Chapter Ninety-Three: Crossing the Calamity of Annihilation Once More

At this moment, Chen Mu's expression was grim. He was no stranger to the annihilating thunder tribulation, having nearly been killed by it during his advancement to the Body Forging Realm in the Nine Nether Sacred Land. The thunder tribulation was brewing, locking onto him with unwavering focus. As soon as the thunderclouds took shape, the punishment would descend upon him without hesitation.

Scarlet bolts of lightning churned within the sea of clouds, and the tremendous peals of thunder sent nearby spirit beasts into trembling fits of fear. Finally, the thunderclouds reached their initial form, and without warning, a scarlet thunderbolt crashed down furiously upon Chen Mu.

The abruptness of the tribulation made Chen Mu's scalp tingle; he took the blow head-on. The strike left him battered and bloody, his skin scorched and charred by the intense currents. The annihilating thunder tribulation lived up to its reputation—its first strike had already wounded Chen Mu.

His body was already exceptionally strong, yet even so, he could not escape injury from the thunder tribulation. And this was just the first bolt; the ones to follow would surely be even fiercer.

After inheriting the Jiao Dragon Pearl, Chen Mu had gained insight and mastery over manipulating lightning. This time, he applied those techniques, not allowing the scarlet lightning to dissipate but instead guiding it into his body, absorbing it to further temper himself.

As he absorbed the thunder's power, his flesh underwent a radical transformation. Though the scarlet lightning caused minor internal damage, the life energy from the black pearl quickly healed him. Chen Mu began to shed his skin—the charred, damaged outer layer fell away in fragments, replaced by new flesh that made him appear as flawless as jade.

Though not particularly robust, at fifteen years of age, Chen Mu stood one meter seventy tall, his frame sturdy and muscles taut and angular, exuding explosive strength.

After recovering from his wounds, the second tribulation bolt descended, injuring him once more. Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth… the sixth… and so on until the ninth. By then, his recovery could no longer keep pace with the damage. However, his control over lightning had become second nature. Now, it seemed he could manipulate lightning against his foes even without invoking special techniques, though the effectiveness remained uncertain.

Soon, the tenth bolt struck, and Chen Mu was grievously wounded, multiple parts of his body necrotic, forcing him to his knees as he coughed blood violently.

His body was transforming, but the tribulation's power was escalating just as rapidly. The destructive force of the tribulation always outmatched the strength of his body.

The Body Refining Realm did not solely temper flesh and muscle; its chief purpose was to strengthen the tendons and blood vessels. As the thunder's power coursed through Chen Mu's tendons and veins, an indescribable burning pain tore through him.

Yet his tendons grew ever tougher, his blood vessels widened, and the pulse of his blood steadily increased. At this stage, it was no longer realistic for Chen Mu to rely only on his physical strength to withstand the annihilating thunder tribulation. In an instant, he invoked the "Jiao Scale Feather Robe" divine art, hoping it could help him endure a few more strikes.

After the eleventh thunderbolt, the Jiao Scale Feather Robe proved its worth. The scale armor formed of thunder energy merged with the scarlet tribulation, and though it shattered almost instantly, it absorbed and digested a portion of the power, which Chen Mu then drew into his body with the "Ancient Nine Tribulations Scripture." The remaining force still tore his flesh, but it was a marked improvement over before.

The crowd watching Chen Mu's tribulation were stunned. Had they been in his place, they would have perished many times over beneath the scarlet thunder. Even Gu Xingyuan was no exception.

Yet Chen Mu survived again and again under the thunder's wrath, his resilience inspiring awe among the spectators.

Bolts eleven through fourteen were manageable; Chen Mu endured them with the Jiao Scale Feather Robe. But after the fifteenth, the thunder's power doubled, making his hair stand on end and his scalp numb with dread.

He activated the secret art "Burning Blood Transformation" without hesitation. This time, he could no longer rely on his body alone; he had to disperse the tribulation.

The fifteenth bolt crashed down. Chen Mu unleashed several spheres of fiendish energy, trying to weaken the scarlet thunder's force. Though it had some effect, it was insufficient. He then produced the Xuan Gold Sword, unused for some time, and met the thunder with the "Setting Sun Sword Style."

But the sword's grade was too low; it shattered under the thunder's assault. The lightning struck Chen Mu again, leaving him severely wounded.

Crushed by the thunder, Chen Mu lay prone, his body battered beyond recognition. Still, he managed to offset part of the power, relying on the Jiao Scale Feather Robe and his formidable physique. Thus, he narrowly escaped death under the tribulation.

