113: Chapter 113 The Pill is Complete

The aftermath of the Heart Demon Tribulation slowly receded like a tide.

The disturbances at the Hundred Talisman Hall, Artifact Refining Peak, Danding Peak, and other locations had been completely quelled.

The Disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall were still patrolling everywhere, taking away the subdued Disciples one by one, while the remaining Disciples mostly returned to their positions, silently circulating their Cultivation Technique to calm their minds.

However, the unsettling sense of oppression in the air had not completely dissipated.

Because the tribulation clouds were still there.

The fifth bolt of Heavenly Tribulation was brewing.

This time, the tribulation clouds were no longer just rolling.

Deep within the clouds, it was as if magma was flowing; scorching, violent, and carrying an aura that would burn everything to ashes, it illuminated the sky for a hundred miles in a dark red hue.

Lin Xuan stood by the window of the Quiet Room, gazing at that dark red sky.

He could feel his skin heating up slightly—not from being truly scorched by flames, but because the concentration of fire-attribute Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth had reached a terrifying level, making one feel scorching heat even through the filtration of the Sect's protective Formation.

"Fire-attribute Lightning Tribulation..."

Lin Xuan whispered to himself.

The previous four bolts of Heavenly Tribulation each carried the characteristics of the Metal, Wood, Water, and Earth elements. Now, the fifth one was fire.

The Five Elements cycle and rotate, endlessly generating one another. The laws of the Heavenly Tribulation secretly align with the Great Dao of heaven and earth.

In the direction of the Golden Sun Grotto-Heaven, Qi Tianyuan's figure was revealed once more.

He was still standing in the center of that Formation, but several Magic Treasures had appeared beside him—in addition to the flaming banner stuck in the ground, there was an ancient bronze bell floating above his head, a small ice-crystal shield circling his body, and a khaki seal slowly rotating in his palm.

Clearly, starting from the fifth Lightning Tribulation, he also had to use his true strength.

"Boom—!!!"

The fifth bolt of Heavenly Tribulation struck down!

It was not a pillar of lightning, but a bolt of crimson-as-blood flame lightning! Wherever the lightning passed, the air was scorched into twisted ripples, and even light refracted eerily under the high temperature!

Qi Tianyuan raised his hand, and the khaki seal shot into the sky, growing in the wind, transforming into a phantom the size of a small mountain, blocking above his head.

"Dong—!!!"

The flame lightning crashed into the seal's phantom, emitting a muffled, thunderous sound like a striking bell!

The seal's phantom trembled violently, and countless fine cracks appeared on its surface, but in the end... it held!

The remaining flame lightning poured down like a waterfall, but was frozen and dissipated by the cold air emitted by the small ice-crystal shield beside Qi Tianyuan.

The fifth Lightning Tribulation, passed!

Qi Tianyuan's breath became slightly hurried. But his gaze remained calm, and he raised his hand to retract the seal—the seal itself was intact, but its spiritual light had dimmed significantly, clearly indicating a huge consumption.

The tribulation clouds did not give him time to catch his breath.

The sixth bolt of Heavenly Tribulation had already formed the instant the fifth one dissipated!

This time, the lightning was cyan-green, full of vitality, yet carrying a murderous aura of all things withering. The Wood-attribute Lightning Tribulation, where life and death intertwined.

Qi Tianyuan took a deep breath, and the ancient bronze bell above his head let out a long, resonant chime!

The sound of the bell was like waves, spreading out in layers, crashing fiercely against the cyan-green lightning!

"Hum—!!!"

A strange shockwave echoed between heaven and earth. The cyan-green lightning constantly split and disintegrated within the bell's sound, finally dissipating into nothingness.

But a tiny crack had also appeared on the body of the ancient bronze bell.

The sixth Lightning Tribulation, passed!

Qi Tianyuan's face had turned somewhat pale, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. He took out a jade bottle, poured out a crimson-gold Medicinal Pill and swallowed it, and only then did his breath barely stabilize.

