The moment the metal struck, Long Yuan sensed a dangerous aura.
It was a sense of oppression emanating from the heavens and earth, as if something had noticed him and was looking down on him from a distant height.
Long Yuan raised his head, his eyes flashing with Golden Light.
His divine sense detected the enormous thing brewing in the sky— the Tribulation Cloud.
The clouds were churning, seven colors of clouds intertwined, like a giant Vortex, frantically devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of dozens of miles.
"It's here, the Elemental Lightning Tribulation!" Zhen Hua murmured.
This is why Heavenly Forging is so difficult. Heavenly Forging is forging divine-grade metals, and to transcend from mortal to god, one must naturally undergo Heavenly Tribulation.
Although it wasn't as terrifying as the near-divine tribulation lightning that Soul Beast faced when they became gods, it was still divine might, something ordinary people couldn't easily resist.
This was the first time he had ever seen such terrifying Tribulation Cloud.
The colorful clouds covered the entire sky, completely obscuring even the starlight.
Within the Tribulation Cloud, booming sounds rose and fell, as if some terrifying being was brewing.
" Long Yuan!" Zhen Hua shouted, " Seven-Colored Lightning Tribulation, there are seven in total, be careful!"
Before the words were even finished, the center of the Tribulation Cloud lit up.
A beam of seven-colored light descended vertically from the clouds, heading straight for the silver-white metal in Long Yuan's hand.
Within the pillar of light, lightning flashed, and seven colors of lightning intertwined, unleashing a world-destroying force.
Long Yuan did not dodge.
He raised his right hand, his five fingers spread, and golden Dragon Qi Shield condensed in his palm, transforming into a semi-transparent golden light shield.
"Boom--"
The seven-colored lightning collided with the golden light shield, unleashing a deafening roar. Zhen Hua was pushed back several steps by the shockwave.
Long Yuan stood still, motionless.
Golden Dragon Qi Shield swirled before him, completely blocking the impact of the lightning.
However, the power of the seven-colored lightning tribulation did not dissipate immediately; the lightning bolts roamed across the surface of the light shield, trying to find a breakthrough.
Long Yuan snorted coldly and unleashed his full Bloodline Power.
The golden light shield suddenly thickened, forcefully deflecting the seven-colored lightning.
The first tribulation lightning has passed.
The roar from the clouds grew louder and louder, as if gathering strength for the next attack. A few seconds later, the second beam of light descended, thicker and more violent than the first.
The lightning struck the light shield, producing a deafening metallic clang.
The third lightning bolt followed closely behind, striking the light shield. Long Yuan was forced back half a step by the immense force, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground.
"Wow, this lightning tribulation is powerful."
Instead of advancing, Long Yuan retreated, flying straight into the sky to face the thunderclouds.
This Ascension Platform is his property; don't damage it.
Unexpectedly, just as he took flight, the thunderclouds went berserk, unleashing a torrent of lightning.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth attacks were all more powerful and ferocious than the last.
The Tribulation Cloud churned, swallowing up all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred miles.
The residents of Ming Capital City had long been alarmed, and many stood on the streets and balconies, looking up at the spectacular view from the top floor of the Blacksmith Association.
After enduring the sixth bolt of lightning, Long Yuan took a deep breath, finding himself completely unharmed.
The remaining seven-colored lightning danced around him, but was blocked by the golden Dragon Qi Shield, leaving him no way to break through.
"Is that all the strength you have? Come on, try again!"
Long Yuan laughed loudly and beckoned to Lei Yun with his finger.
As if enraged by this provocation, the thundercloud suddenly shrank inward, almost completely concealing its seven-colored light.
The next moment, the final bolt of tribulation lightning roared out.
This bolt of lightning was thicker and brighter than any of the previous ones.
Within the pillar of light, seven colors of lightning swirled and intertwined, eventually coalescing into a Spear of Destruction that hurtled straight toward Long Yuan's heart.
Long Yuan looked up at the bolt of lightning, his golden eyes filled not with fear, but with madness. He thought of the embarrassment he felt when he was forming this body within Tang Wulin, of how he had progressed step by step from a state of divine consciousness to where he was today, and of the long years he had waited for this day.
He had waited far too long for this moment.
"Bring it on!"
