With a lion’s head, deer antlers, tiger eyes, an elk’s body, dragon scales, and an ox’s tail, the final strike of the Heavenly Tribulation was no longer a Leviathan but a Thunder Qilin!

Qilin are divine beasts of auspicious omen, but the Thunder Qilin is a special existence within the Qilin Clan. They wield thunderbolts and represent destruction, the polar opposite of auspiciousness.

Although leviathans are also powerful demon beasts, they paled in comparison to a qilin. After all, a qilin is a Divine Beast, while a leviathan is merely a demon beast.

The Thunder Qilin before them was a blazing white, so bright it was painful to look at directly. Though it was only three meters in size—quite petite compared to the several-thousand-meter-long Leviathan that preceded it—the pressure it emitted was countless times more formidable.

Upon the Thunder Qilin’s arrival, its pressure dominated the entire field. Everyone’s heart trembled, as if a great calamity was upon them.

"The Heavenly Tribulation transformed into a qilin! This... this is simply inconceivable!" Demon Saint Hua Whale cried out, his face a mask of horror. He had witnessed other Heavenly Tribulations before, but none were as terrifying as Su Han’s. That a Thunder Qilin would actually appear was unbelievable.

Damn it... The Mad Lion Saint was even more terrified than Demon Saint Hua Whale. He was directly beneath the Heavenly Tribulation, pinned down by both Su Han and Saint You Heng, completely unable to break free. By this point, he had lost ninety percent of his strength and was covered in wounds, as if he were the one undergoing the Tribulation Transcendence instead of Su Han.

The Mad Lion Saint had been caught in the crossfire of the previous eight bolts from the Heavenly Tribulation, and this final Thunder Qilin looked far from easy to deal with. If he didn’t find a way to escape, he would completely lose his combat power, even if he survived. Facing Saint You Heng in that state, he would have absolutely no chance of escape.

I have to get out of the Heavenly Tribulation’s range before the Thunder Qilin descends!

The Mad Lion Saint made his decision. Instantly, his Holy Might surged and his aura became overwhelmingly powerful.

Not good, the Mad Lion Saint is going all out! Feeling the wild surge in the Mad Lion Saint’s aura, Saint You Heng’s expression changed. He quickly shifted his focus from the Thunder Qilin back to his opponent.

"Intermediate Grade Divine Power: Sphinx!"

The Mad Lion Saint went berserk, unleashing his Divine Power Technique. Although it was only an Intermediate Grade Divine Power, his years of immersion had raised it to an extraordinary level of mastery. The moment he unleashed it, it stirred up fierce winds and dark clouds.

BOOM! A vast surge of Gang Qi burst forth from the Mad Lion Saint’s body, sweeping through the heavens and conjuring a storm. Within this storm, besides shards of space, were also silken threads of temporal power. The interweaving of space and time produced a force of unprecedented terror.

ROAR! An earth-shaking lion’s roar erupted from the Mad Lion Saint’s mouth, transforming into a sonic shockwave that howled through the Nine Heavens, instantly killing some of the commoners within Cang City.

Following the roar, the immense Gang Qi swirled around the Mad Lion Saint, rapidly coalescing until it formed a sphinx a thousand meters in size. It possessed the majestic body of a lion but the face of a man. It was similar to a Physique, yet different, appearing like a deity stepping out of myth—powerful, ferocious, and inspiring both awe and fear.

This was the Mad Lion Saint’s trump card, allowing him to unleash extremely potent power. The Nether Serpent Holy Chain was now shaking violently, on the verge of snapping, no longer able to contain him.

He must not be allowed to escape!

Saint You Heng understood that he had to keep the Mad Lion Saint pinned down. Otherwise, facing two opponents at once, he would surely be defeated. As long as he held the Mad Lion Saint in place, Su Han’s tribulation would severely wound him. Even if it didn’t kill him, it would rob him of his combat power. Then, facing Demon Saint Hua Whale alone would be effortless.

"Hell Nether Serpent!"

Saint You Heng ripped open his clothes, revealing the tattoo on his body—his trump card. Each time he used it, his vitality was severely damaged. The last time he had used it, he had severely wounded the Swordsaint but sustained grave injuries himself, from which he still hadn’t fully recovered.

Every awakening of the Hell Nether Serpent came at the cost of Saint You Heng’s Qi-Blood. The longer it was awake, the greater the consumption. Although Saint You Heng was a Saint, he did not possess a Special Physique with vigorous Qi-Blood; his vitality was limited. If he expended too much, he would fall into a state of weakness. Therefore, he would never awaken the Hell Nether Serpent unless it was absolutely necessary.

But this was a moment of absolute necessity!

HISS! The tattoo came to life. Though only the size of a palm, the Hell Nether Serpent radiated a terrifying hellish aura, as if it were a creature that had crawled from the depths of Hell to bring endless death and suffering.

SWOOSH! The Hell Nether Serpent shot out, transforming into a black-and-red beam of light that darted straight for the Mad Lion Saint.

"Holy Blade of the Lion’s Head!"

The Mad Lion Saint knew Saint You Heng well and was aware of his Hell Nether Serpent trump card, so he was prepared. He channeled all his power into the Holy Blade of the Lion’s Head, unleashing a savage slash directly at the serpent. The purpose of this attack was not to destroy the Hell Nether Serpent, but to sacrifice a Holy Artifact to prevent it from getting close.

CLANG! The Hell Nether Serpent collided with the Holy Blade of the Lion’s Head, instantly creating a visible crack in the blade that nearly split it in two. Even if the blade could be repaired, it would require an immense price. The Mad Lion Saint had no time to mourn it. He exerted his full strength, broke free from the Nether Serpent Holy Chain, and immediately fled.

At that moment, Saint You Heng was controlling the Hell Nether Serpent. Its first strike had been blocked by the Holy Blade, and a second attack would be too late.

Will all my efforts be for naught?

Seeing the Mad Lion Saint transform into the Sphinx and break free from the Nether Serpent Holy Chain with unstoppable force, Saint You Heng’s gaze dimmed. His attempt to block him with the Hell Nether Serpent had failed. It was clear now that he couldn’t subdue the Mad Lion Saint, leaving him at a disadvantage in this battle.

CRACK! Just then, the Heavenly Tribulation finished brewing. The Thunder Qilin, the manifestation of the ninth strike, took a graceful step and flew toward Su Han.

Though formed from thunderbolts, its gaze was sharp, as if it possessed life and wisdom. It carried the commanding presence of a being looking down upon all mortals as it headed straight for Su Han. As a manifestation of the Heavenly Tribulation, a punishment from the Heavenly Dao, its eyes saw only Su Han. Any other being was a mere obstacle in its path, to be charged through and utterly annihilated.

Thunderbolts are inherently destructive energy, and the Thunder Qilin was even more so. It possessed not only the divine might of a Divine Beast but also the power to obliterate everything.

At this moment, the Mad Lion Saint was attempting to flee the range of the Heavenly Tribulation. However, because Saint You Heng had delayed him, he was now directly in the descending Thunder Qilin’s path. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

This time, he had walked into a dead end with no escape.

"No!"

Watching the rapidly approaching Thunder Qilin, the Mad Lion Saint’s pupils shrank in terror, his eyes filled with despair. But he was powerless to change his fate.

The Thunder Qilin passed directly through him without so much as a glance. Its terrifying thunderbolts instantly shredded the Sphinx and blasted the Mad Lion Saint into smithereens.

BANG! The Mad Lion Saint exploded into a gory mist, his body utterly annihilated.