Thick white mist rose up, and as the whistling sound approached, the mist suddenly dissipated, and an unparalleled gale swept over. Li Qiang quickly turned the divine array's defense to its maximum.
Suddenly, the Two Poles Bottle at the center of the formation emitted a purple light, followed by a flash of white light. The divine runes floating in the divine formation transformed into clusters of golden light and flew towards the edge of the formation.
Almost simultaneously, a gale slammed into the divine array, producing a series of violent tremors.
Divine runes appeared and disappeared in an endless stream, dissipating the pressure brought by the gale.
Li Qiang felt a little relieved. He occasionally cast a few spells, just to replenish the spiritual energy needed for the divine array to operate.
Now he understood the benefits of divine arrays; they were far more effective than restrictions. Restrictions relied entirely on Divine Yi Power to form, without any physical support, making them very quick to set up, but not as effective as divine arrays. He suddenly realized that reinforcing the divine array with restrictions might be even more effective.
He tried casting a few restrictions, and sure enough, the power was greatly enhanced after the restrictions were combined with the divine array.
Li Qiang was overjoyed. As long as the divine array was sturdy and effective, the Divine Tribulation would cause him much less harm. Although he didn't yet know what a true Divine Tribulation looked like, the current raging winds were not yet Divine Tribulation.
The entire space was gloomy, and the gale never stopped.
Li Qiang was puzzled. What kind of Divine Tribulation was this? But he soon realized that it was just a raging storm.
The wind has no color, yet he saw a pale blue wind, with shimmering things mixed in, wisps of which he couldn't make out.
The moment the pale blue wind collided with the Tribulation-Crossing Divine Formation, Li Qiang felt the array shake slightly. He quickly activated the array to dissipate the pressure brought by the gale.
This pale blue wind was extremely cold. Without the protection of a divine array, being touched by the wind would not pose a great danger, but it would slow down one's movements.
As the divine array shifted, the pale blue wind transformed into a liquid-like substance and quickly solidified. Fortunately, the divine array countered it, squeezing out a hole in the solidified mass. The surroundings immediately fell silent.
Li Qiang was completely clueless about the situation and could only hold onto the divine formation and wait for things to change.
Suddenly, Li Qiang noticed that the divine array was showing signs of detaching from the ground, and a sense of panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he realized that the solid formation created by the gale was trying to grab him and then lift him off the ground.
Without hesitation, he switched the formation, and with a series of crackling sounds, the divine formation unleashed a tremendous impact. This was the only way to attack.
With a deafening roar, the solid object enveloping the divine array tumbled and vanished into thin air like a steamed bun. Li Qiang felt a chill run down his spine; if he had been sent flying with that thing, he would have faced the power of the Eye of Divine Punishment directly.
After experiencing several attacks, Li Qiang felt that the Divine Tribulation was not as terrifying as the Immortal Tribulation. He easily blocked it with the help of the divine array and did not suffer much damage.
He thought to himself that perhaps what he had just experienced was not a Divine Tribulation at all, and that he had not reached the level to overcome it. What was happening now might be the aftermath of Divine Tribulation, and that he had not truly faced the Divine Tribulation.
Because Li Qiang was in a very advantageous position, standing between Azure Emperor, Heavenly Aunt, and Boju, the power of the Divine Tribulation was largely resisted by the three of them. Only a small portion of it could affect Li Qiang. In addition, he had preemptively set up a defensive divine array, so the Divine Tribulation hardly harmed him. Unless Azure Emperor and the other two were defeated by the Divine Tribulation, he would be in no danger.
Li Qiang felt much better. He knew that with his current cultivation level, if the Divine Tribulation were to be unleashed at full power, he would almost certainly die, and even his immortality would be useless.
The so-called immortality is relative. If one were sucked into the Eye of Divine Punishment, even a god might not be able to escape, let alone a cultivator.
After yet another shock, Li Qiang was certain that the Divine Tribulation was not aimed at him; he was merely an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.
