187: Chapter 187 Heavenly Tribulation Descends, Chaotic Thunder Punishment

Inside the star hollow, Lin Wan sat cross-legged, his aura composed, yet inside him, everything had been turned upside down.

The massive amount of resources obtained from the Five Elements Small World was rapidly refined by the Chaos Immortal Energy, transforming into a torrent of pure energy that scoured his limbs and bones, tempering his flesh and tendons. Inside his Dantian, the five Five Elements Law Seeds shone brilliantly, beginning to rotate and merge along a profound trajectory according to the Laws of mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements.

Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal... The Five Elements cycle, ceaseless and endless. At the center of this rotation, the newly sprouted Chaos Dao Seed prototype, like a tiny black hole, rotated slowly, exuding a supreme dao rhyme that devoured, contained, and derived everything. A portion of the immense energy generated by the rotation of the Five Elements Law Seeds was absorbed by the Chaos Dao Seed prototype, making the hazy halo on its surface appear to solidify by an imperceptible fraction; the other portion propelled Lin Wan's cultivation, steadily and slowly climbing toward that critical point.

Between the Perfection of Earth Immortal and Heavenly Immortal, it may look like only a thin line, but in reality, it is a chasm. An Earth Immortal perceives the Laws of heaven and earth, condenses Law Seeds, and initially masters the power of Law. A Heavenly Immortal, however, must merge their own Law Seeds more deeply with the Origin of the Laws between heaven and earth, trigger the power of heaven and earth, reshape their immortal body, and condense their own unique "Heavenly Immortal Law." From then on, they jump out of the Three Realms, are not within the Five Elements, and possess a much longer lifespan and more powerful strength. This process requires accumulation, requires Epiphany, and even more so, requires accepting the test of heaven and earth—Heavenly Tribulation!

Lin Wan's accumulation was long sufficient, the Five Elements Law Seeds were perfect and flawless, and he even had the Chaos Dao Seed prototype to set an supreme Dao Foundation. What he lacked was just an Opportunity, a Breakthrough that would come naturally.

As his Cultivation Technique circulated, the accumulation of energy within his body became increasingly massive, and Lin Wan's aura became even more profound and vast. He seemed to have developed some kind of wonderful resonance with the surrounding heaven and earth. The star power permeating within the star hollow, the chaotic energy from the outside world, and even the violent space turbulence were subtly triggered, converging toward the star where he was located.

"Boom!" A muffled, loud sound came not from the outside world, but from within Lin Wan's body. It was as if some invisible barrier had been broken; his aura suddenly surged, like a sleeping dragon awakening. A tyrannical, ancient, and inclusive pressure uncontrollably permeated out of his body, instantly breaking through the star hollow and spreading into the chaotic Void Realm outside!

"Crack, crack—" The already chaotic Void Realm of the Chaotic Star Sea seemed to have been hit by a giant boulder, becoming even more violent. Infinite chaotic energy and shattered Law fragments, as if attracted by something, crazily gathered toward this shattered star where Lin Wan was located, forming a huge, colorful energy vortex above! In the center of the vortex, muffled thunder could be heard, and a destructive aura began to permeate.

The Heavenly Tribulation had been triggered! Moreover, because Lin Wan was in the Chaotic Star Sea, a place of chaotic Laws and violent energy, the Heavenly Tribulation that was triggered seemed to have undergone some unexpected changes, becoming even more violent and more... bizarre than ordinary Heavenly Tribulations.

"It's here!" Lin Wan suddenly opened his eyes, divine light shining within them, as if scenes of Chaos opening and stars being born and destroyed flashed by. He stood up, took a step, and had already left the star hollow, arriving in the chaotic Void Realm outside.

