Chapter 116: Heavenly Tribulation Strikes the Whale

Three bolts of lightning struck almost simultaneously, illuminating the area hundreds of meters around Fang Chang in an instant, followed by three deafening roars.

The seabed was thrown into chaos, with sand and bubbles churning and rising. As the sand settled and the bubbles floated upward, Fang Chang's figure gradually reappeared.

The lightning had left several charred marks on his shield-like forelegs, but his body remained largely unharmed. He had withstood the three bolts of lightning head-on.

It was then that Fang Chang noticed the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King not far from him. The creature had somehow crept closer and was now glaring at him with hostility.

When the three bolts of lightning struck, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had been only a hundred meters away. Even though it had retreated another few dozen meters, it was still affected by the lightning.

Moreover, seawater conducts electricity, so the damage it suffered was nearly as severe as Fang Chang's.

The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was inwardly shocked. The power of that lightning was comparable to the heavenly tribulation it had faced when it was at the 300,000 to 400,000-year cultivation level.

And that was three bolts striking at once, their combined force even more terrifying. Despite its strength, it had sustained some injuries from the attack.

Yet, that spider was still standing, clearly not severely injured.

Once the residual power of the lightning subsided, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's gaze toward Fang Chang was filled with killing intent. This spider's potential was far too great.

Typically, the heavenly tribulation faced by a 100,000-year soul beast is similar in power, with only a few exceptionally talented individuals encountering tribulations far beyond their level.

But this spider, whose aura suggested it had just crossed the 100,000-year mark, was facing a tribulation of this magnitude.

Did this mean that, in the eyes of the heavens, this spider's potential far surpassed its own? The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King fell into deep thought.

Fang Chang, meanwhile, was also on guard against the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King. The period right after a tribulation is often when a soul beast is at its weakest.

If the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King were to attack him now, the consequences would be unbearable.

And indeed, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's actions seemed to confirm his fears. It remained in place, glancing up at the still-gathering tribulation clouds before retreating another few hundred meters.

However, its single eye remained locked onto Fang Chang, not letting him out of its sight.

Fang Chang's eight eyes flickered uncertainly as he watched the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King. After a moment, he looked up at the sky.

Through the dim seawater, he could vaguely see the tribulation clouds coalescing into a single mass, with a pure purple lightning bolt forming within.

Suddenly, Fang Chang felt as though he had been locked onto by something, a chill running down his spine as an overwhelming sense of dread washed over him.

He turned his gaze back to the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and had an idea. With a sudden push off the seabed, he launched himself toward the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King using his "Leap" skill.

The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was momentarily stunned by Fang Chang's sudden charge, but then it remembered—it was currently undergoing a tribulation!

It immediately began to retreat, backing away as Fang Chang closed the distance.

But Fang Chang's strength was no longer what it used to be. Even in the water, with the pressure slowing him down, he crossed the hundreds of meters in an instant.

By the time the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King realized what was happening, Fang Chang was already upon it.

At that critical moment, the ninth bolt of lightning, which had been gathering power for so long, finally struck. It was a pure purple bolt, no thicker than an adult's pinky finger, and though it seemed less impressive than the previous bolts, its power was far greater.

The purple lightning locked onto Fang Chang and struck in the blink of an eye, just as he landed on the broad back of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.

The lightning passed through Fang Chang's body before striking the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's back, sending a searing pain through its massive frame and causing it to writhe in agony.

Before the lightning struck, Fang Chang had made no attempt to defend himself, instead quietly activating a newly acquired skill: "Revival."

Unsurprisingly, under the purple lightning, Fang Chang's body was instantly charred black, his life force draining away until he resembled a dried-up corpse.

This "corpse" slowly slid off the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's back and settled on the seabed beside it.

It took a long time for the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King to recover. Fang Chang had chosen his position carefully, landing near the blowhole on its back.

Caught off guard, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had no time to defend itself, and the lightning's power had penetrated its flesh and blowhole, reaching its internal organs and causing severe damage in an instant.

If not for its nearly million years of cultivation, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King might have been killed by Fang Chang's scheme.

It turned its head to look at Fang Chang's "corpse" and spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the surrounding seawater red.

Seeing that the spider was "dead," the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King could only vent its frustration by slapping its tail against Fang Chang's "corpse," sending it flying hundreds of meters away, though it remained in its charred state.

The movement aggravated the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's internal injuries, causing it to cough up another mouthful of blood.

Glaring at the spot where Fang Chang's "corpse" had landed, it cursed angrily before dragging its heavily injured body back to its territory in the north.

With injuries like these, it would likely take years, if not decades, to fully recover. The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King grew angrier the more it thought about it.

Aside from the hateful Sea God, this was the first time it had been so thoroughly outsmarted.

It wasn't until long after the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had left, about half an hour after Fang Chang had been "killed" by the lightning, that changes began to occur in his "corpse."

A white light appeared at the center of his body, and his eight eyes, which had gone dark, lit up with a white glow.

Then, his head, torso, and eight spider legs were also enveloped in the light. In just a few seconds, the white light had completely covered Fang Chang's body.

As the light pulsed, his wounds began to heal at a visible rate, and a glimmer of consciousness returned to his eyes, which turned red once more.

The white light persisted for over two hours, during which Fang Chang had no control over his body. He could only feel it slowly recovering under the light's influence.

Finally, Fang Chang's body was fully restored, and the white light gradually faded, allowing him to regain control.

He tested his eight limbs, savoring the joy of having survived the tribulation.

Though the heavenly tribulation had been dangerous, it had also brought him significant benefits. His body was now several times stronger than before the tribulation.

Above, the tribulation clouds, having exhausted their power, finally began to disperse.