AZI Volume 3 Chapter 5

"…?!"

Sensing a vast amount of spirit Qi from somewhere, Yao Ying's eyes snap open despite her state of drowsiness.

As her cultivation base is already in the Foundation Establishment realm, she already has access to divine senses, and spreading her divine senses outwards—

(I can't see anything. Must be further ahead.)

Gritting through the pain that emanates from her wounds, Yao Ying rises to a stand—thinking to head for the direction this spirit Qi is coming from.

Just as she takes her first step forward, however—

"Ah…!"

Sensing how quickly that vast amount of spirit Qi is vanishing, Yao Ying's complexion turns pale.

Looking in the direction that this spirit Qi is coming from, she sees tendrils of lightning beginning to gather in the dark clouds.

(Someone is making a breakthrough. This spirit Qi is probably from spirit stones. Still…)

Moving forth sluggishly, Yao Ying can't help but feel like something is off.

(What kind of cultivation method are they using? The rate they're devouring this spirit Qi is utterly insane…)

Although Yao Ying is still inexperienced when it comes to cultivation, she at least knows that an ordinary cultivation method—cannot possibly be used to devour spirit Qi at the rate this person is going at it.

(Ah, whatever, I'll head over there first. If this person seems decent, maybe I can ask them for help?)

If her grandfather—from the maternal side, had been here to hear Yao Ying's thoughts, he would surely be against her going towards the source of this commotion, and reprimand her for being so naïve.

...…

(This monster…)

Although her vessel's outward expression is completely stoic without a hint of emotions, the Tian Cheng—inside of the dreamscape, couldn't be anything but astonished, as she watches the pile of spirit stones beside Long Hua being turned into dust.

Looking at Long Hua—who is thoroughly covered in a dense shroud of spirit Qi, Tian Cheng feels like she is looking at a bottomless black hole.

Upon absorbing most of the spirit stones' energy into his bones, Long Hua's cultivation base immediately reaches the peak of Qi Condensation.

(Just what kind of cultivation method is he rotating? …Ai, not like it matters. Knowing Dao He Tian Xue, it's definitely nothing ordinary.)

Turning her attention away from Long Hua, Tian Cheng looks up at the dark clouds—where tendrils of lightning are moving about like serpents in water.

*Boom! Boom!* as the lightning crackles, one can't help but think it to be reminiscent of a growling beast—that's preparing to pounce onto its prey.

*Boom!* with another crackle, a bolt of lightning—that is as thick as a tree's trunk, descends from above.

Just as the lightning bolt is an arm's length away from Long Hua's head—

"…Mountain, mortal realm's most immovable mass."

Forming a fist with his left hand, and rotating the Immortal Suppression Palm, Long Hua shatters the incoming lightning bolt with a single strike!

"…"

Rising to a stand with Bai Zhe in his right hand, Long Hua shakes off the bits of electricity—that are sticking onto his darkened left hand.

With this, as a sign of the tribulation's beginning, Tian Cheng leaps back to put some distance between Long Hua and herself.

Simultaneously, five bolts of lightning descend, but instead of striking Long Hua directly, they form a cage around him.

...…

"Hmm."

Dressed in a black T-shirt with a pair of grey-colored jeans, Bai Wen—who is looking at Long Hua's tribulation smiles.

"Bai Wen, is that him?"

Standing by Bai Wen's side is Nuo'er—who is dressed in a black military outfit with a captain-ranked cap, and a pair of black boots.

"Indeed."

With Bai Wen's confirmation, Nuo'er's purple eyes give off a gleam of curiosity.

Currently, they are standing at the top of a distant building—that is half a mile away from where Long Hua is.

...…

"…"

Spewing out a breath of air, Long Hua raises his head.

Above this prison—that made up of five lightning pillars, a single orb of dense electricity is being formed.

Shrouding Bai Zhe in sword Qi, Long Hua finishes his preparation.

In the same instance—

*Boom!* as if the lightning prison had been transformed into the barrel of a gun, the lightning orb is shot downwards.

And as the orb descends, Long Hua raises Bai Zhe—to unleash a barrage of slashes!

Upon rending the lightning prison apart with his sword Qi, Long Hua frowns.

(I didn't notice this last time, but I feel like this lightning tribulation is far weaker than it should be…)

(This tribulation…?)

Observing Long Hua's situation, the same thought appears in Tian Cheng's mind.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* in a rapid manner, many more bolts of lightning descend, while the previous five spread outwards.

This time, the prison is far larger than the first—being made up of 25 lightning pillars in total.

With how wide the prison's coverage is, the lightning sphere—that is being generated above Long Hua's head, holds a stature that matches the prison itself.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* treating the earth as the surface of an anvil, dense lightning pillars are fired from the sphere, and with every additional strike that goes off—the stronger the following strikes become!

Other than the lightning's increased strength, the interval between each strike is also being shortened.

Originally, it was only around 40 strikes a second, but as time goes on, it quickly grows to be more than 200 strikes a second!

"Uh."

Slipping through the gaps in his sword swings, one of the lightning bolts—manages to land a direct hit on Long Hua, knocking him back by three steps.

"Impervious to a thousand blades."

Summoning his Sword Armor, Long Hua uses it to buy himself a bit of time to catch his breath.

Focusing on the remnant lightning energy—that is coursing through his body, Long Hua's frown deepens.

These traces of lightning energy won't stay in his body for very long, as they are quick to redirect themselves to his sword.

"…"

Seeing a few black spots on Bai Zhe's blade, Long Hua thought—

(It's as if… This tribulation was never designed with a practitioner in mind.)

In the same instance, Tian Cheng also thought—

(Hmm. Earth as the anvil, lightning… As the hammer?)

The way in which this tribulation is set up—reminds Tian Cheng, the way in which a blacksmith would work in front of an anvil.

*Pah!* as the Sword Armor shatters, Long Hua constricts his eyes, as he looks to the lightning sphere.