The thunderbolts born from the five-colored tribulation cloud carried the complete power of the five elements, brimming with devastating force.

Any other cultivator at the Golden Core Realm—even one with a flawless superior-grade innate Golden Core—would be reduced to ashes under a single strike, without the slightest chance of survival.

But for Lu Qing, this level of power was far from enough to hurt him.

Confronting the first bolt of tribulation lightning, he didn’t even summon a single technique or artifact. Instead, he relied solely on the strength of his fleshly body to take the strike head-on.

Multicolored lightning, infused with the five elements, crackled wildly across his body. Yet, it couldn’t even break his skin.

His fleshly body was like an immortal golden body, allowing the lightning to dance freely across him, without even burning a strand of hair.

In truth, Lu Qing’s Heavenly Witch Body was indeed stronger than the Buddhist Diamond Body of the same level.

What’s more, because his cultivation fused three paths into one, he had broken through the shackles of the Heavenly Witch Body of Ten Thousand Tribulations.

He had surpassed its limits, reaching the Great Completion of the Grand Witch Realm—a level even that ancient, mighty being who created the technique had never attained.

Thus, while the five-colored lightning was powerful, as the first strike of tribulation, it could not harm him.

In fact, with a mere thought, Lu Qing drew a portion of the lightning into his body, attempting to refine it.

The Heavenly Witch Body of Ten Thousand Tribulations had originally been created by that great being of the Wu Clan, who comprehended countless tribulation beasts and inheritances. This supreme technique was designed to devour and refine foreign energies, tempering the body.

At its peak, one could even consume tribulations like snacks.

Though Lu Qing had yet to reach that point, refining a fragment of lightning was entirely possible for him.

The five-colored lightning was ferocious. As soon as it entered his body, it sought to explode and tear him apart.

But Lu Qing’s will crushed it. Following the circulation path of the Heavenly Witch Body of Ten Thousand Tribulations, he forced the lightning into submission. Soon, the violent energy softened and turned into pure nourishment, strengthening his fleshly body.

His physical power grew a little stronger.

“As I thought. This tribulation lightning, steeped in heavenly power, is the best supplement for my body. It will push me past my limits and forge me anew.”

Sensing the transformation within, a smile spread across Lu Qing’s face.

Having reached the perfection of the Twelve Transformations of the Golden Core, his flesh, mana, and soul power had all hit their absolute peak. No amount of cultivation or absorption of spiritual energy could push him further.

Yet now, the baptism of this first strike of tribulation lightning—and refining its energy—had allowed his body to grow once more.

“Without destruction, there can be no rebirth. To break my limits and ascend to the Nascent Soul Realm, this tribulation is my greatest aid.”

As soon as the lightning within him was refined, the storm outside dissipated.

Thus, the first tribulation bolt of the Great Dao’s Nascent Soul Tribulation passed without incident.

Lu Qing raised his head to the tribulation vortex above, anticipation burning brighter in his eyes.

“To take a strike of tribulation lightning head-on, and remain unscathed?”

Inside the Li Huo Cauldron, Yan nearly popped its eyes from shock.

Even while hiding, it had sensed the horrifying might of the bolt, trembling in fear. Yet Lu Qing had endured it with nothing but his flesh, and hadn’t even lost a hair.

This display shook Yan’s very soul.

Even after so long at his side, it realized it still did not understand Lu Qing’s true strength.

As Yan reeled, the five-colored tribulation cloud once again began to stir.

After the first strike dissipated, a second bolt of lightning began to gather.

“What a terrifying tribulation!”

Far away, the Nascent Soul cultivators of two great clans felt their expressions tighten when the first strike fell.

Even for them, being hit directly would have meant grave injury.

But what shocked them even more was that the tribulation vortex did not vanish after the strike, but instead began to gather another bolt.

That meant the one undergoing tribulation had survived.

Who could possibly withstand such a heavenly strike?

Curiosity about the mysterious cultivator surged among them.

Then, the second bolt finished condensing.

Boom!

With earth-shaking thunder, an even stronger five-colored bolt crashed down.

Once again, Lu Qing chose to meet it with his body, refining the lightning as he absorbed it.

This time, his hair was slightly scorched, curling faintly. But with a pulse of energy, it restored itself.

Meanwhile, his flesh grew stronger still, beginning to show signs of transformation.

