96: The Frustrated Blood Ancestor

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, Xiao Zhuo’s Divine Soul trembled violently, his soul infant rapidly collapsing.

The moment he exited the White Mist Space, a torrent of soul-tearing agony engulfed him. He gritted his teeth, and the secret art of condensing a soul into a soul infant from the True Explanation of Soul Refining surfaced in his Sea of Consciousness.

Once a soul infant was formed, it could exist independently and indestructibly, no longer needing the protection of a Physical Body. The power of his Divine Soul would surge, and his Divine Sense and Divine Thought would transform accordingly.

This level of improvement, though not quite reaching the Shattering Realm (Cultivation Class), was not far off.

At this moment, Xiao Zhuo also understood the true meaning of “controlling Law”—comprehending ten percent of a Law allowed for its manipulation.

And his Law of Thunder had already reached ten percent, marking his entry into the threshold of the Shattering Realm! The Human Race’s third Shattering Realm (Cultivation Class) cultivator in this era was thus born!

Simultaneously, above the underground location where Xiao Zhuo was, terrifying dark clouds gathered frantically. The cave trembled violently, and Crushing gravel from the ceiling.

He endured the intense pain, sitting cross-legged, fine rays of light seeping from the pores all over his body. A vast power of the Heavenly Dao had already locked onto him firmly.

“It seems I can’t hide anymore!” Xiao Zhuo murmured helplessly, yet there was no trace of fear in his eyes.

Eight hundred li away, atop a mountain, the Blood Ancestor, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes, his blood-red pupils flashing with sharp light: “Heavenly Tribulation?!”

Within Xiao Zhuo’s Sea of Consciousness, his Divine Soul had completely retracted into his primordial elixir.

That golden primordial elixir emitted an extremely profound aura, and the runes and Divine Soul essence within it rapidly fused and reorganized.

The tearing pain receded, replaced by a sense of ethereal emptiness filling his heart.

“Crack—”

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the surface of the golden primordial elixir encasing his Divine Soul cracked into a spiderweb-like pattern.

Xiao Zhuo only felt his consciousness plunge into a galactic vortex, as countless purple-gold lightning runes burst from the cracks, weaving into a nine-layered Thunder Heavenly Palace on the dome of his Sea of Consciousness!

The primordial elixir exploded with a roar! Millions of strands of Divine Soul power, imbued with lightning, condensed into a three-inch-tall soul infant.

The soul infant was entirely covered in purple-gold armor formed from Law runes, and a vertical slit on its forehead opened, revealing the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye!

“So that’s how it is…” The moment the soul infant opened its eyes, Xiao Zhuo suddenly understood.

The brilliant silver Law of Thunder runes, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, converged into the soul infant’s glabella.

At the same time, dark-gold Devilish Qi patterns clearly emerged on the soul infant’s surface, surging with immense power.

“Boom—!”

Outside, deafening thunder tore through the heavens and earth.

Under the glorious might of the Heavenly Tribulation, the underground rock layers crumbled inch by inch!

Nine dark-purple Lightning Tribulations, like chains descending from the sky, pierced downwards!

The soul infant suddenly looked up, Xiao Zhuo’s consciousness returned to his Main Body, and a terrifying aura surged skyward, dark-gold purgatorial Devilish Qi patterns flowing over his body.

“Good timing!” He let out a long cry, his entire being transforming into a streak of light, rushing upwards!

Along the way, the rock layers were pulverized into dust by the violent Law of Thunder, revealing the calamity eye above, churning with dark-purple lightning plasma.

However, the main act at this moment were those nine world-destroying Purple Extreme True Thunders!

Xiao Zhuo did not dodge or evade, charging directly into the lightning! The Heaven-Observing Divine Eye in the soul infant’s glabella operated frantically, and countless pieces of lightning structural information flooded his mind.

He had already punched the convergence point of the nine Purple Extreme True Thunders!

“Boom—!!!”

Lightning raged, sweeping across a hundred li! The former lake transformed into a giant pit, and all the surrounding forests, birds, and beasts were turned to ashes by the scattered lightning!

Just at this moment, a streak of blood-red light tore through the air, stopping far outside the Heavenly Tribulation’s range—it was the Blood Ancestor.

He frowned, looking at the calamity eye in the sky, his expression grave.

The Lightning Tribulation was a manifestation of the Heavenly Dao; if he rashly intruded, he would surely be targeted, and the Heavenly Tribulation’s power would surge.

Xiao Zhuo’s Undergoing Tribulation this time was a superposition of the soul infant calamity and the Shattering Realm (Cultivation Class) Heavenly Tribulation, with the first stage being the simultaneous descent of nine Purple Extreme True Thunders!

Even the Blood Ancestor had no absolute certainty of withstanding it head-on.

He had originally planned to observe from outside, and if Xiao Zhuo died in the Heavenly Tribulation, so be it. If he miraculously survived, he would personally eliminate this Prodigy.

Unfortunately, Xiao Zhuo had already discovered him.

“The old geezer came at just the right time! I was just thinking the Heavenly Tribulation wasn’t powerful enough; now it’s less trouble!” Xiao Zhuo’s gaze was like lightning, meeting the Blood Ancestor’s eyes from afar.

