Chapter 442: Chapter 438: The Tribulation Cloud Flower Blooms, the Certain-Death Tribulation Begins

Everything has a price. Tu Xiao’an, a man already dead, was reborn as a House Snake to struggle onward. You could say this life as a snake was one he’d picked up for free.

Now, he wanted to change back from a snake into a man of flesh and blood, so the obstacles and difficulties he had to bear were also inhuman.

Although it was just a snake’s body undergoing Transformation, the Heaven and Earth Law would not let him off easily.

In mythology, cultivation required passing through nine great celestial tribulations. Only after overcoming all nine could one achieve Ascension to the Celestial Court and join the ranks of the Immortals. A single moment of carelessness meant being reduced to ash and smoke.

When a creature awakens its intelligence, its Cultivation reaches Rank 3, and it transcends the mundane. Although not on such a grand scale, it still must experience layers of trials and calamities.

It begins as a weak animal struggling within the food chain against its natural enemies, then undergoes a Rank One Awakening and becomes a Rank Two Spirit Monster. It doesn’t seek Ascension to the Celestial Court or a place among Immortals, but only to live freely and for a long time.

Rank 3 is considered a formal escape from the sea of suffering. From then on, it’s "my fate is my own, not for the heavens to decide."

The celestial phenomenon in the sky above grew more and more soul-stirring. BOOM... An astonishing clap of thunder erupted, as if someone was beating a war Drum up there, preparing to raise the curtain on this deadly Celestial Tribulation.

"Master, may God bless you. This old bull will get out of the way and cheer for you." The Bull Demon King swallowed hard and glanced at the phenomenon above. If he didn’t scram now, he was done for.

WHOOSH... The bull left an afterimage on the spot, wishing it could flee a million miles away.

Tu Xiao’an’s face darkened. No matter how many Battle Companions he had, a Celestial Tribulation was something he had to bear alone. He then glanced at the dense tree beside him, as if to say, ’Aren’t you going to get lost?’

PLOP...

A Vermilion Spirit Fruit, white with a blush of red and radiating dense Energy, fell from the Tree Spirit. Charlie said, "Master, I’m scared. Eat a fruit to calm your nerves."

Tu Xiao’an picked up the Vermilion Spirit Fruit, his expression odd. "Charlie, what kind of emotion made you drop this fruit?"

He had a feeling it was dropped with a sense of schadenfreude.

The Tree Spirit didn’t answer Tu Xiao’an’s question. After dropping the fruit, the tall, straight creature rolled as far away as it could, as if it had no intention of ever coming back.

’The fruit’s meaning was clear: ’Go on, eat one last fruit. You probably won’t get to eat another.’’

Tu Xiao’an had no time to bicker with these two disloyal companions. His heart was pounding, and his right eyebrow twitched from time to time. The bad feeling was growing stronger and stronger.

The scale of the Celestial Tribulation was immense. It was as if he had booked the entire sky for himself, a private service exclusively for him, Tu Xiao’an the Snake Spirit.

Tu Xiao’an couldn’t help but smile bitterly. ’It seems getting special treatment isn’t always a good thing.’

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE... Muffled thunder kept rolling, constantly reminding him.

"Bring it on. I, Tu Xiao’an, have actually been waiting for this moment for a long time."

He had become a House Snake, yearning for the day he could once again stand firmly on the ground, return to the small home that was his, and be a filial son at his mother’s side.

No matter how terrifying the Celestial Tribulation, Tu Xiao’an had to break through this trial. From then on, he would no longer need a Transformation Potion. He would gain a body of flesh and blood—both man and Snake.

Tu Xiao’an stood between heaven and earth, his gaze fixed on the Azure Sky. A pair of bewitching, demonic eyes bloomed with two brilliant rays of Divine Light. Facing the impending Celestial Tribulation, not only did he not fall to the ground, but he rose higher and higher, getting closer to the tribulation phenomenon above. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

This was a blatant provocation of the legendary Seventy Two Celestial Tribulations.

His actions seemed to have violated the Heaven and Earth Law. The drumming above intensified, a barrage of wind and thunder erupted, lightning shrieked, and the tribulation clouds rolled like a tide.

One of the thirty-six purple Tribulation Cloud Flowers bloomed in stunning fashion. What blossomed was not a bud, but a streak of purple lightning like a winding Divine Dragon.

The moment the purple lightning appeared, Celestial Might surged, carrying an authority that compelled submission. As it roiled, the heavens and earth changed color, space itself seemed to be torn apart, and the world shook. At the same time, the purple lightning viciously struck down toward the top of Tu Xiao’an’s head.

With the blooming of this one Tribulation Cloud Flower and the crackle of this one bolt of purple lightning, the devastating calamity of the Celestial Tribulation had truly begun.

It was no longer just the creatures of Monkey Mountain that were trembling. All the Awakened Creatures in the surrounding area were overcome with fear and reverence. Even the flowers, grass, and trees seemed to freeze as the lightning descended with its absolute pressure, as if time itself had been fixed in this moment.

Countless creatures wondered what kind of Spirit Monster was undergoing its trial to be treated so mercilessly, with almost no path to survival left open. The terror of that single bolt of purple lightning was enough to make anyone despair.

"A good strike! Let me see just how powerful this Celestial Thunder is!"

Tu Xiao’an shouted, fearless. A burst of electric light erupted from his body as silver snakes materialized and coiled around him. He had activated the Power of Thunder and Lightning instantly.

He didn’t dodge or evade. Unflinchingly, with a calm and indifferent expression, he watched the immensely powerful bolt of purple lightning, filled with Celestial Might, strike him. He was immediately engulfed.

