The moment Tang Xiao Qi completely released his restraints, guiding the shattered Golden Core and vast energy to formally condense the Nascent Soul, he seemed to have triggered some supreme rule in the unseen.
"Boom—!!!"
A giant sound not originating from eardrums but directly ringing in the depths of all living beings' souls erupted with Qingxu Temple's Ascension Valley as the center!
The entire heaven and earth changed color!
The sky, originally just slightly dim, was instantly devoured by boundless pitch-black tribulation clouds. These tribulation clouds were not ordinary black clouds—their color was like ink, ceaselessly churning, containing not water vapor but pure, extreme destructive energy condensed into lightning fluid and electric snakes, galloping and roaring! The range covered by the cloud layer was not the hundred li of ordinary Nascent Soul tribulations, but a shocking—thousand li!
Thousand-li tribulation clouds!
The heavy cloud layer hung low, as if the sky dome were about to collapse, oppressive enough to suffocate. Terrifying pressure like a substantial tsunami, with Ascension Valley as the center, madly spread toward all directions. Qingxu Temple's mountain protection formation, inherited for ten thousand years and reinforced countless times, under this heavenly might, its light screen violently swayed, emitting groans of unbearable burden. Upon the seventy-two peaks, countless disciples with lower cultivation turned pale, their minds wavering, nearly kneeling—all relying on the conviction to guard their Little Sect Uncle to barely hold on.
"Stabilize the formation! Concentrate spiritual power to the core area!" Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng's voice spread in all directions through the formation, steady as ever, but his tightly gripped token and slightly trembling fingers betrayed the shock in his heart. The scale of this Nascent Soul heavenly tribulation far exceeded the records of the sect's ancient texts regarding past ancestors' tribulations!
Third Senior Sister Liu Yun's ancient sword behind her emitted a clear humming, automatically unsheathing three inches, its sword glow flickering. Her beautiful eyes were filled with gravity—even she felt heart-palpitating at the power of these tribulation clouds.
Second Senior Brother Luo Feng's "Sky-Gazing Mirror" fragment before him cracked with a snap, a fine fissure appearing. He couldn't spare a thought for the pain, staring dead at the nearly off-the-charts value representing destructive energy on the mirror surface, muttering: "Insane... truly insane... is this really a Nascent Soul tribulation? A Deity Transformation tribulation would be nothing more..."
Zhao Tiezhu and the body cultivation disciples behind him were at the very front of the impact. That vast heavenly might was like a giant hammer smashing into their chests, making their qi and blood churn, yet not a single one retreated a step. Instead, they roared, connecting their qi and blood together, forcefully withstanding this pressure.
Even Auntie Su hiding at the rear, her pupils beneath the mask suddenly contracted, subconsciously clenching her fists. This scale of heavenly tribulation was unheard of!
A thousand li away, countless cultivators were alarmed by this earth-shaking phenomenon.
In the Central Prefecture Imperial City, the Imperial Astronomy Bureau's star-gazing platform suddenly opened. Several white-haired old directors stumbled out, looking toward the tribulation clouds covering the sky at Qingxu Temple's direction, terrified: "Thousand-li tribulation clouds! Which fellow cultivator is attacking Deity Transformation?! No... this aura... it's a Nascent Soul tribulation? How is that possible!"
In the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, the reclusive old Dragon King suddenly opened his dragon eyes, piercing through endless seawater to look toward the continent, his dragon whiskers moving without wind: "Such a heaven-jealous tribulation... is that little friend... Tang Xiao Qi? This child is truly extraordinary!"
At the Southern Frontier Witch Village, the old village chief led all village witches to the highest point of the sacred ground, performing an ancient blessing ceremony, looking northward, eyes filled with endless worry and devout prayer: "Holy Teacher... must succeed!"
From the Western Region Diamond Gate, Northern Plains Snow Wolf Tribe, to ancient families and rogue grand cultivators hidden from the world, all cast shocked, doubtful, and grave gazes toward Qingxu Temple's direction. Tang Xiao Qi's name had long spread throughout the world; now, this Nascent Soul tribulation far beyond common logic made everyone realize that if this child succeeded, he would thoroughly change the entire cultivation world's pattern!
Within Ascension Valley, Xiao Qi at the storm's center felt it most deeply.
The pressure from those thousand-li tribulation clouds was like the entire sky dome's weight pressing on him alone, wanting to crush him along with his soul. The Zhou Tian Star Spirit Protection Formation's light flickered violently, frantically drawing star power and earth vein spiritual energy, barely resisting this heavenly might, but fine ripples had already appeared on the cocoon of light.
