The Immortal Spirit Peacock once again imperiously swallowed the second bolt of Celestial Thunder, causing its Nine-Colored Feathers to be wreathed in crackling Thunder.
However, it didn’t seem to cause the Peacock any substantial harm. Instead, it only served to accentuate its graceful and captivating beauty.
KRAK...
The third Tribulation Cloud Flower suddenly bloomed. A heaven-shaking flash of purple light erupted. This time, there were no fancy frills—it was a true bolt from the blue that bleached the entire world white.
SCREECH...!
A phoenix-like cry echoed throughout She Mountain. The Thunder surrounding the Immortal Spirit Peacock surged even more powerfully, the endless sound of CRACKLING and POPPING filling the air.
Uh...???
It was swallowed again. All three bolts of Celestial Thunder from the Celestial Tribulation, without exception, had been absurdly devoured by the Immortal Spirit Peacock.
"Awoo..."
"Hiss..."
Golden Pupils and the Three-headed Evil Snake roared from below, as if to say, ’Well done, Azure Owl.’
These two little ones, who would also be Crossing the Tribulation soon, had already made a silent vow in their hearts. When their time came, they too would swallow the Thunder—and they would swallow even more.
Otherwise, it would be a huge loss of face.
At some point, a large, leafy tree had appeared beside Tu Xiao’an, casting a patch of shade over him.
Seeing Azure Owl’s heroic feat of swallowing Thunder, Tree Spirit Charlie’s heart sank in despair. ’If this bird is Crossing the Tribulation like this, what am I supposed to do when it’s my turn?’
’I could never pull off a magnificent feat like swallowing Thunder.’
’Damn it! I was supposed to be the first to face the tribulation. How did I somehow end up being the last?’
’Super level Creatures are just freaks. They don’t play by any rules, even cutting in line for their tribulations.’
Once the three bolts of Celestial Thunder ended, the Tribulation Cloud Flowers fell silent. But the Extraterrestrial Meteorites spread across the sky began to surge violently, burning hot enough to incinerate all things and evaporating the very air in an instant. Like a rolling river of fire, they plummeted toward the summit of the Snake Palace.
The entire Snake Palace trembled violently, as if about to suffer a cataclysmic disaster.
The swarm of snakes below had wanted to see if this heaven-defying Peacock could also swallow the Celestial Fire. But Azure Owl wasn’t being overconfident this time. These Extraterrestrial Meteorites, formed from Celestial Fire, couldn’t be swallowed recklessly; they wouldn’t be easy to digest.
Unfurling its wings of nine-colored Divine Light, it shot straight upward. Like an unsheathed Treasure Sword revealing its sharp edge, it transformed into a flying rainbow and pierced toward the falling Extraterrestrial Meteorite.
BOOM...
The flying rainbow streaked across the sky, and the Extraterrestrial Meteorite exploded, scattering a torrent of flames across the heavens.
It was shattered. The first wave of Celestial Fire was neutralized.
Watching the graceful, holy, and beautiful Immortal Spirit Peacock trailing its long, magnificent tail through the sea of flames, it was as if she were a phoenix being reborn from the fire.
RUMBLE... Another Extraterrestrial Meteorite fell from the dark red sky. But just as before, it exploded violently under the magnificent and powerful assault of the Immortal Spirit Peacock Azure Owl. No surprises there.
The third meteorite fell right after. Azure Owl soared into the sky, seemingly immersing itself in a Sea of Fire. In the blink of an eye, a vast torrent of Celestial Fire had filled the sky, flowing everywhere.
The dazzling brilliance and scorching heat of the Celestial Fire illuminated nearly the entire Snake Palace. All eyes were on the nine-colored Peacock soaring in mid-air—indomitable, holy, and flawless.
Three bolts of Celestial Thunder and three waves of Celestial Fire had passed. Before the full thirty-six tribulations of this major ordeal, these first Six Paths were merely an appetizer.
But even so, it was enough to make the swarm of snakes below question their very existence.
