Meanwhile, on the other side of the secret realm, thunder roared and storms howled.
In the instant Qin Yu was battling the strange beasts and clashing with their divine senses in the Fractured Woodland, a thousand-domain distance away from him, an ancient tower shrouded in ten thousand lightning bolts slowly appeared in the void. Beneath it, a sea of lightning surged, the lightning light as black as ink, surging thousands of feet high—that was the Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower, which had existed in the ancient secrets since the time of the ancestors of the Thousand Realms Sect, and no one had ever been able to obtain its master.
At that moment, a group of disciples were approaching the lightning tower.
The leader was Zhou Yu, who wore a black-patterned lightning robe. He held the Flame-Bearing Sword, his brows were sharp and piercing, and his True Soul energy moved with the lightning. Behind him, Si Yao and several other disciples of the Thousand Realms Sect also looked solemn and cautious.
"This... is the legendary Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower?" Si Yao murmured, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
A bolt of purple lightning suddenly streaked across the sky, illuminating the entire spire and revealing the dark and unfathomable ancient stone gate with its lightning patterns.
The Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower has finally appeared in the world.
The Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower stands atop a storm of lightning, towering majestically like the remains of a thunder god. Forged entirely of unknown divine metal, its surface is engraved with countless divine runes of thunder, exuding an ancient aura that seems to belong to another world. Zhou Yu led Si Yao and the other disciples through the tower's gates. The moment they entered, everyone felt a rumble in their sea of consciousness, as if they had stepped into the nightmare of the origin of the thunder tribulation.
The tower was utterly empty and silent, with only the flow of heavenly lightning across the divine patterns on the walls, each layer of lightning seemingly inscribed with the intent of an ancient calamity. Zhou Yu's eyes were sharp as he surveyed his surroundings. Flame-Bearing Sword, he cautiously probed each lightning mark with his divine sense, confirming that there was no immediate danger before nodding to signal them to proceed.
At the core of the tower, a stone platform appeared, upon which sat an ancient book cast entirely of thunder metal—the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon".
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The only cultivation technique within the Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower —the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon"
Transcendent-level Divine Thunder Technique (Origin: Calamity Transformation Heavenly Thunder + Primordial Spirit Sense)
It is not among the categories of Realm Artifact, combat techniques, or true scriptures; it is a complete divine scripture integrating the "Three Evolutions of Thunder Tribulation Soul and Body."
The exercise is structured in three volumes:
1. First Volume: Lightning Soul Consciousness Structure
• It can condense lightning tribulation into a soul, reshaping the sea of consciousness and the root of life.
• Each enlightenment is equivalent to a baptism of heavenly tribulation, enhancing the underlying strength of the soul.
2. Middle Volume: The Tribulation Extreme Form Transformation
• By constructing a body with lightning, one can forge a true form of tribulation and temporarily gain an indestructible body of lightning.
• If you unleash your Limit state during battle, you can transform into lightning and escape into the void, becoming immune to 99% of lightning-related laws.
3. Final Volume: The Divine Canon Silent Realm
• Transform consciousness into a diagram; once the diagram is complete, heaven and earth become the framework, and all living beings enter the realm of calamity.
This is a calamity that occurs once per realm, forcibly pulling the opponent into the "Lightning Tribulation Annihilation Canon," where even their supernatural powers cannot escape the fate of being annihilated by the calamity.
The technique has a built-in suppression mechanism: if one has not fully comprehended the "Three Levels of Soul Consciousness" and forcibly opens the final volume, their sea of consciousness will be reversed and they will perish both in body and spirit.
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The group arrived at the stone platform, where lightning flickered and the divine diagram seemed to be selecting those with destiny. Zhou Yu stepped forward slowly, while Si Yao behind him frowned slightly, his eyes flashing.
Just as Zhou Yu's fingertips were about to touch the divine illustration—
Suddenly, the entire tower emitted a golden-purple thunderclap!
Rumble!!
The entire ancient tower trembled violently, the sky shattered, and dozens of lightning runes descended from the top of the tower in the void, like a divine decree, all locking onto the people below!
"Form the array! Quickly activate the lightning avoidance array!" a disciple exclaimed.
Zhou Yu frowned, holding the Flame-Bearing Sword horizontally to block, lightning patterns forming a fire soul defensive barrier in front of him. At the same time, amidst the violent thunder, the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon" unexpectedly opened a page, and a lightning soul phantom slowly appeared, like an ancient god whispering, "Those who come, having trod my tribulation map, shall be judged by tribulation..."
The voice was like the first thunderclap in the sky, deep and resonant, carrying an irresistible command, as if it came from eternity ago, transcending time and space, and forcibly implanted into the soul of every person.
"Boom--!!"
