In the sky above Monkey Mountain, thunder roared and tore through the air, forming a massive, raging vortex. But suddenly, a sonorous and powerful cry burst from within.

"Shatter!"

The massive vortex of thunder crumbled in an instant, and a tidal wave of lightning surged outward. Tu Xiao’an stood between heaven and earth, completely unscathed, his human form still perfectly intact.

"Haha... So this is the might of Celestial Thunder? Nothing special at all."

At that moment, Tu Xiao’an’s entire body glowed brilliantly, and his eyes gleamed with spirit. Just moments before, he had been brutally tormented by the purple thunder, as if countless insects were gnawing away at him.

But Tu Xiao’an felt no pain. As someone who wielded the Power of Thunder and Lightning, he was no stranger to it. The only difference was that he usually used thunder to strike others; now, it was striking him.

Celestial Thunder contained Celestial Might, which could affect one’s soul. For those with a weaker will, their soul would fall into disarray, leaving them unable to defend against the thunder and ultimately being reduced to ashes.

The first bolt of thunder had seemed terrifying, but once Tu Xiao’an actually came into contact with it, his fear and panic vanished.

It’s the unknown that’s truly frightening.

His Innate Thunder Attribute gave him a significant advantage, granting him a degree of immunity to the Celestial Thunder. This was an enormous asset.

This was a battle he, Tu Xiao’an, had to win. Failure was not an option. A loss would be absolute, all his efforts would be for naught, and he would be reduced to nothing but ash.

Tu Xiao’an’s reappearance stunned the countless Demons watching from the distant mountain peaks. They were utterly shocked. ’He not only survived, but he’s completely unharmed?’

When a living being defies the heavens, it must face the punishment of heaven and earth—this is the origin of the Celestial Tribulation. The stronger the one undergoing the tribulation, the greater the punishment. So, it wasn’t entirely surprising that he had survived the first bolt of purple thunder.

After all, one doesn’t use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken. If the heavens brought out the ox-cleaver, it meant your hide was tough indeed.

BOOM!

Another deafening clap of thunder echoed as the second Tribulation Cloud Flower bloomed. A thick, purple bolt of lightning, like a coiling Flood Dragon, burst from the cloud. Then, with unstoppable momentum, it shot straight down, as if it would annihilate any God or Demon that dared stand in its path. Its power was clearly far greater than the first bolt’s.

Tu Xiao’an opened his eyes. His brow was knitted with what looked like an unmelting layer of Frost. His enchanting, demonic eyes were now like two pools of perfectly still water—indifferent, detached, and possessing an ultimate clarity.

As the Flood Dragon-like thunderbolt struck down, Tu Xiao’an actually flew up to meet it, reaching out a fair-skinned hand. Incredibly, he grabbed the thunder-dragon, catching it as if it were a solid object.

The sight was so shocking it beggared belief. Onlookers gasped in unison.

"Get lost!"

They watched as Tu Xiao’an, suspended in mid-air, grabbed the thunder-dragon and simply hurled it away. Heavens, he had actually thrown it!

A true powerhouse of his generation.

The two Monkey Kings on the distant Monkey Mountain erupted in curses, turned, and fled. ’That damn bastard! Showing off is one thing, but to grab a thunder-dragon and throw it at our mountain range!’

BOOM...

The mountain range was instantly enveloped in a vast Thunder Sea. All life was extinguished in a flash, as if the area had been scoured clean.

"Haha... Keep ’em coming!"

Tu Xiao’an roared at the sky, growing ever more confident. With his Thunder Attribute, the Celestial Thunder didn’t seem so terrifying. But this was only the beginning.

There were thirty-six bolts of Celestial Thunder in total, and each one was stronger than the last. It was like taking a series of punches, with each blow heavier than the one before.

BOOM... BOOM...

Under the dark red sky, two Tribulation Cloud Flowers bloomed at once. The thunder rolled, churning like a sea. Two massive, Flood Dragon-like bolts of lightning appeared, roaring and coiling around each other. Their light was dazzling, their might immense, and they descended upon Tu Xiao’an, blotting out the very sky.

