Chapter 391

“The aura of a heavenly tribulation... Is someone undergoing a tribulation?”

The two brothers were taken aback, their expressions filled with surprise.

Moments ago, they had been speculating about the existence of a strong cultivator in this world. Now, the unmistakable aura of a heavenly tribulation appeared right before them.

“Judging by the intensity of this tribulation, it should be the Golden Core Tribulation.

It seems there’s a cultivator over there attempting to form a Golden Core,” the gray-robed man remarked with certainty after a brief assessment.

“A Golden Core Tribulation? This suggests the person undergoing the tribulation possesses remarkable cultivation talent. This small world only recently began its revival, and yet someone is already attempting to achieve the Golden Core Realm.”

The gray-robed man’s observation made things clear.

“Every world has its share of extraordinary talents. Even a small world is no exception. This person undergoing the tribulation could be the chosen one of this world.

Of course, it’s also possible they’re an old relic who has been accumulating power for years, waiting for the world’s revival,” the white-robed youth speculated aloud.

“Senior brother... Shall we go take a look?” the white-robed youth asked, glancing at the gray-robed man.

“Why not? We might glean some valuable information about this small world,” the gray-robed man agreed with a nod.

“If they truly are a talented individual, perhaps we can capture them and make them a servant. Alternatively, selling them to another sect could fetch a handsome price,” the white-robed youth added with a sly grin.

The gray-robed man said nothing further. With a wave of his hand, his spiritual power activated, and their Void Flying Boat turned into a streak of light, speeding towards the source of the heavenly tribulation’s aura.

...

At Sacred Mountain, the Second and Third Holy Lords looked on with grave concern.

“That’s already the fifth bolt of tribulation lightning. The tribulation cloud hasn’t dissipated yet. Could there be a sixth bolt?” the Second Holy Lord asked, his face full of worry.

“It’s certain!”

The Third Holy Lord observed the gathering lightning within the tribulation cloud. His expression was equally grim.

“But eldest brother is already at his limit,” the Second Holy Lord muttered, his gaze shifting to the figure beneath the tribulation cloud.

The First Holy Lord was charred black, his prized robe—crafted from precious materials—reduced to tattered rags. His aura was faint, and his appearance was miserable. ȑ₳ɴꝊꞖЕS̩

“At this stage, there’s nothing we can do except place our faith in our elder brother. Besides, look at him—he doesn’t seem to have given up yet,” the Third Holy Lord said resolutely.

Under the tribulation cloud, the First Holy Lord, who was the subject of their worries, had a sharp, determined gaze.

As he stared at the lightning once again gathering above, there was no trace of fear in his eyes—only joy.

The greater the number of bolts in a tribulation, the deeper his accumulation of power.

If he could overcome this tribulation, a clear and smooth path in cultivation awaited him!

“Come, then! Let’s see just how great my potential truly is!”

The First Holy Lord’s body absorbed the surrounding life force as he steadfastly faced the flashing lightning in the tribulation cloud.

A loud

boom

echoed through the air.

It was as if the tribulation cloud had heard the First Holy Lord’s challenge. The gathered lightning suddenly struck down with a force far surpassing the previous bolts.

This sixth bolt of tribulation lightning was far thicker than any before it. Its terrifying energy even caused the Second and Third Holy Lords to feel suffocated.

“Well met!”

The First Holy Lord’s eyes shone brighter as he faced the incoming lightning. He formed hand seals, and a massive earthen dragon burst forth from the ground to intercept the bolt.

This earthen dragon was far larger than those he had summoned before.

Its details were now vivid, with clear scales and eyes that seemed almost lifelike.

Clearly, the First Holy Lord had undergone a transformation after enduring the previous five bolts. His mastery over his techniques had reached new heights.

However, despite its increased power, the earthen dragon disintegrated upon contact with the sixth bolt.

The lightning’s energy continued its path of destruction toward the First Holy Lord.

Just as it seemed the First Holy Lord would be reduced to ashes, a thick, earthen-yellow barrier emerged from within him, enveloping his entire body.

A thunderous explosion followed.

The tribulation lightning struck the barrier squarely, sending countless arcs of lightning scattering across the area. The destructive force devastated the surrounding terrain, leaving a wasteland of charred earth and deep craters.

