Chapter 447: Chapter 443: Heaven Stealing Power Successful, Heaven-Defying System Rewards
On a mountain peak, the impeccably dressed White Demon King was utterly shocked by the sight of the Snake Spirit devouring Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire.
Even a Demon King of his stature could not remain composed.
After the initial shock, his expression turned dark and grim. He now believed the Profound Turtle’s words even more firmly.
"Even if this snake ascends, I will make sure it never sees the sun rise again."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. His entire being instantly erupted with an aura of intense Killing Intent and abyssal despair. The two Rank 3 Demon Spirits behind him trembled in terror. They couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pity for the Snake Spirit that was still struggling to pass its tribulation.
’I almost want to go tell him to just give up. Let the Celestial Thunder strike him dead, or let the Celestial Fire burn him to ashes. After all, even if you manage to ascend, you’re not going to live anyway.’
The words of the White Demon King, one of the five great Demon Kings of the Yaoling Mountain Range, were no empty threat.
If he wanted you dead, you would die.
........
The Seventy-Two Celestial Tribulations raged on. Perhaps it was because Tu Xiao’an had stolen a sliver of Celestial Might, but the Celestial Tribulation seemed to grow even more furious. Tribulation Cloud Flowers bloomed one after another as if competing in splendor. Strange phenomena occurred constantly; thunder clapped and lightning flashed. Extraterrestrial Meteorites fell from the sky, each one shaking the world and unleashing chaotic shockwaves upon impact.
The Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire descended with increasing frequency, as if determined to torture the tribulating Snake Spirit to death.
Tu Xiao’an felt as if he was no longer Crossing the Tribulation, but instead suffering agonizing torment in the Eighteen Layers of Hell.
Every time a bolt of Celestial Thunder struck down, he swallowed it. Every time a ball of Celestial Fire fell, he ate it.
Countless creatures watched, dumbfounded. Each time the Snake Spirit swallowed the Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire, it would writhe on the ground in what looked like excruciating pain. Its shrieks were as mournful as a wandering soul and as sharp as a Ghost. The sound of its cries sent a shiver through the hearts of all who heard it.
Just by hearing the Snake Spirit’s howls, one could imagine the heart-wrenching agony it was in.
But even so, the Snake Spirit seemed possessed, as if it had lost its mind. Instead of enduring the Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire with its body, it insisted on consuming them with its seemingly invincible iron stomach.
It was clearly a suicidal act, yet as time passed and the tribulation continued, the Snake Spirit remained. It hadn’t been blasted into dust.
’Just what will it take for him to die???’
This became the great question on everyone’s mind.
Everyone could see the Snake Spirit was in agony, but for Tu Xiao’an, it was a painful sort of bliss.
With every bolt of Celestial Thunder he swallowed and every ball of Celestial Fire he consumed, he successfully stole more Celestial Power.
Nothing excited Tu Xiao’an more than this.
He was using the Heaven Stealing Power. Even though the pain was unbearable, he never tired of it.
"DING... Congratulations to the Host for devouring Celestial Thunder and successfully obtaining 15% of the Celestial Power."
"DING... Congratulations to the Host for devouring Celestial Fire and successfully obtaining 10% of the Celestial Power."
"DING... DING... DING..."
Total Celestial Might Acquired: 70%!
’Almost there. I’m so close,’ he thought. ’I just need to steal another 30%, and I, Tu Xiao’an, will be the man who has completely mastered Celestial Might.’
’With a single gesture, I’ll be able to call down a Celestial Tribulation and wreak apocalyptic destruction.’
"Come on! Let this Snake King continue to suffer this unbearable agony!"
A colossal Giant Snake appeared, exuding a soul-stirring aura as if it had emerged from Ancient Times. Amidst the swirling, ferocious energy, its serpentine body soared straight for the Azure Sky, its blood-red maw stretching open to an impossible size.
CRACK... CRACK... CRACK... BOOM... BOOM... BOOM!
The Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire seemed thoroughly enraged. A solemn, murderous Killing Intent filled the air, and a vast power shook the very heavens and earth.
