Chapter 295

Chapter 295: The Tenth Thunder Tribulation! (4000 words, two-in-one)

Above the azure sky, thunderous tribulations rolled on.

Lightning flashed incessantly within the clouds.

As he gazed at the impending yet un-descended thunder tribulation, Ming frowned deeply, sensing that this tribulation would not be a simple one.

Of course, Ming had already braced himself mentally for it.

The thunder tribulation corresponds to one’s talent.

Without mentioning others, Ming felt his own talent was quite formidable. Especially with the system’s enhancement, Tiandao doesn’t know about the system, so from Tiandao’s perspective, he’s an unprecedented prodigy—someone who must be severely tested.

Meanwhile, outside the plain, Old Man Huang, who was guarding Ming, munched on roast duck: “This kid’s thunder tribulation is going to be tough.”

“BOOM!”

With a massive sound in the sky, Tiandao wasted no time.

The first thunder tribulation immediately struck down toward Ming.

Facing the first tribulation, Ming didn’t use any treasures.

In Ming’s view, he should be able to withstand this first tribulation without assistance.

“DONG!”

The thunder struck Ming, and his entire body surged with lightning.

A numbing, painful sensation filled Ming’s body; he felt like he wasn’t even himself anymore.

It was as if all the spiritual energy and blood in his body had suddenly halted.

But fortunately, Ming still believed he could endure it.

This intensity, Ming thought, was akin to undergoing electric shock therapy for internet addiction back at the rehab center.

“Zzzzt.”

The first thunder tribulation dissipated entirely, leaving residual blue lightning on Ming’s body.

Ming exhaled deeply, his breath carrying traces of blue thunder.

Ming clenched and then relaxed his fists, feeling relatively okay.

However, just as he did, the second thunder tribulation arrived.

Compared to the first, the second tribulation was more than twice as imposing in terms of its momentum.

“BOOM!”

The thunder struck, and where Ming stood, a massive crater formed instantly.

Even some of Ming’s hair got scorched.

Still, it was within Ming’s capacity to handle.

But when the third thunder tribulation came, Ming knew this tribulation wouldn’t be easy.

“BOOM!”

The third thunder tribulation descended, and this time it wasn’t merely simple lightning.

The lightning transformed into a tangible green bird, wings folded, diving down from above.

Ming frowned, holding an ordinary longsword, chanting the Sword Word Spell, and swung his sword at the green bird.

The lightning-formed bird split into two halves.

But instead of dissipating, the bird doubled, attacking Ming from both sides.

At the moment of contact with Ming, the birds exploded.

A semi-spherical lightning enveloped Ming.

On the mountain peak watching everything unfold, Wu Yanhan and Shen Shengsheng sat up straight, their eyes filled with worry as they looked at Ming.

When the lightning dispersed,

Ming held his longsword, kneeling on one knee, his skin scorched black by the thunder. With Ming as the center, a hundred-meter radius lay barren of any grass.

Under normal circumstances, three thunders were the limit for most Sea Observing Realm disciples, and the majority of them would not experience more than three thunders during their tribulations.

According to common sense, after enduring three thunders, one could leap through the Dragon Gate, entering the Dragon Gate Realm.

Clearly, however, the Great Dao wasn’t willing to let Ming off so easily.

“Sister Yanhan, why does Brother Xu keep getting struck by lightning?” Shen Shengsheng tugged at Wu Yanhan’s sleeve.

“Because your Brother Xu needs to undergo the tribulation. Only by passing it can he ascend to a higher realm.” Yanhan stared intently at the small plain, her gaze filled with concern. “This is something every cultivator must go through.”

“But why does Brother Xu have to be struck by lightning so many times?” Shengsheng’s eyes shimmered, veiled with mist, as if she were about to cry.

Wu Yanhan clenched her fists tightly, her voice trembling slightly: “I… don’t know.”

“Cough… cough…”

Ming coughed a few times, smoke billowing from his mouth.

Ming stood up, and the fourth thunder tribulation was already poised to strike.

“HOOOOWLLLL!”

The fourth heavenly thunder manifested as a thunder dragon.

Ming was no stranger to the thunder dragon.

Back in the White Hollow Secret Realm, Ming experienced his first thunder tribulation, which was also a thunder dragon.

