Faced with this unprecedentedly powerful heavenly tribulation, everyone's faces turned ashen.
"Xiao Wenbing, I have no grudge against you, why did you harm me?" one of the more than five hundred people who came to the Flame Realm with Xiao Wenbing from the cultivation world shouted.
“Indeed, we have no grudge against you. Since you have plotted against me, I will kill you first.” The other man waved his hand, and a beam of red light flew out, striking the main array eye like lightning.
However, the protective shield surrounding the main array eye was clearly identical to the outer ring of light. Although the power of this red light was considerable, it didn't even cause a ripple when it hit the protective shield.
Xiao Wenbing whistled loudly. He had long anticipated that, in this hopeless situation where escape seemed impossible, someone would attack him in despair, which was why he had erected a protective shield in front of the main formation. Unexpectedly, his prediction came true.
However, unexpectedly, out of tens of thousands of people, only one person acted rashly, and that person was a powerful demon from the cultivation world. If they had known this would happen, they wouldn't have bothered with this small protective shield.
Looking around, most people had calmed down after the shocking turn of events. After all, none of those who could cultivate to the peak of the Tribulation Transcending Realm were simple individuals. Although they were momentarily disoriented when they knew escape was hopeless, they quickly recovered.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, may I ask what your intention is?" A person stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Xiao Wenbing, asking the question.
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. He hadn't expected that at this moment, someone would still show respect to the culprit who had put them in such a desperate situation. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was Elder Yan.
Pointing to the sky, Xiao Wenbing said solemnly, "I want to resist the heavenly tribulation."
Everyone rolled their eyes. Did he really need to explain something so obvious? What they couldn't understand was why Xiao Wenbing wanted to drag so many people down with him.
"Everyone, since I, Xiao, promised you that I would ensure your safe passage through the Heavenly Tribulation, it was no empty promise. The situation is critical now. Everything will be explained later. If you trust me, please return to your original positions and await my orders. I guarantee that you will all be unharmed after the Heavenly Tribulation. Of course, if you don't trust me, hehe... then please do as you please."
The scene fell silent instantly. Apart from the thunder and lightning in the sky, not a single one of the more than 10,000 people made a sound.
A moment later, an old man suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao has been incredibly kind to our Yan Realm. Even if I were to give up my old life for you, I would do so willingly."
After saying that, he moved and returned to his original position, raised the Xuanwu secondary shield again, concentrated his energy, and began to provide energy to the main array eye.
Xiao Wenbing had already recognized that this old man was one of the most powerful cultivators in the Flame Realm, besides immortals like Quini, and his skill was definitely no less than that of the Food King and Long Shi.
Silently, almost without hesitation, the vast majority of people had returned to their original positions. Their expressions were calm, their eyes resolute; long-term exposure to the pressure of despair had forged their extremely strong and unwavering personalities.
The few hundred people still wavering in the arena were all peerless fiends from the cultivation world. Seeing this situation, they all cursed inwardly. However, under the silent pressure of countless experts from the Flame Realm around them, they obediently chose to return to their positions. Although there were quite a few of them—several hundred Tribulation Transcending stage cultivators would normally be considered an extremely powerful force—here, mixed among tens of thousands of people, they had neither the courage nor the right to put on airs.
"Thank you all for your trust, seniors." Xiao Wenbing bowed deeply. The experts from the Flame Realm returned the greeting, and surprisingly, no one dared to insult or harbor resentment.
With a gesture, Zhang Yaqi pointed her finger, and the protective circle covering the main array eye instantly dissipated. At this moment, however, no one dared to attack the three of them.
Xiao Wenbing straightened his chest and shouted again, "This junior promises that it will be absolutely effective. Now, listen to my command, absorb the vital energy and gather it towards the main array eye."
"Boom..."
A deafening thunderclap echoed across the sky, signaling the commencement of the massive, interconnected tribulations brought about by tens of thousands of experts at the Tribulation Transcending stage.
Volume 7, Chapter 1: The Great Heavenly Tribulation of Ten Thousand People
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Thunder rumbled and rolled, stretching for thousands of miles.
The environment on this uninhabited planet was already extremely harsh, and now it's even worse, threatening to destroy the world and bring about its own apocalypse.
Those who cultivate the Dao become extremely sensitive to heavenly tribulations when they reach the Tribulation Transcending stage. Unless they have reached the final stage of the Tribulation Transcending realm, their only option upon seeing a heavenly tribulation is to flee in panic. Of course, this does not include those who, for various reasons, seek their own death.
