Chapter 509: Blessing in Disguise
Chapter 509: Blessing in Disguise
...
The demonic roar shook the heavens and earth.
Chen Huaian had never activated the Heavenly Demon Art with Great Ascension Stage power before.
This time, both his True Dragon Form and the Heavenly Demon Art were operating simultaneously within his body.
The overwhelming cultivation realm of the Great Ascension Stage instantly maxed out the Heavenly Demon Art's potential.
His body rapidly expanded to over three meters tall, while a hundred-zhang tall demonic phantom manifested behind him.
Pitch-black Demonic Energy engulfed the world, even obscuring the lightning's radiance. The terrifying demonic phantom raised its head and howled at the sky, its crimson eyes fearlessly locking gazes with the Thunder Eye. Its four arms spread wide as torrents of demonic energy swirled around it, as if seeking to devour the entire world.
The moment the demonic phantom appeared,
Tu Shan Yue, who had been fleeing for her life, shuddered violently as an icy grip seemed to clutch her heart.She glanced back, only to see complete darkness beneath the thunderclouds where even sunlight couldn't penetrate.
"What terrifying Demonic Energy!"
She murmured in confusion.
Had some great demonic cultivator come seeking vengeance against the Sword Pavilion's ancestor?
But why during his tribulation? That would be courting death.
Unless... unless the Sword Pavilion ancestor himself was a demonic cultivator!
Tu Shan Yue couldn't make sense of it.
The five Demon Saints were equally baffled.
Meanwhile, in the Zhou Kingdom's capital city,
Xiao Feng, the Heavenly Demon Ancestor currently meditating in his sect, suddenly jerked his eyes open as his eyelids twitched.
"Hiss—! This... this Demonic Energy!"
Xiao Feng leapt to his feet, staring toward Cangbo Mountain: "My Heavenly Demon Sect actually has such a powerful cultivator? And he's undergoing tribulation?! Though just an initial Great Ascension Stage tribulation, what tremendous talent! Excellent! Truly excellent!" Ꞧ𝒶Νօ𝐁ЕṢ
Recently rebuilding the Heavenly Demon Sect had exhausted him both physically and mentally.
He'd been searching for a worthy successor, but all candidates proved hopeless.
Not only were they talentless, but their reliance on dual cultivation techniques had made them lazy.
He desperately needed a capable assistant to help revive the Heavenly Demon Sect.
The current disciples were only good as cannon fodder.
He needed to recruit truly qualified disciples anew.
"Unbearable!" Xiao Feng paced before the hall, constantly glancing toward Cangbo Mountain: "I want to fetch that junior immediately! It would ease my burden so much, sigh..."
But Xiao Feng knew he couldn't.
As a major target of heavenly laws himself, entering the tribulation area would immediately trigger his own ascension tribulation—something he wasn't prepared for.
Nor could he go after the tribulation ended.
Heavenly laws lingered at tribulation sites even afterward.
The safest approach was waiting seven or eight days until the heavenly laws dissipated.
"Young Master, you summoned me?"
Young Master Yinyu approached Xiao Feng obsequiously, wearing an ingratiating smile.
Xiao Feng glanced at him and spat out: "Get lost!"
"Eh?" Young Master Yinyu froze—hadn't the ancestor summoned him? Why this dismissal?
"Young Master, have I offended you?" He immediately kowtowed.
"You entered leading with your left foot." Xiao Feng flicked his sleeves coldly: "Scram!"
Sometimes disliking a junior required no reason.
Especially when better juniors existed.
...
BOOM—!
The final heavenly thunder descended, its golden lightning weaving into a colossal azure dragon thicker than mountains and spanning a thousand zhang.
The world turned white for an instant as time seemed to freeze.
Only the demonic phantom beneath the thunder remained wildly defiant.
"Damn you, Accursed Heavens! I'll fight you to the death today!" The demonic phantom howled skyward, shaking the heavens.
Chen Huaian sneered as demonic patterns lit up across his body—his right hand forming seals while his left clawed forward, Demonic Energy coiling into a massive demonic claw.
He gazed up at the heavenly thunder.
Then—BOOM!
His feet stomped down, deepening the crater as shockwaves expanded it further.
Chen Huaian shot upward to meet the world-destroying thunder dragon.
A black trail of Demonic Energy streaked behind him as he collided with the golden lightning in a moment of absolute silence.
SCREECH—!
Amidst the piercing explosion, the thunder dragon's wails could faintly be heard.
Chen Huaian's clawed fingers spread wide like tearing through the heavens to pierce the thunder dragon's belly.
Where black demonic claw met golden lightning, crimson thunderflames erupted.
Veins bulged across his arms as his blood boiled, unleashing a heaven-shaking roar:
"BREAK—!"
Instantly, the demonic claw ripped outward, physically tearing the thunder dragon apart into countless golden fragments scattering across the sky.
The lightning currents swirled around his fingers before being completely absorbed into his body as the final catalyst for his breakthrough.
Great Ascension First Tribulation Realm—achieved.
Above, the golden Thunder Eye emerged once more from the funnel-shaped clouds, casting an impassive glance at Chen Huaian before vanishing.
The thunderclouds dispersed rapidly, restoring clear skies.
Chen Huaian's body shrank as the demonic phantom disappeared, revealing his heavily wounded form.
Though he'd succeeded, the injuries were severe.
While the Heavenly Demon Art could refine anything, refining heavenly thunder was double-edged—simultaneously tempering and damaging his body.
Post-tribulation was a cultivator's most vulnerable moment.
The pocket dimension remained unstable, preventing entry.
Chen Huaian immediately sat cross-legged to recover.
Then a system notification appeared:
[Player has personally overcome heavenly tribulation, officially entering Great Ascension First Tribulation Realm.]
[Maintenance cost reduced to 0.1% of original—only 500 top-grade spirit jades per hour.]
Chen Huaian blinked.
Maintaining initial Great Ascension Stage normally cost 10,000 top-grade spirit jades.
Though they mined substantial amounts daily, nearly all were spent on maintenance with no savings.
Now the system gave him a discount? Then the original price...
Calculating, Chen Huaian drew a sharp breath.
Without discount, maintaining First Tribulation Realm would cost 50,000 top-grade spirit jades hourly.
Even if his avatar broke through, he couldn't afford it.
But 500 per hour? He could sustain that indefinitely.
"Seems personally undergoing tribulation has its benefits."
Chen Huaian smiled faintly.
A blessing in disguise indeed.
The tribulation's extreme risks and suffering had yielded astonishing rewards.
THUD—! THUD—!
Footsteps approached the tribulation crater's edge.
Measured yet heavy, each step vibrated faintly through the stone.
Chen Huaian cracked one eyelid open.
At his vision's edge fluttered brown monastic robes.
A lean-framed monk walked calmly yet with mountain-shaking weight behind each step!