Looking up, he saw that the huge energy vortex, over ten thousand miles in diameter, had fully formed above his head. Within the vortex, it was no longer just pure tribulation clouds, but a mixture of countless violent energy turbulences, shattered Law fragments, and even wisps of space cracks! Lightning flashed crazily in the vortex, and its color was no longer a single purple or gold, but presented a bizarre Chaos color—gray and murky, yet containing colorful light spots, as if the powers of the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, and even time and space were mixed together, exuding a terrifying aura that made one's heart palpitate, as if everything were about to return to Chaos.

"What... kind of Heavenly Tribulation is this?" Even though Lin Wan was mentally prepared, seeing this unprecedented, bizarre Heavenly Tribulation, his heart could not help but tighten. Ordinary Heavenly Immortal tribulations were nothing more than Five Elements Lightning Tribulation, Yin and Yang Lightning Tribulation, Heart Demon tribulation, etc. But this Heavenly Tribulation he had triggered, no matter how he looked at it, seemed like all kinds of tribulations, including the chaotic energy of the Chaotic Star Sea, had been stirred together to form a "mixed bag," and what's more, this "mixed bag" seemed to contain a trace of... Chaos aura?

"Is it because I am in the Chaotic Star Sea, or because of... the Chaos Dao Seed?" This thought flashed through Lin Wan's mind. The Chaos Dao Seed is not tolerated by the Heavenly Dao, and its tribulation must far exceed that of ordinary people. He just didn't expect the tribulation to come so quickly and so bizarrely.

"Boom!" Before he could think more, the first tribulation lightning had already struck! It was not a simple bolt of lightning, but a terrifying pillar of lightning that was incomparably thick, Chaos-colored, and seemingly containing countless scenes of stars being born and destroyed and space shattering within it! Wherever the lightning pillar passed, even the violent space turbulence was instantly annihilated, and the chaotic energy storm was forcibly pushed aside, carrying a terrifying will of destroying heaven and earth and returning to nothingness, crashing down toward Lin Wan!

"Well come!" Battle Intent rose in Lin Wan's eyes. Instead of retreating, he went against the sky and struck out with his fist to meet it! He wanted to use his Physical Body to withstand this first Chaos Lightning Tribulation and test his Foundation!

"Chaos Return to Void Fist!" The fist imprint was unadorned, but it contained all of Lin Wan's insights into Chaos, the Five Elements, and the Return to Ruins. On the fist edge, gray Chaos Qi flowed, and there were faint flickers of Five Elements light, as if a single punch contained a miniature world heading toward its end.

The fist imprint collided violently with the Chaos lightning pillar!

"Dong—!" There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a muffled sound to the extreme, as if striking the very Origin of the world! With the point of impact as the center, the Void Realm within a hundred miles suddenly collapsed inward, forming a huge black hole that crazily devoured all energy and matter around it, to the point that even light could not escape! Countless tiny space cracks spread out like a spider web.

Lin Wan's whole body shook violently, as if hit by an ancient star. His entire person flew backward like a meteor, crashing heavily into a huge star fragment behind him, shattering the fragment into pieces! He felt his blood and Qi churning, his arm bones groaning under the unbearable burden, and countless tiny electric snakes slithered across his skin, bringing numbness and stinging pain.

However, his eyes were frighteningly bright! Taking this tribulation lightning head-on, although he suffered some shock, he felt that his Physical Body had become more resilient under the tempering of the lightning! His immortal essence was also more refined! More importantly, a trace of the Chaos destructive intent contained in the tribulation lightning was actually absorbed by his Chaos Dao Seed prototype! Although it was minimal, it was real nourishment!

"This tribulation lightning can actually temper the Physical Body, refine immortal essence, and even... nourish the Chaos Dao Seed?!" Lin Wan was both surprised and happy. It seemed that this bizarre Heavenly Tribulation was not only a test of destruction but also an Opportunity for tempering!

"Come again!" Lin Wan roared, rushing out from the shattered star and actively welcoming the lightning vortex that was brewing again.