Chain tribulations are not uncommon; they can occur in any plane. However, Xiao Wenbing is the first person in history to deliberately lure tens of thousands of Tribulation Transcending stage experts together to trigger a chain tribulation. Such a feat is absolutely unprecedented and will likely never be repeated.
Therefore, he wisely refrained from telling the truth, because he knew that if the plan were leaked, he probably wouldn't even have enough people to count on two hands to go crazy with him.
But now, with nowhere else to turn, the only person this group can rely on is Xiao Wenbing.
The sky was a dark, oppressive mass; looking up, it stretched endlessly, as if the entire planet was shrouded in the might of heaven and earth.
"Ahem... Baiyi, Yaqi, do you think this is getting a bit out of hand?" Xiao Wenbing whispered. He dared not make a sound. If people knew that he, the chief planner, was actually afraid after seeing the power of the heavenly thunder, he would probably be beaten to death on the spot.
"Yes, a little," Zhang Yaqi replied in the same soft voice.
Looking at the sky, which was even more powerful than the combined thunder of the past, even Zhang Yaqi couldn't help but change her expression slightly.
"What are you afraid of?" Feng Baiyi frowned slightly and said, "I can weaken the power by thirty percent by using the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword as a catalyst. Is that still not enough to stop it?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. Then he laughed and said, "That's right, we don't need to underestimate ourselves too much. With so many people and so many preparations, if we can't even withstand 70% of the chain of tribulations, then it's our destiny to face this calamity, and we can't blame Heaven."
Upon hearing Xiao Wenbing's confident words, the two women smiled simultaneously, their eyes brimming with spring-like joy even under the threat of thunder and lightning.
"Boom..."
The dark clouds began to change again, and faintly, a deep, alluring crimson rippled and undulated with the churning of the clouds.
"Heavens! It really is the Nine Heavens Thunder and Fire Tribulation..."
The atmosphere of despair filled the room once again.
The Nine Heavens Thunder and Fire Tribulation, a super heavenly tribulation that no one in history has ever escaped and that exists only in legends, has finally appeared.
Although everyone understood that being stimulated by the auras of tens of thousands of Tribulation Transcending stage experts, it would be utterly unfair if what they were about to receive wasn't the Nine Heavens Thunderfire Tribulation, their hearts still felt heavy and their fighting spirit greatly diminished when they witnessed this synonym for death appear before their own eyes.
Xiao Wenbing frowned slightly. He was at the core of the main formation and noticed that the energy transmitted by everyone had been significantly reduced. He immediately knew something was wrong. If these people lost their momentum, even if they passed this hurdle, they would be no longer reliable for the rest of their lives.
His eyes darted around, and he shouted loudly, "Everyone, Feng Baiyi is the current sect leader of the Heavenly Thunder Palace in our cultivation world. The Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword in her hand can neutralize seventy percent of the power of heavenly thunder. Is it possible that even if we all work together, we can't even withstand a mere thirty percent of its power?"
Hearing Xiao Wenbing's encouraging words, everyone's eyes lit up, and their previous dejection vanished. The speed at which energy was concentrated in Xiao Wenbing's hands instantly increased by a whole level.
"Wenbing, you're lying again," Zhang Yaqi said with amusement. "It should be that it withstands 70% of the power, right?"
"Hehe... lying once is lying, lying a second time is still lying. Besides, this is a white lie..."
The pressure in the space suddenly increased several times, and the first huge bolt of lightning struck down heavily with a deafening roar.
The speed of the heavenly lightning was truly astonishing; it struck the protective shield of the Five Elements Guardian Formation almost the instant it was formed.
The dazzling light on the protective shield seemed to dim for a moment, but that was all; it returned to normal in an instant.
The experts below, seeing that the protective shield seemed unmoved, were greatly encouraged. Most of them showed joy. Under the immense pressure of life and death, almost no one could still feign composure.
However, Xiao Wenbing and his two companions at the main point of the formation were greatly surprised. The first strike of the Heavenly Tribulation had such powerful force, which made them uneasy.
Just consider that nearly ten thousand people frantically pounded on the protective array, yet it didn't damage the array in the slightest; one can imagine the power of this first strike.
"Whoosh..." A ring of raging flames encircled the large protective circle and burned. Although it blocked the heavenly lightning, the accompanying Netherworld Flames were not so easy to extinguish.
The Nine Heavens Thunder and Fire Tribulation is not just about the power of heavenly thunder and earth.
The Nine Netherworld Flames are known as the king of earthly fires in the lower realm. Although they cannot compare to pure immortal fire, they are far superior to earth vein fire sources. In a short while, a whole layer of soil surrounding the protective barrier collapsed.
