43: Chapter 43 The Eagle King's Rampage Leads to Inevitable Casualties

The challenge letter from Olympus was like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples among the players in the Capital City of Yan State.

Three days was enough time for the news to spread throughout the entire Eastern Wasteland.

The Western server's top guild, Zeus's right-hand man Apollo, publicly challenged Lin Ye, a newly promoted Dao Palace Realm player from the Eastern Wasteland—this duel was no longer just a personal grudge, but was seen as the first formal clash between Eastern and Western player factions.

The central plaza of the Capital City of Yan State was cleared in advance.

The imperial family sent the Imperial Guard to maintain order, and temporary viewing platforms were set up around the plaza.

The gambling dens opened betting pools: the odds for Lin Ye winning were 1 to 1.2, for Apollo winning were 1 to 1.5, and for a draw were as high as 1 to 3.

Clearly, the bookmakers favored Lin Ye, who was fighting on home turf and had just achieved a Breakthrough to the Dao Palace Realm.

But for these three days, Lin Ye had barely left the Heavenly Court headquarters.

On the first day, he stayed in the cultivation room to consolidate his Realm, familiarizing himself with the temporary attribute boosts brought by the Dragon blood essence.

On the second day, he conducted combat drills with Chen Hao, Zhang Meng, and others to test the actual effectiveness of his Lightning Tribulation Body in battle.

On the third day, he studied the intelligence on Apollo collected by Qin Ruoxue.

The intelligence was very detailed.

Apollo, ranked seventh on the Western server's Rank leaderboard, had the class 'Sun Priest' and possessed the rare 'Sun God's Favor' talent.

This talent increased the power of all his solar-type skills by 50% and granted an additional 20% to all attributes when fighting during the day.

His signature skills included three: Sun God Arrow (super long-range sniping), Sun Shield (high damage reduction), and Scorching Sun Burn (sustained area damage).

In terms of equipment, Apollo had a level 35 epic-grade 'Sun Priest' set, and his weapon was a replica of the legendary longbow 'Apollo's Bow' (epic quality).

Additionally, he had three special items: Sun God Talisman (disposable, summons a solar phantom to attack), Golden Crow Feather (short-term flight), and Seed of Holy Fire (resurrection item, but causes three days of weakness after use).

'Very comprehensive.' Lin Ye put down the intelligence dossier. 'Long-range, defense, sustained damage, and life-saving means—he has it all. Plus, the Sun God's Favor talent gives him a huge advantage fighting during the day.'

'So, Brother Ye, how do you plan to fight?' Chen Hao asked. 'Avoid his strengths and choose to fight at night?'

'The challenge letter set the time for noon.' Lin Ye shook his head. 'Apollo is shrewd; he chose the time most advantageous to him. However... I also have my advantages.'

His advantages were the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body and the newly acquired Lightning Tribulation Body.

Chaos Power could assimilate energy of any attribute, and solar energy was no exception.

Although the Lightning Tribulation Body was primarily targeted at lightning, it also had a certain resistance to energy attacks of other attributes.

More importantly, Lin Ye had Void Step and Void Evasion.

Apollo was a long-range class, and what he feared most was being closed in on.

As long as he could break through Apollo's long-range firepower net, half the battle would be won.

'I need you all to do one thing.' Lin Ye looked at everyone. 'After the battle starts, closely observe the movements of the others from Olympus. If Apollo is about to lose, they might play dirty.'

'Understood!' Chen Hao and the others nodded.

On the evening of the third day, Lin Ye went alone to the Yaoguang Holy Land's guest courtyard in the Capital City of Yan State to visit Ji Mingyue.

The guest courtyard was located in the western district of the city, with a quiet environment and a Formation isolating it from outside prying eyes.

Ji Mingyue was brewing tea in the stone pavilion in the courtyard; seeing Lin Ye arrive, she signaled for him to sit down.

