The wind howled through the desolate peaks, carrying the scent of blood and ash. The once-mighty Blazing Sky Sect lay in ruins, its proud courtyards now a battlefield littered with broken bodies and shattered stone. The air still crackled with remnants of qi, the aftershocks of Lin Tian's dominance.
Yet Lin Tian was no longer there.
Far beyond the sect's crumbling walls, deep within the vast wilderness, he stood atop a lonely mountain peak, his robes tattered but untouched by any wound. His golden eyes glowed beneath the darkening sky, his chest rising and falling steadily as he absorbed the last remnants of energy from his fallen enemies.
Inside his dantian, a storm raged.
The qi he had stolen was too much, too vast, like an ocean crashing against the walls of a fragile vessel. It surged and churned within him, seeking release, demanding transformation.
Lin Tian clenched his fists. He had reached the limit of the Grand Qi Realm.
If he did not break through now, his own power would consume him from within.
But breaking through was not so simple.
Ascending into the Golden Core Realm required more than just accumulation of qi—it required a fundamental rebirth. And with that rebirth came the Heavenly Tribulation.
Lin Tian's lips curled into a smirk.
"So this is it."
High above, the sky trembled.
Dark clouds gathered at an unnatural speed, swirling into a massive vortex that swallowed the heavens. The golden light of the setting sun vanished, replaced by a sea of writhing black storm clouds.
The heavens had sensed his impending breakthrough.
And they would not allow it to happen easily.
The Heavenly Lightning Tribulation had begun.
Thunder rumbled like the roar of an angry god.
Bolts of electricity danced through the storm clouds, each one carrying destruction beyond mortal comprehension. The air itself felt heavier, charged with an overwhelming force that made the very ground tremble beneath Lin Tian's feet.
This was no ordinary lightning.
This was Heavenly Lightning—the divine punishment that struck down all who dared to defy fate, the ultimate test given to those seeking ascension. Many cultivators had perished beneath this trial, their bodies reduced to ash before they could take the next step.
Lin Tian closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling the storm's energy.
Heaven fears what it cannot control.
And Lin Tian?
He was something beyond its control.
He exhaled slowly. Then, without hesitation, he stepped forward.
CRACK—BOOOOOM!
The first bolt descended.
It tore through the sky like a celestial spear, a pillar of raw destruction aimed directly at him. The moment it struck—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted, flattening the surrounding mountaintop. Dust and debris blasted outward, shaking the entire region as if a god had slammed its fist upon the earth.
For a long moment, nothing moved.
Then—a figure emerged from the smoke.
Lin Tian stood tall, unbroken. His robes were scorched, his skin slightly singed, but his aura had not weakened—it had grown stronger.
He lifted his gaze toward the heavens, his golden eyes burning with defiance.
"Is that all?"
As if enraged by his arrogance, the storm above howled in fury.
More lightning gathered, condensing into three separate bolts—each one twice as powerful as the last.
The heavens were no longer testing him.
They were trying to destroy him.
But Lin Tian?
He only laughed.
"Then come!"
And as the next wave of divine punishment descended, he charged forward to meet it.
Lightning tore through the sky like dragons of pure destruction. The three incoming bolts crackled with golden and violet energy, each one a hundred times stronger than normal mortal lightning.
Any other cultivator would have summoned defensive treasures, activated protective formations, or sought shelter.
Lin Tian?
He opened his arms.
BOOOOOOOM!
The first bolt struck, slamming into his chest with the force of a collapsing mountain. The second followed instantly, engulfing his entire body in blinding golden light. The third was the strongest, a spear of pure heavenly wrath that pierced straight through his being.
For an instant, his entire body burned. His bones cracked, his veins screamed, his muscles were torn apart. The pain was beyond anything he had ever felt—like being shattered at the very core of his existence.
This was where countless cultivators had perished.
This was where the heavens declared their absolute rule.
But Lin Tian was not like them.
In the depths of his agony, a familiar force stirred within him.
His Devourer Qi reacted, latching onto the lightning itself.
"If I can absorb qi… why not absorb this?"
His golden eyes snapped open.
With a deep, primal pull, he devoured the divine lightning.
The once-destructive force rushed into his dantian, no longer harming him but instead becoming part of him. His meridians, once damaged, were reforged. His flesh, once burned, was reborn.
The power of the heavens—the force meant to destroy him—had become his nourishment.
And then—he laughed.
His voice rang across the heavens, defiant, victorious.
"Your lightning is not enough to kill me!"
The sky shuddered.
And for the first time, the heavens hesitated.
A final, massive lightning bolt gathered above, the clouds twisting violently. This was the last strike, the most powerful blow, meant to erase Lin Tian's very existence.
He smiled.
He had already won.
As the final bolt descended, he stepped forward to meet it—
And devoured it whole.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire mountain shattered.
The heavens roared in frustration.
And Lin Tian?
He ascended.
Inside his dantian, the chaotic storm of qi compressed, solidified, transformed.
A brilliant Golden Core took shape—pulsing, radiating with power beyond anything he had ever imagined. It was not like any normal Golden Core. It was drenched in the power of devoured lightning, flickering with golden and violet light, brimming with an energy no other cultivator had ever possessed.
When the dust settled, Lin Tian stood at the center of the ruins, his long black hair flowing in the wind, his golden eyes glowing faintly with arcs of residual lightning.
He clenched his fists.
The power of the Golden Core Realm surged within him.
He had passed the trial.
He had defied the heavens.
And now—he was stronger than ever.
He lifted his gaze to the sky, his smirk returning.
"What's next?"
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