CHAPTER 50: TRIBULATION OF THE MYRIAD HEAVENS: WORLD-ENDING HEAVENLY LIGHTNING

Lu Chen turned around and spoke to Nantian Xiu. "Grandpa Xiu, we need to move faster. I've already been separated from my teammates for several days. We must hurry toward the center of the secret realm."

"Oh? Is that so? Then let's head out right away."

As he spoke, Nantian Xiu formed a hand seal and slashed forward, releasing a streak of sword qi. The sword qi howled through the air, carving out a two-meter-wide path ahead of them. "While you were cultivating, I used my divine sense to scout ahead. Just beyond this path lies the heart of the Fire Region.

"The dormant beasts in the secret realm have already awakened and are now organizing resistance against human cultivators. If we go now, we can avoid getting caught in the battle."

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided to speak his mind.

"No, Grandpa Xiu. I want to go to the heart of the Fire Region to find the beast chieftain."

Nantian Xiu immediately stopped him upon hearing that. "The heart of the Fire Region? Absolutely not. The lord of that area has already awakened. You've only just reached the Qi Regulation Realm. There's a good chance you might not even make it inside, let alone confront the beast chieftain. It's far too dangerous."

"Grandpa Xiu, I have a reason I must go."

Lu Chen looked Nantian Xiu in the eye and insisted. "I promise you, the beast chieftain won't hurt me. I know what I'm doing."

"Really?"

Seeing Nantian Xiu still looking doubtful, Lu Chen had no choice but to make up a lie, "Really. My elders had close ties with those beast leaders. The main reason I came here is to seek them out."

Nantian Xiu could tell from a glance that Lu Chen wasn't being entirely truthful. But he also knew that Lu Chen wasn't the type to act recklessly. His claim that the beast chieftain wouldn't hurt him didn't seem like complete nonsense either.

Seeing the determination in Lu Chen's eyes, Nantian Xiu finally gave in. "Sigh... Since you insist, you must have your reasons. I won't pry. Alright then, let's head for the center of the Fire Region. With me around, at least you'll have someone to rely on along the way."

Having taken that decision, the three of them resumed their journey.

***

As they traveled, Lu Chen took out the Hunyuan Greatsword. He planned to test the power of the planetary jade token.

He casually summoned Eggy from the Heavenly Pool and placed it on his shoulder.

Boom!

As soon as Lu Chen did that, a wave of world-ending pressure erupted outward, sweeping across the entire secret realm.

After all, the inside of Eggy was a fully-formed world where order had been perfectly established. Now that Lu Chen had released it without any form of suppression, it brought with it a crushing, apocalyptic pressure.

Weaker beasts within a ten-kilometer radius were killed instantly by the sheer force.

The stronger ones, barely withstanding the pressure, scattered in retreat.

Nantian Xiu shouted, "Watch out!"

He quickly summoned his life-bound weapon to shield all three of them. Then, he dropped into a crouch, adopting a defensive stance as he cautiously scanned the surroundings.

The pressure had erupted far too suddenly. That brief moment of crushing force nearly shattered his mental defenses. He couldn't even identify where it had come from.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, with thunder rumbling in the distance. Black lightning churned within them.

The momentum alone was already countless times more terrifying than the tribulation Lu Chen had previously endured. It felt like a catastrophic divine thunderstorm, threatening to drag everything in the secret realm into oblivion.

***

Elsewhere in the secret realm.

By now, several cultivators had left the secret realm, but those who remained could feel the crushing pressure. They instinctively looked up at the sky.

"Again? Do they want us dead?"

"I'm out. My life's more important."

"This world's really changing... Two massive tribulations in a row, who can survive that? I'm out of here."

One by one, cultivators broke into a run toward the nearest exit of the secret realm. Light flickered around them as they passed through the barrier and vanished.

The hesitant ones eventually followed suit after looking back and forth between the increasingly intense divine lightning and the fading silhouettes.

In no time, people were scrambling through the secret realm in a rush to escape.

Ten minutes later, only a few desperate individuals remained. They were gambling on collecting a few final treasures before the tribulation fell.

Wind Dragon's voice rang out in Lu Chen's mind like a madman's shout, "Little Lu, you idiot! Tell that egghead to withdraw its pressure! Otherwise, we're all finished!"

Looking up at the dark clouds that were still thickening, Lu Chen quickly relayed the message to Eggy.

Eggy might not have developed much intelligence yet, but it was perfectly capable of controlling its body.

In an instant, the apocalyptic pressure vanished without a trace, completely veiled from the world's perception.

Lu Chen quietly let out a breath of relief as the dark tribulation clouds above grew still, stopped spreading, and finally began to dissipate gradually.

When he pulled Eggy out of the Heavenly Pool, he had already ordered it to conceal itself. He never expected things could still go wrong.

Nantian Xiu remained on high alert. The pressure had vanished, but he didn't let his guard down for even a second.

When he noticed the subtle look of relief on Lu Chen's face, suspicion crept into his heart. He couldn't understand how the three of them, standing dead center in the eye of that storm, remained completely unharmed, while all the nearby beasts were wiped out in an instant.

***

Members of the three great sects—the Heavenly Mandate Hall, the Violet Flame Fortress, and the Herb King Manor—had all gathered.