In that fleeting moment, Tu Xiao’an recalled the words of the Ancient Ba Snake.

It had told him that with his Thunder Attribute, facing the Celestial Thunder might not be a calamity, but could instead be an opportunity.

If he could absorb the Celestial Might from within the bolts, the thunder he released in the future would become true Celestial Thunder.

Perhaps this was the best opportunity for Tu Xiao’an to strengthen his own Thunder Attribute.

’While the power of the Celestial Thunder isn’t yet strong enough to frighten me, I might as well give it a try.’

In truth, the destructive power of this Celestial Thunder had already far surpassed what a typical being would face during their tribulation; Tu Xiao’an simply didn’t know it.

Having come to this realization, Tu Xiao’an spread his arms wide, adopting a posture to welcome, even embrace, the Celestial Thunder.

This action left the countless onlooking Demons utterly flabbergasted and speechless.

’What the fuck? Is he trying to show off one last time before he dies?’

Throughout all of history, no one had ever dared to face Celestial Thunder in such a manner. They always mustered every ounce of their strength to resist it, terrified that a single misstep would result in them being wiped from existence.

Instantly, the two thunder-dragons swallowed Tu Xiao’an whole. The roar of thunder was incessant, a massive vortex churned like a tidal wave within the Thunder Sea, and lightning shrieked across the sky.

’Strike him dead! Strike him dead! I’ve never seen such a show-off in my life!’

To face Celestial Thunder with one’s physical body, to welcome it and endure it head-on, was treating it like child’s play. It was hard to say whether it was infuriatingly arrogant or just plain ignorant.

Countless beings were scared to death by the mere pressure of the Celestial Tribulation, yet he, the one at the very center of it all, was being so casual?

"Freak! That’s a freak! This Snake Spirit has become a true monster!" the Crimson Sun Giant Ape sputtered, hiding on the other side of the mountain, so angry he was barely coherent.

The Ape King wished he could have killed the snake himself before the Celestial Thunder even fell. To think he’d actually thrown a bolt of it at them.

The two kings had escaped shaken but unharmed, but their monkey subjects weren’t so lucky. In that electrifying blast, they were sent straight to the afterlife.

"Hey, you two monkeys, watch your mouths! Am I just standing here for decoration?"

The two Monkey Kings were being clever this time, having taken refuge in the territory of the Bull Demon King and the Tree Spirit. They refused to believe that Snake Spirit could toss another bolt of Celestial Thunder over to them.

"Bull Demon King, this mess is all that Snake Spirit’s fault. You’re going to have to take the fall for it. Just you wait, you’re dead," the Ape King said coldly.

A chill ran down the Bull Demon King’s spine. "God, please bless my master and let him succeed in Crossing the Tribulation."

If his master failed, he was doomed. How could he possibly deal with two Monkey Kings? He could barely handle one of them.

"Haha, yes! This is exhilarating! Exhilarating!"

Tu Xiao’an stood within the vortex of the Thunder Sea without any defense, not even attempting to resist. It was as if he were using the power of the Celestial Thunder to temper his own body.

But his body was illusory; tempering it was impossible. However, Tu Xiao’an was circulating his Power of Thunder and Lightning, secretly absorbing the Celestial Might from the heavenly bolts.

His entire body crackled as lightning coursed through it. To maintain this body’s resilience, Tu Xiao’an reinforced it with the Gold Element. All the while, he was secretly Devouring a great deal of the lightning’s Energy.

This act of Devouring was an incredible feat. Tu Xiao’an was still experimenting, subtly and imperceptibly. To the outside world, it looked as though he were experiencing immense pain as lightning pierced and ravaged his body.

Vaguely, Tu Xiao’an felt the capacity of his Power of Thunder and Lightning expand. To put it in perspective, if he could normally unleash one hundred bolts of lightning of a certain power...

...then now, after Devouring the Energy from the Celestial Thunder, he could already unleash one hundred and ten.