Chapter Eighty-One: The Heavenly Tribulation Arrives

Chapter Eighty-One: The Heavenly Tribulation Descends

The expressions of Crown Prince Yang Wei, Little Dongfang, and the others turned unspeakably grim. The legendary Innate realm truly existed—and to their terror, it was their adversary, Old Man of Ten Thousand Poisons, who had ascended to Innate. Who could withstand such might, who could oppose it? If the Old Man unleashed his power, everyone present would die.

No one dared speak. The black clouds above began to gather, slowly blotting out the sun. Day abruptly turned to night, and the sky surged with wind and thunder.

Old Man of Ten Thousand Poisons trembled, the pressure of heaven and earth sweeping across the entire Blackwood Forest.

All were startled, thinking it was some method of the Old Man.

"Wu Hong, take my disciple and flee—quickly, before it's too late!" the Old Man suddenly shouted.

"No! I want to stay with Master. Young Lord Wu, you go!" Li Ruolan saw the Old Man's face change, sensing he was in danger.

"Silly child, Master will be fine! Go with Wu Hong first!"

Wu Hong did not hesitate. He scooped up Li Ruolan to run.

"Brother, where are you going? Take me with you!" Wu Songran called out.

Wu Hong, holding Li Ruolan, heard Wu Songran's voice behind him and, without hesitation, flashed over and tucked her at his side as well.

He ran deep into the forest.

The pressure of heaven and earth grew ever stronger. No one cared about Wu Hong now; having heard the Old Man's warning, though not understanding, they began to scatter and flee in all directions.

Many lesser martial artists were immediately forced to the ground by the oppressive force—numbering in the tens of thousands.

"Ah! What is this? Heaven, spare us!" The crowd began to scream in anguish, their cries echoing far and wide. Even marrow-refining experts, while fleeing, shuddered and hurried their escape.

Gray clouds multiplied overhead, swirling like an enraged dragon across the sky. A bolt of lightning, several yards thick, tore through the heavens, making every heart tremble.

Those who could run did so with mad desperation. Those who could not were pinned to the earth, and just that thunderous roar made tens of thousands cough blood, staining the ground red.

The lake began to boil, surging upward. The area was battered by wild winds, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing. Glancing back, the fleeing crowd was struck with fear, their limbs cold and teeth chattering.

This was beyond human strength. Yet Old Man of Ten Thousand Poisons remained beneath the massive cloud, staring unblinkingly at the lightning above.

"Master—!" Li Ruolan, held by Wu Hong, cried out with tearful eyes.

"It'll be fine, Sister Ruolan. Your master will be alright," Wu Hong comforted her, carrying both Li Ruolan and Wu Songran at full speed, though he himself wondered: Why was it that when King Wu Wei broke through to Innate, there was no such spectacle?

The wind and clouds overhead spun rapidly, forming a vast black vortex at the center, its depths unknown.

Old Man of Ten Thousand Poisons grew ever more solemn.

Another thunderclap resounded, different from ordinary storms. With the roar, the ground for miles around quaked, every heart tightening.

Suddenly, the tribulation cloud above the Old Man's head spun wildly. From the black vortex, a colossal bolt of lightning, several yards wide and hundreds of yards long, crashed down onto him.

The Old Man shone with dazzling light, roaring as he met the lightning head-on.

In an instant, the lake was vaporized, the Blackwood around dozens of miles flattened. Centered on the lake, a tremendous energy field swept outward, ravaging everything.

Mountains and forests alike were leveled.

Those who fled too slowly were caught in the blast, dying instantly—evaporated without a trace, not even bones remained.

"This is terrifying! Is this the power of the Innate?" Wu Hong, having run far ahead, witnessed the scene from a distance. It was like the end of the world.

The thunder lasted for half an hour, while martial masters of the peak realm managed to escape the affected zone.

Yet, seeing such heavenly power, all were pale and speechless.

At this moment, everyone hated Crown Prince Yang Wei. Was the might of the Innate so easily challenged? It was a legend—a communion with the heavens, not something mere mortals could withstand.

Even now, none understood what that thunderbolt in the sky truly was!

They still believed it was the Old Man's own attack.

After the thunder struck, the gray clouds above the Old Man slowly dissipated, and in a blink, daylight returned.

The sun once more shone down.

But when the survivors took in the scene, none dared move. For miles around the Old Man, the land was leveled by the sudden lightning strike.

Tens of thousands who failed to escape were annihilated.

The Old Man, battered, hovered in the air.

Yet the destructive force had not truly harmed him, and none dared approach.

Wu Hong sensed this was the perfect moment to flee.

Li Ruolan’s worry eased seeing her master unscathed; Wu Songran cared only for Wu Hong.

Wu Hong, seizing the opportunity, sped toward the capital with the two women, unwilling to witness further events, though he guessed that soon, immortals would come to escort the Old Man.

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Time shifts back over an hour earlier, within the imperial palace of Great Qian in the capital. Emperor Yang Guang was entangled with several scantily clad women. Yang Guang was a thin, middle-aged man with two wispy mustaches.

Though appearing no older than forty, his true age exceeded fifty, about the same as King Wu Wei.

Since ascending the throne, Yang Guang ruled with civil virtue and peace, but his greatest vice was his passion for beautiful women.

At times, he would skip morning court just to indulge with his concubines.

Rumor had it that after King Wu Wei's death, this vice intensified, and for over ten days, he frequently neglected court to be with women.

At this moment, as Yang Guang reveled with his women, a wave of unease swept over him.

"Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!" Voices cried out beyond the hall. Startled, Yang Guang demanded, "What’s happening?"

A silver-armored guard rushed in, knelt, and reported, "Your Majesty, above the imperial city, thousands of mysterious black clouds have appeared!"

Before he could finish, Yang Guang waved his sleeve, "Go. Instruct the guards to defend the city without fail!"

The commander withdrew.

Yang Guang’s face darkened. He muttered, "Damn it! Something’s happened to the Imperial Guards? Who could be so bold and powerful?"

Suddenly, a streak of black mist shot into the hall, straight at Yang Guang. He did not resist, and the mist entered his body.

He felt his strength increase dramatically.

Without hesitation, Yang Guang rushed from the hall, escaping the palace at speed.

The palace descended into chaos, but all obeyed Yang Guang, guarding the city.

Overhead, thousands of black clouds gathered, continuously merging with Yang Guang’s body. With each fusion, his energy grew thicker.

Yang Guang, a peak postnatal master, now fled in panic beyond the city.

The black clouds above pursued him relentlessly, merging with his figure as he fled to the outskirts, several miles away.

The black mists, like swords of true energy, continued to join with Yang Guang.

His pace quickened; as thousands more mists fused with him, the sky grew dense with rolling, surging clouds.