Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha
Chapter 116 Heavenly Tribulation

Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Heavenly Tribulation

"No wonder the Qianyuan Mountain Golden Light Cave is filled with countless treasures, yet Spirit Pearl has to travel all the way to Zhaoge to seek this Star River Divine Sand. Unable to obtain it by request, he resorts to cunning schemes and forceful methods. Truly, it’s the unparalleled choice for refining the golden core embryo, paving the path to the Great Dao."

Nezha gazed at the increasingly translucent and flawless golden core embryo, feeling both elated and somewhat peculiar.

If he wished, he could stop now and obtain a top-grade golden core, a rarity among cultivators at the Golden Core Stage. The path ahead wouldn’t be entirely smooth, but it would surely be a promising start.

He still had a considerable amount of spiritual medicine in his possession. Though he didn’t inherit any legacy from Demon Lord Bai Mushuang as rumors claimed, he did scatter Bai Mushuang’s ashes. However, he truly did collect most of the valuable items left by Bai Mushuang, who was once a powerful quasi-saint.

Yet, facts proved that his talent had further potential.

The crystalline golden core floating in the air, though not appearing golden, still exuded a certain ’thirst.’ Nezha also understood that if he didn’t continue adding treasures to it, this thirst wouldn’t last long.

No cultivator in the world could resist this temptation.

Very few cultivators ever get the chance to experience such temptation.

Therefore, Nezha felt fortunate, though it didn’t lessen the heartache when he sacrificed two Golden Flowers, at least fifteen thousand years old.

By now, the Life Essence Qi in the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi had almost turned substantive, forming a visible seven-colored glow, which hovered in the air, falling upon him, making him seem like he was wearing a Seven-Colored Cloud Robe, as if he had already achieved immortality.

"No reaction?"

Nezha was speechless, looking at the pile of medicinal kings before him. With a determined heart, he picked one up and tossed it.

A full three medicinal kings, with a combined age of nearly two hundred thousand years, were piled up like that, causing the golden core in the air to tremble once more, reaching the eighth grade.

This transformation was profound and enigmatic, akin to being reborn. Nezha seemed to see a small golden figure sitting cross-legged within that transparent golden core.

There were still many spiritual medicines left, and for ordinary cultivators, the grade of a golden core was often a matter of forcing valuable treasures into it.

Once the core is perfect, its power equals that of Heaven and Earth.

Yet, Nezha quickly discovered another matter. Although the golden core in the air continued to gather Life Essence Qi, its speed significantly slowed after reaching the eighth grade.

Moreover, with each breath Nezha took, the Life Essence Qi accumulated by the golden core was immediately exhaled through his mouth and nose, gradually reaching a balance.

He could still break this balance by feeding the golden core with medicinal kings. But despite his powerful physique, the Life Essence Qi accumulated over thousands of years by spiritual medicine was absolutely not something a mere human body could bear.

What does this mean?

Nezha knew clearly.

Shi Ji once taught him that three things influenced the golden core’s grade:

Luck, treasures, and talent.

He had always had good luck, his treasures unmatched, but now, his talent had reached its limit.

An eighth-grade golden core, rare in the world.

Was Nezha satisfied with this?

With such talent, it’s hard not to admire, but there remained dissatisfaction.

Hence, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi above grew increasingly violent, the accumulated black clouds thickening.

Thunder rumbled in the low clouds, but the anticipated torrential rain did not immediately pour down.

The sky brightened, revealing a rarely seen clear sky in the mountains, but only this peak was topped with a cloud.

A golden lightning suddenly flashed within the cloud, like a sword, accompanied by thunder, appearing amidst the storm.

Some once described a speed as fast as lightning.

This proves that lightning speed is beyond mortal reaction, so when Nezha saw the flash, it had already struck his golden core, leaving a golden scorch mark and bursting into a web of sparks. Almost simultaneously, these sparks spread onto Nezha.

He had no time to perform any Daoist Skill, nor any reaction before feeling the pain as his skin split and his body charred!

"Damn it, besides occasionally kicking Black Bull and swearing by the Qianyuan Mountain Golden Light Cave, I haven’t done anything wicked. So why is lightning striking me out of the blue?"

Nezha involuntarily cursed, aware that this was a lightning tribulation.

It was as dangerous as the calamities faced by the Chan Sect for not severing the three corpses.

If you pass, you live.

If you don’t, you die.

"Shi Ji never said there would be a lightning tribulation at the Golden Core Realm?"

Nezha felt a sense of injustice. He looked up, only to see above him a golden thunder forming, seemingly ready to break through the clouds in the next moment.

The previous lightning tribulation came so suddenly, catching him off guard.

Now it was worse. His body was still shaking, and as he watched the lightning descend, he couldn’t react at all.

"Wow, you...!"

Before Nezha could utter profanity, another bolt of lightning struck.

This thunder’s might was akin to mystical Daoist skills. Not to mention he hadn’t completed his core, merely at the God Absorption Realm. Even genuine Golden Core Realm cultivators would turn into charred corpses under such divine thunder.

Thus, throughout history, those Heaven’s Chosen Sons with the capability to form a nine-grade golden core, regardless of their extraordinary talent or immense resources, without withstanding this rolling heavenly tribulation, faced death and Dao dissolution.

Nezha was struck by consecutive golden thunderbolts, and with a crackling sound, the traces on the silk hemp robe bestowed by Daoxing Venerable shattered, turning to ash in an instant.

Soon the third bolt came down, leaving Nezha’s entire body charred, nearly turned to carbon. As he moved his limbs, his skin cracked, and fresh, red blood oozed from the crevices.

This blood emitted a mesmerizing fragrance, as if Nezha was no longer human but a medicinal king in the field, the powerful Life Essence Qi flowing within him, continuously healing his wounds.

Nezha roared softly, regaining control over his body. Ignoring the indescribable pain, he swung a sword toward the sky, just in time to meet a golden thunderbolt. The treasure sword shattered instantly, and as he rose into the sky, he was struck down once more.

"Damn it!"

Nezha cursed as he attempted to speak, but his mouth and gaps between his teeth were filled with blood. Not understanding why, he grabbed the Fire-tipped Spear to fight, but as soon as the spear rose, another bolt of thunder struck. Ignoring the golden core in the air, it solely targeted him.

As expected, this strike sent the Fire-tipped Spear flying somewhere unknown.

Nezha spat out a mouthful of blood from his hand, the charred flesh on his palm bursting open, revealing stark white bones.

His entire body, skin, flesh, blood, bones, organs and all, suffered severe damage.

He realized that the lightning bolts didn’t strike until he took action, because the Seven-star Treasure Sword and Fire-tipped Spear were metal. Positioned upright, he himself became a lightning rod, attracting the heaven’s thunder.

Understanding this, Nezha searched the arsenal for a peachwood Dao Sword of ward-off-evil, once more flying upward to strike the sky.

This sword also carried Daoist Skill, and the thunder cloud seemed to respond to his challenge by striking down with a golden thunderbolt as he attacked.

Nezha gritted his teeth and faced it head-on.

Though these thunder clouds only formed low in the sky, each subsequent thunderbolt was enough to decimate typical Golden Core Realm cultivators, without showing any sign of diminishing.

He knew if this continued, neither the golden core embryo nor his body would withstand it.

Yet, information about the Golden Core Realm’s lightning tribulation was scarcely recorded in the cultivation world, and Nezha had no opportunity to know.

No other choice.

He could only grit his teeth and endure.

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