Long Yuan let out a long roar, and golden Dragon Qi Shield condensed around him, transforming into a huge golden shield that enveloped the entire Ascension Platform. The Golden Dragon King Bloodline within him was activated to its limit, and golden scales covered his entire body, turning him into a golden statue.
The Spear of Destruction collided with the golden shield, unleashing a blinding white light.
Zhen Hua's vision went black, and he could see nothing but a deafening roar echoing in his ears. He covered his ears tightly and desperately tried to open his eyes, attempting to make out the scene in the white light.
Amidst the boundless lightning, Long Yuan stretched out his right hand, which had completely transformed into the shape of Dragon Claw. The tip of the Thunder Spear, seemingly intent on destroying everything, spun continuously in his palm, yet it could not break through his defense.
"Hahaha, that's all! Since your power has come to an end, then exit the stage!"
"Click--"
With a forceful squeeze of his right hand, Long Yuan actually crushed the Thunder Spear into pieces. Then, he swung his right hand sharply, and golden Dragon Qi Shield swept across the sky, erasing all the thunderclouds.
As the light faded, Long Yuan slowly descended from the sky onto the Ascension Platform.
He lowered his head and looked at the silvery-white metal in his left palm.
It was intact, its surface even more radiant than before, and the seven-colored patterns inside swirled like a river of stars, breathtakingly beautiful.
The Heavenly Forging is complete.
Zhen Hua burst out of the shadows, grabbed Long Yuan's shoulder, and looked him up and down.
"How are you feeling? Are you alright?"
Long Yuan looked at him, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "This time you really miscalculated..."
Zhen Hua was stunned for a moment, then quickly began to grope Long Yuan, saying, "I told you not to be so reckless. Your first Heavenly Forging challenged the Four-Element Lightning Tribulation, which was already your limit. You insisted on choosing the Seven-Element Lightning Tribulation..."
"Hey, hey, don't rush me. When did I say there was a problem?"
Long Yuan quickly dodged Zhen Hua's hand, then opened his right hand, which had not yet returned to human form, and showed his palm to Zhen Hua: "See? This is the first time I've suffered such a serious injury. I really miscalculated."
Zhen Hua looked closely and saw that Long Yuan's right palm clearly only had a broken golden Dragon Scale, without even a drop of blood.
Zhen Hua laughed, but as he laughed, his face darkened.
"Damn! I was just being delusional!"
At that moment, Zhen Hua felt like a clown.
He released his grip, took two steps back, looked at Long Yuan, at the piece of metal, and at the Ascension Platform that had been destroyed by lightning.
The night wind blew Ascension Platform, lifting Long Yuan's long golden hair. Most of the glass in the dome was shattered, with only a few pieces stubbornly clinging to the frame.
The starry sky overhead appeared in full view, with the Milky Way stretching across the sky and starlight pouring down.
"Hiss... Zhen Hua, I shouldn't have to pay for the repair of this Ascension Platform, right?"
Zhen Hua turned to look at the night view of Ming Capital, remained silent for a long time, and then slowly said, " Long Yuan, the Blacksmith Association is now in your hands."
Long Yuan watched his retreating figure. "So?"
Zhen Hua shook his head, his voice very soft. "So of course you'll have to pay for the repairs yourself."
Long Yuan remained silent.
Zhen Hua continued, "From today onwards, you are the new president of the Blacksmith Association. Isn't it appropriate for you to pay for the repairs of your own assets?"
"I didn't agree to that," Long Yuan said. "I just wanted to borrow the Ascension Platform for a bit. You also said you would be responsible for all losses."
Zhen Hua turned around, looked at him, and said with a faint smile, "Even if you don't agree, in the eyes of the world, you, Dragon God Douluo, are already the next president of the Blacksmith Association."
He paused, then laughed, "I've already spread the word. After today, the entire continent will know that His Excellency Dragon God has mastered the Heavenly Forging."
"Damn it, aren't you afraid I'll fail?"
"I don't care, even if you're faking it, you have to pretend you know how to use Heavenly Forging."
"You bastard Zhen Hua, I didn't expect you to be waiting for me here!" Long Yuan glared at Zhen Hua.
"Hahaha!" Zhen Hua stared at Long Yuan without caring, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
That's a longing for retirement.
Long Yuan rolled his eyes, then disappeared from the Ascension Platform, leaving only one sentence floating in the air.
"I'm really fed up with you. Just wait, I'll talk to you again next time I come back."