Chapter 98: No Breakthrough Without Destruction, Utter Madness

Before long, Zhou Chen's Divine Sense completely sank into the Golden Core resting upon his Dao Foundation Lotus Platform.

The surging Innate Dao origin of the Nine Transformation Nascent Soul Pill was being frantically absorbed.

Within the Immortal Cave, the dense Spiritual Qi churned violently, as if stirred by an invisible giant hand.

Zhou Chen sat cross-legged at the center, his aura fluctuating wildly between strength and weakness.

The Golden Core spun rapidly under the torrential impact of the medicinal power, emitting an increasingly perfect aura of Innate Qi.

Just as the Golden Core was about to undergo its transformation, an intense craving emanated from within it.

Zhou Chen keenly sensed it—it was hungry!

It seemed his Innate Golden Core could still be elevated!

But what exactly was it?

Almost simultaneously, the Golden Emperor Glazed Flame deep within his Dantian gave a violent tremor!

As if sensing a summons, it instantly broke free from Zhou Chen's control, transforming into a streak of golden light.

Whoosh!

The Golden Emperor Glazed Flame plunged into the Golden Core without any hindrance.

In that instant, it was as if a sun had ignited within the Golden Core!

Golden light pierced through the core, the scorching heat causing the temperature of the entire Immortal Cave to skyrocket.

The Golden Emperor Glazed Flame was dissolving in an inconceivable manner!

Boom!

The Golden Core shook violently, even developing fine cracks on its surface!

"Not enough!!!"

Zhou Chen's mind was tense; he seemed to understand something.

Without hesitation, he activated his Divine Thought, and a jade talisman sealed with a black flame appeared in his hand.

Crack!

The jade talisman shattered, releasing an aura that was icy, dark, and seemingly capable of freezing Souls.

Simultaneously, a scorching heat that felt capable of incinerating the world emanated from it—a truly bizarre sensation.

It was none other than the Great Evolution Divine Flame, ranked third on the Exotic Flames List!

When he first obtained this Great Evolution Divine Flame, Zhou Chen had attempted to absorb a wisp of it.

Yet, that single wisp had nearly cost him his life, so he had sealed it away ever since, not daring to attempt it again lightly.

The reason he took it out now was precisely because he had witnessed his Golden Core's craving for the Golden Emperor Glazed Flame and its terrifying power to suppress it!

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Chen slowly guided the terrifying Great Evolution Divine Flame, pulling it towards the direction of his Golden Core.

Hiss—!!!

Upon contact with the Golden Core, the Great Evolution Divine Flame conveyed a strong sense of resistance.

However, before the stalemate could last long, a terrifying suction force instantly drew the Great Evolution Divine Flame inside.

The next moment.

Crack… Crack… The Golden Core's surface instantly became covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and the Dao Foundation Lotus Platform trembled violently.

Beads of blood seeped from the pores all over Zhou Chen's body; he felt as if he were being torn apart!

From within the cracks, a wisp of heavy purple gas slowly emerged.

Ancient, profound, and mysterious!

Chaos Purple Qi!

Soon, the Golden Core shattered piece by piece.

From the inside out, the entire Golden Core transformed into a hazy purple dot, resembling a miniature Universe embryo!

The purple dot expanded and contracted rhythmically.

Its pulsations gave it the semblance of life.

Boom!

Rumble!

The entire Taichu Holy Land, which had been clear and sunny just moments before, was instantly shrouded by endless dark clouds!

The sky seemed to collapse as a terrifying pressure descended!

The Spiritual Qi within a ten-thousand-mile radius of the Holy Land was instantly drained, all converging into the churning vortex of tribulation clouds!

"This is… a Saint-Destroying Level Lightning Tribulation! How could this be?"

Within the main hall of the Taichu Holy Land, a figure who seemed to have merged with heaven and earth suddenly opened his eyes!

"Could it be that Chu Cangming has taken that step?!"

This was the Nine-Nine World-Destroying Lightning Tribulation, something that only appears when a peerless Prodigy ascends to the Saint Realm!

Little did he know, Chu Cangming was also watching the Heavenly Tribulation phenomenon with a grave expression.

It had been countless years since the Taichu Holy Land last witnessed such a Saint-Destroying Level Heavenly Tribulation.

From the deepest recesses of the Holy Land, several ancient auras that had slumbered for who knows how many tens of thousands of years abruptly manifested!

One of them even faintly carried a trace of Emperor's might.

A Half-Emperor had appeared!

Ignoring the Restrictions, Zhou Chen was slowly lifted into the air, drawn by the tribulation's energy.

To his horror, Zhou Chen found he could not move at all.

Not only was he immobile, but everyone around him was also unable to interfere with Zhou Chen's tribulation.

Forcible interference would be seen as a provocation by the Heavenly Tribulation, invoking an even more terrifying divine punishment—a fight to the death.

