As the Thunder Tribulation Platform drew closer to the Eye of Divine Punishment, the surrounding pressure increased, and a strange suction force pressed down on the four of them.
The Thunder Tribulation Platform moved even faster. Li Qiang said, "No, at this rate, we'll all be sucked into the Eye of Divine Punishment. We have to find a way to stop the Thunder Tribulation Platform." He didn't know much about black holes, only that they could devour everything, including light. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but tremble with fear.
After observing for a while, the Azure Emperor said, "Don't worry, as long as we can resist this suction force, the Thunder Tribulation Platform will take us back. In any case, the Thunder Tribulation Platform cannot disappear."
Li Qiang asked, "Why can't it disappear? The Thunder Tribulation Platform is even more powerful than a divine artifact." He found it hard to understand.
Heavenly Aunt smiled and said, "Indeed, the Thunder Tribulation Platform cannot disappear. It is an effect of the entire divine array. If the Thunder Tribulation Platform disappears, the existence of the Illusory God Main Hall cannot be established. This is a very simple principle... It depends on what else we will encounter besides the suction force. We will not truly enter the Eye of Divine Punishment; at most, we will glide along the edge."
She seemed quite confident.
Li Qiang muttered to himself, "I hope so." Then he asked, "Master, is the Guardian Divine Armor no longer useful? Why did we take it off?"
Heavenly Aunt smiled slightly and said, "If my calculations are correct, then as long as we successfully pass through the Eye of Divine Punishment, we should reach the main hub, and the Guardian Divine Armor will become useless."
The Azure Emperor nodded and said, "Hmm, not bad, I had the same idea. Alright, I'll take off my Guardian Divine Armor too. This thing is too weak and it hinders our performance." With that, he put away his Guardian Divine Armor.
Li Qiang also took off his Guardian Divine Armor and asked, "Master, what kind of divine armor are you wearing?"
With a wave of his hand, the Azure Emperor revealed a deep blue robe. He smiled and said, "I don't need divine armor, I only wear this battle suit."
Boju said, "Nephew, your master's battle armor is a rare treasure, famous throughout the Immortal Realm. It's called the Celestial Palanquin Divine Robe, a unique divine item. Hehe, it's much better than your Evolving Incantation Divine Armor."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "That's for sure. My master was present every time the Ancient God Repository was opened, and he collected countless divine artifacts. How can I compare to my master?"
The Azure Emperor laughed and said, "Little fellow, don't talk nonsense. I haven't obtained many divine artifacts. Some of them are beautiful but useless, and collecting them would only cause trouble. If you don't believe me, ask your aunt. We are very lucky to be able to master even a few divine artifacts. Having too many divine artifacts is useless."
Gradually, the attraction grew stronger, and the bright starlight around him began to distort. Li Qiang knew he was entering the range of the Eye of Divine Punishment.
Heavenly Aunt said, "Everyone, use the Immovable Divine Instruction. My junior disciple will stand in the middle, and we will stay on the outside. We must not leave the Thunder Tribulation Platform. Once we are sucked into the Eye of Divine Punishment, we will never be able to get out." Her tone showed unusual caution.
Everyone knows how to use the Immovable Divine Instruction. Li Qiang's cultivation level is the weakest, so he immediately activated the Divine Spirit Instruction. As the technique was released, his body became one with the Thunder Tribulation Platform.
The Azure Emperor said to Li Qiang, "No matter what happens, do not leave the Thunder Tribulation Platform beneath your feet. That is your root. You may find yourself alone and unable to see us. Do not panic. Remember, if it is Divine Tribulation, no one can help you. You can only rely on yourself to overcome it."
Heavenly Aunt also said, "Although we don't know much about Divine Tribulation Divine Tribulation and have never experienced one, I'm very satisfied to be able to undergo Divine Tribulation. Hehe, Divine Tribulation Heavenly Tribulation, Immortal Tribulation, and Spirit Tribulation. Those are tests in cultivation, but Divine Tribulation... it seems now that we must have brought them upon ourselves."
Li Qiang didn't understand what they were saying. Divine Tribulation was self-inflicted? Wasn't that just courting death?
He couldn't help but smile bitterly. Perhaps this Divine Tribulation was the final step in their cultivation of divinity, but with him caught in the middle, trying to take advantage of the chaos, he might not only fail to catch any fish but also drown.
He couldn't help but ask, "What does it mean if we can't overcome the Divine Tribulation? Does it mean we're doomed?"
The Azure Emperor said with a serious expression, "I'm sorry, I don't know."
