Chapter 1711: Transformation of the Divine (Part 2)

Burning by Netherfire.

Every limb and bone ached; pain was everywhere.

When forming his Nascent Soul, Qin Sang had already acquired the essence blood of the Azure Luan. His *Sky Demon Transformation* technique had advanced to the fourth level, making his physical body stronger than his cultivation realm. This allowed him to pass the Netherfire Tribulation with ease.

Now, however, his body refinement had stagnated, lagging far behind his current cultivation level.

Qin Sang felt as if he had fallen into a sea of fire, assaulted by endless Netherfire. The fire scorched him from his Yongquan acupoint to his Niwan Palace, burning straight through his entire being.

His internal organs were all aflame, none spared.

Even with a simple breath, streams of Netherfire gushed from his seven orifices. The intense flames engulfed his entire body, turning Qin Sang into a man of fire.

Qin Sang's essence blood boiled within him. The Netherfire burned through his flesh and bones, penetrating deep into his marrow.

If he couldn't withstand it, the outcome would be his organs turning to ash and his limbs decaying.

Waves of pain assailed him ceaselessly. The Netherfire seemed eternal, endless, burning him until nothing but ashes remained. The legendary tortures of a fiery hell couldn't be worse.

Enduring wave after wave of agony, Qin Sang's mind remained self-possessed. He forced himself to ignore the pain, activated his cultivation method, and circulated the *Sky Demon Transformation*. He was actually attempting to temper his body using the Netherfire!

Whoosh!

Phoenix wings unfurled behind his back, then were also engulfed by the Netherfire.

Veins bulged on Qin Sang's forehead, but he remained focused, concentrating solely on circulating his energy.

As his technique moved through his body, even more ferocious pain surged forth, as if he were being sliced open by sharp knives, his skin, flesh, bones, and meridians separated, then cut into fine threads and minced into fragments.

Under the relentless assault of pain, Qin Sang's expression gradually became numb. Once he ascertained that the Netherfire Tribulation wouldn't threaten his life, Qin Sang, with audacious daring, controlled the tribulation formation to reduce its power, aiming for a better body-tempering effect.

The Jade Buddha could dispel heart demons, so he only needed to contend with the Three Calamities, which allowed him to be so bold.

Heavenly tribulations were a fatal threat, yet also a rare and precious opportunity. However, most cultivators faced them with trepidation, and only a select few exceptionally gifted individuals had any remaining strength.

But they lacked a tribulation formation and dared not be so presumptuous. They couldn't, like Qin Sang, adjust the tribulation's power to a certain extent based on their own condition to achieve the best tempering effect.

After an unknown period, the pain suddenly began to recede.

Qin Sang regained his focus, realizing that the Netherfire showed signs of weakening.

"The Netherfire Tribulation is about to end..."

A thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind, and he quickly scanned his entire body.

Aside from the tribulation formation, he hadn't used any protective measures. He had relied solely on his physical body to endure the Netherfire Tribulation and, as expected, had sustained considerable injuries.

However, it was certain that his physical body had benefited greatly from the Netherfire's calcination. The extent of the improvement would only be clear after the tribulation had passed, when he had time to assess it.

As the Netherfire receded, Qin Sang gathered his thoughts, settled into meditation, and awaited the arrival of the next heavenly tribulation.

The Wind Tribulation arrived as expected, instantly tearing his Yin-Yang Armor to shreds.

This time, Qin Sang made a different choice than when facing the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation. He deliberately opened the Jade Buddha's barrier, allowing the tribulation wind to scour his Primordial Spirit.

Firstly, he had no concern about heart demons. Secondly, since the *Fire Seed Golden Lotus* couldn't absorb the Southern Brightness Departing Fire, his divine sense cultivation might stagnate until he found a suitable spiritual flame in the future. He couldn't miss any opportunity for improvement.

The tribulation wind felt like a steel blade scraping bone, blowing across every inch of his Primordial Spirit. The pain his physical body had just endured now reappeared in his Primordial Spirit, and it was even more intense!

Qin Sang noticed something: though both were Divine Transformation Heavenly Tribulations, the power of the Wind Tribulation was clearly greater than that of the Netherfire Tribulation!