The current situation is like a fire at the city gate affecting the fish in the moat. He is the fish in the moat, and all the water in the moat has been used to fight the fire. Now he can only hope that the fire at the city gate will be smaller, otherwise, if all the water is drained, he, the fish, will be doomed.
Li Qiang couldn't see or hear what the Azure Emperor and the other two had gone through. Several times he couldn't help but want to go and see, as such an opportunity was truly rare. However, his fear of the Divine Tribulation prevented him from taking the risk.
The aftershocks of the Divine Tribulation were fading, which meant that the Divine Tribulation was now focusing all its efforts on dealing with the Azure Emperor and his two companions.
Li Qiang sat cross-legged at the core of the formation, with the Two Poles Bottle in front of him, and began to cultivate.
With the divine array providing protection, he basically had nothing to worry about. Having consumed so many divine pills in quick succession, he might unleash his power after leaving the Eye of Divine Punishment. Although the Purple Slip Shield balanced his power, he knew very well Purple Slip it wasn't omnipotent.
Only Li Qiang would dare to cultivate at such a time. He began to circulate his Golden Venerable Divine Heart, and instantly, a large amount of spiritual power surged into it—this was the spiritual power that had accumulated within his body.
Because he had consumed many divine pills, a large amount of Spiritual Qi energy that had not been converted into spiritual power settled in his body. If it weren't for Purple Slip helping to balance it, he would have already self-destructed and perished.
Once Li Qiang began using the Golden Venerable Divine Heart to convert spiritual energy, the stagnant spiritual energy immediately erupted.
Fortunately, Li Qiang was sitting at the core of the divine array, which was in operation, and the excess spiritual energy was absorbed by the array in time. Li Qiang's cultivation was forcibly boosted again, and he entered the second level of the Seven Star Heaven - the Heart of Sacrifice.
After receiving a tremendous amount of spiritual power, the divine array began to operate rapidly.
This divine array originally evolved from the divine armor, and it possesses some of the characteristics of the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor. As the divine array operates, the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor also undergoes changes. Li Qiang unintentionally activated the cultivation of the divine armor.
The Evolving Incantation Divine Armor emitted a dazzling light, and the divine incantations on its surface rapidly surged towards the divine array.
Li Qiang paid no attention to the changes in the divine armor. He was trying his best to resolve the accumulated spiritual energy, and for the energy he couldn't resolve, he tried to expel it from his body. This method of cultivation was really extravagant, but fortunately, the divine array absorbed it, so a large amount of spiritual energy was not wasted.
As his skill level rapidly increased, the spiritual energy accumulated within his body was largely transformed into Divine Yi Power.
The external divine array, interacting with the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, actually formed a virtual divine array, its main body attached to the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor. When Li Qiang finished his work and stood up, the divine array also disappeared from the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, and the Two Poles Bottle was attached to his vest. The Divine Tribulation stopped just then, and the earth was bathed in light.
Li Qiang felt puzzled and muttered to himself, "Could it be that the Divine Tribulation has ended?" But then he thought that didn't make sense; the Divine Tribulation couldn't be that simple.
With a thought, the divine array reappeared. Li Qiang now had a divine array that could appear at any time, which greatly boosted his confidence.
The sky suddenly turned dark blue, the stars reappeared, and the Eye of Divine Punishment still hung in space. Li Qiang's figure began to grow larger, while the ground beneath his feet rapidly shrank.
As Heavenly Aunt, Azure Emperor, and Boju reappeared, the immense tearing force raged once more.
To Li Qiang's surprise, the three of them, including Azure Emperor, looked somewhat disheveled, as if they had just gone through a fierce battle.
Li Qiang couldn't use Mind Speech, so he couldn't ask the Azure Emperor and the others how they survived the Divine Tribulation.
The Azure Emperor's Mind Speech echoed, "The upcoming Divine Tribulation is even more severe. Be careful, little one. We are powerless to protect your safety. Alas, we never expected the Divine Tribulation to be like this." Judging from the situation, the power of the Divine Tribulation had caused them considerable suffering.