Li Qiang nearly fainted. He exclaimed in surprise, "There are things you, old man, don't know?"
High Person Boju said, "Little one, we haven't experienced Divine Tribulation either, so we don't know what will happen. The important thing now is to protect yourself at all costs... Remember, the three of us are stronger than you, so you just need to protect yourself. If we can help you, we definitely won't stand idly by, but... it's possible we won't be able to find you at all."
Li Qiang understood that the divine array had the function of bringing people within arm's reach. Just as Heavenly Aunt and the others had said, even if they were right next to him, he might not be able to see anything. No wonder the Azure Emperor had instructed him not to leave the Thunder Tribulation Platform; it was their lifeline. If they left, they would be sucked into the Eye of Divine Punishment, and that would be the end for them.
Suddenly, the Heavenly Aunt said, "I understand!" This statement came out of nowhere, leaving everyone puzzled.
Li Qiang asked, "Master, what do you understand?"
Then, Azure Emperor and Boju also showed expressions of sudden realization. Li Qiang was even more frustrated; he was the only one here who didn't understand anything.
The Azure Emperor said, "Only through the power of the Eye of Divine Punishment can the power of the Divine Tribulation be manifested."
The Heavenly Aunt said, "That's right! The Divine Link can't be used anymore, otherwise the consequences will be severe. You can only rely on your own strength. Nephew, you must remember this: never use the Divine Link, otherwise not only will you not be able to find us, but you will also be forced to leave the Thunder Tribulation Platform."
Li Qiang said in a trembling voice, "I know, the Divine Tribulation... I... damn it, I haven't even survived the Heavenly Tribulation or the Immortal Tribulation, and I'm already facing the Divine Tribulation! Waaah, I'm so pitiful." He couldn't help but lament.
Boju frowned slightly and said, "Don't be like that naive and unambitious Tianzhen! You might not even know your own potential, so don't worry."
The three took turns comforting him, but Li Qiang became even less confident. He thought to himself, "What makes me think I can overcome Divine Tribulation that even the likes of the Azure Emperor haven't experienced?" But now was not the time for regrets. He rallied his spirits and prepared to fight the Divine Tribulation head-on.
The Thunder Tribulation Platform was moving faster and faster, and the four of them watched with solemn expressions as the Eye of Divine Punishment grew larger and larger.
Li Qiang gradually felt an invisible tearing force, a force like a raging giant, in which he felt as powerless as an ant.
Golden light flashed in circles on the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, and countless phantoms of incantations swirled rapidly. The Ninefold Evolving Gilt transformed into golden light and enveloped Li Qiang's body.
The Azure Emperor's Celestial Palanquin Divine Robe transformed into a layer of deep blue light, within which countless stars shimmered, like the starry sky of the deep universe.
The Heavenly Aunt revealed her true form, dressed in flowing white robes, surrounded by countless colorful lights, like dancing fireflies, a truly beautiful sight.
High Person Boju's protective aura was quite simple, merely a layer of dazzling golden light. Like Li Qiang, he wore divine armor, which also appeared to be a rare treasure.
A huge meteor was attracted and came within a hundred kilometers of the Thunder Tribulation Platform. It could be clearly seen that it was a meteoroid composed of meteorites, and its speed was about the same as that of the Thunder Tribulation Platform. The two were rushing towards the Eye of Divine Punishment almost side by side.
As the Thunder Tribulation Platform drew closer, the four could no longer communicate. This was not only due to the incredible speed, but also because the tearing force had transformed from a one-sided drag into an invisible, immense pressure.
The four people could barely maintain their protective gear, but Li Qiang felt it was becoming increasingly difficult.
Looking at the Thunder Tribulation Platform still hurtling towards him, he felt a sense of impending doom. According to what Heavenly Aunt and the others had said, this was definitely not just a simple matter of dealing with the suction force of the Eye of Divine Punishment; there must be something else going on.
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. If he couldn't escape the Thunder Tribulation Platform, he would have to face the upcoming test, but no one knew what the Divine Tribulation would look like.
The Eye of Divine Punishment had grown to the size of a tray, its shape somewhat strange, initially resembling an eye. From Li Qiang's angle, the eye appeared slanted, radiating a faint malevolent Evil Qi that sent chills down one's spine.
The four remained motionless. Suddenly, Li Qiang heard a sentence, a voice echoing in his mind.
"Hold on tight! We're approaching the edge of the Eye of Divine Punishment. The Thunder Tribulation Platform might suddenly stop. Be careful not to get thrown off!" This was Mind Speech message, a warning from the Azure Emperor.
