Chapter 1499: Heavenly Tribulation

The aura of tribulation lightning was incredibly unique, imbued with divine power from the Heavenly Dao. It was an oppressive force that struck fear into all cultivators, palpable even within the chaotic energy storm. Yin Changsheng felt it most acutely!

"Rumble..." The storm intensified, seemingly growing more violent with the appearance of the tribulation lightning. Suddenly, a figure shot skyward, flickering in and out of view within the turbulent storm. Yin Changsheng was not dead.

Before, inside the ice coffin, Yin Changsheng had worn a jade crown and appeared youthful, slender and pale compared to normal people, but otherwise exquisitely refined. Now, he was disheveled, his hair wild, looking like a madman. His entire body was emaciated, skin shriveled, and veins clearly visible. His features were no longer recognizable, his twisted expression filled with madness, as if he had completely lost his sanity. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, fixed intensely on the tribulation lightning, a mixture of fear, fury, hatred, and madness in their depths.

"Damn you, old heavens! How dare you obstruct my path to enlightenment!" Yin Changsheng roared furiously at the sky, his demonic aura shaking the heavens. When he had unleashed the Suspended Sword Tower against Qin Sang, his mind had become unstable, and demonic thoughts had silently infiltrated him, causing a drastic change in his nature; he had fallen into a demonic state. Although the Eye-Opening Butterfly's tribulation lightning was strong in appearance but weak in reality, not reaching the power of a true tribulation, the Heavenly Tribulation pressure it emanated was remarkably authentic. In this state, the deranged Yin Changsheng could no longer distinguish truth from illusion and perceived it as his true Heavenly Tribulation!

He had gone to great lengths, cultivating dark arts, hiding in an ice coffin, enduring endless cold solitude, all to evade the tribulation, to delay it, to defy fate, and to go against the heavens. Now, just as his plans were nearing completion, the Heavenly Tribulation had suddenly descended. How could Yin Changsheng not be despairing? A lifetime of arduous cultivation. Meticulously crafted plans. Everything had lost its meaning. How could he not be furious!

"Ah!" Yin Changsheng let out an incredibly mournful howl. Fear and rage had utterly shattered his reason. "Ding, ding, ding..." The sound of bells was still clear, but now carried a desolate undertone, as if foreboding the fate of both its master and itself. The Suspended Sword Tower flew back to its master, spinning rapidly, its nine suspended swords swaying ceaselessly. Its aura was even more dazzling than before, erupting in a final brilliant display as it fiercely charged towards the tribulation lightning!

"Hiss!" Qin Sang gasped, seeing this sight. Yin Changsheng still had energy left! Or rather, this was Yin Changsheng's true strength. Earlier, while in the ice coffin and battling him and Tong Lingyu, he had been constantly distracted, maintaining the evil art to evade the tribulation. Yin Changsheng was probably infinitely close to the Soul Transformation stage. This was the power of a half-step Soul Transformation cultivator!

"Boom!" It was like a coming night storm, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling. The vibrant evening clouds on the horizon seemed on the verge of being torn apart by heavenly lightning, then swallowed by darkness. However, this spectacle did not materialize. The next sight was beyond Yin Changsheng's expectation. The tribulation lightning plunged into the shimmering aura and was immediately swallowed, never emerging again. It was completely consumed by the light, without a single ripple. The Eye-Opening Butterfly was only in the mid-stage of the Fourth Transformation; no matter how strong its lightning manipulation divine ability was, it couldn't be a match for the Suspended Sword Tower. How could the Heavenly Tribulation be so weak? Yin Changsheng's face was blank with shock.

At this moment, Yin Changsheng's aura was exposed! The dome of the underground cavern was not solid; it was an illusion created by an ancient prohibition. From an aerial view, the underground cavern was actually a sinkhole on a massive peak, and this peak was situated on a floating mountain. This place was barren, with exposed rocks and no vegetation, exceedingly desolate. The dome was merely a part of the ancient prohibition. Around the sinkhole, dense fog perpetually lingered, forming a thick barrier that sealed off the area, creating a forbidden zone. These mists were black, merging with the darkness of the sacred land, making them difficult to perceive with the naked eye.

