Chương 46: Breakthrough and Acknowledgment

"Why?" His voice cracked through the silence. Smiles tugged at the corners of every lip— even Qin Guiren's, even Xue Tian's. Yet they only chuckled instead of answering.

"Focus, kid," Master Gao said gently, tearing his gaze from the tribulation clouds. He shot Ren a reassuring look.

"We can only hold it back for a short while. The rest's on you." Ren blinked in acknowledgment. He couldn't nod— his body barely obeyed— but he kept his eyes open, watching everything with focus. The clouds quivered above, as though the very heavens themselves couldn't fathom such audacity. Grey clouds suddenly appeared in the sky, merging with the tribulation until the whole sky became a single, seething mass. Inside it, two lights shone as if a pair of indistinct eyes.

Their light focused on the arrogant mortals, and six additional lightning bolts— black and explosive— appeared.

"First one is mine!" Yan Yuze shouted, shooting up only to be struck down. He crashed somewhere far beyond the peak, disappearing out of sight as quickly as he arrived.

"Always so fiery… Grand Elder is a true man of patience, for cultivating such a disciple." Master Shu shook his head, and his plants formed a massive hand in the air. He didn't take the lightning head-on; channeling it through the roots, he imprisoned and sealed it beneath the earth. A line of blood slipped through his lips before he nodded toward Master Gao and stepped back. Taking his message, Master Gao raised his open hand. The scroll in the sky caught the lightning, shrank, and descended back into his hand.

He landed gracefully, despite the constant trembling in his hand. Lady Dimitra followed after him, countless snowflakes emerging from her sleeves. The lightning bolt froze even before landing, and she put it away with a flick of her wrist, ignoring the blood running down her eyes. She gave one last smile at Ren and flashed away. The heavens thundered once more; the pair of lights intensifying, their wrath focused upon Xue Tian.

It only got a twitch, the faintest curl at the corner of his mouth, a motion of millimeters, and the lightning descended.

"Pathetic," Xue Tian's voice rang clear even through the rumbles as though the storm itself had to bow to him. Golden streaks slithered along his jacket and pooled in his open palm. Space bent, warped; the world went momentarily weightless.

"A mere messenger to strike me? Know your place!" A surge of raw lightning burst from his body, roaring like an unchained beast, the very air screeching under the collision. BOOM! The sky split open. A pillar of power erupted from the impact, a crushing column that pushed outward. For a split second, everything stood still. Then a greater shockwave followed, slamming outward and straining barriers— elders staggered, coughing blood as they hurriedly reinforced them.

Crackling with divine authority, Xue Tian's golden lightning tore through the black bolt, shredding and scattering them into nothing in an absolute showdown. Holy… fuck… Ren's jaw dropped without realizing. I— I punched that guy… in the face? Xue Tian threw a side glance at him as if he had felt his shock, smirking a little. But he remained silent and took a step back, landing gracefully beside his peak's elders.

Ren exhaled a deep, trembling breath and lifted his head back to the only figure remaining in the air: his Master. Qin Guiren. Man of legends and the Sect Master of the Supreme Judgment Sect. Unlike others, he didn't say anything, absentmindedly watching the storm. Only when the black bolt gave a low growl as if a warning, he raised a brow. The heavens and the man stood in a tense stalemate until Ren's aura fluctuated, his breakthrough on the verge of finishing.

Qin Guiren shot him a look, his gaze softening a moment, then he turned back to the lightning flickering in place. Taking a deep breath, his presence shifted back to the old pair's side. He patted both Master Shu and Master Gao on the shoulder, a faint smile settling on his lips. The dragon behind him softly exhaled out of its nostrils, giving one last disdainful glance at the clouds, and merged back with him. At the same time, the last lightning… simply erased from existence, leaving no trace behind.

Before Ren could realize this fact, he shuddered violently. His focus snapped back to himself as his refined heart began to hammer his chest. Just for a split second, a vibration took over his body, and the only places that hadn't crumbled, his bones, shattered into dust. Yet before its pain could hit, like a river bursting through a dam and flooding over, a truly terrifying amount of energy surged out, fixing them back into place. They became more robust, and tiny runes, almost invisible, were engraved on them.

Caught up in his own energy, his hair stood up and fluttered without wind. Finally, as if he could no longer restrain the power brewing inside him, Ren lifted his head at the sky, beyond the clouds, unto the full moon. He spat dark red blood, immediately feeling his organs cheering in relief, and raised one leg— Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He stomped: the brewing lightning rumbled and struck! Ren crashed straight into it.

The red lightning smashed apart, not even shaking him. Even its late-booming rumble cut short as if the very sound of it choked by a harsh grasp. An eerie silence fell, the breaths long held in suspense were released. Ren's shoulders dropped, the stiffness in him melting away. It's finished… finally. He laughed softly. Although the gray clouds began to dissipate, the gaze in the clouds was still watching him. It felt calm, cold. Emotionless. Ren just shook his head and turned back to his master and all others.

After all, without them, he could never live to tell the story—"Be careful!" All of a sudden, Qin Guiren's face twisted. He raised a hand, but lightning was much faster than him. Ren flew through the air like a broken doll. Crashed once more into the ground and punched the cement to halt his fall, felt the burn like a screeching thought in the back of his mind. It took him but a second to rise back to the air, his already messy air turned into a bird's nest. He threw a glare, meeting the heavens' supposed gaze.

