Chapter Three: Crossing the Tribulation

"Foundation Tribulation? No wonder my inner force has been restless since earlier!" Realization dawned on Lei Yan; it turned out that the heavenly tribulation was triggered according to the specific person, only activated when certain conditions were met, and it targeted solely the individual who fulfilled those requirements. If he hadn't worked hard to suppress his inner force, the tribulation might have already started by now.

Since there was no way to avoid it, he could only face it head-on! Whether for the sake of enduring the tribulation, which could not be evaded, or for Lei Yan's longing to possess great power, today he had to withstand it. He released the conscious restraint on his inner force, and the energy within him surged forth as if a floodgate had been opened, spilling into the air.

Suddenly, fierce winds arose, sweeping across the land. The sky darkened within miles, and the ink-black clouds above Lei Yan gradually deepened to a shade of purple-black.

"Lei Ba!" Following Qing Ling, Zhao Liu finally spotted Lei Yan and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't interfere with Brother Lei's tribulation!" Qing Ling stopped Zhao Liu as he was about to rush over.

"Tribulation?" Zhao Liu didn't quite grasp what that meant, but judging by the changes in the sky and the suffocating pressure, it was anything but ordinary. He watched Lei Yan with nerves stretched taut.

"The heavenly tribulation is coming, Brother Lei, you must be careful!" Qing Ling shouted as loudly as she could, fearing Lei Yan couldn't hear her through the roaring wind.

The dark sky felt as if it might collapse, pressing down with immense force. Lei Yan gazed upward with grave expression; the sensation was akin to Mount Tai crushing him, nearly suffocating. He desperately circulated his inner force to counteract the external pressure. Oddly, as his inner force moved, it seemed to stir the black clouds overhead. The purple-black clouds began to spin, forming a massive vortex like a sea tornado, drawing in all surrounding clouds. In the center, streaks of purple-black lightning materialized, writhing like serpents.

As these lightning snakes joined the vortex, it grew more turbulent. Twisting bolts flashed within the swirl, thunder boomed across the sky. Gradually, the vortex ceased spinning, and a cloud several yards long hovered above Lei Yan's head.

Qing Ling raised her right hand, clutching her chest; the terrifying heavenly might was several times stronger than when she faced her own tribulation. She felt as though a stone pressed on her heart, making it hard to breathe. Yet she felt no fear for herself—her gaze flickered with worry as she looked at Lei Yan, silently praying, "Brother Lei, you must succeed!"

Boom!

A clap of thunder split the heavens. Two intertwined bolts—purple and black like twin dragons—snaked down toward Lei Yan. The lightning, thick as an arm and entwined, descended from the sky. Lei Yan had never been struck by lightning before; the overwhelming force left him stunned, unsure how to react.

In that instant, a blood-red shadow broke free from Lei Yan's hand, rushing to meet the lightning overhead.

"Lan!" Lei Yan snapped out of his daze and called instinctively. He knew this was no time to freeze; wiping sweat from his palms, he was about to charge forward when he saw the little flower sprite's frail body actually blocking the twin bolts in midair. Sparks crackled and burst from the point of resistance.

"Sparks!" Lei Yan's mind raced, a sudden flash of insight propelling him upward.

"Brother Lei, hang in there!" Qing Ling silently cheered for Lei Yan. The Foundation Tribulation was usually a single black bolt, but Lei Yan's was two entwined purple-black streaks—far beyond her understanding. All she could do was quietly encourage him.

"Lei Ba…" Zhao Liu could no longer keep calm. "Heavenly tribulation? What kind of power is this?" Suddenly, Zhao Liu's brow furrowed as he looked behind. Hundreds of men wearing yellow scarves were charging toward them, led by Jin Ji, the third chief of Golden Might and brother to the late Jin Ding.

"Chief, that fellow's just ahead!" a yellow-scarved man called out. With Jin Ding dead, Jin Ji had naturally become chief; hence the man addressed him as such.

"Qin Feng, I want that red-clad boy alive!" Jin Ji barked coldly, silently vowing, "Brother, today I will avenge you. The one who killed you will be torn to pieces!"

"Yes!" the bandit named Qin Feng replied, turning to shout, "Chief's orders: capture the red-clad boy alive! Kill all others!" Raising his voice, he roared, "Kill!"

"Kill!" Hundreds of voices thundered, heedless of the strange sky as they charged.

Faced with such numbers, Zhao Liu's heart pounded. Normally, he would have fled, but with Lei Yan in the midst of tribulation, he could only grit his teeth and shout, "Kill!" Leading the charge into the fray.

"Despicable!" Qing Ling turned and saw the bandits, hatred surging in her heart. To her, anyone disturbing Lei Yan's tribulation deserved death. She flashed forward to meet them.

Lei Yan, deep in tribulation, heard nothing but thunder. He had no idea what was happening outside. Amidst the tumult, he thrust out his right hand; inner force coursed through him, and a faint glow emanated from his arm, meeting the twin lightning bolts. The moment his arm touched the bolts, the lightning seemed to find a channel, surging instantly into his body.

"Ah—!"

A powerful cry echoed from the sky, louder than thunder and the shouts of battle, resounding across the heavens.

Qing Ling heard Lei Yan's voice and turned sharply, witnessing a scene she would never forget: slender lightning snakes separated from the twin bolts and crawled across Lei Yan's body, flickering in and out of sight, then burrowing into him. Gradually, those tiny snakes seemed unable to satiate Lei Yan's desire; he reached out with both hands, grabbed the entwined purple-black bolts, and swallowed them whole.

"Swallowing lightning?" Qing Ling could scarcely believe her eyes. To overcome tribulation by devouring heavenly lightning—Lei Yan might be the first in history.

Thunder has always been a terrifying force in human consciousness; no one dared to stand against it, let alone eat it. Witnessing someone treat lightning as food, the hundreds of bandits erupted into chaos.

Many cried out in terror, "Did you see that? That guy just swallowed lightning!"

"That's terrifying…"

"Is he even human?"

…

For a moment, the crowd was in disarray. Even Zhao Liu stood frozen, his mind echoing a single thought: "Lei Ba is truly terrifying!"