Chương 55: Chapter 45: Heaven's Wrath

"You should've listened to me, Guiren. The disaster's chaotic footsteps…" A wizened old voice echoed somewhere deep in the Judgment Sect as a pair of black eyes fluttered open, staring at the clouds blanketing above the Heavenly Master Peak.

"… already arrived. It's too late now." The old man let out a frustrated sigh and closed his eyes. He had done his job, consequences be damned. … Heavenly Master Peak. Ren felt like he heard a whisper from far, far away, but brushed it over. He focused on the last crack. It was the biggest one by far, almost splitting the throne into two from the center. And unlike the others, this one wasn't jagged. No, it was smooth. Perfectly even. And deliberate. Whoever did this—" Ugh…"

A moan escaped his lips as a sharp pain stabbed at his temples, causing him to bend down and clutch his head. The moonlight covering him rippled, and he let out a turbid breath. Not now, understood. Thanks for the gentle warning. Shaking his head, Ren cracked his neck first, then gave his shoulders a slow roll. At the same time, thunder rumbled in a low growl. The words flared as an answer, feeding his flickering spark.

Though the heavens didn't seem to appreciate the act as the night brightened, followed by a thunderous boom. Ren disappeared amid the light for a heartbeat before he reached out, his armored hand ripping apart the curtain of lightning.

"There's no escaping heaven's wrath if I continue, huh?" Ren chuckled to himself, all the sounds disappearing. A deafening ringing noise began to resound in his ears in their places.

"Too bad I don't do well listening to such warnings." He slowly raised his hand in the air. An electrifying sensation flowed through his body, his hot veins already boiling with blood. Little Sapling listened as a purple seed appeared in the middle of the crack. Every root shuddered, rushing toward it and coiling around it. In seconds, they filled the crack, creating a heart shape with the core being the seed. Ba-Thump! Ba-Dump! Both hearts pounded at the same time, their voice louder than everything.

The sound seemed to separate his body and soul for a beat, then the throne merged back into his forehead. Ren could feel his energy growing exponentially, his tired cells cheering with roars and vibrating like there's no tomorrow. Drunk on the boundless energy of unimaginable scale surging inside him, he glared at the clouds. The lightning seemed to coalesce into a sphere, which was on the verge of exploding. And so… Just how far can I go? Let me see. Ren stopped holding back. RUMBLE!

Moonlight erupted out of him in waves as soon as the lightning moved. The sheer pressure of it scattered the silver waves, hitting Ren before he could realize. Comparing it to the first lightning was like the difference between a toddler and an adult! Ren trembled. Blood began to ooze out of his mouth, but instead of faltering, a terrifying aura radiated out from him. His eyes never left the sky, and he raised his hands like claws. A bubble rose and fell, only covering his body. RUMBLE!

A second golden lightning bolt appeared right at that moment, even bigger than the last one. Yet instead of enduring passively, Ren grabbed it out of the air, eyes lit with a crimson light as he ripped it into two! Yes. The lightning scattered in a shower of sparks, raining down on him, only to be devoured by another bubble. Pure, massive amounts of energy pumped into his core— even Little Sapling faltered for a moment to absorb it all at once.

And when it spat back as moonlight energy, a viscous whirlpool formed from its sheer density. His aura grew heavier with every rotation, the space around him crackling faintly as if struggling to contain him. As much as it was called heaven's wrath, tribulations were also rare blessings— if you managed to stay alive, of course. The lightning carried both destruction and creation energy, so it was first breaking each inch of him, then rebuilding it into a more refined, pure form. As for the leftovers…

Little Sapling wasn't the kind of plant who liked wasting anything. A third boom came, then a fourth and a fifth. Each lightning bolt appeared larger than the last, its color growing darker and darker. Blood poured out of Ren's eyes, nose, and ears, but he still refused to move, standing there like a stubborn mule. The clouds growled in displeasure, trembling as if they might explode at any moment. Then they shrank as lightning started to compress. Did you know this story is from Royal Road?

Read the official version for free and support the author. Just a little bit more. Ren gritted his teeth, hot vapor rising off him like he was an overheated steam engine. On the bright side, the whirlpool had almost swelled up to cover his whole body. Bad side? Its rotation slowed down to a crawl. Right at that moment, the sixth shot came. This time, slender— no wider than his arm— and red. It moved as though in slow motion. A strange scene appeared.

The very earth wavered as though struck by an earthquake, and small stones vibrated as they slowly rose into the air. The very gravity had lost its meaning in front of this bolt. Ren's heart skipped a beat. His clenched teeth spread open, and he threw out a wild roar. He didn't hesitate and unleashed Tyrant's Punch. First Punch… Dominating Heavens! A green, phantom figure suddenly appeared behind him. It was not standing but kneeling on one leg, its head down as if asleep.

The figure wasn't something mythic or impressive, but there was something that couldn't be more glaring on its head— a majestic crown. Ren took a wide step as far as his body allowed under its shadow, pulled his elbow back, and then— The moment his fist shot forward, a low hum resonated through the air, followed by a loud rumble that erased all the sound. A crimson fistprint and lightning collided, briefly entering a stalemate, before the print exploded.

