Rumble—
The aura radiating from the Heavenly Tribulation above grew increasingly heavy, as if the weight of the entire world were pressing down upon him, and his speed gradually slowed.
"It seems we won't make it back."
Gazing at the distant ancestral land of the Qilin tribe, the Ink Jade Qilin sighed inwardly, acutely sensing that the Heavenly Tribulation was about to strike.
Although he had imagined the Heavenly Tribulation to be terrifying enough, the tribulation hanging above his head at this moment still exceeded his expectations.
He felt that even if he were ten or a hundred times stronger, he would still be instantly reduced to ashes under this tribulation.
"Master, why don't you leave first! Don't worry about me."
"Stop talking nonsense. Keep moving."
Panshi reached out and gave the Ink Jade Qilin a slap on the head, his tone remaining calm.
"But—"
Before the Ink Jade Qilin could finish his single syllable, the Heavenly Tribulation began to fall. Billions of thunderbolts poured down from the nine heavens like waterfalls, blotting out the sky and the sun.
Panshi looked up.
wisps of Chaos Qi rapidly emerged from within his body, transforming in the blink of an eye into a giant chaotic vortex. A terrifying devouring force radiated outward from it.
The chaotic vortex grew at an astonishing speed, expanding to a diameter of ten thousand zhang within the span of a breath, and it continued to expand rapidly. Viewed from above the firmament, it looked like a massive tornado centered around Panshi.
Hum—
The devouring force frantically pulled and tore at all the energy in the surroundings, which naturally included the tribulation lightning falling from the firmament.
The billions of tribulation bolts paused in unison, their directions forcibly altered as they rushed toward the chaotic vortex.
Countless tribulation bolts plunged into the chaotic vortex, staining it with the color of lightning. From the outside, flashes of lightning could be seen darting across the outer rim of the vortex, as if some tribulation bolts were trying to break out from within.
Yet the chaotic vortex was like the gaping maw of a Taotie—taking everything in, letting nothing out.
The tribulation lightning swallowed by the vortex was naturally transferred straight into the Chaos Bead. With the absolute sturdiness of the Chaos Bead, suppressing the tribulation lightning was an effortless task.
"These tribulation bolts will serve nicely to help me refine the Chaos Bead."
Sensing the changes within the Chaos Bead, a trace of anticipation even appeared in Panshi's eyes. He hoped the tribulation lightning would come even more fiercely.
Beneath him.
"I actually don't feel any pain. Did I die too fast?"
The Ink Jade Qilin was somewhat puzzled. At this moment, he should have been struck by the tribulation lightning; such a terrifying tribulation lightning should have torn him to shreds in an instant.
"Eh! Master, you're here too. It seems I've dragged you to your death..."
"Are you that eager to die?" Panshi interrupted the Ink Jade Qilin with a face full of dark lines.
The Ink Jade Qilin subconsciously shook his head, but quickly snapped to his senses and thought, *No, if I had died under the tribulation lightning, my soul would have scattered and I would have been reduced to dust. I'm... still alive.*
With that thought, the Ink Jade Qilin looked up at the sky, and then beheld a sight he would never forget in his lifetime.
His master was actually devouring the Heavenly Tribulation lightning! And not just one or two bolts—all of them.
"This, this..."
The Ink Jade Qilin's small brain simply shrank in disbelief.
His master was only a mid-stage Da Luo Golden Immortal, merely one minor realm higher than himself. How could he be so terrifyingly powerful?
It wasn't that the Ink Jade Qilin was being modest; he felt that even his father, the Ancestral Qilin, at the height of his power, would have had to kneel when facing such a terrifying Heavenly Tribulation.
"Could it be that I never actually walked out of the Innate Grand Array? Am I still dreaming?"
After all, the scene before him was simply too fantastical.
From ancient times until now, who had ever dared to devour Heavenly Tribulation lightning? Let alone tribulation lightning, no one even dared to swallow ordinary heavenly thunder.
This was a direct provocation against Heavenly Dao.
"Since I'm dreaming, should I try swallowing a few bolts of Heavenly Tribulation lightning myself?"