“Eldest brother!”

The Second and Third Holy Lords cried out, their faces full of dread.

The blinding lightning and oppressive aura of destruction made it impossible to extend their divine senses to check the situation.

After more than ten breaths, the lightning dissipated, revealing the scorched ground beneath.

Amid the devastation, the brothers’ eyes were fixed on a figure at the center of the destruction.

“Eldest brother!”

They saw the First Holy Lord lying motionless, his body resembling burnt charcoal. His aura was faint—nearly imperceptible.

A wave of panic gripped the two brothers.

Had their eldest brother failed to overcome the tribulation?

Despite their fear, they dared not approach, lest they disturb the ongoing tribulation.

Thankfully, after a few more moments, the charred figure stirred. His aura began to recover, and with a sudden movement, he sat up.

“Eldest brother, are you all right?”

The Second and Third Holy Lords’ faces lit up with relief and joy.

“I’m not dead yet,” the First Holy Lord replied faintly.

In his hand was an earthen-yellow orb, now shattered into several pieces.

“To think even a high-grade defensive artifact couldn’t withstand the power of the tribulation,” he murmured, his eyes filled with regret.

This Earth Spirit Pearl was his most powerful defensive treasure, perfectly suited to his cultivation.

But even this artifact had been destroyed by the tribulation.

Reflecting on the terrifying power of the sixth bolt, the First Holy Lord felt a chill.

Though he had prepared extensively, he had underestimated the Golden Core Tribulation’s might.

If not for this artifact, nurtured for hundreds of years, he would have perished under the tribulation’s wrath.

Now, with the pearl destroyed, his strongest card was gone.

If the tribulation wasn’t yet over, his chances of survival would be slim.

The First Holy Lord kept his gaze fixed on the tribulation cloud above. If lightning gathered once more, he would have no choice but to use his final, desperate method—even if it meant abandoning his physical body, he had to preserve his life.

The Second and Third Holy Lords also stared intently at the tribulation cloud.

The sixth bolt had already destroyed their eldest brother's Earth Spirit Pearl. If there were a seventh bolt, they feared their brother might not survive it.

Fortunately, under their watchful eyes, the lightning within the tribulation cloud flickered for a while before finally dispersing.

“The tribulation cloud is dispersing?”

The three of them were momentarily stunned before joy lit up their faces.

“Eldest brother has succeeded in overcoming the tribulation?”

“The tribulation cloud is gone, and no more lightning has struck. This means the tribulation is over! Next, our eldest brother will condense his Golden Core!” the Third Holy Lord exclaimed with certainty.

Just as he said, as the tribulation cloud dispersed, a ray of light imbued with heavenly rules descended from the sky, enveloping the First Holy Lord.

A surge of life force sprang forth, nourishing and repairing his battered body.

At the same time, insights filled the First Holy Lord’s mind.

With a flash of inspiration, he immediately sat cross-legged, circulating his spiritual energy. Following the insights within him, he began to merge the heavenly rule of “immortality” contained in the light with his own spiritual energy.

As his cultivation technique operated, a perfect, harmonious, and dignified aura began to radiate from the First Holy Lord.

The scorched marks on his body gradually turned to dead skin and peeled away, revealing skin as smooth and flawless as white jade underneath.

Finally, as he opened his eyes, the first sight that greeted him was the expectant gazes of his two sworn brothers.

“Eldest brother, did you succeed in your breakthrough?”

Seeing him awaken, the Second Holy Lord immediately asked.

“Yes, I have finally condensed my Golden Core and transformed my spiritual energy into true power,” the First Holy Lord replied with a smile and a nod.

“Congratulations, eldest brother, for overcoming the tribulation and stepping into the Golden Core Realm!”

The Second Holy Lord was overjoyed and immediately offered his congratulations.

“That Golden Core Tribulation was truly terrifying. Even with your vast accumulation, eldest brother, you nearly failed to overcome it,” the Third Holy Lord remarked, still shaken.

“Indeed,” the First Holy Lord said with a sigh. “I had thought that with a thousand years of cultivation, the tribulation would not be too difficult. But it turns out I was too overconfident.

No wonder ancient records state that even during the Immortal Era, only one or two out of ten Foundation Establishment cultivators could succeed in forming a Golden Core.”