Mind Speech is generally used only in special circumstances and is extremely demanding.
Since it is already close to the edge of the Eye of Divine Punishment, ordinary sound transmission is impossible; only Mind Speech can be used.
Of the four, only Li Qiang did not know how to Mind Speech. Although he had long known about the Mind Speech Divine Technique, he had never obtained the relevant Cultivation Method.
Li Qiang repeatedly used Divine Spirit Instruction to subtly add several layers of restrictions to himself. He soon discovered that the restrictions he had set up were showing signs of collapsing under immense pressure.
He was increasingly astonished. He had never seen such terrifying tearing force before, especially since there was no spiritual energy to provide and he couldn't draw upon the Power of the Primordial Realm. He was relying entirely on his own Divine Yi Power to sustain himself. In contrast, the three of them, including Heavenly Aunt, seemed to be handling the situation with ease.
As the Azure Emperor predicted, the Thunder Tribulation Platform, moving with lightning speed, began to emit a strong light, and its color gradually became transparent.
The voice in her Mind Speech rang out again, "Attention, there's going to be a change at the Thunder Tribulation Platform!" This time it was the Heavenly Aunt's voice.
Li Qiang involuntarily lowered his body, but this was useless. He was only able to avoid being thrown off by this tremendous force thanks to the restriction he had previously set up and the power he had to maintain it.
The Thunder Tribulation Platform didn't come to a gradual stop, but rather abruptly halted. The immense inertia combined with the suction force of the Eye of Divine Punishment, and three layers of the restrictions set up by Li Qiang were broken in an instant.
The golden light of the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing Sword was stretched into a long triangle, with its sharp point pointing directly at the Eye of Divine Punishment.
Li Qiang suddenly felt his Divine Yi Power surging outwards like a raging torrent, and in the blink of an eye, he felt he could no longer continue.
Without hesitation, he swallowed a Jiaye Divine Pill. With no spiritual energy available outside, he could only rely on the pill's spiritual power to quickly replenish his Divine Yi Power.
The Golden Venerable Divine Heart pounded wildly, swiftly transforming the spiritual power of the divine pill into Divine Yi Power.
Li Qiang cast another protective barrier, but it was immediately broken as soon as he finished setting it up. He knew very well that only by continuously and rapidly releasing protective barriers could he maintain the current balance; the Immovable Divine Instruction alone was no longer enough to withstand such a powerful force.
As the meteors that had been flying side by side rapidly disappeared into the distance, Li Qiang regained his footing and stood firmly on the Thunder Tribulation Platform. He thought to himself that this was probably just the beginning, and he had no idea what would happen next. He had absolutely no idea how the Divine Tribulation would begin.
To everyone's surprise, the Thunder Tribulation Platform was activated again.
Li Qiang sighed inwardly, "No way, if we go in again, we're all doomed."
The Azure Emperor's Mind Speech echoed in everyone's minds, "Be careful, everyone. We must resist the suction of the Eye of Divine Punishment. This is roughly the first step of the Divine Tribulation, simple... but terrifying."
As the Thunder Tribulation Platform flew past rapidly once again, Li Qiang unhesitatingly put a four-stage Jiaye Divine Pill into his mouth.
The feeling of his Divine Yi Power being completely drained was terrifying. He knew that his own power was insufficient and he could only rely on the divine pill to replenish the loss of his Divine Yi Power.
Fortunately, Li Qiang possessed many divine pills, and with the Purple Slip balancing his power, he could use them with confidence. Only by surviving this Divine Tribulation could he continue to live.
The Thunder Tribulation Platform paused three times, each time stopping abruptly at its peak speed.
Of the four, Li Qiang was the one who was struggling the most. Heavenly Aunt, Azure Emperor, and Boju remained calm and unhurried. Li Qiang had already swallowed four Jiaye Divine Pill, and each time he barely managed to stand up. The last time, he almost lost control of his Immovable Divine Instruction. He was inwardly groaning. With his cultivation level, he had already done his best.
Li Qiang couldn't understand why the Thunder Tribulation Platform could move freely within the range of the Eye of Divine Punishment. He wanted to ask, but he couldn't transmit his voice and didn't know the Mind Speech Divine Technique, so he could only keep thinking wildly.
The Mind Speech rang out again. "The divine array is about to be activated, and I'm afraid a new Divine Tribulation is coming. Are you all ready?" This time it was Boju who spoke.
