Chapter 573: Great Dragon Calamity

The world was a vast expanse of blinding white, deafening, with silver serpents dancing wildly. Electrical energy surged everywhere, like a vast ocean, many times more powerful than before.

At this moment, Yan Yunluan felt like crying. Who exactly was undergoing tribulation? Everything had been reversed; he had become the supporting role, accompanying Ye Fan through the heavenly punishment.

“CRACK!”

Giant dragons streaked across the sky, not just one, but thousands. Each bolt of lightning was as thick as a mountain range, dancing wildly in the void, indistinguishable from colossal dragons.

Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the void, submerged in the sea of electricity. While resisting the heavenly tribulation, he was simultaneously capturing the imprints of the Dao within the lightning sea, actually comprehending the Dao!

Yan Yunluan gritted his teeth, fighting the lightning tribulation with all his might. Numerous burn marks had already appeared all over his body, indicating significant injuries.

“Whoosh!”

He shot through the air, trying to leave. He had realized that Ye Fan was using him to trigger the heavenly tribulation, intending to break through a barrier here. He was essentially just a study companion for a prince.

“I can't take this torment!”

This was his inner thought. He had seen perverts, but never one this extreme. Each bolt of lightning was thicker than a mountain range, thousands upon thousands of them. Even a half-step Grand Power would be struck dead if they entered.

Ye Fan opened his eyes, pointed a finger, and a divine thought shot out from his glabella, entering the lightning sea and drawing in ten thousand bolts of heavenly lightning.

In the void, a gigantic golden bell took shape, entirely condensed from golden lightning. Naturally, it was covered in numerous patterns, which were the laws of heaven and earth.

Ye Fan, feeling inspired, also formed a Divine Tribulation Bell. However, his was much more condensed than Yan Yunluan's, forged from the True Sun Tribulation, with golden light soaring into the sky.

The heavenly tribulation contained endless Dao imprints, which were immediately branded onto it, making the great bell even more dazzling. It was as tall as a small mountain, and with a mighty tremor, its sound echoed for hundreds of miles, instantly suppressing Yan Yunluan inside.

“Dong…”

The bell's toll resonated long and profound, grand, harmonious, and mysterious, shaking the soul like the ringing of a great bell. A sense of peace filled the world, yet the electrical energy intensified.

Especially inside the great bell, Yan Yunluan was flailing from the electric shocks, his body emitting white smoke, almost charred, nearly shattered by the lightning. He was in excruciating pain.

“Yan Yunluan truly lives up to his reputation; he is indeed a prodigy of his generation. In such circumstances, he has formed another Divine Tribulation Bell, even stronger than before, using it to protect himself.”

“This young man's methods defy heaven! This Divine Tribulation Bell is imprinted with traces of all heavens; its endless patterns manifest all the laws that appear in the lightning sea.”

People exclaimed in wonder, all believing that Yan Yunluan had manifested this Divine Tribulation Bell for self-preservation, and they were all astonished.

Yan Yunluan was truly on the verge of tears. None of this had anything to do with him. He was suppressed by the great bell, close to perishing, overwhelmed by endless electrical energy that he couldn't resist.

“Dong…”

The great bell's long toll echoed through heaven and earth, eliciting another round of praise from the crowd. But inside the divine bell, Yan Yunluan was languishing, almost roasted alive.

“This is good. Let him be half-dead, positioned outside, so people think he's undergoing tribulation, while I can safely break through here,” Ye Fan decided, making his resolution.

Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the lightning sea, his back like a dragon, continuously surging with vital energy. His great spine almost seemed to fly out; this was a sign of transforming into a dragon.

This secret realm perfectly matched its name: nourishing a great dragon within the body until it takes shape. In the human body, the great dragon is the spine, which supports all power.

Dragon roars emanated, and crackling sounds came from within Ye Fan's body. His entire spine shone like gold, each vertebral joint shifting, like the awakening of a primordial dragon.

