Within the grotto-heaven of Tianzhu Peak.
Over the course of two months, Mo Yan had finally ground down the curse on his soul with the help of the soul brand his disciple had brought back.
At the same time, the life spiritual energy that originally belonged to Mo Yan continuously fed back into him, nourishing his nearly withered body and causing a crack to appear in his peak Soul Formation Realm bottleneck.
“Killing multiple birds with one stone.”
Mo Yan did not hesitate. He immediately rushed out of the grotto-heaven and set up a protective array on Tianzhu Peak. Every single pore on his body exhaled and inhaled heaven-and-earth spiritual energy as he adjusted himself to his peak state to welcome the impending lightning tribulation.
“Hmm? The little brat is breaking through too?”
Mo Yan gave a sly grin and pinched a hand seal. A golden light enveloped Zhu Huai's secluded cultivation spot, and several runes spread out, sealing off that space.
“Ah, don't blame your master. You're in the prime of your cultivation. Enduring a few more lightning strikes will do wonders for your future progress.”
At the exact same time—give or take a few minutes.
Wang Xuanyi also knew he had triggered a lightning tribulation. Shrouding himself and stealing a brief moment of heavenly timing, he sealed Zhu Huai inside his pupil technique space.
He knew how terrifying his lightning tribulation would be, and he didn't dare risk Zhu Huai's life.
As for the old geezer, it was the perfect time for his cultivation. Taking a few more lightning strikes would only help him break through his realm.
Rumble!
A bolt of lightning struck down on cue, crashing into Tianzhu Peak's array and instantly shattering it. The lightning tribulation split evenly into two paths, striking both of them.
Mo Yan stood in the void, allowing the first lightning strike to baptize and temper his physical body.
Wang Xuanyi was no exception. Knowing this wasn't his own tribulation, he wasn't afraid at all. His internal organs roared as he met the lightning strike head-on.
Standing in the void with his hands behind his back, Mo Yan looked at the glowing Wang Xuanyi and laughed aloud. “Haha! Little brat, my lightning tribulation isn't easy to take, is it?”
“It's alright. Just a bit tingly.”
Wang Xuanyi crossed his arms and curled his lip, completely unbothered.
In truth, they had spotted each other long ago, but neither had spoken. They had both been waiting for the first lightning strike to fall to see who would buckle first.
“Oh? Still talking tough, are we? Just you wait. The lightning tribulation of a Void Return cultivator isn't something a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like you can withstand.” Mo Yan glared, his beard twitching, before adding, “If you can't hold on, remember to beg your granddaddy. Your granddaddy will step in to save you.”
“I was waiting for you to say that!”
The corners of both their mouths curled up, their inner thoughts surprisingly in perfect sync.
“You little geezer (old geezer), watch my (my) lightning blast you to death and teach you about the harshness of the cultivation world (society)!”
The next second!
Crack!
Three lightning strikes descended. The first two were minor, allowing them to use the lightning to baptize their bodies. But the third was like the roar of heaven itself, transforming into a ferocious lightning dragon that lunged downward.
“Holy crap! This lightning is trying to kill me!”
They cried out in unison.
This time, neither of them dared to take it head-on.
Mo Yan brought out an ancient bronze mirror. Pinching a hand seal, he pressed his index and middle fingers together to channel spiritual power into it. With a resonant chime, the ancient mirror hummed and projected a barrier to block the lethal lightning strike.
Rumble!
Unfortunately, the lightning tribulation was far too powerful. The barrier was nowhere near enough to withstand it and shattered instantly. The lightning struck Mo Yan, sending him plummeting from the sky.
Wang Xuanyi fared no better. He hurriedly pulled out a tortoise shell engraved with secret runes. Rumor had it that this was the protective shell of some innate demon beast from the deep sea, so incredibly hard that even a full-strength blow from a Soul Formation Realm cultivator could not shatter it.
Unfortunately, even though his defensive treasure was powerful, the lightning tribulation was stronger!
With a loud crash, Wang Xuanyi met the exact same fate as Mo Yan, crashing down onto Tianzhu Peak.
