Chapter 1770: Gray Calamity Thunder

The Mortal Realm

Rumble...

Thunder echoed in his ears.

Dark clouds billowed, and the sky grew dim.

Wind and thunder played in unison, and the earth stretched vast and desolate.

Under the oppressive might of the Heavenly Dao, Qin Sang felt as if he were carrying a mountain.

Qin Sang had driven away all nearby demonic creatures, and the remaining ordinary beings, instinctively sensing mortal danger, fled frantically.

Qin Sang's Daoist robe flapped in the wind. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly, which had landed on his shoulder unnoticed, now fluttered its wings and circled around, finally confirming that no threats to Qin Sang were present nearby.

Qin Sang had already thoroughly scouted the area beforehand.

This was his carefully chosen tribulation site, far from Mount Hemming, located south of the Yellow Spring Path, almost at the edge of Gushan Prefecture. A short distance further south lay the Wicked Plains.

Since the Yellow Spring Path was in the southern part of Gushan Prefecture, and the southern region was far less vast than the northern, it was easily embroiled in war. Therefore, most sects in Gushan Prefecture were situated in the northern part.

There were no sects nearby. Unless someone happened to pass by, true powerhouses would likely not venture into such a remote area.

Whoosh!

The Gray Oriole Sword transformed into a streak of sword light, circling his body.

However, his sword arts would likely have little effect this time; his physical body was his true reliance.

Qin Sang gazed at the tribulation clouds.

His premonition was correct; this Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was extraordinary. Before the tribulation lightning even formed, its oppressive might already far exceeded his expectations.

Fortunately, he hadn't been overconfident. If he hadn't managed to break through before the tribulation arrived, his chances of survival would have been slim.

Rumble...

The tribulation clouds formed at an astonishing speed. As Qin Sang watched them, a strange look appeared in his eyes.

Tribulation lightning was born deep within the clouds, and Qin Sang could already see lightning pythons galloping within them.

But strangely, the lightning pythons were gray.

Gray tribulation lightning!

Qin Sang had previously witnessed silver tribulation lightning from spiritual insects, his own azure tribulation lightning, and Wanderer Yun's azure and golden two-colored tribulation lightning. This was his first time seeing gray tribulation lightning.

As far as he knew, cultivators in this world, like those in the Storm Realm, all experienced azure tribulation lightning, while demon cultivators faced golden tribulation lightning.

At the very least, there was no mention of gray tribulation lightning in any of the ancient texts Qin Sang had collected.

He had no time for further thought; the tribulation lightning had arrived!

Crack!

Lightning cascaded like a waterfall.

Qin Sang had never witnessed such an eerie sight. When the lightning appeared, instead of illuminating the heavens and earth, it deepened the gloom of the void, as if the light itself had been absorbed by the tribulation lightning.

The gray tribulation lightning didn't seem as grand or imposing as previous tribulations, but its violent essence remained unchanged, making it even more formidable and not to be underestimated.

He observed the Buddhas within his mind, forming the heart seal.

Golden light circulated throughout his body, mobilizing his vital essence. Without hesitation, Qin Sang unleashed the Auspicious Seal and the Golden Adamant Heavenly Armor Seal, while simultaneously forming the Demon Slaying Seal with his right hand.

A cultivator of strength must possess the heroism to shatter all obstacles. Qin Sang would not wait for death. He stomped his foot heavily, leaped up, and actively charged towards the tribulation lightning.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was eager to try, but Qin Sang stopped it.

Still unsure of the gray tribulation lightning's nature, Qin Sang dared not let the Heavenly Eye Butterfly directly devour it.

Whoosh!

Qin Sang charged violently towards the sky, his expression solemn. A strange, brilliant light seemed to emerge from his right palm, transforming into a dazzling golden handprint.

Boom!

The moment the lightning and the handprint were about to meet, everything seemed to slow down.

This was an illusion caused by the collision of two immensely powerful forces.

