113: Chapter 113 Eightfold World-Destroying Thunder, Cauldron Embryo Protects Master

The lingering echoes of the Heart Demon Tribulation receded slowly like the tide.

Lin Ye sat cross-legged on the heavenly manifestation stone, his eyes tightly shut, his Divine Sense retracted, carefully experiencing the changes brought about by the improvement in his Dao Heart Perfection. That 20% increase in Perfection was not just a change in numbers, but a qualitative transformation from the inside out. He could clearly feel that his will was like refined steel that had been tempered a thousand times, tough to an unprecedented degree; the undying spark of light deep within his Dao Heart now bloomed with a stable radiance, as if no matter what kind of impact it encountered, it would not waver in the slightest.

The improvement in his Divine Sense was even more intuitive. His spirit, which had been exhausted from Undergoing Tribulations continuously, was not only fully recovered but its total capacity had also surged by five hundred points. It felt as if a surging river had been poured into a dried-up pond; surging Mental Energy rushed through his Sea of Consciousness, and his thinking speed, sensory precision, and reaction ability had all been raised to a new level.

He could even "see" further—at the foot of the mountain, the battle at the third line of defense was exceptionally intense. The roars of Shi Potian, the clanging of weapons colliding, the booming of Spells exploding, and the cold, snake-like aura of the Blood Prince... everything was clearly reflected in his mind's eye, down to the finest detail.

But he did not get distracted.

Because the sky above his head was undergoing a more terrifying change.

The Chaos-colored clouds did not disperse after the Heart Demon Tribulation ended; instead, they began to rotate faster, forming a huge vortex with a diameter of over a thousand zhang. At the edge of the vortex, seven-colored lights began to emerge—crimson like blood, orange-gold like gold, bright yellow like the sun, emerald green like jade, indigo like the sea, azure like the sky, and deep purple like the night.

Seven colors, seven kinds of Dao rhymes, seven distinct yet equally terrifying powers of thunder were intertwining, merging, and brewing within the vortex.

The Eighth Layer Thunder Tribulation—the Seven-Colored Myriad Laws Tribulation, was about to descend.

Lin Ye opened his eyes, the Chaos Qi swirling deep within his pupils, reflecting the magnificent and deadly scene in the sky. He slowly stood up, and although his injuries were still severe—the bones in his left arm were completely shattered, the Meridians in his right leg were damaged, and there were several internal injuries on his chest and abdomen left by the Five Elements lightning—his spine was straight.

With a wave of his right hand, the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo flew out from his Storage Pouch and hovered three feet above his head. The small cauldron rotated slowly, the cracks on the cauldron body that had expanded during the previous Lightning Tribulation were clearly visible, and the amount of mysterious yellow qi spewing out had also dropped by nearly half, but it still exuded an aura that was ancient, vast, and inclusive of everything.

This was Lin Ye's most reliable reliance right now.

The durability of the thunder gods protection set was only 31% left, the Mysterious Thunder Heart-Protecting Shield was completely scrapped, all the lightning evasion talisman were used up, the Advanced Medicinal Pill were exhausted, and only two heaven-returning divine pill remained...

Only this Innate cauldron embryo, although damaged, still possessed the capital to fight against the Heavenly Tribulation.

Lin Ye looked down at the last two heaven-returning divine pill in his hand. The golden pills rolled in his palm, the medicinal fragrance enticing, but he knew that due to the existence of drug resistance, the effect of these two pills was not as good as before, and adding them together might not even restore 30% of his Qi and blood and Divine Power.

"They must be used at the most critical moment." He whispered to himself, carefully putting the pills away.

Then, he made a bold decision.

Pressing his right hand to his chest, his Chaos Divine Power surged, and he took off the heavily damaged thunder gods protection set on his body...

It was not giving up defense, but the durability of this set was too low. Continuing to wear it would not provide much protection, and it might be completely destroyed when receiving a heavy blow, losing the set effect. It was better to take it off actively and keep the last trump card.