The Dragon Transformation Heavenly Tribulation finally descended. It wasn't as vast as imagined, not much different from earlier, yet Ye Fan felt a terrifying aura.

Eighty-one heavenly dragons surged forth. They weren't just similar; they were identical, imbued with divine essence. These dragon-shaped bolts of lightning seemed alive, roaring as they pounced.

“Bang!” “Rip!”

Ye Fan opened his eyes, sat cross-legged in the void, and fought against the heavenly dragons. Almost instantly, his skin was torn open. Although it wasn't a boundless sea of lightning, it was even more terrifying.

The Great Dragon Tribulation!

“This Dragon Transformation stage is so incredibly difficult to break through,” Ye Fan's heart pounded. He was already a half-step Dragon Transformation, with one foot already in, but only with the arrival of the tribulation did he realize how arduous it was.

The eighty-one heavenly dragons, lifelike, coiled in the void, their heads all facing him. They seemed to have existed since ancient times, exuding a mysterious and eerie aura.

Such a heavenly tribulation hadn't appeared for countless years; people had always thought it was just a legend. Yet, Ye Fan was experiencing it firsthand today.

In the distance, the boundless, surging sea of ten thousand bolts of lightning dared not approach this area. All the electrical energy seemed to possess sentience, utterly terrified of these eighty-one heavenly dragons.

Ancient texts recorded that the Great Dragon Tribulation was profoundly mysterious, formed from the essence and blood of ancient heavenly dragons imprinted in the lightning sea, nourished into a grand heavenly tribulation.

Ye Fan had long anticipated that the heavenly punishment for breaking through a major secret realm barrier would be extraordinary, but he hadn't expected the descent of the Great Dragon Tribulation, a tribulation passed down through ancient legends.

The eighty-one heavenly dragons coiled, pushing back the lightning sea and creating a vacuum, trapping him within.

“Roar…”

A dragon's roar, shaking the nine heavens above and the nine underworlds below, spread across the land. The first ancient heavenly dragon charged forward, no longer making tentative attacks like before.

At this moment, its dragon head was like a mountain, its twin horns like sacred weapons, directly smashing into him. The sheer momentum was such that it could slaughter even an immortal, pressing forward with indomitable might!

Ye Fan had no way to avoid it. This was a heavenly tribulation; he had to face it. Fleeing anywhere would be useless; he had to endure it, otherwise, he would turn to ashes.

“Boom!”

His fists dripping blood, enveloped in electrical light, he clashed head-on with the great dragon. This expanse of sky trembled, unable to withstand such oppressive power.

“Did you hear that? A dragon's roar came from there.”

Those people in the distance were astonished. Their eyes couldn't penetrate the lightning sea to see the central scene, and all of them looked bewildered.

“Yan Yunluan is truly formidable! Is he undergoing tribulation? With dragon roars accompanying him, he can most likely break through two realms at once.”

Even now, some people were still exclaiming in admiration, completely unaware that the protagonist of the tribulation had long since changed.

At this moment, Yan Yunluan was on the verge of tears, his body charred, almost roasted. Trapped within the Divine Tribulation Bell, he truly felt unbearable agony.

Fortunately, this heavenly tribulation was extraordinary; it seemed to possess a divine soul, rapidly draining the power from the lightning sea to nurture the eighty-one heavenly dragons fighting Ye Fan. Otherwise, Yan Yunluan would have already turned to ashes.

In that brief instant, Ye Fan engaged in battle with six heavenly dragons. The lightning tribulation struck, making all the bones in his body rattle. His physical body was incredibly strong; if it were anyone else, they would have long since been reduced to bone fragments.

“Dragon Transformation!”

Ye Fan gradually found a path, discovering a glimmer of life in this desperate situation. He desperately pushed into the Dragon Transformation secret realm, his great spine becoming a golden divine dragon, absorbing the essence of the heavenly dragons.