CRACKLE! POP! The air tore apart with lawless abandon, forming a giant, raging vortex of lightning.

The creatures watching the Celestial Tribulation were all blinded, unable to open their eyes against the piercing light.

Tu Xiao’an’s figure vanished, completely submerged in the lightning filled with Celestial Might.

"Big Brother, it looks like the very first Celestial Thunder was enough to completely destroy that suicidal Snake Spirit. This power is just too much," the Crimson Sun Giant Ape said sheepishly from a safe distance, seeing Tu Xiao’an get swallowed up.

Who could possibly withstand that kind of lightning?

But the Ape King shook his head. "Not necessarily. To be treated this way by the Heaven and Earth Law, this Snake Spirit must be extraordinary."

At the very least, he killed nearly a thousand of my ape and monkey descendants right under my nose. And as a Rank Two Spirit Monster, he subdued a Demon Spirit like the Bull Demon King, who has been cultivating for many years. How could he be a nobody?

"Big Brother, don’t tell me you think this Snake Spirit can survive this deadly Celestial Tribulation?"

The Ape King shook his head again. "If it’s meant to be deadly, how can he live? I’m just curious how many bolts of Celestial Thunder and blasts of Celestial Fire this Snake Spirit can withstand."

"I bet he’s already been turned to ash," the Crimson Sun Giant Ape chuckled, a hint of gloating in his tone.

Elsewhere, the Bull Demon King leaned against the Tree Spirit, his expression complex as he watched Tu Xiao’an disappear into the vortex of lightning. A dozen breaths passed with no sign of him, as if the purple lightning had devoured him without leaving a single scrap behind.

’Master, if you die, does that mean this old bull is free?’ the Bull Demon King suddenly muttered to himself. ’But... why do I feel like things are pretty good right now? Why don’t I want that to change?’

A Rank 3 becoming the Battle Companion of a Rank Two was an indelible shame for the Bull Demon King, nailing him to the pillar of shame for all Rank Three Demon Spirits. But as time went on...

The Bull Demon King came to realize just how monstrous his master was. He no longer saw it as a disgrace; he had even come to believe it was his own great opportunity.

Sigh... The Seventy Two Celestial Tribulations.

The leaves of the dense Charlie Tree rustled down. It was hard to tell if it was frightened by the purple lightning or worried about Tu Xiao’an’s safety.

Charlie had only been subdued a few days ago, so it couldn’t be said to have deep feelings for Tu Xiao’an. In fact, it was often "specially" abused. Still, in its heart, it hoped he could survive this deadly Celestial Tribulation.

In several different regions of the Yaoling Mountain Range, three Super level Creatures were simultaneously watching the Celestial Tribulation on Monkey Mountain from afar.

Somehow, in the unseen world, they already knew who was Crossing the Tribulation.

An Immortal Spirit Peacock rarely spread its tail, but now it did, a sight of breathtaking beauty. It let out a crisp, pleasant voice, "You big jerk, I won’t be happy if you die. Hmph... You’re not allowed to die!"

ROAR—

A tiger’s roar shot into the sky, containing the might of a tiger and the power of a lion, startling the nearby creatures. A cat, its fur standing on end, flashed its Yin Yang Eyes. It was Spiritual and Fierce, as if cheering someone on.

On another mountain peak, a one-bodied, three-headed Giant Snake soared upwards, ferocious and terrifying. Its three massive Snake Heads swayed in the air, but their eyes held not a vicious glint, but worry.

For such an Evil Snake to have that kind of look in its eyes was truly surprising.

"Yikes... Tu the Kid, if you reach Rank 3, won’t this Uncle Hei become your pet? But if you fail... it seems this Uncle Hei wouldn’t be too happy to see that either."

「Bai Town.」

A middle-aged woman was taking an afternoon nap. Suddenly, she startled awake from her dream, drenched in a cold sweat. Her face was deathly pale, and she sat there stunned, completely motionless.

"An’Er..."

She called out as if still in a dream. She had dreamed of her younger son, who had passed away long ago. After waking, her brow kept twitching, and her heart pounded with fear.

How long had it been since she last felt this way? Her son had clearly been separated from her by life and death, so why did she feel like he was still alive?

Now, her heart wouldn’t stop fluttering, as if her son was in some kind of danger.

The feeling left her terrified and distraught, her heart in her throat.

"Mom... Mom, what’s wrong?"

A beautiful young woman walked into the room. Seeing her mother’s face completely devoid of color, she asked with concern, "Mom, what is it? Are you not feeling well somewhere?"

"Yue’Er, I think I dreamed about your brother. Your brother must be getting bullied down there." As soon as she said it, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. The middle-aged woman cried like a little girl.

This was clearly a mother sick with longing.

"Mom, you’re letting your imagination run wild again. Brother is down there..." Tu Xiaoyue froze for a moment, suddenly unsure how to comfort her.

She knew her younger brother was alive, living well. She just couldn’t say it.

Ten minutes later, Tu Xiaoyue walked into the backyard. The moment she arrived, she froze. A majestic, black-furred dog was growling low in one direction, restless and agitated.

"Xiaobai, why are you acting like this too?" A bad feeling rose in Tu Xiaoyue’s heart. ’Could it be that something really happened to my brother?’

Just thinking about it made Tu Xiaoyue’s whole demeanor change, the color draining from her face.

What could happen to her brother? In Tu Xiaoyue’s heart, her brother had practically become a god, seemingly omnipotent. She had always firmly believed what he once told her.

"Sis, don’t mind that your brother is a Snake right now. One day, I will stand firmly on the ground before you, before our mom."

She believed him. She believed him without a doubt, and she waited for that day, every single moment.