The dark golden armor fell off piece by piece, revealing the equally scarred lining underneath. Lin Ye's upper body was almost completely exposed, his skin covered with charred lightning strike marks, deep wounds that reached the bone, and dark red patches left by the erosion of the cursed lightning. His left arm was twisted and deformed, the muscles in his right leg were atrophied, and the wound on his chest pierced by the golden lightning, although the bleeding had stopped, still looked ferocious.

But he didn't care at all.

The Chaos True Body was activated at full power, and a layer of gray film appeared on his body surface. This film was at least three times thicker than before the Heart Demon Tribulation, and complete Chaos Scripture characters flowed on the surface, each character slowly rotating like a living thing, exuding an ancient and vast aura.

[Chaos True Body Mastery: 18%]

This was the result after being tempered by the Seven-Layer Lightning Tribulation. Although it was still far from Major Achievement, it was enough for him to withstand most of the aftermath of the thunder with his Physical Body.

"Come on."

Lin Ye looked up at the sky, with no fear in his eyes, only a kind of Battle Intent that bordered on piety.

The rotation speed of the seven-colored vortex in the sky reached its limit.

The first lightning bolt fell.

It was not the seven-colored mixture he imagined, but pure crimson—Crimson Fire Thunder!

The lightning transformed into a thirty-zhang-long giant flame sword, the sword body was entirely composed of crimson lightning, and the blade burned with undying flames. Wherever it passed, the air was scorched into distorted ripples, and even space showed signs of melting.

This sword contained the true meaning of the Dao of Fire, "Burning Everything."

Lin Ye did not dodge or evade.

He didn't even use the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo, but formed seals with his hands in front of his chest, pushing his Chaos True Body to the limit, and the gray film on his body surface glowed brightly.

The giant flame sword slashed down!

Boom—!!!

The crimson lightning fire collided head-on with the gray Chaos True Body, erupting with a deafening roar. The flames burned the gray film crazily, trying to burn through it; the Chaos True Body operated at full power, decomposing, absorbing, and converting the energy of the flames.

The heavenly manifestation stone under Lin Ye's feet let out an unbearable groan, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its surface. He was forced onto one knee by this sword, his knees sinking three inches into the rock, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth, and his Qi and blood dropped by 7% instantly.

But the giant flame sword ultimately failed to break through the Chaos True Body.

After three breaths, the power of the giant sword was exhausted, dissipating into dots of crimson light in the sky.

And the gray film on Lin Ye's body surface became a shade deeper, and even a hint of crimson lines appeared on the surface—that was the mutation caused by absorbing part of the source of the fire thunder.

[Chaos True Body Mastery: 18% -> 18.3%]

[Fire Attribute Resistance + 2%]

It worked!

A flash of light appeared in Lin Ye's eyes. Sure enough, as he expected, although the Seven-Colored Myriad Laws Tribulation was dangerous, each lightning bolt contained the Origin power corresponding to the Great Dao. If he could withstand it and absorb it with the Chaos True Body, he could not only improve the strength of his true body but also gain corresponding attribute resistance!

The second lightning bolt followed—Orange Gold Thunder!

This time, the lightning transformed into a huge golden pagoda, the pagoda had nine levels, each level engraved with different Divine Beast patterns, and a brilliant golden gem was embedded on the top of the pagoda. The pagoda suppressed down, carrying the true meaning of the Dao of Gold, "Suppressing Eternity." Before it even arrived, Lin Ye felt a terrifying pressure, as if the entire sky was pressing on his shoulders.

"Well come!"

Lin Ye roared, not only did he not retreat, but he took the initiative to meet it.

He held the sky with both hands, the light of the Chaos True Body condensed between his palms, forming a gray shield. The shield was not big, only three feet in diameter, but it was as heavy as a mountain, with mysterious Chaos runes flowing on the surface.

The golden pagoda suppressed onto the Chaos shield.

Clang—!!!