Only this time, compared to the dragon in the White Hollow Secret Realm, this one was white.

“White Emperor Tribulation?”

Wu Yanhan was astonished at the sight of the white dragon.

Though Yanhan wasn’t a cultivator herself, as the Crown Princess of one of the Ten Great Dynasties of the Human Race, she was well-versed and knowledgeable about many forbidden legends in the cultivation world.

When this distinctive white dragon appeared, Yanhan realized what kind of tribulation Xu Ming was facing.

“What is the White Emperor Tribulation?” Shengsheng asked, worried by Yanhan’s tone.

“The White Emperor Tribulation is a type of thunder tribulation. Ten thousand years ago, there was a White Emperor who, when transitioning from the Sea Observing Realm to the Dragon Gate Realm, triggered nine thunder tribulations. Among them, the thunder dragon was white, marking the first time such a phenomenon occurred in the world, hence the name ‘White Emperor Tribulation.'” Yanhan took a deep breath, the air tingling with the paralysis of thunder.

“Will Brother Xu be able to pass it?” Shen Shengsheng asked.

At this moment, the little girl wished she could take Xu Ming’s place and undergo the tribulation for him.

“He has to pass, whether he likes it or not.”

Wu Yanhan sighed softly.

Otherwise, he would perish, losing even the chance of reincarnation.

“HOOOOWLLLL!”

With a dragon roar,

Thunderbolts rained down on Xu Ming.

Tribulations cannot be avoided; they will relentlessly pursue you until you face them!

So Xu Ming made no attempt to waste energy dodging.

The thunderbolts pierced through Ming’s body, each strike like being hit by bullets, creating numerous bloody holes. Not only was Ming’s body battered, but the ground beneath him was also pockmarked with craters.

After the fourth tribulation, Xu Ming was covered in wounds, his Qingxia robes torn to shreds.

The fifth tribulation arrived.

The white dragon in the heavens roared furiously, unleashing continuous streaks of lightning onto Xu Ming.

At this moment, the magical array set up earlier by the imperial palace elder activated.

The power of the lightning strikes was continuously diminished.

These lightning bolts striking Ming felt like mere taps compared to the previous ones, almost providing some relief.

However, the array had a limited durability.

Each time it absorbed a tribulation, its effectiveness decreased incrementally.

“DONG!”

The surrounding array stones could no longer withstand the tribulation and shattered, sending ripples of spiritual energy through the mountains, toppling tree after tree.

Fortunately, the array had done enough by shielding Ming from another tribulation.

The sixth tribulation saw the white thunder dragon swinging its tail and lashing out at Xu Ming. Ming endured it, though his protective robe tore apart significantly, losing all functionality.

For the seventh tribulation, the thunder dragon coiled through the clouds and spat a breath of dragon fire at Xu Ming.

Ming decided against resisting this time.

Ming wasn’t foolish—he didn’t know how many more tribulations awaited him.

Moreover, Ming needed to catch his breath and restore some strength; otherwise, he wouldn’t last through the continuous tribulations.

Ming took out the pill given to him by Wu Yanhan and swallowed it. He also retrieved the Thunderlight Mirror provided by Yanhan.

The white thunder dragon’s breath struck the Thunderlight Mirror.

The mirror reflected the breath, causing the two dragon breaths to collide.

“HOOOOWLLLL!”

The white dragon seemed enraged, intensifying its attack! Sweat poured from Ming’s forehead as he operated the Thunderlight Mirror, clearly feeling the surface of the mirror cracking under the strain.

“Just hold on a bit longer!” Ming urged silently.

If the mirror held on a little longer, the pill he just consumed would take effect.

“PING!”

Unfortunately, Ming’s wish wasn’t granted. The Thunderlight Mirror couldn’t withstand the dragon’s breath and shattered completely before the pill reached full potency.

The dragon’s breath sprayed onto Ming.

The scorching heat of the flames intertwined with the bone-chilling thunder.

Ming felt like every bone in his body was being roasted on a spit, simultaneously electrocuted.

When the dragon’s breath finally dissipated, Ming’s body was charred black, his flowing blood even carrying traces of thunder.

The eighth tribulation arrived.

The colossal white thunder dragon personally lunged down at Xu Ming.

“Phew…”

Xu Ming took a deep breath.

