As the white serpent unleashed its will, the heavenly tribulation descended…
The black clouds above suddenly began to rotate, forming a massive vortex. At its center, thin bolts of lightning flickered and danced. The serpent raised its head, jaws wide, and let out a piercing hiss!
“Hssss—!”
Like the tiger of the Ten Thousand Mountains, it refused to surrender its ferocity—no matter life or death.
On Mount Hua, the abnormal cloud formations drew many eyes.
Yu Rong’s delicate brows furrowed. Something was off. Normally, a beast’s tribulation involved simple thunderclouds and lightning—not a swirling vortex.
This was just a snake demon, not some ancient primordial beast. And the serpent had no rare bloodline. What was happening?
After a moment’s thought, she flew toward the Jade Void Palace, where the sect master resided.
Sect Master Li Xiangyan stood before the hall, as if anticipating her arrival.
The old man appeared ancient, his white beard and eyebrows nearly reaching his waist. Dressed in ceremonial robes and holding a horsetail whisk, he looked like nothing more than a kindly elder. But those familiar with him knew the truth—his cultivation had long since reached the ascension threshold, his power unfathomable.
“Greetings, Sect Master.”
“You’ve come here for the white serpent, haven’t you?”
His smile was serene, his whisk swaying gently in the breeze.
“Yes. A mere form-shaping tribulation shouldn’t be this violent. That little snake of mine might not survive. Do you know why this is happening?”
“Opportunity. Destiny. Fortune.”
Li Xiangyan offered three cryptic words. Yu Rong frowned, uncomprehending.
“This tribulation is far more perilous than an ordinary beast’s. Survive it, and its future achievements will be limitless. This is its opportunity.”
“All things under heaven follow their ordained paths—even I can only glimpse fragments. This is its destiny.”
“This trial is the serpent’s fortune. Do not worry, Junior Sister. That little snake’s fate does not end here. Nurture it well—it may yet bring prosperity to our Pure Yang. Hahaha!”
With that, the Sect Master turned and ambled back into his palace, leaving Yu Rong both relieved and intrigued by the mention of “prosperity”
At the mountain’s foot…
Xu Ling and the others retreated instinctively, unaware of the cultivators lurking in the woods behind them.
Only Yang Mu glanced back suspiciously.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
The Pure Yang elder decided to eliminate these interlopers before the tribulation began.
Zheng Yong and Senior Brother Lin watched the Pure Yang disciples greedily, especially Xu Ling and the other girls. Vile fantasies of capturing and selling them to demonic cultivators danced in their minds.
Then, a voice from above froze their blood.
“Seen enough?”
They turned to find a Pure Yang disciple hovering in the air, sword-light beneath his feet.
Without waiting for excuses, a flash of steel—and the forest floor was littered with corpses.
Yang Mu spotted the elder and his blade’s gleam. Recognizing the intervention, he bowed in gratitude. The elder returned the gesture before flying back toward the mountain.
“Huh? Wasn’t that the gate-guarding senior brother? What was he doing over there?”
Xu Ling, ever oblivious, waved cheerfully at the departing sword-light.
Yang Mu shook his head. She needs real-world experience. Pure Yang needed shrewd, decisive cultivators—not naive fools who’d hang like cured meat, preserved but useless.
“The tribulation’s starting!”
A shout snapped everyone’s attention skyward.
Time seemed to slow. The clouds flared blindingly, then—
CRACK!
A searing bolt of lightning lanced down, striking the serpent’s raised head. The impact drove it into the ground, scales charred and smoking. The acrid stench of roasted snake flesh filled the air.
“Hsss…!”
The pain was unbearable—far worse than touching a live wire. Its skull went numb, senses scrambled.
Shaking its head, the serpent got raged.
Screw you, heavens!
No sooner had the thought formed than—
Another bolt.
Lightning wasn’t supposed to strike this fast! Tribulations required charging time between blows! Yet here it was, machine-gunning divine wrath. The serpent’s addled brain wondered if cursing the sky had provoked this. Maybe save the insults for after surviving?
CRACK!
A third strike.
Scales shattered, exposing raw flesh. Blood poured as its regeneration struggled to keep up.
The lightning seared the wounds, amplifying damage. In moments, the white serpent became a crimson ruin.
From a distance, Xu Ling and the others watched in horror. The realization that they, too, would face tribulations one day shook their Dao hearts.
Thankfully, youth brought resilience. This ordeal would at least prepare them for their own future trials.
After seven or eight consecutive strikes, the lightning paused—not done, but gathering strength.
The serpent, half-buried in the earth, raised its head and shook off the dirt. Its once-dull eyes now burned with intelligence. Tribulations were trials, and each survived bolt tempered its body. Pain and blood had awakened its primal fury. The healing pills it had prepared went ignored. It glared at the heavens, defiant.
“Bai Yu Jun’s gone mad…” Xu Ling murmured.
Yang Mu shook his head.
“No. It’s choosing the harder path. Relying on external aids leaves flaws—like those half-human beasts with animal traits. True tribulation survival enhances innate potential, making demons stronger than humans at the same level.”
He gestured at the sky.
“Humans cultivate spells, not bodies. Our speed is our advantage. Demons balance both, honing their flesh. Without superior techniques or artifacts, we’d lose. In raw capability, we’re lacking.”
Xu Ling nodded. Demon physiques were formidable.
“But don’t overthink it. Human cultivation is far faster. A demon might spend ten, a hundred, even a thousand times longer to reach the same stage. That’s why their power is so dense. If you meet one, be cautious.”
“Senior Brother knows so much!” Xu Ling fawned.
Yang Mu smirked.
“Master taught this ages ago. It’s in the archives too. You probably forgot while playing around.”
“Hmph…”
Xu Ling’s cheeks reddened. She had forgotten.