Chapter 445: Chapter 441: Bombardment by Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire
Shocked. Countless creatures were utterly shocked. The oppressive pressure made it difficult to breathe, filling them with fear and trepidation.
Nine bolts of Celestial Fire descended. A trial of this magnitude was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime event.
"Let’s see him survive this."
The might of the Celestial Fire was far more destructive than Celestial Thunder. Even a being at the Demon King Level would have to give a wide berth to nine bolts of Celestial Fire.
"We’re hiding dozens of kilometers away, yet we can still feel the terrifying power of the Celestial Fire. How could a mere Snake Spirit possibly survive being engulfed in that sea of fire?"
Many such voices murmured from the shadows.
The blaze was immense. Nine Fire Phoenixes emerged from the nine Extraterrestrial Meteorites. Never before had such a terrifying Celestial Tribulation appeared in the Yaoling Mountain Range.
If he succeeded in Crossing this Tribulation, he would surely reign supreme over all other Demon Spirits.
This certain-death Celestial Tribulation had drawn the attention of every power in the Yaoling Mountain Range. From atop countless peaks, innumerable eyes watched.
The lone, proud figure stood tall within the sea of fire, unyielding and resolute. But after several minutes, countless pairs of eyes slowly widened in disbelief.
The figure had vanished. It was no longer visible.
A wave of relief washed over the onlookers. Under the burning of such Celestial Fire, what kind of body could possibly survive? None. No one could survive.
Even a Demon King probably couldn’t.
It seemed the Celestial Tribulation was finally over.
In the sky, twenty-four Tribulation Cloud Flowers still waited to bloom, and twenty-four Extraterrestrial Meteorites had yet to fall.
If the one Crossing the Tribulation died, all of these would vanish like a mirage.
ROOOOAR...
Suddenly...
A fierce roar erupted from within the sea of fire. A glimpse of a massive, coiling snake body emerged, soaring straight into the sky. It was Spiritual and Fierce, and in an instant, it transformed into a true behemoth.
The behemoth swayed its serpentine body, unleashing a terrifying power.
Abruptly, the vast sea of fire collapsed. A massive heatwave swept outwards. In a single breath, the lush trees and plants of the forest were reduced to ash. The nearest several mountains were stripped completely bare, with not a living thing in sight.
More desolate than a barren desert.
"My Monkey Mountain!"
The Ape King’s heart bled. With this certain-death Celestial Tribulation descending upon his territory, his beautiful home would be battered and ravaged beyond recognition.
"Gods, it’s still alive? After being burned by such Celestial Fire, was it merely forced to reveal its true form?"
Countless gasps of astonishment echoed from all around, the onlookers dumbfounded.
’So powerful. This Snake Spirit is truly heaven-defyingly strong. It’s even more terrifying than a Dragon.’
Now, a colossal Purple Gold Snake coiled in mid-air, its body glowing with a brilliant light. Its Snake Gaze shot out two beams of dazzling Divine Light. It was like a Divine Dragon coiling in the sky, looking down with imperious majesty, as if Ruling the World.
’What kind of bloodline does this snake possess? I bet it’s not inferior to the legendary Dragons.’
’For a mere Snake Spirit to trigger a certain-death Celestial Tribulation, one can only imagine how heaven-defying its bloodline must be.’
Such discussions continued to echo from hidden mountain peaks.
’As expected of Celestial Fire. I couldn’t maintain my human form after all.’
Tu Xiao’an felt a hint of regret. He had hoped to last a bit longer in his human form, but with the appearance of those nine bolts of Celestial Fire, it had collapsed, unable to hold even with the support of the Gold Element.
’Oh well. My true form was bound to be revealed sooner or later. In that case, I, the Snake King, will face this Celestial Tribulation head-on.’
Tu Xiao’an looked up with his snake eyes, poised and ready, wondering whether Celestial Thunder would strike next or if the Celestial Fire would continue to burn.
BOOM...
A muffled clap of thunder echoed from above. The countless creatures held their breath, the atmosphere thick with oppression. It was starting again. Just how far could this Snake Spirit, now in its true form, go?
From the very beginning, no one believed the Snake Spirit could successfully pass the certain-death Celestial Tribulation. He had only just survived the first Basic stage.
There were still forty-eight more strikes of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire to come, each more terrifying than the last, the Celestial Might growing ever stronger.
As countless eyes watched, the thirteenth Tribulation Cloud Flower bloomed. A sharp, purple sword slashed through the sky. It was followed by a sound like the heavens collapsing and the earth sundering. The world flashed, a flash so bright it seemed to blind every living creature. By the time they could open their eyes again...
...the purple sword had viciously embedded itself in the body of the colossal Purple Gold Snake, a line of light tracing its path from top to bottom.
This wasn’t Thunder; it was lightning. The moment the Tribulation Cloud Flower bloomed, it streaked across the sky, fast enough to pierce one’s very soul.
’Damn it!’
’Pain! Excruciating pain!’ Tu Xiao’an felt an intense agony for the first time, his very soul trembling. This bolt of lightning was completely different from the previous Thunder. It wasn’t as grand or imposing, but its power was far greater.
It felt exactly like a sharp sword plunging into one’s body, piercing straight into the depths of the soul.
The entire process took 0.01 seconds.
And it wasn’t over. From the other side of the sky, an Extraterrestrial Meteorite plummeted, smashing directly onto Tu Xiao’an’s massive Snake Head. Immediately after, Celestial Fire enveloped his colossal body and began to burn.
ZAP...
The fourteenth Tribulation Cloud Flower bloomed. With a flash of electrical light, like a volley of light-speed projectiles, it was heard but not seen as it struck the Purple Gold Snake once more.