Li Qiang nodded in acknowledgment, indicating that Azure Emperor and the others didn't need to worry, as he was currently full of confidence.
Heavenly Aunt gave a rare wry smile. She noticed that Li Qiang was a bit careless, so she reminded him Mind Speech, "Don't be careless. You haven't witnessed the true Divine Tribulation yet."
Regardless of what the Divine Tribulation might be like, everyone present wanted the Thunder Tribulation Platform to move any closer to the Eye of Divine Punishment. Even without the Divine Tribulation, just getting close to the Eye of Divine Punishment was already unbearable for the four of them. The Thunder Tribulation Platform beneath their feet was backed by the divine array of the Illusory God Main Hall, which could completely resist the suction force of the Eye of Divine Punishment, but the people on the platform had to face this suction force directly, making their lives extremely difficult.
The Azure Emperor hadn't heard Li Qiang speak until he realized, after a moment's thought, that Li Qiang couldn't use Mind Speech. He then briefly explained the Mind Speech Divine Technique to Li Qiang.
With Li Qiang's current cultivation level, he could learn the divine Cultivation Method immediately as long as he memorized it. He asked Mind Speech, "Is the Divine Tribulation about to end?"
The Azure Emperor shook his head and replied Mind Speech, "The end? It should be the official beginning. Be careful, we must go all out and can't take care of you anymore."
Li Qiang said, "I know, don't worry about me. The Divine Tribulation isn't for me. My cultivation level isn't high enough, so the Divine Tribulation shouldn't befall me." He prayed silently, hoping that the Divine Tribulation wouldn't find him.
This time, the three Azure Emperor acted independently, and they had to defend themselves against the Divine Tribulation. However, the Thunder Tribulation Platform was not large, and after the three set up their defenses, Li Qiang was isolated.
The shape of the Thunder Tribulation Platform has changed, becoming a square platform. The Azure Emperor carefully walked to one corner, and Heavenly Aunt and Boju each occupied one corner as well, while Li Qiang was still standing foolishly in the very center.
Heavenly Aunt told Li Qiang, "Silly boy, hurry up and grab an empty corner. If you stand in the center, you're in trouble."
Li Qiang was startled and hurriedly prepared to move.
The Azure Emperor's Mind Speech echoed, "Your feet must not leave the ground; you must move little by little..."
Li Qiang smiled bitterly to himself. He realized that moving even slightly would consume a lot of Divine Yi Power. Fortunately, he had just entered the second realm of the Seven Star Heaven, and his power had increased dramatically, barely enough to resist the suction force of the Eye of Divine Punishment.
He slowly moved to the left rear corner and immediately released a divine array to resist the suction force that could tear everything apart.
The Thunder Tribulation Platform moved forward another hundred kilometers or so, and stood silently in space, seemingly waiting for something.
Li Qiang looked around in confusion; the distance of a hundred kilometers or so hadn't increased the suction much. He saw that the three of them, including Azure Emperor, looked very nervous, and thought, "Are we just going to wait here for the real Divine Tribulation?"
The Thunder Tribulation Platform emitted a soft red light, which soon turned into a blue halo. Having witnessed this change, Li Qiang knew it was a sign that the Divine Tribulation was about to begin.
A thought flickered in his mind: even the Thunder Tribulation Platform couldn't withstand everything; it needed energy support to avoid being destroyed by the Divine Tribulation. He scanned it with his Divine Sense and immediately perceived the secret of the Thunder Tribulation Platform.
Li Qiang's Divine Sense extended along the Thunder Tribulation Platform, and upon touching it, he realized that the Thunder Tribulation Platform seemed to be the core of a moving divine array. He dared not continue to track it with his Divine Sense, lest Divine Sense be damaged.
Li Qiang speculated that the Thunder Tribulation Platform might be a link in the Illusory Star Divine Formation. It was only because of the power of the Illusory Star Divine Formation that it was immune to the suction force of the Eye of Divine Punishment. Perhaps after the Divine Tribulation, the Thunder Tribulation Platform could return to the main hub.
