pertwk Chapter 20 The Azure Emperor's Ultimate Punishment!
Chapter 20 The Azure Emperor's Ultimate Punishment!
A barrage of lightning descended, terrifying and direct, giving the tribulation seekers no time to prepare.
The first bolt of lightning cleaved a desolate star in two. Then came the second, the third, and countless bolts of lightning poured down like a torrential downpour, transforming this barren, uninhabited starfield into a sea of lightning in mere moments!
Blazing white lightning filled every inch of space, obliterating one massive star after another, evaporating into nothingness without leaving a trace of dust. Countless dark cracks were torn open in the cosmic void, from which chaotic energy surged forth, only to be dispersed by the lightning, causing the entire star field to tremble violently!
Deep within the Thunder Sea, Gai Jiuyou sat cross-legged. A zither lay across his lap, its body entirely dark, its surface engraved with nine lines of varying depths, each corresponding to a life-or-death tribulation he had overcome. This was his weapon of the Dao, and could be called the Nine Nether Zither.
He placed his hands on the strings, plucked the strings with his fingers, and the music suddenly began.
That was no ordinary melody, but a transcendent celestial song he had condensed with his life's work!
Each note that flew from his fingertips transformed into a tangible ripple of the Dao, meeting the overwhelming lightning that pressed down from all directions. The music was like a blade, shattering the incoming lightning pillars one by one; the music was like a tide, pushing back the sea of lightning surging from all sides layer by layer.
The shattered lightning exploded into a rain of light amidst the music, and new lightning bolts were already striking. Gai Jiuyou sat in the very center of this sea of lightning, his body enveloped in a light curtain formed by the music. His ten fingers flew across the strings, each note as precise as the rhythm of the heavens themselves.
He went against the current through the vast sea of lightning. His body remained still, but the sound of his zither rose higher and higher, gradually changing from its initial calm and deep tone to a passionate and sharp one.
The celestial music of the Tribulation-Crossing Immortal Melody almost solidified, forming visible sound wave patterns around him. These waves spread outwards, breaking through the surrounding sea of lightning layer by layer, carving out a path leading to the depths of the heavens. He ascended the steps, stepping on the light staircase formed by the music, facing the oppressive tribulation light as he walked higher and higher, wanting to compete with the heavens!
The heavens seemed to be angered by his posture.
The boundless sea of lightning changed without warning. The blazing white lightning that had filled every inch of space was no longer pouring down wildly; instead, it receded in all directions like the ebb tide!
But Gai Jiuyou's gaze grew even more solemn. He sensed that behind that seemingly thin expanse of lightning, a far more terrifying killing intent was brewing. It wasn't a weakening of power, but rather power condensing, compressing, transforming from a torrential downpour into a blade.
At that moment, the dozens of Heaven-Deceiving Array Patterns he had set up almost simultaneously emitted a humming sound, unable to bear the burden.
Then, he saw it.
In that boundless void, the remaining lightning no longer struck down in the form of pillars or dragons, but began to condense and take shape. A bolt of lightning twisted, contracted, and solidified, transforming into an ancient mirror. Ripples spread across the mirror's surface, reflecting the figure of Gai Jiuyou.
This was the Void Mirror, the ultimate imperial weapon of the Void Emperor. Though merely formed from the remnants of Dao traces left by lightning connecting heaven and earth, it seemed as if Ji Xukong, across countless ages, cast a scrutinizing gaze upon him. A flash of mirror light pierced through billions of miles of void, creating a gaping hole in the surrounding musical light barrier. Gai Jiuyou's figure flashed across billions of miles, maneuvering and dodging in the boundless star field, but the mirror light followed him relentlessly, causing the void to crumble inch by inch wherever he passed.
Immediately afterwards, another bolt of lightning transformed into a divine furnace wreathed in flames.
The lid of the Hengyu Furnace was lifted, and endless flames poured out, sweeping across the star field like a tsunami, burning the withered stars along the way to ashes one by one.
