The dark clouds in the sky were getting lower and heavier, almost pressing down onto the mountain peak. Accompanied by rumbling thunder, flashes of light continuously flickered within the clouds.

Fatty Tiger shivered with fear. His bloodline was overly developed, resulting in his current state. He hadn't even reached the Grain Avoidance Realm, and celestial thunder was simply his nemesis.

"Why is this Thunder Tribulation coming out of nowhere..."

Fatty Tiger was trembling with fear as he crawled down the mountain, "I'll hide first, lest I disappear when Master wakes up."

However, Fatty Tiger was startled all over when he saw the black mist and green fire spreading from the distance, and he shot to the mountaintop, anxiously pacing back and forth.

"What do I do, what do I do, I've been discovered by the Forbidden Land!"

He knew the severity of the situation and understood that he couldn't disturb Zhang Kui now, feeling anxious to the point of bursting into flames.

At this moment, the black mist suddenly arrived, quickly enveloping the entire Yunxia Mountain.

The sky was filled with thunderclouds, surrounded by black mist, and the whole world instantly darkened, like a ghost realm.

Meanwhile, eerie green fire ignited all around the mountain foot, accompanied by yellow smoke, black fog, and pink miasma... in a colorful but menacing sight.

In the thick fog, shadows of wolves, insects, foxes, and badgers darted around wildly.

There were two-man-tall crows flapping ghost fire with faces on their foreheads, giggling and laughing strangely...

There stood three-man-tall barbarian men with black fur and exposed fangs, scratching their bellies with black nails on one hand while waving a wolf fang club in the other...

Among the group of demons, a gray-black giant serpent coiled, half of its body stood tens of meters high, with long fangs dripping green poison, engulfed by green mist.

In midair was the spectral image of this gray-black giant serpent, nearly as tall as a mountain, exhaling clouds and mist with ghostly green fire in its eyes.

"Celestial phenomena... Mahayana..."

Fatty Tiger felt a chill in his heart, thinking it was all over; it seemed like today he and Master would perish here.

At this critical moment, the fool courageously burned with azure blue flames in his eyes, leaped onto the mountain rocks, and let out a tiger's roar that shook the mountains.

"You little demons, dare you wait for my Master's tribulation to be over!"

In midair, the enormous snake head's spectral image slowly lowered, as if looking down on the mountain peak.

The difference in bloodline strength was a chasm that courage couldn't bridge; Fatty Tiger looked up at the serpent's shadow, overwhelmed by enormous fear, shaking uncontrollably, his mind blank.

At this time, Zhang Kui, who was sitting cross-legged, felt his mind continually sinking as if falling into an endless abyss.

Suddenly, a golden light shone, and Zhang Kui felt surrounded by warmth, as though he had returned to his mother's womb, forgetting all his troubles, so comfortable he didn't want to wake...

...

Crack!

A sudden bolt of lightning illuminated the sky.

The huge spectral image of the gray-black venomous snake squinted its eyes slightly and quickly recoiled, even the demon ghosts across the mountain retreated quite a bit.

This serpent demon, seemingly of the Mahayana Realm, had undoubtedly tasted the Thunder Tribulation before and had no desire to experience it a second time.

Furthermore, he knew the Thunder Tribulation had begun, and it's better not to be inexplicably affected by it, as his target was even larger.

The little demons at the foot of the mountain felt the same way, the Yin Qi, black mist, and ghost fire they stirred up were practically natural lightning rods.

The thunder jolted Fatty Tiger back to his senses, he quickly darted far away, his heart constantly wailing.

"Master, please wake up soon, even I, Fatty Tiger, wish to sit in your coffin..."

Boom!

The world suddenly became blindingly bright.

A blue lightning as thick as a water barrel slashed through the sky, appearing directly at the mountain top, instantly engulfing Zhang Kui.

Fatty Tiger's fur bristled all over as he collapsed softly on the ground, feeling only a rumbling in his ears, his mind blank, tongue hanging out, and eyes rolling back and forth.

Even though he had distanced himself, this Thunder Tribulation still shook his Divine Soul, nearly costing him his life.

Yet, the Thunder Tribulation continued.

It was as if the heavens had accumulated a stomach full of anger, one barrel-thick lightning bolt after another emerged from various parts of the thunderclouds, all eventually converging at the mountain peak.

The area where Zhang Kui sat had become a blinding expanse, making it impossible to see anything, with only terrifying thunderstorm sounds echoing.

