Just as Xue'er's Demonic Essence had recovered, the tribulation clouds in the sky had already transformed.
The originally overwhelming thunderclouds had shrunk to a mere thousand zhang in scale, solidified like iron, with purple-gold Heavenly Dao thunder patterns flowing on their surface.
Deep within the clouds, nine distinct bolts of lightning were brewing, containing a contradictory aura of both destruction and creation.
“Here it comes!”
Xue'er's true form, covered in pristine white fox fur, bristled, and her nine tails fanned out behind her like a peacock's display.
She clearly felt that this second wave of Lightning Tribulation was far more perilous than the previous one.
Having just passed one wave of Lightning Tribulation, there were eight remaining waves, totaling eighty-one bolts of lightning, each more terrifying than the last.
This was the ultimate test from the Heavenly Dao for a Seven-rank True Spirit demonic cultivator to advance to the Eight-rank Demonic Emperor Realm.
However, Xue'er had successfully passed the first test, the Lightning Tribulation of the mind, and with Li Mu assisting her, her confidence greatly increased, giving her more certainty for the upcoming Lightning Tribulation.
“Boom—!”
The first bolt of lightning suddenly struck down, its purple-gold thunder light roaring like an enraged Dragon, tearing through the sky and descending directly!
Xue'er's eyes narrowed, and her nine-tailed demonic power instantly erupted, forming a thick ice crystal barrier around her body.
“Crack!”
The lightning struck, and the ice crystal barrier trembled violently, cracks spreading like a spiderweb, but ultimately, it was not pierced through.
Xue'er's figure swayed slightly, and her heart settled: “The first one, still bearable.”
However, before Xue'er could catch her breath, the second bolt of lightning had already arrived!
This one was twice as thick as the previous one, and the destructive power contained within the thunder light was even purer, even subtly carrying the Heavenly Dao's pressure.
Xue'er dared not be negligent; her nine tails suddenly vibrated, and her demonic power transformed into countless ice blades, rising against the sky to collide with the lightning!
“Rumble!”
The ice blades collided with the lightning, exploding into countless tiny electric arcs, but some of the lightning's power still penetrated her defense, striking Xue'er fiercely.
She grunted, a patch of her pristine white fur singed, but her eyes remained sharp.
The third bolt of lightning followed closely, its power increasing again!
Xue'er no longer resisted head-on; her figure flickered like a phantom, and as her nine tails danced, a series of ice-based Demonic Techniques were unleashed one after another— “Ice Soul Mirror!”, “Mystic Frost Shield!”, “Extreme Cold Domain!”
The lightning struck the layers of defense, causing ice crystals to shatter and cold Qi to dissipate, but ultimately, it was greatly weakened.
A trace of blood spilled from Xue'er's lips, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.
The fourth, the fifth… the power of the lightning increased exponentially, and Xue'er's defensive measures became increasingly fierce.
At times, she directly confronted it with ice-based Demonic Techniques, and at other times, she dodged with the agility of a nine-tailed fox, but after each bolt of lightning, her aura would weaken a bit.
When the seventh bolt of lightning fell, the entire world was submerged in purple-gold thunder light!
Xue'er finally could not completely resist and was directly hit by the lightning, her body crashing heavily to the ground, the ground cracking, and dust rising everywhere.
Li Mu's heart tightened, his fingers moving slightly, almost unable to resist helping.
Intervening now would only make all of Xue'er's efforts futile.
He forcefully suppressed the urge, his gaze fixed on the Tribulation Transcending Platform, ready to provide support at any moment.
From within the dust, Xue'er slowly stood up, her entire white fur stained red with blood.
Her eyes were firm as she looked up at the tribulation clouds, where the eighth bolt of lightning was brewing, its thunder light like a sea, its pressure like a prison!
“Only… the last two!”
Xue'er took a deep breath, her Demonic Essence circulating frantically, and her nine tails burst forth with dazzling ice-blue light.
“Extreme Ice Dao Domain, condense!”
Xue'er let out a long cry, her nine-tailed demonic power completely erupting, and the ice-blue light around her body flared intensely.
In an instant, the temperature of the space within a hundred zhang plummeted, and countless ice crystals condensed out of thin air, forming an Extreme Cold Domain!
“Boom—!”
The eighth bolt of lightning struck down fiercely.