Before the tribulation, the First Holy Lord had been full of confidence. Now, having succeeded, he couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear.

The path of cultivation was truly one of defying the heavens, fraught with danger at every step.

Had it not been for the Earth Spirit Pearl, a fortuitous artifact he had discovered during his travels in his youth, he would have fallen under the tribulation.

Thankfully, though the process had been perilous, the result was favorable.

He had ultimately overcome the tribulation and achieved the Golden Core Realm.

As he felt the harmonious and perfect energy of the Golden Core within him, a surge of boldness welled up in his heart.

“Eldest brother, you might be the first cultivator in the world to step into the Golden Core Realm. Even the elders of the Four Great Secret Realms are now behind you!” the Third Holy Lord said enthusiastically.

“Indeed! The Four Great Secret Realms have always looked down on Sacred Mountain, relying on their ancient heritages. But now, with you being the first to achieve the Golden Core Realm, let’s see what they have to say!” the Second Holy Lord chimed in.

“Such words are unwise,” the First Holy Lord cautioned, shaking his head. “Cultivation is not about competing for fleeting superiority.

Though I have taken the lead, the elders of the Four Great Secret Realms possess even deeper accumulations.

They remain secluded, mending the flaws in their foundations. Once perfected, they will face their tribulations with far greater ease than I did.”

“Even so, eldest brother, the fact remains that you are the first to reach the Golden Core Realm in this world. No matter how deep their foundations, they still lag behind you,” the Second Holy Lord asserted.

Before the First Holy Lord could respond, a faint voice suddenly drifted down from the sky:

“Oh? Is this small world’s only newly advanced Golden Core cultivator you?”

“Who’s there?!”

“Who dares?”

The unexpected voice startled the three Holy Lords.

They immediately looked skyward, only to see two figures standing effortlessly in the air.

One was dressed in a white robe, the other in gray, both adorned with intricate patterns that seemed both arcane and mysterious.

The sight shocked the three Holy Lords to their core.

How had these strangers approached unnoticed?

More alarming was that these individuals could hover in the air without the aid of any magical artifacts—a feat far beyond the capabilities of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The First Holy Lord was especially shaken.

Even after his recent breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, he couldn’t discern the depths of these figures.

To his spiritual senses, their auras were like bottomless abysses, impossible to gauge.

Yet an intense sense of danger told him that these two were unimaginably powerful.

In an instant, he understood: these sudden arrivals were formidable beyond imagination.

Though he didn’t know where they had come from, the First Holy Lord quickly adjusted his demeanor. His expression turned humble, and he offered a respectful greeting:

“Greetings, esteemed seniors.”

“Seniors?”

The Second and Third Holy Lords, seeing their elder brother’s deference, hesitated briefly before following suit.

Suppressing their own shock, they bowed deeply and said, “Greetings, esteemed seniors.”

However, their humility elicited no reaction from the gray-robed and white-robed strangers.

The white-robed youth cast a glance at the three Holy Lords. His gaze alone made them feel as if their very beings were laid bare.

After a brief examination, the youth’s face filled with disappointment.

“I thought we might be lucky enough to catch a few native geniuses, but it’s just three old relics who clawed their way here with time,” he sneered.

“And you,” he added, fixing his gaze on the First Holy Lord. The sheer pressure of his gaze made the First Holy Lord’s heart race. “You barely managed to scrape by your tribulation, forming a low-grade Golden Core. Such a waste of effort!”

The white-robed youth’s disdainful tone stoked anger within the three Holy Lords.

Yet what unsettled them more was the content of his words.

Not only did this stranger dismiss their eldest brother’s Golden Core achievement, but he also spoke of concepts like “low-grade Golden Core” and “capturing native geniuses”—ideas utterly foreign to them.

The Second Holy Lord whispered anxiously, “Eldest brother, what should we do?”

The First Holy Lord, struggling to suppress his own fury, glanced at the gray-robed man.

“They appear to hold significant status in this world. Let’s capture them first and interrogate them for information,” the gray-robed man said indifferently.

“Understood!”

The white-robed youth nodded and extended his hand downward.

The next moment, a colossal hand large enough to blot out the sky appeared, reaching toward the three Holy Lords.