Brandon Varnell
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STNS: Chapter 364
🕑 Added 2023-08-18 14:50:46 +0000 UTCThe battle between Wu Jian and Huo Yulie had heated up both figuratively and literally. Wu Meiying had excitedly watched as her man fought against someone many times stronger than him and more than held his own. This was what made Wu Jian so amazing. There were plenty of strong people in this world, but so few of them could fight someone many times stronger than themselves and have hope of victory. Wu Jian was one of those people. He had a real chance of defeating Huo Yulie.
“This is an exciting bout,” Zhe Dāozhe said with a grin.
“Hmm. Indeed. I never expected that young man to make it so far, and he’s fighting against the Phoenix Clan’s pride and joy on even terms despite his lower cultivation. It’s quite impressive,” Shui Meili added.
Casually seated upon her chair, Shui Meili exuded an aura of magnetic allure that drew the gaze of every man in the vicinity toward her. Her sun-kissed skin, reminiscent of sunsets over distant horizons, sparkled with a radiant light like the surface of a tranquil ocean under the gentle caress of moonlight. The tendrils of her light blue hair cascaded like a waterfall down her back. They, too, shimmered with brilliance.
She carried an air of poise that was both beguiling and commanding, the slit in her hanfu parting to reveal beautifully tanned legs as she sat with one leg crossed over the other. Her hanfu that day wove an ethereal dance of light and shadow, creating an interplay of light and dark blue hues that seemed to mimic the ebb and flow of waves upon the shore, giving the illusion of movement even as she sat still.
With casual yet delicate movements, she raised a hand to her lips and gave a smile. Her features were bedazzling. The mesmerizing shade of her blue eyes mirrored those of a tranquil ocean as she lounged there, studying the young man battling Huo Yulie.
I don’t like that look in her eyes…
“I am tempted to ask that young man to join my sect when this is all over,” she continued. “I can tell he has no talent for the water element, nor will he be a great weaver of illusions, but his strength is remarkable. He would be quite the asset if he joined Supreme Ocean Palace.”
“I’m sure he would make a great addition to your sect,” Zhou Xie’e said with a smile of his own.
“Oh, my. Are you not going to try and poach him as well?”
“I’ve considered it, but I don’t think he’d be a good fit for Divine Moon Hall.”
The only reason you won’t ask him to join is because you know he’ll refuse, you traitorous bastard.
Wu Meiying kept those dark thoughts to herself as she lightly touched Zhe Dāozhe’s shoulder. He shifted and pretended not to notice her touch as he turned his head to look at the other two.
“While I’m sure he would make a great addition to your Sect, Shui Meili, I’ll have to regretfully inform you that I plan on having him join my Heavenly Sword Sect.”
“My. Do you think he would be a good fit for your sect?”
“I do. You need only look at the weapon he wields to know he would be an excellent addition. The Heavenly Sword Sect accepts anyone who can wield a sword of some kind, and we have a vested interest in the great sword. It has been many years since I’ve seen someone wield such a massive weapon so skillfully. I have every intention of asking him to join after this is all over.”
Behind the sect master, Zhe Fēnglì cupped his chin and smiled. “I figured you were going to ask him to join us, Father. I already told you about his prowess when I returned from the Shang Kingdom. I said he would make a great addition to our sect.”
“That you did.” Zhe Dāozhe confessed with a nod. “But hearing about his strength and seeing it with my own eyes are quite different.”
“I suppose.”
The conversation continued. Only Huo Huangdi did not take part. He looked putout as he watched the battle unfold with furrowed brows. His hands were clenched in a tight grip on the armrests.
The arena below was still a whirlwind of energy and tension. The clash between Wu Jian and Huo Yulie raged on, their techniques and power colliding like crashing waves. A thrum of crackling anticipation filled the air, as if the world itself held its breath in reverence of this battle.
Amidst the chaos, Wu Meiying’s eyes never waved from Wu Jian. Her heart swelled with a myriad of emotions--pride, joy, and the deep connection that transcended time. While everyone else merely observed the battle, she sensed the ebb and flow of Wu Jian’s chi, which roiled and shifted like a beast beating against its cage, ready to break free of its confinement.
It’s time.
She glanced up. The sky had shifted, no longer bright blue, but now a dull gray as clouds swirling with otherworldly energy gathered. Everyone else had finally noticed it too. The four esteemed individuals sitting in their chair sucked in a deep breath.
“I… don’t believe it. A Heavenly Tribulation now?” Shui Meili stuttered in shock.
Zhou Xie’e smiled. “He’s quite the amazing young man. I doubt anyone else would have the balls to go through their Heavenly Tribulation in the middle of a tournament.”
