Deep in the forest on the outskirts of City A, dark clouds coiled over the treetops, thick as ink, twisting into a giant vortex in the sky.
On a massive boulder stood a lone figure—petite, yet proud. Serena Chambers stood with her hands behind her back, her waist-length black hair whipping in the wind.
She lifted her eyes to the heavens, lips curved slightly. “Heavenly lightning... I’ve waited long enough.”
The clouds churned. Faint streaks of purple-silver flashed within.
Time dragged on. No lightning struck. Serena dropped into a cross-legged position, calm and composed.
This was the tribulation leading to ascension—Heaven’s test. Wearing any protective gear would only intensify its power. Like her master and grandmaster before her, she’d rely solely on pills and empowering talismans.
She knew the risks. But she was the last of the Tianshan line. Her gaze turned cold. She would carry their legacy beyond the heavens.
Slowly, Serena got to her feet. With a flick of her wrist, several yellow talismans appeared, which she tossed outward while forming hand seals. “Heaven and Earth Boundless, Golden Sun Vajra Barrier—Rise.”
In an instant, the talismans turned into beams of golden light, shooting out and forming a barrier around the clearing, sealing the area tight.
Then she glanced upward—her face shifted. “It’s coming.”
She immediately sat down again, pulled all her spiritual power into motion, preparing to meet the first strike head-on.
Boom—
A thunderclap split the sky, the first wave of the tribulation crashing down with divine force. The power was still manageable, but Serena still winced. It was nothing yet.
Before she could catch her breath, the second bolt landed. Stronger this time. The boulder under her cracked slightly.
The third streak struck. The entire stone platform shattered beneath her, sending debris flying. Serena shot into the air, summoning every ounce of energy to meet the storm.
But the lightning was faster—thicker than an arm, it slammed into her back. Flesh split open, blood spraying. She drew a sharp breath, biting down hard. Blood trickled from the corner of her lips. Only the third phase, and already this brutal?
The fourth bolt dropped—Serena staggered mid-air but gritted her teeth and held firm.
Fifth strike…
Sixth…
By the seventh, she couldn’t stay aloft. Lightning hit her square, blasting her downward. She crashed into the rocks below with a dull thud, blood splashing in every direction.
By now, her entire body was torn and scorched, wounds sizzling with smoke.Serena Chambers’ long black hair was half burnt to a crisp, her white gown torn to shreds, clinging in strips to her body, barely covering the black lace underneath.
The eighth and ninth bolts of thunder finally came. Blood at the corner of her mouth, she struggled to rise from the ground and pulled out a large bottle of Spirit-Converging Pills from her storage ring, downing them without hesitation.
She forced herself upright. Overhead, the thunderclouds still rumbled. Anyone who tried to dodge the trial of lightning during tribulation would stagnate, even if they survived.
Serena drew a deep breath and shoved the pain aside. No doubt her grandmaster and master knew this, which was why they’d chosen to meet the heavens head-on without hiding behind treasures.
CRACK—
When the next wave of thunder crashed down with several times the force, she finally couldn’t hold it in and screamed, high and sharp.
The heavens knew nothing of suffering. Bolt after bolt came down, merciless and cruel, hammering her small frame.
As her mind began to blur, she bit down hard on the tip of her tongue, dragging herself back from the edge of unconsciousness.
Lying face-down in the dirt, she forced a smile. “Grandmaster, Master… did you see? I did it. I made it through the eighth and ninth bolts.”
Hands trembling, she pushed herself up and shoved more pills into her mouth, not even bothering to count them.
She whispered to herself, “Hold on. Just one more. Get through the last one… and I ascend.”
She laid out the rest of the Spirit-Converging Pills, preparing them.
Eyes narrowing at the final bolt that stormed endlessly inside the churning clouds, Serena scowled.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she growled. “Can’t just let a girl pass, huh? Got to act tough and charge up for a killing blow?”
Every cultivator knew: the longer it brewed, the nastier it got. The final bolt wasn’t coming yet because it was building up to something brutal.
Serena tried to stir the little bit of spiritual energy left inside her. Flame-like pain surged through her veins, making her grit her teeth. Her body was at the edge. A few more seconds, and she’d collapse.
Still no bolt. The delay was starting to get under her skin. Above her, the sky had turned into a sea of lightning.
Just when she aligned her core and what little energy she had left, steadying herself for what was to come—
Bang!
A small white blur darted into the barrier out of nowhere, stopping right in front of her.
The sudden appearance startled her, and before she could react—
BOOM! The final bolt, gathered for so long, exploded down in a flash.
By the time Serena realized what was happening, it was too late.
Her eyes flung wide open, disbelief written across her dirt-smudged face as the deep violet bolt screamed toward her.
Her face went pale. As the bolt engulfed her field of vision, she tilted her head back and roared,
“You damn mutt! Where the hell did you come from?! You screwed me over—DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!!!”
