Chapter 879
Zhang Sanfeng Opens the Heavenly Gate with One Sword!
As the restriction was lifted, the lightning tribulation energy that had accumulated for thousands of years within the ascension passage began to vibrate instantly.
The next moment, the once clear and bright sky above suddenly darkened.
Dark, thunderclouds surged and rolled, pressing down on the earth layer upon layer, obscuring the sun, moon, and stars, plunging the world into a deathly silence and gloom.
The wind stopped, the clouds stagnated, birds and beasts disappeared, all the spirits of the mountains and rivers bowed down, even the rushing rivers seemed to freeze suddenly, and the whole world was left with only a heavy pressure, which tightly enveloped the three people who were isolated on the top of the cliff.
Chen Jiu Si, Zhang San Feng, Phagpa.
That was the pinnacle of this minor world, the strongest being in this world.
Upon seeing this terrifying energy of heaven and earth, Peng Yingyu, Yuan Sanjia, and the other ten experts at the Fusion God Realm all changed their expressions drastically. They felt that any bolt of lightning from the sky could turn them into dust. The power of heaven was unpredictable, and this was something they could not withstand at their current level.
Seeing this, Chen Xiaohu said with a solemn expression, "Master Yuan, Master Peng, your cultivation levels are much higher than ours. Do you think His Majesty and the others can withstand this tribulation?"
Upon hearing this, Peng Yingyu's face was full of tension as she said, "I don't know either, I haven't survived the tribulation either!"
At this moment, Yuan Sanjia took out his six-line copper coins, wanting to cast a divination to see if it was auspicious or inauspicious. However, as soon as he shook them, the old copper coins, which had been used for hundreds of years, broke apart. It was truly an unpredictable and dangerous situation!
Seeing this scene, everyone's hearts clenched as they looked at the three people on the mountaintop.
The three figures atop the mountain peak stood out. Zhang Sanfeng wore a faded, plain-colored Daoist robe, worn and frayed from decades of cultivation, yet his posture remained upright, like a pine tree rooted firmly in the cliff, unmoving. His full head of silver hair fluttered gently in the wind, his face serene and expressionless, only his eyes revealing the vicissitudes and resolute determination of a thousand years of cultivation. A century of arduous cultivation, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, breaking through the shackles of the Great Dao, severing worldly attachments—today was the day he transcended the mortal realm, ascended to the upper realm, and pursued a higher Dao.
Phagpa was wearing a red robe, which was bestowed upon him by the Heavenly Khan when he became the National Preceptor. It was also a symbol of his honor. After a hundred years of cultivating Buddhism, he had finally arrived at this day. Today was the day when he, Phagpa, would become a Buddha on the spot. What did he have to fear from heavenly tribulations?
Chen Jiu Si stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a black robe with gold thread. This robe was embroidered for him by Su Yun Jin herself, symbolizing the hardships Chen Jiu Si had endured. Having conquered the world, why should he fear the tribulation of ascension?
Bring on the heavenly tribulation! Let me see just how powerful you really are!
Rumbling--
A deep, muffled thunderclap erupted from the depths of the clouds. It was not the clamor of earthly thunder, but a heavy roar originating from the will of Heaven, shaking the mountains and rivers and causing ripples to spread across the void.
Within the pitch-black thunderclouds, fragments of purple-gold lightning darted about, like lurking ancient ferocious beasts, spewing scorching lightning. A chilling aura of destruction swept across the sky, firmly locking the entire Tribulation Cliff in place.
This is a trial by Heaven, and also a punishment from Heaven.
Those who wish to transcend the mortal world must first undergo a baptism of thunder, cleaving away the impurities of their physical body and eliminating the demons and distractions of their spiritual practice. If they harbor even a trace of falsehood or cowardice, they will be instantly annihilated, turning into dust.
Chen Jie slowly closed his eyes, clearing his mind of all distractions. His body surged with powerful energy, and a layer of pale golden protective light appeared around him. This was the foundation of his martial arts cultivation, gentle yet resilient, barely able to withstand the erosion of the Heavenly Dao's pressure.
He knew that there was no chance of escape under the tribulation of lightning, and there was no way to avoid it. The only way was to use his physical body and Dao heart to resist the power of the Heavenly Dao.
In an instant, the first heavenly tribulation crashed down.
The thick, purple-gold lightning bolt tore through the heavy black clouds, carrying a devastating force, and struck straight down towards the top of the cliff.
The lightning was dazzling, illuminating Chen Jie's calm face. The surrounding void sizzled as it burned, and the broken stones and vegetation instantly turned to ashes.
Bang!
As the thunderclap struck, the golden protective shield trembled violently, and ripples spread wildly in all directions.
Chen Jie's body sank slightly, his legs firmly planted in the cliff, allowing the power of the thunder to wash over his body.
In an instant, excruciating pain swept through his limbs and bones. The lightning pierced through the protective shield, tearing his skin and washing away his meridians. His mortal flesh and blood continued to crack and recombine under the tempering of the heavenly lightning. The turbid air dissipated along with the charred smoke, and his flesh and bones were tempered to become more and more pure and resilient.
One, two, three...