At the edge of the black mist, a group of people were engaged in a fierce battle. Without exception, all were cultivators from the Profound Heaven Palace. One side was led by Palace Master Yin of the Imperial Cosmos Hall, along with Shang Lu and a cultivator surnamed Yue from the Heavenly Mountain lineage. The other side comprised Palace Master Jiang of the Primordial Extreme Hall, Elder Mei, and others. The battle within the sinkhole was blocked by the ancient prohibition of black mist and did not affect the outside. The Profound Heaven Palace was torn apart internally due to the conflict between the Palace Master and the Grand Elder. They ignored the demons invading the sacred land, engaging in infighting instead. These individuals were unaware of the situation inside, not knowing whether Yin Changsheng or Tong Lingyu had emerged victorious. With preparation against unpreparedness, Palace Master Yin and Shang Lu's group clearly had the upper hand, completely encircling Palace Master Jiang and his allies.

The black mist churned, treasure lights of various colors flashed continuously, and roars echoed without cease. A dazzling array of magic treasures and divine abilities bombarded in succession. Though from the same sect, they showed no mercy to each other. Palace Master Jiang and his group appeared quite disheveled, forced to form a defensive circle and battle formation, struggling to resist.

Seeing that their side had victory in hand, Shang Lu laughed loudly and sharply reprimanded, "Why haven't you surrendered? Do you think the rebel Tong can survive against the Palace Master? You dared to collude with him and conspire to murder the Palace Master; your sins are heinous! If you abandon the darkness now, turn to the light, and sincerely repent, the Palace Master, in his compassion, might spare your lives." Elder Mei angrily retorted, "Yin Changsheng is no longer the Palace Master he once was! You're merely acting as his accomplices, letting him harm the Grand Elder! The Profound Heaven Palace will be doomed forever!" "Demonic slander!" Shang Lu's face darkened, and he flew into a rage.

Just then, he suddenly felt a tremor deep within his soul and abruptly looked up at the sky. Almost simultaneously, everyone else also noticed the anomaly. They all looked up at the sky, feeling the oppressive power from the Heavenly Dao and the fear that originated from their hearts, and their expressions instantly changed drastically.

"This is... Heavenly Tribulation..." a Nascent Soul stage cultivator stammered. He had only recently formed his Nascent Soul, and the memory of his own Heavenly Tribulation was still fresh. What shocked him was that the terrifying pressure emanating from this Heavenly Tribulation, which had only just begun to brew, already far surpassed his own. He had no doubt that if this tribulation were aimed at him, he would be instantly turned to dust.

For a moment, the battlefield fell silent, and everyone seemed to forget about attacking. Their expressions varied, as various thoughts flashed through their minds. Shang Lu stared intently at the sky, a fanatical smile spreading across his face. "Haha! Haha! The Heavenly Tribulation has descended! The Palace Master has finally broken through the Soul Transformation stage bottleneck..."

Soul Transformation stage! These three words struck everyone like a heavy hammer, shaking their hearts. Palace Master Jiang and Elder Mei exchanged glances. Neither had ever witnessed a Heavenly Tribulation for the Soul Transformation stage, but they felt that something was amiss.

Within the sacred land, darkness enveloped everything. Only the floating mountains glowed with faint light, but this was insignificant compared to the vast sacred land and the dark turbulent currents. All of a sudden, from a floating mountain deep within the sacred land, an earth-shattering roar erupted, followed by continuous thunder. Ominous clouds, gathered from an unknown source, enveloped the summit of the great peak. Fierce winds howled, and black mist billowed over the massive peak. All these anomalies occurred in mere moments. Heavenly might descended!

At this moment, cultivators on other floating mountains all felt something and collectively looked in that direction. The souls of lower-level cultivators trembled, and they were panicked, not understanding what was happening.