Chapter 462 (1)
Lu Qing never expected his master’s Heavenly Tribulation to be this powerful.
The seventh tribulation thunderbolt alone carried a level of might that rivaled several of the early strikes from his own Five Elements Heavenly Tribulation.
Yet when he first observed the tribulation, its power had not seemed so terrifying.
"It seems Heavenly Tribulations are not fixed but change according to the tribulator's circumstances," Lu Qing mused.
He recalled how, during his own tribulation, he had acted recklessly, taunting the heavens, which in turn caused the tribulation to intensify violently.
Judging by the initial density of the golden tribulation clouds and the strength of their aura, his master’s tribulation should have only consisted of six thunderbolts at most.
But the moment his master unleashed the Dao of Water and Fire, everything changed.
The tribulation’s difficulty increased dramatically.
Indeed, as the greatest trial and refinement imposed upon cultivators by the heavens, the Heavenly Tribulation was not rigid but ever-adapting.
Lu Qing felt a profound realization rise within him, deepening his comprehension of Heavenly Tribulations."However, with this turn of events, it will be difficult for Master to overcome the tribulation." Lu Qing's expression turned grave.
He could see that his master had already poured out nearly all of his strength just to withstand the seventh tribulation thunderbolt.
The upcoming eighth bolt, which would be even more powerful, would be nearly impossible to counter.
A faint surge of energy stirred within Lu Qing.
No matter what, he would never stand idly by and watch his master perish under the tribulation.
If his master could not endure, even if it meant interfering and facing dire consequences, he would have to act.
On the other side, while the tribulation clouds were brewing the eighth thunderbolt, Doctor Chen was rapidly absorbing the spiritual energy from the mid-grade spirit stone in his hands.
"The spirit stone Ah Qing gave me is truly a treasure. It requires almost no refinement and converts directly into my spiritual power. How mystical!"
Feeling his rapidly recovering strength, Doctor Chen was inwardly amazed.
Previously, he had been nearly certain that he would not survive the tribulation.
But now, he had a renewed sense of confidence.
However, he knew that continuing to passively endure the strikes would lead to certain failure.
He had to change his strategy.
Sensing that his spiritual power had recovered by more than half, Doctor Chen's eyes shone with determination. He had made his decision.
A thought arose, and a treasured sword suddenly appeared in his hand.
The domain that had enveloped the area for hundreds of meters suddenly contracted, condensing in front of him, continuously refining and compressing itself.
Eventually, it took the form of an incomparably sharp sword light, adhering to his sword.
Not only that, but his Water and Fire spiritual power, his Dao Intent, and even his very soul were poured into this sword light.
Unintentionally, even a layer of golden radiance that shrouded his body flowed into it.
The result was a sword light so sharp that the very fabric of space around it twisted and wavered.
One could only imagine how terrifying this strike would be.
"Master is planning to..."
Lu Qing was astonished at the sight.
Boom!
Just as Lu Qing's thought arose, a deafening clap of thunder echoed from the sky.
At that moment, the eighth tribulation thunderbolt, which had been brewing for some time, descended.
At the same time, Doctor Chen unleashed his sword strike, channeling all his strength into it.
The sword light moved at an unfathomable speed. Before the thunderbolt could fully descend, the blade intercepted it midair.
Before everyone's eyes, the sword light, infused with Doctor Chen’s will and all his power, cleaved the thunderbolt cleanly in two!
Even more shockingly, the sword light did not stop there; it surged upward, piercing straight into the golden tribulation clouds, causing the entire swirling vortex to momentarily freeze!
Boom!
Though Doctor Chen’s sword had split the tribulation thunderbolt, it had not completely dissipated. Instead, the thunderbolt fractured into two halves and continued their descent.
However, much of its power had already been drained, and being split in two, the force was significantly weakened.
Instead of directly striking Doctor Chen, the remnants of the thunderbolt crashed into the ground beside him.
Lightning surged outward, enveloping Doctor Chen.
But its power had been reduced to a level within his endurance.
"Master is so fierce!"
Even Lu Qing was startled.
His master’s sword strike had been too overwhelming—he had actually managed to cleave a tribulation thunderbolt in half!
Lu Qing estimated that even most Golden Core Realm cultivators below the second transformation, if caught unprepared, would have no way of resisting such a strike.
At the very least, if Li Changbo were in this situation, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to withstand this sword light.
"A monster! A monster!"
Inside the Li Huo Cauldron, Yan's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
He could scarcely believe that Lu Qing’s master—this old man who always wore a gentle smile, treated everyone with kindness, and even cared for ordinary mortals without hesitation—was capable of such ferocity.
Yet now, when faced with a tribulation, he was unbelievably savage.
Without hesitation, he had drawn his sword and cleaved the Heavenly Tribulation in two!
One must understand—this was a Heavenly Tribulation!
Cultivators throughout history had always approached it with the utmost caution, dreading any misstep that might invoke its wrath and increase its intensity.
Even the most peerless geniuses of the ancient Immortal Era had tread carefully before their tribulations, fearing that any slight provocation would result in disaster.
But now, this old man had simply chosen to cut through it.
Yan couldn’t help but recall that Lu Qing himself had once openly taunted his Golden Core Tribulation, mocking it for its lack of strength.
Now, it was clear—this pair of master and disciple were truly cut from the same cloth. Both were utterly fearless.
"That sword light... Did Senior Chen unleash it?"
In the distance, Wei Shanhai and his group were completely dumbfounded.
Though they were too far away to see Doctor Chen himself, they had clearly witnessed a colossal sword light erupt, splitting the tribulation thunderbolt in half before piercing the tribulation clouds.
"Who else could it be? Senior Chen is the one undergoing tribulation."
"Senior Chen is a swordsman. It has to be him."
"Sword Cleaves the Heavenly Tribulation... Has Senior Chen’s swordsmanship already reached such a profound level that he can even cut through tribulation lightning?!"
On the ruined mountaintop, the lingering lightning continued to spread.
However, Lu Qing could still sense his master's presence through the lightning. Though weakened, Doctor Chen was holding on.
This allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Yet his gaze remained locked onto the swirling tribulation clouds above.
Even after the eighth thunderbolt had struck, the tribulation vortex had not dissipated. Lightning continued to flicker within.
"Could it be... there's a ninth thunderbolt?"
Lu Qing’s heart grew heavy.
He could tell that the last strike had been his master’s ultimate attack.
If there was a ninth tribulation thunderbolt, his master would have no way of resisting it.
"No... this isn’t right!"