"Now we’ll see how many bolts of Celestial Thunder there will be." The Bull Demon King looked up at the crimson, flame-like sky, his breathing quickening.

Although it wasn’t he who was Crossing the Tribulation, the Bull Demon King couldn’t help but feel tense upon seeing such a terrifying phenomenon.

The massive Extraterrestrial Meteorite gave birth to an unparalleled Flame. This Flame shifted between three different colors, giving it a sublime and magnificent appearance.

Immediately after, the giant meteorite began to divide. As if enacting the creation of all things, it split into a full thirty-six Extraterrestrial Meteorites. Each one burned with the heat of the sun, hovering in the sky above Tu Xiao’an, ready to fall at any moment. The sight was terrifying beyond belief.

The Celestial Tribulation’s preparations were complete. The next step was to utterly annihilate the one crossing it.

Cultivation itself is an act of defying the heavens, seizing power and longevity from them. The Celestial Tribulation is said to be a baptism, but it is, in fact, destruction. Still, it offered a sliver of hope—a one-in-ten chance of survival.

It didn’t completely extinguish all hope. Except, that is, for Tu Xiao’an’s Celestial Tribulation.

In the skies above Monkey Mountain, thirty-six purple tribulation clouds formed in one expanse, while in another, thirty-six bolts of Celestial Thunder condensed, each one like an Extraterrestrial Meteorite. Boundless Celestial Might surged as the thunder rumbled with deafening peals. Billowing Celestial Fire threatened to incinerate all evil in the world.

Monkey Mountain was plunged into absolute terror. The formless, suffocating pressure was indescribable, and many of the weaker creatures simply perished in silence.

At this moment, the Ape King and the Crimson Sun Giant Ape stood together, their expressions as foul as could be. They wanted nothing more than to kill that Snake Spirit, Tu Xiao’an, ten thousand times over.

’What a despicable snake, coming to our territory to undergo its tribulation! What left us completely speechless is how heaven-defying this snake is. The phenomenon created by its tribulation is this terrifying!’

’And this is just the manifestation—it hasn’t even truly begun yet.’

’We have to admit, this snake’s character is truly awful. Even the heavens don’t want it to live.’

’Thirty-six tribulation clouds and thirty-six meteorites... This is the legendary seventy-two-fold Celestial Tribulation! Only those of breathtaking talent or the most unpardonably wicked individuals are qualified to be "cared for" by the Heaven and Earth Law like this.’

When normal creatures cross their tribulation, they face the Minor Four-Nine Celestial Tribulation: four bolts of Celestial Thunder and nine waves of Celestial Fire. This is the weakest tribulation. There is also the Minor Six-Nine Tribulation, which is what the Bull Demon King experienced: the Six Paths Celestial Thunder and nine waves of Celestial Fire.

"Brother," the Crimson Sun Giant Ape said in surprise, "when you crossed your tribulation, because you’re a Super level Creature, I believe you faced twelve bolts of Celestial Thunder and twelve waves of Celestial Fire, right? The Medium Twenty-Four Tribulation. But this is just a mere Snake Spirit! Could its bloodline possibly be nobler than yours? To actually trigger the legendary seventy-two-fold Celestial Tribulation... It’s unheard of! This gives it no chance of survival!"

The classification of Celestial Tribulations was something the world’s creatures had figured out for themselves. The Minor Four-Nine and Minor Six-Six Tribulations were the most common, followed by the Medium Twenty-Four Tribulation, made of twelve and twelve, and then the Major Forty-Eight Tribulation, made of twenty-four and twenty-four.

As for the thirty-six and thirty-six that composed the seventy-two-fold version, that was a tribulation of legends, known as the Certain Death Tribulation. Scarcely any examples of it could be found throughout history.

The Ape King remained silent, staring at Tu Xiao’an’s hovering figure as if looking at a dead man.

’This is a certain-death tribulation. With the Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire striking simultaneously, even if a being at the Demon King Level were to take his place, they would undoubtedly die.’

’And he’s merely at the Snake Spirit Level. What could he possibly use to resist? If he somehow survives this, then there is no justice left in the world.’

