Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1919: 1428: Outlier (Part 2)
Previously on Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan...
Li Zhixuan quickly reined in her overflowing feelings and facial reactions, composing herself with poise and serenity to confront the impending Tribulation Thunder.
The sixth bolt of Tribulation Thunder remained immensely formidable, yet it lacked any unusual traits. Although it appeared challenging, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
This differed from the earlier Tribulation Thunders, which had brought unforeseen special impacts that left Li Zhixuan in a bit of an awkward spot.
A bolt like this, purely forceful without extra influences, would at worst drain more of her mana, sparing her the trouble of guarding against additional strikes and harm.
“Just three more Tribulation Thunders to endure!”
Xiaoqing whispered under her breath, then glanced over to inquire, “Jiu, do you believe Zhixuan will make it through this tribulation?”
Li Zhirui thought it over briefly before choosing honesty, replying, “I’m not sure.”
Deep down, he truly wished for Li Zhixuan’s triumph, be it for his own sentiments or the clan’s advantages—her victory over the Thunder Tribulation and ascent to Heavenly Immortal would bring immense delight and blessing.
However, given her position as an ‘outlier,’ the Heavenly Dao would scrutinize her harshly, making the final three Tribulation Thunders probably swell with even greater ferocity!
Against all anticipations, the once ferocious Tribulation Thunder halted sharply after the seventh bolt.
It wasn’t due to weakened might in that instant; instead, it struck as quite mundane, merely a touch more potent than the last.
Nevertheless, this very Tribulation Thunder caused Li Zhirui and Li Zhixuan’s countenances to shift dramatically.
“Jiu, what’s the matter?” Xiaoqing questioned, confused.
“The Heavenly Dao seeks to doom Zhixuan!”
Li Zhirui’s features turned grim as he declared gravely, “From the pattern of the first six Tribulation Thunders, it’s clear the seventh’s strength falls way short!”
So why did it manifest at such a mild level?
“The Heavenly Dao has siphoned the Spiritual Energy from the seventh Tribulation Thunder, channeling it into the eighth or ninth to amplify their might further!”
“Why does the Heavenly Dao fixate on Zhixuan like this? She doesn’t carry heavy Karmic Force.”
“Sigh! She’s cultivated in the Void for years and snagged a couple of exceptional treasures.” He had zero desire to reveal Li Zhixuan’s origins to others.
Li Zhixuan too grasped the dire peril at hand. Though she first aimed to dispatch the present thunder swiftly, she switched tactics right away to drag it out and erode it gradually, securing extra moments for recovery.
Even with that, she merely gained under an hour, and despite pouring all her effort into refining an Elixir, she restored only around thirty to forty percent of her mana.
At present, barely sixty percent of her mana remained!
In such a condition, confronting the remaining two Tribulation Thunders loomed like an oppressive peak. Without her iron will, she could have crumbled already.
All at once, the world grew deathly still!
Myriad beings, down to the tiniest bugs, detected an overwhelming threat drawing near, huddling in their burrows and trembling in terror, too afraid to utter a peep.
The ever-present soft winds ceased entirely, plunging the realm into an uncanny hush.
Lightning snarled like raging Flood Dragons amid the sea of clouds, ceaselessly drawing in Spiritual Energy to bolster its fury.
As the Tribulation Thunder plummeted, blinding bolts tore through the churning Tribulation Clouds, unleashing a colossal force straight at her.
Li Zhixuan’s face bore utmost seriousness and resolve; triumph was almost within reach, and she refused to falter now.
With the Tribulation Thunder crashing down, her fractured sword stirred to life, unleashing wave after wave of Sword Qi without pause, her inner mana surging away and plummeting below twenty percent in a flash!
Thankfully, she had deployed every trick to counter this thunder, and should she endure, replenishment could follow later.
From afar, the colossal Tribulation Thunder tangled with Li Zhixuan, as Sword Qi after Sword Qi rose to meet it, fighting to carve out more strength for her.
