"Refining pills isn't that simple!" Zhuge He said coldly, "I'm also an alchemist. Even if Gu Chen's alchemy skills are better than mine, refining pills still takes time. And unless he refines miraculous elixirs, do you think he can defeat all of us just by eating some pills?"
It has to be said that people's thinking has begun to change. From initially being merely hostile towards the surrounding martial artists, they have now started to take Gu Chen seriously. After all, Gu Chen's ability to ascend the Dragon Spine Mountain Range is only the third time in hundreds of years, in the history they know of!
But seeing it with my own eyes was a first for me!
"That's true. Although Gu Chen is skilled in alchemy, he can't possibly concoct miraculous elixirs. When he comes out, we don't need to be afraid." Yin Linquan said proudly, "Besides, I've also investigated. His methods of fighting are very limited. Apart from Sword Control Technique, he seems to be similar to us martial artists. It's just that his cultivation method doesn't belong to the martial arts path, and in terms of Inner Breath, it has a certain suppressive effect."
"In that case, we can rest assured." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
As they were talking, some time had passed. Just then, a rumbling sound came from the sky, and dark clouds rushed in from all directions like flowing water, gathering above everyone's heads.
Dark, heavy clouds rolled in relentlessly, like a massive army charging in. Within seconds, the space suddenly became tense, and the atmosphere became oppressive.
"This is..."
"Strange celestial phenomena?"
The sudden change in the sky made everyone involuntarily look up, their faces filled with bewilderment.
Countless silver snakes flickered in and out of the clouds, and the bright daylight that had just been shining was plunged into darkness in an instant!
"No, that's not right." After a few seconds of silence, Zhuge He suddenly exclaimed in horror, "This is... Heavenly Tribulation!"
The scene now, with its overcast skies and rumbling thunder, doesn't look like a downpour at all; rather, it resembles the end of the world. Arcs of electricity and flashes of silver light are visible, and occasionally a thick bolt of lightning tears down along the edge of the sky, illuminating the entire dark space in a ghastly white light.
"A strange phenomenon!"
"Another strange phenomenon in the heavens and earth!"
Fan Huaiwen was the first to exclaim in surprise, but he quickly frowned and said, "No, there's no essence of heaven and earth at all. Instead, it gives one an endless feeling of oppression. Isn't this a strange phenomenon of heaven and earth?"
At that moment, Zhuge He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief, and said, word by word, "This... this is... Heavenly Tribulation!!"
Heavenly Tribulation!
When the word was uttered, everyone was momentarily stunned, and then their faces quickly showed shock!
For the martial artists of the Land of Heaven and Earth, the term "Heavenly Tribulation" was both distant and unfamiliar. They had no idea what it was. That's why they paused for a moment after Zhuge He uttered Heavenly Tribulation words.
"You mean, Heavenly Tribulation?" Yin Linquan also looked up at the sky, his expression changing several times before he spoke in a low voice.
Zhuge He is an alchemist, and the alchemy techniques passed down in the Zhuge Aristocratic Family are only passed down to the head of the family or the heir. Zhuge He usually collects ancient alchemy formulas and researches information, so there are many ancient books in the Zhuge Family library. Some are myths and legends, and some are seemingly ethereal annotations on cultivation.
Of course, there are no cultivation techniques involved.
"What is Heavenly Tribulation?" Nan Wuhen asked Zhuge He.
Zhuge He took a deep breath. Even a powerful figure like him trembled violently upon witnessing the dramatic change in the world's appearance, his eyes filled with fear.
"According to the experience of our predecessors, the Heavenly Tribulation is a test of a cultivator's cultivation level."
"For cultivators, once they break through to a certain level, the energy within their bodies communicates with the heavens and earth, influencing the laws of the universe and causing the natural rules to exert a suppressive force on them. At this time, the heavenly Heavenly Tribulation descends. This Heavenly Tribulation, which is also a test of heaven and earth, is called External Tribulation."
"External Tribulation?" Fan Huaiwen frowned and said, "Is this anomaly External Tribulation of the Heavenly Tribulation?"