He recalled that the Nascent Soul Tribulation had a similar pattern: the Thunder Tribulation among the Three Calamities was stronger than the first two. Cultivators aiming for the Nascent Soul realm primarily guarded against the Thunder Tribulation and heart demons. Cloud Roamer, in fact, had perished under the dual-colored lightning tribulation.

He still had the mental capacity to think because he already possessed divine sense at the Divine Transformation level. His Primordial Spirit's ability to resist the calamities far surpassed his physical body's.

"Netherfire burning the body, tribulation wind eroding the soul... Do the Three Calamities correspond to essence, qi, and spirit? For Nascent Soul, refining essence into qi brings down the Thunder Tribulation, and refining qi into spirit involves the tribulation wind's baptism. So, when refining spirit into void, will the Netherfire Tribulation also become stronger?"

Qin Sang thus linked this to his own cultivation path: "Because I obtained the *Fire Seed Golden Lotus* and elevated my divine sense before reaching Divine Transformation, I greatly benefited during the interaction between heaven and man, progressing far faster than my peers. If, based on the patterns of the Three Calamities, strengthening my physical body could also have a miraculous effect when breaking through to the Void Refinement realm?"

This thought flashed through his mind.

It was a critical moment during the tribulation, and Void Refinement was still far off for him. Qin Sang didn't dwell on it further, but a seed had been planted in his heart, to be verified later.

Calming his complicated thoughts, Qin Sang maintained his internal focus, allowing the tribulation wind to scour his Primordial Spirit.

Enduring the knife-like pain, his Primordial Spirit was tempered. Though it didn't undergo as great a transformation as his physical body, which achieved great metamorphosis through destruction and rebirth, it still saw a significant improvement.

Throughout this process, Qin Sang remained protected by the tribulation formation.

The Ice-Fire Tokens circled and rotated, leaving illusory token images in the void, their red and blue lights flickering erratically. However, under Qin Sang's control, their luster was somewhat dimmer than before, and the power they displayed was less than during the Netherfire Tribulation.

As expected, the Wind Tribulation was successfully overcome.

Rumble...

Dark clouds gathered high in the sky, and heavenly thunder rumbled.

Shen Chen and the Pluto Guard outside all looked up at the thick, dark clouds.

"Two of the Three Calamities have passed!"

Several Pluto Guards had complex expressions.

There were no unusual phenomena at the center of the heavenly tribulation. Their master had passed two calamities, seemingly with ease, so the Thunder Tribulation was probably nothing to him.

However, passing the Three Calamities didn't mean one could achieve Divine Transformation. As the saying goes, "ninety li is but half of a hundred li journey" – the Heart Demon Tribulation was the biggest hurdle.

Over countless years, countless cultivators had fallen into weakness after fiercely resisting the Three Calamities, only to be infiltrated by heart demons while vulnerable and completely succumb. There was a vivid example just a hundred years ago, which was deeply regrettable.

They didn't know whether to hope for their master's success or failure.

If their master succeeded and kept his promise to release them from the Pluto Seal, it might be a stroke of good fortune, exchanging centuries of servitude for eventual peace and prosperity.

Shen Chen, naturally, hoped his master would succeed in transcending the tribulation.

He had originally been free and unconstrained, but due to a magical artifact, he was forcibly taken as a disciple by his master. He had once believed his future was bleak and wallowed in self-pity, only to unexpectedly soar. Not only had he achieved the Nascent Soul realm himself, but he was also about to become a Divine Transformation disciple!

The turns of fate in life were indeed unpredictable.

Whenever he recalled the experiences of these past years, Shen Chen felt as if he were in a dream.

CRACK!

A thunderous bolt of lightning, shaking the heavens, interrupted everyone's thoughts.

Dazzling lightning dispelled the gloom, bathing the world in a silvery white.

The might of the heavenly thunder struck fear into everyone's hearts, leaving them utterly terrified.

On Deer Wilderness Peak.

A black light flashed between Qin Sang's eyebrows. The layers of fiery lotus petals unfurled, transforming into a flaming dragon that rose against the heavenly thunder, its aura no less impressive!

BOOM!

The silver serpent and black dragon collided high in the sky. Alongside an earth-shattering roar, terrifying energy spread outwards, forming a silver-black millstone above Qin Sang's head, emanating a wild aura and immense pressure.