Nine layers of lightning tribulation followed one after another, each more violent than the last. When the final layer of Purple Heaven Divine Lightning fell, its power had doubled. The dark cliff top was instantly swallowed by endless lightning, and the dazzling purple-gold light illuminated thousands of miles of mountains and rivers. The terrifying power of the lightning almost shattered the entire cliff.
His protective aura shattered with a crash, and intense pain swept over his soul. Chen Jiu felt a sweet taste in his throat, and a mouthful of blood gushed out, staining the black robe in front of him red.
But his back remained straight, and his eyes suddenly opened, showing no sign of retreat, only an increasingly firm resolve.
The unwavering dedication of a thousand years of cultivation, the profound understanding of the Great Dao day and night, and the steadfast commitment to his original aspirations all transformed into boundless power at this moment, supporting him to stand firm.
After a long while, the thunderclouds gradually subsided, and the roaring sound dissipated.
The dark clouds slowly receded, and clear sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a warm golden glow over the cliff top.
His body, tempered by lightning, was completely transformed. His tattered Taoist robe fluttered in the wind, revealing a translucent, white body with broad, clear meridians and free-flowing spiritual energy, free from any worldly constraints.
A gentle Daoist chant resounded between heaven and earth, distant and ethereal, echoing across mountains and seas. Golden immortal light poured down from the heavens, transforming into boundless immortal mist that enveloped Chen Jiu Si layer by layer. The broken cliffs gained spiritual energy, the surrounding plants and trees were revitalized, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered wildly, pouring into his limbs, bones, and soul.
All shackles are broken, and mortals and immortals are separated.
Seeing this, Peng Yingyu and the others below excitedly clenched their hands. It's done! They've successfully transcended the tribulation!
On the other side, Zhang Sanfeng and Phagpa were also enveloped in golden light, auspicious signs appearing; they had both survived their heavenly tribulations. Chen Jie now felt that if they so desired, they could ascend to the immortal realm in an instant.
But at this moment, Chen Jie's brows were furrowed, and there was no sign of relief in his eyes.
Something's not right. This tribulation lightning power is too weak. It's completely different from the initial power. This doesn't seem like a tribulation lightning that has accumulated over a thousand years. It would be understandable if it were an individual tribulation lightning for each of them, but it's a bit hard to believe that it's a tribulation lightning that has accumulated over a thousand years in the ascension passage.
Thinking this, Chen Jie looked at Zhang Sanfeng and Phagpa. Phagpa was still immersed in joy, but only Zhang Sanfeng noticed something was wrong. At this moment, his brows were furrowed and his gaze was solemn.
Something is wrong!
Chen Jie also sensed something was wrong. He was about to speak when suddenly, a rumbling sound came from the sky again.
This time, the thunder was more than ten times louder than the previous one, and the oppressive force in the air made it hard for everyone to breathe. At this moment, Peng Yingyu and the others who were celebrating below were all dumbfounded.
Chen Xiaohu exclaimed in utter bewilderment, "What? There's a lightning tribulation here?!"
Phagpa was also stunned by the lightning tribulation in the sky. He was completely bewildered. Why was there still a lightning tribulation?
He then looked at Zhang Sanfeng and then at Chen Jie. Chen Jie said coldly, "The lightning tribulation just now was our own, but what's accumulating in the air is this small world, a thousand-year lightning tribulation!"
"Its power is probably more than ten times that of our individual tribulations!"
"Ah!" Upon hearing this, Phagpa's expression changed drastically. How could this be!
He thought he had successfully passed the Heavenly Tribulation and could ascend to the Upper Realm, but he didn't expect there to be more to come. The lightning tribulations that had accumulated over thousands of years in the Ascension Passage condensed and lingered in the air, eventually coalescing into an even more terrifying lightning tribulation.
At this moment, the heavens and earth trembled, the sun and moon lost their light, and the terrifying lightning tribulation in the sky converged, slowly changing from its initial normal blue to orange. Finally, it even showed a faint tendency to develop into a purple lightning tribulation.
Upon seeing that purple hue, even the usually composed Chen Jiu Si showed panic. He wasn't stupid; he had seen purple lightning tribulations in ancient books—those were the Purple Heaven Lightning Tribulations, the true immortal tribulations.
Such a tribulation was utterly catastrophic for them in the Lesser Thousand Worlds.
They underestimated the tribulations accumulated over thousands of years in this ascension passage.
For thousands of years, countless chosen ones have been trapped in the terrestrial realm of immortals, unable to ascend, and countless heroes have perished in this world. Their resentment, their fall, and their calamities have all become tangible at this time.
It transformed into the boundless thunder and lightning, the terrifying tribulation of lightning.
It should be noted that the lifespan limit of this minor world is 150 years. Therefore, over the past thousand years, the ascension passage has accumulated the tribulations of at least ten generations.
Even if each of the ten generations has three terrestrial immortals, that would still be the ascension tribulation of nearly thirty terrestrial immortals.
The ascension tribulation for thirty people has been condensed together, and the quantitative change has reached a qualitative change. It has gradually condensed from the initial ordinary tribulation into the Purple Heaven Divine Tribulation with a trace of purple.
