Chapter 360: Chapter 358: Killing with a Borrowed Knife
Cultivating in the Inheritance Space of the Celestial Fate Ancient Realm was a hundred times more effective than in the outside world!
A single day of practice in the Inheritance Space was equivalent to a hundred days of arduous training outside.
Jiang Chen had trained in the Inheritance Space for a full three months—the equivalent of several decades of hard cultivation for others. He had already elevated his Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind Sword Intents all to the level of Tier Three Advanced Sword Intent.
With the support of numerous resources, his cultivation had also reached the Peak of the Ninth Stage of the Heavenly Destiny Realm.
He was only half a step away from the Union Palace Realm.
But it was precisely this half-step that prevented Jiang Chen from advancing further.
Yet Jiang Chen had never given up on his cultivation. He had been steadily accumulating power. Now that the Great Heart Demon Oath was broken, it was as if the floodgate holding back his breakthrough had finally shattered.
All his previous accumulation was like a flood bursting through a dam.
A powerful release after long accumulation!
In an instant, it all erupted.
The Wind Sword Intent ascended to the Secrets of Wind!
The Fire Sword Intent ascended to the Secrets of Fire!
His Water and Earth Sword Intents also ascended to become Mystical Techniques...
The four Sword Intents manifested at once.
RUMBLE...
Four beams of sword light shot toward the heavens, piercing the clouds.
Atop Martial Saint Mountain, fierce winds howled and a thunderstorm raged, booming incessantly.
The entire Martial Saint Mountain was enveloped in an ocean of terrifying power. Unmatched bolts of lightning crashed down, carrying with them an unparalleled Destruction Power.
CRACKLE...
CRACKLE... CRACKLE...
Streaks of lightning appeared within the clouds.
Cyan!
Red!
Blue!
Yellow!
A full four-colored tribulation cloud floated above the peak of Martial Saint Mountain.
The four-colored tribulation cloud emanated a terrifying pressure that would make all of the Ten Thousand Spirits submit, descending like a mountain range from the sky to crush the world.
Even the great figures of the Union Palace Realm in the Celestial Martial Hall stared with wide eyes, their bodies trembling slightly. A look of terror and shock filled their gazes.
A sharp gasp broke the dead silence.
Light flickered uncertainly in Yuwen Zheng’s eyes, his face a mask of horror. "Four-colored tribulation clouds? It’s actually four-colored tribulation clouds? Just who in the world is this Jiang Chen? How could he trigger four-colored tribulation clouds?"
"Unbelievable! This is a four-colored tribulation cloud! Forget our Cloud Domain, a talent like this is an absolute genius even in the entire Eastern Continent!"
"As far as I know, in the entire history of our Ten Great Dynasties, there has only been one monstrous talent who broke through to the Union Palace Realm with a four-colored tribulation cloud. That person is now an Elder in the Eastern Continent’s Pantheon, a true titan!"
"Could it be that Jiang Chen is also such a monstrous genius?"
Yuwen Zheng clenched his fists, an excited light gleaming in his eyes. ’My Saint Martial Dynasty has actually produced such a peerless, monstrous talent, one who breaks through to the Union Palace Realm with four-colored tribulation clouds? If I can recruit this child into my Royal Family, then in ten years, who among the Ten Great Dynasties of the Cloud Domain could possibly stand against my Saint Martial Dynasty? I must protect him. This boy absolutely cannot be allowed to die!’
Yuwen Zheng was an enlightened ruler.
All his decisions were based on the interests of the Royal Family.
After discovering Jiang Chen’s heaven-defying talent, Yuwen Zheng already felt a great appreciation for his abilities and wanted to protect him, to bring him under the Royal Family’s wing.
Of course...
Not everyone shared Yuwen Zheng’s sentiment.
At this moment, however, the five great figures of the Union Palace Realm—Ghost Mother Lishan of the Nine Sins Hall, Mu Feiyang of the Yinluo Sect, Xiao Tianqi of the Celestial Sword Sect, the Purple Star Beast Emperor of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, and Tu Shanhe of the Saint Martial Sword Sect—exchanged a look. A terrifying, cold light erupted in their eyes as they simultaneously sent a mental message to one another: "This boy must not be allowed to live!"
「At the same time...」
A terrifying bolt of lightning crashed down!
Jiang Chen soared into the sky, bathing in the lightning as he forcefully underwent his tribulation!
"Break!"
With a slash of his sword, the lightning bolt was utterly shattered by Jiang Chen with a loud BANG.
He then faced the second bolt of lightning...
"Tu Shanhe, this boy’s talent is too heaven-defying. If he’s allowed to advance to the Union Palace Realm, I fear even we will have to expend considerable effort to keep him in check," Ghost Mother Lishan said, her face grim.