Seeming to sense Lin Wan's "provocation," the Heavenly Tribulation became even angrier. The vortex spun violently, and the second, third, fourth... waves of tribulation lightning poured down like a rainstorm! Each tribulation lightning contained different destructive powers—some were as scorching as flames that could burn the sky and boil the sea, some were as cold as mysterious ice that could freeze the Soul, some were as sharp as golden light that could cut through Laws, some were as heavy as mountains that could crush the ages, and some were full of vitality yet hidden with murderous intent... The power of the Five Elements, the changes of Yin and Yang, the wonders of time and space, were mixed in a chaotic and disorderly way, yet they fused together in a chaotic and unordered manner, forming terrifying lightning punishments that destroyed heaven and earth!

Lin Wan was in the sea of lightning, like a small boat struggling in the rough waves. Sometimes he would strike with his fist to meet it, using the Chaos Return to Void Fist to disperse and absorb the violent power in the tribulation lightning; sometimes he would transform into a streak of light, shuttling between dense lightning pillars, using Five Elements movement techniques to avoid the most fatal attacks; sometimes he would open up the Five Elements Chaos vortex to devour and decompose large swaths of tribulation lightning, converting them into energy to nourish himself.

His body continuously suffered scorch marks, blood dripping, but under the nourishment of powerful vitality and Chaos Immortal Energy, they quickly healed and became more resilient. His aura, under the crazy tempering of the Lightning Tribulation, not only did not weaken, but instead, like refined iron being forged, became more and more refined and more and more powerful! Inside his Dantian, the five Law Seeds, under the baptism of the tribulation lightning, shone more and more brilliantly, and the connection between them became tighter and tighter, as if they were about to truly merge into one. And the Chaos Dao Seed prototype at the center was greedily absorbing the thin but extremely high-essence Chaos destructive aura from the tribulation lightning. Although its growth remained slow, the hazy halo was solidifying bit by bit at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Exhilarating! Exhilarating!" Lin Wan roared in the sea of lightning, fighting more bravely as he fought. He felt as if he had returned to the state he was in when facing the scouring of the Five Elements Origin on the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform. This Chaos Heavenly Tribulation, although dangerous, was the best whetstone, completely consolidating the cultivation he had rapidly improved during this period, and forcing and stimulating his potential bit by bit.

However, the horror of the Heavenly Tribulation was far more than this. When the ninth wave, also the last wave of the conventional Heavenly Immortal tribulation, fell, a mutation occurred again!

The huge energy vortex suddenly shrank inward, and all the chaotic energy, Law fragments, and space cracks were compressed to the limit. Finally, it turned into a lightning ball the size of a fist, gray in color, with countless fine cracks on the surface, and inside it seemed as if countless worlds were being born and destroyed, or as if it were a void!

This lightning ball quietly floated in the Void Realm, not emitting any energy fluctuations, as if it were harmless to humans and animals. But the first time Lin Wan saw it, the hair all over his body stood on end, and an unprecedented crisis of death instantly enveloped him! He had a feeling that the destructive power contained within this seemingly inconspicuous lightning ball was enough to instantly annihilate all the eighty-one previous tribulation lightnings combined!

"Chaos... Annihilation Divine Lightning?!" A name uncontrollably surfaced in Lin Wan's mind. It was the ultimate lightning punishment that legend says only appears during the world-ending tribulation or when a Heaven-Defying object is born! Its essence was no longer simple lightning, but the embodiment of Chaos and destruction, representing the end, representing nothingness!

"Is the Chaos Dao Seed... really not tolerated by heaven and earth?" Lin Wan smiled bitterly in his heart, but his eyes were incomparably firm. Things had reached this point; there was no turning back. He could only face the difficulties, and in the midst of destruction, seek Rebirth!

"Come on! Let me see if your Nirvana Divine Lightning can extinguish my Chaos Dao Heart!"

Lin Wan took a deep breath, adjusting his state to the Peak; the Chaos immortal essence within his body boiled without reservation, the five Law Seeds spun crazily, and the embryonic form of the Chaos Dao Seed emitted a faint humming.

