"Of course not," Christine sighed gently, shaking her head, "Back then, three people were opposed—Athena, Poseidon, and one more... that would be you, Hades."
Cough, cough "Not me, it was the previous one, the previous Hades," Yang Chen laughed awkwardly.
Christine snorted with displeasure, as if she was convinced that it was indeed him.
Yang Chen rubbed his chin, feeling a bit embarrassed. Then, out of curiosity, he asked, "Why haven't I heard anything about the 'Divine Stone' during all this? Since the previous Hades wanted it, Ares also wanted it, and Athena made several attempts to obtain it, where did it come from? What's it used for?"
Christine sighed, "Didn't I already mention that I don't know where the Divine Stone came from or what it's for? It only appeared after the 'Pact of the Gods' was signed. All I know is that it seems to have a significant connection to our divine race. Moreover, it indeed contains the potential to revive our divine race, though it's just a possibility. The most successful case of using the Divine Stone is you. Without the enhancement of the divine light on your body, you wouldn't have been able to withstand the laws of space, nor would you have had the chance to inherit a divine persona.
As for other information about the Divine Stone, I'm not sure either. My power isn't enough to contend for it. Most of the time, the Divine Stone either goes missing or is held by Athena or Hades for research. Perhaps Athena knows the most about it. They definitely want to use the Divine Stone to revive the divine race, but aside from them, the rest of us don't have much confidence."
Yang Chen pondered for a moment, furrowing his brows, "Hey, after all that, you still haven't mentioned anything about the Heavenly Tribulation."
Christine picked up her glass of milk, no longer feeling disgusted by it, took a sip, and then continued, "Why so impatient? I was just about to explain."
To put it simply, Heavenly Tribulations come in varying degrees of severity.
For cultivators in the Divine Transformation stage, their strength varies greatly, but just having a high cultivation level doesn't guarantee that you'll enter the Tribulation stage.
The Tribulation stage can be seen as the mark of a true powerhouse because only when a cultivator's cultivation is acknowledged by the mysterious forces of the universe, does the Heavenly Tribulation descend, allowing them to enter the Tribulation stage.
In other words, when your cultivation is strong enough and your realm surpasses the Divine Transformation stage, the Heavenly Tribulation will naturally descend.
Depending on the strength of the cultivator's techniques—essentially how "defiant" they are—the Heavenly Tribulation can be roughly divided into three categories: everything in the world has both positive and negative aspects, yin and yang. Only when yin and yang combine can new things be formed, which is the so-called "Three Births of All Things."
The first category, which is relatively the weakest and most common, is the "Three Yang True Fire Tribulation." This consists of three rounds, each with three tribulations, namely the Lihuo, Samadhi True Fire, and Karma Fire, which descend from the heavens, burning the cultivator. If one is even slightly careless, they will be reduced to ashes!
The second category, which is somewhat stronger but extremely rare, is the "Six Harmonies Cold Water Tribulation." Similarly, it consists of three rounds, each with three tribulations. The Kui Water, Nether Water, and Weak Water condense in the heavens and earth, invading the cultivator's body in every possible way, and can even corrode the soul. Most cultivators, no matter how talented, are completely corroded by the second round of Nether Water.
The third category is the rarest and most powerful, produced after the union of yin and yang—the "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Tribulation"!
Cultivators fear the Divine Thunder above all else, and this Divine Thunder is far more terrifying than Zeus's "Thunderbolt" because it is the true Divine Thunder, born from the union of heaven and earth, and the essence of yin and yang!
Three rounds of Divine Thunder, each with three strikes, are divided into the "Taiqing Divine Thunder," "Shangqing Divine Thunder," and "Yuqing Divine Thunder"!
If a cultivator attracts this Thunder Tribulation, it means they have cultivated a technique so defiant that it is almost unbearable for the heavens. Simply put, the heavens cannot tolerate this person any longer, so it will try its hardest to blow them to smithereens!
After explaining the general three types of Heavenly Tribulations, Christine continued, "Thousands of years ago, we witnessed two exceptional cultivators in the Tribulation stage encountering the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Tribulation. They were the two strongest in Yanxia. Both of them reached the second round, the 'Shangqing Divine Thunder,' and without suspense, they were both obliterated by the first strike."
Yang Chen swallowed hard, forcing a stiff smile, "It can't be that terrifying, can it?"
