Chapter 23: Tribulation, Death, Simulation Ends

【Beneath your feet, the Body-Seizing Grand Formation slowly rises. With the aid of this grand formation, Ouyang Xiu’s body-seizing plan is now absolutely foolproof!】

【At this point, you know you cannot escape death, but before you die, you are unwilling to accept it.】

【Ouyang Xiu’s Nascent Soul leaves his body and charges straight for you.】

【You pay it no mind. Your cultivation of the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment climbs steadily, quickly reaching its peak!】

【Above you, tribulation clouds gather thickly, Heavenly Lightning rumbling!】

【“What?!!” Ouyang Xiu’s disembodied Nascent Soul hurriedly fled back into his body, raising his head to stare at the Heavenly Lightning above, his expression gloomy as water.】

【Elder Qing at the side also paled drastically, turning to leave.】

【“If you won’t let me live, then I won’t let you live well either!!!” Your lifespan burns madly, quickly breaking through to the Golden Core stage. Watching the two of them fleeing the tribulation lightning, you use the Blood Escape Art to instantly appear before them.】

【“Get lost!” Elder Qing offered up a flying sword, charging straight for you.】

【You slap down with one palm, directly knocking the flying sword away. A Golden Core cultivator’s furious strike, casually dissolved by you.】

【You pay Ouyang Xiu at your side no mind, using a palm technique that descends from the heavens to bombard Elder Qing wildly!】

【Elder Qing was originally a grandmaster of formations, and normally never fought. Facing your full-force assault, he simply could not withstand it, and hurriedly begged Ouyang Xiu for help.】

【“Sect Master, save me!”】

【“Trash!” Ouyang Xiu slapped a palm toward you, blocked by your Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifact, the Azure Radiance Shield.】

【Just as Ouyang Xiu intended to strike again, he discovered the Heavenly Lightning was about to form, and hurriedly circulated his movement technique to retreat, afraid of being dragged into your tribulation lightning.】

【As for Elder Qing, who you were focusing your assault on, he did not even spare him a glance.】

【You let Ouyang Xiu leave, because you knew that with your current cultivation, you likely could not kill a Nascent Soul cultivator. You could only pour all your strength into attacking Elder Qing, who was only at the Golden Core stage!】

【Even in death, you had to drag someone down with you!】

【BOOM————】

【The first bolt of Heavenly Lightning suddenly fell, striking directly onto the two of you. And because Elder Qing was at the Golden Core stage, the power of the tribulation lightning was stronger than an ordinary Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation!】

【The two of you were blasted straight to the ground by the Heavenly Lightning, no longer able to fly through the air.】

【Relying on the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art and the Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifact, the Azure Radiance Shield, you could still barely endure. But Elder Qing across from you was not so lucky.】

【First bombarded repeatedly by your heaven-descending palm technique, now struck by Heavenly Lightning, he had no body refinement and was directly blasted into severe injury!】

【Elder Qing spat out a mouthful of blood, then without a shred of hesitation turned and fled, still shouting threats as he ran. “You think you can kill me? Just wait to be struck dead by the tribulation lightning!”】

【Watching Elder Qing flee, you chased after him without hesitation. As for overcoming the tribulation? You never intended to survive it at all!】

【BOOM————】

【The second bolt of Heavenly Lightning fell once more, blasting you and Elder Qing down from the sky again.】

【Elder Qing stuffed handfuls of pills into his mouth, then once again rode his flying sword to flee, with you close behind.】

【Elder Qing glanced back, and could not help but erupt into a storm of profanity. “Damn it, don’t come over here!!!”】

【BOOM————】

【The third bolt of Heavenly Lightning fell. Even though you possessed the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art, your body was not faring well. Let alone Elder Qing, who was already gravely injured.】

【Elder Qing crawled up from the ground, coughing blood as he fled.】

【The two of you soon arrived at the entrance to the Trial Battlefield, where many cultivators of the Five Great Sects were gathered. When they saw you leading the Heavenly Lightning over, every one of them hurriedly rode their flying swords to flee!】

【Facing heavenly tribulation, no one dared to confront it!】

【“Get lost! Hurry up and get lost!”】

【“Don’t come over here, don’t chase me!”】

【Elder Qing fled toward the crowded areas, with you close behind, and the Heavenly Lightning was drawn along as well.】

【Facing Elder Qing, who had brought the heavenly tribulation upon them, the pursued cultivators of the Five Great Sects attacked, forcing Elder Qing to stop.】

【But to survive, how could Elder Qing possibly stop?】

【He could only flee desperately toward the crowds, hoping to draw the tribulation lightning away and trade for his own life!】

【BOOM!】

【The fourth bolt of Heavenly Lightning fell. This time, the cultivators undergoing tribulation had increased, and the Heavenly Lightning grew even stronger! But the dispersed power of the Heavenly Lightning was also greater.】

【You could only circulate the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art while chasing Elder Qing, absorbing the Heavenly Lightning to recover from your injuries.】

【BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!】

【Perhaps because too many cultivators were undergoing tribulation, this time the Heavenly Lightning actually fell five times in succession!】

【Every cultivator within the range of the tribulation lightning was completely numb! Numb in the literal, physical sense.】

【Cultivators below the Golden Core stage were directly struck dead by the five bolts of Heavenly Lightning!】

【Even Golden Core cultivators were blasted into severe injury!】

【Elder Qing lay on the ground, his life or death unknown. Even you could not withstand the current five bolts of Heavenly Lightning, lying prone on the ground unable to move, able only to continuously circulate the Body-Refining Art, absorbing the Heavenly Lightning.】

【The complete version of the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art could not only absorb Heavenly Lightning to strengthen the body, but also absorb the vitality within the Heavenly Lightning to repair damaged flesh.】

【Within destruction, there is also vitality!】

【Although Heavenly Lightning contained the power of destruction, within it there was still a thread of vitality, and the complete version of the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art could absorb that thread of vitality!】

【The end of the first wave of Heavenly Lightning gave you a brief moment to catch your breath.】

【Outside the range of the Heavenly Lightning, Ouyang Xiu stood with both hands clenched, watching you undergo tribulation with a gloomy expression.】

【Through your constant absorption of Heavenly Lightning to cultivate, your Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art, which had already been on the verge of a breakthrough, finally advanced to the second layer. Your physical body was now comparable to a Golden Core cultivator!】

【Having recovered somewhat from your injuries, you slowly walked toward Elder Qing.】

【Arriving at Elder Qing’s side, you looked at his motionless form, then thrust out a spirit sword, directly piercing his heart!】

【“Phew, looks like he’s already dead.” You let out a breath of relief. Having dragged this Elder down with you before death, you had no regrets.】

【With a casual grab, Elder Qing’s storage bag came into your hand. You placed all your worldly possessions into the system space, and quietly waited for death.】

【Standing suspended in the air, you glanced at Ouyang Xiu in the distance, raised both hands to flip him off, and laughed heartily.】

【Ouyang Xiu looked at you darkly. Although he did not know what the middle finger meant, some instinct told him it was not a good omen.】

【BOOM—————】

【The second wave of Heavenly Lightning arrived, one bolt after another striking down at you. Your body, which had just recovered somewhat, was once again gravely wounded.】

【With so many cultivators involved, the power of your Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was now comparable to the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation a Golden Core cultivator would face when breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage!】

【You were struck by the Heavenly Lightning. You died.】

【Simulation ended.】