Chapter 1106: My Fate Is Up to Me, Not Up to Heaven

Lu Yang’s face, already charred black, turned deathly pale the moment he heard Meng Jingzhou loudly proclaim he could recite the Immortal's Sayings backward. The amplified third wave of lightning tribulation clearly seemed intended to strike them dead. He had originally intended to trick Old Meng, but instead, he had disastrously trapped himself.

"Old Lu, you bastard, you tricked me!" Recalling the strange intensity of the third lightning tribulation, Meng Jingzhou instantly realized he had been played. It wasn't that the Immemorial Immortal favored Old Lu at all; it was clear that Old Lu had somehow provoked the Immemorial Immortal, leading to Meng Jingzhou being dragged into it! And the reason, most likely, was this very book, "Immortal's Sayings"!

"You were the one who asked me to put in a good word for you with the Immemorial Immortal!"

"But I never said to drag *me* into this mess!"

"How can you call this 'dragging you down'? This is a great opportunity! I'm only including you because we're good brothers! Don't you know that ancient immortals once said that lightning tribulations are tests from heaven, and the more powerful the tribulation you face, the greater the rewards upon success? Alright, I can't keep this up anymore..."

Their voices were quickly drowned out by the roar of thunder. The new lightning tribulation was incredibly fierce; the entire Wen Dao Sect rumbled. The tribulation's range expanded, encompassing previously safe areas. Disciples of the Wen Dao Sect, who had been watching from close quarters, scrambled away, frequently glancing back at the two undergoing the tribulation.

"As expected of Senior Brothers Lu and Meng! Facing such a ferocious lightning tribulation, they still have the presence of mind to 'dance' within it."

"Indeed, I wonder if we'll be able to face our own tribulations with such composure."

"Let's work hard together."

Witnessing Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou "dancing" amidst the lightning, seemingly defying the heavens, countless Wen Dao Sect disciples were immensely inspired, vowing to become formidable cultivators as awe-inspiring as Lu Yang.

"Since the second and third waves of lightning tribulation don't have names, why don't we name them after our two junior brothers?"

"That makes sense! Then the second wave of heavenly lightning will be known as the Jingzhou Tribulation, and the third will be the Lu Yang Tribulation!"

"Excellent names! To be immortalized by heavenly lightning—I'm sure our two junior brothers will be thrilled!"

"Old... Lu... you... just... wait... until... I... get... out... of... here... I'll... make... you... pay..." Meng Jingzhou could barely speak, and even his spiritual messages were erratic. His body, wracked with spasms as if he'd been electrocuted, was completely beyond his control.

"Wait... I'll... go... find... the... immortal... to... save... us..."

"Go... quickly..."

"Immortal, help!" Having no other choice, Lu Yang rushed into the spiritual dimension to report the crisis and plead for assistance.

However, at the entrance to the Grand Bean Imperial Palace, Qinghe stood blocking Minister Lu. "Hush, don't shout," she whispered. "The Immortal is already asleep. Don't disturb her rest. If it's important, wait until she wakes up."

"I have urgent matters to report!"

"Wait until the Immortal wakes up."

Seeing Lu Yang regain his composure, indicating he had returned from the spiritual dimension, Meng Jingzhou quickly asked, "What did the Immortal say?"

With a face full of grief and indignation, Lu Yang exclaimed heartbroken, "A historiographer's tyranny! The nation is doomed!" To think that he had diligently accompanied the Immortal Fairy, overcome countless obstacles to establish the Grand Bean Dynasty, and even become the first heir, only for it all to be ruined by a mere historiographer's rise to power!

"Huh?"

The Meng family, being the foremost noble and official family in the realm, meant Meng Jingzhou was well-versed in all the intricacies of bureaucracy. Yet, he couldn't for the life of him link the terms "historiographer" and "tyranny." Old Lu certainly has many tricks up his sleeve when dealing with immortals.

"Time to try a new trick," Lu Yang said, his expression grave. He had originally intended this for Old Meng, but it seemed he would have to use it on the Immemorial Immortal first!

