Who Else

Boom—!

A deafening roar erupted from the heavens, followed by flashes of lightning and thunder. Countless terrifying arcs of lightning, thick as serpents, slithered through the dark clouds like the wrath of the Thunder God, painting a scene of apocalyptic destruction.

The boundless thunderclouds enveloped most of the Primordial Forbidden Land, instilling fear in the barbarian tribes and ferocious beasts within. This had nothing to do with strength—it was the might of heaven itself.

Under the heavens' wrath, all beings were but ants.

And this terrifying heavenly tribulation was, naturally, summoned by Gu Qingfeng.

He sought to condense a Ten-Mark Perfect Divine Pill—a flawless creation that defied the natural order, an act of defiance against the heavens. Thus, the heavens sent down this tribulation.

Fortunately, he was within the Primordial Forbidden Land, shielding this celestial phenomenon from the outside world. Otherwise, it would have surely caused chaos.

Gu Qingfeng opened his eyes mid-cultivation, facing the heavenly tribulation without a trace of fear. Instead, a glint of delight flashed in his gaze.

He looked up at the Ten-Mark Perfect Divine Pill hovering above him. The pill was a masterpiece of nature, exuding an aura of perfection, with ten intricate patterns faintly shimmering across its surface, swirling with profound Daoist rhythms.

The Ten-Mark Perfect Divine Pill was nearly complete—only one step remained: enduring the trial of the heavenly tribulation. Once that was done, success would be absolute!

Suddenly, Gu Qingfeng opened his mouth, and as if drawn by an invisible force, the Ten-Mark Perfect Divine Pill flew straight into his mouth, descending into his dantian.

The moment the Perfect Divine Pill settled into his dantian, Gu Qingfeng's entire body trembled. Divine light erupted from his eyes, and his entire being radiated boundless brilliance, illuminating his flesh, meridians, and bones until they gleamed like flawless jade!

An overwhelmingly terrifying aura burst forth from him, like a blazing sun slowly rising, majestic and solemn, as if he had become a divine sovereign!

With the eruption of this power, the mountain housing his cave exploded into dust, completely exposing Gu Qingfeng to the heavenly tribulation.

A fierce gale howled, whipping his black hair wildly and making his robes flutter violently.

His eyes brimmed with arrogance as he stared defiantly at the tribulation and let out a wild laugh: "Heh heh heh... With this divine pill in my belly, my fate is mine to—"

Boom—!

Before he could finish his boast, the heavenly tribulation struck.

A bolt of heavenly lightning crashed down onto Gu Qingfeng, cutting off his words.

Truly proving the saying: "Don't boast, lest you be struck by lightning!"

After the first bolt landed, Gu Qingfeng only felt a tingling numbness, accompanied by a slight pain—like a vigorous massage from a strong-handed therapist.

Thanks to the damage reduction of his Primordial Sacred Body and the defense of his Prison-Dragon Elephant Physique, it was nothing serious.

"Damn it! No sense of martial virtue!" Gu Qingfeng cursed.

Then, he noticed that the scattered energy from the tribulation had turned the surrounding land into scorched earth for miles. What a waste!

Quickly, he retrieved over a hundred pre-forged Heavenly Thunder Pearls and arranged them in an intricate formation.

Knowing he would face the heavenly tribulation, he had prepared these pearls in advance to "shear the wool" off the tribulation. Crafting the pearls wasn’t difficult—the real challenge was obtaining heavenly thunder.

But now, the heavenly thunder had come to him!

As soon as his formation was complete, another deafening explosion resounded in the sky.

The thunder was as thick as dragons, surging like an ocean, with lightning serpents dancing wildly.

A far more powerful bolt descended, its massive, twisting form resembling a divine dragon swooping down with claws bared.

Boom—!

The loudest sound seemed silent; the grandest form seemed formless!

Facing this strike, a trace of solemnity finally appeared on Gu Qingfeng’s face. It was time to get serious.

With a furious roar, sacred light bathed the earth as a Prison-Demon Dragon and a Prison-Divine Elephant manifested from his body!

The next moment—

Lightning engulfed Gu Qingfeng completely.

His body began to sustain unavoidable damage, but his formidable regenerative abilities allowed him to heal almost instantly. Over and over, the forces of life and destruction coexisted, and through this cycle, his physique steadily adapted to the tribulation’s power, growing stronger.

This discovery thrilled him—it was the first time he had enhanced his body without relying on demonic energy. So, heavenly tribulation could also temper the physique!

Of course, this method came with risks. Ordinary cultivators, do not try this at home.

Soon, the third, fourth, fifth... tribulation bolts fell, each stronger than the last!

Gu Qingfeng’s mighty body was battered worse with each strike, but his recovery accelerated, and his physique grew ever more formidable.

Though the heavenly tribulation was powerful, it was ultimately meant for the Perfect Divine Pill. But Gu Qingfeng’s current strength didn’t solely rely on the pill, allowing him to endure the tribulation, temper his body, and even refine his soul and divine pill in the process.

This was a comprehensive upgrade.

Finally, the last tribulation arrived.

This bolt lingered, gathering power, like the eerie calm before a storm.

Gu Qingfeng watched the brewing final strike, lamenting how quickly the fun was ending. His physique had only improved a little, and he had barely harvested a hundred Heavenly Thunder Pearls—just as he was getting into it, the tribulation was already spent?

Damn it, he should’ve forged more pearls.

No, he had to make the most of this last wave.

His mind raced for ideas—what else could benefit from heavenly thunder? Then it hit him!

The Sword Canon was a supreme scripture of the sword path, encompassing all its mysteries. Among its teachings was a method to temper swords with heavenly lightning!

Thinking fast, Gu Qingfeng summoned the Gengjin Sword Case and slammed his palm onto it.

Clang—!

A thousand swords sang in unison!

At that moment, the final tribulation was ready.

Boom—!

The world fell silent; all color drained from existence.

A unique violet thunderbolt descended upon the earth!

In that instant, the stars trembled, the constellations shook—as if the heavens themselves were a fragile painting about to be torn apart.

The Great Dao quaked; thunder roared.

Gu Qingfeng unleashed a secret technique from the Sword Canon, commanding a thousand divine swords to merge into a single colossal blade that clashed head-on with the violet lightning.

The giant sword bathed in the thunder, undergoing metamorphosis through the struggle.

After a brief standoff, the sword shattered, dispersing back into a thousand blades that embedded themselves into the ground, each crackling with residual electricity.

Then, the weakened violet lightning struck Gu Qingfeng directly.

Crackle—!

Electric arcs exploded across his body as blood seeped from his wounds. He pushed his Primordial Sacred Body and Prison-Dragon Elephant Physique to their limits while reciting the Sword Canon’s teachings.

Inside him, the Perfect Divine Pill spun wildly, circulating an indescribable Daoist rhythm through his flesh, blood, and bones.

His injuries gradually healed, his physique grew stronger, his soul solidified further, and his divine pill became purer.

After what felt like an eternity, the heavenly tribulation dissipated, leaving only silence in its wake.

"Heh heh heh..." Feeling the perfected divine pill within him and his newly elevated strength, Gu Qingfeng grinned savagely and roared to the heavens:

"WHO ELSE?! WHO THE HELL ELSE DARES?!"