“Crackling…”

Crackling sounds echoed continuously in the void. The eighty-one heavenly dragons coiled, exhaling and inhaling vital energy, but all of it was gathered by his great spine, refining his golden bones, causing his vertebral joints to continuously shift.

“Dong…”

Ye Fan then took out the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron to undergo the tribulation with him. It almost attracted all eighty-one heavenly dragons inside, circulating an aura of primordial creation.

He had already discovered that he couldn't destroy these eighty-one heavenly dragons, but there was a sliver of hope in this desperate situation: he only needed to exhaust their vital energy, using the tribulation to strengthen himself.

At this moment, Ye Fan's hands moved deftly, performing "Embracing the Moon and Pushing Mountains" with both hands, evolving the Taiji. Soon after, he imitated the Myriad Transformations Sacred Art once performed by Hua Yunfei, hoping to transform the eighty-one heavenly dragons into ordinary things.

Unable to obliterate them, he could only dissolve them. The bones in his entire body were almost broken, cracking loudly amidst the eighty-one heavenly dragons, his joints continuously shifting.

“Dong…”

On the other side, Yan Yunluan finally shattered the Divine Tribulation Bell and burst out, heavily wounded and on the verge of death. But Ye Fan struck again, drawing down a cascade of lightning that contained the aura of heavenly dragons, forming a nine-story pagoda which suppressed him inside.

In that hasty glance, Yan Yunluan's heart was violently shaken. He could barely believe his eyes: eighty-one heavenly dragons streaked across the sky, exhaling and inhaling chaos, a terrifying sight, surrounding Ye Fan.

“Could it be the legendary Great Dragon Tribulation!?”

He had no time to think closely, nor to get a clearer look, before he was suppressed into the Divine Tribulation Pagoda. In this abundant lightning sea, even a Grand Power would be helpless; Ye Fan was the absolute master, let alone him.

“Did you see that? After that great bell was destroyed, Yan Yunluan manifested another Divine Tribulation Pagoda. He's effortlessly navigating the heavenly tribulation; truly a monstrous talent.”

“I wonder what happened to Ye Zhetian. He was sealed in the center of the lightning sea; he's probably already perished, body and soul.”

At this moment, strange changes occurred at the center of the lightning sea. To Ye Fan's surprise, the eighty-one heavenly dragons had become much quieter, no longer so violent.

However, he seemed to be in another world. An ancient true dragon platform floated, also formed by lightning, imbued with the aura of a true dragon.

Furthermore, a section of palatial buildings descended from the sky, pressing down above his head. Pavilions and halls appeared in all directions, all interwoven from lightning.

“What is this?” Ye Fan was extremely surprised.

Around him, it was as if an ancient Heavenly Court had appeared, exuding antiquity and vastness, as if it had endured endless ages, millions of years.

That lightning could weave such structures almost stunned Ye Fan. It truly resembled a celestial palace, with the eighty-one heavenly dragons circling above it.

“What kind of heavenly tribulation is this? I've never heard of it,” his heart trembled.

Suddenly, he was greatly startled: within this ancient Heavenly Court, there were several humanoid beings—no, perhaps they should be called humanoid lightning bolts—looking down at him from above.

One of these humanoid beings, with a slight movement, caused a massive black hole to appear. One could imagine the power it contained!

“Are those also heavenly punishments, humanoid lightning tribulations?” He felt a chill down his spine. If he were to face them now, even if he were dozens of times stronger, he wouldn't be able to stop them.

Fortunately, that ancient Heavenly Court and those "humanoid beings" had not yet descended, otherwise he would surely die.

“Could that be the heavenly tribulation I'll face in the future?”

Ye Fan was suspicious, but he had no time for further thought. The eighty-one heavenly dragons, along with the floating dragon platform, pressed down on him.

“Boom!”