A loud noise like a great bell spread across the wilderness, and the entire Lingxiao Peak trembled violently under this blow. The heavenly manifestation stone under Lin Ye's feet shattered completely, and he was smashed into the rock up to his waist.

Qi and blood plummeted by 12%! The bones in his arms groaned unbearably, the web between his thumb and index finger split open again, and blood flowed directly.

But the golden pagoda was also held firmly by the Chaos shield, unable to descend any further.

The Chaos Divine Power and the Gold Thunder power clashed crazily, eroding, wearing down, and converting each other.

After five breaths, the pagoda dissipated.

Lin Ye struggled to climb out of the rubble, covered in blood, but his eyes flashed with excitement.

[Chaos True Body Mastery: 18.3% -> 18.7%]

[Gold Attribute Resistance + 2%]

[Defense permanently + 50]

The third lightning bolt, the fourth lightning bolt, the fifth lightning bolt...

Bright yellow Earth Thunder transformed into a towering mountain, which Lin Ye withstood by using Chaos to transform the earth vein, Earth Attribute Resistance + 2%, Chaos True Body Mastery increased to 19.2%.

Emerald green Wood Thunder transformed into a forest that blocked the sky, countless vines entangled up, which Lin Ye used Chaos to transform into vitality to nourish himself, Wood Attribute Resistance + 2%, Qi and blood recovery speed slightly increased.

Indigo Water Thunder transformed into a rushing river, the surging flood rushed down, which Lin Ye used Chaos to transform into the sea to guide and divert, Water Attribute Resistance + 2%, Meridian toughness enhanced.

When the sixth lightning bolt—Azure Wind Thunder—fell, Lin Ye's state was already quite bad.

Qi and blood only had 23% left, Divine Power 15%, bones all over his body had multiple cracks, Meridians were seriously damaged, and the operation of the Chaos True Body began to lag.

And this wind thunder transformed into a pair of cyan wings that blocked the sky. With a slight flap of the wings, countless sharp wind blades whistled out, each wind blade containing the power to tear space, attacking Lin Ye from all directions, sealing off all his space for evasion.

This was the true meaning of the Dao of Wind, "Omnipresent."

Lin Ye knew he couldn't withstand it hard anymore.

"Cauldron, come!"

With a thought, the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo above his head finally moved.

The small cauldron rotated and flew above Lin Ye, and the cauldron mouth spewed out a large amount of mysterious yellow qi. Those earthy yellow air currents wove into an airtight net in the air, blocking all the wind blades.

The wind blades cut on the Mysterious Yellow net, making a harsh friction sound, but could not break through the defense of this Innate qi.

But Lin Ye could feel that the consumption of the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo was increasing rapidly. The cracks on the cauldron body expanded a little more, and the amount of mysterious yellow qi spewing out was also slowly decreasing.

The wind thunder lasted for a full ten breaths before dissipating.

The durability of the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo dropped from 85% at the beginning of the tribulation to 73%.

And Lin Ye took the Opportunity to swallow the first heaven-returning divine pill.

After the pill entered his stomach, due to the existence of drug resistance, it only restored 12% of his Qi and blood and 9% of his Divine Power, but at least it allowed him to catch his breath.

"Three more..."

He looked at the sky, his eyes solemn.

The seventh lightning bolt was condensing—Deep Purple Thunder.

But the color of this lightning was completely different from the other six. It was not pure deep purple, but a kind of dark purple that seemed to devour all light, nearly black. Before the lightning had fully formed, a heart-palpitating aura of destruction had already shrouded the entire Lingxiao Peak.

That was not the true meaning of "Dao," but... the will of "Extinction."

World-Destroying Thunder.

Lin Ye's heart jumped violently.

He recognized this kind of lightning—in the records of his previous life, the Eighth Layer Seven-Colored Myriad Laws Tribulation had a very small probability of mutating, and one of the lightning bolts would transform into "World-Destroying Purple Lightning." This kind of lightning did not contain any true meaning of the Great Dao, but only pursued extreme destruction and annihilation. Its power was more than three times that of the same-Rank lightning, and it had extremely strong penetration against most defensive means.