And at this moment, the tribulation clouds finally brewed to the final stage.

The seventh bolt of Heavenly Tribulation, which was also the last Lightning Tribulation, slowly condensed deep within the clouds.

That was not just simple lightning.

It was a bolt of... purple-black lightning, as if it had condensed all the destructive will of the entire tribulation cloud, heavy as a mountain!

Before the lightning had even fallen, that world-destroying pressure already made all living beings within a hundred miles feel suffocated!

Under this pressure, the golden light curtain of the Sect's protective Formation appeared to ripple violently and visibly for the first time!

In the Hundred Talisman Hall, some Disciples could not withstand this pressure and fainted directly.

Over at the Artifact Refining Peak, the flames of the geothermal furnaces dimmed because of it.

At Danding Peak, the Pill Furnace that was nurturing a pill emitted an uneasy hum.

Everyone knew that this was the most critical moment.

Success meant the Golden Core reached Major Achievement, and the Sect would gain a pillar of support.

Failure meant death and the Dao disappearing, with Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

Qi Tianyuan looked up at that purple-black, mountain-like lightning.

His eyes, at this moment, finally had a trace of change.

No longer calm, no longer composed.

But a kind of... burning intensity.

A kind of arrogance and sharp edge belonging to a peerless Prodigy, suppressed for too long, finally about to erupt completely, to contend with heaven and earth!

He retracted all Magic Treasures.

The flaming banner, the ancient bronze bell, the small ice-crystal shield, the khaki seal... all disappeared.

He only left one sword.

The mountain-cleaving sword.

The ancient sword body trembled slightly, emitting a clear, resonant sword hum. Amidst the sword hum, the Qi around Qi Tianyuan began to climb crazily!

Foundation Establishment Peak... half-step Golden Core... infinitely approaching the Golden Core!

That was not an improvement in cultivation, but the ultimate condensation of essence, Qi, and spirit at this moment, the thorough burning of his Dao Heart and will!

"Come!"

A clear shout resounded through the clouds!

Qi Tianyuan took a step forward, actually taking the initiative to meet that purple-black, mountain-like lightning!

The mountain-cleaving sword transformed into a streak of cyan light, soaring into the sky!

Sword light and lightning clashed fiercely!

"Boom—!!!"

Between heaven and earth, it seemed only one sound remained.

That was the explosive roar of destruction and rebirth intertwined, the ultimate collision between the will of the Heavenly Dao and the will of the Cultivator!

The purple-black lightning submerged the sword light, submerged Qi Tianyuan's figure, and even... submerged the entire top of Rising Sun Peak!

The light curtain of the Sect's protective Formation vibrated violently, emitting an unbearable groan.

Countless Disciples covered their ears and closed their eyes, not daring to look again.

But Lin Xuan stared fixedly at that patch of lightning.

The Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art was pushed to the extreme, and the purple thunder seed in his Dantian trembled crazily, allowing him to barely "see clearly" the scene within the lightning—

The sword light of the mountain-cleaving sword had not extinguished.

It struggled, shattered, and reorganized within the lightning... destroyed time and time again, yet condensed again time and time again!

Each time it shattered and reorganized, the sword light became more condensed, and the Sword Intent became purer!

And Qi Tianyuan's figure appeared faintly within the lightning.

He formed seals with both hands, the blood-Qi flames around his body burning to the extreme, his whole person seeming to transform into a golden-red furnace, being calcined, tempered, and transformed within the lightning!

Ten breaths. Twenty breaths. Thirty breaths...

Time seemed to become incredibly long.

When the last trace of purple-black lightning finally dissipated on the horizon—

Between heaven and earth, there was a sudden silence.

The tribulation clouds stopped rolling.

The sound of the wind vanished.

Even the chirping of birds and insects in the distance fell completely silent.

Everyone's gaze was fixed intently on the top of Rising Sun Peak.

There, the lightning had dispersed, and the smoke and dust were slowly settling.