Chapter 406: Heavenly Tribulation and the Four Extremes

This was an ocean of lightning, with electric currents surging down like a tide of thunderbolts, shattering everything in their path. The intensity was immense, bathing the world in a vast expanse of purple.

"Boom!" The thunder was so deafening it seemed to pierce eardrums and shatter souls. Connecting heaven and earth, it was immensely vast, like the Milky Way pouring down from the nine heavens, as if millions of colossal stars were crashing to the ground.

The void itself was torn apart, left in ruins, but it was quickly engulfed by the overwhelming lightning. Dazzling electric currents filled every inch of space.

"Boom!" Earth-shattering thunder and surging purple lightning, like a vast river, created a world of pure electricity. This was a world capable of destroying everything, filling onlookers with dread and making their hair stand on end.

Ye Fan was undergoing a breakthrough, and a heavenly tribulation descended to impede his progress, astounding everyone. Even from afar, the sight was terrifying. Spectators struggled to imagine the ordeal Ye Fan was facing within that purple sea, and they all opened their spiritual eyes to watch.

The purple sea of thunder engulfed the Dragon Transformation Pond, symbolizing the will of heaven and earth, capable of obliterating all life and making souls tremble involuntarily.

Within the purple sea, Ye Fan's skin was torn open, his body charred black, and faint golden blood flowed as he endured unimaginable injuries. Despite being heavily wounded, his vitality surged; there was no hint of defeat. Instead, he faced the sky defiantly, fighting back with all his might.

The onlookers were aghast. The Saint Body's physical resilience was terrifying; an ordinary person would likely be reduced to ashes by a single lightning bolt, yet Ye Fan was battling within that vast purple ocean.

"Boom!" Another incredibly intense wave of thunder struck, burying Ye Fan beneath it. Countless lightning bolts hammered his body, splattering faint golden blood, and his bones audibly creaked.

"This is too horrifying," someone exclaimed, "Any creature would be pulverized!"

Another added, "Since ancient times, few have encountered heavenly tribulation when breaking through. The Saint Body truly rivals a heaven-defying prodigy."

But what astonished everyone most was that Ye Fan was not shattered; he endured it all, still standing unyielding and resilient within the sea of thunder.

Although heavenly tribulations had been rare since ancient times, everyone understood the legends: outsiders could not interfere, as it would only provoke an even more devastating lightning tribulation. By the Dragon Transformation Pond, many powerful figures were gathered – Daoist Red Dragon, the Peacock King, the Azure Dragon King, elders of the Wind Clan, and even the unparalleled Divine King – but none dared to offer assistance. To do so would not only fail to save Ye Fan but would also subject them to a relentless and deadly tribulation.

As the lightning flashed, even Ye Fan's mighty body became battered and broken. It was almost pierced through, many wounds exposing bone, and much faint golden blood flowed.

"It's the Nine-Character Heavenly Tribulation…" The crowd gasped in horror. Ye Fan's first stage of tribulation had been a terrifying thunderbolt formed by nine electric currents, which he had withstood purely with his physical body. The second stage was this purple sea, with a total of nine waves of thunder. He had only endured three or four so far, and almost no one believed he could survive the rest.

From the shadows, the Black Dog secretly cried out, "Kid, hold on! Undergoing a lightning tribulation like this is rare since ancient times, and it will bring immense benefits to your future cultivation!"

Ye Fan remained silent; he had no energy to spare for distractions. The slightest misstep would reduce him to dust, and all would be lost. At that moment, his entire body was wracked with excruciating pain. Lightning bolts had pierced his flesh in many places; any other cultivator would have been utterly annihilated, leaving not even ashes behind.

"Boom!" Another wave of thunder arrived, shaking heaven and earth. Ten thousand feet of purple light coiled around him, piercing through the sky and ground, like countless earth-shattering great dragons soaring into the air. The Universal Mother Qi Cauldron bobbed above Ye Fan's head, enduring the tribulation alongside him. Fiercely struck by the purple sea, it was covered in countless electric marks, leaving behind innate patterns. People held their breath, watching in silent awe.

The fifth, then the sixth wave— People were astonished to realize that Ye Fan was rapidly approaching the ninth wave of thunder, seemingly about to break through. Everyone was utterly shocked. The ninth wave arrived as scheduled, with countless lightning rays. Purple became the sole color in the world, and Ye Fan, like a lone duckweed in a tsunami, was instantly swallowed.

"Boom!" Endless lightning and blazing divine light made the world as bright as day, dazzling and brilliant, like an unbounded inferno fiercely burning, causing the void to collapse.

"Buzz." Finally, the void trembled, the immense purple sea vanished, and the world instantly fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Clang!" A resonant tremor broke the silence as the Cauldron of Universal Mother Qi crashed to the ground. People were filled with doubt, unsure if Ye Fan was alive or dead. By the Dragon Transformation Pond, a figure stood motionless, utterly charred black, indistinguishable from charcoal.

"Did he overcome the tribulation?" someone whispered.

"No, there's no life left," another countered, "His form is withered."

