Chapter 366 Hmph! Nine-nine heavenly tribulation?
Chapter 366 Hmph! Nine-nine heavenly tribulation?
Within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary, thirteen members of the Blackwood clan emerged from their 1000-foot-deep subterranean refuge, a rare occurrence after years of hiding.
The third generation of Blackwoods, led by Marcus, spearheaded the assault, their movements a blur as they formed a totemic formation, their combined might amplified by ancient power.
Above them, Marcus unleashed the Sky Temple, its imposing presence a testament to their lineage.
Four members of the fourth generation stood ready, their years of training evident in their synchronized movements.
Trapped within their formation was a scholar, clad in traditional Confucian robes, his face contorted in a mixture of frustration and rage.
Clutching a calligraphy brush in one hand and an inkstone in the other, he glared at the Blackwoods.
"You scoundrels! How dare you ambush me again?! Does the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary hold no true Psychics? Why must I be your target time and time again?!"
Thirty minutes later...
"You ask too many questions."
Marcus's words echoed as the Blackwoods vanished, leaving the Bright Light Institute's Unquestioning Scholar sprawled on the ground in defeat.
Lingering psychic energies swirled around him, the remnants of his righteous aura and a grand literary work, its every stroke imbued with sorrow, fading into the air.
Staring blankly at the sky, he sighed, "Curse those Blackwoods!"
He glanced at his calligraphy brush and inkstone, the only possessions they hadn't taken.
This was the second time they had robbed him.
The third-generation Blackwoods were relentless, and Marcus, with his unfathomable strength, was a force to be reckoned with.
Those damned Blackwoods took everything... except his tools.
He hadn't understood why the first time, but now it dawned on him.
Those bastards were leaving him his weapons so he could replenish his resources, only for them to swoop in and claim the spoils for themselves.
A cruel, cyclical joke.
[Your descendants within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary have once again plundered the Unquestioning Scholar, obtaining a vast quantity of natural treasures.]
[Sorting through a large number of psychic elixirs that enhance physical prowess...]
...
Several days passed.
On this day, Blackwood descendants across the land erected altars, their faces solemn as they prepared to make offerings.
However, these offerings were not meant for Ethan.
As each item was placed upon the altars, Donna, now beneath the heart of the brewing heavenly tribulation, knelt before the Forebearer's Psychic Position.
"Please, Forebearer, rest assured. I will overcome this nine-nine heavenly tribulation and complete the task bestowed upon me by you and the clan. I will free Great Grandfather from his plight!"
As her words echoed across the land, a multitude of objects materialized on the altars: the corpses painstakingly gathered by her kin, potent psychic elixirs, and the treasures plundered from the Unquestioning Scholar.
[You have bestowed upon your descendant, Donna, a Storage Ring containing the corpses of three hundred thousand Druids!]
[You have bestowed upon Donna the seventh-grade Celestial Titan Powder, the sixth-grade Mystic Vision Elixir, the seventh-grade Boundless Strength Powder...]
[You have bestowed upon Donna the 'Nine Psychic Mystic Flames,' extracted from the Sky Temple and entrusted to Marcus...]
A deafening roar shook the heavens as the offerings settled upon the altars.
The seas churned, the winds howled.
Aiden and the two crab demons watched in terror, their faces pale.
Even at a distance, the sheer intensity of the tribulation made them afraid to probe Donna's condition with their Competent Force senses.
And now, the tribulation stirred.
"What... what is this? They didn't prepare a formation, did they?"
A colossal formation blazed to life beneath Donna, its runes pulsing with a blood-red light.
An oppressive aura of death and decay permeated the air, spectral figures swirling within its boundaries.
"Such a sinister formation... I sense a multitude of souls trapped within!"
"What... what manner of dark art is this Blackwood girl attempting?"
They could feel it now.
Donna was drawing upon the life force of the corpses to fuel her breakthrough.
No, perhaps she already possessed the strength to withstand the nine-nine heavenly tribulation.
This... this was her striving for even greater power!
...
[Your descendant is utilizing the 'Living Sacrifice Formation Disk' prepared by Julian. With the sacrifice of three hundred thousand Druids, her strength will soar to new heights!]
Thunder roared, a symphony of divine fury.
Within the tempest, the tribulation clouds coalesced, forming a pair of colossal eyes that glared down at Donna.
The very heavens seemed angered by her audacity, by her defiance of their might, by the sheer depravity of her methods.
As bolts of lightning crackled and writhed, Donna stood at the center of the blood-red formation, surrounded by a sea of floating Druid corpses.
Their life force, their very essence, flowed from their seven orifices, converging upon Donna as she raised her arms towards the sky.
She had already reached the pinnacle of the Developing Skill realm, yet her power continued to surge.
The first bolt of lightning, a harbinger of unimaginable destruction, slammed into Donna.
Yet, she stood firm, her expression unwavering as she endured its might.
The first strike of the dreaded nine-nine heavenly tribulation... and she had emerged unscathed!
As the last vestiges of life drained from the corpses, transforming them into withered husks, Donna consumed the pills, their potent energies coursing through her veins.
Four of the five elemental treasures she had gathered over the years materialized, orbiting her like celestial guardians.
Then came the Nine Psychic Mystic Flames, a gift from Marcus, extracted from the Sky Temple itself.
In a heartbeat, the elemental treasures shattered, their essence merging with Donna's being.
Her power swelled, threatening to consume her.
Her eyes blazed with golden light as the Flesh and Blood Lotus Platforms reappeared behind her.
Her body expanded, growing to a towering fifteen feet.
Her muscles bulged, her veins throbbed, and with a defiant roar, she challenged the heavens.
"Hmph! Nine-nine heavenly tribulation? Is this the extent of your power? Today, I will see whose might reigns supreme: your divine judgment or my fists!"
And with that, she charged into the heart of the tribulation.
The three crab demons watched in awe and terror, their forms trembling before the display of raw power.
They were mere spectators, their strength insignificant compared to the forces clashing above.
A full day passed before the storm subsided.
As the last traces of lightning faded, a small girl in a yellow dress, her hair tied in pigtails, stood calmly amidst the churning sea.
She was unharmed.
The pressure emanating from Donna nearly forced the crab demons to their knees.
...
"This... this! Was that a nine-nine heavenly tribulation or a simple Competent Force tribulation?"
Donna's tribulation had lasted an entire day, its effects felt even within the small fishing village, where fierce winds and torrential rain lashed the coast.
Drunken Fool, huddled outside the tavern, had nearly prostrated himself before the sheer power emanating from the sea.
His own tribulation had nearly cost him his life!
Your journey continues at empire
Yet, Donna had emerged from that maelstrom unscathed.
If not for the lingering traces of lightning surrounding her, Drunken Fool would have believed he had imagined the entire ordeal.
Even as Donna returned to the village with Aiden, Drunken Fool remained speechless, his mind struggling to comprehend what he had witnessed.
Beside him, Helen showed no surprise, her expression a mixture of relief and elation.
"With Donna's strength, the clan's 'Divine List Plan' is sure to succeed!"
At that moment, all the Blackwoods, their hearts filled with hope after the grand ritual of Year 220, turned their gazes towards the future.
Ethan, too, allowed himself a glimmer of optimism.