"Do I need to lie to you?" Christine shot him a glare. "Although I don't know much about the cultivation path in Yanxia, I've seen a lot more than those in the current Hongmeng. I suggest you focus on recovering your mental strength. Sooner or later, you'll be able to use the laws of space again. As for cultivation, you should give it a rest. Maybe the fact that you weren't struck to death this time is due to the enhancement from the divine light on your body. In any case, losing your cultivation might actually be your good fortune."
Yang Chen scratched his head and asked, "So, according to you, if I survive the 'Taiqing Divine Thunder Tribulation' without losing my cultivation, I will have truly entered the Tribulation stage?"
"That's right," Christine nodded. "Since your cultivation technique can summon the 'Taiqing Divine Thunder,' and it's an especially powerful one at that, if you can get through it safely, your strength might be enough to match Poseidon."
Yang Chen was stunned. "What?! Even if I pass the trial, I can only match him?"
Christine sighed, exasperated. "Did you really think Poseidon was going all out when he fought you before? He wasn't even using ten percent of his strength, and he didn't even take out his divine weapon, the trident. If he had gone all out from the start, you wouldn't have to worry about the divine thunder—you'd be heading straight to reincarnation!"
Yang Chen sucked in a cold breath, forced a laugh, and asked, "Do you know what happens if someone survives the final 'Yuqing Divine Thunder'?"
Christine shook her head, deep in thought. "I don't know. The most powerful cultivators from Yanxia tens of thousands of years ago were only able to pass the 'Taiqing Divine Thunder Tribulation.' Their strength was already on par with Poseidon's. If someone were to survive the 'Shangqing Divine Thunder Tribulation,' I imagine they could rival Zeus and Athena, or perhaps even surpass them. As for the final 'Yuqing,' maybe they really could become the immortals from ancient times, but since no one has ever seen it, it's hard to say."
A slight smile appeared in Yang Chen's eyes. "Immortals... How interesting, to be called an immortal."
Seeing Yang Chen's odd expression, Christine waved her fair hand in front of his eyes. "What are you daydreaming about? You don't even have half your true essence left, and you're thinking about immortals?"
Yang Chen blinked indifferently. "Alright, I get it now. When I return to Yanxia, I'll look for books that record these cultivation methods, and that should be enough."
"You still won't give up?!" Christine frowned in frustration. "I've told you, Yanxia's cultivation path defies the heavens and leads only to destruction!"
Yang Chen shrugged. "I'm still alive and well, aren't I? Don't worry, I have so many women waiting for me to love them, why would I want to die?"
"Love them?" Christine scoffed. "Should I call Miss Lin and tell her you were just 'loving' my little maid?"
"Hey! Big mouth!" Yang Chen stood up in alarm. "Don't talk nonsense! I didn't stick my pole into little Sally's bottom, just the top! The top!"
Christine felt a bit dizzy from Yang Chen's shamelessness. "Alright, stop with the gestures. I won't say anything, okay? I really can't handle you sometimes. I don't know what's wrong with your brain—did you get struck by lightning? You seem even more shameless than before."
Yang Chen grinned without blushing. "Hey, big mouth, why did you put me in your bed? Did you sleep with me last night?"
Christine flirtatiously winked without the slightest embarrassment. "So what? Regret not doing anything?"
"Huh? You really slept with me?!" Yang Chen smiled bitterly. "I was just joking, but you..."
Christine looked at him with a hint of resentment. "What, are you disgusted by sleeping with me?"
"You know that's not what I meant," Yang Chen said seriously, putting away his smile. "We're friends, just friends. The kind of relationship where we can trust each other. Besides, I promised him I'd take care of you, and I don't want you to confuse me with him."
Hearing this, a trace of anger flashed in Christine's eyes, her face turned pale, and she replied coldly, "I don't understand what you're saying. You are you. I just want to sleep with you!"
Yang Chen sighed softly. "Why do you deceive yourself like this?"
"Shut up!"
Christine suddenly slammed the table and stood up abruptly, her eyes glistening, her breath quickening, and her eyes slightly red.
Yang Chen spread his hands, signaling that he wouldn't say any more.
Christine stared at Yang Chen for a long time before looking up and wiping the corners of her eyes. "Sorry, I lost control a bit. Anyway, I'm done eating. I have to go to the recording studio today and attend two events, so I can't stay with you. Just amuse yourself. If you need anything, tell Sally. I'm leaving."
With that, Christine picked up a pair of crystal sunglasses from the side, ignored everything else, and turned to leave.
But after taking a few steps, Christine paused, sighed lightly, and said, "There's a guest. Looks like I won't be able to leave just yet."
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8