Chapter Thirty-Nine: Divine Thunder of the Ninth Heaven

What, then, had the five primal elements transformed into? There was no longer a source of wood, earth, metal, fire, or water; only their fusion remained—chaos.

And how did this chaos exist within the Violet Palace? Since time immemorial, when chaos first parted from primordial nothingness, there had existed a formation spoken of only in legend—the Grand Formation of Chaotic Five Elements!

Now, the five elemental origins had fully merged into this grand formation, as firm and unyielding as could be.

Though the precise function of the Chaotic Five Elements Formation was unknown, its benefits were readily felt. The strength of Cold Iceflame and his soul increased at a geometric rate, his state of mind soared as if riding the clouds, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged madly into him.

In the cultivation world, time flowed like water; in the blink of an eye, more than a year had slipped by.

Cold Iceflame’s cultivation advanced without cease, ascending rapidly from Nascent Soul through Spirit Severing, Soul Division, and Unity, and still climbing, until finally halting at the peak of the Tribulation Crossing stage.

Yet, at the same time, he felt an extraordinary pressure. What was it? His thoughts spun swiftly, and in an instant, understanding dawned—“Heavenly Tribulation.” The very phrase surfaced in his mind. “Am I about to cross the tribulation?”

The surface of the lake was now completely shrouded in darkness. The sky above was layered with thick, oppressive clouds, and they continued to gather, their weight growing ever heavier.

The water churned, and a lone figure burst forth, landing on the shore.

Cold Iceflame looked up at the tribulation clouds above, feeling no fear—only exhilaration.

Then his expression changed. What sort of tribulation clouds were these? Ordinary tribulation clouds could not possibly exert such pressure—this was certainly no common heavenly tribulation. Though he had never before experienced or even witnessed a crossing, the enlightenment that had accompanied his earlier ascent of realms had revealed to him many things closely tied to his own fate.

“Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, Divine Lightning of the Nine Heavens!” His pupils contracted sharply, and even Cold Iceflame was startled by his own deduction. For all who cultivate the Way, as they refine their arts, they rebel against the heavens, defying fate itself. Such defiance must be met by the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, a trial set by the Way of Heaven. Those who pass may attain the Great Perfection and ascend to the Immortal Realm; those who fail, whether obliterated, dissipated, or diverted to the path of loose immortality, are lost.

For ordinary cultivators, the heavenly tribulation, though not overwhelmingly fierce, is enough to terrify legions. Yet if one bears exceptional talent, the Way of Heaven, fearing his departure from its dominion, will send down a mightier tribulation, seeking to snuff him out before he can fully form. Of these, the most dreadful is the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation—each wave bearing nine bolts of divine lightning, every bolt capable of sundering the sky and annihilating the earth. Legend holds that even Golden Immortals of the Immortal Realm cannot withstand a single strike. (Ranks in the Immortal Realm are: Mortal Immortal, Spirit Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, Golden Immortal, Immortal Lord, Immortal Emperor, each with early, middle, and late stages.)

The stifling sensation filled every corner of space. Beads of cold sweat broke out on Cold Iceflame’s brow. He never could have imagined that such a tribulation awaited him. Did the heavens truly mean to destroy him?

Suddenly, his expression hardened, revealing unyielding resolve. “Heaven and earth are heartless, treating all things as mere straw dogs! Beneath the Way of Heaven, all creatures are but ants! If you would destroy me, then I shall rebel against your will!”

He stood tall, sword in hand, the blade pointing to the earth, facing the tribulation clouds with a proud and ineffable air, as though detached from the world itself.

At last, the thick clouds parted in the center, and a pillar of light, ten times the width of a barrel, crashed down, enveloping Iceflame completely. He was fearless, mobilizing all his true essence and violet energy, forming two protective barriers: the outer a white shield of cultivation energy, the inner a pale violet shield of Plumed Violet Aura.

The first bolt of Divine Lightning from the Nine Heavens descended with such force that all rare and exotic beasts within a radius of thousands of kilometers fled in terror; those too slow to escape grovelled on the ground, not daring the slightest disrespect.

A glint flashed in Cold Iceflame’s eyes as he watched the Divine Lightning approach. The pillar of light paused briefly in the air, and the white shield of true essence shattered...

Then, the pale violet shield of Plumed Violet Aura broke as well...

The Divine Lightning of the Nine Heavens truly lived up to its reputation as the most overbearing force between heaven and earth. If it had been ordinary tribulation lightning, Iceflame’s power at the peak of the Tribulation Crossing stage could have withstood several bolts with ease, not to mention the mysterious Plumed Violet Aura and the Chaotic Five Elements Formation formed from the five elemental sources.

But this was the genuine Divine Lightning of the Nine Heavens, bearing down on Cold Iceflame like an unstoppable force, seeking to annihilate him in an instant.

He felt his entire body convulse, as though electrified, the intensity evident in his tightly clenched jaw. This was not a force to be trifled with—why else would even Golden Immortals be wary of a single strike?

Yet Cold Iceflame was no ordinary man. At the instant the Divine Lightning struck, his dantian—no, his Violet Palace—saw its nascent soul abruptly open its eyes. The Plumed Violet Aura, which had long since fused with every part of his body, now surged forth, gathering around the nascent soul and spinning rapidly.

Beneath the nascent soul appeared the Chaotic Five Elements Formation, upon which it sat as upon a throne. From five positions within the formation, five colors of light emerged, entwining and coalescing, finally taking the form of five banners.

At the center, the Apricot Yellow Banner of the Central Earth; to the east, the Azure Lotus Treasure Banner; to the south, the Flaming Banner that Burns the Earth; to the west, the Plain Cloud Realm Banner; to the north, the Mysterious Water Command Banner.

These five banners encircled the nascent soul, forming an invincible defensive plane that protected it completely.

Even more wondrously, the Divine Lightning of the Nine Heavens descending upon Cold Iceflame’s body began to shrink, and the pain steadily diminished. The lightning was being absorbed, bit by bit, by the Plumed Violet Aura within him. The furious punishment of thunder poured into his body, but the Plumed Violet Aura assimilated it, causing the violet energy to swell rapidly. Only when the Divine Lightning dissipated from the world did the growth of the aura finally cease.

Cold Iceflame was stunned. The first bolt of Divine Lightning was done, yet instead of being reduced to dust, his body was now even more brimming with energy.

So be it. In an instant, he understood what had transpired within him, and a boundless confidence shone in his eyes. “Way of Heaven, in the end, your calculations are destined to fail.”

Once more, the tribulation clouds above churned, as though preparing for the next bolt...

The second...

The third...

The fourth...

And so on.

Repeating the process, over the course of nearly a day, eight bolts of the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation had already struck. One final bolt remained—if he withstood it, Iceflame would triumph.

Yet now, he could only smile wryly. The Divine Lightning of the Nine Heavens was truly extraordinary, the energy it contained far beyond anything he had known. Inspecting his own condition, he found both body and soul unharmed, yet a grave problem had arisen.

The energy of the tribulation lightning was simply too immense. Though he had compressed and refined it into Plumed Violet Aura, he discovered that the aura within him had reached saturation. If he absorbed any more, he could not say whether he would simply explode.

It seemed his method for handling the first eight bolts would bring trouble with the ninth.