Top-level Qi Luck: Leading My Clan to Cultivate Chapter 2173: 1111: Thunder Temple (Part 2)

In that instant, the overwhelming force of the Thunder Peak slammed into Lin Tianming’s physical form.

As he hung suspended in the air, he spewed out mouthfuls of warm blood, his pallor turning ghostly and his vitality noticeably waning.

With a dull, heavy thud, he was driven deep into the mountainside, creating a massive, man-shaped crater amidst a rising plume of dust.

As the debris settled, he emerged in a staggering gait from the rocky breach, his Daoist garments in shreds and crimson liquid trickling steadily from his lips.

The intensity of this latest barrage of thunder and lightning had pushed his injuries to a critical state.

Had it not been for his exceptionally robust physique, the sheer abundance of his qi-blood, and the meticulous preparations he had undergone prior to the tribulation, he never could have withstood the onslaught of the Thunder Peak.

Under normal circumstances, an average cultivator caught in this tempest of thunderous force would have been reduced to mere dust in a blink, leaving no trace behind.

But Lin Tianming’s greatest edge remains the terrifying fortitude of his physical shell.

Furthermore, to survive the Sixfold Thunder Tribulation, he relied heavily upon the defensive artifacts meticulously forged by Lin Shilu—each being a peak-tier specimen within its grade.

It was through these exhaustive preparations, coupled with his monstrous physical durability, that he managed to endure five successive waves of thunderous assault.

In reality, the magnitude of the thunder tribulation leveled against him far outstripped that of any typical cultivator.

This occurred because Lin Tianming’s own strength was so formidable, inherently eclipsing those of the same rank.

Heaven’s tribulation invariably escalates in power when confronted by overwhelming potential.

He had already experienced this distinct, harsh treatment from the Heavenly Dao years ago when he sought to breach the Golden Core Stage.

Consequently, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

Yet, there is a silver lining: the more potent the tribulation, the greater the rewards for he who survives it.

It is an immutable fact that the severity of the thunder correlates directly with the magnitude of the eventual breakthrough benefits.

Essentially, the tougher the ordeal, the more it validates the cultivator's latent might.

Even at the point of breaking into a new realm, the leap in growth for such an individual is vastly higher.

In the long run, the sheer improvements gained from the breakthrough alone allow them to stand head and shoulders above their peers.

This is the birthright and advantage of the true Heaven’s Chosen Sons.

However, to lay claim to such fortunes, a cultivator must endure harder trials and invest far more of themselves than anyone else.

This is precisely why a cultivator of Lin Tianming’s caliber—a man of near-invincible power among his peers—would attract such a nightmarish thunderstorm.

Having now navigated the baptism of the Fifth Thunder Tribulation, he staved off total destruction once more.

Yet, paying for this traversal required a heavy toll.

Beyond the destruction of his defensive treasures, the raw damage to his own meridians and flesh was severe.

It was only the relentless vitality of his qi-blood and his remarkable recovery speed that held him together.

Absent these factors, he would have no remaining strength to face the final, most terrifying wave of the lightning trial.

As it stands, Lin Tianming only narrowly retains the strength for one final struggle.

His condition and the terrifying fortitude he displayed seemed to trigger a reaction from the turbulent thunder clouds hovering above.

The Heavenly Dao is notoriously intolerant of such monstrously talented individuals, refusing to allow them an easy path to transcendence.

Thus, as he appeared once more beneath the shroud of the gathering storm, the clouds above snarled with heightened fury.

The heavens churned violently, dragging uncountable arcs of lightning into a single point.

In a heartbeat, a colossal temple manifested within the heart of the thunder clouds.

At this sight, the hundreds of Lin Family members observing from a distance grew deathly pale, their hearts gripped by absolute terror.

Even Lin Shilu, watching from afar, was bloodless and visibly trembling, struck to the core by this display.

He gazed at the golden temple manifesting within the storm, his expression hollow as he whispered in a trance.

“The Thunder Temple!”

“It is truly the Thunder Temple…”

“Good heavens… such an abyssal tribulation has descended upon a son of our Lin Family.”

“The sheer might of such a rare tribulation is simply unfathomable.”

“And for Tianming, whether this marks a glorious ascension or a fatal curse remains to be seen…”

Rallying his spirit, Lin Shilu stared toward Lin Tianming’s position, his features etched with grim concern.

This anxiety stemmed from the widespread knowledge in the Cultivation World concerning the varying forms of tribulations.

It is commonly held that standard thunderspawn are merely common, garden-variety lightning.

When the lightning assumes structure—be it spheres or the form of a four-clawed dragon—it is considered a standard struggle.

Most cultivators will face these typical formations when breaking into the Golden Core Stage or higher.

Those gifted individuals possessing immense growth potential might, due to their superior capability, face the tempering of the six-clawed dragon.

For example, when Lin Tianming passed his Second Layer of Thunder Tribulation, he had already triggered the manifestation of that six-clawed entity.

Even then, the power of those lightning bolts was considered truly terrifying.

Regarding such a challenge, Lin Shilu had not been overly alarmed, given Tianming’s obvious genius and potential.

While rare in the common annals, such tribulations were well-documented in the histories of the ancient sects.

Within the last few millennia, Qingzhou’s records held several clear accounts of this event.

Figures such as the Yulan Sect’s Great Elder Zhou Tianlong and the Blood Red Alliance’s Great Elder Chen Guanghua had both been witnessed braving the six-clawed dragon during their own ascensions to the Nascent Soul Stage.

The power involved was already daunting, and facing it served as proof of their formidable talent.

Yet, who could have guessed that Lin Tianming would attract the six-clawed dragon as early as his Second Layer of Thunder Tribulation?

And, still, that was not the end of his ordeal.

The Thunder Temple, by contrast, existed only in obscure, apocryphal legends, its very existence dismissed by many as mere fable.

And yet, this mythical tribulation had manifested before the eyes of the entire Lin Family clan.

Of the thousands present, only Lin Shilu truly grasped the significance of the Thunder Temple’s appearance.

Besides them, only Lin Tianming observed the structure above and instantly linked it to the forbidden whispers of the Temple.

In this moment, a chill of dread flooded his heart.

It appeared the Heavenly Dao deemed him such a threat that it had summoned the absolute manifestation of the Thunder Temple to erase him from existence.

Confronted with such an ultimate judgment, even one as confident as Lin Tianming felt the weight of impending doom.

Nevertheless, he realized that he had no room left for doubt or hesitation.

The final stage was simple: it was either his immortality or his annihilation.

Survive, and he would step firmly into the Nascent Soul Realm.

Fail, and he would be erased, leaving naught but ash in the wake of the final strike.

With this clarity, an inexplicable, reckless courage ignited within him, fueling a surge of fighting spirit.

Rather than despair, he was filled with a desperate, burning ambition to shatter the ceiling of his fate.

“True strength comes only through the fire of the breakthrough!”

“Regardless of how high the will of the Heavenly Dao may reach, my existence is not for the heavens to judge!”

“Today, I shall test my blade against your Thunder Temple.”

“Either I stand alive, or I perish trying!”

“I will not take a single step backward…”

With a wild, frenzied laugh, Lin Tianming erupted toward the void, roaring defiance at the golden temple churning above his head.