Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 229

“Attend a feast?”

“Is it just me, or is this way too sudden?”

Ye Junlin was about to argue with the system when he was drawn in by the horrifying scene ahead, completely stunned in place.

Booming—!!!

At that moment, the sixtieth streak of black-and-white Heavenly Thunder, imbued with chaotic power, shot down like an angry dragon, crashing into the blazing flame shield.

The once summoned flame barrier vanished instantly, revealing a tall, blood-soaked figure, electricity crackling all around, popping and snapping.

“Cough cough cough,”

Hong Qianye’s hair was a mess, blood spewing from her mouth as she looked up at the vast lightning gathering overhead, her beautiful Danfeng eyes filled with grief and rage.

“Damn it, where did I offend you, you old bastard!?”

Hong Qianye felt incredibly frustrated; she truly hadn’t expected the tribulation to be this terrifying.

Could it be that with the awakening of the world, the level of tribulations has also risen?

If that’s the case, she’s unbelievably unlucky. Forget the benefits of surviving the tribulation; if she doesn’t make it through, what good are those benefits!

“How many more Heavenly Thunders do I have to face? Can some kind soul tell me!” Hong Qianye cried dejectedly.

“Little Hong, this is a top-tier Eight-Nine Lightning Tribulation. You need to endure seventy-two chaotic Heavenly Thunders for it to end. This is your unique fortune; you must hold on! Otherwise, your Master and the whole sect will attend your feast!” Ye Junlin said, his face serious.

What!?

Seventy-two?!

Hearing this, Hong Qianye almost stumbled and fell, clutching her chest in pain, questioning her entire existence.

She had just passed the sixtieth, and there were still a full twelve chaotic Heavenly Thunders ahead! Plus, each one was more powerful than the last!

In her current state, how many more could she handle?

“Master, do you think Hong Senior Brother can survive? I really don’t feel good about this!” Li Wujie couldn’t bear to watch, his heart thumping with anxiety.

Ye Junlin sighed. “Yeah, it’s pretty risky. You should probably think about what side you want to sit on for the feast.”

Li Wujie: “……”

“Mouse likes to eat tasty food, but Mouse wants Hong Senior Brother to live more,” Bai Xiaoxi said, her big eyes welling with tears as she gazed at the battered figure.

In the woods, a youth in a blue robe gazed at the scene with a serious expression on his delicate features.

Though he practiced the Qing Emperor’s Longevity Technique, which could instantly heal Hong Qianye, crossing the Thunder Tribulation was no small matter. If someone intervened, the power of the tribulation would surge, taking them out too!

Treating the symptom, not the disease.

No solution!

Next, under the pained gazes of the crowd, Hong Qianye endured one bolt of lightning after another, initially standing, then half-kneeling, drenched in blood, her aura weakening further.

Booming—

The seventieth streak of Heavenly Thunder converged, a massive killing intent fixated on Hong Qianye. Feeling its power, stronger than before, her will almost shattered, her complexion turning pale.

“Is this how my life ends?”

Hong Qianye despaired, her mind flashing back to various moments, examining her past as if reliving her life.

As a child, she had been a little beggar, begging for food and bowing to others. Because of her striking beauty, surpassing even girls, she had to make herself look dirty. Having experienced the harshness of the lowest social strata, she learned early on about the law of the jungle.

Once, when she refused to hand over the flatbreads she’d begged for, several burly young beggars had beaten her up. After suffering the beating, she curled up in a corner, the cold wind slicing through her skin, hunger and pain tormenting her so much that even her tears felt weak.

Then, a kind-looking old man appeared.

The old man was a merchant. Seeing the young girl on the brink of death, he helped her, providing food and clean clothes, offering her a place as a servant. For Hong Qianye, who had suffered at the bottom, this felt like divine grace—no more begging, at least she could eat well and live with dignity.

In the following days, she assisted the old man with his business, respecting him greatly, regarding him as a benefactor, pledging to support him in his old age.

However, one quiet night, the old man suddenly entered her room without warning. His kind face looked strange in the candlelight, and without thinking too much, Hong Qianye asked what was wrong.

The old man sighed as he sat on the bed, lamenting his loneliness before eventually standing up and starting to undress…

At that moment, Hong Qianye snapped back to reality, realizing the old man had ulterior motives for taking her in.

Feeling sick to her stomach, she mustered the courage to firmly refuse, intending to repay her life-debt through hard work and asked him to leave her room, pretending nothing had happened.

Who would’ve thought the old man would explode in anger, his kind face twisting into something sinister and cruel in the candlelight, and then he lunged at Hong Qianye to force himself on her.

In a panic, the young Hong Qianye fought back, grabbing a candle holder and smashing it onto the old man’s head. He screamed in agony as he fell to the ground, looking up at the beautiful yet trembling young girl in fear, and began to beg for mercy.

Essentially, he was saying he knew he was wrong and hoped she would let him go so he could return to his old life.

But the mentally traumatized Hong Qianye couldn’t care less.

To her, the kind old grandfather was dead forever in her memory, replaced by a hypocritical, cunning, old pervert!

With her emotions spiraling, she raised the candle holder again, slamming it down repeatedly on the old man’s head, blood staining the floor, his cries fading into silence. Looking at the old man’s face filled with fear slowly draining of color, she found it all so ironic and burst into a laugh that was both desolate and heart-wrenching.

Regaining her composure, to avoid being pursued by authorities, she hastily looted the old man’s belongings and quickly fled the scene. Later, while sorting through the old man’s possessions, she found an ancient manual teaching how to channel qi into the body, allowing one to become a Qi Refining Cultivator. Thus, she understood the old man had once attempted to embark on the path of cultivation, but lacking talent, he had to resort to trading for a living.

Following the manual’s instructions, Hong Qianye began to try cultivating, remarkably succeeding at channeling qi, thus officially stepping onto the path of cultivation.

Due to her dark past, her character was greatly influenced, and her principles often aligned with the ways of the Demonic Path.

Eventually, she navigated through various power struggles, brutal battles, and resource plundering, rising to become a formidable figure in the Demonic Path!

She even founded the Fire Cult, boasting millions of followers, its influence in the Central Region was immense; during its prime, it was worshipped far and wide.

Sadly, the good times didn’t last long. As the Fire Cult grew stronger, it infringed upon the interests of those established powers in the Central Region, igniting a massive crackdown against her and the cult.

With its weak foundation, the Fire Cult quickly fell apart. Faced with the attack from countless Immortals, Hong Qianye had no choice but to employ secret arts, dispersing most of her cultivation in exchange for a chance to escape, eventually fleeing to the Eastern Domain, Huangzhou…

Booming!

In that moment, the black-and-white Heavenly Thunder cascaded down like a waterfall, carrying with it a terrifying aura of destruction.

Reflecting on her past, Hong Qianye’s dim eyes ignited with determination.

She had once vowed to rise to the top of the pyramid, looking down upon the masses!

If heaven seeks to obliterate her, then she will go against heaven!

At this moment, facing the terrifying streak of thunder descending from above.

Hong Qianye gathered her strength, transforming into a crimson meteor soaring into the air, veins bulging on her forehead, her bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely as she let out a deafening roar, her voice filled with boundless battle intent:

“My fate is my own, not dictated by heaven!!!!!!”