Inside, red and blue lights flickered, and the shadows of tokens continuously appeared.

"The Thunder Tribulation is very strong!"

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes slightly. The power of the Thunder Tribulation was comparable to the Wind Tribulation he had just experienced; it hadn't diminished.

When he broke through to Void Refinement in the future, if the Netherfire Tribulation increased to the same level as the other two calamities, that might truly be the 'Three Calamities' in their full form!

Now it remained to be seen if the Thunder Tribulation would undergo another transformation. This was also Qin Sang's greatest concern, and the reason he had painstakingly refined the tribulation formation was precisely to guard against it.

The Sun God Tree had already been summoned by Qin Sang and placed beside him, as a precaution against any unexpected events.

BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!

Thunder roared, shaking heaven and earth, and all living creatures in the wilderness prostrated themselves.

Tribulation lightning rained down, wave after wave, piercing the void and descending vertically!

Qin Sang's expression was serious, his hand seals changing rapidly. At times, he would command the demonic fire to actively meet the lightning; at other times, he would retract the demonic fire into the Mani Pearl, manifesting a fierce fire barrier to withstand the tribulation lightning directly.

At the same time, a sword light hovered beside him.

The Golden Sinking Sword occasionally slashed out with sword light, shattering the tribulation lightning.

Even more remarkably, a beautiful butterfly rested on Qin Sang's chest, swimming seemingly contentedly in the sea of thunder, slowly flapping its wings and actually devouring the tribulation lightning!

It couldn't yet help Qin Sang resist the heavenly tribulation, but its speed of devouring the lightning was increasing with each attempt.

The secret of the Heaven's Eye Butterfly could not be revealed.

As soon as the Thunder Tribulation began, his avatar guarded the vicinity of Deer Wilderness, strictly ordering everyone, including Shen Chen, not to approach. They could only obey, continuing to patrol from a distance, judging Qin Sang's tribulation progress by observing the changes in the tribulation clouds.

Between heaven and earth.

Streaks of tribulation lightning hung high like bolts of silk, and green lightning filled the sky like a forest.

The tribulation formation, as well as the ice pillars and fire beads, shook, flickering on and off. The Ice-Fire Tokens rotating around Qin Sang developed cracks, groaning under the unbearable strain.

After one heavenly tribulation, all forty-nine Ice-Fire Tokens were destroyed!

Qin Sang ignored the Ice-Fire Tokens, sensing the changes in the true essence within his body, and looked up at the tribulation clouds.

Although the tribulation lightning was strong, Qin Sang sustained no damage under the dual defense of the demonic fire and fierce fire barrier. Observing the tribulation clouds closely, he noticed that the lightning power within them was starting to gather, indicating, based on past experience, that the strongest bolt of tribulation lightning was being brewed!

"The power of the Thunder Tribulation seems... to have no abnormalities, which means I've been acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao of this world!"

Qin Sang watched the constantly twisting and changing tribulation clouds, finally dispelling the hidden worries in his heart. His gaze sharpened slightly. He didn't use the Sun God Tree. Instead, he formed hand seals, and the demonic fire, which had been entwined with the tribulation lightning, rolled back and disappeared into the Mani Pearl.

The fierce fire barrier protected his body, and the Ice-Fire Tokens spun rapidly on its surface.

At the same time, the remaining lightning power in the tribulation clouds gathered into the strongest bolt of tribulation lightning, forming a thick pillar of lightning. A vast green light radiated, drawing in the dense heaven and earth spiritual energy, so rich it caused a spiritual tide, submerging Qin Sang and Deer Wilderness Peak!

Shen Chen and the Pluto Guards stared intently in the direction of Deer Wilderness, eager to know the outcome.

The moment the tribulation clouds dispersed.

Qin Sang's true body and his avatar simultaneously broke into smiles.

Fortunately, with the Jade Buddha, having passed the Three Calamities meant he had effectively broken through to the next realm.

The next moment, the smile on Qin Sang's face abruptly froze.

At the instant the Three Calamities were completed, he not only experienced the infusion of primordial energy but also approached the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. In the unseen realm, he gained many insights, his perception of the world became clearer, and he was stepping into the ranks of Divine Transformation.