Xiao Qi sat cross-legged on the altar, his expression neither joyful nor sorrowful. He had long predicted his heavenly tribulation wouldn't be simple. Bearing the Green Lotus Origin, Four Symbols Soul Crystals, World-Purifying Sacred Flame, and with a perfected Dao Seed impervious to heart demons, his Dao path touched the very foundation of heaven and earth—the tribulation he attracted would naturally far exceed his peers.
This was both tribulation and test, even more a direct recognition and refinement of his Dao path by heaven and earth's laws!
Far from fearing, he actively circulated his technique, releasing his magnificent aura that was frantically condensing the Nascent Soul without reservation, confronting those tribulation clouds filling the sky from afar!
As if completely enraged by this "provocative" act, in the center of the thousand-li tribulation clouds, lightning fluid madly gathered, blinding light illuminating the dim heaven and earth.
The first tribulation lightning descended!
It wasn't a single lightning bolt, but a terrifying light pillar over ten zhang in diameter, purely condensed from destructive thunder! It tore through the sky, carrying heavenly might that could annihilate everything and judge all things, ignoring spatial distance, instantly striking the cocoon of light formed by the Zhou Tian Star Spirit Protection Formation!
"Dong—!!!"
Like a divine being beating a heavenly drum, the giant sound shook the entire Qingxu Temple, making mountains sway. The cocoon of light violently dented, its surface starlight frantically flickering, brightening and dimming, countless runes shattering and reforming in the thunder light. Outside the formation, the hundreds of disciples responsible for maintaining it all groaned simultaneously, their faces turning pale, clearly suffering considerable shock.
Just the first tribulation lightning already had power comparable to the third or fourth of an ordinary Nascent Soul tribulation!
Within the cocoon of light, Xiao Qi's body trembled slightly, but his eyes remained clear. Most of the tribulation lightning's power was neutralized by the formation; the portion that penetrated was forcibly endured and refined by his powerful physical body and transforming spiritual power. He could feel that with every bit of tribulation lightning power refined, the Nascent Soul prototype being condensed became more solid by a fraction, its connection to heaven and earth's laws also tighter.
"Not enough!" he thought, actively guiding a strand of pure tribulation lightning power into the chaotic energy mass in his dantian, accelerating the Nascent Soul's shaping.
The tribulation clouds seemed to sense his "greed" and became even more furious.
Without a moment's interval, the second and third tribulation lightnings struck one after another! Each more massive than the last, each more violent than the last! The lightning color also shifted from blazing white to pale gold, its power climbing geometrically!
"Boom boom boom—!"
The Zhou Tian Star Spirit Protection Formation's light flashed wildly, on the verge of collapse. Outside, some of the protecting disciples could no longer withstand the backlash, vomiting blood and falling down, immediately dragged away for treatment by their fellow disciples, while new ones stepped forward without hesitation to fill the gaps.
Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng's face was iron-dark, constantly forming hand seals, mobilizing the sect's reserve spirit stones and earth vein energy, madly infusing the formation. Third Senior Sister's sword qi shot to the heavens, already prepared to meet the heavenly tribulation with her sword should the formation break. Second Senior Brother's instruments crackled and popped, nearly half damaged, his eyes blood-red as he frantically calculated the tribulation lightning's patterns and the formation's endurance limits.
Zhao Tiezhu roared continuously, leading the body cultivation disciples to blast their qi and blood power toward the sky, attempting to weaken even a trace of the tribulation lightning's aftermath. Auntie Su finally stopped hiding, flying up, hands forming seals, casting a gentle moonlight-like power over the formation to reinforce it.
Everyone was giving their all!
Fourth, fifth... tribulation lightnings struck like wind and rain, ceaselessly pounding. The cocoon of light had become dim, its surface covered with web-like cracks.
When the seventh tribulation lightning emitting a dark gold color with a trace of chaotic aura struck down—
"Crack—!"
A crisp shattering sound rang through heaven and earth.
Inherited from antiquity, having consumed Qingxu Temple's massive resources, the Zhou Tian Star Spirit Protection Formation ultimately could not completely withstand this beyond-standard heavenly tribulation—the cocoon of light shattered with a boom!
Losing the formation's protection, Tang Xiao Qi's figure was completely exposed beneath the tribulation clouds filling the sky!
A thousand li of tribulation clouds churned, destructive aura locking onto him.
The most dangerous moment had arrived!