Chapter 73: Struck by Lightning

Two types of extraordinary flames began to ravage inside the protective light barrier, causing astonishment outside as no one understood where the second type of flame came from. With the appearance of the Bone Spirit Cold Fire, a chilling aura spread around, though it also emitted intense heat—an eerie contrast of cold and hot. 

Both Cai Die (Color Butterfly) and Queen Medusa were being consumed and evolving by the two types of flames. Although Xiao Yu witnessed this miracle, he was uncertain whether the evolution would succeed, as Queen Medusa's previous flame was the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire, which had now turned into the Bone Spirit Cold Fire. He could only hope they would survive, as he had even thought about raising a snake as his guardian spirit beast.

After half an hour of intense refining by the flames, the screams of Cai Die and Queen Medusa grew weaker, possibly due to energy depletion or the completion of their evolution. Their massive snake-like bodies, once over ten meters long, had shrunk to only a few meters, charred black from the flames. No one could imagine how much bone and blood had been burned away during this trial.

The two bodies hung suspended in the flames, enduring the fire's onslaught. A faint stench of burning flesh filled the air. As they ceased moving, a heavy sorrow overcame the snake people watching from outside. Their Queen had perished in the fire.

The leader and elders of the snake people wore grim expressions. They couldn't believe their Queen had died in the flames. Mo Bas, enraged, released a violent roar, and with a surge of battle energy, he punched at the light barrier, but it remained unshaken. 

At that moment, as everyone assumed Queen Medusa had perished, the energy in the sky suddenly stirred. Fear spread among the snake people as three elders and several leaders exchanged looks, feeling that their Queen had not fallen.

The sky, once clear, grew dark, and dense clouds began to gather overhead. A mighty thunderous roar echoed from within the clouds, and silver lightning flashed wildly, like electric snakes. Xiao Yu felt the pressure from above, as though facing a heavenly tribulation, although his cultivation was still far from reaching that stage. He realized the evolution of Cai Die and Medusa had succeeded.

Such cosmic phenomena weren't rare, especially when ancient beasts were born. Xiao Yu wasn't worried; after all, the lightning wasn't aimed at him. 

The sky's violent energy made the snake people tremble, including the elders and leaders, who were forced to retreat hundreds of meters from the storm's epicenter. Then, a loud crack reverberated as a massive silver bolt of lightning struck the blue fire within the barrier, bringing with it a surge of intense energy that struck both Cai Die and Xiao Yu. 

Xiao Yu's face darkened—how could the lightning target him? However, he soon realized that the sealing power within him, caused by Cai Die's previous gaze, had been released. The energy contained in the lightning was incredibly pure and far stronger than anything he'd previously cultivated.

Without further complaint, Xiao Yu began absorbing the energy through his chaotic cultivation method, and his cultivation directly broke through to the Nine-Star Dou Master level. 

As the dark clouds dispersed, Xiao Yu felt a slight regret—if only the tribulation would strike again, he could break through to the Grand Dou Master level, using the pure energy for his advantage. Meanwhile, the snake people outside breathed a sigh of relief as the oppressive energy began to fade.

But just as the clouds began to clear, they quickly re-formed, darker and more foreboding, with purple lightning crackling through the sky. This new energy was far more terrifying, and everyone's expression shifted. The lightning this time was much stronger.

Xiao Yu sensed the new tribulation coming and smirked, preparing for another trial. This time, the purple lightning struck Medusa directly, a sign that both she and Cai Die had fully evolved. 

The energy released from the lightning caused chaos around them, and Xiao Yu, absorbing this pure power, leapt from the Nine-Star Dou Master to the Grand Dou Master stage, using the energy to propel his growth. He resisted the temptation to break through on the spot, as there would be repercussions if he failed the tribulation here.

As the storm subsided and the clouds began to dissipate, Xiao Yu, now able to move, noticed the blackened corpses of the two giant snakes. They began to shed their dark skin, and an ominous pressure emanated from within. The bodies exploded apart, releasing two terrifying auras that rapidly spread across the city.

The snake people, recognizing the familiar scent of their Queen and Cai Die, erupted into ecstatic cheers. "Did they succeed?"