"This is... the Saint Body has fallen."

A clamor of voices rose as many cultivators discussed, everyone perceiving that the charred body had lost all vitality.

"Thud!" Ye Fan toppled straight down, his charred form resembling scorched charcoal, almost completely withered.

"He's dead! He actually failed!"

"The Saint Body curse truly can't be broken," someone lamented, "No one has been an exception for over a hundred thousand years."

"He was so close to success, only to perish like this."

The world erupted in a cacophony of reactions: some were sympathetic, others gloated. Many major powers, however, let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Pop!" Suddenly, a soft sound emanated from in front of the Dragon Transformation Pond, and the charred, charcoal-like body stirred. Ye Fan slowly rose. Though his entire body was scorched black, his eyes were remarkably clear, gleaming with divine light. Then, a cracking sound echoed as his skin began to fissure. A layer of charred old skin peeled away, revealing sparkling, pristine new flesh.

"He's not dead!"

"The lightning has purified his body, granting him new life in the purple sea! His physique must be even mightier now!"

Everyone was aghast, utterly stunned that Ye Fan had survived. As the charred old skin flaked away, Ye Fan's reborn body, bathed in lightning, shimmered with precious radiance, brimming with immense power. His eyes were clear, his black hair fluttered, and dressed in white, he appeared like an immortal spirit revived.

Everyone was utterly stunned. The Saint Body was unharmed—did this mean he had successfully completed his breakthrough? As the onlookers gaped, only the little golden creature remained lively. The heavenly tribulation had scared it away earlier, but now that the calm returned, it quickly scurried back, absorbing all the surrounding source energy.

Ye Fan felt the changes within himself. His physical body had undoubtedly succeeded in its breakthrough, yet he couldn't manifest any phenomena. He felt as if something was still missing.

"Why is this happening? Has the curse not been broken?" he murmured to himself, clenching his fists. His vital energy was like a vast sea, possessing endless divine power, yet there was no natural sense of alignment. Entering the Four Extremities Secret Realm should involve comprehending the order of heaven and earth and imprinting oneself into the void, bringing various miraculous changes, but he couldn't sense any of it.

"Ah, where is my spirit…?" Ye Fan realized. He hadn't fully resonated with the Great Dao, gaining no deep insights. Everything that had just happened was experienced solely by his physical body; his divine sense had not undergone the tribulation's baptism and thus hadn't achieved complete integration.

"Buzz!" Suddenly, everyone's hearts pounded, feeling a choking sensation, almost unable to breathe. People gasped in horror, compelled to look up at the high heavens. Thunder rumbled, as if a thousand troops and ten thousand horses were charging down. The little golden creature immediately darted away.

"Watch out!" the Black Dog secretly yelled. "You've got the worst luck for eight lifetimes! You've encountered an extremely terrifying heavenly tribulation! There will definitely be five stages, and each stage will have nine minor tribulations."

"There's more…" Ye Fan's eyes gleamed with divine light as he gazed up at the starry sky. He had already gone through two stages, a total of eighteen minor tribulations, but the tribulation was far from over.

"Boom!" Thunder descended. This time, it wasn't a sea of lightning, but nine illusory figures, interwoven with electric light, like nine deities!

"What are those? How can there be living beings formed from thunder?" Everyone was dumbfounded. The nine figures were formed by lightning, some resembling humans, some true dragons, and others bird-beasts, fish, or insects—each distinct.

"Does the vast world truly possess a will, giving birth to immortal gods?!" Many cultivators were horrified.

"They are not gods; they are merely interwoven forces of lightning, a type of terrifying heavenly tribulation," a Holy Lord calmly clarified. Various ancient texts offered different explanations, but ancient sages believed that lightning tribulations arose from the interaction between heaven and man, closely related to the individual undergoing the tribulation.

"Boom!" As everyone discussed, Ye Fan had already fallen into an even greater ordeal, entangled with one of the illusory figures, almost in a full-blown battle. This time, not only his physical body was undergoing tribulation, but his divine sense also surged forth, accepting the lightning's baptism and enduring pain akin to being pulverized.

The first human-shaped figure was finally destroyed, but a second great roar followed. It was a divine phoenix, diving down with crimson thunder. Lightning transformed into living creatures possessed unimaginable power, far more terrifying than the sea of thunder! Ye Fan was enveloped by the divine phoenix. His powerful divine sense was refined, turning into a blazing beam of light, almost burning. He was in extreme pain but endured it.

The third, then the fourth… Deity-like figures charged forth one after another. There would be nine such tribulations. Ye Fan's physical body and divine sense were undergoing tribulation simultaneously. If he persevered without dying, it would be a baptism akin to a phoenix's rebirth. If he couldn't withstand it, he would be annihilated forever, turning to dust and smoke. At the same time, his cauldron was also enduring all these impacts, with even more innate patterns forming upon it.

"Boom!" With a final, massive crash, the ninth figure, resembling an Immortal King, charged down, sending Ye Fan flying. He was then quickly caught and submerged by endless lightning. He was swallowed by the Immortal King, causing everyone to exclaim in alarm and watch with intense apprehension.