'Try this, the Holy Land's specialty, 'Star Radiance Tea'; it can calm the mind and stabilize the spirit.' Ji Mingyue handed over a cup of tea. 'Are you confident about tomorrow's battle?'

'Seventy percent.' Lin Ye took the teacup. 'I have studied the intelligence on Apollo; his strengths and weaknesses are very obvious. The key is whether I can get close under the suppression of the Sun God Arrow.'

'The Sun God Arrow is indeed troublesome.' Ji Mingyue nodded. 'That skill has a range of over three hundred zhang, and it is almost a guaranteed hit once it locks onto a target. Apollo has a nickname in the Western server called 'Sniper God' precisely because of his archery.'

'I have a way to deal with it.' Lin Ye took a sip of tea; the tea was crisp and fragrant, and it indeed had a calming effect. 'Void Evasion can instantly close the distance. As long as I enter within a hundred zhang range, his archery advantage will be greatly diminished.'

'But Void Evasion consumes a lot, and it has a cooldown time.' Ji Mingyue reminded him. 'Apollo is not a fool; he must have studied your combat footage. I suspect that the moment you use Void Evasion, he will use area-of-effect skills to cover the position where you might appear.'

A flash of appreciation crossed Lin Ye's eyes: 'Miss Ji is right. So I need some... auxiliary means.'

He took a small wooden box from his storage ring and pushed it toward Ji Mingyue: 'This is the [Lightning Striking Wood] obtained from the lightning pool, which contains the Aura of heavenly lightning. I would like to ask Miss Ji to help refine it into three [thunder blast talisman]s.'

Ji Mingyue opened the wooden box to find three charred pieces of wood with purple lightning patterns flowing on the surface. After careful inspection, she nodded: 'The quality is good; it is indeed high-quality Lightning Striking Wood. Refining the thunder blast talisman is not difficult, but it requires time—at least six hours.'

'Can it be finished by tomorrow morning?'

'Yes.' Ji Mingyue put away the wooden box. 'However, Lin Ye, I must remind you. Although the thunder blast talisman is powerful, its range is limited. If Apollo is prepared, he is very likely to dodge it.'

'I have my own way of using it.' Lin Ye smiled.

When he left the guest courtyard, it was already dark. Lin Ye did not return to the Heavenly Court headquarters immediately but went to the Artifact Refiners Association in the east of the city.

Great Master Wang Iron Pillar was forging in the workshop. Seeing Lin Ye, he put down his hammer and wiped his sweat: 'Little Lin, you came just in time. Your Senior Brother, Senior Ouye Feng, asked me to tell you that the void stone needed to repair the ring of the thunder god has been located.'

'Where?' Lin Ye's spirits lifted.

'There is one in the Holy Land's treasure pavilion, but it requires 50,000 contribution points to exchange.' Wang Iron Pillar said, 'Or... you can exchange it with other rare Materials. Senior Ouye Feng suggested you use the scraps of [Thunder Source Crystal]—you don't need the whole piece, just a fingernail-sized piece is enough.'

Lin Ye thought for a moment and nodded: 'Okay, I will exchange it.'

Although the Thunder Source Crystal was precious, splitting off a fingernail-sized piece from a fist-sized block would not affect the main body. And the void stone was the key to repairing the ring of the thunder god, so it could not be missed.

'Also,' Wang Iron Pillar took a long wooden box from under the workbench, 'this is the spearhead you ordered earlier, forged with [Cold Iron] and [Wind Copper]; it is already finished.'

Lin Ye opened the wooden box to find a one-foot-long triangular spearhead, silvery white all over, with cyan wind patterns flowing on the surface. The spear tip glinted with cold light, and there was a faint sound of piercing the air.

[Wind Chasing Spearhead (Epic)]

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Type: Weapon Part

Effect: Replacing it on a spear-type weapon can grant the weapon the following attributes: Attack +800, Attack Speed +30%, Armor Penetration +20%

Special Effect: Attacks have a chance to trigger 'Wind Chasing Stab' (next attack speed +100%, damage +50%)

Socket: 1 (Can be socketed with wind-type gemstones)

Description: A spearhead carefully forged by Great Master Wang Iron Pillar, combining the lightness of Wind Copper and the sharpness of Cold Iron. When paired with a suitable spear shaft, it can be assembled into an Earth Rank spear.

