Thanks to the enhanced efficiency of his evolved Devour skill, Fang Chang's soul power had skyrocketed to over 820,000 years after completely absorbing the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
At the same time, two tribulation clouds rapidly formed in the sky—he intended to undergo both his seventh and eighth heavenly tribulations simultaneously.
While anomalies like the million-year-old Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had existed in the Douluo Continent, its potential paled in comparison to Fang Chang's, and its tribulations were weaker by comparison.
Its ninth tribulation might only match one of Fang Chang's current seventh or eighth tribulations.
Aside from it, a certain oversized insect had slept its way to a million years, even evading heavenly tribulations entirely.
Among the remaining soul beasts, the strongest, Di Tian, had only endured eight tribulations—and certainly not two at once like Fang Chang.
With the dual tribulations amplifying each other, their power had reached unprecedented levels.
Yet Fang Chang showed no fear. Instead, he left the ocean, spread his blood-red wings, and soared toward the tribulation clouds.
BOOM!
Before the tribulation officially began, a deafening thunderclap startled every creature in the sea.
Marine soul beasts surfaced as if drawn by an invisible force, their gazes fixed on the sky.
There, a dark golden spider over a hundred meters long, with massive blood-red wings, ascended higher and higher, shrinking to a mere speck against the vast thunderclouds.
Compared to the overwhelming storm, Fang Chang seemed insignificant—yet his aura made even the heavens tremble.
CRACK!
The first lightning strike came. Both tribulation clouds unleashed crimson bolts as thick as a wrist, attempting to halt Fang Chang's advance.
Fang Chang allowed the lightning to strike him, enduring the dual assault effortlessly thanks to his numerous defensive skills. Simultaneously, he activated Blood Wings, doubling his speed as he shot toward the tribulation clouds.
The heavens seemed provoked. The second wave of lightning was exponentially stronger—twin crimson pillars as wide as water vats, their force terrifying.
The strikes seared two charred patches onto Fang Chang's body, each over two meters in diameter, and sent him plummeting dozens of meters.
Yet he refused to yield. With a furious flap of his wings, he surged past his previous altitude, closing in on the tribulation clouds.
As he drew nearer, the clouds reacted with urgency, condensing their third lightning strike.
Perhaps due to the rushed preparation, these bolts were weaker than the second wave, barely slowing Fang Chang's ascent.
Now, only a hundred meters separated him from the tribulation clouds.
Enraged, the two clouds suddenly merged. The sky flashed violently as countless thin purple lightning tendrils rained down like a deadly net.
Though individually less imposing than the previous strikes, their sheer numbers made them just as lethal.
Despite his mounting injuries, Fang Chang gritted his teeth, his gaze locked onto the tribulation clouds. A mad idea burned in his mind—
He would devour the heavenly tribulation itself.
Heavenly tribulations were manifestations of the world's will, influenced by the divine beings governing punishment in the God Realm.
But Fang Chang refused to submit.
Why should gods dictate the laws of the world? Why should they decide soul beasts cannot ascend?
He would defy them. He would challenge the heavens themselves—and this tribulation was only the beginning.
Bracing against the storm of purple lightning, Fang Chang spread his wings and shot straight into the merged super tribulation cloud.
Then, he opened his maw, unleashing an endless suction force that devoured the surrounding thunderclouds.
The heavens, sensing their authority challenged, retaliated with even fiercer violet-gold lightning, bombarding Fang Chang from within the cloud.
At this point, the tribulation no longer followed numbered strikes—it was a direct clash between a soul beast and divine judgment.
The lightning assaults slowed Fang Chang's devouring, but in response, he did something even more insane.
He dropped all defenses.
Lightning ravaged his body, reducing his health to a sliver—yet the Endurance skill kept him alive at 1 HP.
Simultaneously, his Flexible Size skill overloaded, expanding his body beyond its usual tenfold limit.
As he grew, his devouring power intensified. The tribulation clouds were sucked into his gaping maw like water down a drain.
Weakened by his consumption, the super tribulation's resistance faltered.
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Chang redoubled his efforts. From the outside, the thundercloud visibly shrank, its mass funneling inward until a swirling vortex became visible.
With Endurance about to expire, Fang Chang made a desperate gamble—he activated Revival while continuing to devour.
Perhaps due to absorbing the lightning's energy or his own sheer madness, Endurance unexpectedly prolonged itself, granting him precious extra seconds.
And in those seconds, Fang Chang consumed the last remnants of the tribulation cloud.
The heavens fell silent.
Exhausted beyond measure, Fang Chang's eight eyes slowly closed. His wings stilled, and his massive body plummeted toward the ocean.
The impact shattered his already battered form into hundreds of pieces, scattering across the seafloor.
So I didn't die to the tribulation… but to gravity.
That was Fang Chang's final thought before darkness took him.
But Revival had already been activated.
Half an hour later, white light enveloped his remains, pulling the fragments back together.
Within minutes, a ten-meter-long dark golden Bloodwing Demon Spider stood once more in the depths—Fang Chang, resurrected.
Inspecting his stronger, more refined body, he marveled at his success. Not only had he survived the tribulation—he had devoured it.
A feat never before accomplished in history.
Only then did he notice a system notification:
[Devoured "Heavenly Tribulation." Acquired additional skill: Thunder Dominion.]
Thunder Dominion: Grants absolute control over lightning-based energy. Can freely manipulate thunder to attack enemies, nullify or redirect their lightning-based skills.
Well now.
Previously, devouring the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' remains had granted him Frost Dominion and Flame Dominion, which he later fused into Icefire Spear—elevating his offensive power to top-tier levels.
Now, with Thunder Dominion added to the mix, he wondered—
What kind of devastation could a triple-element fusion unleash?
The thought filled him with exhilaration.