He held his hands in a void embrace, pouring all his strength, all his insights, and his understanding of Chaos, the Five Elements, and life into it, condensing a patch of Chaos in front of him that was more solid, more profound, and seemed capable of swallowing all light!

This patch of Chaos was no longer just in the form of an airflow but vaguely formed a miniature, constantly birthing and dying phantom of a Chaos Universe!

Although blurry, it emitted a supreme dao rhyme of creating the world and evolving all things!

"Chaos... Heaven-Opening Seal!"

Lin Wan roared lowly.

This was the strongest strike he had created while gaining enlightenment at the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform, combining it with his own embryonic Chaos Dao Seed, and experiencing a flash of inspiration under this life-and-death crisis!

Although it was only an embryonic form, it already possessed a few traces of the supreme power to open the heavens and stabilize the Universe!

He pushed his hands forward slowly, and that miniature Chaos Universe phantom floated slowly toward the gray Nirvana Divine Lightning.

The movement seemed slow, but in reality, it contained the trajectory of the Dao, locking onto time and space, leaving no room to dodge.

The Chaos Universe phantom and the Nirvana Divine Lightning collided silently.

There was no sound, no light, and no energy shockwave.

With the collision point as the center, time and space seemed to have frozen.

Then, a point of extreme darkness spread out from the collision point, rapidly expanding, and wherever it passed, all energy, matter, including light, sound, and even traces of Law were completely erased, turning into the most primitive nothingness!

It was as if nothing had ever existed there.

Lin Wan bore the brunt of it and was swept by the edge of the spreading darkness.

He felt as if he were about to be erased from the meaning of existence; his Physical Body, Divine Soul, and even his consciousness were disintegrating and dissipating.

He frantically circulated his Chaos immortal essence, driving the embryonic Chaos Dao Seed to spread that faint but extremely high-essence Chaos dao rhyme throughout his body, resisting that force of ending and nothingness.

"My body is Chaos, Chaos is my body! Ending is also a beginning, nothingness contains everything! Give me—Stabilize!"

At this life-and-death juncture, Lin Wan's will erupted with unprecedented radiance.

He held onto the last shred of spiritual light, resonating with the embryonic Chaos Dao Seed, comprehending the ultimate truth of destruction contained within the Nirvana Divine Lightning, and also comprehending the meaning of creation and Rebirth contained within the Chaos phantom.

Destruction and Rebirth are two sides of the same coin.

Chaos encompasses everything, can end everything, and can even... derive everything!

"Hum..."

It seemed like a long time had passed, and yet it also felt like a mere instant.

The spreading darkness finally stopped slowly and then receded like the tide.

At the center of the collision, the miniature Chaos Universe phantom had disappeared.

The Nirvana Divine Lightning had also shrunk by more than half, its color dim, its surface covered in more cracks, as if it would collapse at any moment.

But it did not completely dissipate but turned into a gray, hair-thin bolt of lightning containing the ultimate Nirvana dao rhyme.

Ignoring all of Lin Wan's defenses, it instantly submerged into his brow, shot straight into his Sea of Consciousness, and struck fiercely toward his Divine Soul Origin and the embryonic Chaos Dao Seed in his Dantian!

This was the final strike, and also the most fatal one, pointing directly at the Origin!

"Oh no!"

Lin Wan was greatly alarmed, not expecting this Nirvana Divine Lightning to be so troublesome, possessing this strike that pointed directly at the Origin.

He hurriedly mobilized all his Divine Soul power to set up layers of defense in his Sea of Consciousness, while simultaneously driving the embryonic Chaos Dao Seed, attempting to resist and swallow this bolt of Nirvana lightning.

However, this bolt of lightning was too bizarre, and the level of the Nirvana dao rhyme it contained was too high.

Lin Wan's Divine Soul defenses were easily pierced through like paper, and it instantly arrived before his Divine Soul Origin.

Just at this critical moment—

"Hum!"

Inside his Dantian, the embryonic Chaos Dao Seed, which had been spinning quietly, suddenly shook.