When the tribulation clouds had begun to form, they had been deep within a cave in the heart of the secret realm, surrounding and hunting a beast that had reached the first stage of the Core Breakthrough Realm.

The beast was already on the verge of death. Just as the group prepared to deliver the final blow, dark clouds rapidly converged above, followed by a deafening roar of divine black lightning.

An immense pressure swept down from the heavens, sending a wave of dread through the air. The dying beast suddenly went berserk, shattering the rhythm of the battle.

The group quickly retreated from the cave as they watched the frenzied beast.

No one dared to step forward now, not when the beast hovered between life and death. Rather than risk being dragged down with it, they chose to wait for its strength to run out. When that happened, they could finish it off without lifting a finger.

***

Nantian Yijian was the first to retreat from the cave. Looking up at the increasingly dense black lightning in the sky, he spoke with a trembling voice. "Th-this... what kind of tribulation lightning is that?"

Jun Wudi stared at the divine black lightning above, then turned to glance at the beast still in the cave. A trace of worry crossed his face. "That's the Tribulation of the Myriad Heavens, the World-Destroying Divine Lightning. I came across records of it in the clan archives. When this lightning descends, heaven and earth itself fall silent."

Jun Laoye frowned, unable to let go of a hint of denial. "Second Uncle... are you sure? That kind of tribulation shouldn't appear in a place like this, right?"

"I'm sure. Even if it's not at full power, it's more than enough to obliterate this secret realm. We need to leave before it strikes."

Hearing Jun Wudi's words, the opportunistic cultivators nearby fled the secret realm in panic.

None from the three great sects had left yet, but murmurs of unease were already spreading through their ranks.

Zi Long and Yao Buting looked at the treasure they were about to obtain, then glanced up at the gathering dark clouds. Reluctance filled their eyes, but in the end, they made up their minds to leave.

They stepped up to Jun Wudi and offered their farewells. "Lord Jun, we'll take our leave for now. The lives of our sect members must come first."

Jun Laoye watched as the two prepared to leave. With the medicinal herbs nearly within reach, he couldn't help but feel reluctant to give up. He sneered. "You... cowards. Always quick to seize a benefit, and just as quick to run when danger comes."

A flash of light burst around him, manifesting into a set of armor. Without warning, he drew his spear and charged at them.

Just two days prior, Jun Laoye had broken through to the Qi Regulation Realm. With the help of the many spirit plants in the secret realm, he had even learnt a divine ability.

Jun Wudi's loyal followers, equally angered, drew their spears and stood firmly behind him.

Nantian Yijian followed close behind. From the guqin's case on his back, he drew his first sword—Echo of the Wind.

A five-foot-long sword shimmered with blue light as it floated beside him. Its ghostly aura flickered in the wind, subtly swaying with each breeze.

By now, Nantian Yijian had reached the ninth level of the Qi Absorption Realm. The spirit qi within his body had begun to condense, showing signs of liquefaction.

Yao Buting snorted coldly. "Arrogant brats. You think your little cultivation at the Qi Regulation Realm qualifies you to act tough in front of me?"

With that, he unleashed a surge of overwhelming aura toward Jun Laoye. The sheer force of it instantly disrupted the flow of spirit qi within Jun Laoye's group.

Jun Laoye's anger flared even more. He growled and was about to reveal their true background. "Hmph... Seems you don't understand the strength of the Jun Clan..."

Jun Wudi quickly stopped him. "Ahem. Little Jun, let them go."

He had no intention of letting Jun Laoye expose their real identity just yet.

"But Second Uncle, just hold on a bit longer. We're so close to getting those herbs."

"Let them go. We'll find another opportunity."

Jun Laoye was still reluctant. "But..."

A sleazy-looking man from behind Zi Long suddenly stepped out and started hurling insults at Jun Laoye. "But what? Your elder has spoken. What's a brat like you interrupting for? Looking for a beating?"

He was clearly trying to use this moment to show off. Leveraging the advantage of his superior cultivation, he slashed his sword at Jun Laoye without warning.

Jun Wudi glanced at Zi Long and gave a casual wave, silently allowing it.

This man would serve as the perfect target for Jun Laoye to test out his newly gained cultivation.

Zi Long had intended to stop the man, but seeing Jun Wudi's signal, he slowly lowered his hand.

He, too, was curious to see how the disciple of the Heavenly Mandate Hall performed in battle. It would help in preparing for the upcoming grand competition.

Seeing no one intervene, the sleazy man launched an even fiercer assault.

Jun Laoye didn't dare take the attack lightly. He immediately activated his divine ability and unleashed a flurry of spear thrusts. With sheer strength, he held his ground, matching the man blow for blow.

At that moment, behind Yao Buting, a man hidden beneath a bamboo hat made a subtle gesture.

A burly man who exuded a fierce and explosive aura stepped forward. "I just reached the peak of the Qi Regulation Realm. I'd like a match with Jun Laoye. I hope that's alright."

Without waiting for a response, the man pulled out two massive axes from his storage pouch and launched a surprise attack from behind.

Nantian Yijian saw the ambush and shouted, "Despicable!"

He then drew his sword and stepped in to intercept the new opponent.

However, the gap in their cultivation level was overwhelming.

As the clash continued, both Jun Laoye and Nantian Yijian began to feel the strain, their movements growing sluggish under the pressure.