Li Qiang couldn't help but admire the three of them for remaining calm and composed in such a situation. So far, the so-called Divine Tribulation seemed to be just an appetizer; the main course hadn't even been served yet. But even the appetizer was already overwhelming him; he had no idea whether he could withstand the challenge once the main course arrived.
After stopping this time, he waited for a full half hour, but the Thunder Tribulation Platform remained completely still, yet the powerful suction of the Eye of Divine Punishment did not weaken. Li Qiang struggled to hold on, his mind blank, only knowing to repeatedly set up restrictions and then watch them crumble layer by layer.
In a short period of time, he actually consumed two more Jiaye Divine Pill. Without the pills, his Divine Yi Power would be completely drained.
Li Qiang began to feel a little desperate. The location of the Thunder Tribulation Platform was on the edge of the Eye of Divine Punishment. If he went any deeper, he definitely wouldn't be able to withstand it.
The three Heavenly Aunt were temporarily unharmed; their protective barriers remained unbroken, while Li Qiang's barriers could only last for five minutes at most, some even breaking after just one minute. Only then did Li Qiang realize the vast difference in strength between himself and experts like the Azure Emperor.
The Azure Emperor's Mind Speech echoed in Li Qiang's mind, and he began to guide Li Qiang on how to change the protective restrictions.
He already knew that Li Qiang's cultivation was insufficient, but he wanted to see how long Li Qiang could hold out.
To his surprise, Li Qiang's resilience astonished him. He had guessed that Li Qiang would have exhausted ninety percent of his Divine Yi Power during the first attack, but he had actually managed to hold on until now.
The Azure Emperor didn't see Li Qiang secretly taking the divine pill, so he couldn't understand why Li Qiang was still able to persevere.
Li Qiang was overjoyed to receive guidance from the Azure Emperor. He didn't know much about protective restrictions, having previously relied on the help of the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, the Fire Essence, and the protection of the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Divine Artifact. He was relatively lacking in protective restrictions.
The Azure Emperor did not teach him a new protective restriction, but rather instructed him on how to use it.
Gradually, the protective barrier Li Qiang had erected was no longer easily broken and could last for about ten minutes, giving him a chance to catch his breath.
After giving a few more pointers, the Azure Emperor fell silent. After all, using Mind Speech was exhausting, and now he had to expend a great deal of his energy to resist the pull of the Eye of Divine Punishment. Therefore, the Azure Emperor dared not be careless.
The power of the Eye of Divine Punishment is truly monstrous; its violent tearing force is like a juicer, trying to squeeze every last drop out of a person.
Li Qiang discovered that the Four-Piece Elixir was no longer sufficient to meet his needs, and he was unable to stop the rapid dissipation of his Divine Yi Power.
The spiritual energy from the four-stage pill was insufficient, causing the Golden Venerable Divine Heart to beat slowly. A feeling of powerlessness filled his heart, and Li Qiang had no choice but to take out the Five Assemblies Pill.
He knew very well the power of the Adversity-Crossing Divine Pill; it was the very pill that had almost caused him to self-destruct.
Li Qiang thought to himself, since he would die anyway if he exhausted his Divine Yi Power, using the Five Assemblies Pill might allow him to prolong his life for a while. As long as he escaped the Eye of Divine Punishment, he didn't believe that the Azure Emperor and the others couldn't save him.
He was reckless and casually Adversity-Crossing Divine Pill into his mouth.
He experienced the sensation of spiritual energy explosion once again. In an instant, Li Qiang's face turned bright red, and the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor emitted a dazzling golden light.
Suddenly, she heard the Heavenly Aunt remind her in her Mind Speech: "Be careful!" She only uttered two short words in her Mind Speech before focusing all her attention on defense.
The Azure Emperor and Boju also became tense. As they continued deeper into the Thunder Tribulation Platform, they also felt that they were starting to feel overwhelmed.
Li Qiang discovered that the Five Assemblies Pill was not so scary. With the presence of the Eye of Divine Punishment, he almost immediately balanced the burst of spiritual power. Any more Divine Yi Power would be quickly worn away, so he didn't have to worry about the backlash of his power.
Taking advantage of the surge of Divine Yi Power, he cast multiple protective spells. Relying on the spiritual energy provided by the Five Assemblies Pill, he was finally able to relax a little.
The Thunder Tribulation Platform flew forward a distance, fortunately slowly this time and not too far. Looking at the Eye of Divine Punishment now, it was already the size of a millstone, and its chilling, all-consuming aura was quite unsettling.
Although the suction force increased, Li Qiang was finally able to maintain his balance after consuming the Five Assemblies Pill.