The power of this strike far surpassed the previous ones; the purple-gold thunder light almost solidified, like a spear of divine punishment, piercing straight down!
However, the moment the lightning touched the Extreme Ice Dao Domain, its speed abruptly slowed, and a thin layer of frost even began to condense on the surface of the thunder light!
“Crack, crack—” The lightning advanced with difficulty within the Extreme Cold Domain; for every inch it moved forward, its power was weakened by a point.
Xue'er's eyes were like electricity, and her nine tails suddenly closed, pouring demonic power frantically into the Dao Domain.
“Seal!”
Within the Extreme Ice Dao Domain, the cold Qi surged, and that bolt of lightning was actually frozen in mid-air, turning into a giant pillar of ice-lightning!
Xue'er did not hesitate; she swiped with a claw, and the ice-lightning pillar shattered with a roar, turning into countless ice crystals and dissipating.
However, before she could catch her breath, a sky-shattering roar came from deep within the tribulation clouds, and the ninth bolt of Lightning Tribulation descended with a crash!
Xue'er's pupils constricted; she could feel that the Heavenly Dao power contained in this strike was something that ordinary means could no longer withstand!
“Nine Tails Unite, Ice Soul Pierces the Heavens!”
Xue'er's nine fox tails instantly merged into one, and the Ice Dao Domain transformed into an ice-blue pillar of light piercing through heaven and earth, fiercely colliding with that world-destroying thunder light.
“Boom—!”
A terrifying shockwave swept in all directions, leveling all the surrounding mountains.
As the dust settled, Xue'er's figure slowly emerged, kneeling on the Tribulation Transcending Platform, her nine tails drooping limply, her entire fur scorched black, and her aura extremely weak.
“Very good, hold on!”
Li Mu looked at Xue'er with approval, his fingers forming hand seals.
Chaos True Essence, like a river pouring backward, transformed into a giant Chaos Dragon and surged into Xue'er from the Five Elements Talisman Treasure on her body.
“Five Elements Return to One, Chaos as the Origin!”
Li Mu's voice was deep, like the echoing of an ancient bell.
All the acupoints on his body resonated, and the vast and boundless Chaos True Essence within him transformed into five-colored divine light, continuously pouring into Xue'er's body along the Five Elements formation that had already connected heaven and earth.
At this moment, Xue'er had almost exhausted her last trace of Demonic Essence.
Although her nine tails uniting had blocked the ninth world-destroying Lightning Tribulation, it had also severely damaged her Origin and consumed a large amount of Demonic Essence.
Just as Xue'er was exhausted, a warm yet majestic power surged in from the Talisman Treasure, like spring rain nourishing dry land, instantly awakening the remaining vitality within her body.
“Boom—!”
The Five Elements formation vibrated violently, and five-colored light intertwined to form a spiritual pillar that pierced through heaven and earth, enveloping Xue'er's entire figure.
Under the guidance of the Five Elements power, the Chaos True Essence rapidly repaired her damaged Meridians and Dao foundation, and even directly tempered her demonic body, making it closer to the Eight-rank Demonic Emperor Realm!
Li Mu's eyes were slightly closed, his face serene.
The Chaos True Essence within him circulated ceaselessly, like an endless ocean, showing no sign of depletion whatsoever.
“This… how is this possible?!
Master actually used his own power to transfer Chaos True Essence, reverse the Five Elements Law, and help Mistress undergo Tribulation without being affected by Karma?”
“Yes! What Realm has Master reached to be able to do something like this!”
“With Master here, Mistress will definitely pass this Tribulation!”
Lin Maoshan, Zhao Tianchen, and the others watching from afar at the Tribulation Transcending Platform were all aghast, their jaws dropping at Li Mu's actions, a mixture of shock and pleasant surprise.
On the Tribulation Transcending Platform, within the Five Elements divine light, the Nine-tailed Snow Fox's aura was recovering and ascending at a visible speed!
Her originally scorched fur regained its pristine white luster, and her nine tails slowly unfurled, each fox tail condensing ice-blue spiritual patterns at its tip, symbolizing that she had truly entered the Eight-rank Demonic Emperor Realm!
“Hoo…” Xue'er slowly opened her eyes, cold light flowing within them, revealing an unprecedented clarity and power.