On the Ink Jade Qilin's back, upon hearing these words, the corners of Panshi's mouth twitched slightly, and then he chose to grant the Ink Jade Qilin's wish.
Under Panshi's control, a few bolts of tribulation lightning broke through the chaotic vortex and flew toward the Ink Jade Qilin.
"It really is a dream! I was just thinking about swallowing a few bolts of tribulation lightning, and they actually flew right at me."
Without standing on ceremony, the Ink Jade Qilin swallowed the incoming bolts of tribulation lightning directly into his mouth.
The next instant, the Ink Jade Qilin trembled all over, the exquisite thrill of the experience defying description to outsiders.
A few breaths later, he spat out a ring of black smoke and muttered to himself, "I'm not dreaming."
Meanwhile, many "gazes" from the outside world were also paying attention to this Heavenly Tribulation, though everyone was wary of the Heavenly Dao's power within it and dared not extend their divine sense deep inside to investigate.
Yet even observing from a vast distance, they could still clearly perceive the might and terror of the Heavenly Tribulation, instilling in all living beings a greater sense of awe toward both the tribulation and Heavenly Dao itself.
However, as time passed, everyone gradually realized something was amiss.
This Heavenly Tribulation had lasted for far too long.
Even the most powerful figures in Honghuang believed they could not have endured under the Heavenly Tribulation for such a length of time.
Three days later.
At the location of the Heavenly Tribulation, an extremely terrifying aura emerged, and a vast pressure radiated outward into the surroundings. Countless living beings were reminded of the scene when Hongjun attained sainthood; the pressure back then was just like the pressure before them now.
"Heavenly Dao."
At the center of the Heavenly Tribulation, a hint of solemnity appeared in Panshi's eyes.
Perhaps realizing that the tribulation lightning could do nothing to Panshi, no more lightning descended at this moment.
Above, the originally boundless sea of tribulation lightning had shrunk by a third under his frantic devouring over the past three days.
Suddenly, a giant purple eye materialized within the sea of tribulation lightning. The moment it manifested, a hint of humanized confusion flickered in its eye, which immediately locked onto Panshi as anger began to spread within its gaze.
Seeing this, the corners of Panshi's mouth instead curved into a smile, and he spoke to the Eye of Heavenly Dao: "Heavenly Dao, aren't you unfeeling? Aren't you indifferent? Aren't you devoid of sorrow, joy, desires, and pursuits?"
Heavenly Dao, your persona has completely shattered.
Seemingly sensing Panshi's mockery, the Eye of Heavenly Dao glared at him, instantly turning chillingly cold.
At that moment, the world fell silent. Under the gaze of the Eye of Heavenly Dao, space and time were frozen solid.
"You are guilty."
Three immensely icy words resounded in Panshi's mind. A terrifying destructive force surged within the Eye of Heavenly Dao, and alongside Heavenly Dao's verdict, a destructive blow was unleashed.
The shadow of death enveloped Panshi.
"Thump, thump, thump—"
Suddenly, a powerful heartbeat emanated from within Panshi's body. This heartbeat shattered the silence between heaven and earth, and also broke Heavenly Dao's confinement over him.
"Heavenly Dao, you are not qualified to judge me."
Inside Panshi's body, the Heart of Pangu resonated with the Pangu Mark, and a phantom of Pangu manifested behind him, standing in confrontation against the Eye of Heavenly Dao.
The moment it laid eyes on the Pangu phantom, the destructive force brewing within the Eye of Heavenly Dao instantly dissipated, and right after, the Eye of Heavenly Dao itself began to dissolve.
The sea of tribulation lightning vanished along with the Eye of Heavenly Dao.
"What just happened?"
The Ink Jade Qilin looked around in confusion. For some reason, his mind had suddenly gone completely blank just a moment ago.
"It's nothing. You were probably sleepy, so you took a short nap."
"Sleepy? How could I possibly be sleepy? I was still undergoing my tribulation, and a Heavenly Tribulation at that! Wait, no—where is my tribulation? Why is my tribulation gone?"