Is This a Test?

Rumble--

The only response to Xiao Fan was a deafening roar, as if mocking his insignificance.

"That's right, Lao Tzu is that great."

Xiao Fan rolled his eyes.

Since he took a more detached view of life and death, his entire mindset has changed.

He doesn't care about divine thunder, gods, or ghosts; he'll curse even a passing dog.

Rumble--

Thunder rumbled once more.

Xiao Fan: "Is this final bolt of lightning finally about to strike?"

"It's time for me to say a proper goodbye to this world."

The only thing Xiao Fan couldn't let go of was his family.

Fortunately, the teammates he nurtured are all doing quite well now.

With Qin Muyu and Fatty taking care of my uncle and aunt, their lives won't go back to the dire straits they used to be.

Xiao Fan had great faith in his teammates who had come from Zone 18 with him; they wouldn't abandon his uncle and aunt just because of his death.

Zhou He and Jian Qingfeng are also trustworthy individuals.

"Considering all that I've done for the country, they should treat my family well."

Thinking this way, Xiao Fan felt he could die in peace.

However, he still sent a message to everyone he was on good terms with, and also sent some information to his uncle and aunt about creating skills and farming traits, hoping that they wouldn't be too destitute after his death.

After sending the message, Xiao Fan ignored everyone's replies and quietly waited for the final divine lightning bolt to descend.

A few more moments passed.

Rumble--

Thunder roared once again.

But the bolt of lightning still hung high in the dim sky, showing no sign of falling.

Xiao Fan's heart tightened.

According to Zijin, the longer the divine thunder stores its power, the stronger it becomes.

Xiao Fan admitted that there was an element of gambling involved.

He was betting that his million mana reserves could withstand the final divine lightning strike.

As long as he doesn't die, the Lightning Tribulation of Zijin is over.

At that time, Zijin's physical condition will be restored to its peak, and even without mana, he can roam freely in this Monster Region.

Moreover, through this Lightning Tribulation, Zijin will trust him even more.

But at this moment, Xiao Fan's heart was pounding.

Because the final Lightning Tribulation seemed to have taken a little too long to accumulate its power...

It's been too long.

It took twice as long as the ninth divine lightning bolt to accumulate power.

He couldn't even imagine how powerful such a divine lightning bolt really was.

"That's enough of the tonics. If I keep building up my strength, my million mana reserves probably won't be enough."

Xiao Fan couldn't help but speak, but the divine lightning above his head still showed no sign of falling.

"Damn it, they're not even willing to give me a chance to survive."

Xiao Fan cursed angrily.

Anyone would break down if their last glimmer of hope was ruthlessly crushed.

Xiao Fan didn't know how long he had been struggling with this decision.

Rumble--

Thunder roared once again.

But the tenth divine lightning bolt still did not strike.

Xiao Fan frowned.

What's going on?

How much power will this final Lightning Tribulation accumulate before it finally strikes?

Xiao Fan never imagined that the final tribulation Lightning Tribulation wouldn't strike.

Because that pure-blooded member of the Zijin Clan was killed by the tenth Lightning Tribulation.

Therefore, he was certain that the tenth Lightning Tribulation would definitely fall.

But that hanging Lightning Tribulation just kept there, making a sound every now and then, but it wouldn't fall.

That feeling of having no hope of living, yet being unable to die, is incredibly agonizing.

Rumble--

Xiao Fan:...

"Are you going to chop it or not? If not, I'm leaving."

Xiao Fan attempted to threaten the final divine lightning bolt.

His response was still a deafening clap of thunder.

For some reason, Xiao Fan felt like he was being teased by Lei.

"Why would I have this feeling? It must be my imagination."

Xiao Fan quickly shook his head.

This is Lightning Tribulation; it shouldn't be that boring.

Why did that final bolt of lightning linger for so long?

"Am I really the favored son of Heaven? With me here, the Lightning Tribulation will not fall?"

Xiao Fan guessed confidently.

If that's really the case, then he really will keep carrying the Zijin around.

"We don't know if this lightning bolt will follow us indefinitely."

"I'm actually kind of looking forward to it."

Xiao Fan thought about how his appearance was accompanied by background music featuring changing weather and thunder, and suddenly felt pretty cool.

In fact, Xiao Fan was overthinking it.

Just as he was getting impatient and preparing to try taking Zijin away.

The final bolt of divine lightning finally struck.

The turbulent, purple lightning-streaked clouds, which had been rolling and surging just moments before, froze completely at this moment. Thousands of tiny lightning threads hung motionless in mid-air, as if a freeze button had been pressed.

Xiao Fan looked up in shock at the scene.

Is it finally coming?

Even though he was about to die, Xiao Fan seemed to feel a sense of relief.

