Disciples of the 108th Xuantian Monastery, Long Chen and his Dragon Blood Legion, accompanied by the sect leader and vice sect leader, made their way to the 36th Xuantian Super Monastery. Upon their arrival, they were met with hostile glares from the elite disciples of the Super Monastery. However, Long Chen remained unfazed; his confidence unwavering, his eyes cold with determination.
Inside the main hall, the vice sect leader stood before the gathered disciples and performed the 10,000 Unique Space Expansion—a profound technique that stretched space itself, opening the gateway to the Jiuli Secret Realm. The moment the gate opened, an overwhelming force of primal energy surged forth, hinting at the vast opportunities and dangers that lay ahead.
Long Chen and the strongest members of his Dragon Blood Legion, along with the elites from the other 107 Xuantian Monasteries, stepped into the mysterious realm. To ensure their identities remained hidden, they used high-quality Communication Jade Slips and transformed their appearances using body-altering techniques, assuming the forms of ordinary cultivators. Caution and secrecy were vital; in a realm teeming with rivals, anonymity was their shield.
Before stepping into the Jiuli Secret Realm, Long Chen stood alongside his sworn brothers, sisters, and his lovers. The atmosphere was both chill and emotional. While they all knew that they would eventually reunite in the Secret Realm, the unknown dangers of this new world made it impossible to say for certain when that moment would come.
Gu Yang crossed his arms, grinning as he said, "Boss, don't go finding all the good treasures without us, alright? If you do, at least leave some crumbs."
Song Mingyuan smirked, "Forget the treasures, just make sure you don't get into trouble again. You have a habit of attracting trouble like flies to honey."
Bai Xiaole, the mischievous little prankster, chuckled, "I'm just worried that Boss will punch someone so hard that it creates a new secret realm inside this secret realm."
The Dragon Blood warriors all erupted into laughter, but beneath their humor was the deep bond they shared. They had walked through life and death together, and no words were needed to understand the concern in each other's hearts.
Long Chen smiled at them, his gaze serious yet warm. "No matter what happens inside, trust yourselves. We have already surpassed countless to stand here. Stay alive, grow stronger, and we will reunite at Secret Realm's highest Peak outside the Abyss of Fiends."
Meng Qi, always calm and composed, stepped forward, her voice like the whisper of a flowing river. "Promise me, Long Chen, that you will not act recklessly. If you encounter something beyond your control, retreat."
Long Chen smirked, "You know that's impossible for me."
Ming Qi sighed, knowing him too well. "Then at least promise me you'll try."
Tang Wan'er, on the other hand, showed no such restraint. She reached out and playfully punched Long Chen's shoulder. "Hmph! You better not flirt with any random beauties inside! If I hear stories of you collecting another girl as member, I'll come and beat you up myself!"
Long Chen chuckled. "I wouldn't dare."
Lu Fang'er and Ye Zhiqiu though quieter, stepped forward and held Long Chen's hand gently. "Just… be safe."
Long Chen looked into her eyes and nodded. "I will."
Tang Wan'er suddenly grabbed Meng Qi, Ye Zhiqiu and Lu Fang'er's hands. "Alright, alright, enough of this sad talk. We are the women of Long Chen! We must get stronger too! When we meet in Hector Realm, we will stand side by side and show everyone why the Dragon Blood Legion is unmatched!"
Long Chen felt warmth in his chest looking around. These were his people—his family, his lovers, his brothers and sisters.
As the time of departure arrived, Long Chen turned back one last time, raising his fist.
"No matter where we are, no matter how far apart, we are Dragon Blood warriors. And we will meet again—stronger than ever."
With that, he stepped into the Jiuli Secret Realm, leaving behind those he loved, but carrying their hopes and strength within his heart.
Once inside, Long Chen felt a powerful pull in a specific direction—a mysterious energy that resonated deeply with the bloodline flowing through his veins. Without hesitation, he unleashed his Star Destroying Step technique, propelling himself forward with blinding speed. In a matter of hours, he traversed over a thousand miles, the landscape blurring around him as he raced towards the source of this compelling force.
His journey ended before a cave that exuded a profound aura. Wasting no time, he activated his spiritual sense to scan the surroundings, uncovering faint traces of primal energy—the purest, most ancient form of Qi.
Realizing the significance of the place being of no importance and hold no treasure, Long Chen chose to cultivate there. With focused intent, he began to break through the barriers that had restrained him, releasing all his suppressed power. As he circulated his energy, he transformed his normal Astral Qi into Primal Qi merged Astral Qi—a level of purity in Qi that only existed in Ancient Era or before. The dense and potent Qi of the Jiuli Secret Realm provided the perfect environment for this conversion, amplifying his cultivation speed to unprecedented levels.
When his Qi transformation was complete, Long Chen's aura erupted, shaking the heavens. Dark tribulation clouds gathered above, swirling ominously as crimson lightning crackled within them. The atmosphere grew heavy with the promise of destruction, heralding the arrival of a celestial tribulation unlike any other before (ofcourse eqch realm makes it harder...)
A deafening silence blanketed the land as Long Chen stood beneath the darkened sky, his robes fluttering violently in the wind. Above him, the storm churned with chaotic energy, black clouds rolling like an apocalyptic tide. The first stage of his Heavenly Tribulation had begun.
With a thunderous roar, the sky cracked open, unleashing a bolt of crimson lightning. It came crashing down, illuminating the world with a blinding light.