'Good stuff.' Lin Ye praised, 'Chen Hao's Silver Scale Spear just needs an upgrade; this spearhead is perfect.'

'The spear shaft part requires [Dragon Pattern Wood] or [star iron].' Wang Iron Pillar said, 'If you have the Materials, I can help you forge it.'

'Not for now, we'll talk about it later.' Lin Ye paid the final payment, put away the spearhead, 'Thank you, Great Master.'

When he returned to the Heavenly Court headquarters, it was late at night.

Lin Ye handed the Wind Chasing Spearhead to Chen Hao. Chen Hao's hands were shaking when he took it: 'Brother Ye, this is too valuable...'

'Only with good equipment can you fight better.' Lin Ye patted his shoulder, 'In tomorrow's arena battle, you are responsible for keeping a close eye on the people from Olympus. If they have any unusual movements, act immediately, no need to wait for my order.'

'Understood!'

That night, many people did not sleep well.

Lin Ye was adjusting his breath in the cultivation room, adjusting his state to the Peak. Su Qingyue was nourishing her Spirit Body in the next room, and icy blue light could be vaguely seen through the door crack. Chen Hao was practicing his spear in the courtyard, the Wind Chasing Spearhead drawing a silvery-white trajectory in the moonlight. Zhang Meng was wiping his shield, Wang Iron Pillar was checking arrows, Bai Zhi was preparing healing potions...

Everyone knew that tomorrow's battle concerned the survival of the Heavenly Court.

At dawn, Lin Ye opened his eyes.

He changed into clean battle robes, checked the myriad mother qi cauldron and the bronze buddha lamp, and put the ring of the thunder god on his left hand. Finally, he took out the damaged fragment of the Thunder God's Shield, looked at it for a moment, and put it away again—it was not the time to use it yet.

Breakfast was simple, but everyone ate very seriously. No one spoke during the meal, and the atmosphere was heavy.

After the meal, Lin Ye looked at everyone: 'Let's go.'

The core members of the Heavenly Court all set out: Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, Zhang Meng, Li Qingshan, Wang Iron Pillar, Bai Zhi, Qin Ruoxue, and Qian Duoduo, nine people left the headquarters and walked toward the central plaza.

The streets were already crowded with people. Players, NPCs, and onlookers were packing the roads leading to the plaza. Seeing Lin Ye and his group, the crowd automatically separated a path.

'Lin Ye is here!'

'The Aura of the Dao Palace Realm is indeed different...'

'There's a good show to watch today!'

Amidst the discussions, Lin Ye remained calm and led everyone through the crowd to the edge of the plaza.

A ten-zhang square arena had already been built in the center of the plaza, with reinforcement and protection runes engraved on the surface. There were eight stone pillars around the arena, and a recording stone was embedded at the top of each pillar—this was the imperial family's handwriting, intending to record this battle in its entirety.

On the east side of the arena were the people from Olympus, about thirty of them, all in golden battle armor, with arrogant Auras. The leader was a golden-haired, blue-eyed young man wearing Sun Priest robes and carrying a golden longbow on his back; it was Apollo.

Seeing Lin Ye, Apollo showed a provocative smile and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Lin Ye did not respond but looked at the viewing platform on the west side of the arena. There were a few people sitting there: Imperial Guard Commander Jin Buhuan, Ji Mingyue of the Yaoguang Holy Land, and several members of the Yan State imperial family and leaders of major guilds.

