World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 466: The Capricious Heavenly Tribulations Instant Retaliation?
Mu Wanxuan swiftly approached Wang Sheng to celebrate his successful crossing through his heavenly tribulation. She couldn't show memes anymore since her phone was dead, but that didn't stop her from cheering her junior brother on.
However, another tribulation cloud then gathered and unleashed terrifying might.
"Bu Yu! Don't go!" the Celestial Master shouted from behind.
Mu Wanxuan froze for a moment, fearing for Wang Sheng's safety. Her hesitation gave Xi Lian just enough time to rush forward, grab her by the arm, and pull her back from the edge of the tribulation cloud, which proved far more effective than the Celestial Master's warning. The Daoist masters behind them also retreated quickly.
The area turned somewhat chaotic.
The tribulation cloud stirred up whirlwinds as it swallowed waves of primal qi, immortal power, and even the power of the great array protecting the Small Immortal Realm. The radiant light of the celestial gate flickered nonstop. Even the moon laurel tree seemed to dim slightly.
Wang Sheng had already been hit with nine bolts of heavenly lightning. The tribulation cloud had even unleashed its full power to cause the phenomenon that heralded its final attack.
However, a vertical eye appeared in the sky soon after it dispersed, and another tribulation cloud spread horizontally above Wang Sheng. Its power made Wang Sheng's Dao Heart tremble.
What is going on? Is this retribution for my earlier complaints? Is it making such a grand display of power because I kept grumbling that my heavenly tribulation was too weak?
The heavenly tribulation he faced now felt strangely fierce, almost monstrous.
Wang Sheng quickly formed hand signs. His Nascent Soul shone, massive waves churned in his seemingly boundless qi sea, and enchanted power surged through him.
He gazed at the cloud. Three-zhang-long golden light burst from his eyes as he tried to pierce through the roiling gray mass and locate the eye of the heavenly tribulation.
The cloud had appeared far too strangely. Wang Sheng had already endured nine bolts of heavenly lightning—the ultimate number. Though they were all devastating, he easily overcame them all.
In comparison, the new tribulation cloud's heavenly tribulation power was already over ten times stronger, and it was still climbing.
Is this the heavenly tribulation's retaliation? Is it really that capricious?
Within the rolling cloud, a faint, giant human head appeared and slowly looked up, facing Wang Sheng. A deep rumbling echoed from above as an ancient, unrecognizable voice resonated in Wang Sheng's heart. He had never heard anything like it before.
In a fearful tone, Yaoyun murmured, "The Voice of the Great Dao... This is your death tribulation."
Wang Sheng's pupils shrank sharply. "What do you mean?"
"First the heavenly might warning, then the heavenly tribulation, and now the Voice of the Great Dao... Yes, this has to be related to that time you received a heavenly might warning. How can attaining immortality possibly be easy for a cultivator who dares step into forbidden territory like you?
"The Great Dao's heavenly tribulation always launches nine strikes, each one more perilous than the last. I'll return to the sword and stand by. If you reach your limits, I'll burn all my spiritual power to block one or two of its tribulation lightning for you. "
Wang Sheng nodded slowly. In the middle of Yaoyun's explanation, he had circulated his enchanted power to adjust his condition to its peak. He had also summoned Flying Haze, brought out several sword cores, and planted three Light Edge Swords into the ground before him, allowing him to use them at any moment.
Wang Sheng also took out a few alchemical pills, wrapped them in enchanted power, and stuffed them in his mouth. Biting with the left molar would crush a healing celestial pill. Biting with the right would crush a qi-replenishing celestial pill.
He looked up again as a vertical eye opened in the giant head's forehead. The aura it released made his heart pound.
At the celestial gate, one of the Daoist elders could not help but ask, "Celestial Master, what is happening?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
The Celestial Master's expression darkened. "Perhaps this is... the legendary tribulation beyond the tribulation."
"What? Aren't heavenly tribulations limited to nine bolts at most?"
The Celestial Master smiled bitterly. "I don't know either; I just made a wild guess. Don't panic yet, though. Maybe Fei Yu created this himself to temper his Dao Heart. Don't forget that he's the famed representative of heavenly tribulations. How can one possibly harm him?"
At that moment, dazzling light appeared in the distance. A pale-violet lightning bolt suddenly formed between the tribulation cloud and Wang Sheng. It flashed once, then vanished. For a few seconds, the Small Immortal Realm fell into pindrop silence.
Wang Sheng suddenly spat a mouthful of blood toward the sky as thunder roared from all directions. A streak of gray ash hung in the air between him and the tribulation cloud, slowly dissipating.
The Daoist elders and masters all held their breaths. Xi Lian instinctively gripped Mu Wanxuan's arm tighter, while Huai Jing sat quietly in a corner, softly chanting sutras.