Long Chen did not move. He simply raised his hand, allowing the lightning to strike him directly. His body trembled, his muscles tensed, but instead of retreating, he reached out with his spiritual energy, devouring the lightning. The electric force coursed through his veins, but instead of harming him, it was refined into countless runes that merged into his body.
More lightning bolts followed—dozens, then hundreds. Each one stronger than the last, yet Longshen stood his ground, his entire form glowing with raw power. His body cracked and healed in an instant, the heavenly runes fusing with his flesh. His strength surged.
A low growl rumbled through the air. Then another. And another.
From within the storm, a hundred beasts descended like meteors, their eyes glowing with a vicious hunger. These were no ordinary creatures. Each one exuded an aura equivalent to a Peak Meridian Forming Realm expert—powerful enough to level mountains.
Longshen's eyes flashed with battle intent.
The first beasts lunged, crackling with lightning energy. In an instant, Long Chen's fist shot forward, shattering its skull and absorbing its essence. The beasts turned into a burst of light, dispersing into runes that flowed into his meridians.
More beasts charged, their combined presence shaking the heavens. But Longshen moved like a phantom, his punches and kicks flowing like an unstoppable tide. With every beast he slew, the runes within his body grew more refined.
The battle raged for what felt like eternity, but soon, the last beast fell.
Long Chenen took a deep breath. The moment of peace was fleeting.
The clouds twisted once again, and the world trembled.
A piercing screech tore through the sky. A roar followed soon after.
From the depths of the storm, two figures emerged—a dragon and a phoenix, both sculpted entirely from lightning. Their bodies crackled with untamed energy, their eyes filled with divine fury. Though their power was only at the Peak Meridian Forming Realm, their very nature made them terrifying adversaries.
The dragon struck first, its serpentine body coiling through the air as it lunged at Longshen. He dodged, but the phoenix was already upon him, its talons slashing down like divine blades.
A deep cut formed across Longshen's arm, sizzling with residual energy. But he didn't waver. Instead, his battle aura flared.
With a single step, he activated the Nine-Star Hegemon Body Art, his Feng Fu Star and Alioth Star lighting up like miniature suns within his meridians. His 2-Star Battle Armor formed around him, his defenses rising to unimaginable heights as the Two Divine Rings rotated intensely in sky.
With a battle cry, Long Chen met the creatures head-on.
The sky became a battlefield of blinding light and deafening thunder. Every strike he delivered tore through space itself, yet the dragon and phoenix refused to fall. Their celestial forms twisted and reformed, their very existence defying logic.
Long Cheen's eyes narrowed. He had no choice.
His Saber Intent erupted like a wildfire. With a single arc of his blade, he unleashed Nine-Star Will as well as his incomplete Saber Essence. The sky split apart, and the dragon and phoenix screamed as they were cleaved into nothingness.
Their bodies dissolved, and like before, the runes merged with Longshen, strengthening him even further.
But the tribulation was not over yet.
A shadow formed within the storm. And then… a voice.
"Long Chen… You dare to stand against the heavens? You dare to defy fate?"
A chilling laughter echoed through the realm as a figure emerged from the void. Dressed in tattered robes, his face filled with malice, Wu Li—the former Sect Master of the Corrupt Path of Su Prefecture—had returned.
But this was no illusion.
This was his true soul, fused with the lightning tribulation itself. He had become the will of the heavens.
"I have returned!" Wu Li roared. "And now, I shall end you!"
The air became heavy as an overwhelming force descended upon Longshen. Wu Li's power was at the Peak of the Giant Realm, an existence that could command armies and rule over entire regions.
But Longshen's battle spirit remained unshaken.
With a battle cry, he charged forward.
Wu Li's fists carried the force of a thousand mountains, but Longshen met them head-on, his Nine-Star Hegemon Body Art roaring to life. The battlefield became a blur of devastating blows, each strike sending shockwaves that shattered the land.
Long Chen's Saber Intent flared as he struck again and again, but Wu Li's soul was resilient. No matter how many times he was cut down, he reformed, his laughter growing darker.
"You cannot defeat me, boy! I am beyond death!"
Longshen's eyes turned cold.
"Then I'll erase you completely."
With a single step, he unleashed his modified and stronger Split the Heavens, First Form. Though incomplete, its power was far beyond the normal first form. The void itself trembled a bit as the attack descended upon Wu Li.
A single moment.
A single cut.
Wu Li screamed as his very soul was torn apart, his essence fading into the void.
Yet even as he disappeared, his voice echoed one last time.
"It's not fair… The heavens are not fair…"
Long Chen sneered. "Fair? After all the evil you have done, you dare speak of fairness?"
The tribulation was nearly over. But Long
Chen wasn't finished.
High above, the 2-Star Divine Rings shimmered in the sky.
Long Chen turned his gaze upwards, his voice filled with defiance. "You think this is enough to stop me?"
He raised his hands, and in an instant, the Divine Rings began to rotate at an impossible speed.
The sky roared as the remaining tribulation energy surged, but before it could descend, the Divine Rings devoured it whole.
A storm of untamed power ran amok within Long Chen's body, causing unimaginable pain. His meridians burned, his bones cracked, but he endured. He absorbed everything that entered him while all the runes entered the Serpentine Symbol on his hand.
And on his Right Hand (Arm), where once there had been a lightning symbol, something had changed.
The serpent that had once been there… had grown wings and horns. It was no longer a mere snake.
It had ascended to a winged serpent.
To Be Continued...