Seeing that both sides had arrived, Jin Buhuan stood up and walked to the center of the arena, loudly saying: 'Today's arena battle is a challenge by Apollo of the Olympus guild to Lin Ye of the Heavenly Court guild. The rules are as follows: First, the battle continues until one side admits defeat or loses the ability to fight; Second, no external forces exceeding one's own cultivation (such as high-level Talismans, forbidden artifacts, etc.) may be used; Third, no spectators outside the arena may be injured; Fourth, the victory or defeat will be adjudicated jointly by this commander and Miss Ji Mingyue. Do both sides have any objections?'

'No.' Lin Ye and Apollo answered simultaneously.

'Good, please both sides take the stage.'

Lin Ye leaped onto the arena with light movements. Apollo walked up the steps step by step, and with every step, the Sun God light on his body grew stronger—he was building up momentum.

The two stood still at opposite ends of the arena, thirty zhang apart.

Jin Buhuan retreated to the edge of the arena and said loudly: 'The battle—begins!'

Before the words fell, Apollo had already moved.

He did not test the waters at all but directly drew his longbow, and a golden arrow condensed purely from Sun God Divine Power formed on the bowstring.

'Sun God Arrow · Sun Piercer!'

The arrow left the string, turning into a golden stream of light, instantly crossing the thirty-zhang distance and shooting straight at the center of Lin Ye's eyebrows!

Fast! Too fast!

Many of the onlookers didn't even see the trajectory of the arrow, only seeing a flash of golden light.

But Lin Ye was well prepared. The moment Apollo drew his bow, he had already used Void Step to move three zhang horizontally to the left.

'Whoosh—!'

The golden arrow grazed Lin Ye's ear, the airflow it brought causing his cheeks to ache. The arrow shot into the protective shield at the edge of the arena, bursting with dazzling light; the protective shield fluctuated violently but ultimately did not break.

The first arrow missed.

Apollo was not surprised; he sneered and plucked the bowstring repeatedly.

'Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!'

Three Sun God Arrows shot over in a triangular Formation, sealing off all of Lin Ye's evasion space.

Lin Ye did not dodge but raised his right hand, and the myriad mother qi cauldron flew out from his palm, instantly enlarging to one zhang high and blocking in front of him.

'Clang, clang, clang!'

The three arrows shot onto the cauldron, exploding into three clusters of golden flames. The small cauldron trembled violently but steadily blocked the attack.

Taking this opportunity, Lin Ye moved.

He kicked off the ground, and his entire body rushed toward Apollo like an arrow leaving the string. For a Dao Palace Realm Cultivator, the thirty-zhang distance was only a matter of two or three breaths.

But Apollo did not give him the chance to get close.

'Scorching Sun Burn!'

Apollo stomped his staff, and the ground of the arena suddenly became scorching hot; golden flames surged from the cracks in the ground, covering the entire arena. Lin Ye rushed into the range of the flames, his Protective Aura making a 'hissing' sound, and his Blood Essence began to drop continuously.

Losing 300 points per second! And the flames came with a deceleration effect, reducing Lin Ye's speed by 20%.

'Sun Shield!'

Apollo cast another layer of golden light shield on himself and continued to draw his bow and shoot arrows. This time he did not aim at Lin Ye himself but predicted Lin Ye's movement trajectory, with the arrows blocking his path.

Lin Ye struggled to dodge in the flames, wanting to use Void Evasion to close the distance several times, but was forced back by Apollo's predictive arrows. The locking effect of the Sun God Arrow was too strong; even if he used Void Step to teleport, the arrow would instantly adjust its direction to chase him.

'This won't work.' Lin Ye quickly analyzed in his heart, 'The duration of Scorching Sun Burn is at least ten minutes, and my Blood Essence cannot hold up. I must break his shield, or... force him to move.'

He looked at the myriad mother qi cauldron in his hand. Although the small cauldron had good defensive power, its attack was insufficient. And having continuously blocked the Sun God Arrows, the cauldron body already had fine cracks, and its durability was dropping.

'Try this.'

Lin Ye put away the small cauldron and formed seals with both hands. Chaos Power condensed in his palm, turning into a gray vortex.

'Chaos Law Breaker!'

