Chapter 407: The Terrifying Golden Thunder Tribulation and the Stellar Rotation Technique
"Continue. Such a rare opportunity would be a waste to miss!"
In the skies above the True Phoenix Clan's ancestral land on Dragon Phoenix Sky, the thick black thunderclouds loomed heavier than ever. The oppressive atmosphere felt as if the very heavens were about to collapse, resembling a black storm cloud pressing down on a besieged city.
Despite the imminent danger, Xiao Tiance wasn't willing to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. The Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulation Body thrived on increasingly potent thunder energies, each tribulation exponentially stronger than the last. If the first tribulation had a strength factor of 1, then the second would at least be a 2 or possibly even higher.
While the Great Thousand World wasn't devoid of powerful thunder energies, opportunities to encounter and harness such forces were scarce and depended heavily on chance. Even though Xiao Tiance had already advanced to the Heavenly Supreme realm, he knew how precious this moment was.
"No hesitation," Xiao Tiance resolved.
His Supreme Physique, now towering at 1,200 meters, activated again. Compared to other cultivators' Supreme Physiques, his might not seem as large, but its true power was unparalleled. The Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulation Body, one of the ten primordial Supreme Physiques, was a testament to both unrivaled potential and immense cultivation difficulty.
The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Tribulations Strike
"Boom! Crack! Boom! Crack! Boom! Crack!"
Three thunderbolts descended simultaneously, their destructive force amplifying the survival challenge for both Xiao Tiance and Feng Mingtian.
If the first and second strikes had been manageable, and the third and fourth had begun to strain Feng Mingtian's defenses, these three bolts left him utterly overwhelmed.
For Xiao Tiance, things were just as dire. Despite benefiting from Feng Mingtian acting as a lightning rod for the brunt of the tribulation, and despite advancing his Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulation Body to its second layer, the sheer destructive power of these strikes was enough to make him feel his scalp tingle.
"This is insane! These three strikes are too strong! Even a peak Saint level Heavenly Sovereign would struggle to survive this," Xiao Tiance thought, glancing up at the devastating lightning crashing down.
Meanwhile, Feng Mingtian, battered and broken, was filled with regret. If he had foreseen this outcome, he would've handed over Feng Lin and Feng Ying to Xiao Tiance to save face even if it meant enduring humiliation.
Adding to his despair, Feng Mingtian had witnessed the True Phoenix Clan lose three Heavenly Supreme powerhouses. With Xiao Tiance's forces gaining strength, the tide of battle was shifting rapidly. If another True Phoenix Heavenly Supreme fell, the clan would be in a disastrous position.
"Damn it! How did we provoke someone as ruthless as Xiao Tiance? If I knew, I'd have killed Feng Lin and Feng Ying myself to appease him!" Feng Mingtian lamented bitterly.
His regrets extended to Mo Yang, Huang Jiuji, and First Snowfall. If he had known their imprisonment would lead to this day, he would have eliminated them long ago. Initially, he feared the Heavenly Dao Sect's reprisal, so he chose to imprison rather than kill.
Now, not only had his plans crumbled, but they had also brought calamity upon the True Phoenix Clan.
Pain Beyond Words
As the thunderbolts struck, Feng Mingtian let out an ear splitting scream. His entire body was engulfed in tribulation lightning, the sheer heat causing his flesh to emit a tantalizing aroma. His once proud and majestic body now looked utterly ravaged.
On the other side, Xiao Tiance was faring no better. Even with Feng Mingtian shouldering most of the tribulation's fury, the destruction was relentless. His Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulation Body, alongside two Grandmaster level spirit arrays, was barely holding up.
Despite these measures, the pain was overwhelming. Unlike Feng Mingtian's divine phoenix physique, Xiao Tiance's human body had natural limitations. His recent advancement to the Heavenly Supreme realm only added to the challenge.
His body alternated between destruction and regeneration skin splitting, blood evaporating before it hit the ground, followed by fresh tissues forming.
Advancement Amid Tribulation
Despite the torment, Xiao Tiance continued to persevere, pushing the Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulation Body forward. Unlike Feng Mingtian, who was gradually weakening, Xiao Tiance was growing stronger with every strike.
His Supreme Physique, which had been 1,200 meters tall, began to grow again. In moments, it reached 1,500 meters and continued to expand. Xiao Tiance understood that to reach the third layer of the Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulation Body, these three bolts alone wouldn't suffice.
Each layer of the physique represented an additional 1,000 meters in height. At the ninth layer, the body would stand at 10,000 meters, reaching its peak power.
"One day, with this body perfected, even the strongest Outer Realm Sovereigns will fall to me," Xiao Tiance thought, determination surging through him.
Taking a deep breath, he consumed another pill from his storage ring and braced himself.
The Eighth Thunderbolt
Just as the power of the three lightning bolts was exhausted, Xiao Tiance felt a sense of relief only for it to be replaced by a chilling sense of impending doom.
The eighth thunderbolt began forming, and its power far surpassed even the combined might of the previous three.
"What is this monstrous power?!" Xiao Tiance gasped.
Feng Mingtian, equally aware of the looming strike, felt his heart sink. This wasn't a regular tribulation this was retribution, amplified by Xiao Tiance dragging him into the fray.
Survival at Any Cost
"You're insane, Xiao Tiance!" Feng Mingtian shouted, his voice laced with fear and anger. "If we survive this, I'll destroy you and everyone you care about!"
But Xiao Tiance merely laughed.
"If you survive, then let's talk. But you should worry about making it out alive first!" he retorted, his eyes gleaming with defiance.
As the terrifying golden thunderbolt surged above them, Xiao Tiance gritted his teeth, preparing for the onslaught.