“It’s not that he’s decided to have it now. It’s that he can no longer hold it back,” Zhe Dāozhe observed through narrowed eyes. “I thought I sensed something odd about his chi. He’s been suppressing it throughout the entire tournament in order to bring about a most powerful Heavenly Tribulation.”
“What recklessness,” Huo Huangdi muttered.
“It might be reckless, but with great risk comes even greater rewards,” Zhou Xie’e said.
Shui Meili nodded. “This is an unprecedented situation. I’m looking forward to seeing whether he can survive.”
“Shouldn’t you say something?” Zhe Dāozhe asked Huo Huangdi.
Wu Meiying glanced at the Phoenix Clan leader. His face was impassive, but his eyes gave him away. He did not want this. Huo Yulie was already being fought to a standstill. What would happen if Wu Jian suddenly gained even more power? And yet, he could not just sit there, for it was considered poor etiquette to interrupt someone when they were about to undergo their Heavenly Tribulation.
He stood to his feet and made a grand gesture with his arms.
“Hear me! A most auspicious occasion is happening before your eyes! That young man is undergoing his Heavenly Tribulation to enter the Deva Realm! Many of you have only ever heard of this phenomenon, but now you will witness it with your own eyes! Worry not, for the Heavenly Tribulation only affects those who take it! Remain calm and witness this young man’s trial!”
The crowd had been abuzz with concern at first, but hearing Huo Huangdi caused them to settle down. Worry turned to excitement.
Wu Meiying paid no attention to the crowd. Her eyes were focused solely on the young man in the arena as he sat down and began to meditate.
***
Hua Xue’s gaze fixed on the drama unfolding below. She watched with only slight interest. The battle between these two was something many on this small world would find exciting, but she had witnessed battles of such magnitude that even the most powerful people on this world would tremble upon seeing them. Jian Wu’s strength and determination were commendable, if nothing else, but it was the impending Heavenly Tribulation that caught her attention.
As the skies above darkened and ominous clouds gathered, Hua Xue’s eyes lit up like ice crystals and her lips curved unwittingly into a slight smile. She had seen many a Heavenly Tribulation in her long existence, but this one was… different. It held an air vicissitude. The fact that Jian Wu was inviting such a trial in the midst of a tournament spoke volumes about his mettle and ambition.
The massive panther beside her shifted beside her. “What’s happening? Is Master going to be okay?”
It was sometimes easy for her to forget this panther was still just a child, but hearing her childish voice reaffirmed it. Her focus remained fixed on Jian Wu, her gaze sharp and perceptive. “It is hard to say. The Heavenly Tribulation is an auspicious moment for all cultivators, but it is also dangerous. It is the heaven’s way of testing us to see whether we are worthy of breaking through a human’s limitations. However, Jian Wu is strong-willed and determined. I believe he will be fine.”
She glanced at Mei Xilan out of the corner of her eyes and almost frowned. The woman’s expression had not changed much, but she clearly felt dissatisfied by something. Hua Xue knew what. Jian Wu’s cultivation had been lower than hers when they first met, and yet, he had now surpassed her. It was hard being confronted with someone of such talent. Overcoming this mental hurdle was a trial Mei Xilan would have to deal with on her own.
“This is… my first time seeing someone enter the Deva Realm,” Li Hua said with a gulp.
“I hope Jian Wu will be okay,” Liu Heifeng added.
“I am sure he’ll be fine,” Yu Chenguang said.
Yu Chenguang and his wives exchanged glances, their concern and awe mirrored by many in the audience. The tension in the air as the storm clouds continued to gather was tangible as everyone awaited the first strike that would signal the beginning of Jian Wu’s trial.
Hua Xue’s attention remained unwavering, her ice-white hair like crystals waving as the storm created a breeze, which soon turned into a gale. The fierce winds raged only in the middle of the arena where Jian Wu sat. Huo Yulie was also present, though she had moved some distance away so as not to interrupt the trial.
“It’s coming,” Hua Xue announced.
As the first bolt of lightning streaked down from the heavens, striking Wu Jian with a blinding burst of light, Hua Xue’s gaze sharpened. The energy rippling around the young man was tangible even from this distance. His body was bathed in an ethereal glow as arcs of power rippled over the surface of his skin.
“Mei Xilan, pay attention to what’s happening, for you, too, will go through this one day,” she said suddenly.
Mei Xilan appeared startled, but then she nodded. “Yes, Head Elder Xue.”
“The Heavenly Tribulation is a test of one’s inner strength, resilience, and connection to the heavens. It is a convergence of power that seeked to refine a cultivator’s very begin, allowing them to transcend their humanity. That is why so many people call the Deva Realm the realm of true strength.”
