455: Devouring divine lightning, the Southern Heaven was horrified.

Above the Nine Heavens Pagoda, the dead silent gray tribulation cloud weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone in South Heaven Immortal City.

Countless strands of Divine Sense, tearing through the Void Realm, seemed to freeze at this moment, converging here with boundless horror.

In front of the Li Family Mansion.

Li Changfeng, clad in battle armor and holding the soul suppressing tower, was frozen in place.

He felt the trace of dao rhyme leaking from the Nine Heavens Pagoda, a dao rhyme that made his Divine Soul tremble.

He then looked up at the Chaos Divine Thunder, which was said to only appear in legends.

A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

His Late Dao Integration Stage cultivation, which he was so proud of, was as tiny as dust before this Heavenly might.

The seventh-tier supreme treasure, the soul suppressing tower, in his hand was humming under an unbearable burden, as if in fear, in supplication.

"This... what kind of monster is this?"

His throat was dry, and he squeezed out each word through gritted teeth.

Just then, a majestic and vast voice, as if in harmony with heaven and earth, resounded through every inch of South Heaven Immortal City.

"Heed my decree!"

Above the City Lord's Mansion, a white-robed figure appeared out of thin air.

It was Nangong Bo, the Lord of South Heaven Immortal City!

This Half-step Mahayana magnate, who had lived for tens of thousands of years and whose expression would normally remain unchanged even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, now wore an unprecedentedly solemn look.

He didn't even look at the farce involving Li Changfeng and the others; all his attention was focused on the gray tribulation cloud.

He finally realized.

This was not a Loose Cultivator in the Dao Integration Early Stage Undergoing Tribulation at all.

This was a monster, beyond all reason, undergoing a terrifying transformation.

"Activate the highest authority of the City Protection Grand Array! Seal the entire city!"

"Everyone, immediately retreat beyond ten thousand miles from the Nine Heavens Pagoda! No one is to approach!"

"Those who disobey will be killed without mercy!"

Nangong Bo's voice was cold and indifferent, yet it contained an unquestionable iron rule.

He knew better than anyone.

The Great Dao Tribulation, Chaos Divine Thunder!

The power of this forbidden Heavenly Tribulation, which only existed in myths, was beyond the imagination of Cultivators in the Canglan Realm.

Forget a mere aftershock; even a wisp of its aura leaking out would be enough to severely injure a Dao Integration Cultivator and crush a Void Realm Cultivator into ashes.

Once the aftershocks of this Heavenly Tribulation spread, half of South Heaven Immortal City would be wiped off the map in an instant.

With Nangong Bo's command.

Buzz—

The entire South Heaven Immortal City vibrated violently, and a massive, visible light screen shot up into the sky, enveloping the entire city.

Countless Cultivators in the city, regardless of their cultivation level, all sensed a bone-chilling warning from the City Lord's Mansion at this moment.

The Old Woman of the Wang Family, the Patriarch Zhang, and other old monsters didn't hesitate; their figures instantly vanished from their original spots, retreating ten thousand miles away.

Their gazes towards the Nine Heavens Pagoda had changed from initial horror to pure fear.

Only Li Changfeng was now in a difficult position.

Listening to Nangong Bo's decree and feeling the gazes of pity and ridicule from all directions, his old face turned a pig-liver color.

He knew he had made the wrong gamble.

Terribly wrong!

Regardless of whether the person on the tower's peak succeeded in Undergoing Tribulation, they were definitely not someone his Li family could provoke.

However, a drawn bow has no turning back.

He had already gathered all the Elders, brought out the soul suppressing tower, and, under the watchful eyes of the entire city, adopted a posture ready for a thunderous strike.

If he were to retreat now, Li Changfeng, and even the entire Li family, would become the laughingstock of South Heaven Immortal City.

A trace of mad greed ultimately overcame the deep-seated fear.

"What's there to be afraid of!"

Li Changfeng's eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and transmitted a Divine Sense message to the Elders beside him, who also had pale faces:

"Such a peerless Great Tribulation is unheard of throughout history! Even if he can withstand it, he will surely be at the end of his rope, his Divine Soul weakened to the extreme!"

"Wealth is found in danger! This is our Li family's only chance to ascend to heaven in one step and replace the Nangong family!"

"Everyone, heed my command! The moment he and the Heavenly Tribulation are both injured, immediately activate the soul suppressing tower and suppress him!"

Li Changfeng had gone mad. He was completely driven mad by the temptation of ascending to heaven in one step... Ninth floor of the Nine Heavens Pagoda.

He was oblivious to the turmoil outside.

He slowly raised his head, his dark eyes reflecting the Chaos lightning brewing at the center of the tribulation cloud.