The gray vortex flew out of his hand, meeting the incoming Sun God Arrow. The moment the two collided, there was no explosion, but the Sun God Divine Power on the arrow was rapidly disintegrated, assimilated, and finally dissipated into nothingness.

It worked!

Chaos Power had a natural restraint effect on energy attacks.

Apollo's face changed slightly, but his hand movements did not stop. He no longer shot single arrows but drew his bow fully, with seven golden arrows condensing on the bowstring at the same time.

'Seven Stars Linked!'

The seven arrows shot out one after another, but their flight trajectories intertwined, eventually forming a golden arrow net, covering Lin Ye.

This move has a wide coverage area, and there is an energy link between the arrows. Even if a few are broken, the other arrows will adjust their direction to fill the gap.

Lin Ye's eyes narrowed; he knew he could no longer hold back.

He embraced the air with both hands, and his Chaos Domain expanded instantly!

Gray mist spread from him as the center, shrouding the entire arena. Apollo's Solar Divine Light dimmed rapidly within the Chaos Domain; the power of the scorching flames decreased by thirty percent, and the radiance of his solar shield dimmed significantly as well.

"What kind of Domain is this?!" Apollo exclaimed.

The weakening effect of the Chaos Domain was a natural counter for a Sun Priest who relied on divine light to fight.

Taking advantage of Apollo's moment of shock, Lin Ye moved.

Void Evasion!

His figure vanished from where he stood, and the next moment, he appeared ten zhang behind Apollo—not directly in close quarters, because Apollo was surrounded by flames and a shield; rushing in blindly would result in a loss.

As he appeared, Lin Ye flicked his left hand, and three purple Talismans flew out.

thunder blast talismans!

These were the trump cards Ji Mingyue had helped him refine. The three Talismans landed in a triangular Formation around Apollo and then detonated simultaneously.

"Boom—!!!"

Three purple pillars of lightning shot into the sky, converging above Apollo's head to form a lightning net. The violent power of thunder crazily bombarded the solar shield, causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear on its surface.

Apollo's expression changed drastically; he hadn't expected Lin Ye to possess lightning-type attacks. Although the solar shield was powerful, its resistance to lightning was average, especially against lightning that contained the Aura of Heavenly Thunder.

"Golden Crow Wings!"

Apollo gritted his teeth and activated a life-saving item. A pair of golden wings unfolded behind him, carrying him into the sky and out of the thunder blast talismans' attack range.

But just as he flew up three zhang, Lin Ye's attack arrived again.

"Chaos Heaven Opening!"

Lin Ye pointed his fingers like a sword, and a gray Sword Qi tore through the air. This was not ordinary Chaos Power, but a Chaos Lightning Sword Qi fused with a wisp of thunder gods essence blood!

The Sword Qi collided with the solar shield.

"Crack—"

The shield shattered completely. Apollo was struck by the aftermath of the Sword Qi, let out a muffled groan, and fell from the sky. Fortunately, the Golden Crow Wings had a slow-fall effect, so he landed steadily, but blood was already seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"You lost." Lin Ye did not pursue, standing where he was and saying calmly.

"It's not over yet!" Apollo wiped away the blood, a flash of madness in his eyes. He took out a golden Talisman from his robe, its surface swirling with sun patterns.

Sun God Talisman! A one-time consumable item that could summon a phantom of the sun to attack!

"Stop!" Jin Buhuan shouted from outside the arena, "Using external forces that exceed one's own cultivation is forbidden!"

But Apollo had already activated the Talisman.

A golden sun with a diameter of three zhang condensed above the arena, emitting terrifying high temperatures and pressure. It was a true sun phantom; although it only had one-hundred-millionth of the original's power, it was enough to kill an ordinary Dao Palace Realm Cultivator.

"Go to hell!" Apollo grinned hideously.

The sun phantom slowly pressed down toward Lin Ye. Wherever it passed, the arena floor began to melt, and the protective barrier fluctuated violently, ready to shatter at any moment.

