Chapter 288 Successfully Surviving the Tribulation! Di Tian Becomes a God?
In the dark world, in the squares of major cities, Soul Masters looked at the sky, and discussions arose once again.
"Has Bai Xuanzi finally made a move?" A Soul Master stared at the screen, his voice filled with anxiety. "If he doesn't act soon, Di Tian will die. Look at Di Tian's condition; all the scales on his body are shattered, and he can't even get up from the ground."
"Yes," someone nearby chimed in. "The seventh lightning tribulation already damaged him like that, and there are still two more to come. There are a total of nine lightning tribulations in a million-year cycle, each one stronger than the last. In Di Tian's current state, he definitely won't be able to withstand the eighth one."
"However, the power of this tribulation lightning is truly immense," another Soul Master remarked. "Di Tian is a Beast God who has lived for nearly a million years, and his physical body is incredibly strong. Yet, he was nearly killed after being struck by seven lightning bolts. If it were anyone else, they would have been reduced to ashes by the first one."
"Let's see if Bai Xuanzi's formation can hold out," said an older Soul Master. "He spent a whole day setting it up; those golden patterns and ancient tree nodes shouldn't be just for show."
"Alright, that's enough. Let's look at the sky."
All eyes were once again focused on the sky.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
[Bai Xuanzi's fingertips glowed with golden light as he touched the core of the array on the ground.]
[Buzz—]
The formation has been activated.
The golden patterns on the ground suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, which rapidly spread along the patterns to every ancient tree nearby. The golden veins on the tree trunks also lit up, and every branch, from the roots to the crown, glowed.
The entire open space transformed into a golden sea.
The eighth bolt of lightning struck down from the thunderclouds. This bolt was thicker and more powerful than any of the previous ones. The purple lightning, carrying an aura of annihilation, hurtled towards Di Tian's head.
But this time, the lightning did not strike Di Tian.
A golden pillar of light rose from the core of the formation, directly meeting the purple lightning. The pillar of light and the lightning collided in mid-air, producing a deafening roar. The purple lightning exploded on the golden pillar of light, but could not penetrate the golden barrier.
The pillar of light remained as steady as a mountain, completely still. The power of the lightning was absorbed and dispersed by the pillar, flowing along the golden veins on the ground to the surrounding ancient trees. The golden veins on the ancient trees flashed briefly before returning to normal.
The eighth bolt of lightning was completely blocked by the formation.
[Di Tian lay on the ground, panting heavily, looking at the golden pillar of light above him. A hint of relief at surviving a calamity flashed in his golden vertical pupils.]
But that's not all.
[Another layer of patterns within the formation lit up. It was a vibrant green light, emanating from the patterns on the ground, flowing like water along the ground beneath Di Tian and seeping into his body.]
The emerald light carried a rich life force. Di Tian felt a warm power surge into his body; his broken bones began to heal, his torn muscles began to regrow, and his shattered scales sprouted anew from his wounds.
His breathing became steady, and his trembling stopped. Nourished by the emerald light, the charred wounds healed little by little, and the new skin that grew back was even stronger than before.
In less than ten breaths, Di Tian's injuries had mostly healed. He got up from the ground, stretched his arms, and the new scales on his body shimmered with a golden luster in the sunlight.
"Alright," Bai Xuanzi's voice came from ahead.
He withdrew his hand, and the golden pillar of light from the array slowly dissipated. The emerald green light on the ground also gradually faded, leaving only the intricate golden patterns still faintly glowing.
"Continue," Bai Xuanzi said. "You'll have to bear the remaining lightning tribulation yourself."
Di Tian nodded, looked up at the thunderclouds in the sky, and took a deep breath.
The ninth bolt of lightning struck.
[Di Tian neither dodged nor used his dragon power barrier. He simply reached out and grabbed the lightning bolt. The purple lightning exploded in his hand, emitting a piercing bang, but his palm remained completely still. The newly grown scales blocked the lightning's corrosive force, without shattering or even cracking.]
His physical body was stronger than before his tribulation. The tempering of the first seven lightning tribulations, coupled with the restoration of the formation, allowed his body to undergo a transformation through destruction and reconstruction.
The lightning gradually dissipated in his hand. Di Tian released his grip and looked up at the sky.
