Boom...
Snap...
As a thick bolt of lightning fell, a brick-shaped magic treasure above Zhang Yuhe's head shattered. In an instant, it was covered with cracks, then turned into countless pieces that fell down.
This was already the sixteenth defensive magic treasure that had been destroyed.
Each heavenly tribulation was stronger than the last.
When the fifty-second thunder struck, the inferior Tongtian Lingbao could only block one attack before being destroyed.
Seeing the Tongtian Lingbao shatter again, Zhang Yuhe couldn't help but feel nervous. There were only five heavenly tribulations left, and he needed to withstand five more waves of thunder. If he survived the tribulation, he would be a true Void Refining cultivator.
However, Zhang Yuhe had a hunch that relying solely on the low-grade Tongtian Lingbao would not be enough to withstand the remaining five thunders.
"Now, it depends on how strong the defensive ability of the Nine Heavens Primordial Sword Formation is and whether it can block the remaining five heavenly tribulations."
Zhang Yuhe quickly performed the magic formula. The nine flying swords spun rapidly, soon forming a dense sword energy light curtain around him.
Boom...
The fifty-eighth heavenly tribulation fell. The thick thunder quickly swept across the dark sky and struck toward the center of the island.
The lightning passed through a layer of light blue light curtain and struck the sword formation fiercely. The Nine Heavens Hunyuan Sword Formation lit up with dazzling light. The light curtain trembled slightly but soon returned to its original state.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuhe couldn't help but feel relieved.
"Very good."
The sword formation struggled a bit against the heavenly calamity's attack but managed to hold steady.
Soon after, another bolt of lightning struck—four consecutive thunders, each one closer and more powerful than the last.
However, the Nine Heavens Hunyuan Sword Formation, which was tied to an immortal-grade technique, proved incredibly strong. It held firm, withstanding four thunder attacks without failing.
"Only one last calamity remains."
Zhang Yuhe looked up at the sky, muttering to himself, waiting for the final catastrophe to come.
The thunder had been continuous before, but now the last heavenly calamity didn't arrive right away.
Zhang Yuhe stared at the massive vortex in the sky, feeling a sense of dread.
What the hell—was something huge brewing?
Suddenly, there was a deafening roar, and the sky turned a dazzling white.
"Oh my god..."
Seeing this, Zhang Yuhe was completely stunned. The dark clouds in the sky retreated, and the vortex disappeared, replaced by endless thunder.
Thunder filled the entire sky, shining with nine colors of light.
"Nimma, is this the Nine-Colored Divine Thunder?"
Zhang Yuhe was completely panicked upon seeing the thunder radiating with nine colors of light. The Nine-Colored Divine Thunder only appeared when a cultivator who had achieved the state of integration was promoted to the Mahayana stage.
He had just broken through to the Void Refinement Realm—how could the Nine-Colored Divine Thunder appear now?
Zhang Yuhe couldn't understand it. No matter how talented he was, something this outrageous shouldn't happen.
However, the heavenly tribulation didn't give him much time to think.
The thunder in the sky quickly gathered, forming an oversized Nine-Colored Divine Thunder. As the divine thunder passed, it tore the very void, leaving terrifying black cracks in its wake.
"Whether I live or die depends on this wave."
Zhang Yuhe quickly circulated the Hunyuan Tianjing, injecting his magic power into the nine flying swords.
The invisible sword energy created by the sword formation spun rapidly, forming dazzling light curtains. The light curtains stacked layer upon layer, wrapping him tightly inside.
Boom...
The Nine-Colored Divine Thunder tore through the void, bringing with it an overwhelming aura of destruction. It passed through the Renshui Lightning Absorption Array and struck the sword array's light curtain.
Snap...
The sword formation's light curtain vibrated violently. Layers of invisible sword energy were split and melted by the thunder.
Zhang Yuhe didn't dare look up. He focused solely on practicing his technique, injecting magic power into the flying swords as fast as he could.
The light curtain composed of invisible sword energy was continually dispersed and melted by the Nine-Colored Divine Thunder, but it quickly recovered each time.
After a long time, the calamity finally dissipated, and the sky became clear once again.
"It's so freaking scary."
Looking at the clear sky, Zhang Yuhe let out a long sigh of relief. He reached out to grab one of the flying swords and examined it.
The surface of the flying sword was covered in fine cracks.
"Fortunately, I almost destroyed my life magic weapon."
Although the flying sword was cracked, this life magic weapon would recover over time as long as it wasn't destroyed outright.
The last Nine-Colored Divine Thunder had been terrifying. Zhang Yuhe couldn't imagine how such a powerful heavenly tribulation could happen to him right after breaking through to the Void Refining Realm.
It seemed like an impossible test, one that offered no real chance of survival.
Fortunately, the Nine Heavens Hunyuan Sword Formation was powerful enough to withstand it.
Without this sword formation, even with more low-grade spiritual treasures, he would never have been able to endure the Nine-Colored Divine Thunder.
Zhang Yuhe hovered in the air, surveying his surroundings. The small island where he had stood was gone, obliterated by the Nine-Colored Divine Thunder.
That wasn't all. Even the lake beneath him had expanded two or three times in size due to the thunder's destruction.
Countless tall mountains in the distance had been razed to the ground by the natural disaster.
Looking at the devastation around him, Zhang Yuhe couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine. Even with all his preparation, he never imagined encountering a calamity so overwhelming.
Reflecting on his experience overcoming the tribulation, Zhang Yuhe realized that, apart from the Nine Heavens Hunyuan Sword Formation, the Renshui Lightning Absorption Array had been the most effective tool in this battle.
If it hadn't been for the Renshui Lightning Absorption Array, the Nine-Colored Divine Thunder would have been nearly impossible to withstand.
Unfortunately, the twenty-eight lightning-absorbing pillars had vanished without a trace after the Nine-Colored Divine Thunder struck.
"It seems I need to be even more thoroughly prepared for my next tribulation."
Zhang Yuhe silently vowed to himself. He was lucky this time, and the Nine Heavens Hunyuan Sword Formation was powerful enough to see him through.
Otherwise, he would have been turned to ash by the heavenly calamity.
"Let's go back first."
Though the tribulation had been dangerous, Zhang Yuhe had ultimately succeeded in breaking through to the Void Refining Realm.
He used all his strength to activate the Tianhuang Flying Immortal Technique and flew quickly toward Yunzhong Mansion.
The process had been perilous, but he wasn't injured at all. His dantian was still full of magic power, so there was no need to rest or regulate his breathing.
The power of the Hunyuan Tianjing had shown itself fully during the tribulation. Even while using the Tongtian Lingbao, Zhang Yuhe never felt his magic power running out.
In fact, after undergoing the tribulation, his dantian still had excess magic power remaining.
Many cultivators failed to overcome their tribulation not because they lacked enough defensive measures, but because their mana was exhausted.
No amount of defensive preparation could help if there wasn't enough magic power to sustain it.
Zhang Yuhe had also prepared some pills to replenish his magic power, but he never needed to use them.
The Hunyuan Tianjing had endowed him with a dantian as vast as the ocean, capable of providing an endless supply of magic power.
There was no need for temporary solutions like pills.
Zhang Yuhe couldn't help but wonder where the ancestor of the fairy world had found such a powerful martial art as the Hunyuan Tianjing.
He felt certain that even in the fairyland, the Hunyuan Tianjing wasn't a simple art.
If all the skills in the fairy world were like that, it would be no surprise at all.
"I really want to ascend to heaven as soon as possible and see the beauty of the fairyland."
With that thought, Zhang Yuhe felt an infinite yearning for the fairyland.