Killing intent boiled in the Blood Ancestor’s eyes, but Xiao Zhuo’s lips curved into a peculiar smile.

The Blood Ancestor’s heart suddenly sank.

The next moment, dazzling lightning burst forth from all around Xiao Zhuo!

“Law of Thunder?!” The Blood Ancestor’s pupils contracted sharply—this aura was all too familiar to him!

Xiao Zhuo’s figure completely transformed into a golden streak of lightning, hurtling towards him at an incredible speed!

“Holy crap!” The Blood Ancestor’s face changed drastically, he cursed, and turned to flee!

However, the calamity eye had formed, and the space within a hundred li was completely sealed, making teleportation impossible.

Xiao Zhuo, possessing the Law of Thunder which offered extreme speed enhancement, arrived in an instant!

A sense of dread rose in the Blood Ancestor’s heart—he had been drawn into the Heavenly Tribulation and was locked onto by the calamity eye!

“Damn kid!” The Blood Ancestor roared in fury, striking out with a backhand palm! The formless palm force, like a mountain collapse and a tsunami, enveloped Xiao Zhuo within a thousand meters.

Xiao Zhuo sneered, a lightning saber suddenly appearing in his palm, and he slashed out with one strike! The brilliant lightning blade tore through the palm force, its momentum undiminished!

The Blood Ancestor’s face was ashen, like dark water, still wanting to withdraw and flee.

“Buzz—!”

Another anomaly occurred in the sky!

The second stage of the Heavenly Tribulation descended—silver-white lotuses filled the sky, falling like snow, surging towards the two of them!

“The second stage is the Lotus Purification Tribulation?!” The Blood Ancestor’s eyelids twitched wildly, no longer daring to flee.

His blood Qi surged, and ninety-nine rhomboid blood shields instantly combined into an impenetrable blood-red barrier!

As soon as the barrier formed, countless lotuses, transformed from purifying Divine Thunder, had already completely submerged him!

“Boom boom boom boom—!”

Continuous explosions rang out, causing the ninety-nine blood spirit shields to tremble violently, their light flickering, as if they could collapse at any moment.

In contrast, Xiao Zhuo handled it with much more ease. He directly activated his Grand Beginning Glazed Indestructible Body, his entire body transforming into a resplendent glass-gold body, with dark-gold Devilish Qi patterns flowing incessantly.

One purifying lotus after another landed on him; before they could explode, they were devoured and absorbed by his glass-gold body!

He clearly felt that his Indestructible Body was strengthening, and the Law of Thunder runes were also absorbing the Heavenly Dao aura contained within the lotuses, becoming even more profound and solid!

Realizing that this calamity could not harm him in the slightest, Xiao Zhuo grinned, his gaze falling upon the Blood Ancestor, who was cowering in defense.

Dozens of brilliant lightning saber lights, entwined with Yin Yang Divine Thunder, tore through space, fiercely striking the blood-red barrier!

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

The Blood Ancestor truly lived up to his reputation as an Ancestor-level demon; his ninety-nine blood spirit shields had astonishing defense!

Even under the relentless bombardment of the Purifying Lotus Tribulation and Xiao Zhuo’s attacks, it stubbornly held on.

“How about trying this move?” A hint of malevolence flashed in Xiao Zhuo’s eyes, and he pointed his sword finger at the sky!

The Perfection of Thunder Tribulation Saber Intent, ten percent of the Law of Thunder, and the Purple Extreme Burning True Method fueled by nearly half of his true essence—the three combined to form his strongest attack at this moment: the Azure Heaven Thunder Saber!

A ten-thousand-zhang lightning blade spanned the sky, and the terrifying destructive energy fluctuations warped space!

The Blood Ancestor, sensing this power from behind his blood shield, his face turned completely as black as the bottom of a pot.

“Junior! You go too far!” He roared in suppressed anger.

The Purifying Lotus Tribulation had not yet subsided; if he moved his blood spirit shield now, it would surely expose a weakness.

He could only frantically form hand seals, pushing the Law of Blood to its extreme, injecting it into the barrier at all costs, while also unleashing streaks of blood-red runes to reinforce his defense!

Almost the instant the Blood Ancestor completed his reinforcement, the ten-thousand-zhang lightning blade, carrying world-destroying power, fiercely struck the blood-red barrier!

“Boom—!!!”

Amidst the earth-shattering roar, spiderweb-like cracks instantly covered the entire barrier! The Blood Ancestor’s Devilish Qi surged wildly, desperately repairing the damaged areas.

Xiao Zhuo’s figure suddenly expanded, transforming into a ten-thousand-zhang giant, taking a step and stomping heavily on the end of the lightning blade’s hilt like a mountain!

“Crack—!!!”

A crisp shattering sound echoed through the clouds! The ninety-nine blood spirit shields finally succumbed to the immense pressure, exploding with a roar!

The ten-thousand-zhang lightning blade cleaved through the blood-red torrent, and the violent shockwave, carrying scorched dust, transformed into a ring of destruction, sweeping across all directions!

Fortunately, all living beings in the vicinity had already fled due to the pressure of the Heavenly Tribulation.