The spectators gasped and retreated; even Jin Buhuan and Ji Mingyue stood up, preparing to intervene.

But Lin Ye laughed.

He raised his head, looking at the descending sun phantom, not only without fear, but instead revealing a trace of... longing?

"Bring it on."

Lin Ye opened his arms and actually took the initiative to meet the sun phantom!

"Is he crazy?!" Chen Hao exclaimed involuntarily.

Su Qingyue gripped her staff, preparing to rush up to save him, but was stopped by Jin Buhuan: "Wait!"

In the shocked gazes of everyone, Lin Ye made contact with the sun phantom.

There was no annihilation as imagined. The moment the sun phantom touched Lin Ye, it was like ice and snow meeting a scorching sun, beginning to melt rapidly—no, not melting, but being absorbed!

The Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body operated at full power, crazily assimilating and absorbing the Sun Divine Power. At the same time, the thunder gods essence blood within his body was stimulated; the power of thunder and the power of the sun fiercely confronted each other inside him, eventually being reconciled and fused by the Chaos Power.

This was a crazy and risky move. The Divine Power within the sun phantom was too vast; any slight carelessness would result in his body exploding and dying. But Lin Ye had the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, the thunder gods essence blood, and even the experience and courage accumulated from his past life.

Ten breaths. Twenty breaths. Thirty breaths.

When the sun phantom completely vanished, Lin Ye landed back on the ground. The Aura around him had not weakened; instead, it was even more majestic. Golden and purple patterns flickered alternately on the surface of his skin—that was the manifestation of the Sun Divine Power and the power of thunder being temporarily suppressed.

"You..." Apollo was dumbfounded, "You absorbed the Sun Divine Power?! That's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible." Lin Ye walked toward him step by step, "Now, it's time to end this."

Apollo still wanted to resist, but Lin Ye didn't give him the chance.

Void Step activated, and he appeared instantly in front of Apollo. His right hand pointed like a sword, touching the center of his forehead.

He didn't use force, just a light tap.

But Apollo could feel the terrifying power contained in that finger—it was a mixture of three powers: Chaos Power, the power of thunder, and the power of the sun. As long as Lin Ye was willing, he could destroy his Sea of Consciousness at any moment.

"Surrender, or die." Lin Ye's voice was cold.

Apollo's face turned pale, and finally, he squeezed two words through his teeth: "...Surrender."

The arena was silent for a moment, and then erupted into earth-shaking cheers.

The Eastern Wasteland players had won! In the first official clash between the East and the West, Lin Ye, representing the Eastern Wasteland, completely defeated Apollo of Olympus!

Jin Buhuan walked onto the arena and announced loudly: "In this battle, Lin Ye wins! According to the agreement, the Olympus guild must withdraw from the Yan State within three days and compensate the Heavenly Court with one hundred thousand Spirit Stones!"

The people from Olympus looked ugly, but under the public eye, they dared not break the agreement. Apollo glared fiercely at Lin Ye and left dejectedly with his subordinates.

Lin Ye walked off the arena, and the people of the Heavenly Court immediately surrounded him.

"Brother Ye is too awesome!"

"That final move of absorbing the Sun Divine Power was simply godly!"

"Now Olympus has lost face big time!"

Lin Ye responded to everyone with a smile, but there was a hint of exhaustion deep in his eyes. Although absorbing the sun phantom had improved his strength, the consumption was huge, and the three powers within his body had not yet been fully reconciled; he needed time for quiet cultivation.

Just at this moment, an unexpected change occurred.

The sky suddenly darkened.

It wasn't dark clouds, but a deeper darkness, as if night had fallen early. Immediately after, a terrifying pressure descended from the sky, shrouding the entire Capital City of Yan State.

"What... is that?" someone pointed at the sky and exclaimed.

In the dark sky, a giant eye slowly opened.

That eye was a hundred zhang in size, the pupil was pure black, and the edges had golden patterns. It looked down indifferently, its gaze sweeping over the crowd in the plaza, and finally fixed on Lin Ye.

