Chapter 397: Frequent Tribulations
RUMBLE!
At this moment, the entire sky of the Seven Luminaries Heaven had been sealed off. Below, an endless Cloud Sea spontaneously condensed, forming a solid barrier.
This was to prevent the aftershocks from affecting the people below.
Thus, Yan Taizu, who had been suppressed by Progenitor Tingyou’s magic, didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, he crashed into the Cloud Sea, and only after a ten-breath delay did a sound emerge.
CRACK!
Cracks began spreading across the stone statue he had become. Then, an endless torrent of Incense Divine Power erupted, blasting away all the earthen material.
Seeing this, Progenitor Tingyou’s brow furrowed slightly, but it quickly smoothed over. ’Looks like there’s still room for improvement. Ultimately, the difference in the amount of Incense Divine Power is just too great. He broke my Daoist Skill by brute-forcing it with Incense... But that’s all. They are no match for me.’
This was because his own condition had yet to fully recover.
After all, his Cultivation had only just recovered to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. Even for someone like him, it was impossible to engage in Combat with a Foundation Establishment Perfection expert at that level.
Thus, he could only rely on Incense Divine Power.
Otherwise, if their Positions were equal and he possessed a Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivation, he could have killed these two so-called Incense Fire Great Gods before him within three moves.
’The gap is just too wide.’
’Besides, the Seven Luminaries Heaven has known peace for too long. Their research into Combat is pitifully lacking. It’s basically just swinging a big hammer and close-quarters brawling, even worse than a Loose Cultivator...’
As Progenitor Tingyou mused, his handling of the situation became even more effortless.
Even though his Incense Divine Power was only one-sixth of the combined total of Yan Taizu and the Capital City God, he was still able to easily hold them both back, fighting one against two.
He even had the spare energy to glance over at Lü Yang.
Meanwhile, within the Li Hen Heaven, Lü Yang was continuously swallowing and expelling the Qi traces of Heaven and Earth. Finally, the Divine Illusionary Colors of a second Ability emerged:
’Holding True Qi!’
As this Ability emerged, the crisp and pleasant sound of a water drop seemed to echo in Lü Yang’s ears, sending ripples across his Spiritual Space.
’The Grand Unity holds True Qi; Spirit, Soul, and Intent.’
’In extreme stillness, see the Heart of Heaven; the divine shall naturally arrive.’
As its name suggested, this Ability possessed the power to swallow all things and refine all forms. As it operated now, it seemed poised to suck out the very essence of the Seven Luminaries Heaven.
WHOOSH!
Lü Yang’s figure suddenly vanished, replaced by a vision of the Sun, Moon, Mountains, and Rivers rising from the ground—the true form of the Li Hen Heaven made manifest.
And within the Li Hen Heaven, a great banner fluttered in the wind.
The Myriad-Soul Banner!
At this moment, Lü Yang was funneling all the Essence of Heaven and Earth he had swallowed with Holding True Qi into the Myriad-Soul Banner, beginning the process of Refining it with the banner.
However, as time passed, this process gradually grew more difficult. The difference in scale between Lü Yang and the Seven Luminaries Heaven was simply too vast. Despite giving it his all, the Seven Luminaries Heaven remained as unshakable as a mountain, its Essence of Heaven and Earth as inexhaustible as a vast ocean.
PFFT!
Suddenly, Lü Yang’s body faltered, and the entire Li Hen Heaven trembled violently. Clear cracks appeared in many places.
Progenitor Tingyou, who had been watching Lü Yang closely, was startled. "Be careful!"
He had long expected that Refining a Realm Heaven would be incredibly difficult, but how could Lü Yang be approaching his limit when he had barely even taken the first step?
"It’s nothing."
At the same time, after a brief moment of panic, Lü Yang quickly regained his composure. A look of expectation even appeared in his eyes.
’Man’s power has its limits...’
He had understood this principle long ago.
He had been injured just now because the amount of Essence of Heaven and Earth he received in that instant exceeded the limits of his control, and the backlash had caught him off guard.
Yet, the amount of Essence of Heaven and Earth that exceeded his control was, in truth, nothing to the Seven Luminaries Heaven.
’It’s doing this on purpose...’
Lü Yang’s heart sank. Clearly, the Seven Luminaries Heaven was getting the hang of things. It was no longer as naive as it was at the beginning and was gradually learning how to deal with him.
Under normal circumstances, after suffering so many losses, any other opponent would have been long dead, with no chance to learn and grow. Unfortunately, the Seven Luminaries Heaven’s foundation was simply too profound for Lü Yang. Its margin for error was extremely high. It wouldn’t be beaten to death in one blow, giving it ample time to develop.