Before he could finish healing, the sixteenth bolt descended without pause. Chen Mu had no choice: he healed himself while gathering yang energy, preparing to use the third form of "Setting Sun Style"—Sun Without Light.

He had not used this move in a long time; only when threatened at the brink of life and death did he resort to it.

Now, his life was truly in peril. The scarlet thunder raged down, colliding with the yang energy of Sun Without Light, transforming the very heavens and earth.

All the trees in the area were obliterated by the energy waves, and the forest caught fire. Water-attributed spirit beasts rushed to extinguish the flames but dared not approach Chen Mu's tribulation circle.

These beasts watched Chen Mu in terror. His tribulation was so overwhelming that, despite his cultivation being inferior to theirs, he summoned thunder of such immense power. They wondered if he had committed unspeakable crimes or was simply envied by the heavens.

The move successfully dispersed the tribulation, but Chen Mu's hand fared little better. Though the bones remained, much of the flesh was consumed by lightning, rendering the hand nearly useless.

Chen Mu was now extremely weak. His cultivation was insufficient to unleash Sun Without Light a second time, even with Burning Blood Transformation.

He frantically healed himself, especially his arm, lamenting that even his ultimate move could barely neutralize the thunder. The tribulation's power had already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.

The remaining seventeenth and eighteenth bolts would be no weaker than the sixteenth. Chen Mu had one last trump card—the Thunder Jiao Phantom, a move equal to Sun Without Light but able to confront the thunder directly without harming himself.

However, he could not use the Thunder Jiao Phantom on the seventeenth bolt, lest he be left without defenses. So how could he survive the seventeenth strike? Suddenly, he recalled that the explosion of the Xuan Gold Sword had offset much of the thunder's power.

Having destroyed many sects, he had amassed a trove of useless weapons and artifacts. If he threw them out and detonated them, perhaps they could absorb some of the thunder's force.

With this thought, the seventeenth scarlet thunderbolt crashed down. Chen Mu hastily flung hundreds of Foundation and Core Realm artifacts at the raging scarlet lightning, detonating them one after another and causing the thunder to explode in wild succession.

The crowd was stunned by such a lavish display. Their worries that Chen Mu might die were replaced by envy and admiration for his wealth.

Chen Haoran could not help but chuckle—his youngest son was doing quite well, tossing away so many artifacts for the tribulation. He was richer than Haoran had been as head of the clan.

Gu Xingyuan felt the same. He sighed in relief, hoping Chen Mu would finish the tribulation soon so he could calm his nerves; the ordeal was simply too harrowing.

With the seventeenth bolt neutralized, Chen Mu finally relaxed. The only regret was that, since the scarlet lightning had been destroyed by the artifacts, he could not absorb its power.

He had no time to dwell on it, for the final bolt had already descended. Chen Mu, as planned, fully unleashed the Thunder Jiao Phantom, sending it soaring skyward.

The appearance of the Thunder Jiao Phantom brought his dragon bloodline to its peak. All the spirit beasts bowed their heads in reverence as if before a king.

The thunder jiao and scarlet lightning collided, entangling in fierce combat; the thunder jiao roared in fury, its maw devouring the scarlet thunder.

The scarlet thunder was equally relentless, exploding within the jiao's body and tearing holes in its phantom form. But as Chen Mu continuously supplied energy, the wounds healed quickly.

As the scarlet and azure thunder devoured and battled each other, Chen Mu leaped into the air, frantically absorbing the dissipating thunder energy into his body—a precious resource not to be wasted.

The two thunders consumed each other, and Chen Mu's thunder jiao emerged victorious. Though tattered, it had devoured so much thunder energy that it was satisfied.

Chen Mu noticed a subtle change—the jiao's eyes now flickered with traces of scarlet light. Though faint, it caught his attention.

With the tribulation passed, the thunder jiao vanished, merging its energy back into Chen Mu. He felt a peculiar affinity with lightning, almost equal to his mastery of yang energy.

In that moment, a scarlet arc flickered in his eyes. Though he was unaware, any observer would find Chen Mu strangely demonic in appearance.

Next, auspicious clouds gathered overhead, heralding the time for the infusion of vital energy.

The energy washed over Chen Mu's body, fortifying his tendons and blood vessels, greatly enhancing their resilience. His tendons and blood vessels now pulsed with greater force, elevating his endurance and combat stamina to a new level.