He resisted with all his might. His physical body was nearly shattered multiple times, his spine transformed into a dragon, crackling. The Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron was also imprinted with numerous dragon marks, and his divine consciousness surged out, undergoing a tempering.

Ultimately, he experienced all eighty-one heavenly dragon tribulations one by one. Ye Fan was almost obliterated, body and soul, but he finally endured. The eighty-one heavenly dragons flew back into the lightning sea and vanished.

“Damn it, I remember now! The Great Dragon Tribulation has a time limit; enduring nine heavenly dragons would have been enough!”

Ye Fan was somewhat dumbfounded. He had actually accomplished a feat, enduring all eighty-one heavenly dragons consecutively. It was almost unprecedented; besides a few Great Emperors, very few had ever managed it.

Undoubtedly, he had broken into the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. His spine was like a revived dragon, possessing endless power. With a slight movement, he could collapse the void.

“Dragon Transformation First Change: Grand Completion!”

Ye Fan was surprised. After surviving the lightning tribulation, he not only crossed the threshold from the Four Extremities to Dragon Transformation but also almost directly became a powerful cultivator of the Second Change of Dragon Transformation.

It should be noted that he hadn't cultivated any ancient scriptures of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. Theoretically, it was impossible for him to cross stages like this. All of this was the benefit brought by the Great Dragon Tribulation.

Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the void, drank a few mouthfuls of divine spring water, and quickly recovered. In an instant, he ascended to his peak, feeling an incomparable surge of power.

This was a Dragon Transformation expert. He had finally ascended to this realm, far more powerful than before. Every gesture, every step, seemed capable of shattering the heavens!

The heavenly tribulation receded, the lightning sea dispersed. Ye Fan changed his clothes and rose to his full height. At this moment, he was full of vigor, his eyes deep, his skin crystalline, shimmering with precious light, pure and flawless.

On the other side, the Divine Tribulation Pagoda shattered, and Yan Yunluan tumbled out, his body emitting smoke, almost roasted.

“Heavens, what happened? Ye Zhetian is safe and sound, but Yan Yunluan is almost dead!”

“What on earth is going on? Yan Yunluan triggered the heavenly tribulation but didn't strike down his opponent, instead failing his own tribulation?”

People were dumbfounded. Not long ago, they were marveling at Yan Yunluan, but now many were utterly bewildered.

“This guy is too wicked!” In the distance, Ji Ziyue muttered, her bright, lively eyes already curved into crescent moons, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, dimples appearing on her face.

Ji Haoyue was also somewhat speechless. He and his sister knew the full story. He silently mourned for Yan Yunluan: his combat prowess was sufficient, so why go to such lengths, and why choose a lightning tribulation?

“Little Swallow is thoroughly cooked…”

“He's almost a roast duck.”

On the other side, Jiang Hairen, Li Heishui, and Liu Kou gathered together, muttering in unison and chuckling.

“How could this happen?” Qi Huoshui's small mouth was wide open in disbelief. Had the heavenly tribulation struck the wrong person? How could the intended target fall, while the other person walked out lively and energetic?

“He got himself half-killed by his own tribulation; his skin isn't even as thick as the wild dragon I ate that was undergoing tribulation,” the barbarian muttered.

As soon as he uttered this, people nearby immediately moved dozens of feet away from him. This was a humanoid beast; when it came to thick skin, everyone was intimidated, even monstrous talents.

“Safe and sound…” Princess Yudie also arrived, a hint of surprise on her beautiful face, like fine white jade, her lovely eyes shimmering with peculiar light.

The scene was quiet for a long time, then suddenly erupted. Everyone found it incredible.

“Can someone tell me what happened?”

“Who exactly was undergoing tribulation? Why is Yan Yunluan nearly dead from the lightning, and how did the other person walk out lively and energetic?”

Many found it hard to accept. They had just been praising Yan Yunluan, but in the blink of an eye, their jaws dropped in astonishment.