BOOM...
Another Extraterrestrial Meteorite smashed down. Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire attacked simultaneously, giving him no chance to breathe.
Tu Xiao’an’s massive body was brutally smashed from the sky to the ground. Another flash of white light streaked down, another purple sword plunged into his body, followed immediately by an Extraterrestrial Meteorite.
Suddenly, Tu Xiao’an’s heart-wrenching screams echoed through the valley. He was finally, truly feeling the power of the Celestial Tribulation.
’Absorb the Energy of the Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire? That was completely impossible now.’
All he could do was take the beating. Both the Celestial Thunder and the Celestial Fire inflicted an inhuman, tragic pain upon him, not just in his flesh, but in his very soul.
The Celestial Might was boundless.
The entire valley was filled with nothing but the Giant Snake’s agonized screams. The sky itself seemed on the verge of collapse, and a thick, suffocating pressure descended upon all.
At this moment, there was neither night nor day—only the sight of the Purple Gold Snake being relentlessly ravaged by Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire.
This sight brought smirks of schadenfreude to the faces of many Demons watching from the shadows. ’Not so high and mighty now, are you?’
’Did he really think the Celestial Tribulation was child’s play?’
"It’s all ruined... Master, you have to hold on!" The Bull Demon King’s face was ashen. Who could withstand such a dense bombardment of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire? Especially when it kept changing its patterns of attack.
Starting from the thirteenth strike of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire, everything had changed. The attacks were more direct, more brutal.
And so it went... one moment a flashing bolt of Celestial Thunder would strike the Purple Gold Snake, and the very next second, an Extraterrestrial Meteorite would smash down, followed by an enveloping shroud of Celestial Fire.
From a distance, the Purple Gold Snake was wreathed in an ever-more-terrifying Celestial Fire that shifted between three different colors. With every Extraterrestrial Meteorite that crashed down, the flames burning the Giant Snake’s body grew even more intense.
After twenty strikes of Celestial Thunder and twenty blasts of Celestial Fire, the Purple Gold Snake was seen lying on the ground, listless.
’Damn it, how did it suddenly get so intense?’
Tu Xiao’an’s mind was in turmoil. He had no way to deal with this lightning. It was like sharp swords plunging into his body one after another. The Extraterrestrial Meteorites were even worse, taking advantage of those moments to crash down, leaving him no way to defend.
Under the relentless bombardment, even with his incomparably tough serpentine body, Tu Xiao’an was beginning to buckle.
’In comparison, the first twelve strikes of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire felt like a polite greeting. They were far too courteous.’
"Big Brother, I’ve never seen a Celestial Tribulation this relentless. The intensity is insane; it’s like it’s trying to beat him to death. I’m actually starting to admire this Snake Spirit. To still be alive... he’s just so damn tough. If it were me, I’d have been dead and gone long ago."
The Crimson Sun Giant Ape possessed a body of Copper Skin and Iron Bones. Its destructive power was shocking, but its defense was even more so. For it to utter such words was a rare thing indeed.
"If the Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire continue like this, I doubt that Snake Spirit will last until the fiftieth strike before being annihilated. It’s a pity. This Snake Spirit is a true prodigy of our Demon Realm. He hasn’t even attained his Dao, yet his combat strength already surpasses many Rank Three Demon Spirits. If he were to succeed, his future accomplishments would be limitless."
The Crimson Sun Giant Ape said, "Big Brother, why are you admiring that Snake Spirit? He’s Crossing the Tribulation on our Monkey Mountain! Look how many of our ape and monkey descendants have died! Look at the mess Monkey Mountain has become!"
"’I’m just being realistic,’ the Ape King replied. ’Besides, it’s not like he can succeed. But even if he gets lucky and pulls through, I won’t let him leave here alive.’"
When a creature succeeds in Crossing the Tribulation and enters Rank 3, they are usually left grievously wounded and at the mercy of others.
This is why most creatures seek out a hidden, ideal location for their tribulation. If an enemy were to find out, they would lie in wait, ready to strike and take your life the moment you succeeded.
If you failed, all the better—it would save them the effort.
.......
At that moment, on another of Monkey Mountain’s peaks, space rippled and a man in white appeared. He was impeccably dressed, yet a towering Demon Qi emanated from him. Two middle-aged men materialized at the same time, standing behind him like left and right Protectors.
Moreover, both of them were Rank Three Demon Spirits who had achieved Transformation, their auras immensely powerful.
"I thought another powerful Ape Demon had emerged on Monkey Mountain. To think it’s actually a Snake Spirit Crossing the Tribulation."
The White Demon King looked down, a strange expression on his cold face. "A snake is Crossing the Tribulation, and it triggered a certain-death Celestial Tribulation... and it has lasted this long. It has some skill."
"Your Majesty, no one can survive a certain-death Celestial Tribulation. Why did you come all this way to watch?"
One of his subordinates spoke up.
"The Profound Turtle said that if this Snake Spirit successfully attains its Dao, it will pose a threat to me. I had to come and see for myself."
"A mere snake? Even if it attains its Dao, how could it possibly be a threat to you, Your Majesty? That’s nonsense!"
The White Demon King shot his subordinate a sidelong glance. The Demon Spirit shuddered and immediately fell silent.
"The Profound Turtle has the power of Insight; it would not speak without reason. True or not, I must ensure there are no loose ends. It seems this Snake Spirit won’t succeed in attaining its Dao anyway. But even if it does, I will personally see it on its way."
The White Demon King had not reached his current heights through personal strength alone; he was also meticulous and cautious. He would not tolerate any potential threats, preferring to kill an innocent than let a danger escape.
