Chapter 513 : The Nine Heavens Thunder Trial
As he successfully completed his breakthrough, Exquisite Jiang opened her eyes.
She grasped Eldrin Chen's hand, her voice laced with concern. "The Infant Soul Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a cataclysmic trial of heavenly lightning faced by cultivators at the Infant Soul stage] is not to be underestimated. You must be cautious."
"Fear not."
Eldrin Chen gave a firm nod. His gaze fixed upon the Tribulation Cloud [a dense, ominous cloud formation that heralds the arrival of a heavenly tribulation] gathering in the sky, his heart was filled with absolute confidence.
The Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of thunder and lightning sent by the heavens to test cultivators] for a Great Encompassing Infant Soul [a perfect, foundational Infant Soul cultivation base] would undoubtedly be unprecedented and unparalleled. Even a cultivator at the Infant Soul Mid Stage would face such a tribulation with utmost gravity, for there was a real risk of being severely wounded by the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation.
However, Eldrin Chen possessed three Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [magical artifacts bound to a cultivator's life force, growing in power with them] and had fused with two Innate Great God Ability [innate divine powers of immense potency]. Naturally, he had ample assurance of weathering this Heavenly Thunder Tribulation.
He strode forward, settling into a meditative posture amidst the void above the peak of Verdant Lotus Isle, awaiting the descent of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation in serene silence.
"BOOM!"
After an immeasurable span of time, a majestic peal of thunder shattered the stillness.
Eldrin Chen looked up to see a bolt of Purple Heavenly Thunderclap [a supremely potent form of heavenly thunder, purple in hue] crashing down with devastating force, aimed directly at him. Dive deeper into the Dao at audi0-n0vel.c0m.
"It is the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a legendary divine ability that summons the terrifying heavenly thunder tribulation from the nine heavens]."
His eyes narrowed slightly for a moment, then quickly relaxed.
The power of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Tribulation was truly terrifying. This was merely the first bolt of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [divine lightning used as a trial or punishment], yet its force was already comparable to a full-power strike from a Golden Core Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Golden Core cultivation realm] cultivator, potent enough to injure an Infant Soul True Lord [a cultivator who has formed their nascent soul].
However, by this point, a Heavenly Thunder Tribulation of such potency posed little threat to Eldrin Chen.
His physical body had been tempered day and night by the 'Five Thunders Body Tempering Great Art' [a supreme body cultivation art that uses the power of five different thunders]. Not only was his physical resilience far superior to that of an ordinary True Lord [a title for a high-level cultivator], but after being refined by this thunder-based Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique], his body had developed a formidable resistance to lightning-based arts.
Without a trace of fear, he sat cross-legged upon the Heavenly Vault [a celestial platform or peak], actually using the raw strength of his physical form to withstand the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation.
The Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Tribulation crashed against his body, yet failed to inflict even the slightest wound. Instead, it refined him, causing every inch of his flesh to glow with a flawless radiance, like immortal jade.
"BOOM—"
The thunderous onslaught continued unabated. Two more bolts of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation descended, yet they still could not harm him.
"What an incredibly powerful physical form."
In the distant void, the cultivators who had come to witness the ceremony from Ji Continent all experienced a shift in their gazes, revealing looks of profound shock.
To withstand the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of thunder and lightning] with one's physical body alone far exceeded everyone's imagination. Yet, Eldrin Chen had withstood three consecutive strikes of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation. The power of the final strike had already approached the realm of a True Lord [a high-level cultivator], yet it had failed to injure him.
This outcome shattered the expectations of the onlookers. After all, a cultivator's physical form is typically quite fragile; to withstand the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation head-on is an immensely difficult feat.
Freya Ji, who had also come to observe, spoke up: "In the lower cultivation stages, strengthening the physical body is exceedingly difficult. However, upon reaching higher realms, cultivators gain access to various methods to enhance their fleshly form."
"After reaching the True Lord Realm, the physical body often undergoes a qualitative transformation. Cultivators below the Golden Core Late Stage and ordinary magical treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators] can no longer harm them."
"Legends say that those who achieve Ethereal Ascension [the ascension to become an immortal] and forge an Immortal Body [a body tempered to immortal perfection] possess physical strength not inferior to that of an Innate Divine Spirit [a being born of natural laws with divine power]. It is said that Immortal [ascended beings] who walk the Path of Fleshly Body Sanctification [a cultivation art focused on perfecting the physical form] can even shatter Nine Heavens Stellar [celestial-grade treasures] with their bare hands."
After speaking, she took a deep breath and continued, "Yet, even so, to withstand three strikes of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation at his current realm is proof enough that his physical body surpasses that of most True Lord."
The Ji Clan possessed an unbroken lineage and had once given birth to supreme existences who achieved Ethereal Ascension. Coming from someone of Freya Ji's status, these words carried significant weight.
Beside her, Violet Consort Yan heard this, her eyes growing contemplative. After a moment of thought, she said, "I had long suspected he possessed the aptitude [the innate potential for cultivation] for a Great Encompassing Golden Core [a legendary, perfect-grade Golden Core foundation]. Now, it seems my guess was correct."
"Only someone with the fabled immortal-grade aptitude of a Great Encompassing Golden Core, upon breaking through to the Infant Soul [Primordial Spirit] realm, could manifest such astonishing phenomena, could they not?"
Violet Consort Yan murmured softly, her gaze flickering towards Exquisite Jiang with a trace of envy.