The gray tribulation lightning engulfed Qin Sang, and then a figure was seen plummeting violently towards the ground.

Thud!

The earth trembled, and a deep crater appeared.

Strangely, the tribulation lightning did not pursue its advantage. It froze in mid-air, then shattered inch by inch.

Crack!

The lightning shattered!

The tribulation lightning, incredibly, had been shattered by a single blow from Qin Sang!

Whoosh!

Qin Sang burst out of the deep crater. Gray lightning snaked across his body, some seemingly penetrating his Heavenly Armor and seeping into his internal organs.

His hair disheveled, he seemed oblivious to it all, letting out a roaring laugh, exclaiming in delight, his laughter brimming with immense confidence.

Crack!

The second bolt of tribulation lightning followed.

This time, Qin Sang had fewer reservations. He mentally ordered the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, while once again leaping up to confront the tribulation lightning, though he now used the Altar Shifting Seal.

Unlike the unstoppable Demon Slaying Seal, the Altar Shifting Seal, once cast, seemed to make the space around the handprint sluggish. When the tribulation lightning struck this area, it was momentarily delayed, its momentum slowing down.

This seal could not only target magical artifacts; with Qin Sang's cultivation level, he could also use it to neutralize Daoist spells and divine abilities launched by opponents.

Of course, this seal couldn't imprison the tribulation lightning; it could only impede it for a brief moment.

That brief moment was exactly what Qin Sang needed. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly eagerly charged forward, lightning flashing between its wings. Then, a net of lightning shot out from its wings.

The lightning net closed, enveloping the bolt of tribulation lightning, then swiftly retracted and was consumed by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.

The next moment, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's 'heavenly eye' seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gray mist, its wings tightly folded, and its slender body trembled.

Seeing that the Heavenly Eye Butterfly showed no ill effects, Qin Sang no longer worried about it and focused on confronting the tribulation lightning.

Against a heavenly tribulation, evasive tactics were useless. Thus, Qin Sang hardly used the Lotus Seal, instead alternating between the Demon Slaying Seal and the Altar Shifting Seal.

The thunderclouds churned, and the tribulation lightning seemed endless.

Each bolt of tribulation lightning was more powerful than the last, and Qin Sang's composed expression gradually faded.

Just then.

Outside the tribulation site, at the border of Gushan Prefecture, four figures, three men and one woman, all clad in Daoist robes, flew swiftly through the mountains.

The four had varying cultivation levels, with the woman being the strongest, likely at the late Core Formation stage.

They continuously traversed mountains, seemingly searching for something.

After a long search, a short, stout Daoist priest couldn't help but say, "Senior Sister, we've been searching for so long and still haven't found that spiritual herb. The information must be wrong. If we go any further, we might encounter demon soldiers from the Ghostfang Nation. What if..."

The woman ignored him.

The man in front of the stout Daoist priest turned back and said, "The information came from the Daoist Court, so it should be accurate. That spiritual herb is very important to Senior Sister; we must find it. Junior Brother, don't worry, there's still some distance to the border between the two factions, and it's so remote that even if there are demons, their strength won't be too great."

The stout man nodded. He was reasonable, but after a long and fruitless search, he was getting a bit agitated.

Just then, the woman suddenly stopped.

"Senior Sister, what's wrong?"

Her companions were startled and looked around warily.

The stout Daoist priest was nervous, worried that his senior sister would scold him.

Unexpectedly, the woman suddenly resumed her light-evasion technique, flying off into the distance. Her companions quickly followed.

After flying for a while, the four stopped on a mountaintop, staring blankly ahead.

"Heavenly Tribulation!"

The woman said in a deep voice.

At this moment, they were still a considerable distance from the tribulation site, but they dared not proceed further.

Standing there, they could see the horizon was pitch black, shrouded by dark clouds.

Though far from the tribulation clouds, they could still feel the aura of the heavenly tribulation, sensing their very souls tremble.

"It seems... stronger than Master's heavenly tribulation."

A Daoist priest with a tall crown said tremulously.

