Chapter 287 Emperor Tian undergoes tribulation, Bai Xuanzi makes a move
In the dark world, in the squares of major cities, Soul Masters looked at the sky, and the discussions gradually subsided as everyone's eyes focused on the scene about to be played.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
In the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, Di Tian stood in the center of an open space, surrounded by golden array patterns. He closed his eyes, and his soul power began to surge wildly.
The aura was too strong. The ground trembled slightly, the golden patterns on the ancient tree lit up, and the array automatically activated, redirecting the pressure emanating from Di Tian to the ground to prevent damage to the surrounding area.
Gu Yuena stood on the outer edge, her hands clasped tightly together. Bi Ji, Xiong Jun, the Demon King, the Crimson King, and the others also held their breath, staring intently at the sky.
High in the sky, the clouds began to churn violently.
Those were no ordinary dark clouds, but rather blackish-purple thunderclouds, carrying a suffocating aura of divine power.
Thunderclouds gathered from all directions, and in just a few breaths, they covered the entire sky, blocking out the sunlight.
The Star Dou Great Forest was plunged into darkness, with only the golden light emanating from the array still flickering.
[Boom!]
A low rumble of thunder came from the clouds, as if something was brewing deep within them.
Di Tian opened his eyes, looked up at the sky, and showed no fear in his golden vertical pupils.
He must get through this hurdle today.
[The Realm of Gods, the Temple of Thunder God.]
Thor sat in the center of the temple, surrounded by purple lightning.
His eyes snapped open, his gaze piercing the barrier of the divine realm, landing on the Starry Sky Forest of the lower world.
He sensed that aura—the aura of a million-year-old soul beast, triggering a tribulation lightning.
"A million-year tribulation of lightning," the Thunder God said softly, his tone calm and devoid of any emotion.
As a deity who wields lightning, he has witnessed countless tribulations, but those lasting a million years are truly rare.
He stood up, his right hand clenching in the air, and a purple lightning hammer appeared in his hand. He raised the hammer and gently swung it towards the lower realm.
A thick bolt of purple lightning struck down from the divine realm, piercing through the clouds and heading straight for the Emperor's Heaven.
A bolt of purple lightning suddenly struck down from the thunderclouds above the Star Dou Great Forest. The lightning was as thick as a bucket, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow, and carrying an aura of world-destroying force, it hurtled towards Di Tian's head.
[Di Tian did not dodge. He pushed his hands upwards, and golden dragon power condensed into a barrier in front of him, forcefully blocking the first lightning tribulation.]
[boom--!]
A massive explosion resounded in the center of the open space, golden light and purple lightning intertwined, and the shockwave spread outwards. Gu Yuena instinctively took a few steps back, while Bi Ji shielded her eyes with her hand.
Bai Xuanzi stood motionless, his robes billowing in the air, yet his body remained as steady as a mountain.
As the smoke and dust cleared, Di Tian remained standing in the same spot.
His hands trembled slightly, and fine cracks appeared on the scales of his palms, from which blood seeped and dripped to the ground. But he did not fall, nor did he even take a step back.
"The first one," Di Tian said in a low voice.
The thunderclouds in the sky gave him no chance to catch his breath. A second bolt of lightning followed closely behind, thicker, faster, and more powerful than the first.
[Di Tian withstood the attack once more. This time, his body swayed, his feet sank into the mud, and his knees bent slightly. A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth, and several more scales on his body shattered.]
[The third, the fourth, the fifth...]
Each strike was stronger and more ferocious than the last. Di Tian's body was covered in wounds, most of his scales were shattered, and blood stained half of his body. His breathing became rapid, and his arms trembled slightly, but he still did not fall.
Gu Yuena watched all this, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white.
[Beauty's eyes reddened, Xiong Jun gritted his teeth, the Demon King's hand stroking his beard froze in mid-air, and the Crimson King's breathing grew heavier.]
When the sixth bolt of lightning struck, Di Tian finally couldn't hold on any longer.
He was struck by lightning, his body flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His body was covered in charred marks, with several places where the flesh was torn and bleeding profusely.
"Di Tian!" Gu Yuena couldn't help but shout, wanting to rush over, but was held back by Bi Ji.
"Don't go," Brigitte said. "The tribulation isn't over yet; your going will only make it more powerful."
Gu Yuena gritted her teeth, her eyes red-rimmed, but she didn't take another step. She turned her head and looked at Bai Xuanzi.
Bai Xuanzi stood there, hands behind his back, looking at Di Tian lying on the ground, neither speaking nor moving.
In the plaza of the Dark World, the Soul Masters witnessed this scene, and their discussions erupted once again.
"Isn't Bai Xuanzi going to make a move?" a Soul Master said anxiously. "Di Tian is almost at his limit! He's already like this after the sixth path, how many more paths are there? In his current state, he simply can't hold on."
"That's right." Someone next to him chimed in, "Bai Xuanzi hasn't even used the formation he set up yet. What is he waiting for? If he doesn't make a move soon, Di Tian will be struck dead."
"He's definitely waiting for the right moment," another Soul Master analyzed. "Bai Xuanzi is prudent in his actions; he knows when to make his move. Making a move now might not be the best time."
"What timing?" someone retorted. "The man is about to die, why wait for the right moment? If you ask me, Bai Xuanzi should make his move now."
"Alright, alright, stop arguing," said an older Soul Master. "Let's look at the sky. Bai Xuanzi should be making his move soon."
[On the outskirts of the clearing in the Star Dou Great Forest, Gu Yuena couldn't hold back any longer.]
She looked at Di Tian lying on the ground, then at Bai Xuanzi, her voice trembling slightly: "Xuanzi, aren't you going to make a move? Di Tian, he..."
Bai Xuanzi raised his hand, interrupting her.
"No rush," Bai Xuanzi said, his gaze still fixed on the thunderclouds in the sky. "The tribulation has only just begun. It hasn't reached its limit yet."
Gu Yuena opened her mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent. She trusted Bai Xuanzi; she could only trust Bai Xuanzi.
The seventh bolt of lightning struck. This time, the thunderclouds churned even more violently, and the purple lightning lingered within the clouds for a longer period, clearly gathering even greater power.
Di Tian scrambled to his feet, gritted his teeth, and once again erected the dragon power barrier. His body trembled violently, but his eyes remained resolute.
[boom--!]
The lightning struck, shattering Di Tian's dragon power barrier the instant it made contact. The lightning slammed into him, sending him flying once more.
He crashed heavily into an ancient tree. The golden patterns on the trunk lit up, absorbing some of the impact, but Di Tian still spat out a mouthful of blood, and almost all of his scales shattered.
He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, unable to get up for a moment.
"Xuanzi!" Gu Yuena's voice was already trembling with tears.
Bai Xuanzi finally moved.
He raised his right hand, golden light emanating from his fingertips, and gently touched the core of the array on the ground.
[Buzz—!]
The formation activated instantly.
(End of chapter)