Gai Jiuyou's zither music transformed into a shield, and with swift strumming of his ten fingers, the sound waves of the Tribulation-Crossing Immortal Melody wove layers of barriers in front of him, barely blocking the blazing fire that scorched the heavens and boiled the seas.
Not enough. More lightning gathered. A sword, its hilt a dragon's head, its blade a dragon's tail, exuding an aura of imperial power. The Supreme Emperor Sword. Another great seal took shape amidst the lightning, its entire body pitch black, its knob engraved with ancient Taiyin patterns—the seal of the Human Emperor, long since lost in the post-ancient era. Following closely were the Western Emperor Tower and the Refining God Pot; one after another, the phantoms of supreme imperial weapons manifested in the sea of lightning. Each one corresponded to a Dao mark left between heaven and earth by a certain emperor or sovereign in ancient history. Now, triggered by the heavenly tribulation, it was as if they were making their move across countless ages, testing this hero who dared to challenge the Dao of Heaven.
"kill!"
Gai Jiuyou let out a long roar, advancing instead of retreating to meet the Taihuang Sword with its dragon head and tail. At that moment, the zither music suddenly soared to its peak, the Tribulation-Crossing Immortal Melody transforming into an invisible celestial blade, colliding head-on with the Taihuang Sword's light. The zither music clanged, like metal clashing against stone, and a shower of light erupted around him—the remnants of shattered Dao principles. The Taihuang Sword was knocked away, tumbling through the void as it retreated into the depths of the sea of thunder.
Before he could catch his breath, the Emperor's Seal was smashed down in front of him.
This great seal was once the supreme divine weapon of the Taiyin Human Emperor, and it has been lost in the world. But now it has been manifested by lightning. With one strike, the void collapsed and yin and yang were reversed!
Gai Jiuyou swiftly swept his hands across the strings of the zither, unleashing eighteen pillars of sound from the Tribulation-Crossing Immortal Melody, all striking the Human Emperor's Seal simultaneously. Despite the residual force striking his shoulder and sending a cloud of blood mist through his body, he finally shattered the seal. Warm blood flowed down his arm, soaking the body of the Jiuyou Zither.
Immediately afterwards, the Western Emperor Tower was suppressed. The Refining God Pot spewed out endless killing light.
Gai Jiuyou's figure flickered repeatedly in the sea of lightning, each movement paved with the sound of his zither, each strike leaving new wounds. His clothes were torn to shreds by the lightning, which resembled fragments of an imperial weapon, and his exposed skin was covered with charred wounds. His face was paler than before, and his breathing had become heavier. His left hand, which rested on the zither strings, trembled slightly, and blood stained half of his sleeve a dark red.
But his eyes shone with an astonishing light. There was not a trace of fear, not a hint of retreat, only a burning fighting spirit. His lean frame seemed to conceal boundless resilience; the music never ceased, the ripples of the Tribulation-Crossing Immortal Melody spreading outwards in layers, extending into galaxies, relentlessly impacting the supreme divine weapons formed from lightning. The immortal music, like sharp blades, struggled through the sea of lightning, each note a defiant challenge.
At that moment, the heavenly tribulation grew stronger once again.
Several imperial weapons formed from lightning simultaneously struck down from the depths of the sky. The Heaven-Deceiving Array Patterns, already barely clinging to life before a Heavenly Tribulation of the Great Emperor level, could no longer withstand the direct impact of this lightning. Dozens of divine jade platforms shattered at the same time, their long-engraved array patterns turning into countless fragments of Dao principles scattering in all directions, and the barrier that had concealed the secrets of heaven completely dissipated. The aura of the Imperial Tribulation was no longer concealed in the slightest, surging into the entire universe like a torrent.
Within the forbidden zone of life, several supreme beings who were light sleepers were awakened almost simultaneously.
Their wills projected from the Immortal Source, piercing through billions of miles of void, and landed on that sea of lightning. When they saw the figure playing the zither and fighting in the sea of lightning, even these beings who had been indifferent for countless ages couldn't help but be slightly moved.