The entire Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower suddenly trembled violently, the laws of thunder went out of control, the inscriptions on the tower walls surged back like a tidal wave, and complex and profound lightning marks appeared in mid-air, instantly condensing into a huge lightning diagram. This lightning diagram was not a real object, but a manifestation of a rule—called [The Diagram of Tribulation Judgment]!
Ninety-nine tribulation marks appeared on the tribulation diagram, resembling the seals of judgment. Each mark represented a "past transgression of destiny," and each line seemed to sever the judgment of a past life. At the center of the thunder diagram, a phantom appeared, wearing a tribulation crown and a robe of thunder and fire. Its eyes swirled with lightning, and though it was silent, it seemed to be able to see through the sins of all living beings.
Zhou Yu's pupils contracted sharply, an immense weight pressing down on his chest. He was frozen in place by the power of the robbed map, unable to move.
"Is this... true transcendence from trial?" he murmured, his mind reeling.
At this moment, everyone inside the tower was enveloped by Lei Tu's power. Whether it was Si Yao or the other disciples, they all knelt on the ground, blood gushing from their mouths and noses, their consciousness on the verge of collapse.
Only Zhou Yu, despite being at the True Soul Realm Second Stage, managed to stay upright thanks to the power of the Flame-Bearing Sword and the Blazing Radiance Spiritual Sense from the "Burning Radiance Sword Chapter".
My way fears no judgment.
His eyes burned with lightning. He slowly raised the Flame-Bearing Sword, and a wisp of crimson-gold flame rose from its blade—it was...
The First Form of the Burning Radiance Sword Chapter: Burning Radiance Star Trace!
"Break!"
Pointing the sword at Lei Tu, a streak of crimson-gold fire, like a starburst across the night sky, cleaved straight down, striking a barely perceptible "crack" in Lei Tu's "calamity pattern."
In an instant, the entire Thunder Diagram trembled violently, and a thin crack appeared in the core Thunder Seal.
Immediately, the illusory figure in the air whispered, "Those who pass the trial in Reverse Order and succeed in the first trial may enter the tower for safekeeping."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lei Tu shattered into countless lightning patterns, all of which flowed into the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon" on the high platform.
Silence fell all around.
The thunder vanished, and the ancient book, no longer floating, gently drifted down and landed in Zhou Yu's palm.
As he gazed at the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon," he felt an unprecedented heaviness in his heart.
This is not just a technique, but more like a... "path of tribulation" that can sever one's destiny!
"Brother Zhou..." Si Yao spoke weakly, his eyes completely changed—no longer defensive or probing, but genuine fear.
The other disciples also bowed in unison. Although they did not speak, they already understood in their hearts that the only protagonist of this tower was Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu put away the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon," turned around, and scanned the other eight floors of the tower, muttering to himself, "This tower is far from over."
His footsteps slowly led him onto the second floor.
At that very moment, a mysterious and silent thunderous sound trembled through the void, as if some higher-dimensional power of judgment had descended. Before they could even take a step, the entire Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower suddenly trembled, and a burst of divine light surged forth from the center of the tower, transforming into a curtain of lightning that enveloped Zhou Yu and the other disciples!
"Boom--!"
The divine light was invisible yet irresistible. The figures of the group were instantly engulfed by streaks of lightning, and in the blink of an eye, they were blasted away from the entrance of the second floor, falling back to the outer perimeter of the ancient tower, their faces filled with shock and confusion.
The ancient tower, neither collapsed nor closed, still stands proudly between the storm and the Silent Lightning, as a divine decree.
A flash of lightning appeared in Zhou Yu's eyes, and his divine sense pierced through his own sea of lightning souls like a sword. It was as if he heard a whispered incantation somewhere:
"One who has not mastered the Nine Tribulations may not ascend."
His heart skipped a beat, and he looked down at the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon" in his palm. At this moment, a row of hidden golden characters appeared on the divine scroll that was sealed with thunder flames and intertwined with thunder marks:
"The Ninefold Thunder Scripture has not been fully mastered; therefore, the user is considered an unauthorized bearer and is not currently qualified to access the Second Abyss."
It turns out that in order to step into the second level of the Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower, one must use the power of the nine levels of the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon" as the "key seal," with each level complete and each move fully executed.
This is not only a judgment on Lei Dao, but also a coercion of his will.
Si Yao landed awkwardly, looking bewildered and indignant, muttering to herself, "Didn't I just go in...? How did I get kicked out?"
Zhou Yu remained silent, but an unprecedented determination appeared in his eyes. Deep within the Sea of Thunder Souls, the first page of the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon" quietly stirred, as if sensing the host's will.
"I will complete the Nine Tribulations before they are finished."
"This tower... I will return."
He slowly raised his head, looking at the divine tower that still stood solemnly at the core of the thunderstorm, his eyes filled with an unshakable thunderous oath.