Cultivation Online
chapter-1272

1272 Heavenly Tribulation

"S-Senior! Is there anything you can do?!" Feng Yuxiang looked at him for help. As this was her first encounter with Heavenly Tribulation, it was only natural for her to act nervous.

Dong Ye sighed, "There is— but there isn't at the same time."

"I could wipe away the Heavenly Tribulation for you this time, but it will eventually return in the future, and it will be much more powerful at that time. Therefore, you can only face it."

And he continued, "Don't worry, your crime wasn't that bad. The Heavenly Tribulation won't kill you, but it will hurt a little."

"We have to confront it…?" Feng Yuxiang swallowed nervously.

"D-Don't worry… I have read stories of people using Heavenly Tribulations to temper their own bodies… It can't be that bad…" Xi Meili said, trying to comfort herself.

Dong Ye then said, "The Heavenly Tribulation is about to start. You should gain some distance away from each other so you don't make things harder for each other. I'll watch over you so you won't die."

They felt much more at ease after hearing Dong Ye's words.

A moment later, they began flying away from each other until they were at least fifty miles apart.

The sky above them appeared normal for a few moments, almost as though they had escaped the Heavenly Tribulation. However, it would turn dark again after some time with tiny blue snakes dancing around the clouds.

"The next time I see that crazy bastard, I will definitely make him pay for this!" Feng Yuxiang gritted her teeth as she prepared to confront the Heavenly Tribulation.

She sat down and closed her eyes, clearly her mind.

While this may be her first time being confronted by a Heavenly Tribulation, this wasn't her first time seeing one. In the upper heavens, Heavenly Tribulations occur on an almost daily basis, so she has witnessed a fair share of people fighting them. Many people perished before the Heavenly Tribulation, but some people have managed to escape, and just as Xi Meili had said, some even used them as a body tempering method.

'Those who recklessly confronted the Heavenly Tribulation perished while those who remained calm and allowed the Heavenly Tribulation to strike them managed to survive.' Feng Yuxiang said to herself.

Eventually, amidst the darkened skies, a powerful and thick bolt of lightning descended upon Feng Yuxiang.

BOOM!

In an instant, the ground around Feng Yuxiang was charred black, and it looked as if a bomb had been dropped in her area with several miles of the land around her being affected by the Heavenly Tribulation.

Feng Yuxiang, who used most of her spiritual energy to block the Heavenly Tribulation right before it struck her, managed to survive, but her entire body was dripping with blood.

'I managed to survive…' she sighed inwardly, feeling a little relieved.

Yet, her despair grew as she realized that the black clouds above her had not dissipated, and it even looked as though it was preparing for a second strike.

The number of strikes corresponded to the severity of one's crime with three strikes being the most common.

A few moments later, a second bolt of lightning descended on Feng Yuxiang. The destruction caused by the second strike was even more devastating than the first one, as Heavenly Tribulation only becomes more powerful with each strike.

When struck by the second Heavenly Tribulation, Feng Yuxiang's life flashed before her eyes for a brief moment, recalling all of the time she's spent with Yuan and the others even though it was only a tiny portion of her experience.

By the time the second strike came to an end, Feng Yuxiang had already exhausted all of her spiritual energy, leaving her completely vulnerable to the final and most powerful strike.

As the Heavenly Tribulation gathered energy for the third strike, Feng Yuxiang laid on the ground and stared at the heavens with a blank look on her face.

"Ah… I might actually die here today… I'm sorry, Young Master…" Feng Yuxiang muttered as the third strike descended on her a moment later.

Meanwhile, Xi Meili returned to Dong Ye after her Heavenly Tribulation. Her appearance looked much better than Feng Yuxiang after her first strike, almost as though she didn't even experience the Heavenly Tribulation.

"The Heavenly Tribulation wasn't that bad. I expected much worse." Xi Meili laughed merrily, and she continued, "I understand why some people use it to train their body now. I could feel my body being stronger than it was before the Heavenly Tribulation!"

She then asked, "Senior, where's Feng Yuxiang?"

"Her Heavenly Tribulation should be ending soon," he said.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again, "Follow me."

Xi Meili nodded and followed him to where Feng Yuxiang confronted her Heavenly Tribulation.

When they arrived, Xi Meili's eyes widened in shock as she gazed upon the devastation that far exceeded what she had experienced.

"W-What in heaven's name happened here?! Was this caused by the Heavenly Tribulation? There's no way, right?!" Xi Meili turned to look at Dong Ye for answers.

He nodded and explained, "The strength of one's Heavenly Tribulation depends on two primary factors: the gravity of their transgression and their personal strength. You may be a Spirit Emperor, but Feng Yuxiang's true strength is far stronger, hence the difference between your Heavenly Tribulation."

"Wait… But that's only if she has her original strength, right? There's no way she could've endured such a powerful Heavenly Tribulation with her current prowess because of the curse!"

"Unfortunately, the Heavens don't take into account such minor details." Dong Ye sighed.

"T-Then what happened to her?! Don't tell me that she died?! I cannot sense her presence!" Xi Meili began panicking when she realized this.

"She's not dead, but..." Dong Ye gestured towards an object lying on the ground at the epicenter of the devastation.

"What is that…?" Xi Meili looked at the oval-shaped object in the distance with a profoundly puzzled expression on her face.

The object was red and covered in golden symbols, was the size of a watermelon, but most important was its shape, as it was shaped like an egg.

"Are you trying to tell me that's Feng Yuxiang?! How?!" Xi Meili exclaimed a moment later.