The Nine Palaces Elder Departs

Rumble—!

All at once, the motionless lightning within the peach grove began to churn. Explosions rang out from within, every thread of electric light awakening and turning incomparably violent. The entire peach grove became a sea of lightning charged with Thunderous Might.

Cradling the Little Golden Monkey in his arms, Chen Fan darted out of the peach grove. Hearing the commotion behind him, he abruptly halted and turned back in shock. At last, his expression changed.

The heavenly tribulation had awakened. What did that mean...?

"Master." Chen Fan murmured. Activating the Heavenly Eye Treasure Art between his brows, he indeed saw that Nine Palaces Elder's eyes had opened. His entire body exuded a mysterious and powerful aura, as sharp as a sword, while behind him seemed to spin an enormous Nine Palaces Sword Formation.

Yet there was no swordlike edge in Nine Palaces Elder's eyes at that moment—only complexity and sorrow. He did not look toward Chen Fan, but quietly stared at the humanoid bolt of lightning before him and muttered, "In the end, did I still underestimate this tribulation? The Fusion Realm... why can it not exist?"

"Why..."

Fragmented words drifted through the lightning. Chen Fan's expression shifted. Nine Palaces Elder seemed to be speaking with the humanoid lightning, and from the looks of it, this heavenly tribulation was likely far from simple.

"Master." Chen Fan spoke again, sending his voice to Nine Palaces Elder.

Only then did Nine Palaces Elder seem to come back to himself slightly and look toward Chen Fan outside the peach grove.

The old man's hair was completely white, yet his face appeared remarkably young—crane-haired with the face of a child, without a single wrinkle.

He smiled faintly, clarity suddenly returning to his eyes. "Your master is about to undergo the tribulation. This is