It actively emitted a wisp of Chaos Dao light—extremely faint yet incomparably pure, appearing as if it could stabilize the earth, fire, water, and wind, and evolve the Grandmist Universe—which surged upward, instantly appearing in his Sea of Consciousness and blocking in front of Lin Wan's Divine Soul Origin.

The gray Nirvana lightning and that wisp of Chaos Dao light collided and merged silently.

There was no explosion, no annihilation.

The Nirvana lightning, like ice and snow melting, was slowly and firmly "swallowed" and "assimilated" by the Chaos Dao light.

The Chaos Dao light seemed to have grown a tiny bit, and then, like a tired bird returning to the forest, it slowly retreated to the Dantian and re-merged into the embryonic Chaos Dao Seed.

After absorbing this special energy that fused the Nirvana lightning and the Chaos Dao light, the embryonic Chaos Dao Seed shuddered violently, and the hazy halo on its surface suddenly became much brighter and more solid!

Although it was still tiny, compared to before, it had undergone a Rebirth!

Inside it, faint Chaos Qi currents began to circulate spontaneously, emitting an aura that was more ancient, vast, and encompassing of everything.

At the same time, the tribulation lightning vortex seemed to have exhausted its final strength and slowly dissipated.

In the chaotic Void Realm, the tribulation clouds scattered, revealing a scene of devastation.

Countless star fragments had been completely annihilated, and spatial rifts, like ugly scars, covered the void.

But in the center where the tribulation clouds had scattered, a seven-colored rainbow spanned the void, sprinkling sweet dew, and at the same time, countless golden Dao runes descended from the sky, like falling flower petals, pouring into Lin Wan's body.

This was the gift from the Heavenly Dao after passing the Heavenly Tribulation!

It contained the purest life Origin and Dao insights!

Lin Wan's body, like parched land, greedily absorbed this gift from heaven and earth.

His charred skin quickly peeled off, revealing newborn skin that was as crystalline as jade and contained inner treasures.

Broken bones regrew, internal organs were strengthened, and his Qi and blood surged within his body like a great river, emitting thunderous roars.

His Divine Soul, nourished by the Dao runes, also grew rapidly, becoming more solid and transparent, with his perception range expanding more than tenfold!

More importantly, in his Dantian, the five Law Seeds that had been rotating around the Chaos Dao Seed now shone brilliantly.

The boundaries between them blurred completely, and eventually, they merged into one, turning into a Five Elements Dao Seed that was chaotic and indistinct, yet seemed to contain all the changes of the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth!

This Five Elements Dao Seed was far more powerful and solid than the previous five Law Seeds combined, emitting a dao rhyme of Perfection, harmony, and endless vitality.

As for the embryonic Chaos Dao Seed, after absorbing the Dao gift and the previous Nirvana lightning, it finally completed its crucial transformation.

It was no longer just an embryonic form but had truly condensed into a seed the size of a grain of rice, with a chaotic color and countless profound Dao patterns flowing on its surface!

Although still tiny, it was no longer a phantom but a real and substantial Chaos Dao Seed!

A wisp of faint but extremely high-essence Chaos Qi slowly circulated inside the Dao Seed, nourishing Lin Wan's Physical Body, Divine Soul, and immortal essence.

"Heavenly Immortal... succeeded!"

Lin Wan slowly opened his eyes, and scenes of Chaos opening, stars rotating, and all things birthing and dying seemed to flash and vanish within them.

Feeling the vast and seemingly endless power within his body, feeling the closer connection with the Heavenly Dao, and feeling that real and substantial Chaos Dao Seed, his heart was filled with joy and ambition.

He had finally taken the crucial step on the path of immortal Cultivation and achieved the Heavenly Immortal Realm!

Moreover, he was a Heavenly Immortal who had forged a supreme Dao Foundation with the Five Elements Perfection as the base and the Chaos Dao Seed as the core!

His Foundation was so solid and his potential so immense that they were far beyond what ordinary Heavenly Immortals could compare to.