The woman remained silent, staring at the tribulation clouds. A trace of doubt flickered in her eyes. She had once observed her sect's elders undergoing tribulation; at that time, the lightning was brilliant, illuminating the heavens, and the might of the heavens was glorious.

But these tribulation clouds were too strange. Only dark clouds churned; there were no conspicuous lightning snakes or electric pythons, just an ominous feeling.

"This..."

The woman was puzzled, doubting her spiritual perception. How could there be such a heavenly tribulation in this world?

Prompted by the woman, the others also reacted, all looking extremely puzzled.

"Senior Sister, should we go closer to observe..."

The high-crowned Daoist priest hadn't finished speaking when the woman abruptly cut him off.

"No!"

The others quickly retracted their words, understanding that their senior sister was right.

Regardless of the type of tribulation lightning, the other party's cultivation level was certainly far beyond theirs. Moreover, undergoing tribulation in the wilderness likely meant someone was guarding them.

If they were discovered, they would all die!

However, this was their first time encountering such a bizarre heavenly tribulation, and it wasn't recorded in any ancient texts. They were too curious, and leaving like this felt somewhat unsatisfying.

The stout Daoist priest's eyes suddenly lit up. "Senior Sister, didn't you bring a Fleeting Glimmer Talisman?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at the woman with anticipation.

The woman hesitated. This talisman could transform into a water mirror, allowing silent observation of distant enemies. She had obtained it from her elders specifically for this herb-hunting expedition.

After a moment of hesitation, the woman decided to use the talisman.

She flipped her delicate wrist, and a shimmering blue spiritual talisman appeared in her palm, immediately followed by the sound of bubbles bursting.

A palm-sized water mirror materialized before the four.

The water mirror reflected the void at the edge of the tribulation clouds.

If it were to project towards the center of the tribulation clouds, it might reveal the person undergoing tribulation. However, with such a high cultivation level, their spiritual perception would undoubtedly be extremely sharp. If they were discovered and attracted pursuit, it would be disastrous.

Just then, the tribulation clouds brewed another wave of lightning.

Gray tribulation lightning flashed into existence within the mirror.

The few people stared blankly at the water mirror.

Though the mirror only reflected an illusory image, they felt as if the tribulation lightning was breaking through the mirror, striking towards them, causing their bodies to stiffen involuntarily.

Crack!

The water mirror seemed unable to withstand the aura of the tribulation lightning, and a crack appeared on its surface.

The woman's expression changed abruptly, and she cried out, "This is bad!"

"Retreat!"

The four fled in a panic.

Even after the tribulation clouds were out of sight, they remained in a dazed state.

"Gray tribulation lightning... such a tribulation actually exists in this world. What a pity we didn't see the person undergoing it..." the high-crowned Daoist priest muttered to himself.

"The world is vast, full of wonders."

The woman quickly regained her composure. "This place is not suitable for prolonged stay. We cannot continue searching for the herb here."

"Right! Right!"

"Let's go!"

At the center of the tribulation clouds, Qin Sang was once again struck down by the lightning.

Even if those people had seen him, they wouldn't have recognized his true form, because Qin Sang had already unleashed the Post-Natal Wooden Man Tablet, transforming into a spiritual wood body.

Anyone unaware would have seen this scene and thought it was an ancient tree spirit being struck by lightning.

The landscape here was utterly devastated, the ground scarred with deep craters everywhere.

Gray lightning tore through the tribulation clouds. The stronger the tribulation lightning's power, the darker and gloomier it became. The oppressive dark clouds blotted out the sky and trapped Qin Sang in this confined area.

Rumble...

Crack!

Countless bolts of lightning wove into a net, electric snakes raining down, all targeting the same spot.

The tree-man's towering body, at this moment, felt a sense of insignificance.

His coarse face showed little expression, only his eyes were bright and full of spirit, devoid of any fear.

