The earth groaned with a deep, ominous rumble as tremors coursed through the Sacred Ground. Even the massive crater, painstakingly carved into the blackened soil, began to heal before their eyes.
Chen Xun and Brother Ox exchanged grim looks. Though they held the line, the endless tide of corrupted beings refused to abate. Worse, the Deity Transformation Stage corrupted beings lingered in the shadows, biding their time.
âAttack!â
The corrupted beings commandersâ voices thundered across the battlefield. A fresh wave of corrupted beings surged forwardâhalf throwing themselves against Chen Xun and Brother Ox, while the other half sacrificed themselves to restore the land.
After an entire day and night of relentless combat, Chen Xunâs expression turned ice cold. With a sweeping strike of his Mountain Splitting Axes, he carved a zone of deathly silence around himself, the ground littered with lifeless remains. He exhaled slowly and spoke with an unsettling calm:
âBrother Ox.â
Brother Oxâs battle fervor blazed higher as he stood amidst the carnage. His gaze sharpened as he replied with a low, determined moo.
âGuard me. This ends now.â
âMoo?â Brother Oxâs voice wavered with surprise.
Chen Xunâs silver hair shimmered with arcs of crackling lightning as he sat cross-legged mid-air. âIâll draw on the Earthâs calamitiesâone final gamble. Trust me. I donât bet on losing hands.â
Brother Ox hesitated, but his loyalty never wavered. With a resolute snort, he nodded and leaped into action, summoning his black coffin to hover protectively above Chen Xun.
<hr>
Thunder rolled across the heavens, a deafening boom that shook the very air. The battlefield grew still as all eyes turned skyward.
Dark clouds swirled with unnatural speed, blotting out the dim light above. Electric currents crackled violently as a colossal storm brewed in the heavens, its wrath palpable. Lightning bolts danced across the sky, illuminating the stunned faces of the corrupted beings below.
âWhat⊠is that?â
âA divine tribulation?â
âHow can this be? Why would the heavens unleash their fury here?!â
The corrupted beings recoiled in fear. They knew well the impartiality of divine wrath. None were exempt from the judgment of the heavens.
Brother Oxâs eyes reflected the brilliant flashes of lightning as he stood guard over Chen Xun. His imposing figure radiated unshakable determination. âMoo!â he bellowed, his defiant roar echoing across the field.
Thousands of corrupted beings disintegrated instantly under the force of his shout. Their tainted blood rained down, painting the ground in streaks of black and red.
The storm above intensified. Black mountains loomed on the horizon as ten Deity Transformation corrupted beings charged forward, dragging their massive peaks with them. Together, they unleashed a devastating assault aimed squarely at Chen Xun and Brother Ox.
Brother Oxâs gaze turned steely. Without hesitation, he met their attacks head-on. The battlefield erupted in a symphony of chaosâblood and debris scattered like fallen leaves in a hurricane.
Three days passed.
With each passing moment, the heavensâ fury grew stronger. Rolling thunder echoed ceaselessly, and dazzling lightning bolts tore through the darkened sky. The corrupted forces faltered as the sheer weight of the tribulation bore down upon them.
A bolt of lightning struck the earth with deafening force, sending shockwaves rippling outward. The corrupted beings howled in anguish.
âThe heavens themselves oppose us!â
âRetreat! We canât fight this divine wrath!â
âWhy does this mortal yet live? Why does the heavensâ judgment favor him?â
The battlefield was awash with chaos as corrupted beings scrambled to escape the onslaught of divine punishment. Their leaders barked frantic orders, but fear had already taken hold.
Chen Xun opened his eyes, his expression calm yet unyielding. He turned to Brother Ox. âLet the heavens clear our path.â
Brother Oxâs jaw dropped, his mind racing. âMoo?!â
Chen Xun smirked, his confidence unshaken. âThe divine tribulation isnât just here for us. Itâs connected to the Three Thousand Great Worlds beyond. If we align ourselves with its fury, it will break through the barriers below.â
Brother Ox stared at him in disbelief. âMooâŠâ
âTrust me,â Chen Xun said, his tone reassuring despite the chaos. âWhen have I ever been wrong?â
<hr>
Deep within the crater, Xiao Chiâs flickering flame-like aura surged upward. His voice rang out with urgency: âChen Xun! Brother Ox! Thereâs a barrier below! A massive spatial wall!â
âHold the line,â Chen Xun commanded. âPrepare for impact.â
âMoo!â Brother Ox affirmed, his resolve solidifying as he caught the fainting Xiao Chi. âLeave it to me.â
The massive breaker vessel shuddered as it charged deeper into the earth. Five elemental pillars of light swirled around it, growing brighter with each passing second. The Five Elements Tree above radiated a celestial brilliance, its branches stretching high into the darkened sky.
The heavens roared.
A bolt of divine lightning descended, splitting the clouds as it tore through the battlefield. Its brilliance illuminated the entire crater, striking the ground with a force that shattered the earthâs surface.
Corrupted beings screamed as they were annihilated in an instant. Even the Deity Transformation beings quaked in terror, their hatred giving way to desperation.
âWhy does the heavens grant them hope?â one ancient corrupted being cried, its voice choked with despair. âWhy are we forsaken?â
The gray-blue sky rippled violently as beams of gray light fell from it, nourishing the corrupted earth below. Yet even this act of restoration faltered under the heavensâ relentless assault. The earth cracked, its foundations trembling as if awakening to a long-lost memory.
âSacrifice everything!â a corrupted being commander roared. âStop them at all costs!â
The corrupted forces hurled themselves into the fray with suicidal fervor, their bodies exploding into torrents of corrupted blood that seeped into the ground. Yet it was not enough.
Far above, the cultivators of the War Realm froze. Their eyes turned toward the distant battlefield, where the heavensâ fury raged unabated.
âWhat is happening there?â
âIs it⊠could it be our pioneers?â
The entire War Realm fell silent, the bloodied warriors and their shattered warships pausing as one. The once-mighty Celestial River grew still, its currents heavy with unspoken tension.
Even the heavens seemed to hold their breath, waiting for the answer that lay beyond the thunderclouds and the raging storm.