After securing the divine array in the corner, Li Qiang sat cross-legged, awaiting the arrival of the Divine Tribulation.
The benefits of the Tribulation-Crossing Divine Formation being attached to the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor are numerous. One particularly useful function is that Li Qiang can directly perceive the changes outside the divine array.
Through the divine array, he sensed the external suction force fluctuating in strength. Gradually, the outer perimeter of the Thunder Tribulation Platform changed again. Li Qiang opened his eyes wide; his divine eye discovered countless sharp, black shadows appearing in the distance. He thought, "What are these things?"
The dark figure gradually brightened, shining brightly like a shooting star. Li Qiang observed carefully and finally saw it clearly. He was so frightened that he screamed, but he couldn't make a sound inside the divine array.
Behind the shadowy figure was a planet that wasn't very large; Li Qiang estimated it to be about half the size of the moon.
This planet has been shattered by the tearing force of the Eye of Divine Punishment and is flying towards the Eye of Divine Punishment along a straight path, with the Thunder Tribulation Platform blocking its way.
Li Qiang glanced at the Azure Emperor and sensed that the Azure Emperor seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief. The shattered planet was not scary; what the Azure Emperor and his group feared was the impact of the divine array, which would create strange and unusual attack forces that were much more difficult to deal with than the fragments of the planet.
Li Qiang, however, was on high alert. He was the weakest among them, and because he had only cultivated for a relatively short time, he still retained the memories of a mortal. These memories instilled in him an indescribable fear of the approaching planet.
Along with the small planet flew countless black, sharp shadows, which Li Qiang couldn't make out.
As the small planet drew closer, the tearing force of the Eye of Divine Punishment became immense, shattering the planet completely. Under the enormous suction, the fragments of the small planet streaked through space, flashing with dazzling white light.
As Li Qiang watched the debris getting closer and closer, he cursed inwardly. The Divine Tribulation actually used a small planet to collide with people; this was simply outrageous.
Mind Speech echoed in Li Qiang's mind, this time simultaneously from Heavenly Aunt, Azure Emperor, and Boju: "That wasn't Divine Tribulation, it was just a planet that appeared by chance..."
"Smash it!"
"Protect the Thunder Tribulation Platform!"
Li Qiang couldn't help but shudder. He asked in his Mind Speech, "What should I do?" His position was exactly in the back corner. The square platform had the Azure Emperor and the Heavenly Aunt at the two corners closest to the Eye of Divine Punishment, and Li Qiang and Boju at the two back corners. The small planet was rushing in from behind.
The Azure Emperor Mind Speech, "Guard that corner of yours..."
Heavenly Aunt also reminded her, "Use the restriction to split everything that's rushing towards us... Have you learned the Three Hundred and Sixty Hands Mortal-Breaking Ultimate Divine Spirit Instruction?" Her Mind Speech revealed a hint of anxiety.
The Azure Emperor said, "You are facing the small planet head-on. We can only deal with the fragments on the left, right, and top. The two of you must withstand the frontal impact. If the Thunder Tribulation Platform is destroyed, even if we escape the pull of the Eye of Divine Punishment, we will be lost in the Illusory Star Divine Formation... let alone survive the Divine Tribulation."
Li Qiang still held a sliver of hope: if he wasn't within the range of the Eye of Divine Punishment, he might be able to return to the Primordial Realm.
Looking at the small planet hurtling towards him, Li Qiang said in his Mind Speech, "I've mastered the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate. Don't worry, I'll take care of breaking through the incoming fragments!" His Mind Speech was full of confidence, but in reality, he wasn't sure. In a place like this, you have to go whether you're capable or not. Escape is impossible, and there's nowhere to escape.
Boju suddenly exclaimed, " The Divine Tribulation has arrived!" His Mind Speech thoughts exploded in everyone's hearts like a thunderbolt.