Unexpectedly, he really encountered it.

"Trouble..."

Lin Ye took a deep breath, pushed the Chaos True Body to the limit, and at the same time formed seals with his hands, starting to prepare to cope.

The myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo also sensed the crisis, actively flew to the top of Lin Ye's head, the cauldron body vibrated, and the mysterious yellow qi spewed out was no longer scattered, but condensed into a thick earthy yellow light pillar, shrouding Lin Ye in it.

The World-Destroying Purple Lightning fell.

There was no fancy form, just a pure, dark purple lightning light pillar, only one zhang in diameter, but as solid as a physical object. Wherever the light pillar passed, space was torn into black cracks, those cracks could not heal for a long time, as if even space itself was "killed" by this blow.

The lightning pillar collided with the Mysterious Yellow light pillar.

There was no loud noise.

Only a tooth-aching "crack" sound, as if glass was being crushed.

The mysterious yellow qi lived up to its name as Innate qi. Facing the terrifying power of the World-Destroying Purple Lightning, it still stubbornly resisted. The earthy yellow light pillar and the dark purple lightning light clashed crazily, annihilating each other, but the consumption rate of the mysterious yellow qi was obviously much faster than before.

Lin Ye could clearly see that on the body of the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo, the cracks that originally existed were expanding and extending at a speed visible to the naked eye. New small cracks spread out like spiderwebs, almost covering the entire cauldron body.

The cauldron embryo was wailing.

It was not a sound, but a cry of sorrow that acted directly on the Soul. Although this Innate object had no spiritual wisdom, it instinctively felt the threat of destruction.

"Hold on..." Lin Ye gritted his teeth, crazily injecting the remaining Chaos Divine Power in his body into the cauldron embryo, trying to help it stabilize its position.

But the power of the World-Destroying Purple Lightning was really too strong.

After five breaths, cracks began to appear in the Mysterious Yellow light pillar.

After seven breaths, the light pillar shattered.

The World-Destroying Purple Lightning with about 30% of its power remaining finally landed on the body of the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo.

Clang—!!!

This collision sound was far more dull and heavy than any previous one.

The cauldron embryo was knocked flying, rolled a dozen times in the air, and finally slammed heavily onto the edge of the heavenly manifestation stone, smashing a deep pit into the rock. On the cauldron body, the largest crack almost split the cauldron in two, and other small cracks were dense, the originally flowing mysterious yellow qi almost completely stagnated, and only a few weak wisps were still struggling to overflow.

[myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo damaged]

[Current durability: 35% / 100%]

[Status: Severely Damaged (Defense effect reduced by 70%, mysterious yellow qi emission reduced by 85%, Suppression effect reduced by 60%)]

[Repair Requirements: [mysterious yellow qi] x 10, [myriad mother qi] x 3, [chaos stone] x 1]

[Warning: If durability drops below 10%, the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo may fall into a permanent slumber, requiring a special Opportunity to awaken.]

The durability had plummeted from 85% at the start of the Undergoing Tribulation to 35%!

It had lost half of its durability instantly!

Moreover, the repair requirements were extremely harsh—mysterious yellow qi was manageable; although rare, it was not impossible to obtain. myriad mother qi, however, was difficult; it was an Innate item even rarer than mysterious yellow qi. As for the chaos stone... Lin Ye had only seen it described in ancient texts in his past life and had never heard of anyone possessing it in reality.

But he could not worry about that now.

Because although the World-Destroying Purple Lightning had been mostly blocked by the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo, its remaining power was still terrifying.

After knocking the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo away, that dark purple lightning bolt did not fully dissipate but instead transformed into dozens of tiny electric snakes that lunged toward Lin Ye!

Each of these electric snakes was only as thick as a finger, yet they exuded the same heart-palpitating aura of destruction. They were lightning-fast and struck from tricky angles, attacking Lin Ye's vital points from every direction.

Lin Ye's expression changed drastically.