High upon the Heavenly Vault, Eldrin Chen lowered his eyes, silently sensing the power coursing within his body.
Having been tempered by three bolts of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [divine lightning that tests and refines a cultivator's body and spirit], he felt his physical form had grown slightly stronger, a development that brought him quiet satisfaction.
"But this is the limit," he whispered to himself. "The Heavenly Thunder Tribulation to come is potent enough to severely injure an Infant Soul True Lord [a cultivator who has condensed their nascent soul]. I cannot rely on my physical strength to withstand it."
With this calm utterance, he lifted his head to observe the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation gathering and roiling in the sky above.
The tribulation for the Great Encompassing Infant Soul [a supreme grade of nascent soul] was exceptionally formidable. Starting from the fourth bolt, its power likely rivaled the final three bolts of the tribulation faced by an ordinary True Lord. Experience the full epic at *audio-novel.com*.
The energy coalescing for this fourth bolt was already terrifyingly potent, sufficient to grievously wound a Mortal Path True Lord [a True Lord who follows the path of mortality] at the Infant Soul 1st Tier. Even Eldrin Chen dared not meet it with his physical body alone.
"BOOM—"
As the thunderous roar descended, Eldrin Chen raised a hand and summoned forth a bolt of Two Polarities Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique embodying the duality of yin and yang].
In that instant, the Innate Divine Ability [a supreme ability born from one's innate constitution] pierced the Heavenly Vault, meeting and neutralizing the divine lightning from the Nine Heavens [the highest celestial realms]. Both forces dissipated into nothingness.
For the next two divine thunderbolts, Eldrin Chen dealt with them one by one using his Innate Divine Ability. Although the power of the sixth thunderbolt was already comparable to that of an Infant Soul 3rd Tier cultivator, he did not feel any significant pressure.
It was only when the seventh Heavenly Thunder Tribulation began to brew that Eldrin Chen felt an astonishing pressure surge within his heart.
The power of this Heavenly Thunder Tribulation had reached the level of an Infant Soul 4th Tier cultivator, representing a substantial increase in might.
"This cannot be underestimated,"
Eldrin Chen murmured to himself. The higher one's cultivation realm, the more difficult it becomes to challenge those above one's own level.
An Infant Soul Early Stage cultivator might be one thing, but most True Lord in the mid or late stages of the Infant Soul realm had cultivated either the Earthly Path Infant Soul or even the Heavenly Path Infant Soul method. These cultivators were all prodigies among Golden Core Cultivator in their time; who among them could be considered weak?
In the past, when Eldrin Chen first entered the Golden Core Realm, his full-powered outbursts could threaten a Golden Core Late Stage expert. Yet now, having just entered the Infant Soul Realm, he had no absolute certainty of victory against a mid-stage Infant Soul cultivator who followed the Earthly Path Infant Soul.
Such an existence, having cultivated diligently for thousands of years, would surely possess one or two Medium-Grade Spiritual Treasure. Their Great God Ability would have advanced further, likely reaching the Great Accomplishment stage, and might not be inferior to his own Innate Divine Ability.
Eldrin Chen felt that, even with the enhancement from his Great Encompassing Golden Core, he would need to consolidate his foundation within the Infant Soul Realm for some years before he could truly suppress such a True Lord figure.
He needed to elevate his Spiritual Treasure, Divine Ability [a powerful supernatural technique], and cultivation arts; otherwise, he would still be somewhat lacking.
With this thought, he raised his hand and summoned his Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force and soul]. A brilliant violet sword-rainbow soared into the heavens, cleaving the sky.
It was the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword [a legendary sword imbued with solar fire and abyssal power] that shot into the air, transforming into a slash of Immortal Sword [a sword of transcendent, immortal-grade sharpness] radiance that flew into the void, annihilating the greater part of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a divine trial of heavenly thunder that tests cultivators].
Following a deafening sword cry, the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword fell back, its glow dimmed. After all, the sword was currently only an Inferior-Grade Spiritual Treasure [a lower-tier magical treasure], and attempting to withstand this Heavenly Thunder Tribulation was still a strain.
Fortunately, the Immortal Sword was peerlessly sharp and suffered no serious damage. After that single slash, the radiance of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation was mostly spent. Its remaining power was insufficient and was blocked by Eldrin Chen as he channeled his Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural power or technique].
As the eighth bolt of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation descended, Eldrin Chen chose not to wield the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword again to spare it further harm. Instead, he raised his hand, and a deep azure sword-light shot skyward, slashing toward the heavens.
"It's the Heavenly River Positive Water Sword [a divine sword technique channeling the power of the celestial river and pure yang water]," someone observed.
Witnessing this scene from afar, Violet Consort Yan felt a pang of envy. The advantage of possessing Multiple Spiritual Roots [a rare cultivation aptitude allowing mastery of multiple elemental energies] was the ability to cultivate several Lifebound Spiritual Treasure.
She possessed only a single Violet Cosmos Void Escape Mirror [a magical mirror specializing in spatial evasion and defense], which was not a Spiritual Treasure [a general term for enchanted cultivator artifacts] renowned for offense or defense. When she had faced her own Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, she had needed to prepare several Fifth Rank Spirit Talisman [powerful fifth-grade magical talismans] and relied on the assistance of the Purple Abyss Furnace [a mystical furnace] to barely survive the ordeal. Experience the full epic at audio-novel .c om.