Chapter 130: Baptism of the Thunder Tribulation

The gale roared, and giant waves surged toward the heavens. A terrifying aura boiled across the surface of the sea, where a colossal figure thrashed and bellowed incessantly.

Above the firmament, tribulation clouds churned. No matter how much power the gargantuan creature in the sea unleashed, or how much oceanic energy it commanded, everything was in vain against the successive strikes of lightning that fell like an apocalyptic judgment.

Horrific wounds tore across its body; even a portion of its massive tail had been sheared off by the thunderbolts. Blood flowed freely, staining the seawater crimson.

The Nether Demon Dragon felt despair once again. After the third bolt, it had dared to hope, but that hope proved to be nothing more than a delusion. Though it could not fathom why the divine lightning had grown strangely "gentle" after that third strike, the subsequent bolts remained as world-ending as ever.

The dragon was old, its strength far from its peak. Having been ravaged by three strikes of lightning before it could even mount a proper defense, it could now muster less than a third of its full potential. To face a full-strength tribulation in such a weakened state—how could it possibly survive? Moreover, in an era where resources were nearly exhausted, the environment was ill-suited for ascension; its original probability of success had been less than ten percent.

"Roar!"

The Nether Demon Dragon looked to the sky and bellowed. It could feel its vitality draining rapidly. A sense of emptiness welled up within; it knew that in another two or three strikes, it would lose control of its body, left only to watch helplessly as the lightning descended until death claimed it.

Yet, who can face death with resignation?

Driven by instinct and the unyielding nature of life, the dragon summoned every last drop of its strength to resist. However, before a preordained fate, what use is defiance?

"Boom!"

A terrifying aura spread as the apocalyptic lightning struck, slamming directly into the dragon’s only remaining horn. Instantly, the horn shattered, and the excruciating, indescribable pain nearly caused the creature to lose consciousness.

As its strength ebbed away, the dragon felt its body go limp. It knew it would have no power left to resist the next strike. The waves surged, seemingly imbued with a sense of sorrow.

Is the tribulation imposed by the Heavenly Dao on genius cultivators a blessing or a curse? If it is merely a recognition of the strong, why do so many perish beneath it?

The Heavenly Dao may be right, but it may also be wrong. No one can truly clarify the truth, for to each individual, the judgment of the Heavenly Dao is never the same.

"Boom!"

Another bolt of lightning descended, churning up a sea of waves. Soaked in the cold water, the dizziness in the dragon's mind dissipated slightly. Opening its eyes, it caught sight of the lightning falling in the distance.

"That brat... he isn't dead?"

An inexplicable emotion stirred in the dragon’s heart. Once its attention shifted from its own tribulation, it immediately sensed the presence of Liu Pan on the island, a realization that filled it with profound resentment. It resolved to reduce that boy to dust before it breathed its last.

The dragon invoked its spatial power, but as it did, the lightning struck, and its body shuddered. The gathered spatial energy was instantly scattered by the thunder, causing the dragon to frown. It was still too far from the island; in its current state, trying to use spatial arts to annihilate Liu Pan was no easy task.

After a moment of hesitation, the Nether Demon Dragon flashed forward, using the fleeting spatial power it could command to teleport toward the island, pushing through the barrage of lightning. If distance was a barrier, it would simply close the gap.

Teleportation was swift. Though its body lacked the strength to move, as long as spatial power could be channeled, distance mattered little. Within moments, the dragon had teleported dozens of times, reaching the island. However, by exhausting its final reserves, it could no longer protect its physical form. Its body grew even more shattered; white bones were exposed in many places, and blood flowed freely, turning the surrounding sea a deep red.

Heaving heavily, the dragon glanced at the tribulation clouds above the island. With a final flicker of movement, it appeared beside the deep crater where Liu Pan lay.

It had originally planned to tear Liu Pan apart from a distance, but seeing the tribulation clouds over the island, it realized that success was not guaranteed. The lightning would shatter its spatial arts, and it had only enough strength for at most two attempts. It could not risk failure.

At such close range, it could surely reduce Liu Pan to ashes between the gaps of the lightning strikes.

In the bottom of the crater, Liu Pan counted the strikes in his heart. He knew that if he could endure these final three, he would pass the tribulation. Yet, just before the final three bolts fell, the ground shook, and he felt the presence of the Nether Demon Dragon. His face changed instantly.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Six violent roars erupted from the firmament in succession, a cascade of terrifying auras descending one after another.

The Nether Demon Dragon’s eyes were filled with horror. It had never expected the once "gentle" lightning to turn so violent. The earth trembled, the dragon’s remaining strength was shattered, and Liu Pan, trapped in the crater, suffered even more as countless bones in his body fractured.

However, the moment the final strike descended, Liu Pan fought through the agony to crawl out of the crater and scramble away. Because the massive body of the dragon had landed on the island, the gale-force winds had weakened significantly, allowing Liu Pan to survive the escape.

After the three violent bolts, the Nether Demon Dragon had lost nearly all its power. Seeing Liu Pan crawling away, it reacted by reflex, invoking its spatial power.

In an instant, Liu Pan’s fleeing body was frozen in place. The next moment, a thunderous roar echoed from the heavens, and two silver bolts of lightning descended in succession. One struck the Nether Demon Dragon, and the other slammed into the frozen form of Liu Pan.

At that moment, the Nether Demon Dragon felt a sudden sense of gratification. After being struck by three consecutive bolts, its remaining spatial energy had been too meager to kill Liu Pan, a realization that had initially filled it with despair. But as the lightning fell once more, striking Liu Pan’s body, the dragon knew that, perhaps, it had succeeded after all.