The master and disciple lay in two separate, massive craters, their bodies crackling with residual wisps of lightning. It took them a moment of being completely numb before they could stand up again.
Outside Tianzhu Peak.
Shen Shi and the others stared at the foolish master and disciple, utterly speechless.
Other masters and disciples helped each other, but these two actively sabotaged one another, each bearing lightning tribulations they shouldn't have had to face alone.
They were absolute geniuses.
“Pfft, hahaha!”
Su Qian and the Immortal Phoenix couldn't help but burst into laughter. These two were truly a pair of jokers. It was one thing to goof off normally, but they were still trying to sabotage each other even at a time like this.
In all of history, they might be the only master and disciple with such a relationship.
Even the habitually cold Xiao Hongye let out a soft smile.
Crack!
As everyone chatted and laughed, another lightning strike descended. It was far more terrifying than the previous ones, accompanied by the roars of dragons, and its width was comparable to a tree trunk that would take two people to hug.
“Are you kidding me? How the hell is a human supposed to survive that?!”
Wang Xuanyi cursed. Heaven and earth clearly didn't want him to live.
Beside him, Mo Yan was also stunned. Was the Void Return Realm lightning tribulation really this powerful?
He had witnessed Xiao Hongye and Su Qian undergo their Void Return Realm tribulations before, and they were nowhere near this intense. At most, the bolts were the width of a bowl, and they felt slightly tingly at worst.
How could it be like this, where the lightning was wider than a person!
“You little brat, have you done so many wicked things that even heaven and earth refuse to tolerate you?!” Mo Yan said through gritted teeth, his face twitching.
“No way! The worst thing I've ever done is dilute your wine with water! Other than that, I've always been a doer of good deeds!”
“Bullshit! If you were a doer of good deeds, would you cause such a massive commotion?!”
The two bickered in midair, yet they still pulled out magic treasures to defend against the strike, channeling vast spiritual power to protect themselves for fear of dying.
What kind of joke was this? A lightning bolt wider than a person!
It really would kill them!
“Dammit!”
Wang Xuanyi roared as he was swallowed by the lightning. Under the activation of his secret method, his internal organs shone with brilliant light. Baptized by the lightning, they transformed into Dao palaces, chanting supreme Dao scriptures.
The blooming golden lotus above his head exhaled and inhaled essence, blocking most of the lightning before devouring it, turning the energy into tiny lightning dragons that were drawn into its stamens.
Mo Yan had it even worse. After crushing a hand seal, his ancient mirror raised another barrier. He formed hand seals with both hands and chanted a mantra, causing Great Dao runes to manifest and envelop him.
Though he managed to block some of it, it wasn't enough to withstand it head-on.
Mo Yan unleashed his supreme spiritual power, gathering more worldly force to supply his body. He tore at the lightning with both hands, forcefully opening up a pocket space, which finally blocked the rest of the strike.
“Phew...”
Having done all this, Mo Yan was near exhaustion, but his strength had reached a new level, and his comprehension of the Great Dao of heaven and earth had deepened significantly.
“You little brat, what kind of disciple sabotages his own master?”
Mo Yan cursed, wishing he could walk over and kick him right now.
“What kind of master are you, making your disciple undergo your tribulation for you?!”
Wang Xuanyi was charred black all over, with only his eyes remaining bright. Even so, he still had to fire back at the old geezer who had sabotaged his own disciple.
“Just you wait—”
Crack!
Before he could finish his sentence, two more lightning strikes descended, slamming directly into them and driving them back into the ground once again.
Fortunately, these strikes weren't too powerful. They merely knocked them down and left them a bit more charred.
“Fine, fine, fine. I won't waste my breath on you for now. The tribulation is almost over. I'll settle the score with you once it's done!” Mo Yan waved his hand, lacking the energy to say anything more.
After several rounds, the thunderclouds that had spanned hundreds of li gradually shrank, and the raging lightning grew much weaker. If they guessed correctly, this would be the final strike.
Moreover, Mo Yan's Void Return Realm tribulation had already concluded. This final bolt belonged to Wang Xuanyi.
That meant they were about to face one last terrifying strike.
Rate on N.U.