「Ten minutes later!」
"DING... Congratulations, Host, for successfully stealing one hundred percent of the Celestial Power, integrating it into your body, and achieving complete mastery over Celestial Might. Special rewards are as follows..."
"DING... Reward: One Divine Beast Bloodline. The Host may enter the store to select one of their choosing."
"DING... Reward: One Immortal Divine Weapon. The Host may enter the store to select one of their choosing."
"DING... Reward: All of the Host’s Battle Companions and War Servants will have their Level increased by three."
Note: These rewards will be granted upon the Host’s successful completion of the tribulation.
Huh...
Holy crap...
Tu Xiao’an was stunned by the system notifications, and he sucked in a sharp breath. ’The rewards for mastering Celestial Might are this incredible?’
’Damn, this was without a doubt the most generous reward the system had ever given out.’
To be honest, when Tu Xiao’an was using his Heaven Stealing Power, he hadn’t given any thought to potential system rewards.
He just wanted to master Celestial Might and end this Celestial Tribulation as quickly as possible, because the ordeal was simply too torturous.
It was a tremendous, wonderful surprise. All three rewards left Tu Xiao’an overjoyed.
The reward of all his Battle Companions and War Servants gaining three Levels was especially heaven-defying. ’Those little guys are so lucky,’ he thought, ’reaping the benefits without doing any of the work.’
He was fighting for his life to get through this tribulation, while they hadn’t lifted a finger, yet they would get to jump three whole Levels.
’What did three Levels even mean? Especially for a Spirit Monster, even a single Level represented a massive increase in power.’
’Wait, why are my Battle Companions and War Servants getting a Level increase, and not me?’
’Is it because I’m still Crossing the Tribulation?’
It seemed all the rewards were contingent on him successfully completing the tribulation. If he failed, none of this would matter anyway.
After mastering Celestial Might and receiving the system’s heaven-defying rewards...
By now, a total of thirty bolts of Celestial Thunder and thirty balls of Celestial Fire had descended. Six Tribulation Cloud Flowers had yet to bloom, and six Extraterrestrial Meteorites still hung in the sky.
That meant there were twelve strikes left. Only twelve.
Tu Xiao’an felt a thrill of excitement. He forced open his Snake Gaze and looked up at the sky. To be honest, he was in a terrible state. His majestic serpentine body was grievously wounded, and he was suffering bone-deep, heart-piercing agony in both body and soul.
However, now that Tu Xiao’an had successfully stolen the Celestial Might, his soul was immune to its power. When he endured the baptism of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire, he would no longer suffer a double assault on both body and soul.
This was a massive advantage for him in Crossing the Tribulation.
Celestial Might was unpredictable and difficult for a mortal body to withstand. Many Spirit Monsters who attempted to cross a tribulation were annihilated simply because they couldn’t endure the Celestial Power laced within the Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire.
"Ape King, he’s still alive! There are only twelve strikes of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire left! Can this Snake Spirit really survive this so-called death tribulation?" The Crimson Sun Giant Ape felt like he had used up a year’s worth of astonished gasps.
Every time, he had been certain the Snake Spirit was about to be obliterated, but it was like an unkillable cockroach.
It just kept swallowing the Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire, stubbornly refusing to die.
It even made the Crimson Sun Giant Ape wonder if this Celestial Tribulation was fake—all sound and fury, but with no real power.
The Ape King was silent, repeatedly asking himself a question. ’If I had faced a Celestial Tribulation like this back then, how many strikes could I have endured? Or rather, to have lasted this long... how many times would I have already died?’
’No wonder this Rank Two Snake Spirit dared to kill my descendants right in front of me. So this is the source of its confidence.’
’Perhaps this Snake Spirit really could create a miracle. A miracle, right here on my Monkey Mountain.’
For the first time, the Ape King allowed himself to think this. Even many of the Spirit Monsters and Demons watching from the shadows began to waver in their certainty.
’Does a death tribulation... truly mean certain death???’