"It's actually not Chu Cangming!"

Dao Xuan and several other ancient figures were aghast.

BOOM!!!

The first purple lightning bolt tore through the sky, carrying pure destructive energy as it viciously struck down towards Zhou Chen!

A golden light erupted from Zhou Chen's body as he pushed the fourth layer of the "Undying Golden Body" to its limit!

The lightning wrapped around Zhou Chen, instantly tearing his skin and flesh.

However, the purple gas within his Golden Core rapidly healed Zhou Chen's injuries.

Boom!

Boom!!!

The Lightning Tribulation did not cease, each strike faster than the last.

"Undying Golden Body Art!" "Taichu Chaos Art!" "Blood Soul Burning Flame Sword!"

Zhou Chen was completely submerged in a sea of lightning.

However, the Blood Soul Burning Flame Sword, which had accompanied Zhou Chen for so long, could not withstand the tenth lightning strike and shattered completely.

Subsequently, Zhou Chen threw out all the Magic Treasures he had obtained from previous returns in one go.

Earth Rank Peak-Grade River Luo Cauldron!

Earth Rank Peak-Grade Myriad Forms Treasure Cauldron!

Boom!

The two cauldrons, renowned for their defense, were utterly destroyed before they could even last a single breath.

"It's over. I'll have to rely on my Physical Body to withstand it."

At this moment, Zhou Chen was wide-eyed with fury, his face contorted fiercely.

Undying Golden Body!

Boom—Skin torn, flesh rent!

Undying Golden Body!

Boom—Skin torn, flesh rent!

Undying Golden Body!

Boom—Skin torn, flesh rent!

…The purple Qi within Zhou Chen's body repeatedly repaired his body.

The heavenly punishment also struck down tirelessly, its power rapidly escalating.

"Can this child still pull through?"

"I doubt it."

The gruesome sight even made Dao Xuan, the Supreme Elder of the Taichu Holy Land, click his tongue in astonishment.

Several other old-timers also shook their heads.

However, what they did not know was…

The Lotus Platform within Zhou Chen's body spun wildly, and the purple dot actually began to inhale and exhale the tribulation lightning!

It continuously converted the destructive power of the Lightning Tribulation into Chaos Purple Qi!

Several times, Zhou Chen nearly passed out from the strikes, but with the protection of the "Nine Firmament Spirit Refining Art," he remained painfully conscious.

Instead, his Divine Sense surged dramatically under the repeated tempering of the Heavenly Tribulation!

"Seventy-one! My fate is in my hands, not Heaven's!"

Even though Zhou Chen could barely stand, a blazing fire burned in his eyes.

He refused to admit defeat!

Having witnessed the chaos stone stele's Prodigies, how could Zhou Chen be content with mediocrity?

Rank 6,761 was his shame.

Rank sixty-eight, Flame Emperor.

Rank thirty-nine, Wushi Great Emperor.

Rank thirty-six, Kong.

Rank eleven, Shi… These names flashed rapidly through Zhou Chen's mind.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Come on then! Damned Heaven!!!"

Zhou Chen's face was one of complete madness.

"Seventy-six! No deities three feet above my head, only this mortal realm within my grasp!"

"Seventy-seven! I fear not death, what can Heaven do to me!"

"Seventy-eight! Hahaha, who stands at the peak at the end of the immortal path? Behold Zhou Chen, and the Dao shall be empty!"

"Seventy-nine! Holding the sun and moon, plucking the stars, in the immortal path, there is none like me!"

"Eighty! I want this sky to no longer be able to blind my eyes!"

Like a mad demon, Zhou Chen chanted these words, using his flesh and blood to resist the Lightning Tribulation time and again.

The Elders and Disciples of the Taichu Holy Land were continuously drawn by his voice.

They couldn't believe someone was actually withstanding the Lightning Tribulation head-on, and that person's cultivation hadn't even reached the Nascent Soul stage yet.

His talent was truly monstrous.

Zhou Chen's murmured chants, like resounding Dao proclamations, made everyone's blood boil with excitement.

Even some Elders and Disciples whose hearts for the Dao had long been lost, content to just muddle along and wait for death, now had their eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"This lad possesses the peerless elegance of the Founding Supreme Elder."

The Half-Emperor old man murmured in a voice only he could hear.

Sweat and blood continuously evaporated from his body, only to be restored again and again.

Zhou Chen's Undying Golden Body had unknowingly been destroyed and reborn dozens of times.

Faint arcs of electricity danced across Zhou Chen's body.

The arcs gathered more and more, unknowingly covering his entire body.

Buzz…

The Bottleneck of the fifth layer of Zhou Chen's Undying Golden Body finally shattered at this moment.

Dark golden patterns rapidly spread across Zhou Chen's entire body, and the tribulation lightning was continuously absorbed, turning into a liquid state.