws—the blade, the divine decree—everything was terrifying beyond measure.
What had the heavens inscribed? Had such a blade truly existed in ancient times? What will did it embody?
With this single stroke, Shi Hao’s body was split, the laws permeating his being. He felt himself shattering, his very soul on the verge of extinguishing.
The pain was unbearable!
Worst of all, the immortal qi outside his body was severed by this blade. To pass beneath the Great Dao’s executioner’s blade was to face death—not just of the body, but of one’s very path and laws!
“Wail…”
On either side of the Great Dao’s blade, countless creatures knelt, weeping and trembling, kowtowing in worship as if offering Shi Hao as a sacrifice.
“No!”
Shi Hao refused to accept this, blood trickling from his lips as he roared at the heavens. How could this be? After painstakingly cultivating the third strand of immortal qi, it had been severed just like that.
The laws intertwined, the lightning encroached, riddling his severed body with wounds, seeking to erase him completely.
To pass beneath the Great Dao’s blade was the most dreadful tribulation even in the Immortal Ancient Era, typically reserved for the strongest who sought the third strand of immortal qi.
Failure meant annihilation—utter obliteration. Only by enduring it could one advance further!
Such was its merciless nature. The most fearsome heavenly tribulation in history had reappeared.
Amid the agony, Shi Hao recalled the words of the White Tortoise and understood—this was the ultimate trial, the crucible of life and death.
Boom!
He ignited his very being, two strands of immortal qi manifesting as he forcibly reassembled his body amidst the lightning.
Every piece of flesh was infused with thunder, tempered to its limit. Though charred black, if he endured, he would undoubtedly ascend to new heights, reborn anew.
“Ah…!” Shi Hao roared as his body reformed, two strands of immortal qi swirling around him, his blood and energy boiling.
“I cannot die—I still need to ascend the Nine Heavens to harvest the Thunder Tribulation Elixir!” Shi Hao growled. How could he be stopped here? He had to break through nine layers of heaven, bathe in the golden tribulation elixir, and be reborn.
This was a battle of life and death. Shi Hao unleashed his fists, the mysteries of reincarnation manifesting fully. Around him, fragments of time swirled, filling the sky, distorting space itself in an instant.
Boom!
The Great Dao’s blade reverted to a stele, fading into the thunder sea.
Shi Hao had survived this trial. In an instant, his blood and energy surged, divine power erupting as his wounds healed—and the third strand of immortal qi took form!
Crack!
At the same time, a crisp sound echoed within him, as if some shackle had shattered. He had ascended to the True One Realm—he was now a True God!
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