"If this is what it takes, so be it. I'll rise, or I'll fall but I won't back down."
"Heavens! How can such a powerful tribulation exist?"
"A golden tribulation? Isn't this the terrifying tribulation only seen during a Saint Heavenly Supreme's advancement?"
"…"
For a moment, countless people were stunned by the appearance of the golden thunder tribulation. Even the Heavenly Supreme experts in the midst of battle paused to look toward the sky.
Golden tribulations, while not the most powerful form of thunder tribulations in the Great Thousand World, were still incredibly rare and dreaded. They only manifested when a Saint Heavenly Supreme individuals at the pinnacle of existence ascended further.
In the Great Thousand World, a single Heavenly Supreme was enough to elevate a force to a superpower. If a Saint Heavenly Supreme emerged, that force would become a hegemon that no one would dare provoke.
Now, witnessing a golden tribulation here, of all places, was beyond belief.
The Eighth Tribulation Strikes
Within the storm of tribulation lightning, Xiao Tiance's face turned grim. A premonition gnawed at him: he could no longer rely on Feng Mingtian to draw the brunt of the tribulation's power.
On the other side, Feng Mingtian's expression darkened. While the earlier tribulations had been terrifying, they weren't fatal. But as the golden thunder tribulation descended, he felt death looming closer.
Before anyone could react further, a golden thunderbolt, dozens of meters thick, descended from the heavens. In an instant, it enveloped both Xiao Tiance and Feng Mingtian.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Two simultaneous cries of anguish echoed, and this time, neither Xiao Tiance nor Feng Mingtian could suppress their screams.
A Torment Unlike Any Other
Feng Mingtian, now forced into his true Phoenix form, resembled a plucked, charred chicken under the relentless assault of the golden lightning. His once proud, majestic feathers were burned to ash, and his wings crumbled into nothingness, reduced to mere embers.
Even his divine phoenix body, known for its unparalleled resilience, was slowly being disintegrated by the golden tribulation.
Xiao Tiance fared no better. His limbs had already been obliterated, and the golden lightning continued to erode his body. Like Feng Mingtian, he was barely holding on.
Equality Under Heaven's Tribulation
"Damn it!" Xiao Tiance cursed inwardly, his worst fears realized. The golden tribulation now divided its destructive power equally between him and Feng Mingtian.
In the eyes of Heaven's Tribulation, all beings are equal.
No longer was Feng Mingtian absorbing most of the damage. Now, both men were suffering equally under the tribulation's wrath.
Still, there was a silver lining: despite the torment, Xiao Tiance's strength continued to grow.
Unrelenting Growth
The two Grandmaster level spirit arrays within and around Xiao Tiance had evolved. Initially, they were calibrated for the Spiritual Heavenly Supreme realm. But under the tribulation's energy, they had advanced to the Immortal Heavenly Supreme level.
Additionally, his Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulation Body was greedily absorbing the golden tribulation's power. Its height had grown exponentially, pushing the limits of the second layer and approaching 2,000 meters.
"Boom!"
As the eighth tribulation neared its end, a golden lightning sigil formed on Xiao Tiance's chest. At the same time, his Supreme Physique surged past 2,000 meters, climbing to a towering 2,400 meters in the blink of an eye.
A Breakthrough Amid Chaos
"Hahaha! I've finally broken through to the third layer!"
With the golden tribulation fading, Xiao Tiance let out a sigh of relief. His mood soared, and he couldn't help but laugh heartily.
Though his cultivation realm hadn't advanced, he could feel the transformation in his power. Taking down Feng Mingtian was no longer an unattainable goal.
Feng Mingtian's Despair
Not far away, Feng Mingtian was in shambles. His divine phoenix body was on the verge of collapse, and his aura flickered like a dying ember. Seeing Xiao Tiance's exuberance, a chill ran down his spine.
In his mind, a terrifying figure surfaced the Azure Robed Sword Saint, one of the most formidable Saint Heavenly Supremes in the Great Thousand World. Even the Demon Slayer King of the Great Thousand Palace and the patriarchs of the Five Ancient Clans dared not provoke him.
The Azure Robed Sword Saint, like Xiao Tiance, had come from a lower plane. In just a few decades, he had carved a fearsome reputation, becoming a figure none dared to cross.
"Could Xiao Tiance follow the same path? If so, the True Phoenix Clan will perish by my hands," Feng Mingtian thought, his heart gripped by terror.
The Stellar Rotation Technique
While Feng Mingtian spiraled into despair, Xiao Tiance muttered under his breath: "Stellar Rotation Technique."
The moment the words left his lips, Feng Mingtian's body tensed, and his feathers stood on end.
Before his eyes, Xiao Tiance's battered body began to regenerate rapidly. In moments, he was fully restored.
"Damn it! That's supposed to be my ultimate technique!" Feng Mingtian roared internally.
The Stellar Rotation Technique was one of the three 36 Supreme Arts that Feng Mingtian had sought from Mo Yang, Huang Jiuji, and First Snowfall. Yet now, it was in Xiao Tiance's possession.
"How is this possible? He never used this against me before. Did he… hold back during our fight?" Feng Mingtian's mind raced.
In truth, Xiao Tiance hadn't had the chance to learn the technique. But with Ling'er's assistance, he had just synchronized with the Stellar Rotation Technique moments ago. While Xiao Tiance had no time to study the Supreme Arts himself, Ling'er had mastered them and transferred her understanding to him.
Confidence in the Final Tribulation
Feeling the power of the Stellar Rotation Technique coursing through him, Xiao Tiance smirked. The final tribulation no longer felt insurmountable.
"Come on, Ninth Tribulation. Once you fall, this war will come to an end."
(Chapter End)
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