"The current me, if facing an Early Stage Heavenly Immortal like Elder Gui Li, could destroy him with a flip of my hand! Even against a Middle Stage Heavenly Immortal, I have the power to fight!"

Lin Wan clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within his body, full of confidence.

Although the process of Undergoing Tribulation was dangerous, especially the final Chaos Nirvana Divine Lightning that almost caused his death, the harvest was also huge.

Not only did he successfully Breakthrough to the Heavenly Immortal Realm, but the Chaos Dao Seed had truly condensed, and his Physical Body, Divine Soul, and immortal essence had all undergone a Rebirth.

He looked up at the void, where the tribulation clouds had scattered and a rainbow hung, as if celebrating the birth of a new Heavenly Immortal.

But Lin Wan knew that this was just the beginning.

The path of the Chaos Dao Seed was fraught with difficulties, and the road ahead would only be more arduous.

The threats from the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect remained, the mystery of his background, the clues to the Chaos Ruins and the Return to Void, were waiting to be explored, and there was also the "Ultimate Heavenly Secret" mentioned by Master Tianjizi... Everything had just begun.

"However, before that, I must first consolidate my Realm and thoroughly digest what I have gained from this Undergoing Tribulation."

Lin Wan suppressed the agitation in his heart, landed back on the shattered star, returned to the hollow, set up stronger Restrictions, and began his seclusion to consolidate his Cultivation.

Just as Lin Wan was Undergoing Tribulation and consolidating his Realm in the depths of the Chaotic Star Sea, the outside world was thrown into an uproar because of his previous series of actions.

The upper echelons of the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect were furious.

Elder Gui Li, Elder Blood Blade, along with several elite Disciples, had been completely wiped out in the operation to intercept and kill Lin Wan, leaving not even their bones, with only their Soul Lamps extinguished.

For both Sects, this was a great humiliation and a huge loss.

Both Sects simultaneously increased the bounty on Lin Wan and dispatched more personnel to search throughout the Immortal Realm, especially focusing on dangerous lands and Secret Realms suitable for hiding and seclusion.

Near the Tianshu Immortal Palace, undercurrents were surging, and many experts of unknown identities were active.

Inside the Tianshu Immortal Palace, the attitude toward Lin Wan became increasingly subtle.

Elders who supported Lin Wan, such as Bing Ning and Elder Han, were more determined, believing that Lin Wan was a once-in-ten-thousand-year Prodigy whom the Sect must protect.

The opposition, however, believed that the trouble Lin Wan had caused was too great, and since his whereabouts were unknown, he might have met with an accident or fled to avoid punishment, advocating for severing ties.

The Palace Master remained ambiguous in his attitude, only ordering that if Tianshu Immortal Palace Disciples encountered Lin Wan outside, they could assist him secretly, but must not openly conflict with the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect.

The events that occurred within the Five Elements Small World also spread through various channels.

The story of Lin Wan suppressing the heroes, seizing the five elements origin bead, ascending to the fifth level of the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform, and killing the Elders of the Xuan Yin Sect and Tian Sha Sect, became increasingly legendary, with some even saying he had obtained the Legacy of an ancient expert and possessed a peerless Immortal Artifact.

The name Lin Wan entered the sight of many major forces and important figures in the Immortal Realm for the first time.

Some were curious, some were wary, and some... had other intentions.

As for the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, it remained as mysterious and quiet as ever, seemingly indifferent to all of this.

Only a few insiders knew that the mysterious Pavilion Master seemed quite "attentive" to this newly rising young Prodigy.

In the depths of the Chaotic Star Sea, inside the shattered star, Lin Wan knew nothing of the outside world and did not care.

He was immersed in Cultivation, like a sponge, frantically absorbing the gains from the Undergoing Tribulation, consolidating his Early Stage Heavenly Immortal Realm, and comprehending the profound mysteries of the Chaos Dao Seed.

Time passed quietly in this chaotic Star Domain.