CHAPTER 273: TRIBULATION [4]

Though Yu Xuan’s fury burned like a furnace, he didn’t allow it to consume his reason.

Afterall, anger was a tool.

He needed to finish this quickly and return to what truly mattered: recovering the enlightenment that had slipped from his grasp mid-tribulation.

Even if he couldn’t reclaim the full epiphany, he could at least digest the remnants of that realization while it was still fresh.

And for that... he would need to end this fast.

This time, Yu Xuan decided to use one of the spiritual techniques from the Martial Ancestor’s inheritance — a true divine art meant to subdue spirits.

He closed his eyes, letting his spirit sense unfurl in all directions.

In an instant, the entire Main Elemental Heaven Peak was within his awareness.

Every flicker of movement, all of it existed within his perception.

Above him, the three colossal beasts — the Rat, the Ox, and the Tiger, roared and charged again, their forms pulsing with savage might.

The moment they entered Yu Xuan’s spirit sense, his eyes snapped open.

The air cracked.

His will manifested.

The sky seemed to tremble as an invisible storm of consciousness erupted from him, warping the space around the three beasts.

Spirit sense — the extension of one’s spirit, spirit being the bridge between body and soul — became his weapon.

Through it, Yu Xuan’s will took shape.

Ethereal chains, forged from pure intent, appeared out of nothingness and coiled around the beasts.

The Rat shrieked, gnawing at the bindings.

The Ox bellowed, trying to crush them with brute force.

The Tiger clawed at the air, its roar echoing across the sky.

Invisible shockwaves of mental energy struck Yu Xuan’s consciousness, each one sharp enough to make a normal cultivator mentally retarded.

But Yu Xuan didn’t even blink.

His trait [Mental Resistance] was no joke.

Their attacks did little to no harm to him.

Then, three massive golden hands materialized behind him, each the size of a mountain.

His black and white eyes gleamed with divine brilliance as he invoked the [Immortal’s Gaze], its domination effect surging forth.

The three tribulation beasts froze, their forms trembling slightly.

Then, with calm finality, Yu Xuan raised his arm and attacked then.

[Hand of the Heavenly God.]

The golden hands wrapped around them and clenched, crushing the beasts in an instant.

Their forms shattered like glass, dissolving into motes of spiritual light.

But just as they were about to be dissolved—

Yu Xuan spoke.

"BIND."

The word wasn’t normal speech. It was the Language of the Heavenly Gods.

The moment the word left his mouth, Yu Xuan felt the world tilt.

A titanic pressure crashed down on his soul.

Blood poured from his ears, nose, mouth, and eyes.

His entire consciousness shook violently, the cost of speaking a single divine word.

He plummeted from the sky like a falling star — but before impact, he activated [Telekinesis], slowing his descent and landing heavily on the ground.

His face was pale, trembling slightly... but his lips curved into a smirk.

His gamble had paid off.

Because outside his Sea of Consciousness, three faintly glowing forms appeared — the miniature essences of the Rat, Ox, and Tiger, now bound to him.

They were no longer his Tribulation enemies. They were his spiritual familiars.

Yu Xuan exhaled slowly, half laughing despite the blood on his face, which was being absorbed into his skin and disappearing.

This was also due to his technique.

"Now then... when do I get my rewards?"

He looked toward the sky expectantly, still a little unsteady.

But before the thought could even settle, the tribulation clouds above roared again, this time darker than before.

RUMBLE!

The clouds turned completely black, and arcs of black-colored lightning flickered through them.

Someone among the watching Elders spoke.

"Heavenly Punishment Lightning..."

Yu Xuan’s expression froze.

"...Really?" he muttered, dumbfounded.

"Can’t I get the reward first?"

’This is harassment at this point.’ he thought inwardly

Then, after a brief pause, his lips curled into a grin.

"Well, whatever. Heaven doesn’t charge for electricity anyway."

He looked up at the sky, his spirit blazing.

"Come, then! Let’s see how much I can afford to burn!"

The sky answered him with thunder.

BOOM!

***

"Tsk, tsk... this kid is far too reckless," the Chaos Heaven Peak Master muttered, as she leaned on her cane.

Her eyes gleamed faintly with interest despite the complaint.

Elder Kun nodded absently, his gaze fixed on Yu Xuan’s battered figure suspended amid the lightning storm.

Even the Yin–Yang Peak Master sighed, shaking his head.

"He doesn’t even bother to defend against Heavenly Lightning... either he’s a fool or far too confident for his own good."

It was the opinion all of them shared.

Except of course, Elemental Heaven Peak Master, who glared at him. She had confidence in her Disciple after all.

The Yin–Yang Peak Master suddenly felt a chill for an unknown reason.

Yu Xuan was reckless, utterly so.

Not even using a single defensive technique against the tribulation thunder was sheer madness.

If his physique wasn’t monstrous, he’d already be ash scattered to the winds.

It would’ve been different if he possessed a Heavenly Physique with lightning affinity.

Meanwhile, Daoist Thunder Jr., whose expression was unreadable, felt an unexpected pang of disappointment.

He had initially wanted to teach the boy himself, but the Elemental Heaven Peak Master had taken him first.

Still, as the thunder flickered and the boy simply smiled

at the heavens, Daoist Thunder’s lips curved into a rare grin.

"A true lightning lover," he muttered, the corners of his eyes twitching with excitement.

"A pity he’s already taken."

The Grand Elder, the Golden Celestial Dragon, merely watched in silence.

Her golden pupils reflected the youth being struck repeatedly.

To her, Yu Xuan was impressive, yes — clever, tenacious, with a body that seemed to defy limits.

But not yet remarkable.

He was a gem still half buried in dust.

In her long life, she had seen countless so called geniuses, monsters who shook worlds. Yu Xuan, while bright, was still young. She had not yet seen what set him apart from the others.

Though she admitted inwardly, her disciple, Long Anming, had rarely hated anyone with such intensity. That alone intrigued her.

But then everything changed.

When Yu Xuan’s Spiritual Tribulation began.

The Grand Elder’s eyes narrowed slightly. The boy’s soul energy and spirit surged and then suddenly, he spoke.

"BIND."

One word.

Just one.

But it wasn’t ordinary speech.

The sound vibrated through the void, deeper than thunder.

The instant the syllable left Yu Xuan’s mouth, the very laws of the world rippled slightly.

Every elder’s expression shifted in shock.

Because that wasn’t a normal language.

Nor the Cultivator’s Tongue.

[A/N: Cultivator’s Tongue reference Ch 150]

That was the Language of the Heavenly Gods.

Even the Chaos Heaven Peak Master’s easy expression vanished, he gaze hardening.

"Impossible..." she whispered.

The Grand Elder said nothing, but her eyes — ancient and calm, reflected a faint, golden light.

Her draconic instincts stirred.

Because, that word... it wasn’t just heard by them.

It had reached the Fallen Heavens as well.

And across the mirror sky, in the opposite realm, something old and hateful opened its eyes.

And those eyes seems to smile cruelly.