Li Qiang turned his head and saw that Heavenly Aunt, Azure Emperor, and Boju had already made their move, all three of them radiating light. Li Qiang exclaimed in surprise, "I... I didn't see the Divine Tribulation..."
The Azure Emperor managed to whisper Mind Speech: " The Divine Tribulation resides within each person's heart... You... your cultivation is insufficient... Remember, protect the Thunder Tribulation Platform, and I..." He trembled and abruptly stopped using his Mind Speech.
Li Qiang nearly went crazy. This was ridiculous! The three strongest individuals were undergoing their Divine Tribulation, leaving the weakest to deal with the incoming fragments of the small planet and protect the Thunder Tribulation Platform. His eyes were practically bloodshot; the lives of the three Azure Emperor were in his hands.
Whether Li Qiang likes it or not, he has to face the incoming planetary debris, and there is no time to lose.
The Mortal-Breaking Ultimate Divine Spirit Instruction is a great Divine Ability that allows one to break free from all constraints. Li Qiang once used it in the Extremely Profound Ice Eye, and the effect was surprisingly good. Li Qiang also placed great hopes on the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate.
He began to continuously perform the Divine Spirit Instruction, quickly completing one hundred and twenty hand Divine Spirit Instruction. Immediately afterwards, he performed another one hundred and twenty hand seals, and his body began to emit a dazzling light.
The small planet was approaching, Thunder Tribulation Platform itself, protected by a divine array, emitted a dazzling light.
The Thunder Tribulation Platform didn't actually need Li Qiang's protection; it was already protected by the divine array of the Illusory God Main Hall. The Azure Emperor and the others were only protecting it as a precaution. However, Li Qiang no longer had the extra power to protect it. He could only break through the incoming fragments; he couldn't worry about anything else.
After completing the final one hundred and twenty Divine Spirit Instruction, Li Qiang suppressed the incantations and awaited the impact of the fragments.
As the small planetary fragments approached, the surrounding space distorted rapidly.
The fragments were mostly huge rocks. The dark, sharp shapes that Li Qiang had seen earlier were actually formed by large swathes of soil bursting open and being pulled together by a huge suction force.
Because of the obstruction of the Thunder Tribulation Platform, the fragments formed a strange shape, concave in the middle and convex with a circular ring on the outside, like the gaping maw of an unnamed monster biting down hard. The Thunder Tribulation Platform was very small, like the tip of a needle, while the impacting fragments were like a football in comparison.
Because the Thunder Tribulation Platform was suspended in mid-air, the suction force of the Eye of Divine Punishment formed a huge vortex behind the platform. As soon as the fragments approached, they were pulled by this rotating suction force and began to spin violently. The benefit of this was that most of the fragments were thrown to the outer edge, and only a small portion impacted the platform.
This was the first time Li Qiang had ever witnessed such a ferocious scene.
A massive, mountain-like rock tumbled and crashed into him; Li Qiang raised his hand and unleashed the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate.
The suppressed Divine Spirit Instruction was suddenly unleashed, and the power it generated was vastly different from the last time. It was as if he was holding a golden lightsaber, and a dazzling golden light shot out straight out... In an instant, the giant rock exploded, and the fragments of rock swept over like a storm.
This impact was amplified because of the suction force of the Eye of Divine Punishment.
After Li Qiang unleashed his Mortal-Breaking Ultimate, his Divine Yi Power surged out wildly. He felt as if he had been drained of all his energy, and his seated body slid backward uncontrollably.
The Mortal-Breaking Ultimate can last for a considerable period of time, but the cost is the continuous draining of Li Qiang's Divine Yi Power.
Li Qiang gradually felt increasingly strained, and the divine array released by the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor also contracted backward, while the giant rocks broke off one after another, surging endlessly, and the huge impact caused the Thunder Tribulation Platform to move slowly.