Instantly, Lu Yang was enveloped in sword energy, confronting the tribulation head-on. As the pure white lightning struck his body, Meng Jingzhou, standing nearby, could actually see Lu Yang's bones. However, Lu Yang was well aware of the limits of his own physical body; if Old Meng couldn't endure this, he certainly couldn't.

The Immemorial Immortal, hovering in the sky, gazed at Lu Yang with confusion, unsure of what the young man intended to do. Then, he watched as Lu Yang transformed from a human into a sword. The Immemorial Immortal rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

Lu Yang, once more in the form of the Azure Edge Sword, strained to unleash a wave of sword qi that clashed with the heavenly lightning, yet it was still no match. With his body transformed into a sword, Lu Yang had his identification jade plaque tied to the tassel at the end of the hilt. As the jade plaque gently swayed, the Azure Edge Sword, Chengying Sword, and Seven Star Sword formation materialized, encircling Lu Yang like loyal guardians.

"Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin!"

Lu Yang mentally invoked the sword art. The nine immortal swords merged with his body, causing his aura to surge dramatically. He then unleashed a powerful sword qi that shattered the heavenly lightning!

"Liu Ningxuan's Man-Sword Unity?" The Immemorial Immortal's expression became odd. His first thought went to Liu Ningxuan, the original owner of the Chengying Sword and the inventor of the "Man-Sword Unity" technique. However, Lu Yang's approach was distinctly different from Liu Ningxuan's; he had forged his own unique form of Man-Sword Unity. Although Lu Yang successfully shattered one bolt of heavenly lightning, more followed in rapid succession, overwhelming him.

"Sole Supremacy Fist!" Meng Jingzhou manifested three heads and six arms, mentally chanting from the "Immortal's Sayings," and unleashed a punch imbued with an aura of absolute supremacy. The surrounding disciples were so inspired by the desperate resolve of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou that they felt as if they, too, were undergoing the lightning tribulation. Their blood boiled, their energy surged, and their necks turned red with excitement.

"My destiny is my own, not heaven's! Senior Brothers Lu and Meng, you can definitely defy the heavens!"

No one knew who started it, but what began as a few scattered voices soon escalated into a thunderous roar across the entire mountain range, cheering them on.

"My destiny is my own, not heaven's! Senior Brothers Lu and Meng, you can definitely defy the heavens!"

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, still battling the lightning tribulation, stiffly turned their heads, looking in disbelief at their well-meaning junior brothers and sisters. *Holy crap, don't just shout anything! We've always been good to you guys!* And Senior Brother Dai, why are you so worked up? You're shouting the loudest!

"Oh, so you're shouting quite loudly, are you?" The Immemorial Immortal had originally thought he'd struck them enough, but upon hearing the surrounding cheers, his spirits immediately lifted. He rolled up his sleeves and continued to manipulate the lightning tribulation. He particularly enjoyed striking down those who constantly declared, "My destiny is my own, not heaven's." Did they truly believe his lightning tribulations were tame?

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had just managed to achieve a delicate balance against the tribulation, fighting it to a standstill. Unexpectedly, the lightning's power surged again, striking them so intensely they felt they were on the verge of death. Lu Yang was instantly reverted to his original form, his nine immortal swords scattering across the ground.

Both men were driven headfirst into the ground, their bodies twitching from the lightning strikes, looking like newly planted saplings. They pushed themselves up with their palms, then with a soft thud, pulled themselves free. Lying on the ground, they watched the final lightning tribulation still brewing in the sky, their eyes twitching.

"Old Meng, I'm genuinely glad I got to know you in this life. See you in the next."

Meng Jingzhou grimaced. "In the next life, please don't know me. Find someone else to trick."

"Old Lu, you know I've always deeply respected the Immemorial Immortal. How exactly did you manage to provoke him?"

"Oh, you really want to know?" Lu Yang's eyes suddenly lit up, experiencing a brief surge of renewed spirit.