’It’s not even sending down Tribulations anymore...’
Lü Yang activated his Exquisite Heart again and looked, only to see that the second Tribulation within the Seven Luminaries Heaven had already finished brewing, yet the heaven held it back, unreleased.
Clearly, it had learned its lesson.
A fall in the pit, a gain in your wit. Having hastily sent down a human tribulation only to have Lü Yang easily resolve it, it clearly wouldn’t give him such an opportunity again.
’Damn, even the fish in the barrel are learning to fight back...’
Lü Yang sighed internally but remained calm. He turned his attention to the Myriad-Soul Banner, extending his Divine Sense deep within it, and activated a Dharma Gate he had not used in a long time:
’The Tai Xu Sacrificial Rite Technique!’
This Dharma Gate was originally used to communicate with the No Heaven, but ever since the No Heaven was attained by Minor Metal, the technique had lost its effectiveness.
However, that was only true for others.
For Lü Yang, this Dharma Gate had another great use: communicating with and activating the unknown Fruit Position Prototype within the Myriad-Soul Banner!
However, unlike the Seven Luminaries Heaven, the Fruit Position Prototype within the Myriad-Soul Banner was far more primitive. Strictly speaking, it was merely a seed, far from sprouting, let alone flowering and bearing fruit. Thus, the Mighty Power it could provide in response to Lü Yang was truly limited.
’There’s no other way. Otherwise, the Primal Daoists would have manifested the No Heaven long ago.’
’The successful manifestation of the No Heaven back then was, in the end, the result of the Primal Daoists spending five thousand years irrigating it with the Fruit of Long-Flow Water...’
’That being said, this will be enough!’
Lü Yang’s expression was calm. With the boost from the Fruit Position Prototype in the Myriad-Soul Banner, his faltering Holding True Qi once again shone with a dazzling light.
A massive amount of the Essence of Heaven and Earth surged in once more.
This time, Lü Yang took it all in. At the same time, the radiance of a third ability began to sprout from his body—another Innate Divine Technique was emerging!
’Huiyuan Skill!’
Once this Ability manifested, it immediately displayed an extraordinary effect.
You see, Lü Yang was still under the influence of the Incense’s power, and the Seven Luminaries Heaven certainly wasn’t kind enough to help him solve the problem of its assault on his consciousness.
Yet, in order to refine the Seven Luminaries Heaven, he couldn’t possibly give up the Incense’s power before he had deprived it of enough of its Position and advanced his own Realm to Foundation Establishment Perfection. To fight back against the Seven Luminaries Heaven’s resistance, he even had to increase the dosage, which naturally intensified the Incense’s assault on him.
This assault was even worse than death by a thousand cuts.
And yet, he could not fall unconscious; he had to bear it all with a clear mind.
If Lü Yang hadn’t been maintaining a state of Sword Heart Clarity, he would have likely been driven mad by the intense pain by now.
However, just at that moment, as the Divine Power Radiance of the Huiyuan Skill descended, Lü Yang felt his mind suddenly clear. His chaotic Spiritual Space actually began to stabilize once more!
Even the Mighty Power he had borrowed from the Myriad-Soul Banner merged seamlessly, no longer feeling alien or difficult to control.
’Assimilate Alien Power, and have the Ten Thousand Laws return to one...’
An understanding dawned in Lü Yang’s heart. This was the Divine Effect of the Huiyuan Skill: it could integrate all external forces from different systems and foundations!
Just like at this very moment, the power of the Incense and Candle Divine Dao, which should have been an external force with extreme side effects, was now being assimilated under the influence of the Huiyuan Skill, truly becoming his own power.
Of course, this was not permanent.
The Huiyuan Skill also had its limits. Unless Lü Yang could truly achieve Foundation Establishment Perfection, the Ability could, at most, be maintained for a short while before dissipating.
But to provoke Heaven and Earth, it was more than enough.
BOOM!
In an instant, a heavy clap of thunder resounded not in the sky, but in the hearts of Lü Yang, Progenitor Tingyou, Yan Taizu, the Capital City God, and all the living beings of the Seven Luminaries Heaven.
"This is..."
"A heavenly punishment!"
The Capital City God looked up at the sky, a profound fear showing in his eyes. Above, in the vault of heaven, dark clouds gathered, and thousands of lightning snakes writhed within them.
The boundless thunderclouds resembled a colossal eye gazing down from above. The raging snakes of lightning were like bloodshot veins of anger within that eye. As the clouds churned, an aura of destruction blanketed the world, locking firmly onto Lü Yang, threatening to blast him into nothing but scattered ash!