As expected of a Super level Creature that triggered a major tribulation, its strength was truly immense. The sight of those gorgeous Nine-Colored Feathers soaring through the sky was reflected in the eyes of countless Snake Species.
In a daze, what everyone saw no longer seemed to be a mere Peacock, but a Phoenix being reborn from the flames.
The sky above became increasingly chaotic, filled with rumbling Thunderclaps like volcanic eruptions. The Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire were about to begin their bombardment in turns; the true terror of the Celestial Tribulation was only just beginning.
The sky over the Snake Palace was incredibly violent, as if it had gone mad. One moment it was bleached white, the next it blazed like a fiery sun.
The pressure from the Celestial Tribulation grew ever more terrifying. The Snake Species with insufficient Cultivation had long since retreated, and only the Snake Demon Spirits dared to watch from nearby.
The alternating bombardment of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire began. Clear, phoenix-like cries erupted in response, and with each cry, Azure Owl somehow managed to maintain its holy and heroic posture.
But an hour later, after thirty rounds of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire, the Immortal Spirit Peacock landed back on the summit of the Snake Palace. It was teetering with exhaustion. Its feathers, once shimmering with nine-colored Divine Light, were now disheveled and lackluster.
Tu Xiao’an, who had been watching from his grand armchair, stood up, his expression turning grave. "Azure Owl Treasure," he called out loudly, "let your master help you bear the remaining Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire!"
Only three bolts of Celestial Thunder and three waves of Celestial Fire remained. But having experienced his own life-or-death Celestial Tribulation, Tu Xiao’an knew full well that these final Six Paths were the most fatal, containing an incredibly terrifying Celestial Power.
His Azure Owl had already performed stunningly. It had handled the first fifteen tribulations with no pressure, swallowing some and shattering others. But from the sixteenth onward, it had become increasingly difficult.
Now, after a full thirty tribulations, the fact that it could still stand atop the Snake Palace was impressive enough.
"No! I want to do it myself!"
Atop the Snake Palace, Azure Owl was like a stubborn child, its voice as clear and pleasant as a morning song.
So close to the finish line, Azure Owl had its pride to consider.
Tu Xiao’an nodded in gratification and sat back down. ’The master opens the door, but the student must walk the path alone. Crossing the Tribulation is the greatest threshold for Cultivated Creatures; it is a rebirth of both body and mind.’
’It’s less about enduring and more about fighting. To resist a single bolt of Celestial Thunder or wave of Celestial Fire is to wrestle a great deal of lifespan from the Heaven and Earth Law and to sublimate one’s soul.’
’It is for the best that Azure Owl wants to pass this major tribulation on its own strength.’
’Besides, while this is a major tribulation, it’s still a "reasonable" one. It’s not like my own, where the final few tribulations merged into a single, devastating strike. The power of that combined Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire was simply unparalleled... absolutely terrifying.’
’If they continue to come one by one, I believe Azure Owl can still endure.’
’Passing through with its own power versus passing with help are two completely different things.’
Below, all the Demons held their breath, not daring to so much as breathe. The pressure from the Celestial Tribulation was simply too immense, and the weight on them felt as heavy as a mountain.
The thirty-first bolt of Celestial Thunder and the thirty-second wave of Celestial Fire stirred at the same time. Two distinct streams of the Might of Heaven and Earth enveloped the Immortal Spirit Peacock, and the terrifying aura forced a shrill cry from its beak.
Gone was the imperious, heroic posture from when it had swallowed the Thunder.
A violent explosion ripped through the air, like the collapse of a starry sky. In the aftermath, Azure Owl—which had soared up to meet the attack—shed great handfuls of its Nine-Colored Feathers, scattering them like falling leaves.
BOOM! Azure Owl was slammed heavily onto the roof of the Snake Palace. It was clearly heavily injured, stained with blood, and its feathers were dull and lightless.
"Awoo..."
Seeing this, Golden Pupils, nestled in Tu Xiao’an’s arms, bristled with fury. It prepared to rush up and help Azure Owl with the remaining tribulations, but Tu Xiao’an held it back.