"They're not much worse than us before our final leap... Under the suppression of the Azure Emperor's Great Dao, someone actually managed to reach this level?" On Burial Sky Island, a Supreme Being exclaimed in surprise.
Deep within the Immortal Tomb, the aged voice of the Celestial Venerable of Longevity echoed, tinged with a rare regret: "The Immortal Melody of Tribulation Crossing, proving the Dao through sound—such talent would never be buried in any era. Yet, someone in this world has unknowingly reached such a realm, only to be so unwise as to dare challenge the suppression of the Azure Emperor's Great Dao. What a pity."
In the Undying Mountain, a supreme being coldly said, "The Azure Emperor's Heavenly Heart has been wavering for less than a thousand years, yet he still wants to overcome the Tribulation of Becoming an Emperor? Wishful thinking."
As these supreme beings were alarmed, powerful lineages throughout the universe also noticed this scene through their ever-operating Heavenly Eyes and Heavenly Mirrors. A chorus of exclamations immediately echoed through the starry sky.
"Who is undergoing the tribulation to attain enlightenment?"
"It's Gai Jiuyou, a quasi-emperor from Zhongzhou! He actually wants to defy the Great Dao and force himself into an emperor!"
In their vision, Gai Jiuyou's aura was overwhelming, leaping and bounding through the tribulation lightning. The Tribulation-Crossing Immortal Melody displayed boundless power, repeatedly shattering the illusory imperial weapons manifested within the tribulation lightning. He was covered in blood, yet he carved out an unparalleled path, and even the heavenly tribulation had to retreat wherever the music passed.
"Such a powerful move, is it going to set a precedent never before seen in history?" An old sage with white hair and beard exclaimed in shock.
The supreme beings who awoke in the restricted area merely watched indifferently, showing no intention whatsoever to obstruct the path.
The person undergoing tribulation is indeed very strong, but in their eyes, the outcome was already predetermined. Throughout the ages, no one has ever been able to attain enlightenment under the suppression of the Great Dao; this is an ironclad rule, an insurmountable barrier!
"That's about enough," a supreme being said coldly, as if issuing a verdict.
As soon as the words were spoken, the sea of imperial tribulation lightning that enveloped the entire star field suddenly fell silent. All the lightning disappeared in the same instant, not gradually dissipating, but as if it evaporated into thin air, and the entire star field plummeted from extreme chaos into extreme stillness.
"Why has the Heavenly Tribulation stopped? Could it be that the Nine Nether Quasi-Emperor has already passed the Tribulation of Attainment and transformed into a flawless Great Emperor?"
"Not quite. The ancestral weapon transmitted its will; the Heavenly Heart Imprint remains unchanged, and the Azure Emperor's Great Dao can still be sensed!"
While the supreme beings watched indifferently and the various great lineages of the universe discussed amongst themselves, in the very center of that desolate star field, Gai Jiuyou's expression was even more solemn than when facing countless lightning tribulations. His palms were placed on the Nine Nether Zither, his fingertips pressed against the strings, and his essence, energy, and spirit were pushed to their peak, his whole being like a fully drawn bow.
Above him, the lightning tribulation reappeared.
This time, there was no overwhelming lightning, no deafening roar. Countless bolts of lightning emerged from the void, but instead of unleashing destructive power, they silently converged in one place, as if paying homage to their king. The lightning gathered more and more, becoming denser and denser, gradually coalescing into a figure.
It was a tall, slender figure, standing with his hands behind his back, his feet treading on the void. His face was indistinct, only the figure of a young man could be discerned, surrounded by a faint, chaotic mist. But the moment he opened his eyes, the entire universe fell silent. There was no killing intent in those eyes, not even the indifference one would expect from a heavenly tribulation, only an extreme calmness, as if watching a flower bloom, a leaf fall.
When this figure was fully formed, countless ancient sages who had lived for thousands of years throughout the universe fell silent.
That's none other than someone else.
"Azure Emperor!"