Damn it, he was already annoyed by the last Lightning Tribulation's smug look.

He was already feeling sad, but he almost became irritable.

Suddenly, a pitch-black rift stretching for thousands of miles burst open in the very center of the sky.

Within the crevice, the last divine lightning bolt seemed to have settled the primordial chaos of gold.

Boom--!

This time, the thunder was no longer like before. It was like the roar of an ancient dragon awakening, or the chaotic roar at the beginning of creation. The sound waves swept across the eight directions, directly shattering all the remaining thunderclouds in the sky.

Even in the game, Xiao Fan had never seen such a shocking scene.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively clutched the Zijin- gold in his hand to his chest.

At that moment, the Zijin in his hand seemed to sense something, and it struggled to wake up, touching Xiao Fan's palm with its head.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Five simple words, yet carrying immense weight.

Xiao Fan's heart was both incredibly clear and incredibly resolute.

From the moment they signed their Life Bond, he and Zijin were bound together by fate, sharing both fortune and misfortune, their blood ties firmly intertwined.

Life Bond that one should live and die together, never to be separated.

Whether he lives or dies today, he will never abandon his comrades, nor will he back down an inch.

Nestled in his arms, Zijin heard Qingqing. Her previously fearful and dim golden pupils suddenly widened, her small body trembled slightly, and warm moisture instantly misted her eyes. Crystalline tears silently slid down her dark cheeks and dripped onto the back of Xiao Fan's hand, both icy and hot.

She had already made up her mind.

If she and Xiao Fan can survive this world-destroying Lightning Tribulation today.

From this day forward, Xiao Fan will no longer be merely her master bound by the contract, but the only person she is willing to follow in her life, a person she will never forget until death.

In the years to come, no matter what lies ahead, whether it be a mountain of knives or a sea of fire or a tribulation of heaven, she will do everything in her power to stand behind Xiao Fan forever, to be his strongest and most reliable support.

A person and their pet tenderly guard each other in dire straits, their hearts and souls intertwined. This pure and unwavering bond seems to have thoroughly enraged the cold and merciless divine thunder in the sky.

The thunderclouds rolling in the sky suddenly became wildly agitated, the lightning surged, and the previously stagnant sea of thunder surged and churned. A deafening thunderclap exploded, more violent and violent than ever before, resounding throughout the entire world. The sound waves shook the earth below, causing it to crack and sending rocks flying wildly through the air.

Rumble--!!!

As a violent clap of thunder sounded, the next second, golden lightning bolts from high in the sky struck down towards Xiao Fan.

A blinding flash of lightning filled the sky above him, and he had nowhere to retreat.

The last trace of hesitation in Xiao Fan's eyes vanished completely, and an indomitable sharpness ignited in his dark eyes.

"Since there's no way out, then we won't retreat!"

He stared intently at the approaching golden divine lightning. The extremely dazzling lightning pierced his eyes, causing sharp pains and blurring his vision. Yet, he never closed his eyes or retreated an inch.

Within arm's reach, he could clearly sense the terrifying, raging energy within the divine thunder, a power powerful enough to instantly obliterate him and Zijin.

All he has left is courage.

"Jiu Chen..."

A pained voice rang out from Zijin.

Xiao Fan originally thought he was definitely going to die this time.

But...

He looked up at the divine lightning that was gradually disappearing above.

I was completely dumbfounded.

Just now, the tenth golden divine lightning bolt, with overwhelming divine power, came rushing in with overwhelming force, as if it would blow the entire Five Elements Land into ruins.

But the last bolt of divine lightning was less than a centimeter away from his head. At that critical moment when life and death hung in the balance, it abruptly stopped.

Without any buffer or warning, it abruptly hovered in mid-air.

The dazzling golden lightning ceased its surging, and the violent power of the thunder instantly subsided. The deafening thunder also stopped abruptly.

The restless Lightning Tribulation was now eerily quiet, like an ancient Fierce Beast poised to pounce. Its Tusk were already pressed against the neck of its prey, yet it suddenly withdrew all its killing intent and remained motionless.

Xiao Fan froze, barely daring to breathe, his heart pounding wildly. He clutched the Zijin in his arms tightly, deliberately keeping his breathing soft. He stared blankly at the motionless divine lightning above his head. Before he could sort out the chaotic thoughts in his mind, an even more bizarre scene unfolded.

The tenth divine lightning bolt, its brilliant golden light visibly dimmed, and the thick lightning pillar gradually blurred and disintegrated, scattering countless fine golden lightning threads in all directions, like countless starlight slowly melting into the air.

The divine lightning was dissipating on its own?

Xiao Fan frowned deeply, alarm bells rang in his mind, and his first reaction was to be on guard.