Suddenly, the Thunder Tribulation Platform flashed with streaks of lightning. Li Qiang was startled; the Thunder Tribulation Platform emitting lightning at this moment was bad news.
Unable to speak, he could only watch helplessly as the Thunder Tribulation Platform changed. After a while, he noticed that the pressure outside was beginning to weaken.
The Azure Emperor's Mind Speech echoed, "Don't let your guard down, something has changed."
Upon hearing this, Li Qiang immediately stabilized the protective barriers around his body.
The Thunder Tribulation Platform resembled a pool of melting liquid, rapidly spreading outwards, and the four people quickly shrank.
Watching Heavenly Aunt and the others disappear into the distance at high speed, Li Qiang exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? What's going on?"
Then, the Azure Emperor shouted from afar, "Little fellow, remember, under no circumstances should you leave the ground!"
Li Qiang then realized he could speak again, but there was no one in sight.
A blinding white light flashed, and the surrounding environment completely changed; the Eye of Divine Punishment seemed to have vanished.
The earth stretched as far as the eye could see, its surface a translucent pale blue, like Ice Crystal, without a single crack. The sky was also a pale blue, while the dark universe seemed to have vanished into nowhere.
Li Qiang knew in his heart that it was difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion here. He tried taking a few steps and found that there was no danger. Remembering the Azure Emperor's warning, he dared not attempt to fly.
After a moment's thought, Li Qiang suddenly realized that he couldn't just sit idly by. He tried to draw upon the Power of the Primordial Realm, but was quickly disappointed; the Primordial Realm couldn't sense him at all.
Li Qiang didn't know when the Divine Tribulation would begin. After considering it for a while, he decided that he could either wait for the Divine Tribulation to arrive and fight with all his might, or he could set up a divine array, because ordinary arrays simply could not withstand the impact of the Divine Tribulation.
Constructing a divine array is not easy. Fortunately, Li Qiang once obtained a magical jade bottle, the Two Poles Bottle, a divine artifact from the Ancient God Repository. It is very suitable to use it as the array eye of the divine array, which can maximize the effect of the divine array.
Li Qiang decided to set up a very simple divine array, a defensive divine array recorded on the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, which he had learned by chance. This divine array has a special feature: it can be set up in a planar layout.
Divine arrays are usually three-dimensional structures, but that's impossible here because the invisible suction force in the air would pull away the materials that make up the divine array.
Placing the Two Poles Bottle at his feet, Li Qiang began setting up the first divine array. Fortunately, he had all sorts of materials, and being a grandmaster of weapon crafting, he could process materials with incredible speed.
The formation was quickly set up, taking only about twenty minutes. Including adjustments, it was completed in less than thirty minutes. The divine formation only needed to be activated.
The surroundings remained quiet, and the suction force of the Eye of Divine Punishment was weakening further.
Li Qiang vaguely sensed that once the suction and tearing force of the Eye of Divine Punishment disappeared, it might be the beginning of the Divine Tribulation. He dared not delay for a moment and immediately activated the divine array.
Li Qiang didn't know the original name of this divine formation, so he named it the " Tribulation-Crossing Divine Formation ".
Regardless of whether this divine array can withstand the tribulation, having a divine array to protect him makes a difference, and he felt a little more confident.
After the divine array was activated, countless golden divine incantations floated into the air. These illusory divine incantations were very similar to those on the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, but clearer and brighter. In particular, with the Two Poles Bottle as the array's core, the divine incantations floating in the array also took on extreme attributes.
In order to quickly familiarize himself with the Tribulation-Crossing Divine Formation, Li Qiang continuously operated the array, trying to find more defensive and offensive methods. In the end, he summarized two relatively good defensive methods and one offensive method.
Unfortunately, he didn't have more time to explore further. Through the divine array's perception, he knew that the external suction and tearing forces were about to disappear, which meant that the Divine Tribulation was approaching.
Li Qiang sighed inwardly. He had originally intended to take advantage of the chaos and blend in with Azure Emperor and the others to get by, but now he had to rely on his own strength to face the terrifying Divine Tribulation alone. The current situation was like being forced into a corner; he had no choice in the matter.
Darkness descended so suddenly; in the blink of an eye, everything dimmed, except for the golden light still shimmering from the divine incantation of the Tribulation-Crossing Divine Formation. Wisps of white mist rose from the ground, appearing eerily strange under the golden light of the incantation. A faint whistling sound gradually arose, like a chilling wind blowing from hell, sending shivers down one's spine.
Li Qiang knew that the Divine Tribulation had begun.