He activated his Chaos True Body with all his might, the gray membrane shining brightly as he attempted to defend himself.

But the characteristics of the World-Destroying Purple Lightning were "penetration" and "destruction."

The first electric snake struck his left shoulder, causing the gray membrane to tremble violently. A needle-tip-sized hole appeared where it hit, and the electric snake burrowed into his body, frantically destroying his Meridians and flesh. Lin Ye let out a muffled groan as his left shoulder instantly lost all sensation.

The second electric snake struck his right leg, similarly penetrating the Chaos True Body's defense and leaving a charred hole in the leg bone. Lin Ye stumbled, nearly falling to his knees.

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

In a mere two breaths, seventeen electric snakes struck Lin Ye's body in succession. Each one left a hole in the Chaos True Body and a hidden injury within his body. His blood energy plummeted from 23% to 11%, his Divine Power dropped from 6% to 2%, his Meridians were ruptured in many places, his internal organs were damaged, and even the wheel sea secret realm was affected, with the light of his Life Wheel dimming to an extreme.

He was in a true near-death state.

Lin Ye knelt on the ground on one knee, his hands supporting him against the shattered rocks as he coughed up mouthfuls of blood. The blood he spat out was mixed with tiny purple electric sparks—the residual destructive power of the World-Destroying Purple Lightning.

His consciousness began to blur.

His vision went black in waves.

In his ears, he seemed to hear the anxious shouts of Shi Potian from the foot of the mountain, the voice of Su Qingyue that was cold yet trembling, and the voices of Zhao Wuji, Qin Ruoxue, Chen Hao...

But he could not hear what they were saying.

The world was drifting away from him.

"Am... am I going to die?"

The moment this thought surfaced, it was ruthlessly crushed by an even more ferocious will!

"No—!!!" Lin Ye roared, using his last bit of strength to straighten his spine.

He could not die.

Having been Rebirth and having endured countless hardships to reach this point, how could he die here?

The brothers of the Heavenly Court were still fighting a bloody battle at the foot of the mountain, Su Qingyue was still waiting for him to return, the foundation of Chaos Valley still needed him to guard it, and the future Dark Turmoil still needed him to stop it...

He still had too much left undone, too many promises unfulfilled, and too many people... he hadn't protected well enough.

"I, Lin Ye—" He roared at the sky, his voice hoarse but filled with an unyielding will: "Will never—accept—my fate!!!"

In the wheel sea secret realm, the already dim Life Wheel suddenly erupted with its final radiance!

That light was not the golden color from before, but a burning crimson—he was burning his Life Origin!

At the same time, in the Dao Palace Secret Realm, the five internal organ divine treasures vibrated in unison. The power of the Five Elements divine treasures—Heart Fire, Liver Wood, Spleen Earth, Lung Metal, and Kidney Water—was forcibly extracted and fused, transforming into a massive surge of Five Elements Divine Power that poured into his limbs and bones.

Although the Four Extremities Secret Realm was not yet fully opened, under the burning of his Life Origin, the connectivity of his four limbs was forcibly increased from 47% to 55%! A power that connected heaven and earth surged from his four limbs, fusing with the burning Life Origin and the Five Elements Divine Power, ultimately pouring entirely into... the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body!

This was a desperate strike.

At the cost of burning his Life Origin, he forcibly stimulated the potential of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body to exchange for a brief burst of power.

[Warning: Life Origin is burning!]

[Current burn rate: 5%/second]

[Estimated remaining burn time: 18 seconds]

[During burning: All attributes temporarily increased by 300%, skill effects increased by 200%, all resistances increased by 100%]

[After burning: Enter 'Origin Depletion' state, all attributes permanently decreased by 30%, Rank -5, unable to recover within three days]

18 seconds.

All attributes tripled.

This was Lin Ye's final trump card, and also his only chance of survival.

"Come on!!!" He spread his arms, no longer defending, but actively meeting the eighth lightning bolt brewing in the sky—it was another World-Destroying Purple Lightning, and its power was even stronger than the seventh!