Something's not right, absolutely not right.

"Could it be that Heaven is playing tricks, deliberately stopping to mislead us, secretly brewing an even more deadly conspiracy, waiting for us to lower our guard before unleashing an even more terrifying Lightning Tribulation?"

Xiao Fan became increasingly uneasy and unable to relax.

The main reason is that there are precedents among the Zijin clan.

Their ancestor was killed by this tenth divine lightning bolt.

Therefore, the tenth divine lightning bolt was definitely not something the Heavenly Dao used to scare them.

But what's going on now?

Xiao Fan racked his brains but couldn't find a single reasonable explanation.

Time slowly passed, second by second, a long and agonizing ordeal.

The last wisp of golden lightning in the sky completely dissipated. The heavy, oppressive tribulation clouds that had enveloped the entire Five Elements Land receded rapidly like a tide, and the layers of dark clouds scattered to the horizon. In just a moment, they vanished without a trace.

The clear blue sky reappeared before our eyes, and the warm sunlight shone on the earth, dispelling all the thunder and haze. A gentle breeze swept across the land again, and even the violent thunder in the air slowly calmed down.

All things returned to calm, Lightning Tribulation came to a complete end.

Only now did Xiao Fan belatedly realize that the tenth Lightning Tribulation had truly dissipated completely and would no longer strike them.

At this moment, besides the overwhelming joy of surviving a disaster, Xiao Fan also felt confused and incomprehensible.

Why exactly?

Why didn't the final bolt of lightning strike?

The next second, a system notification sounded.

"Congratulations! You and your Contract Beast have passed the test <Deep Bond>. Your Contract Beast is now qualified to continue growing."

Xiao Fan:...

What does this mean?

So, is the final divine lightning actually a test of the bond between the Contract Beast and its master?

In other words, as long as he doesn't give up on Zijin, the final Lightning Tribulation won't strike, Zijin can successfully overcome the Lightning Tribulation and continue to grow.

If he ultimately chooses to break his Life Bond with Zijin, will Zijin be struck dead by the final divine lightning bolt?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fan felt no joy; instead, he found it utterly absurd.

At that moment, he suddenly understood why the Zijin clan no longer easily signed contracts with the Human Race.

This is gamble with your life!

Fortunately, Zijin met him.

Xiao Fan felt that he was too reliable.

Just then, a warm and powerful energy erupted from the Zijin body in his palm!

Xiao Fan quickly spread his hands.

The Zijin in his palm was now enveloped in a dazzling pure gold light.

Golden light shot into the sky, warm and clear. The light carried a sacred and ancient aura as it flowed, spreading outward from the Zijin center, illuminating the entire sky that had just cleared of dark clouds. Even the remaining fragments of lightning energy in the surrounding area were completely Purification and dissolved by this golden light.

Xiao Fan held his breath, staring intently at the little guy in his palm, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Having just endured nine Lightning Tribulation, Zijin's feathers were charred and tattered by the lightning, his exposed skin was covered with scars left by the lightning strikes, and his breath was weak and feeble, on the verge of death.

At this moment, enveloped and nourished by the golden light, the withered, blackened, and charred feathers of the Zijin fell off one by one at a visible speed, carrying away all the pain left by the lightning strike and drifting away with the wind.

The delicate skin, originally covered in cracks and scars, healed rapidly under the golden light, the cracks slowly closed, and the damaged flesh quickly regenerated.

Then, fine, soft hairs with a faint golden sheen slowly grew out from beneath its skin.

The newly sprouted feathers were translucent, shimmering with golden light. Each feather was clean and pure, with tiny specks of starlight. They were even softer and fluffier than the feathers before the lightning strike, and their radiance was even more dazzling.

The golden light slowly receded, and the holy light surrounding it gradually faded, revealing the completely transformed Zijin.

Xiao Fan stared intently, his pupils dilating slightly.

Zijin, Zijin's Jinmao is even brighter and more magnificent, shimmering with a luxurious light under the sunlight. Its eyes are clearer and more dazzling than ever before, its golden pupils seeming to be filled with warm sunshine, exuding an innate sacred aura.

Even her figure seemed to have relaxed a bit, gaining a newfound nobility and agility.

Xiao Fan stared blankly at the little guy who had been reborn in his palm, and suddenly realized something.

"Jiu Chen, I have successfully transcended my tribulation."

Zijin excitedly flew around Xiao Fan.

She thought she was going to die and would never be able to return to her hometown or see her parents again.

But unexpectedly, she survived again at the crucial moment.

"Jiu Chen, do you know what's going on? Why didn't the final Lightning Tribulation strike us?"

After the initial excitement subsided, Zijin asked a question.