Chapter 1851: Thunder Soldier Raid

"It is indeed more powerful than the Golden Body Tribulation!" Zhang Xuan looked up at the sky, his expression serene.

Having experienced the myriad forms of life, his mental state had advanced. Though the thunder before him crushed the heavens and earth, threatening to tear him to pieces, it could not shake his fundamental resolve.

"Let's try it!" A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as an idea struck him. His witch soul lightly flickered and entered his physical body.

"What is the Guild Master doing?" Ancient Sage Mo Ling felt his mind reeling.

The other party's breakthrough was currently only for his witch soul, while his physical body remained at the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm. By re-entering his body, he was essentially drawing the heavenly tribulation directly to himself, risking his physical body being shattered and immediate death.

"He must be trying to use the pressure of the Ancient Sage Tribulation to temper his physical body and true qi, to see if he can break through to that realm!" Emperor Chen Yong's eyes narrowed in shock. The fundamental reason for his current strength was his extreme dedication in his youth, surviving countless life-threatening situations to achieve what he had. He believed that only by daring to fight could one win. However, compared to the young master, his own struggles paled in comparison! Given his talent, breaking through to Ancient Sage was merely a matter of time; there was no need for such drastic measures. Yet, he chose this extreme method! Using the pressure of the Ancient Sage Tribulation, he was forcing his physical body and true qi to break through. The slightest misstep could result in his death and the loss of his cultivation – there was absolutely no room for error. It was utterly insane!

In an instant, both warring factions were captivated by the scene unfolding before them, completely forgetting their battle.

*Boom!* As the witch soul entered the physical body, his true qi surged, and his body swelled. Two more massive dark clouds materialized, merging with the one already present. Heavenly fire and lightning rained down like meteors, striking relentlessly. Black flames burned fiercely, swiftly engulfing Zhang Xuan's entire form. This was Supreme Heavenly Fire! And it appeared even more potent than the last time, during the Golden Body Realm, with a higher temperature. Ordinary Ancient Sage supreme treasures would be incapable of resisting it.

"Power of Ancient Sage!" Zhang Xuan roared as the scroll reopened, and the power of Ancient Sage surged into his body. In an instant, the essence blood throughout his body seemed to ignite. Both sweat and blood evaporated simultaneously in the scorching environment. *Crack! Crack!* His skin and muscles charred, developing bloody fissures. His physical body and true qi had not yet begun their breakthrough; no matter how strong, they were still only at the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm. Forcibly enduring the Ancient Sage Tribulation, especially one that surpassed ordinary cultivators', was simply unbearable. If it weren't for the constant nourishment from his Heavenly Dao True Qi, he would likely have already shattered into fragments.

"Is it not working?" Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain coursing through his body. He was aware of the Ancient Sage Tribulation's power. The reason he allowed his witch soul to re-enter his physical body, as Emperor Chen Yong surmised, was to use the immense pressure of the lightning to facilitate a breakthrough in his true qi cultivation as well. Others knew that his cultivation was virtually unhindered, and his progress was astonishingly rapid. Becoming an Ancient Sage was merely a matter of time. Barring unforeseen circumstances, he was certain to achieve this breakthrough within a century. An Ancient Sage around a hundred years old would undoubtedly rank among the highest, whether on the Master Teacher Continent or among the Spirit Tribe. But... he couldn't wait that long! He needed to find Luo Ruoxi and demand an explanation directly from her. There was no time to lose. Therefore, even if it meant taking risks or facing possible death, he would not hesitate!

*Rumble!* The lightning and heavenly fire continued their assault. Zhang Xuan felt as if he had been confined within an alchemy furnace; his physical body was being destroyed, his true qi dissipating, and he was rapidly approaching his limit.

"Ancient Sage Blood!" He opened his mouth wide. *Whoosh!* Ancient Sage blood poured into his body as if it were limitless, replenishing his depleted energy and sustaining his life.

"Continue the assault!" The scenes of the Demonic Enigmatic Sabre, Yuan Tao, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear breaking through to Ancient Sage flashed in his mind. Why was their breakthrough so easy, yet his so difficult? His body swayed, and he lunged into the ominous clouds.

"He's insane, absolutely insane..." Ancient Sage Huoxu trembled uncontrollably. The Saint Beast clan inherently possessed powerful bloodlines and physical bodies. Despite this, even they dared not charge into the lightning to confront it when breaking through to Ancient Sage. Yet, this master, who was only at the Great Sage level, was doing exactly that. Did he think he wasn't dying fast enough? Though becoming an Ancient Sage was powerful, losing one's life for it was utterly not worth it!

*Rip!* The ominous clouds in the sky seemed to sense the provocation and began to rage. A bolt of lightning slashed through space, tearing open a pitch-black fissure. Immediately afterward, more and more lightning accumulated within the fissure, and flames incessantly burned upon it, gradually solidifying. From a distance, it resembled a colossal saber suspended in mid-air.

"It's the Lightning Weapon Tribulation! This is said to be a catastrophe that only appears when one breaks through to Ancient Sage Fourth Layer and shatters the void. How could it be here..." Emperor Chen Yong's face turned ashen, his heart pounding in his throat. As the foremost emperor of the Spirit Tribe, and with his formidable ancestor's insights, he had read texts concerning breakthroughs to the Ancient Sage Fourth Layer. It was said that reaching this realm required experiencing the Lightning Weapon Tribulation, where heavenly fire and lightning would materialize and transform into divine weapons. Each move would shatter heaven and earth, allowing one to regenerate from a single drop of blood at their peak. Even if he had encountered this tribulation at his own peak, he would have been effortlessly split in two and killed instantly. The Young Master... was only attempting to break through to Ancient Sage, so how could he have summoned this?

"It's over..." Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Huoxu were too terrified to speak. Although they didn't know what the Lightning Weapon Tribulation was, the gigantic saber formed by lightning and heavenly fire in the sky was certainly not something their strength could contend with. Even a mere glance caused their minds to reel, almost unbearable.

Emperor Chen Ling, atop the altar, fearfully ceased absorbing power. Even the black hole seemed to exhibit a degree of reverence, involuntarily shrinking. Such power, born of heaven and earth, instilled awe in all who witnessed it.

"A normal witch soul breakthrough wouldn't generate such a powerful tribulation. My physical body and true qi simultaneously enduring it has enraged it, making it equivalent to confronting three lightning tribulations..." Zhang Xuan's scalp prickled. Zhang Hongtian and Ancient Sage Yan Qing had both told him that the more times one attempted to break through to Ancient Sage, the greater their future achievements would be. Back then, Master Kong had attempted it four times, only choosing to break through on his fifth try. Yuan Tao had also attempted it once, later deliberately lowering his cultivation and choosing not to succeed. His witch soul had drawn the lightning. Normally, simply releasing his witch soul would count as one lightning tribulation. However, with his physical body now having charged in, and both his physical body and true qi deliberately provoking the power, it was equivalent to three lightning tribulations stacked together, which was why such a powerful divine weapon had appeared. If he could overcome it, it would be equivalent to breaking through to Ancient Sage three times at once, immensely benefiting his physical body, true qi, and witch soul. If he failed, he would simply perish, his cultivation utterly destroyed. This was undoubtedly a dangerous gambit, employing the most extreme method.

"Let's try it! I don't believe I can't succeed..." He roared, clenching his fists, and charged directly towards the divine saber suspended in the air.

*Whoosh!* The colossal saber also swayed gently, cleaving through the air. As Zhang Xuan's fist neared, an immense oppressive force swept over him, causing cracks to appear on his palm. Blood flowed, and his muscles seemed to be instantly peeled away, exposing the stark white bones beneath.