The tribulation phenomenon over Monkey Mountain was so terrifying that the entire Yaoling Mountain Range was shaken. Countless Great Demons and Little Demons stared in horror at the dreadful sky, trembling uncontrollably.

A Celestial Tribulation like this... Forget about trying to cross it; the mere sight was enough to plunge any observer into despair.

「Azure Bamboo Forest Domain」

Here, countless small hills stretched as far as the eye could see. Awakened Creatures were everywhere. Even those that weren’t Flying Birds could leap dozens of feet in a single bound. They might appear small, but they were capable of swallowing elephants whole.

Beings at the Spirit Monster Level were so numerous they were practically a dime a dozen.

This was the territory of the White Demon King, one of the five great ancient Demons of the Yaoling Mountain Range. Countless Demons had pledged allegiance to him.

The extent of his power was beyond words.

In the center of the Azure Bamboo Forest stood a massive, ancient castle. It was a magnificent sight, yet a monstrous Demon Qi soared to the heavens from it. Within the castle’s great hall, a man in white lounged indolently upon a throne-like seat. The man was impeccably dressed and wore a smile, but it was a chilling one. A black mist of incredibly potent Demon Qi swirled around him; any ordinary creature that drew near would instantly lose its sanity.

This was, through and through, a veteran Demon King—an existence capable of destroying heaven and earth.

The White Demon King, who had been resting with his eyes half-closed, suddenly snapped them open, as if sensing an anomaly. With a flicker of his form, he was already standing before the castle’s main gate. He looked up into the distant sky, his face a mask of astonishment.

’Just what kind of terrifying creature is Crossing the Tribulation to make the Heaven and Earth Law manifest the legendary seventy-two-fold Celestial Tribulation?’

The White Demon King couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so shaken. For some reason, an ill premonition rose in his heart.

"Which direction is that? Whose territory is it?" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The White Demon King seemed to be muttering to himself. Before the gate, the ground rippled like the surface of a lake. A giant turtle shell emerged, followed by a long-necked turtle that spoke in a human voice, "It is Monkey Mountain. The Ape King’s territory."

"Could it be that another ape with an extraordinary bloodline has appeared?" the White Demon King said, surprised. He added half-jokingly, "Don’t tell me it’s the legendary Stone Monkey Crossing the Tribulation, to be able to trigger something like this."

The turtle, which seemed rooted to the earth itself, said, "If such a Celestial Tribulation is overcome, their future achievements will surpass even yours, White Demon King. They will reach the Demon King Level at the very least."

"Could they even reach Rank Four? Become a Land Immortal?"

"It’s possible. It’s possible."

The White Demon King sneered. "Profound Turtle, aren’t you being an alarmist? The seventy-two-fold Celestial Tribulation is called the Certain Death Tribulation for a reason. Death is a certainty. Even I nearly turned to ash during my Major Forty-Eight Tribulation back then."

"White Demon King, if this being succeeds in Crossing the Tribulation, you will be in trouble."

"What does that have to do with me?" The White Demon King’s brow tightened, his expression darkening. This Profound Turtle had the ability to see the future; it wouldn’t say something like that without reason.

"A beauty that brings disaster." The Profound Turtle shook its head, offered this single phrase, and slowly submerged back into the ground, which then returned to normal.

........

Tu Xiao’an now felt an immense pressure, the encroaching presence of death itself. He felt as if the entire sky was about to collapse upon him and grind him into dust.

"System, why is my Celestial Tribulation so strong?"

Tu Xiao’an’s expression was grim. He desperately wanted to take back his earlier arrogant words.

"The Host is one of Heaven’s chosen, blessed by the System. Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a man, it first tests his will with hardship, tires his muscles and bones, starves his body, subjects him to poverty, and thwarts his every action. It does this to stir his heart, toughen his spirit, and grant him that which he lacks."

Tu Xiao’an was dumbfounded. ’Are you fucking kidding me with this right now?’

’Is that even relevant?’

’You might as well just fucking tell me that "Heaven is jealous of exceptional talent." I could accept that more easily.’