Upon seeing the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning, Zhang Sanfeng's expression changed drastically. He was probably the one among them who knew the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning best.
He was a descendant of Taoism, and he knew all too well that the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning was celestial lightning. If the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning struck them, the three of them would have absolutely no chance of survival.
Even if his strength had reached the ninth level of the Condensation Realm, it would be impossible for him to survive the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning.
It is common knowledge in Taoism that no one survives the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning. The Purple Heaven Divine Lightning in the air is not very strong now; it is just a trace of purple mixed in with the ordinary orange lightning.
But even this slight unease was enough to make people extremely uneasy, and even Zhang Sanfeng was no longer as calm as before.
Meanwhile, the lightning in the sky was slowly coalescing, and as the divine lightning coalesced, its quality was also gradually changing, becoming stronger and stronger.
Seeing this, Zhang Sanfeng could no longer hold back. He roared, "We can't let the lightning tribulation gather any more. If it continues, we'll all die!"
Just then, Zhang Sanfeng rolled up his sleeves and headed straight for Leiting.
This was the first time Zhang Sanfeng had used his full strength. Terrifying martial arts energy filled his entire body, and at the same time, a Taoist deity statue appeared behind him.
That is the statue of Zhenwu the Great of Wudang, and also the martial arts phantom of Zhang Sanfeng.
At this moment, everyone's eyes turned to the martial arts phantom behind Zhang Sanfeng, the leader of the Four Saints of the North Pole, the main god of Wudang, the Demon-Slaying Heavenly Venerable!
He had long, flowing hair, stood barefoot, wore a black robe and golden armor, had a jade belt around his waist, held a seven-star sword, and was flanked by two generals, a tortoise and a snake.
It suddenly appeared, causing the heavens and earth to tremble and the sun and moon to lose their light.
There was only a vast and powerful demonic aura in the air. At this moment, Zhang Sanfeng was seen heading towards the tribulation lightning. He had to defeat the tribulation lightning before it reassembled, otherwise, once it was fully assembled, they would not be able to survive the tribulation lightning carrying a trace of the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning.
Even an invincible being like Zhang Sanfeng panicked at this moment, realizing he had to defeat it before the lightning tribulation struck.
At this moment, Zhang Sanfeng, carrying the illusory image of the True Martial Emperor, suddenly crashed into the lightning tribulation in the air. Then, Zhang Sanfeng waved his hand, and the next moment, the True Martial Emperor of the North behind him raised the Seven Star Sword in his hand and slashed at the lightning tribulation.
With a thunderous roar, the Heavenly Gate was cleaved open by a single sword strike. Under the Seven Star Sword of the True Martial Emperor, the lightning tribulation was suddenly split in two. Everyone present was overjoyed at the sight.
Chen Xiaohu shouted excitedly, "Great! As expected of Master Zhang, slaying the lightning tribulation with a single sword strike is truly a legend!"
Chen Xiaohu spoke excitedly, but Peng Yingyu and Yuan Sanjia looked unwell.
Peng Yingyu said, "The tribulation lightning hasn't dissipated!"
Yuan Sanjia said, "Their strength has not diminished either."
Yuan Sanjia couldn't see, but he was extremely sensitive to the fluctuations in power between heaven and earth. He didn't see Zhang Sanfeng wielding the True Martial Emperor's dashing sword strike; he only sensed that the destructive power of the lightning tribulation in the sky hadn't diminished at all, and that power was even still rising.
The terrifying power filled Yuan Sanjia with unprecedented fear, because even a tiny bit of that energy could destroy us all.
terrible!
"It's over!"
Yuan Sanjia couldn't help but say something, and at that moment Zhang Sanfeng in the air also realized something was wrong. His full-force attack had no effect on the lightning tribulation in the air.
The tribulation clouds he had cleaved open began to slowly regroup. Upon seeing this, Zhang Sanfeng immediately roared, "Quickly, let's attack together!"
Upon hearing this, Phagpa immediately realized what was happening and raised his hand, unleashing a myriad of golden rays: "The Buddha is here."
With a single palm strike, his martial arts dharma form appeared the next moment, a golden Buddha striking the tribulation clouds with a palm.
Chen Jie also realized what was happening. His gaze sharpened, and the image of the Human Emperor Shennong appeared in the next moment. He then struck out with a palm towards the sky.
At this moment, Zhang Sanfeng waved his hand and activated his Tai Chi skill. Immediately afterwards, a Tai Chi wheel appeared behind the True Martial Emperor and then suddenly bombarded the tribulation clouds.
The three attacked almost simultaneously, unleashing their three strongest moves at the same time, all aimed at the tribulation clouds.
With a deafening roar, the three attacks struck the tribulation cloud. Under the onslaught, the tribulation cloud merely swayed slightly before a sudden burst of power erupted, sending the three flying with a deafening boom.
puff~
The three of them couldn't help but spit out blood and fall to the ground, while the tribulation cloud finally finished charging.
The next moment, a bolt of lightning, glowing with purple light, struck down with unstoppable, all-destroying power. (End of Chapter)