The Divine Soul Thunder didn’t target the physical body, only the Divine Soul. A Cultivator’s Divine Soul was typically far weaker in comparison. To be struck by a Divine Soul Attack with the properties of lightning and fail to withstand it meant utter annihilation—body and soul obliterated!
But having noticed it, Yu Changsheng would not simply sit and wait for death. Even with his immense confidence in the strength of his Divine Soul, he dared not be complacent now. His mind was on high alert.
"Colorful Star Deer!"
Yu Changsheng growled, glancing at the Colorful Star Deer. The deer turned its head and gave him a nod.
At once, the Colorful Star Deer’s antlers radiated a seven-colored light as a profusion of vines surged toward the heavens. At their very tips, the seven-colored light constantly interwove, slowly converging to form a Seven-Color Lotus. Its nine petals trembled gently before quietly blooming.
Gritting his teeth, Yu Changsheng rapidly wove his Power of Divine Soul. As the Ten Thousand Spirits Technique circulated frantically, another Seven-Color Lotus formed along the vines, blooming abruptly beside the first.
"Seven-Color Flower Bloom, Mysterious Illusion Realm!"
Invisible ripples spread out, but the Seven-Color Lotuses trembled violently before withering away. Both the Colorful Star Deer and Yu Changsheng recoiled as if struck by a physical blow, staggering back with pale faces.
Upon striking the two lotuses, the intangible Divine Soul Thunder quietly dissipated.
Yu Changsheng gasped for breath, his body and Divine Soul exhausted after those two waves of lightning. The pressure mounted, and this was only the beginning of the Celestial Tribulation. The vast tribulation clouds showed no signs of dissipating; in fact, they seemed to be spreading even wider.
’He made it through... As expected, having a strong Divine Soul is a huge advantage. Plus, that tamed beast of his is no simple creature; its Divine Techniques actually contain a trace of the Power of Odd Demons...’
’Countless others would have fallen to that wave, even prodigies...’
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit was momentarily taken aback, then its brow smoothed out as a faint smile touched its lips.
RUMBLE!
The tribulation clouds blanketed the sky, casting a vast shadow. The power of the Thunder Tribulation reached an unprecedented peak. Seven white dragons formed of lightning circled and roared, giving Yu Changsheng no chance to catch his breath before they dove to devour him.
Yu Changsheng gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. The Red Purgatory Dragon soared high, its body shuddering. In concert with Yu Changsheng, a full eighteen phantoms of the Red Purgatory Dragon appeared, each one erupting with boundless might as they charged the seven white Thunder Dragons!
"Red Prison Shadow Dragon Kill!"
The Red Purgatory Dragon left a trail of afterimages as the eighteen Red Dragon Shadows, radiating an overwhelming draconic aura, crashed into the white Thunder Dragons. The seven bolts of white lightning flashed, crackling with arcs of electricity. With a single strike, the eighteen Red Dragon Shadows shattered, and three of the white lightning bolts disintegrated along with them.
The remaining four bolts of white lightning continued onward, undeterred, rumbling toward Yu Changsheng with unstoppable momentum.
A single one of those bolts was enough to make a Golden Core Cultivator’s face pale in terror; even a Purple Mansion master would have to treat it with the utmost gravity.
"!!!"
Yu Changsheng’s scalp went numb. The feeling of mortal peril exploded within him, and every cell in his body seemed to scream in protest. His eyes were completely filled with blood as he let out a low roar, unleashing a Divine Technique in unison with the Profound Turtle.
"Water Country’s Immeasurable Calamity!"
The Profound Turtle roared, its mountainous body standing between heaven and earth. An endless mist billowed out, transforming the surroundings into a vast marshland—a Water Realm. Massive pillars of water shot up, connecting the heavens and the earth to block the world-ending white lightning!
Waves of water exploded and white lightning flashed. Three more of the thunderbolts were slowly extinguished, but the final one broke through every obstacle, blasting straight for Yu Changsheng!
SPURT!
Yu Changsheng’s body convulsed violently. The white lightning descended, transforming into a Power of Extinction that surged madly through his entire frame. Arcs of electricity danced across his skin as his chest heaved, and he coughed up mouthful after mouthful of blood.
The smell of burnt flesh hung in the air. A violent, tearing pain flooded his entire body. It was so agonizing that even with Yu Changsheng’s formidable willpower, his face contorted and veins bulged on his temples as he let out a hoarse, miserable scream.
"ARGHHH!"
Every second was an eternity of agony. Under the assault of the rampaging lightning, the meridians throughout his body shattered bit by bit. A fierce, burning sensation wracked his physical form, and the faint scent of cooked meat began to drift through the air.
Just then, the Celestial Tribulation reached its climax. The tribulation cloud tore asunder, revealing eight bolts of brilliant blue lightning that flashed and writhed, weaving together and reshaping themselves.
Blue light flared, and the bolts reshaped into Thunder Giant Swords crackling with rampaging arcs of electricity. They radiated an invisible sharpness, like falling meteors releasing a cold gleam. Eight swords hung suspended in the air, all locked onto Yu Changsheng. The lightning even wove itself into a rotating net that began to descend.
’Shaping lightning... How nostalgic.’
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit’s eyes narrowed. It glanced at Yu Changsheng’s wretched state and shook its head lightly. With a swipe of its finger toward the sky, the vast expanse of hidden stars began to flicker. Their light connected, forming a colossal curtain of starlight that materialized to shield Yu Changsheng.
’So be it. I’ll give you a moment to recover. But I’m afraid this Array can only resist these eight lightning swords once before it shatters.’
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit murmured to itself. The words had barely faded when the eight Thunder Giant Swords pierced the void. They swarmed in, hacking viciously at the Star Guardian Array from eight different directions.
CRACK! CRACKLE...
Cracks instantly spiderwebbed out from the eight points of impact. The entire array, now covered in fissures, teetered on the verge of collapse as it withstood the eight lightning swords. The lightning flowed down the protective barrier, turning the surrounding area into an ocean of blue electricity.
Starlight poured frantically into the Array, constantly stabilizing and repairing it. All the while, the eight lightning swords hammered relentlessly against the shield. Tiny arcs of electricity managed to leak through, but they posed no threat to Yu Changsheng.