[eye of the heavenly dao (Projection)]

Rank: ??? Status: Examining, Warning

Description: A materialized projection of the rules of the Heavenly Dao, usually appearing only when a player commits a serious violation of the rules or triggers a major change. This projection possesses one-hundred-millionth of the original's power, but it is enough to annihilate any existence below the Saint Rank.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden change. Even experts like Jin Buhuan and Ji Mingyue felt their Souls tremble under the gaze of the eye of the heavenly dao.

"Lin Ye." A grand, cold, and emotionless voice resounded in everyone's minds, "You have continuously triggered major changes: opening the Thunder God ruins, absorbing thunder gods essence blood, and forcibly assimilating the Sun Divine Power. Such behavior has disrupted the balance of the order of heaven and earth, and you are hereby given a warning."

A beam of black light shot out from the eye of the heavenly dao and shone on Lin Ye.

Lin Ye felt the three powers within his body instantly riot, colliding with each other as if they wanted to tear him apart. He gritted his teeth and persisted, the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body operating crazily, but he still couldn't fully suppress them.

"Pfft!" He spat out a mouthful of blood, which was mixed with golden, purple, and gray light.

"Brother Ye!" Su Qingyue exclaimed, wanting to rush over, but she was firmly suppressed by the pressure of the eye of the heavenly dao and could not move.

"Considering this is your first offense and there were extenuating circumstances, there will be no severe punishment for now," the voice of the eye of the heavenly dao continued, "But you must accept a trial: within three days, go to 'Heavenly Tribulation Valley' and undergo a Heavenly Tribulation. If you succeed, your past actions will be forgiven; if you fail, your cultivation will be completely crippled, and you will be forced to reincarnate and start over."

As the voice faded, a black token appeared in the sky and slowly drifted down in front of Lin Ye.

[Heavenly Tribulation Token (Special)]

Type: Quest Item. Effect: Holding this token allows entry into Heavenly Tribulation Valley to trigger a Heavenly Tribulation matching one's own cultivation. Succeeding in the tribulation grants a gift from the Heavenly Dao; failing results in severe punishment.

Quest Time Limit: 3 days. Description: A trial from the Heavenly Dao for your behavior of disrupting order, but it is also an opportunity. If you successfully undergo the tribulation, you can consolidate the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body and reconcile the three powers within your body; if you fail, you will lose all cultivation and start from scratch.

Lin Ye took the token; it felt cold to the touch, and it contained terrifying tribulation power inside.

The eye of the heavenly dao slowly closed, and the sky returned to brightness. But that terrifying pressure still lingered in everyone's hearts.

The plaza was dead silent. Everyone looked at Lin Ye with complex expressions—some sympathetic, some worried, some gloating, and some in awe.

Heavenly Tribulation! That was a trial that only Cultivators of the Four Extremities Realm would face! Lin Ye was only at the Dao Palace First Layer, and he had to undergo a tribulation? And he only had three days of preparation time?

This was an almost impossible task to complete.

Jin Buhuan walked to Lin Ye's side and said in a deep voice: "Lin Ye, Heavenly Tribulation Valley is in the northern territory of the Yan State, eight hundred li from the capital. It is shrouded in tribulation clouds all year round and is a natural place for Undergoing Tribulations, but it is also full of dangers. Do you... intend to go?"

Lin Ye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looked at the Heavenly Tribulation Token in his hand, and nodded slowly: "I will go."

He had no choice. The warning from the eye of the heavenly dao was no joke; if he didn't go to undergo the tribulation, the punishment would be even more severe in three days. And... this was indeed an opportunity.

In his past life, he knew that the best way for the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body to grow rapidly was by Undergoing Tribulations. Every Heavenly Tribulation was a tempering and sublimation of his Physique. He just didn't expect that the first tribulation of this life would come so early and so suddenly.

"I will go with you." Su Qingyue's voice sounded, firm and calm.

"And me!" Chen Hao stepped forward.

