4. Baptized by Tribulation
A Forbidden Cultivation Begins
Ling Tian sat cross-legged in his small, candle-lit room, gripping the jade slip tightly. The [Heaven-Defying Nine Tribulations Art] rested in his hands, radiating a faint, ominous glow.
This technique was insane.
Any normal cultivation method relied on absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth. But this technique?
It absorbed heavenly tribulations—the devastating lightning meant to destroy arrogant cultivators—and transformed it into boundless power.
Cultivate too slowly? Weaklings. This technique forces the heavens to bow.
Fail to endure a tribulation? Death.
There was no middle ground. Either rise to supremacy… or perish.
Ling Tian's lips curled into a smirk.
"Since the heavens have already cursed me, why not embrace it?"
Without hesitation, he placed two fingers on his forehead and sent his spiritual consciousness into the jade slip.
At that moment—
BOOM!
A surge of primordial energy flooded his mind.
Visions exploded in his consciousness—worlds crumbling, divine beings perishing, a lone figure standing atop a mountain of corpses, gazing at the sky with a mocking smile.
Then, a deep voice echoed:
"He who cultivates this art… shall challenge the heavens themselves."
Ling Tian's eyes snapped open. His body trembled, his veins surging with a newfound, chaotic energy.
The first stage of the technique had already begun.
---
Drawing the Wrath of Heaven
Ling Tian exhaled, steadying his breath. The Nine Tribulations Art required a reckless, insane method to awaken its true potential—forcefully summoning a heavenly tribulation.
Normally, tribulations only descended when a cultivator broke through realms. But Ling Tian wasn't about to wait for that.
"If the heavens don't want to acknowledge me, I'll make them."
His hands formed a profound seal, channeling every drop of latent energy within his body. A low, ominous hum filled the air.
Outside, the night sky darkened. Thick clouds gathered above the Ling Clan. A storm brewed where there had been none.
CRACK!
A bolt of golden lightning streaked through the sky. The air vibrated with power.
Ling Tian smirked.
"Come, heavens. Show me your fury."
---
Heavenly Tribulation, First Strike!
The moment the tribulation sensed Ling Tian's defiance, the storm raged. The sky howled, furious at the insolence of a mere mortal demanding its power.
BOOM!
A pillar of lightning crashed down, piercing through the roof, slamming directly onto Ling Tian's body.
His vision turned white.
Pain.
Unimaginable, searing pain.
Every inch of his flesh burned. His bones cracked. His blood boiled.
"Good. This is exactly what I need."
Instead of resisting, Ling Tian did something insane.
He guided the lightning into his dantian, allowing it to wreak havoc, destroying every last remnant of his weak mortal body.
CRACK! His old meridians shattered.
But before they could fully collapse—
A new energy began to weave through them.
Stronger. Unyielding.
The very tribulation meant to annihilate him… was rebuilding him.
---
Meanwhile, Outside…
Across the Ling Clan, disciples and elders looked up at the unnatural storm.
"Why is there a tribulation appearing over our clan?"
"Is someone breaking through a major realm?"
Elder Mo, the Forbidden Library's guardian, frowned deeply. He had been restless ever since the strange disturbance in the library the night before. And now, a tribulation?
Something was wrong.
But before he could investigate—
BOOM!
The lightning struck again.
This time, the entire Ling Clan trembled.
Elder Mo's eyes widened. This was no ordinary breakthrough.
"This… this isn't natural at all!"
---
Heavenly Tribulation, Final Strike!
Back in his room, Ling Tian's body had reached its limit. The lightning had scorched every fiber of his being. His vision blurred. His limbs refused to move.
And yet—
His spirit refused to yield.
The storm above roared once more, preparing to unleash its final, most devastating strike.
The clouds spiraled. The heavens growled.
Ling Tian grinned through the pain.
"Do it, you cowardly sky. I dare you."
BOOOOOOM!
A blinding pillar of divine lightning surged downward, thicker and more furious than the rest, seeking to obliterate him entirely.
For a moment, there was nothing but pure, overwhelming destruction.
And then—
Silence.
As the smoke cleared, Ling Tian's figure slowly emerged from the devastation. His clothes were burned. His body was covered in faint golden lightning scars.
But his aura had transformed.
His once-crippled meridians had become divine conduits, capable of absorbing power at a monstrous rate.
His dantian, once hollow and weak, now pulsed with a force that had no equal in this world.
He had survived.
No—he had conquered.
He clenched his fists, feeling the surge of energy coursing through his veins.
"This is just the beginning."
Tonight, Ling Tian was no longer a cripple.
Tonight, he became a monster.
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