"She’ll be fine," he said. "She doesn’t need help."
After a moment, just as he’d said, Azure Owl struggled back to its feet. Stubbornly, it flew into the sky once more, preparing to face the four remaining rounds of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire.
The dark red sky began to boil as if it were the apocalypse. The two remaining Tribulation Cloud Flowers bloomed silently and simultaneously, obscuring the entire sky. Truly, heaven and earth had lost their color.
At the same time, two Extraterrestrial Meteorites activated. They fell with world-destroying Might of Heaven and Earth, causing the entire sky to tremble.
SCREECH...
A clear, phoenix-like cry rang out. Suppressing the terror in its soul, Azure Owl suddenly turned to glance at Tu Xiao’an below. The crisp, proud voice of a little girl sounded out, "You big meanie, don’t you dare help me! This Peacock is destined to become a Phoenix!"
Tu Xiao’an stood up again, an unbreakable Frost settling between his brows. ’The final four tribulations striking all at once... this is no joke.’
He could see that Azure Owl’s condition was extremely poor; it was holding on through sheer Consciousness Power.
"Promise me you won’t interfere. Otherwise... I’ll hate you."
"Fine. Your master promises you." Tu Xiao’an nodded, but his face had already turned dark and gloomy.
He could tell that Azure Owl was in a dire state. Facing a simultaneous bombardment of four rounds of Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire was extremely dangerous. Failure to withstand it meant being turned to ash—a Celestial Tribulation was no laughing matter.
At that moment, Azure Owl’s Nine-Colored Feathers erupted with a powerful Divine Light, enveloping its body completely before it was submerged in the two strongest bolts of Celestial Thunder and two strongest waves of Celestial Fire.
In an instant, the sky seemed about to collapse. A suffocating feeling swept across all of She Mountain. Every Snake Species stared in horror toward the Peacock above the Snake Palace. Its once graceful figure flickered in and out of view, as if it might vanish into nothingness at any moment.
The Celestial Thunder triggered the Celestial Fire. From a distance, waves of light exploded one after another, blooming violently in mid-air. A powerful, destructive torrent of energy surged forth, spraying wantonly across the vast, desolate land.
The surge of Thunder and Flame was like a howling, fiery wind. Trees snapped and ruins crumbled wherever it passed.
As Tu Xiao’an looked up, his heart began to race. He hadn’t expected Azure Owl’s pride to be so strong that it would rather die in the final Celestial Tribulation than let him, its master, interfere.
’Perhaps this is the dignity of a Super level Creature.’
Heaven and earth roiled, and all things seemed to fade to nothingness. The phenomenon above the Snake Palace was so terrifying that no one dared to look directly at it; a single glance required immense courage.
Tu Xiao’an knew success or failure hinged on this very moment. His lean figure gradually levitated and flew toward the summit of the Snake Palace.
A chaotic and terrifying torrent of destructive energy surged and raged up there. Even a Demon Spirit flying into it would likely perish.
Tu Xiao’an desperately wanted to intervene and disperse the chaos, but the dark red sky had not yet returned to normal. This meant the Celestial Tribulation was not completely over.
The tribulation would only end when the creature undertaking it had either died or succeeded.
He had to wait. He needed to wait...!
Azure Owl had to withstand the final might of the Celestial Tribulation on its own.
If Tu Xiao’an were to act now, Azure Owl would blame him even if it succeeded.
Ten minutes passed. All the Demons below waited, hoping to see the Peacock reborn from the flames, to see that heroic, nine-colored figure once more.
Suddenly...
Suddenly, the dark red sky began to fade, slowly dissipating and returning to clarity.
A single, lusterless, nine-colored feather drifted out from the chaotic torrent of destruction and floated before Tu Xiao’an. A violent tremor ran through his heart as he grasped it.
’A mere thirty-six tribulations... could they really take the life of my Battle Companion, my Azure Owl Treasure?’
’Impossible.’
Tu Xiao’an’s eyes shot open, a sharp light bursting from them. The chaotic, brutal torrent of energy was also beginning to dissipate.