"Count me in." Zhang Meng gripped his shield.

Li Qingshan, Wang Iron Pillar, Bai Zhi, Qin Ruoxue, Qian Duoduo... everyone in the Heavenly Court stood out.

Lin Ye looked at them, a warm current surging in his heart, but he shook his head: "This time I must go alone. The Heavenly Tribulation is a personal trial; others intervening will only double the power of the tribulation and will implicate the innocent."

"But..." "No buts." Lin Ye interrupted Chen Hao, "You stay in the capital and help me collect the supplies needed for the tribulation. In addition, be on guard against Olympus and other forces trying to stir up trouble while I'm away."

He looked at Qin Ruoxue: "Ruoxue, the more detailed the information on Heavenly Tribulation Valley, the better."

"Understood!"

"Qian Duoduo, purchase the Medicinal Pills and Talismans needed for the tribulation, especially [Tribulation Avoidance Pills] and [Lightning Attraction Needles]; buy as many as you can."

"Leave it to me!"

Lin Ye looked at Jin Buhuan and Ji Mingyue again: "Commander Jin, Miss Ji, for these few days that I am away, I leave the Heavenly Court in your care."

Jin Buhuan nodded: "Rest assured, as long as it is within the Yan State, no one dares to touch the Heavenly Court."

Ji Mingyue took out a Jade Slip and handed it to Lin Ye: "This is the information on Heavenly Tribulation Valley collected by the Holy Land, as well as the methods for setting up several kinds of tribulation-undergoing Formations. Also... take this."

She took out a small jade bottle: "Inside are three drops of [Ten Thousand Year Stone Milk], which can repair physical injuries at critical moments. If you can't hold on during the tribulation, take one drop."

Lin Ye received it solemnly: "Thank you."

After arranging everything, Lin Ye did not delay, left the plaza directly, and returned to the Heavenly Court headquarters.

He needed to set off as soon as possible. Three days, eight hundred li of travel, and he still had to leave time for preparation and the tribulation itself; every moment was precious.

Returning to the headquarters, Lin Ye packed his gear simply: Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Formation Materials, and most importantly, the Heavenly Tribulation Token. Then he changed into a thunder-patterned diving suit—although Heavenly Tribulation Valley was not a lightning pool, this suit had decent lightning resistance.

"Brother Ye, do you really not want us to go with you?" Chen Hao asked again, his eyes full of worry.

"Really, no need." Lin Ye patted his shoulder, "Don't worry, I'm confident. Instead, while I'm away, the Heavenly Court will depend on you. Remember, if you encounter a strong enemy, don't fight head-on; wait for me to return."

"Understood!"

Lin Ye looked at Su Qingyue again: "Your spirit body hasn't fully recovered yet; rest well these few days. If I successfully undergo the tribulation, I will come back and help you fully recover."

Su Qingyue nodded and said softly: "You must come back."

"I will."

Taking one last look at everyone, Lin Ye turned around, his wind and thunder wings unfolding behind him.

The blue-purple wings flapped, and he shot into the sky, turning into a streak of light and speeding toward the north.

On the ground, everyone looked up in the direction he had left, remaining silent for a long time.

"He will succeed, right?" Wang Iron Pillar asked.

"He definitely will." Chen Hao clenched his fists, "Because he is Lin Ye."

Meanwhile, on the Western Continent, tens of thousands of miles away.

Zeus stood on top of the temple, looking at the eastern sky, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"eye of the heavenly dao projection... Lin Ye, you are indeed not simple. However, is the Heavenly Tribulation that easy to undergo?"

He turned around and ordered his attendant behind him: "Pass the order to the branch in the Eastern Wasteland; within three days, I want the news that Lin Ye has failed his tribulation. Spare no cost."

"Yes!"

A greater storm was brewing.

And at the center of the storm was that figure flying alone toward the north.

Heavenly Tribulation Valley, eight hundred li away. A life-and-death tribulation, a three-day limit. This trial, Lin Ye must pass.