Li Qiang did his best to maintain the stability of the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate, but the enormous impact was beyond his ability to stop. His limit was ensuring that the Thunder Tribulation Platform and the people on it avoided direct impact from the rocks. Li Qiang was helpless to prevent the Thunder Tribulation Platform from moving towards the Eye of Divine Punishment.
Li Qiang felt lucky. If he had also begun his Divine Tribulation, the four of them would not have been able to escape this calamity. Under the combined attack from both inside and outside, he estimated that none of them would have been able to withstand it.
About five minutes later, Li Qiang felt that his Divine Yi Power was about to be exhausted, and his Golden Venerable Divine Heart was beating slower and slower. Helpless, he swallowed another Adversity-Crossing Divine Pill.
The Adversity-Crossing Divine Pill bought Li Qiang another three minutes, but the fragments surged in like a raging sea, overwhelming him. At this point, he was completely out of control and could only rely on the Divine Pill to resist.
But taking the second divine pill only bought him two minutes.
Li Qiang couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and did his best to maintain the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate. If he stopped the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate now, he would no longer have the energy to unleash such a powerful Divine Ability.
Li Qiang felt he was at his wit's end. He was caught in the Heart of Sacrifice state of the Seven Star Heaven and swallowed the Six Assemblies Pill Wuyun Divine Pill without hesitation. He knew clearly that each piece of the Seven Assemblies Pill contained different Spiritual Qi, and the Six- Six Assemblies Pill was completely incomparable to the Five Assemblies Pill. As for the effects of the Seven Assemblies Pill Treasure Flame Assembling and Pillaring Divine Pill, it was beyond his imagination.
After taking the Wuyun Divine Pill, Li Qiang trembled violently. He felt as if a bomb had exploded his Golden Venerable Divine Heart, the surging energy causing golden-red blood to flow from his seven orifices. An unparalleled force was rapidly expanding... In an instant, Li Qiang went into a frenzy, completely out of control, feeling as if his body had exploded. A sliver of clarity remained in his mind; he quickly channeled countless streams of Divine Yi Power into the barrier of the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate, desperately trying to prevent himself from entering the final stage of the Seven Star Heaven.
The power of the Purple Slip was gradually becoming unable to balance the raging energy within Li Qiang's body. Fortunately, with the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate as a huge outlet, Li Qiang could still hold on for the time being.
At this point, Li Qiang was actually unwilling for the small planet to disappear; he needed these fragments to hone his skills.
The Mortal-Breaking Ultimate a Divine Ability restriction; one after another, massive rocks, regardless of their material, would immediately shatter upon touching its Mortal-Breaking Ultimate light. This time, Li Qiang held out for more than half an hour.
Although the small planet was not large, it was still too enormous for Li Qiang. He could hardly see the end of the fragments, and the fragments continued to surge in endlessly.
Li Qiang has already consumed Six Assemblies Pill; if he consumes more, he will need to consume the Treasure Flame Assembling and Pillaring Divine Pill.
If it weren't for the Purple Slip balancing power and the Great Restriction of Mortal-Breaking Ultimate allowing him to vent his anger, Li Qiang would definitely have self-destructed by now.
Maintaining the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate for so long nearly drove him to the brink of collapse. It wasn't entirely a matter of whether his skill was sufficient; maintaining the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate's power required an enormous amount of energy, and he was already feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
He glanced at the Azure Emperor and the others, inwardly screaming that he hoped they would come to their senses quickly.
Finally, Li Qiang was about to give in again. Watching the golden light emanating from the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate grow weaker and weaker, he couldn't help but sigh, "I never imagined I'd die in the Illusory Star Divine Formation."
He knew he couldn't delay; if the restriction on the Breaking Mortal-Breaking Ultimate, he would never be able to unleash Mortal-Breaking Ultimate a second time.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Qiang took out a purple Seven Assemblies Pill. Subconsciously, he seemed to feel that only the Seven Assemblies Pill could save him.
He slumped to the ground, watching the massive boulder rolling in from afar. He knew he could only swallow the purple Seven Assemblies Pill.