Without a heart demon tribulation, everything should have proceeded smoothly.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, a strange demonic sound suddenly pierced his ears. The sound carried endless madness, its source unclear, yet it was incredibly distinct.

A piercing shriek? A roaring howl? A whispered murmur?

The demonic sound was too chaotic, filled with unimaginable madness and containing immense terror. Qin Sang had never heard such a sound in his entire life.

Just hearing the sound sent a chill down Qin Sang's spine, filling him with horror!

"Heart Demon Tribulation!"

Qin Sang's first reaction was that the Jade Buddha's ability had reached its limit, unable to suppress his heart demon tribulation, and the demonic sound might be a manifestation of heart demons.

However, he didn't panic because of this.

After several centuries of cultivation, though Qin Sang hadn't specifically refined his mind, he believed his mental fortitude wouldn't be too poor; at the very least, it wouldn't be easily shattered. Furthermore, even if the Jade Buddha couldn't completely suppress the heart demon tribulation, it certainly had a calming effect on his mind, still giving him a unique advantage compared to others.

But Qin Sang soon realized something was wrong.

It seemed... the demonic sound wasn't coming from a heart demon tribulation!

He was perfectly lucid, his perception of the outside world exceptionally clear. More importantly, although he sensed madness within the demonic sound, he wasn't affected by it; his mind remained clear.

It was like someone nagging him annoyingly in his ear; he could simply ignore it, and his mind wouldn't be infected by the madness.

Although Qin Sang hadn't experienced a heart demon tribulation himself, he had read descriptions of it by predecessors in various ancient texts. They had encountered all sorts of illusions during their heart demon tribulations, some even experiencing several cycles of reincarnation within these illusions before transcending!

But no one's heart demon tribulation was as bizarre as his.

To not exploit his mental weaknesses, such as obsessions or regrets, but instead just utter a few strange cries in his ear and expect his consciousness to sink into oblivion? The Heavenly Dao of this world would be too ridiculous!

"Could it be..."

Qin Sang repeatedly examined himself and finally confirmed that this was very likely not his own heart demon tribulation, but rather...

Qin Sang abruptly looked up, gazing into the depths of the firmament.

Eliminating all other possibilities, only one remained. Even if it was absurd and incredible, Qin Sang had no choice but to believe it.

The next moment, Shen Chen and the others heard his avatar's low shout: "Retreat quickly!"

The shout was exceptionally solemn.

Everyone had an ominous premonition, but even more so, they were confused.

The fact that the avatar could issue orders at this point meant Qin Sang's true body had already broken free from heart demons and successfully advanced. Why were the tone and command so strange?

Daring not to think further, everyone quickly returned to Deer Wilderness as ordered. Before they could even get a clear view of the main peak, they felt the ground tremble. The Deer Wilderness Grand Formation reactivated, vanishing into the void and rapidly fleeing into the distance.

The avatar stood on Deer Wilderness Peak, his expression serious, looking north. At his feet was the now powerless tribulation formation; his true body was nowhere to be seen.

At this moment.

Qin Sang's true body had already manifested phoenix wings, holding nothing back, flying north at his fastest speed.

He still couldn't believe that speculation, wondering if his bad luck had led him to choose the wrong place for his tribulation, awakening an unknown dormant entity nearby and causing calamity.

His true body and avatar fled in separate directions, just in case.

A streak of lightning streaked through the mountains, appearing beyond the range of peaks in a few blinks, soaring over layers of mountains, rivers, and wild lands, faster than a meteor.

Qin Sang was already at the Divine Transformation realm, and his escape speed had also increased. However, he was in no mood to examine the changes in his body; he was desperate to understand what the demonic sound was.

The scenery of forests, mountains, and wilderness receded behind him.

He continued to flee until he was ten thousand li away from the tribulation site.

The demonic sound persisted, showing no signs of weakening.

Whoosh!

Qin Sang flew all the way into the North Sea, landing on an uninhabited island, his expression fluctuating.

It was now certain: the demonic sound affected not just that specific area, but at least the entire Northern Barrens. Only Divine Transformation cultivators, in communion with heaven and earth, could "hear" it!

My sincere thanks to the venerable Qizhi Youzou for the 'Silver Alliance' patronage!

I'm now a man with 'Silver Alliance' patronage!