His Chaos True Body, burning with Life Origin, now bloomed with unprecedented light. The gray membrane turned crimson gold, and complete Chaos Scripture characters appeared on its surface, moving like living creatures and emitting a vast, ancient, and violent aura.

The eighth World-Destroying Purple Lightning descended.

This time, Lin Ye did not dodge or block.

He charged straight at it!

The crimson-gold figure and the dark purple lightning collided in the air.

There was no sound, no light, only absolute darkness—that was the space collapse caused by the collision of two extreme energies.

The darkness lasted for five breaths.

Then, like a shattering mirror, the darkness cracked into pieces.

Lin Ye fell from mid-air, slamming heavily onto the heavenly manifestation stone, smashing a deeper human-shaped crater into the already shattered rock.

He lay at the bottom of the crater, his whole body charred black, skin torn and flesh mangled, barely recognizable as human. The burning of his Life Origin had stopped—not because he had stopped it, but because it had burned to the limit; continuing to burn would mean immediate death.

Blood Energy: 3% Divine Power: 0.1% Status: Origin Depletion (All attributes permanently decreased by 30%, Rank -5, unable to recover within three days), Meridians completely ruptured, bones shattered, internal organs damaged, near-death.

But the eighth World-Destroying Purple Lightning... had been forcibly scattered by him!

At the cost of burning his Life Origin, in a way that was nearly mutually destructive, he had scattered it!

In the sky, the seven-colored vortex seemed angered by this scene.

Its rotation speed accelerated again, and nine colors began to fuse—no, not fuse, but... converge into one.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple—seven colors, plus the dark purple representing destruction, and a newly emerged chaotic gray. The nine colors converged into one, ultimately transforming into a... lightning bolt of indescribable color.

It seemed to contain all colors, yet it seemed to have no color at all. It floated quietly in the center of the vortex, only a foot long, yet it emitted a pressure more terrifying than all previous lightning bolts combined.

That was not the pressure of energy, but... the pressure of rules. It was as if this lightning bolt was the manifestation of the will of the heavenly dao, the very concept of "destruction" itself.

The last bolt of the eighth Lightning Tribulation, the ninth lightning bolt—Nine-Color Convergence: World-Destroying Final Lightning.

Lin Ye lay at the bottom of the crater, lacking even the strength to lift a finger.

He looked at that indescribable lightning in the sky, but there was no fear in his eyes, only a sense of... relief that was almost calm.

He had tried his best.

He really had tried his best.

Burning his Life Origin, resisting eight World-Destroying Purple Lightning bolts, pushing his Chaos True Body to the limit, using up all his trump cards... but it still wasn't enough.

The power of this Nine-Color Convergence Final Lightning had already surpassed the scope of the Four Extremities Realm and might have even touched the threshold of the Xiantai Realm. In his current state, let alone resisting it, even being grazed by the aftershock would result in instant annihilation.

"Is it... ending like this?" Lin Ye muttered, slowly closing his eyes.

But at the very moment he closed his eyes—a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of mysterious yellow qi drifted over from the edge of the crater.

It was the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo.

That almost shattered small cauldron was now struggling to hover at the edge of the crater, its body covered in cracks, as if it would fall apart at any moment. Yet it persisted, emitting the last few wisps of mysterious yellow qi, attempting to protect its master.

Then, it made a move that Lin Ye had never expected.

The small cauldron slowly flew up, hovering above Lin Ye with its mouth facing downward.

It was not emitting mysterious yellow qi, but rather... using itself as a shield.

It was going to use its own broken body to block this final lightning bolt for its master!

"No..." Lin Ye wanted to stop it, but he could not make a sound.

The ninth Nine-Color Final Lightning descended.

Silent and soundless.

The myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo met it.

There was no collision, no explosion.

There was only a heartbreaking sight, like ice and snow melting—

The moment the cauldron embryo made contact with the Nine-Color Final Lightning, the cracks on its body spread frantically, covering the entire cauldron in the blink of an eye. Those profound Innate patterns began to dim and dissipate, and the mysterious yellow qi emitting from the cauldron's mouth ceased completely.