Qin Sang's wounds were rapidly healing. Firstly, his spiritual wood body continuously absorbed the surrounding wood spiritual energy. Secondly, his body's inherent powerful regenerative ability made him seem as if he would never weaken.

He leaped high once more.

Unleashing the Seven Master Buddha Seal with his spiritual wood body, its power was even greater.

The Altar Shifting Seal delayed the tribulation lightning, then the Demon Slaying Seal emerged. Qin Sang's palm was like a blade; he actually cleaved the tribulation lightning with a single strike. Part of the lightning was immediately shaken off and swallowed by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly waiting there.

The remaining tribulation lightning either dissipated or heavily struck Qin Sang's body.

Another deep crater was added to the earth, but Qin Sang quickly climbed out of it again.

Within the tribulation clouds, the next wave of lightning was brewing.

Qin Sang appeared lively and vigorous, but his expression was rather solemn. He ordered the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to retreat.

He probably wouldn't be able to look after the Heavenly Eye Butterfly much longer, and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly was nearing its limit after consuming so much tribulation lightning.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

Struck down again and again, he rose to his feet each time.

Qin Sang battled the heavenly tribulation tirelessly.

The surrounding mountains and forests began to wither in large patches. Their wood spiritual energy was absorbed by Qin Sang, and these plants also faced their own tribulation.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Finally, the tribulation clouds dispersed.

The earth was deeply sunken. The final bolt of tribulation lightning split the ground open, creating a canyon out of nowhere.

As the tribulation clouds faded, a coarse hand suddenly reached out from the canyon, gripped the edge, and a figure leaped up.

In a certain courtyard.

The courtyard lacked exotic flowers, strange plants, rockeries, or lotus ponds, making the scenery somewhat monotonous.

Inside the sole wooden building, a dark-skinned, peculiar man sat in meditation, surrounded by silence.

Suddenly, the restriction array outside the courtyard was triggered.

The dark-skinned man awoke, hearing someone outside say, "Reporting to True Person Mo, the master requests your presence."

He rose and walked out of the courtyard, seeing an immortal official from the Heavenly Pivot Court. He nodded slightly and followed the official, soon arriving at a luxurious hall.

The hall doors were open.

The immortal official bowed and withdrew. The dark-skinned man entered the hall, where the Imperial Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace was staring intently at an object in his hand.

"Did I disturb Fellow Daoist Mo's meditation?"

The Imperial Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace smiled and looked up. "Come, take a look at this."

The dark-skinned man stepped forward and saw a palm-sized jade slip in his hand.

Inside the jade slip, an extremely brief image was continuously reappearing.

"This is..."

The dark-skinned man's gaze sharpened.

"You see it? Gray tribulation lightning! Perseverance pays off; we've finally found it."

The Imperial Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace handed the jade slip to the dark-skinned man. "This footage was discovered and recorded by a sect disciple in Gushan Prefecture. Unfortunately, their cultivation level was too low, so they didn't dare to observe the person undergoing tribulation. However, this footage is enough to corroborate the content of the ancient texts: this is the heavenly tribulation that ascending cultivators face! Your companion..."

As he spoke, the Imperial Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace clasped his hands behind his back and looked out of the hall. "Since the tribulation took place in Gushan Prefecture, and the location is closer to us, she should not have joined the Ghostfang Nation yet. However, according to the ancient texts, although gray tribulation lightning offers immense benefits to cultivators from lesser worlds, its power far surpasses ordinary tribulation lightning. If she managed to safely pass this tribulation and hasn't joined the Ghostfang Nation, perhaps she has already been taken in by some fellow Daoist."

The dark-skinned man stared at the jade slip for a long time. "If the ancient texts are true, only cultivators from lesser worlds entering the greater world would face this type of heavenly tribulation, which means this must be the greater world! Why do you say it might not be?"

The Imperial Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace gazed at the sky and calmly said, "Because the Daoist Court has no definitive conclusion! Perhaps, one day, if you and I are able to venture deep into the Wicked Sea and Wicked Plains, and reach the other shore, we will know."