She gently raised her hand, and an ice crystal appeared in her palm, crystal clear, containing the power of lightning within it—it was the residual power of the ninth Lightning Tribulation she had just endured.
Now, she had refined it with her Extreme Ice Dao Domain and fed it back to herself!
“Li Dage…” Xue'er murmured softly, her eyes filled with gratitude and awe.
Li Mu's lips curved slightly, and he transmitted a reminder: “Don't be happy too soon; you've only just passed the second wave of Lightning Tribulation.
The real test has just begun.”
“Rumble rumble—”
A muffled sound like boiling magma suddenly came from deep within the tribulation clouds.
The originally purple-gold thunder patterns actually began to change to a fiery red, and the entire cloud layer was like burning charcoal, emitting a terrifying crimson glow from within.
The third wave of Lightning Tribulation—the Heaven-Burning Fire Lightning—was condensing in the cloud vortex.
Nine bolts of lightning, entwined with crimson-gold flowing fire, slithered like venomous snakes, each emitting a terrifying aura that countered ice-type demonic cultivators.
Xue'er's recently unfurled fox tails suddenly tensed, and the fiery clouds filled her ice-blue pupils.
She could clearly feel that the lightning this time did not contain mere fire spiritual power, but rather the “Heaven-Burning True Intent” infused with Heavenly Dao Law.
For her, whose Origin was the Ice Dao Domain, this was nothing short of a deadly poison.
“Hiss—”
The moment the first fire lightning struck, the snow within a hundred zhang instantly vaporized.
Dense Sanskrit characters flickered on the surface of the crimson-gold lightning; wherever it passed, even the air began to spontaneously combust.
Xue'er's hastily erected Mystic Ice Shield exploded into a mist of water the moment it touched the thunder light, and the residual lightning fire directly poured into her left forelimb.
“Ugh!”
Xue'er convulsed with pain, and the struck area actually showed lava-like cracks.
Even more terrifying, those Sanskrit characters spread along her Meridians like living things, frantically devouring her ice-type Demonic Essence.
Li Mu's sword-like brows suddenly furrowed.
Seeing that the second fire lightning was already gathering momentum, he suddenly pointed his fingers like a sword, and Chaos True Essence surged out, remotely controlling the Five Elements Talisman Treasure on Xue'er's body: “Five Elements Rotation, Kui Water generates Jia Wood!”
The Five Elements Talisman Treasure on Xue'er's body suddenly lit up with brilliant light, and five-colored divine light intertwined to form a profound Five Elements Rotation barrier.
“Om—”
The second fire lightning struck down with a roar, the crimson-gold lightning pouring down like heavenly fire, incinerating all things.
However, just as the lightning was about to touch Xue'er, the Kui Water power within the Five Elements Talisman Treasure suddenly transformed into majestic Jia Wood essence Qi.
Countless verdant vines burst forth, intertwining into a sky-covering giant net, forcefully intercepting the fire lightning!
“Boom!”
The vine net burned in the lightning fire but did not instantly collapse.
Instead, it used the principle of wood generating fire to briefly contain the power of the lightning, and then, by the principle of fire generating earth, it guided the violent lightning power into the ground.
For a moment, the entire Tribulation Transcending Platform vibrated violently, and the ground cracked, but Xue'er did not suffer any impact!
“Li Dage…” Xue'er's eyes trembled, her heart filled with shock.
Li Mu did not directly block the Lightning Tribulation for her, but rather, using the power of the Five Elements Talisman Treasure and the Dao of Five Elements Rotation, he cleverly resolved the power of the fire lightning, neither interfering with the Heavenly Dao's test nor letting her bear the fatal impact alone!
However, the tribulation clouds seemed to be enraged; the third fire lightning struck down instantly, giving Xue'er no time to breathe!
This bolt of lightning actually transformed into a crimson flame Dragon.
“Xue'er, temper your body with the lightning!”
Li Mu urgently transmitted his thoughts.
With a wave of his sleeve, a massive amount of Chaos True Essence continuously poured out, and the Five Elements Talisman Treasure formed an invisible barrier, actually weakening the pressure of the fire Dragon Lightning Tribulation by thirty percent!
Xue'er understood instantly; her nine tails suddenly vibrated, and the Extreme Ice Dao Domain expanded again, but this time, she did not fully resist.
Instead, she used the power of ice to guide the lightning fire into her body!