The thunderclouds began to dissipate. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the core area of the Starry Sky Forest.
[Di Tian stood rooted to the spot, covered in blood, but the remaining emerald light was slowly cleaning it away. His scales had regrowed, harder and shinier than before. His aura was more composed and profound than before his tribulation.]
In the plaza of the Dark World, the Soul Masters witnessed this scene, and their discussions erupted once again.
"You can do it like that?" A Soul Master's eyes widened. "Bai Xuanzi used an array to block the lightning tribulation, and then used another array to heal Di Tian's injuries. The lightning tribulation didn't kill Di Tian; instead, it helped temper his physical body. After he recovered, he was allowed to continue enduring the tribulation. This method is indeed ingenious."
"Yes," someone nearby chimed in. "In this way, Di Tian survived the tribulation on his own, absorbing all the tempering effects of the lightning. But whenever he was about to be struck dead, Bai Xuanzi would step in to save him. He saved his life without taking the brunt of the disaster for him."
"Isn't this what Bai Xuanzi said before?" another Soul Master said. "He blocked the most dangerous blow for Di Tian, and let Di Tian handle the rest himself. This way, Di Tian won't really die, and the tempering effect of the lightning tribulation will be maximized."
"And have you noticed?" an older Soul Master analyzed, "Di Tian withstood the first seven lightning tribulations on his own, and his physical body was already tempered. The eighth tribulation was blocked by the formation and didn't strike him. But after being struck by the seventh tribulation, he was already severely injured. Without the formation's healing, he wouldn't have been able to withstand the ninth. Bai Xuanzi used the time it took for the eighth tribulation to heal him, and then let him withstand the ninth tribulation on his own. This way, he could benefit from the tempering of the first seven and the ninth tribulations, and he wouldn't be killed by the eighth one."
"To put it simply, we're blocking the most dangerous part for him, using that time to heal, and letting him handle the rest himself. This way, it's safe and we don't waste the tempering effect of the lightning tribulation," someone nearby summarized.
"That's definitely a good idea." Someone nodded. "Bai Xuanzi is a very thoughtful person. He didn't just protect Di Tian; he planned every step carefully."
"Alright, stop analyzing. The Sky Screen is still playing."
All eyes were once again focused on the sky.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
The tribulation is not over yet.
[Di Tian thought the ninth thundercloud was the last, but after it dispersed, it gathered again. The dark purple clouds in the sky churned more violently than before, and the thunder was more muffled.]
"A million-year tribulation of lightning, more than nine strikes," Bai Xuanzi's voice came from ahead, calm in tone. "Continue."
Di Tian's expression changed slightly, but he remained silent. He clenched his fists and looked up at the sky.
The tenth bolt of lightning struck.
[Di Tian withstood the attack. His body swayed, but he quickly regained his balance. The newly grown scales blocked the lightning's corrosive force, with only a few pieces breaking off.]
[The eleventh, the twelfth, the thirteenth...]
Lightning bolts struck one after another, each stronger than the last. Wounds began to appear on Di Tian's body again; his scales shattered, and blood flowed once more. But his gaze remained resolute, and he did not retreat a single step.
By the fifteenth step, Di Tian's stamina had reached its limit once again. He knelt on one knee, panting heavily, his body riddled with countless wounds. His arms and legs trembled, but he did not collapse.
"Xuanzi!" Gu Yuena's voice rang out once again.
Bai Xuanzi raised his hand, golden light emanating from his fingertips, and gently touched the core of the formation.
The formation activated again. A golden pillar of light rose, blocking the sixteenth bolt of lightning. Emerald light surged from the ground, seeping into Di Tian's body and healing his injuries.
After a few breaths, Di Tian stood up. His injuries had healed, and the scales on his body had grown back.
"Continue," Bai Xuanzi said.
Di Tian nodded and continued to withstand the upcoming lightning strikes.
The seventeenth, the eighteenth, the nineteenth...
Each time Di Tian was exhausted, Bai Xuanzi would activate an array to block one strike for him, and then use a recovery array to heal him. After healing, Di Tian would continue to withstand the following lightning.
The power of the lightning tribulation was constantly increasing, but Di Tian's physical body was also continuously growing stronger. Each time he underwent the baptism of the lightning tribulation, and each time he was restored by the formation, his body became harder and his strength greater than before.
