Just as Shen Luo was nearly at his wits' end, the patterns on the four thundercloud pillars lit up, shining with golden light as though their outlines had been traced in gold.
The eyes of the four fierce gods standing atop the thundercloud pillars also shone gold. Their wings spread wide behind them, and their bodies began to move.
The two holding chains each formed a hand seal with one hand, electricity crackling all over their bodies.
The one holding a hammer and chisel took his stance, raising both implements high and aiming them at Shen Luo below. The other raised a fist, ready to strike the bronze drum cradled in his arms.
A one-legged Kui Ox was carved into the drum's body. As though slowly awakening, its eyes gradually opened, and the lightning patterns covering its body lit up one after another.
Boom!
The drum-bearing fierce god struck first, bringing his fist down onto the bronze drum.
The Kui Ox's eyes suddenly blazed, and all its lightning patterns flashed at once. A bolt of blue lightning burst from the drumhead and pierced straight into Shen Luo's Dantian like a sharp spear.
"Aah..."
A heart-piercing pain suddenly struck him, unbearable even for Shen Luo.
He felt a sharp force tear his Dantian apart. Agonizing pain swept over him, blotting out heaven and earth, and his entire lower abdomen felt as though it had caught fire. The magic power gathered within was thrown into complete turmoil in that instant, leaving him unable to draw upon it to resist the lightning.
At that moment, he felt that he was not undergoing a thunder tribulation, but suffering a punishment by lightning, utterly powerless to resist.
Before one wave had subsided, another rose.
The fierce god holding the hammer and chisel acted as well.