There was no trace of fear on his face, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Has it finally arrived?"

Shen Yuanmo murmured, a hint of indescribable excitement in his voice.

"Just in time, my dao body and great evolution immortal slaying sword are a bit hungry."

As his voice fell.

With a thought, the Chaos Return to Origin Formation that completely isolated him from the outside world silently dissipated.

Shen Yuanmo exposed everything about himself, without reservation, to this Chaos Heavenly Tribulation.

Boom!!!

As if sensing his provocation.

The vortex at the center of the tribulation cloud suddenly paused, and the next instant, a bolt of Chaos-colored divine lightning, as thick as a water bucket, tore through the sky!

It didn't emit an earth-shattering thunderous roar, but instead carried a terrifying aura that annihilated all things and caused even space-time to freeze, striking towards Shen Yuanmo at the top of the Nine Heavens Pagoda.

Ten thousand miles away, Nangong Bo and the others' pupils constricted.

The power of this strike was enough to instantly erase any Late Dao Integration Stage Cultivator, along with their Divine Soul and Great Dao imprint, from this world.

However, facing this fatal blow.

Shen Yuanmo neither dodged nor evaded, not even raising his protective spiritual power.

He simply stood there quietly, head held high, arms outstretched, as if welcoming a long-awaited sweet rain.

Under the horrified gazes of Nangong Bo and the others.

The Chaos Divine Thunder struck Shen Yuanmo squarely.

The anticipated scene of flesh and blood flying and Divine Soul perishing did not occur.

The moment the divine lightning struck his body, it didn't emit an explosive roar, but rather a "sizzle" sound, like a red-hot branding iron plunged into the deep sea.

Shen Yuanmo's Chaos Dao Body erupted with immeasurable divine light at this moment.

His Physical Body, like a greedy black hole, began to madly and domineeringly devour the most fundamental Chaos power contained within that Chaos Divine Thunder.

Streaks of Chaos-colored electric arcs surged across his body, not only failing to harm him in the slightest.

Instead, they made every inch of his flesh and blood, every inch of his bones, hum with joy.

Ten thousand miles away, the onlookers' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The soul suppressing tower in Li Changfeng's hand clattered to the ground.

Yet he was oblivious, staring fixedly at that figure, his mouth agape wide enough to fit a fist.

The Old Woman of the Wang Family and the Patriarch Zhang were trembling all over, as if they had seen a ghost.

Even City Lord Nangong Bo's face, which had been as calm as an ancient well for tens of thousands of years, was filled with disbelief.

He murmured in a choked voice, his voice trembling:

"He... what is he doing?!"

"He's devouring the Heavenly Tribulation?!"

"Madness! How can there be such a madman in this world!!"

The Heavenly Tribulation is the Great Dao's test for Heaven-Defying individuals.

Those Undergoing Tribulation are invariably cautious, exhausting all their means, with only a slim chance of survival.

But this person... he actually feeds on the Heavenly Tribulation, using himself as a furnace.

What arrogance, what dominance.

After the first Lightning Tribulation.

Not only was Shen Yuanmo completely unharmed, but his entire aura became even more refined and profound than before.

He slowly lowered his arms, even smacking his lips with a hint of dissatisfaction, then looked up at the sky and commented lightly:

"Appetizer, tastes good."

Rumble—

As if his comment had thoroughly enraged the lofty Heavenly Tribulation.

The entire gray tribulation cloud surged and contracted wildly at an unprecedented speed.

Immediately after, nine bolts of Chaos Divine Thunder, even thicker than before, simultaneously erupted from the tribulation cloud.

They furiously intertwined and underwent Fusion in mid-air, eventually transforming into a terrifying Thunder Dragon, ten thousand zhang long, composed entirely of Chaos lightning.

The Thunder Dragon opened its eyes, forged from pure destruction, and locked onto Shen Yuanmo below.

It let out a silent roar that made the entire heaven and earth wail.

"Excellent!"

Facing this Thunder Dragon, whose power had increased by more than tenfold, Shen Yuanmo was not alarmed but rather delighted, letting out a hearty laugh.

This time, he did not remain still.

Clang!

A clear sword cry echoed through the clouds.

The great evolution immortal slaying sword automatically unsheathed, hovering before him.

The Chaos sword mark in the center of the blade seemed to come alive, exuding an aura of longing.

Shen Yuanmo took a step, and man and sword instantly transformed into a soaring gray stream of light.

Without any retreat, he went Heaven-Defyingly upward, actively meeting the roaring Chaos Thunder Dragon that descended.

He intended to use this Chaos Heavenly Tribulation as a whetstone to temper his newly advanced Dao Integration cultivation and this supreme Dao sword.