Many of the mortal factions within the Nine Heavens were composed primarily of Deva Realm cultivators. Most cultivators stopped at this realm because moving further was simply too terrifying. It was very possible to die during these tribulations.
As the second lightning strike descended, accompanied by an electrifying crack of thunder, Hua Xue’s expression remained inscrutable.
“Jian Wu is quite remarkable. He has yet to even flinch despite having been struck twice. I can sense the Dao of Space around him. He is using it to funnel the lightning strikes and absorb the chi to further refine his body.”
The third lightning bolt struck, and Wu Jian’s body finally trembled under the force of the impact. The crowd held their collective breath, and even Hua Xue’s usually composed demeanor showed hints of worry and intrigue.
“Three strikes? He’s pushing himself far beyond what his current cultivation should be capable of.”
“Three strikes isn’t normal, right?” asked Yu Chenguang.
Hua Xue nodded. “Three strikes is remarkable. Most cultivators only receive one strike. Receiving three strikes means the heavens have determined you have a great destiny and must be further tested.”
“What’s the most strikes someone’s had?” asked Li Hua.
“Three,” was Hua Xue’s immediate answer. “I have witnessed this scene many times, and no one has gone beyond three. The trial should be ending soon--what the--?! Another strike?!”
For the first time since she could remember, Hua Xue squawked in surprise as another bolt of lightning descended and struck Wu Jian squarely in the chest. She wasn’t the only one shocked. The entire audience looked baffled, and the esteemed sect masters and leaders sitting within the VIP booth were equally awe-struck.
Yet the surprises didn’t end there.
“Another one?!”
Hua Xue could not believe her eyes as a fifth bolt descended, then another, and another. With each subsequent strike, the intensity of the Heavenly Tribulation increased exponentially. Hua Xue was speechless. The palpable energy unleashed caused the hairs on her neck to shiver. Several people in the audience had already passed out from just the energy ripples spreading out from where the tribulation was taking place. As the ninth bolt descended, the entire arena held its breath, and even Hua Xue found herself unable to breathe, the atmosphere charged with an electric energy that transcended the physical realm.
The moment the nine strike made contact, a brilliant explosion of light illuminated the surroundings, casting an otherworldly glow over Wu Jian. Hua Xue’s keen eyes caught the intricate dance of chi intertwining around him, the intense warping of space, the fabrics of reality tearing apart and being restored near constantly. The ninth strike did not just dissipate. It remained like a pillar of pure light.
“It’s like he’s become a conduit between heaven and earth,” Hua Xue murmured in awe.
Ba-dump.
Hua Xue blinked.
Ba-dump ba-dump.
She pressed a hand to her chest. What was… this feeling?
Ba-dump ba-dump ba-dump ba-dumpba-dumpba-dumpba-dump.
Hua Xue tried to ignore the way her heart was hammering, the sensation of blood rushing through her body, heading toward her cheeks. She took a slow breath and muttered the mantra of her cultivation. Still as ice. Calm and tranquil. It helped, if only a little.
“He’s succeeded,” she said at last. “Jian Wu has surpassed a threshold many would not dare to challenge.”
Only those nearest to her heard the words she softly spoke. The arena had already erupted in applause and cheers as the spectators recognized the magnitude of what had just transpired. Jian Wu’s defiance of convention and daring had earned him the admiration of all those present.
“Head Elder…?”
Hua Xue coughed into her hand and ignored the gazes of her companions. “That young man is far more formidable than I first assumed. Never in my wildest imaginings did I believe I would come to witness such an incredible tribulation. Mei Xilan, you should look to Jian Wu not as someone who has surpassed you, but as someone you should strive to follow.”
Mei Xilan hesitated, then bowed her head. “Yes, Head Elder.”
Hua Xue nodded, then turned her gaze skyward, eyes fixed on the clouds that had borne witness to Jian Wu’s extraordinary trial and were even now dissipating. In that moment, she once more felt her heart beating wildly within her breast, and placed a hand against it as though to keep herself calm. There was nothing wrong with this feeling budding inside of her like a flower waiting to bloom, but she could not allow herself to fall in love.
Not until her own goals had been accomplished.
Comments
Kconraw
Good to know
There are only three subrealms in the Deva Reealm.
Bart Ursulla Van de Velde aka High Four
"The moment the nine(ninth) strike made contact," And now we wait for the conclusion of what will be an even more awesome fight. Thanks for the chapter, I really enjoyed it.
Kconraw
Hooray for progress with Hua Xue’s interest in Wu Jian. So, am I remembering right that Wu Jian can’t skip sub realms in the Deva Realm and that he’d have to go through this tribulation 9 times? Thx for the POV and fun chapter.
