Ao Xie stared dumbfounded at the crimson lightning raging around him. It was more than a hundred times stronger than the silver lightning he had just endured.
Though Ao Xie was arrogant, he knew his own limits. He instinctively ducked his head, then struggled to his feet and stared almost blankly at the demon cultivators on Fuxia Island, who were being blasted into utter chaos by the lightning.
These Tribulation Transcendence Realm demon cultivators were all enemies of the Dragon Clan and subordinates of the Sea Ghost Clan. They had come here to sabotage Ao Xie's tribulation and kill the Dragon Clan's genius, prepared to die together with him.
But now, they were practically ready to cry. What was this supposed to be? They'd charged in and increased the power of the tribulation, but it had ignored the person who was supposed to be undergoing it and instead kept hammering them. What kind of nonsense was that?
Myriad Thunder Descent.
In just a few breaths, nearly a thousand demon cultivators in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm had been reduced to ashes beneath the crimson bolts. Ao Xie remained, craning his dragon head upward and staring blankly at the Eye of Heavenly Punishment in the sky.
For a moment, Ao Xie thought he saw the Eye of Heavenly Punishment—the embodiment of the supreme Heavenly Dao—wink at him.
Even with his steadfast nature, Ao Xie felt dizzy.
He thought back to the three Immortal World powerhouses who had just unleashed a terrifying attack on him, their auras frighteningly powerful. Without the tribulation that had descended from the sky to shield him, this young genius of the Dragon Clan would have already been reduced to ashes.
Looking at the scene around him, Ao Xie seemed to understand.
Was this tribulation cheating?
No matter how proud Ao Xie was, he had to bow his head now. Deep inside, he was beginning to sense something.
For some reason, the Giant Eye of Heavenly Punishment in the sky had secretly helped him. Even the tribulation bolts that had struck just now had been right at the limit of what he could endure. A little more power, and the tribulation would have reduced him to ashes.
"There is always a heaven beyond heaven, and a person beyond the person. No matter how great my potential, it is still only potential. If I cannot grow, I will remain but one among the countless living beings..."
Having thought it through, Ao Xie murmured to himself.
"Indeed." A voice of incomparable majesty suddenly echoed in Ao Xie's heart. "Living beings are countless, and geniuses are as plentiful as the sands of the Ganges. Yet those who become strong are few and far between. Why? It all comes down to one's nature."
"One's nature?" Ao Xie froze. He did not know who was speaking to him, but a sense of understanding had begun to dawn in his heart.
He thought about how he had once relied on his reputation as a genius and grown nearly arrogant, looking down on all the heroes of the world—not to mention the Immortal World powerhouses. He had believed that one day he would surpass them.
But that was in the future. As things stood, Ao Xie was only an untransformed dragon of the Dragon Clan. No matter how great his potential, it was still only potential, not a capital he could rely on.
In an instant, Ao Xie underwent a tremendous transformation of the heart. This experience had taught him far too much. The demon cultivators in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm whom he had always looked down on could have taken his life with ease just moments ago.
Be proud, but do not lord it over others. Keep pride in your heart and let none show on your face—that was true pride.
Thinking back to how he, a little dragon in the Transformation Stage, had dared to provoke the Eye of Heavenly Punishment, Ao Xie could not help feeling both amused and exasperated. A thousand demon cultivators in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm and three Heavenly Immortals had lasted only a few breaths beneath the boundless might of heaven before turning to ash. What if it had been him?
"Who exactly are you? The legendary Heavenly Dao? The Heavenly Punishment?"
After thinking it all through, Ao Xie's state of mind had changed profoundly, and he seemed like an entirely new person. His formerly overbearing arrogance had completely vanished.
Pride kept in the heart, arrogance kept from view.
Yet Ao Xie could not help wondering about the giant eye in the sky. The Eye of Heavenly Punishment had appeared alongside tribulations throughout the history of the Immortal World, but only when the wicked were undergoing tribulation.
Ao Xie was proud, but he had always cultivated in seclusion within the Crystal Dragon Palace. He had not acted recklessly or slaughtered living beings. Why, then, had the Eye of Heavenly Punishment appeared during his tribulation? And why did it seem to be helping him?
Silence fell over the sky.
Chen Xiao had no intention of answering him. Once the Tribulation Mark was imprinted on Ao Xie and he became Chen Xiao's Tribulation Disciple, he would understand everything.
For now, Chen Xiao had done his prospective Second Tribulation Disciple a favor. Ao Xie was not the strongest among those undergoing tribulation and transformation, but he had the greatest status and background. What Chen Xiao valued was the Dragon Clan of the Worry-Free Sea behind him.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Suddenly, more than a dozen bolts of tribulation lightning crashed out of the clouds, heading straight for the dozen or so Sea Ghost Clan members locked in a standoff with Ao Tianchen beyond Fuxia Island.
Everyone was stunned by this turn of events. Ao Tianchen and the seventeen Sea Ghost Clan powerhouses were outside the range of the tribulation clouds, which meant the lightning should not have reached them.
Yet at that moment, the tribulation bolts struck directly at the seventeen Sea Ghost Clan powerhouses who had come to cause trouble.
These seventeen had managed to hold off Ao Tianchen, a Supreme Immortal. That meant they were at least Mystic Immortals. Above Golden Immortals came Mystic Immortals, and above Mystic Immortals came Supreme Immortals—the strongest below Fruit Status Immortals.
Using the tribulation to deal with them was not easy for Chen Xiao. If they were alert, they could have dodged the bolts, which had shot out from beyond the tribulation clouds.
But the key was that these men had been stunned by the tribulation's actions. What was this supposed to be? Favoritism?
Boom!
After several deafening crashes, the seventeen Sea Ghost Clan Mystic Immortals fell into the sea below, their bodies twitching. They were still alive. Sometimes, the living were worth more than the dead.
Ao Tianchen did not understand what was happening, but he reacted quickly. He immediately ordered his men to take the Sea Ghost Clan Mystic Immortals into custody.
The tribulation clouds still had not dispersed from the sky. The Eye of Heavenly Punishment remained hidden within the dark clouds, invisible to everyone except Ao Xie. Chen Xiao had done this deliberately. If people learned that the Eye of Heavenly Punishment had appeared and helped the Dragon Clan's Crown Prince kill their attackers, cultivators throughout the myriad worlds would probably go mad.
"Second Tribulation Disciple, take your place."
Seeing that Ao Xie had undergone a transformation of the heart, Chen Xiao felt relieved. In the next instant, a crimson bolt of lightning struck Ao Xie's dragon body.
Ao Tianchen and the Dragon Empress had only just let their worries ease when their hearts leaped into their throats again. They had both seen clearly that it was this crimson tribulation lightning that had reduced all the attackers to ashes.
The Dragon Empress rolled her eyes and fainted on the spot.
When the tribulation lightning passed, a tall figure gradually emerged from the billowing dust.
He was a handsome young man who looked about seventeen or eighteen, with snow-white hair tied beneath a golden crown. He wore silver armor, and a pale golden halberd in his hand gleamed beneath the tribulation lightning roaring across the sky.
This young man was Ao Xie, transformed into human form.
A crimson lightning mark now gleamed between his two pale silver brows.
The next moment, Ao Xie planted his halberd upright beside him and slowly sank to one knee.
"Your second Tribulation Disciple, Ao Xie, pays his respects to you, Master."