Gu Yuena stood on the outer edge, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her knuckles already white. Bi Ji's eyes reddened again and again, Xiong Jun's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, the Demon King's hand, which had been stroking his beard, never relaxed, and the Crimson King's breathing remained rapid.
But they didn't shout anymore. They knew Bai Xuanzi was in control.
When the twenty-fifth bolt of lightning struck, Di Tian was no longer as disheveled as before. He stood still, his hands raised upwards, and the dragon power barrier steadily blocked the lightning. The barrier did not shatter, and his body did not retreat.
"Almost there," Bai Xuanzi said. "Only three more steps remain."
Di Tian remained silent and continued to endure the attack.
The twenty-sixth barrier was blocked. The twenty-seventh barrier was also blocked.
As the twenty-eighth bolt of lightning struck, Di Tian finally showed a hint of exhaustion. His body swayed, his knees bent slightly, but he did not fall. Cracks appeared in the dragon power barrier, but it did not shatter.
The thunderclouds began to dissipate. This time, they truly dissipated.
The dark purple clouds receded from the center outwards, and sunlight once again bathed the entire Starry Sky Forest. The sky returned to its azure blue, and the wind rustled through the canopies of the ancient trees.
Di Tian stood rooted to the spot, covered in blood, but it was old blood; new wounds were few and far between. His scales had almost completely regrowed, each gleaming with a golden luster, many times harder than before his tribulation. The aura emanating from his body was significantly stronger than before his tribulation.
[The million-year tribulation of lightning has been completely overcome.]
Di Tian raised his head, looked at the sky, and let out a long breath.
His body trembled slightly, but it wasn't from fear or exhaustion; rather, it was from the relief of surviving a near-death experience.
Gu Yuena rushed over and hugged Di Tian tightly, tears streaming down her face. She didn't say anything, just held him and buried her face in his chest.
Di Tian reached out and gently patted her back, his voice low: "It's alright."
[Bi Ji walked over, her eyes red-rimmed, but a smile playing on her lips: "Di Tian, congratulations."]
Xiong Jun said in a deep, muffled voice, "Di Tian, you're incredibly lucky to be alive."
The Demon King stroked his beard, his voice hoarse: "It wasn't luck; it was Xuanzi's intervention. Without Xuanzi, you would have been killed long ago."
The Crimson King nodded, but said nothing.
[Di Tian released Gu Yuena, walked to Bai Xuanzi, and bowed deeply. His voice was low but firm: "Xuanzi, I will never forget your life-saving grace."]
Bai Xuanzi waved his hand, his tone indifferent: "No need to thank me. I said, it's good that you're alive."
He turned around and looked at the distant sky. Sunlight fell on him, and his white robe swayed gently in the breeze.
"You've survived the tribulation. Your cultivation is stable now," Bai Xuanzi said. "Rest well afterward, don't rush into action."
"Okay." Di Tian nodded.
Bai Xuanzi said nothing more, turned around, and walked towards the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. His steps were slow, but each one was steady.
Gu Yuena watched his retreating figure and whispered, "Xuanzi, thank you so much."
Bai Xuanzi didn't turn around; he simply raised his hand and waved it casually.
His figure disappeared into the depths of the forest.
Di Tian stood there, watching the direction Bai Xuanzi had left in, a complex emotion flashing in his golden vertical pupils. He didn't speak, but simply took a deep breath.
Biji stepped forward and said softly, "Di Tian, let's go back. Your injuries haven't fully healed; you need to rest."
"Hmm." Di Tian nodded, turned around, and walked deeper into the core area.
Gu Yuena, Bi Ji, Xiong Jun, Wan Yao Wang, and Chi Wang followed behind him, and the group disappeared into the shadow of the ancient tree.
The core area of the Star Dou Great Forest has returned to tranquility. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The golden array patterns still shimmer, but the light is gradually fading. The golden veins on the ancient trees also slowly dim, eventually disappearing completely.
Only the intricate patterns left on the ground prove that something once happened here.
[The aura emanating from Di Tian had reached an unprecedented peak. It was the true manifestation of a million years of cultivation, a sublimation of life after surviving the Heavenly Tribulation.]
He has lived for nearly a million years; from this day forward, he will enter a new realm.
(End of chapter)