"What powerful demonic fire!" Xiao Wenbing exclaimed sincerely, but his hands moved without slowing down. With a flick of his finger, a drop of light water flew over everyone's heads, turning into a bright mist in mid-air and pouring down.
"Hiss..."
A strange sound came, and the Nine Nether Flames that had been making everyone anxious were completely extinguished.
"It's Netherwater!" a Flame Realm expert exclaimed, and everyone looked at Xiao Wenbing with renewed confidence.
Even for immortals, obtaining a treasure like the Netherwater is an extremely rare thing, let alone for these cultivators who have not yet ascended.
"Crackling and popping..."
Another bolt of lightning struck the protective shield. Although the shield successfully protected everyone, it trembled slightly under this attack.
"Hmm, did I underestimate the power of the heavenly lightning?" Xiao Wenbing asked in a low voice, but his face remained calm and composed.
If these people knew he had miscalculated, the very next moment, those evil people he brought from the cultivation world would likely turn against him.
"Do your best," Feng Baiyi said coldly.
Xiao Wenbing gave a wry smile; this was the only way.
The falling of heavenly lightning follows a certain pattern, with the intervals between strikes increasing in frequency. While this gives those below more time to recover and recuperate, it also makes it easier for the heavenly lightning to accumulate powerful energy.
After a long while, the third bolt of lightning finally arrived, much to everyone's delight.
"Boom... Boom... Boom..."
A series of explosions rang out on the light screen, which was like a small tree in a strong wind, being blown about and tilted, with some parts even showing tiny cracks.
The crowd looked at each other in horror. Once the light barrier shattered, no one would be able to escape under the bombardment of such a powerful heavenly tribulation. What was even more tragic was that since the heavenly tribulation began, their energy had been locked down, and no matter where they fled, they would have to endure each and every one of the Nine Heavens Thunder and Fire Tribulations.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and absorb the energy..."
With a deathly pale face, Xiao Wenbing howled like a banshee. Under the bombardment of the three consecutive heavenly tribulations, the energy of the light barrier had been greatly depleted, leaving no time to recover, which was why cracks appeared. Now that the lightning had subsided slightly, Xiao Wenbing no longer cared about his appearance and immediately directed everyone to quickly replenish their energy.
Everyone seemed to awaken from a dream, unleashing their full magical power to absorb the primordial energy of the heavens and earth in the space. Through the special operation of the formation, they sent the energy to the main array eye without reservation.
These people were all top experts in the Second Realm, with extremely keen eyesight. They all knew that only by protecting this Five Elements Guardian Array could they ensure their own survival. Therefore, at this moment, regardless of whether they were cursing, crying, hating, or resentful, they were all fighting with all their might.
Having received an endless supply of energy, the protective shield of the Five Elements Guardian Formation quickly returned to its original state.
This is because, being under the heavenly tribulation, the primordial energy here is unimaginably dense, which is why such an exaggerated speed is possible. If one could cultivate here, one could achieve twice the result with half the effort. However, waiting for the heavenly lightning here... I doubt any fool would make such a choice.
"This is a ghost! This is a ghost!" Xiao Wenbing, the master of the array, stared intently at the sky, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. "You damned heavens, you... are you playing us for a fool!"
Just now, three bolts of lightning struck in quick succession. This speed greatly shattered people's understanding of heavenly lightning, catching them completely off guard and nearly reducing them to ashes.
"White Robe, is the Nine Heavens Thunderfire Tribulation a combination of three heavenly lightning bolts striking the earth at once?"
"have no idea."
You don't know either?
"That's right, no one has ever escaped the Nine Heavens Thunder and Fire Tribulation, so I don't know how this heavenly lightning strikes the earth."
Xiao Wenbing looked up at his head with lingering fear. If another bolt of lightning had struck immediately afterward, everyone here would have been in hell, going to have tea with the King of Hell.
I waited anxiously, but then something unexpected happened again.
Gradually, they completely repaired the Five Elements Guardian Array and thickened the protective shield above their heads by 10%.
The whole process of going back and forth has already taken nearly half an hour.
The sky remained overcast with dark clouds and flashes of lightning, but no new thunder was seen.
"Huh, that's strange, where did the heavenly lightning go?" Xiao Wenbing asked in surprise, "Wasn't it supposed to be nine bolts of heavenly lightning? Why is it so slow? Could it be that the next one is particularly powerful?"
"Boom..." As if in response to his question, a bright and enormous giant lightning bolt, over a hundred feet long, slowly emerged from the thick fog in the sky.
Looking at this colossal object, even larger than the previous three combined, Zhang Yaqi couldn't help but mutter a complaint in a low voice: "Wenbing...you, you jinx!"