“Hiss—”
The moment the lightning fire entered her body, Xue'er's fur bristled, and her Meridians felt as if they were being scorched by magma, the pain unbearable.
But she gritted her teeth and persevered, circulating her Demonic Essence to forcibly suppress the power of the fire lightning, and then slowly refined it with the power of the Ice Soul.
“Fourth one!”
Li Mu's gaze narrowed, and another bolt of fire lightning struck down from the tribulation clouds.
This time, the lightning actually split into nine crimson light beams, attacking Xue'er from different angles!
“Five Elements Rotation, Geng Metal transforms into Ren Water!”
Li Mu formed hand seals, and the Five Elements Talisman Treasure changed again.
The Geng Metal power of the metal attribute suddenly transformed into the extremely soft Ren Water, forming a flowing water curtain around Xue'er's body.
The nine fire lightning bolts struck the water curtain, like mud oxen entering the sea, being weakened layer by layer, until finally, only a wisp of lightning power penetrated, which Xue'er easily took.
The fifth and sixth fire lightning bolts struck down one after another.
Li Mu, in the same manner, remotely controlled the Five Elements Talisman Treasure, transforming the extreme Five Elements power, either using earth to control fire or guiding wood to generate lightning, dissolving the power of the Lightning Tribulation layer by layer, neither allowing Xue'er to completely rely on external forces nor allowing her to bear the fatal impact alone.
“Seventh one!”
The tribulation clouds surged, and the crimson thunder light almost dyed the entire sky into a sea of blood.
The seventh fire lightning descended with the force of burning the heavens and boiling the seas.
Xue'er's eyes narrowed, and her nine tails danced violently; the Extreme Ice Dao Domain instantly expanded to its limit, and the cold Qi froze the Void Realm, so much so that even the Heaven-Burning True Intent could not easily invade her demonic body.
The lightning fire crashed down, and Xue'er did not retreat a single step, allowing the lightning to enter her body.
Her Meridians felt as if they were being scorched by magma, and the excruciating pain tore at her Soul.
Xue'er gritted her teeth and remained silent, only circulating her Demonic Essence to its extreme, forcibly suppressing the power of the fire lightning with the power of the Ice Soul, and then slowly refining it, bit by bit, into her Origin.
The eighth bolt of lightning descended.
This time, what surged from the tribulation clouds was not one, but three fused fire lightning bolts, purple-gold and crimson flames intertwined.
Within the thunder light, a burning Heavenly Dao phantom vaguely appeared, looking down on all beings, judging sins!
Xue'er stood with her head held high, her entire fur scorched black, only her eyes still clear as a mirror.
Her nine tails danced lightly, and the Extreme Ice Dao Domain rose again, but no longer merely resisting; instead, she actively guided the lightning fire into her body, allowing the Heaven-Burning True Intent to intensely collide with her own Demonic Essence.
Flames burned her Bloodline, and the Ice Soul suppressed the raging tide; two extreme forces intertwined, collided, and fused within her body…
“Hiss—”
The moment the lightning fire entered her body, Xue'er groaned in pain, but she did not retreat.
Instead, she actively stimulated her Demonic Essence, using ice to seal fire, and fire to forge her Soul, actually subtly touching a brand new Realm threshold under the lightning!
The ninth bolt of lightning finally fell.
With this strike, the tribulation clouds completely boiled, and the entire sky seemed to be rolling with lava.
A crimson-gold lightning pillar, piercing through heaven and earth, descended directly from the clouds.
Within the thunder light, a faint dark shadow could be seen moving—that was the “Heaven-Burning Divine Punishment” condensed from the Heavenly Dao's will!
This lightning was unstoppable by human power!
Yet, Xue'er met it head-on!
Her nine tails merged into one, her Demonic Essence ignited explosively, and the Extreme Ice Dao Domain transformed into an ice-blue pillar of light piercing through heaven and earth, directly meeting the baptism of the lightning!
“Boom—!!!”
Heaven and earth fell silent; at the intersection of lightning fire and cold tide, a Void Realm vortex a thousand zhang in diameter formed, devouring everything, destroying everything!
As the dust cleared, Xue'er's figure reappeared, kneeling on the Tribulation Transcending Platform, her nine tails drooping, her aura weak, but her eyes sparkled with an unprecedented light.
(End of Chapter)