Zhuge He ignored Fan Huaiwen and continued, "It is said that every cultivator has a certain aptitude, which is called Spiritual Root, and can be broadly divided into the five elements of heaven and earth: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The External Tribulation of Heavenly Tribulation is the Lightning Tribulation. When the Lightning Tribulation arrives, it may be lightning that is opposite to your Spiritual Root attribute, or it may be a test of the fusion of several of the five elements."
"Another form of Heavenly Tribulation is the Internal Tribulation Heavenly Tribulation, which is more difficult to overcome than the External Tribulation. In classical texts, it also has another name: the Heart Tribulation!"
"Heart Tribulation?" Yin Linquan said in a deep voice, "Tell me about it."
"Because a person's inner self is often their greatest weakness, and this tribulation is specifically designed to target that weakness, making it extremely difficult to overcome. However, once one successfully overcomes this Heart Tribulation, their state of mind often undergoes a complete transformation. Compared to External Tribulation, this one is more dangerous and difficult, but the benefits are equally significant."
Zhuge He gazed at the dark, sunless thunderclouds gathering on Dragon Spine Mountain and said, "And this scene is indeed exactly the same as the Heavenly Tribulation recorded in the ancient texts!"
As Zhuge He finished speaking, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a powerful pressure emanating from heaven and earth released everyone's unease. Under the pressure of the Lightning Tribulation, they were like white rabbits trembling uncontrollably under the watchful eyes of lions and tigers. Even though they were not at the center of the Lightning Tribulation, and even though they were gathered at a great distance from Dragon Spine Mountain, they could still feel the fear rising from the bottom of their hearts!
At the same time, they looked towards the center of the thundercloud. It covered the summit of Dragon Spine Mountain, layer upon layer, and in the very center, streaks of black light were constantly swirling, forming a terrifying vortex.
Such extraordinary phenomena, capable of being triggered only by cultivators, were utterly astonishing. While they were shocked, how could they not feel envy? Legend has it that the highest level of martial arts practitioners could shatter the void, but everyone knew that was nothing more than a self-deceiving consolation. From ancient times to the present, no one had ever achieved it!
They had witnessed the cultivators' methods firsthand, and what they were seeing now was an astonishing sight that only immortals could create!
Swallowing hard, Nan Wuhen spoke first, "Zhuge Family, you just said that Heavenly Tribulation can only be triggered when cultivators reach a certain level and influence the rules of heaven and earth! And this Gu Chen, has his strength already broken through so soon after ascending Dragon Spine Mountain? Has he broken the rules of nature?"
"How would I know?" Zhuge He was also in a very bad mood, so he spoke bluntly, saying, "Although we are at the pinnacle of martial arts, we are still completely ignorant about cultivators. How could I possibly know how Gu Chen triggered the Heavenly Tribulation?"
"I don't believe he broke through like that!"
Yin Linquan clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.
Even a powerful figure like him felt his own insignificance for the first time under the Heavenly Tribulation, a feeling that made him extremely uncomfortable. Gu Chen's previous strength was already enough to easily kill Zhuge Wangyue; if he were to truly break through now, wouldn't he be a level above martial arts experts like himself?
This is something he doesn't want to see, and he doesn't want to believe!
"This is External Tribulation, also known as Lightning Tribulation! Everyone, don't panic. Even if Gu Chen has indeed triggered the rules of heaven and earth and attracted Lightning Tribulation, whether he can safely overcome it is still uncertain." Xiang Hao suppressed his shock and reassured him, "Didn't Zhuge Family just say that this kind of Lightning Tribulation can still fail?"
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. That's right, even if Gu Chen really did break through, it wouldn't be a big deal if he failed under this Lightning Tribulation. They didn't need to be so nervous!
"Don't be too happy yet," Wei Chijin said coldly. "Even if Gu Chen really fails his Lightning Tribulation, he'll die on Dragon Spine Mountain. He won't get his secrets or the cultivation methods we all covet."
Wei Chijin's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over them, leaving everyone feeling cold. What had they come for? Of course, it was for the cultivation method on Gu Chen's body! If Gu Chen were struck dead by the Lightning Tribulation and ended up on Dragon Spine Mountain, they would have no chance of getting through and would be forever ownerless!
For a moment, they didn't know whether to hope that Gu Chen would successfully overcome the Lightning Tribulation or not.
They were all harboring their own agendas and caught in a dilemma.