The Purple Star Beast Emperor said in a low voice, "Only one person can face the Union Palace Tribulation. If any other power interferes, the might of the Thunder Tribulation will increase significantly. If we were to act now, we would likely be caught in it as well."
Xiao Tianqi’s gaze was as sharp as a sword. He said grimly, "That’s not a concern. The Ghost Mother can simply send her Corpse Puppets into the Thunder Tribulation. It will both enhance the tribulation’s power and perhaps even kill the boy, making it so we don’t have to act personally."
"But I don’t think Yuwen Zheng, Xuue Junlin, Ye Gucheng, Wul Cheng, and Ouyang Shang will let us do that," Mu Feiyang said lightly.
Tu Shanhe’s eyes darted. "In a moment, the Ghost Mother will control her Corpse Puppets to charge the Thunder Tribulation and destroy Jiang Chen," he said coldly. "As for Yuwen Zheng and the others, the rest of us will block them!"
"No problem!"
"As long as this kid is alive, I can’t rest easy. He must be eliminated!"
"Let’s do it!"
After a brief discussion, the five great figures of the Union Palace Realm sprang into action.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Ghost Mother Lishan suddenly attacked. Hundreds of Corpse Puppets appeared beside her—some were bronze-armored, some were silver-armored, and there was even a Golden Armored Corpse Puppet whose combat power was comparable to the Sixth Stage of the Union Palace Realm.
"Go!"
Ghost Mother Lishan raised her arm and pointed a skeletal finger toward Jiang Chen from afar.
ROAR!
The Corpse Puppets charged toward Jiang Chen, who was in the middle of his tribulation.
"This is bad!"
"They intend to use the Corpse Puppets to increase the power of the Thunder Tribulation—killing Jiang Chen with a borrowed knife."
"They must be stopped!"
Yuwen Zheng’s expression changed drastically. He immediately looked toward Xuue Junlin and the others. "Everyone, lend me a hand, and I, Yuwen Zheng, will repay you generously in the future!"
"Yuwen Zheng, you don’t have to ask. I was going to act anyway. This Jiang Chen saved my little apprentice!" Wul Cheng of the Han Dynasty suddenly spoke up. He had intended to stay out of it, but he had just received a message from Sima Qingling, telling him that Jiang Chen had once saved her and asking him to protect him.
Beside him, Xuue Junlin, Ye Gucheng, and Ouyang Shang also chimed in, "Jiang Chen has done our disciples a great favor. We certainly won’t stand by and watch!"
The five masters immediately rushed forward.
But as soon as they moved, they were blocked by Tu Shanhe and his group.
"Tu Shanhe, get out of the way!"
"Your Majesty, what do you think you’re doing?" Tu Shanhe asked lightly.
Yuwen Zheng roared, "As the master of the Sword Sect, you are colluding with outsiders against a citizen of my Saint Martial Dynasty! What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Nothing much," Tu Shanhe said nonchalantly. "I am merely cleaning house!"
"Damn it..."
"We’re running out of time..."
"We have to force our way through! We must destroy those Corpse Puppets before they reach the Thunder Tribulation Realm!"
Yuwen Zheng and the others immediately tried to force a breakthrough.
But the power of Tu Shanhe and his three cohorts was too terrifying. They prevented the group from breaking through, forcing them to watch helplessly as the hundreds of Corpse Puppets charged into the tribulation area. Above, in the Celestial Vault, the four-colored lightning roared violently. Upon contact with the Corpse Puppets, yet another colored tribulation cloud was born.
Black!
A black tribulation cloud, representing the Secrets of Darkness.
Five-Colored Tribulation Clouds!
RUMBLE...
Five colors of lightning churned violently. It was because Ghost Mother Lishan’s Corpse Puppets, refined using the Secrets of Darkness, had caused the Thunder Tribulation to resonate.
How terrifying was lightning condensed from five great Mystical Techniques?
The very first bolt of lightning that fell left Jiang Chen completely dazed. He plummeted from the sky, slamming hard into the ground.
"Hahaha..."
"Five-Colored Tribulation Clouds! The power has increased dozens of times! No matter how monstrously talented Jiang Chen is, there’s no way he can survive this!"
"Yuwen Zheng, you’ve lost!"
"Jiang Chen is dead for sure!"
Seeing this, Tu Shanhe and the others were all overcome with excitement and ecstasy, while Yuwen Zheng and his allies could only look at each other in dismay, their faces filled with anger, grief, and helplessness.
Five-Colored Tribulation Clouds!
Anyone capable of summoning such clouds was a child of heaven, as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin’s horn in the entire Eastern Continent. As for those who could actually survive a five-colored tribulation, they were few and far between!
The probability of Jiang Chen successfully passing his tribulation was not much higher than finding a needle in a haystack...