At first, the tactic proved highly effective; it slowed the descending thunder and carved space to mend her spirit, gearing up for a sharper retort to the ultimate bolt.
Before long, the eighth Tribulation Thunder was fully dissipated.
“Only the final Tribulation Thunder remains!”
Li Zhixuan rose to her feet, her gaze alight with fervor, as if already picturing the glorious days post-tribulation success.
To guard against mishaps, she produced a vital Spirit Pill, swallowing it to flood her once-depleted Dantian with a raging torrent of Spiritual Energy.
Deeming it insufficient still, she gripped another in her Mana grasp, poised to crush it between her teeth and surge back a vast reserve of Mana if required.
Regarding the Tribulation Thunder, the Tribulation Clouds spanning scores of miles overhead boiled and surged, amassing every scrap of Spiritual Energy for the decisive blow to obliterate Li Zhixuan!
Thunder Light blazed with searing intensity, thundering across the heavens.
The ultimate Tribulation Thunder, amid the stunned stares of all, hurtled toward Li Zhixuan at blistering velocity.
Swift as the Tribulation Thunder was, her sword moved swifter yet, with frenzied Sword Qi erupting one by one in wild abandon.
The Dantian, brimming with Spiritual Energy moments ago, lay barren after mere breaths, reduced to an empty husk.
Clenching her jaw, a wild rush of Spiritual Energy erupted inside her anew, turbulent and savage, barely reined into the Dantian and held in check for the time being.
“Boom—rumble—”
Resembling a stampede of a thousand steeds, the clamor reverberated without end, shattering the array of Sword Qi Li Zhixuan had loosed earlier, barreling toward her defenseless form.
Yet her Mana stood primed long before. A Sword Qi, spanning three meters, erupted from Li Zhixuan’s grip, clashing head-on with the Tribulation Thunder.
Rumbling!
Keen as the Sword Qi cut, tyrannical as the Tribulation Thunder raged, their impact birthed a deafening blast and a horrifying shockwave that rippled outward everywhere.
At the same time, the brilliant, piercing glow dazzled all eyes, veiling Li Zhixuan’s desperate battle for survival.
As for the shockwave, it barely troubled Li Zhirui, Da Qing, and their ilk, presenting scant danger. But to the weaker clansmen, it formed a severe trial and peril.
Thus, he chose not to interfere in protecting them, aiming for them to glean some insight from the ordeal.
All it took was vigilance for any who faltered, then a timely aid to ease their burden.
This straightforward method also allowed gauging the clansmen’s prowess.
Yet these mattered little; Li Zhirui delegated oversight to Li Xiuyuan while fixing his attention on Li Zhixuan’s plight.
“Huff huff huff—”
Once the Thunder Light faded, Li Zhixuan knelt bloodied on the earth. Without her ragged breaths, her motionless frame might pass for lifeless.
“She did it!”
A thunderous cheer exploded in an instant, its echoes surging and carrying over a hundred miles.
“Stay vigilant, the Heart Demon Tribulation awaits!” Li Zhirui called out, urging Li Zhixuan not to drop her defenses after the grueling Thunder Tribulation, to avoid the Heart Demon’s exploitation.
Luckily, she sidestepped that beginner’s error. Against the Heart Demon, Li Zhixuan’s Dao Heart stood unyielding like a blade of tempered gold and rock, unmoved by its lures.
In the end, it fell to a Sword of Soul.
The whole ordeal spanned no more than fifteen minutes.
With that, Li Zhixuan conquered her Heavenly Immortal Tribulation!
The thick Tribulation Clouds morphed into a flood of pure Spiritual Energy, mending her inner voids and fueling her cultivation leap.
As the Tribulation Clouds scattered and cheers neared, they abruptly noticed Li Zhixuan had vanished!
Upon approaching, they saw she had slumped from exhaustion into the crater scarred by the Tribulation Thunder, right after her tribulation’s end.