It's that strong?!
Wang Sheng's Dao Body failed to withstand the strike. His Nascent Soul was shaken and wounded, and even his qi sea had been cleaved apart.
And that was only the first bolt.
With the second bolt already forming, he didn't even have time to sigh or complain. He focused entirely on recovery as he locked onto the giant head.
Wang Sheng had barely recovered from seventy to eighty percent of his injuries when the heavenly tribulation cloud launched its next attack. He raised his left hand to make Flying Haze cut through the lightning, but before the sword could respond, lightning cleaved through him again. A violent power surged through his chest and tore through the rest of his body.
He went completely numb, then pain spread from every limb. Not only had his Dao Body been wounded again, but his Nascent Soul had also weakened and dimmed. Though he had survived the first two lightning strikes, he had already sustained severe damage.
Before he could even recover a little, the third heavenly lightning hit his abdomen. Instead of crashing down, it seemed to have teleported.
Wang Sheng, who was now wrapped in purple lightning, was hurled through the air. After rolling several times across the ground, he just lay there for a moment, unable to move.
The attack had gravely wounded him.
The instant he could move again, he bit down on a healing alchemical pill. The medicinal power melted in his mouth and quickly spread all over him.
Wang Sheng looked up at the heavenly tribulation again. The head was still brewing the next lightning, which gave him a brief chance to recover amid the immense pressure it exuded.
Nine bolts of tribulation lightning, each one stronger than the last. How am I supposed to survive this?
He had no other choice but to persevere, though. Failure now meant death.
Wang Sheng tilted his head back and roared lowly. The light in his eyes dimmed, but his gaze became all the more resolute.
Boom!
A deafening rumble followed. He heard the Voice of the Great Dao again.
Wang Sheng raised his hand and spread enchanted power, forming dozens of luminous shields above him. In the air, Flying Haze split into three, then into nine, waiting silently.
The fourth lightning bolt fell. Wang Sheng made the nine sword radiances slash upward as fast as he possibly could, yet half still missed entirely, and the rest were shattered on contact.
Flying Haze was blasted away, and the shields crumbled one after another. Though they slightly reduced the heavenly tribulation's power, it was far from enough. He was flung through the air again.
The thunder that followed shook the entire Small Immortal Realm.
Gasping heavily, Wang Sheng wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. Smoke rose from the burn wound on his chest as he twitched all over in pain. Not even the Dao Body he had spent endless effort to temper could withstand lightning this powerful.
The fourth attack wasn't even finished yet. A red flame appeared under him, leaped a meter high, and engulfed him.
Barriers rose and twisted in his Dao Heart. Sinister laughter echoed, and visions of hellish asuras filled his mind, trying to crush his spirit.
Quickly looking inside him, he found his Nascent Soul already surrounded by flames. He shouted as he used spiritual perception to drive them out, but it only made the flames larger and stronger. The chaotic voices in his mind also became even more frenzied.
While heart devils attacked his Dao Heart, the fifth heavenly lightning—violet and tinged with red— descended like a dragon's claw, pinning him to the ground. Fiery lightning repeatedly slammed into his back and formed countless icicles around him. Like the flames raging along with them, they were just mere illusions, yet they still froze nearly half his Nascent Soul solid.
The agony was unbearable. His Dao Body was scorched black, his Nascent Soul had been weakened, and now the heart devils' assault threatened to shatter his will.
Wang Sheng could not help but roar toward the sky.
"You've reached your limit. The next lightning bolt doesn't even have to target your Nascent Soul to kill you."
"Just give up. This is your destined death tribulation. Did you really think that escaping the trial meant you could walk the immortal path?"
"You can stop now. No one would blame you. After all, you're facing the Great Dao's heavenly tribulation."
Who?! Who said that?!
Dazed and reeling, Wang Sheng jolted awake. He snatched a Light Edge and stabbed his own foot.
The voices in his mind turned into shrill laughter and ghostly wails. Pain shot through him, and he sweated all over, but his eyes at least regained their clarity.
He bit down on all the celestial pills in his mouth, forcing more enchanted power to course through his body. With a low cry, sword radiance condensed from the stars, blazed around his Nascent Soul, and forced back the flames. His Pure Yang Sword Intent also shattered the icicles without harming his Nascent Soul.
Wang Sheng rose once more. Though he was covered in wounds, he still lifted a Light Edge, which was three chi long.
Pure Yang Qi gathered rapidly. Within the Light Edge, an opposing current of primal qi began to form. A Tai Chi diagram soon appeared above the sword tip, facing the tribulation cloud.
"By the suppressing spirit of Ziwei, transform Pure Yang into Dual Polarity!"