On and on it went. The five-colored tribulation cloud condensed bolt after bolt, each more fearsome than the last, each slamming down on Lu Qing.

And every time, he met them with his flesh.

By the fourth strike, his body began to show damage. His hair burned away, his skin charred black, leaving him looking battered.

By the fifth, his skin cracked and bled.

By the sixth, flesh tore, blood spraying.

By the seventh, the lightning pierced his body and damaged his organs.

Boom!

The eighth bolt struck. Lu Qing spat blood, fragments of his innards mixed within it.

His internal organs were clearly gravely wounded.

Yet his expression remained calm. The Heavenly Witch Body of Ten Thousand Tribulations churned furiously, devouring the lightning, refining it, repairing his body.

By the time the eighth bolt faded, though his injuries looked ghastly, half of them were already mended.

Lu Qing gazed at the vortex above, eyes shining.

“Just a little more.”

He could feel it. After enduring the baptism of eight bolts, his body was at the very edge of transformation. Surviving the last bolt would complete his rebirth.

“To withstand eight bolts, and still not falter?”

Yan was speechless.

Lu Qing’s charred flesh revealed bones beneath. His torso was split open, organs laid bare. Yet Yan could sense his life force burning ever brighter.

At his level, as long as vitality remained, flesh could recover endlessly.

Eight tribulation bolts, and none had truly threatened his life.

Yan’s shock turned into incomprehension.

“Eight bolts, and he still lives?”

The Nascent Soul cultivators outside were equally stunned.

They had already been shaken by the tribulation’s might. By the third bolt, they’d felt endangered. By the fourth, the weaker ones sensed death. By the seventh and eighth, even the strongest among them turned pale.

Any one of them struck head-on would perish.

And yet, after the eighth, the vortex still gathered power.

“Heaven help us… is this really a Nascent Soul Tribulation? Why does it feel as strong as our fifth tribulation?”

One cultivator muttered, but none could answer.

Not one among them had reached the fifth tribulation. And none could comprehend why a mere Nascent Soul Tribulation was so fierce—or how anyone could survive it.

At last, the ninth bolt began to form.

Nine was the limit. No matter how fearsome, a tribulation would never exceed nine bolts.

All eyes fixed on the heavens as the vortex churned. When the ninth bolt finally fell, it was like a pillar of heaven itself.

Its radiance outshone even the sun, its might forcing Nascent Soul cultivators hundreds of miles away to stagger back, horror etched on their faces.

When it was finally over, they let out trembling sighs of relief.

Some nearly triggered their own tribulations from the shock.

“That… no one could survive that.”

“Impossible,” another said firmly. “That bolt would erase even the strongest of us. Only a cultivator who has mastered the power of space might endure.”

All agreed. The ninth bolt was absolute destruction.

“Pity. We wanted to see who it was, but after such annihilation, there’ll be nothing left to find.”

“Not necessarily. Mister Yan is skilled at divination. Perhaps he can find clues.”

“I fear even his arts won’t pierce heaven’s veil. After such a tribulation, all traces are erased.”

“We’ll know soon enough.”

But as they waited, something strange happened.

“This isn’t right. Why hasn’t the vortex dissipated?”

Instead of fading after the ninth bolt, the vast vortex still churned, its heavenly might only growing stronger.

Before their disbelieving eyes, a new tribulation cloud formed.

No longer five-colored, it was half black and half white, turning slowly like a vast yin-yang millstone.

“Another tribulation cloud? How can two clouds appear within one vortex?”

Every Nascent Soul cultivator stood dumbfounded.

Never had they imagined such a scene.

Two tribulation clouds, born one after another in the same vortex—completely different in form and aura.

“What in the heavens is happening?”

None could understand.

“Master, are you all right?”

Below, the valley where Lu Qing faced his tribulation lay in ruins. Only the arrays he had prepared kept the land from total obliteration.

Yan ignored it all, staring at Lu Qing’s skeletal frame with worry.

“I’m fine,” Lu Qing said softly.

Vital energy surged, flesh and blood rapidly knitting back onto bone.

Relief and joy lit Yan’s face—until it glanced upward.

Its expression froze.

“Why is there still a tribulation cloud?”

High above, the vortex had birthed a new cloud, black and white interwoven.

And though its aura did not surpass the five-colored tribulation cloud, it exuded a strange, unfathomable power.

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