"Puff!" The Immortal King was torn apart, and the lightning completely vanished. The world grew calm again, and Ye Fan's divine sense shone like a golden sun, incredibly brilliant. After the lightning tribulation's baptism, his divine sense was distinctly different, imbued with an almost divine aura. Ye Fan understood; it was true. His divine consciousness had captured the traces of the Great Dao within the lightning. Holding a Bodhi seed, he gained many insights, feeling he was about to completely break into the Four Extremities Secret Realm.

"Watch out, kid! The utterly unreasonable Chaotic Thunder has arrived!" shrieked the Black Dog. Nine great bolts of thunder descended from the sky, each with a wisp of chaotic energy flowing within, giving off an aura of the primordial era of creation!

"It really is Chaotic Thunder! Although each is just a wisp, it's boundlessly terrifying!" The Holy Lords' expressions changed, and their eyes took on a strange glint. The immortal dynasties of Central Province and the unparalleled figures from the Hundred Schools of Thought were also deeply moved.

"Before ancient emperors forged sacred weapons, they would always baptize the sacred objects with endless Chaotic Thunder!" Many elders looked on enviously, knowing that refining weapons with these nine wisps of chaotic thunder energy would undoubtedly bestow endless wondrous uses, elevating the quality of divine weapons. But Ye Fan intended to use it to refine his body. Just imagining it filled people with dread. What kind of ordeal would this be?

"Boom!" The first terrifying thunderbolt struck, almost pulverizing Ye Fan's physical body. The wisp of chaotic thunder energy within it was far too horrifying! He was covered in blood, his bones creaked, his divine sense shattered, and the cauldron was heavily scarred. He was riddled with injuries, tottering, almost unable to stand. However, Ye Fan's will was like iron. His divine sense quickly gathered, forming an ancient pagoda, absorbing that wisp of chaotic energy and rapidly refining it.

Marks of the Dao! Innate Great Dao patterns were born within the chaotic thunder energy, making his body and mind ethereal. His injuries then rapidly recovered, as if he were reborn from fire.

"Boom!" The second great thunderbolt fell, almost tearing him limb from limb, but he ultimately endured it.

"Boom!" The third chaotic thunderbolt descended, and Ye Fan let out a long howl, his physical body, divine sense, and cauldron all vibrating as he faced the sky.

When the seventh lightning bolt fell, Ye Fan was almost disintegrated, a horrific sight. It was more terrifying than all previous tribulations combined. His bones were stark white, and his faint golden blood was almost dry. But he still laboriously gathered his divine sense, transforming it into a bell, stabilizing that wisp of chaotic energy, allowing it to circulate between his divine consciousness, body, and cauldron.

"Boom!" The eighth lightning bolt struck, further worsening Ye Fan's injuries. He was almost reduced to pulp, most of his bones shattered, yet he still held on. His shattered divine sense gathered, forming a cauldron, sealing that wisp of chaotic energy. He comprehended the Great Dao imprint, using it to repair his physical body and divine sense, while simultaneously baptizing the Universal Mother Qi Cauldron.

"Pop!" Finally, the last chaotic lightning bolt descended, piercing Ye Fan's body in dozens of places, almost tearing him into several pieces. Yet, he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious, not to faint. His divine sense reformed, becoming a radiant figure like an Immortal King; upon closer inspection, it was himself. His divine sense, transformed into an Immortal King, sat cross-legged in the void, embracing that wisp of chaotic energy, nourishing itself, constantly recovering and growing stronger.

"Crack, crack!" Ye Fan's bones creaked as his physical body began to recover. His divine sense, like a golden sun, soared with light, hovering before his brow. Meanwhile, the Universal Mother Qi Cauldron hovered above his head, bobbing up and down, trailing strands of profound yellow energy that appeared hazy and full of Dao charm.

"Whoosh!" The nine wisps of chaotic thunder energy circled around Ye Fan's body, like nine small dragons continuously coiling and dancing, then entering his sea of consciousness, and finally merging into the cauldron. At this moment, the aura of the primordial era permeated, as if the heavens and earth were being created, giving him an ineffable feeling. His mind and body were serene, filled with peace and emptiness.

The nine wisps of chaotic thunder energy all contained traces of the Great Dao. Ye Fan continuously comprehended them, then began to refine the nine energies! His divine consciousness transformed into a sitting Immortal King, floating before his brow. The cauldron hung above his head, and his physical body sat cross-legged in the void.

"Buzz!" The void trembled as Ye Fan imprinted himself into the vast world, merging with the void. The nine wisps of chaotic energy completely dissolved, becoming one with him and his cauldron.

"Whoosh!" Ye Fan opened his eyes. He knew he had entered the Four Extremities Secret Realm and successfully broken through! His white robes fluttered, his black hair danced lightly, his eyes were clear and bright. Standing quietly in this world, he had a completely new perception.

"What about the fifth stage of heavenly tribulation…?" Ye Fan gazed up at the night sky, but it never descended.