Ren fell like a comet blazing toward the earth, smashing the stage into pieces. Glass shards and rubble flew all over the place as people nearby scrambled in panic. Elders jumped up to protect the disciples thrown off their feet, opening their hands to build layers of barriers, one on top of the other. Ren jumped back a moment later. He wobbled in place for a moment, creaking noises coming out of his armor. His breath came in ragged bursts, his vision narrowing to a single point.

The seventh lightning didn't come down immediately; instead, it was brewing. However, this interval was what he needed right now! After absorbing this lightning, he felt a fullness. One that he had never felt in his life, as if he had reached the very limits allowed for a carbon-based lifeform. The whirlpool had covered every part of his body at last. He quickly sat on the ground, cleared his mind, and felt the shackle still standing. The cracks had already disappeared. He was right.

Ren barely stopped the urge to look at Xue Tian. He didn't have time for that. So he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and—"BREAK!" Roaring, he unleashed all. Massive rumbles echoed out, turning the whirlpool into an enormous battering ram. One blast after another came in quick succession, each causing Ren to shake visibly. His body power erupted in turn, monstrous fracturing sounds filled the air. The next moment, a jolt ran through him; his stomach lurched, his body feeling like suspended between rise and fall.

An aura first thrived within his flesh and blood, filled his body, and began to spread out of him. Yet it wasn't earthshaking or awe-inspiring. It was silent. Cold. Seemingly insignificant. Yet when it rose, even the tribulation clouds sizzled and retreated upon contact with it as though they were archenemies. He broke through the second shackle of the Indestructible Body! In that moment, a blood mist rose out of his pores.

His meridians, his flesh and blood, and every other part of him seemed to glitch, flickering in and out of sight, then started to reform anew under the aura's influence. However, heavens seemed to realize what happened; seventh lightning roared prematurely, intent on erasing him— body and soul alike. Ren's eyes snapped open. He wasn't able to move his body at all, but his heart screamed. The figure following behind him seemed to have woken up, hearing his call.

As it raised its head, a powerful force surged out of its crown. There was no time for thought or planning. Its extended foot slammed against the empty air and shot forward— Second Punch, Tyrant's Shadow! BOOM! The storm above staggered mid-roar. Then came the impact.

"Get down!" Someone shouted, but it was already too late. A soundless explosion rumbled, and the ground collapsed inward, shattering into tiny pieces. Only the place Ren was standing was left untouched, but even that didn't last long. His feet began to sink beneath the weight of lightning as the figure clashed with the clouds. Sparks flew off, flames bloomed upon its fists when its knuckles drove forward. Bang! The clouds roared once more. The figure was knocked back with red light all over its body.

It couldn't resist without overlapping with Ren, and even though it had gained him precious seconds, it wasn't enough. Ren's eyes turned bloodshot. I— He trembled. I can't… I can't fail… His mind frantically searched for a solution. A way out. Something. Anything. He tried to activate Phantom State, but nothing happened. His moonlight energy was busy stabilizing his breakthrough. He had no other skill he could fall back on. His instincts screamed crazily. The words burned too, almost scorching, but it was no use.

I did my best… I guess this is it. … His frail spark flickered again— dim, trembling, almost crushed beneath the weight of desperation. Then his shoulders dropped at last. To be honest… I'm not surprised. After all, I always—"Have you asked for my permission," a voice drawled, "to strike down our Eldest in my presence?" A shadow fell over Ren following the voice, then crimson clouds spread out of the void. They surrounded the tribulation clouds in a tight circle, causing it to rumble in irritation.

But instead of retreating, the crimson clouds pressed forward, golden lightning crackling at every clash. Xue… Tian?

"Heh, don't forget about this old man." Master Gao flicked his quill through the air. A strange symbol formed, and a huge scroll unfurled, shielding him from the tribulation's pressure.

"These youngsters… always troubling our rotten bones," Master Shu muttered, waving his hand. Countless plants surged out of the ground and created a dome. At the same time, a root grabbed one— no, two figures— from behind, and gently threw them far outside the tribulation's range. Ren's eyes widened when he saw that the two were none other than Demoness and Baozhai. Though he didn't have time to think before he felt a chill beside him, Lady Dimitra stepped out of a snowflake.

She gave him a small smile and lifted her slender neck to stare at the sky. Then came his master, Qin Guiren. Clasping his hands behind his back, he teleported right against the tribulation clouds. Unlike others, he could stand face to face with it, enduring its pressure without releasing his aura. He remained silent, but every sound bowed down to him when a purple dragon emerged from his back, roaring with unmatched arrogance.

"Whoa, another party without me?" Last but not least, a sword sliced right through the air. Yan Yuze, clad in his classic white robes, came out of the slice and stood beside Ren.

"Seriously, I'm starting to feel left out! You guys only go wild when I'm not here. Especially you, little brother."

"You…" Ren's lips trembled, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. In the end, he could only ask: "Why…?"