Absorbing the Heavenly Tribulation Origin!

Zhang Qingxuan looked up at the mass of pitch-black tribulation clouds that continuously churned and expanded in the sky, and his face went pale with a swish.

Lightning coiled within the tribulation clouds, thunder rumbled without end, and the terrifying pressure made his legs weak and breathing difficult.

"You two... don't mean for me to go in there, do you?" His voice trembled, and he was nearly in tears.

Resisting the might of heaven and earth! Is that something a mere Qi cultivator like me can do?

Won't I be struck into charcoal?

Deep within his dantian, the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram and the Green Leaf Sword trembled violently at the same time, conveying an eager excitement—Charge, Master! Don't be afraid, we're here!

Zhang Qingxuan looked down at his not-so-muscular body, then back at the heart-palpitating lightning in the heavens, nearly bursting into tears. "How about... we pick somewhere else? If I go in like this, I'll probably be blasted to bits!"

The two martial souls immediately protested fiercely, making his dantian go numb from the vibrations.

After Zhang Qingxuan's "reasoned argument," the two martial souls finally agreed reluctantly: they would wait until the lightning tribulation struck for a while before rushing in.

At that moment, the sky suddenly lit up!

Boom—!

A purple bolt as thick as a water vat tore through the sky, carrying the might of heaven and earth as it viciously struck the trunk of the hundred-zhang-tall Life Green Willow!

Crackle! Sizzle—

The emerald leaves on its willow branches instantly turned to ash. Its thick branches were scorched black and burst into roaring flames, while the stench of burning wood mixed with the searing scent of lightning filled the air.

Zhang Qingxuan's eyelids twitched as he watched from afar, but then his eyes suddenly lit up.

"If I can pick up some leftovers... would this count as the legendary Lightning-Struck Wood?"

"And it's even ten-thousand-year-level Lightning-Struck Wood! Ancestor, bless me—if I can take it away, wouldn't that mean..."

Before he could finish, a sudden change occurred!

Buzz—!

The scorched Life Green Willow suddenly erupted with dazzling green radiance!

Immediately afterward, several hundred smaller green willow trees around it lit up at once. Threads of emerald life energy gathered from all directions and poured into the giant willow at the center.

"Damn! It can do that?"

"This is a little like the Blue Silver Emperor. It can even have its people pass on life energy?"

Zhang Qingxuan was dumbfounded by the sight.

Nourished by the life force of its kin, the flames on the Life Green Willow's trunk quickly went out. Its charred bark peeled away, while fresh, tender green bark grew at a visible rate.

Emerald buds even sprouted anew from the willow branches that had been destroyed by lightning.

Boom! The second heavenly lightning bolt struck again!

Buzz—! The green willow clan erupted with light once more, forcibly enduring the lightning at the cost of their own kin's life force.

This repeated three times.

When the fourth lightning bolt faded, the surrounding green willow trees had dimmed, their leaves withered and yellowed, no longer able to provide any energy.

The central Life Green Willow was in an even more miserable state—its trunk was black as charcoal, its bark cracked open, and silver-white arcs of electricity flickered through the fissures from time to time.

At that moment, the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram and Green Leaf Sword inside his dantian could no longer restrain themselves. They suddenly unleashed a terrifying suction force, dragging Zhang Qingxuan's body with them as they became a streak of light and shot straight toward the tribulation clouds!

"Hey, hey, hey, wait, wait a little longer!"

"Don't be impulsive! Impulsiveness is the devil!"

"Calm down!"

"Ancestor, save me—!"

Zhang Qingxuan's screams were swallowed by the thunder. By the time he reacted, his entire body had already plunged into the tribulation clouds.

Before him was a sea of surging lightning!

Bolts of lightning darted through the clouds like flood dragons, releasing deafening roars.

The tribulation clouds sensed the intruder, and countless electric serpents immediately changed direction, pouncing toward Zhang Qingxuan from all sides!

"Ah—!"

The first bolt struck his body. He shuddered violently, his outer clothes instantly turning to ash, while every strand of his hair stood straight up.

Dense scorch marks appeared across his skin, and the excruciating pain nearly made him pass out.

At the brink of life and death, Zhang Qingxuan bit his tongue to force himself awake and frantically circulated the mantra of the Five Thunders Method.

The Thunder Method circulated within him, beginning to slowly absorb, refine, and assimilate the lightning power that had invaded his body.

Meanwhile, the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram and Green Leaf Sword were thrilled beyond measure!

They actually flew out of his dantian on their own and hovered at Zhang Qingxuan's sides.

The Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram slowly rotated, forming a black-and-white vortex. The Green Leaf Sword hummed and trembled, its blade blooming with green light.

Like ferocious beasts starved for ages, the two began wildly devouring the surrounding lightning!

This left Zhang Qingxuan suffering miserably.

To draw in even more lightning, these two actually released their auras and provoked the tribulation clouds!

For a moment, the lightning that had originally been scattered seemed to find a target, striking in unison toward Zhang Qingxuan's position!

"Ah—! You two are going to get me killed!"

Electricity raced wildly over Zhang Qingxuan's body. His skin split and flesh tore, and tears streamed from the pain.

While desperately circulating the Five Thunders Method to refine the lightning, he cursed those two treacherous martial souls in his heart a thousand times over.

Then something happened that nearly made his eyes pop out—

The Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram and Green Leaf Sword seemed no longer satisfied with ordinary lightning. Their targets shifted toward the purple origin deep within the tribulation clouds, the source that continuously birthed new lightning!

The two martial souls transformed into black-and-white and azure-green streaks of light, pouncing toward the Lightning Tribulation Origin like sharks that had smelled blood!

Rumble, rumble—!

The tribulation clouds seemed to be completely enraged. The entire cloud layer churned violently as several divine bolts, each as thick as a water barrel and laced with purple lightning arcs, descended upon Zhang Qingxuan with the might to destroy heaven and earth!

"This was their doing, so why are you striking me?!"

"There's no justice!"

"My life is over—!"

Zhang Qingxuan closed his eyes in despair.

Boom—!!!

A terrifying explosion erupted within the tribulation clouds, and blinding lightning illuminated the entire sky.

One incense stick later.

The tribulation clouds... dispersed.

They did not slowly dissipate. It was as though something had forcibly drained them dry, causing them to rapidly fade and vanish.

Bang! Zhang Qingxuan fell from the sky.

He crashed heavily beside the charred trunk of the Life Green Willow, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Sunlight fell once more, illuminating the scorched willow grove below and the figure lying on the ground, blackened all over, hair standing on end, and completely naked.

The Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram and Green Leaf Sword floated at Zhang Qingxuan's side, each emitting a faint, satisfied tremble that resembled a "burp."

—They had actually drained the Lightning Tribulation Origin dry.

Zhang Qingxuan, meanwhile, was blackened all over like a human-shaped lump of charcoal, lying there motionless.

Before long, Zhang Qingxuan suddenly opened his eyes.

"Whew, I actually survived!"

After marveling at the fact that he was still alive, Zhang Qingxuan turned to look at the culprits beside him!

"Hey, were you two trying to kill me?!"

"If I hadn't been so lucky, I would've been struck to death just now!"

The two martial souls trembled, seeming to know they were in the wrong as they pitifully nuzzled against Zhang Qingxuan.

Zhang Qingxuan was speechless as he looked at those two. He directly recalled the pair of troublemaking bastards and put his clothes back on.

He still had something else to do!

—Scavenge for loot!