Eighth lightning… this wasn't a part of the tribulation, he knew it. This was punishment for obstructing the will of heavens! Unforgiving and—"Petty bastard," Ren spat, breath turbid, gaze sharpening. He first pointed toward his back without looking, then clenched his armored fist. Pulling it back as much as his body allowed, his muscles flexed and swelled up, his aura hitting a new peak. The well opened for an instant!

The moment the ninth lightning flashed into existence, a ray of jade-green light charged in and stood together with Ren, its crown shining. You are… He took a sharp breath. A strange light flooded his crimson pupils, making them darker than black, yet shining with a piercing intent. A different kind of power erupted, menacing and maddening. Just another obstacle… All but the sound of his own heartbeat disappeared. In my way—"BEGONE!" Third Punch: Judgment!

The lightning bolt, wider than an adult man's waist, clashed with his fist, neither side yielding a single inch. Then the figure's fist came, overlapping with Ren's. It ripped apart everything in its way, even cracking the space. BOOM! The storm twisted into a spiraling abyss before being obliterated as a whole in a single, deafening crack. Ren skidded backward. His feet lost their grip on the air as a sense of weakness washed over him. But he regained his balance a moment later and stopped himself abruptly.

He refused to fall, not this time. His breath came in ragged, heavy bursts, his arm trembling. He pressed his lips together as the full moon graced him with its gentle light, finally escaping from the clutches of countless clouds. It's… warm. Ren tilted his head back, his heart stopped pounding, and fell in a serene rhythm. He had done it. Truly.

"He… returned…" A soft mutter echoed in the silence, catching his attention. Only then did Ren notice how crowded the feast ground got. His gaze took hold of the plaza. An endless crowd had gathered already. Some had worried faces, others smiling in triumph. He saw a woman rubbing her belly bump, a man beside her holding her shoulder. They whispered to each other, their smiles wide. In another place, a few disciples in white sect robes, guiding the kids of other disciples, lest they make a mess.

Most of them were no older than ten, and their little faces shone with excitement. He didn't know them, not even one familiar face. Wang Ren did. They were… watching? One of the naughty ones suddenly shouted, "Eldest Brother Ren! Eldest Brother Ren!" Then another, another, and another rose.

"He came back! He really came back!"

"YEAH!"

"Big brother, we waited! I never believed Daddy! We knew you'd come back!"

"How could we follow anyone else?! Hahaha!"

"Big brother Ren! You promised to show me how to ride a sword, remember?"

"Biggest brother, biggest brother, yeyy!" Ren stood frozen. Their voice surged, overlapping in an endless tide. Children bounced on their toes, pulling at their senior brothers' sleeves. Some clung to the arms of the elders who had appeared to shield them, faces beaming with uncontainable joy. The cheers, the voices; they were… truly for him. They… don't think I'm a monster? His throat felt dry. At the same time, he felt someone behind him.

"Won't you wave for them?" Baozhai whispered, putting her soft hand on his back, a soft smile on her lips. Ren stared. Faint tear marks still streaked her face. The darkness persisting in his crimson eyes faded back into the night, and the gray light resurfaced. No more madness. No more struggle. He felt like he heard an old man's laughter… A small smile settled on his lips. At the same time, he noticed Demoness standing at the far back, her eyes turned crescent. She nodded toward him, then left with the enforcers.

"I-I should, right?" Ren asked while watching her and nodded slowly. He lifted his hand— its faint tremble steadying until he raised it above his head and clenched it. The crowd went quiet, all eyes on him, most shining with an eager glimmer.

"I'm," he said, his voice feeling strange in his ears. The words flashed faintly, as if encouraging him.

"Wang Ren. And I…" It seemed fate had a lot of surprises for him tonight as a sudden flap of wings interrupted him. Ren did a double-take as a pristine white crane descended toward him. It was larger than any horse, yet neither bulky nor awkward. Every line of its form felt… right, as though shaped by the hands of a divine artisan. Its feathers gleamed with the tender radiance of sacred runes, its elegant neck held high and proud.

And its eyes— blue, deep, and boundless as the sea— were fixed solely upon him, sparing not even a glance for the others. Amid the confused gazes, it came to a stop in front of Ren, lowering its head to pick something fixed on its long legs. Then it gently presented the cloth-covered 'item' to him. The fuck is this? Ren raised a brow and hesitantly reached, grasping a cold shaft. An electrifying sensation spread upwards from his hand, his eyes widened, and his heart pounded in anticipation.

"The blessing of the great Celestials delivered," The crane said, her voice regal.

"May you live to their expectations, O Bearer of Supreme Judgment." She nodded like she had done its part, and left with a soft flap of its wings. Ren watched her back, holding back his frown. He didn't hurry to open the cloth; instead, he chose to store it away, unintentionally catching a crack in Xue Tian's apathy. He… seems anxious…? But that crack disappeared instantly. No way. Xue Tian and being anxious? Heh, if so, lightning shall strike me down— He paused for a second. It seemed…

it had already struck him down… Shaking his head, Ren threw away these idle thoughts and turned back to the confused kids. Grinning, this time he raised both hands. I need to borrow your temperament, soul brother, mine is too weary. Don't take offense.

"I, your best and only Eldest Brother, am back!" he shouted cockily, a wild glimmer replacing the heaviness in his gaze.

"And you know what that means, kids!"

"YEAYYY!"

"Free candy! And for the whole day, you can only play!" Right away, thunderous cheers flooded everywhere as elders and older disciples smiled wryly, most definitely feeling the upcoming headache. But neither Ren nor the kids cared. Only the words flashed twice as if in protest. Ren shot a look at Baozhai, who was shaking her head in exasperation, and whispered, "Wanna reward the brats with cookies?"