Although the pill hadn’t fully restored him to peak condition, it had at least given him a brief respite.

Xu Ming wielded his longsword and charged head-on toward the thunder dragon.

Xu Ming leapt onto the dragon’s back, plunging his sword into its spine as if battling a real, living dragon. His sword stirred the giant dragon’s body with bursts of sword qi.

The white thunder dragon writhed violently, colliding with mountain after mountain, smashing into the ground repeatedly in an attempt to kill Xu Ming.

But Xu Ming clung tenaciously to the dragon’s body, striking blow after blow! When his longsword broke, he resorted to punches!

Xu Ming had activated Blood Qi Berserk, with blood qi swirling around him, amplifying the force of his punches, raining down upon the dragon like a torrential storm.

“BOOM!”

Xu Ming clenched both fists into a hammer, delivering a powerful blow to the white thunder dragon’s head.

The red Martial True Qi mixed with the dragon’s white thunder.

Xu Ming’s explosive red blood qi pierced through the dragon’s head.

The thunder dragon instantly disintegrated.

Xu Ming fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Surely there won’t be more, right?”

Xu Ming looked up.

But the dark clouds in the sky hadn’t dispersed yet—there was more!

“Shit!”

Xu Ming cursed aloud.

Xu Ming knew this tribulation wouldn’t be easy.

But he never expected it to be this difficult.

Just a minor Dragon Gate Realm tribulation—was it really necessary? The clouds parted.

A thunder elephant, a thunder lion, a thunder tiger, and a thunder snake descended.

This was the ninth tribulation. Normally, after this, it should truly end. According to known records, no one’s Dragon Gate Realm tribulation has ever exceeded nine stages.

The final tribulation!

Xu Ming rose again.

Though physically and mentally exhausted, using his last ounce of strength to defeat these creatures wasn’t impossible.

Xu Ming wielded his longsword and fought fiercely against the four thunder beasts.

Thanks to his high Martial Artist level, having invested countless points over the years, his physical prowess far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Otherwise, Xu Ming would’ve been dead long ago.

“BOOM!”

After a fierce battle,

Xu Ming delivered a punch that scattered the thunder elephant.

He then used the Grass Character Sword Spell to slay the thunder tiger.

Finally, Xu Ming activated his Dao Pattern Eye.

After evolving twice, his Dao Pattern Eye could not only see through illusions but also release black flames.

The system called this flame “Chaos Flame,” born at the dawn of creation when heaven and earth separated.

Xu Ming could designate a target, and once the Chaos Flame touched it, it would burn endlessly until the target turned to ashes! However, Xu Ming had previously experimented and found that after using it once, his eyes became extremely fatigued, allowing him to use it only twice.

After twice, the Dao Pattern Eye would become overburdened, rendering it unusable. Once, Xu Ming mistakenly thought he’d gone blind and it took three to four days for his vision to recover.

Therefore, Xu Ming was very reluctant to use this move.

But now, at this critical moment, with no options left,

Xu Ming’s eye patterns spun, condensed, and formed new symbols.

The next instant, the thunder snake in Xu Ming’s line of sight erupted in black flames. The thunder lion leaped at Xu Ming, who flipped to avoid the attack and used the Chaos Flame on it as well.

“HOOOOWLLLL!”

The roars of the thunder beasts echoed across the plain, bouncing off the surrounding mountains and creating echoes.

The two beasts thrashed on the ground, unable to extinguish the flames.

And this black flame burned only them, appearing like illusions to other things.

Similarly, Xu Ming’s eyes, unable to bear the strain, closed tightly, with two streams of bloody tears flowing from the corners.

Wu Yanhan, standing atop the mountain, didn’t know what kind of technique Xu Ming had used.

But the cost of this technique was immense, and Xu Ming’s condition looked dire.

Fortunately, after the remaining two beasts struggled for a while, they eventually burned away, dispersing into spiritual energy.

Wu Yanhan exhaled deeply in relief.

Despite the peril, Xu Ming had made it through.

Xu Ming, standing on the grass, took a deep breath. Though blind, hearing the roars fade away told him it was over.

“Let’s go check on your Xu…”

Just as Wu Yanhan spoke halfway,

Suddenly, above the azure sky, thunder roared again!

This was…

The tenth thunder tribulation!