Chapter Twenty-One: Reflections on the Catastrophe

A three-inch-long golden dagger shot toward Lei Yan’s throat like a shooting star. The cold, sharp gleam trailed behind the flying sword like a long, flickering tail. The eldest young master of the Gu family watched the sword fly toward Lei Yan with a dark, grim expression. The corners of his mouth curled upward slightly. He had given up on Zi Yue just to wait for this moment. This strike filled him with absolute confidence.

In Lei Yan’s supernatural perception, everything around him became extraordinarily clear and moved in slow motion, including the incoming cold gleam. With a thought, a ripple like waves undulated across Lei Yan’s body surface. Within a single breath, the demonic weapon circled once around his throat, instantly doubling the thickness of his neck.

It was swift beyond words.

The cold gleam flashed and struck Lei Yan. Already hurt and flying backward, Lei Yan’s body was like a kite with a broken string, hurtling toward the mountain wall. Stones scattered wildly as Lei Yan was embedded into the rock, the golden dagger stabbed deep into his thickened neck. This blow was entirely under Lei Yan’s control. The consumption of his true essence and his internal injuries would take time to heal. To buy time, he even allowed the golden dagger to slash his own skin.

“Hahaha!” The eldest young master of the Gu family laughed wildly. With a hand gesture, the flying sword, still dripping with a trace of blood, shot back instantly. The blood convinced him Lei Yan was dead. His finger trembled, and the blood on the sword vibrated off with a buzzing sound. Watching the blood scatter, his laughter grew even more arrogant.

It seemed Heaven was displeased with the Gu family’s laughter. A rumbling thunderclap echoed, a fierce wind rose, sweeping across the land. The sky above the valley turned a deep purple-red. Within hundreds of miles, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was thrown into chaotic disorder.

“Is it about to begin?” The eldest young master’s laughter abruptly ceased. He focused intently on the sky and the unicorn leopard preparing to face the tribulation. He knew the Golden Core tribulation came in four stages, each more severe than the last. The final stage was the critical moment of ambush. The timing had to be perfect—too early, the unicorn leopard’s inner core might not have fully formed; too late, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the unicorn leopard’s strength.

With a tremendous roar, a twisting purple lightning bolt struck down toward the unicorn leopard at the valley’s center.

The unicorn leopard, long prepared, leapt fiercely and raised its horn in the air. Streams of azure demonic energy flowed like water along its horn.

The purple lightning smashed against the unicorn leopard’s horn, but the azure demonic energy formed a protective shield, blocking the strike.

“So strong,” the eldest young master murmured, his heart sinking. To withstand a Heavenly Tribulation head-on—even the weakest first stage—was rare among demonic beasts. It required immense strength.

The unicorn leopard descended from the sky with apparent ease, but only it knew it had used nearly half its power in that one move. It wasn’t trying to intimidate the Gu family’s eldest young master; it had already blocked attacks with a demonic weapon.

The purple tribulation clouds churned endlessly. The overwhelming pressure forced the unicorn leopard to become more cautious.

A second purple lightning bolt, thicker and brighter than the first, shot down from the high sky in an instant.

The unicorn leopard no longer held back. It opened its mouth wide, releasing a beam of azure light to meet the lightning. Sparks flew as a jade-green plaque, hovering like a waist token in the sky, clashed with the purple lightning, holding it at bay for a moment.

“Another stage passed.” Standing nearby, the eldest young master was both excited and anxious. Excited because the unicorn leopard seemed capable of surviving the tribulation; anxious because he couldn’t find the right moment to kill it.

Embedded in the rocky wall, Lei Yan slowly restored his true essence while watching the unicorn leopard face the tribulation.

“Firelight… firelight again.” Prepared for this, Lei Yan observed carefully. This time, he even saw two colors of flames—one red, one ghostly blue. He sensed the lightning might be a fusion of these two flames.

Boom!

The third tribulation struck again. A massive purple dragon descended from the heavens, bearing a suffocating aura as it crashed into the unicorn leopard. Brilliant light exploded in every direction.

After a brief blindness, Lei Yan witnessed an unforgettable sight: the lightning suddenly split into intertwined red and blue streams, coiling around the unicorn leopard. Tiny electric serpents danced between the two colors.

“Fusion of fire… it really is fusion,” Lei Yan exclaimed excitedly. His voice had just fallen when the unicorn leopard collapsed, its body scorched black, its eyes dimmed significantly.

“Hahaha! Heaven favors me!” The eldest young master shouted gleefully. The unicorn leopard was gravely wounded. Even if it survived the fourth tribulation, he was confident he could kill it. His eyes narrowed, laughter ceased abruptly, and he stared intently at the unicorn leopard, as if holding his breath.

Suddenly, the dark red sky seemed to collapse. The oppressive pressure surged to a terrifying level. Even Lei Yan, embedded in the mountainside, gasped for breath. He looked toward the Gu family’s eldest young master, who resembled a lone wolf nearby, and smiled faintly. “Move, and you die.” He was ready—prepared to kill the eldest young master the moment he attacked.

The unicorn leopard was now badly injured. It glanced skyward and then at the Gu family’s eldest young master not far away. A fierce determination flashed in its eyes: “If I die, you die with me.”

Boom!

A purple lightning bolt as thick as an elephant’s leg struck down with overwhelming force.

The unicorn leopard moved its mind. The swirling azure plaque in the sky suddenly flew toward the Gu family’s eldest young master, while it itself charged upward into the sky.

“Not good!” The eldest young master’s face changed as he focused intently. With a hand sign, a cold gleam shot toward the azure plaque.

Sword and plaque locked in a fierce struggle midair.

“Now!” Lei Yan kicked off forcefully, using the rebound to launch his body forward. In midair, he clasped his hands together, spinning like a drill, rushing toward the Gu family’s eldest young master.

The eldest young master clearly sensed the sneak attack behind him. His face shifted again as he shouted and surged with light, spreading true essence throughout his body.

Hum.

In an instant, Lei Yan passed through the true essence-laden body of the Gu family’s eldest young master. The fire-infused “Way” of his attack was no ordinary true essence and could not be blocked.

Boom!

The eldest young master’s body shattered instantly, limbs flying in all directions.

Lei Yan landed lightly and glanced up. The unicorn leopard’s blackened body still struggled against the fourth tribulation, which now seemed weakened.

Heavenly Tribulations were rare. Lei Yan wanted once more to experience the fused red and blue flames firsthand. Without hesitation, his eyes sharpened and he dashed forward.

He knew the tribulation targeted only the individual, so he had to stay close to the unicorn leopard. Without hesitation, he embraced the unicorn leopard midair.

The purple lightning instantly passed from the unicorn leopard’s surface into Lei Yan’s body. With eyes closed, he carefully sensed the transformation of the tribulation within. The purple lightning was immediately converted into red and blue flames, merging into the ones already in his mind.

Though it did not understand why this human had come to help, the unicorn leopard would not waste the chance. It unleashed all its demonic energy, and with Lei Yan’s aid, it finally passed the tribulation.

As the purple lightning faded, the tribulation clouds scattered and the sky cleared once more.