But the Nine-Color Final Lightning had also been blocked.

Or rather, it had been forcibly "eaten" by the cauldron embryo through the method of self-destruction.

The small cauldron hovered in the air, motionless.

On its body, the last tiny crack slowly extended, finally connecting with all the other cracks.

Then—crack.

A crisp shattering sound rang out.

The myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo shattered into dozens of pieces, falling from the air and scattering around Lin Ye.

Each piece had lost its luster, turning into ordinary, dull gray stones, with only a very few still retaining a faint trace of mysterious yellow qi.

And the Nine-Color Final Lightning had also completely dissipated.

The eighth Lightning Tribulation was passed.

At the cost of the self-destruction of the myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo.

Lin Ye lay at the bottom of the crater, looking at the cauldron embryo fragments scattered around him, his eyes wide open, but not a single tear could fall.

A wheezing sound came from his throat, but he could not utter a single word.

There was only a heart-wrenching pain spreading from the depths of his Soul, a hundred, a thousand times more intense than any physical pain.

That was his Natal Artifact, which had accompanied him as he rose from obscurity, traversed countless dangers with him, refined countless Medicinal Pills with him, and suppressed countless powerful enemies with him.

Although it was only an embryo, and although it had not yet fully formed, it had long been connected to his heart and mind, and it had long been a part of his life.

And now, it was broken.

To save him, it had broken.

[System Prompt: The myriad things mother qi cauldron embryo forcibly endured the 'Nine-Color Convergence: World-Destroying Final Lightning' to protect its master, durability dropped to zero, main body shattered.]

[Current Status: Completely Destroyed (Must collect all fragments and re-forge with [mysterious yellow qi] x 10, [myriad mother qi] x 3, [chaos stone] x 1 to restore.)]

[Due to the cauldron embryo being bound to the player's Soul, the shattering caused Soul damage: Divine Sense limit permanently -300, Divine Sense recovery speed -20%.]

[The eighth Lightning Tribulation: Seven-Colored Myriad Laws Tribulation has been passed.]

[Received Rewards: All attributes permanently +150, Lightning attribute resistance +15%, seven-element resistances each +5%, Chaos True Body mastery increased to 22%.]

[Warning: The ninth Lightning Tribulation: eye of the heavenly dao trial will descend in 30 seconds.]

A series of System prompts flashed through his consciousness.

But Lin Ye no longer cared.

He slowly raised his right hand, which he could still move, and groped with difficulty, taking the largest piece of the cauldron embryo fragment into his hand.

The fragment was cold, rough, and lacked its usual warmth and spiritual liveliness.

It was like a... corpse.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

"It's my... uselessness..."

In the sky, the seven-colored vortex began to slowly dissipate.

But the clouds did not disperse; instead, they condensed and compressed toward a deeper depth.

Ultimately, they transformed into an... eye.

An incomparably huge eye, constructed entirely of chaotic-colored clouds.

The pupil was pure black, as if it could swallow all light.

The sclera was flowing chaotic air currents, within which faintly appeared scenes of stars being born and dying, and the Reincarnation of the Universe.

The eye of the heavenly dao.

The ninth Lightning Tribulation, and also the final test.

Lin Ye held the cauldron embryo fragment and slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, his eyes held only a cold, dead, yet incomparably firm light.

He carefully tucked the fragment into the deepest part of his Storage Pouch.

Then, using his last bit of strength, he stood up from the bottom of the crater.

Although his body was tottering, although every step felt like treading on knife blades, and although he might fall at any moment and never rise again.

He still stood up, facing that huge eye in the sky.

"Come," he said softly, his voice terrifyingly calm.

"Let me see..."

"Just how high you, the heavens, truly are."

"And just how tough my life truly is."

The mountain wind blew, lifting his charred and broken long hair.

The figure standing in the ruins was lonely, yet stood tall and unyielding.