A towering mountain range rose beneath drifting clouds and curling wisps of smoke. Emerald bamboo and ancient cypresses covered its slopes, dotted with rare flowers and herbs. Deer called and apes howled from time to time, while dark birds and fierce tigers darted out among the trees. A black python frolicked through the forest, devouring small animals as it slithered between the trees.
Dark clouds rushed in from every direction, soon blanketing the entire sky. Darkness swallowed the land. Birds and beasts scattered in terror; those that had yet to awaken their spiritual intelligence ran wildly in every direction, trampling countless creatures to death. Those with a little intelligence sensed the terrible danger and fled the darkened area as quickly as they could.
The entire mountain range fell into chaos. Sand and stones filled the sky, and countless trees were uprooted. The whole world seemed on the verge of returning to a barren state.
Suddenly, the dark clouds split apart directly above the Black Python, then quickly gathered together again. The instant the two banks of clouds met, lightning flashed and thunder roared. The wind howled, and a torrential downpour swept down.
The Black Python was terrified. He was only a Lesser Demon who had just awakened his spiritual intelligence, but he could sense that this was the greatest tribulation in heaven and earth: the ninefold Lightning Tribulation. Only great demons of the Transcendent level who were becoming immortals would face such a terrifying tribulation.
But why had such a terrifying tribulation appeared over this small mountain range? For little demons like him, even a single bolt of lightning would make his soul scatter.
The tribulation was clearly right above him. The Black Python twisted and writhed, trying to crawl away, but under the terrifying pressure, he couldn't move.
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