Lightning blasted the rocks everywhere, and Fatty Tiger had long been unconscious, but seemingly affected, even the colorful fur between bursts with tiny sparkles of lightning.

The black-robed scholar from the Lanjiang Water Mansion was right; Fatty Tiger's bloodline was indeed lowly, having been pushed to its utmost by the Stone Ganoderma.

If it were a demon with a better bloodline, taking this opportunity to advance would undoubtedly reach greater heights, but Fatty Tiger was like a muscular man who had exhausted all his strength, unable to climb further.

But in all matters, there are always extraordinary exceptions.

The so-called way of heaven takes away from the excess and replenishes the deficient.

Fatty Tiger's situation, rather, was like a dry sponge, by a stroke of luck, this almost dissipating tribulation thunder gradually integrated into his bloodline in a curious way...

The Thunder Tribulation continued.

At the foot of the mountain, the snake demon's eyes first showed confusion, then gradually turned somewhat solemn.

Even ordinary cultivators, let alone one like him, whose cultivation involved complex mana and required a substantial amount of celestial power, should have completed such a trial by now.

Why then, does this tribulation thunder strike with increasing ferocity?

He slowly glanced around,

"Hiss... Is this person really an ordinary Celestial Tribulation Realm cultivator?"

Among the demons, an old human wearing a wealthy man's attire shakily stepped forward and knelt on the ground.

"Reporting to the lord, this person is indeed of the Celestial Tribulation Realm, and just months ago was only at the Grain Avoidance Realm. Since receiving your decree, I dared not delay for a moment."

Quanzhou National Guardian True Man, Chen Yuanguang.

At this moment, the old man wore a bitter expression; he truly didn't want to lead the way. Zhang Kui eradicated the locust demon across the land and established the Sacred Artifact on the Human Path, earning great merit toward the human race.

Although his Chen Family served the Spiritual Sect of the Ten Thousand Demons Cave for generations, they could not separate from humanity. If word of his actions spread, it would surely be a massive problem in the future.

Yet, the Venerable Snake Demon before him urgently needed the Divine Strange Pearl for some unknown reason and dared not confront other venerates. Thus it targeted the human Sacred Artifact, leaving the Chen Family in unbearable distress.

This was indeed the dilemma of all families serving the Forbidden Land of Evil Spirits, feeling pressured from both sides.

The Snake Demon asked no more, its cold gaze fixed on the mountaintop, with killing intent increasingly intense.

"Hiss… Forget it, whatever his destiny might be, if he doesn't hand over the item today, I shall devour his soul and burn it day and night."

Meanwhile, Zhang Kui, sitting cross-legged, felt his Golden Core within his dantian becoming more substantial under the refining of tribulation thunder, gradually glowing with golden light.

A clap of spring thunder awakens everything!

Within the Golden Core, a tiny figure appeared, curled up and drifting, resembling an unborn fetus.

As the tribulation thunder echoed, that little figure seemed to awaken, first stretching broadly, then sitting cross-legged, mirroring Zhang Kui's posture perfectly.

A golden light shone forth.

Zhang Kui abruptly opened his eyes, feeling his divine thought rapidly extend outward, then sharply retract.

The fifth transformation of the Golden Core is complete!

The thunderclouds in the sky gradually dissipated, and Zhang Kui quickly perceived the surrounding situation.

He stood up with a cold expression, glanced at the unconscious Fatty Tiger, frowned slightly, then looked down at the group of demons at the foot of the mountain.

"Ten Thousand Demons Cave… Spiritual Sect?"

"Hee hee…"

Within the black mist, a woman's laughter echoed.

It reminded Zhang Kui of his bare form. He grunted, and a luxurious purple Taoist robe embroidered with the sun, moon, and stars appeared in his hands, which he donned casually.

"You have business?"

His tone was indifferent, as if the multitude of demons were of no consequence.

"How dare you!"

The Snake Demon erupted in anger, the black mist surging, and the enormous snake shadow resembling a mountain spewed out green demon fire, the chilling voice resonating throughout the mountain range, causing rocks to clatter down.

"Hand over the Divine Strange Pearl, and I'll spare your corpse!"

Zhang Kui ignored this, and after calmly dressing, looked up at the giant snake shadow, a hint of mockery on his lips.

"Tch, tch, Divine Travel perfected, Mahayana unfulfilled, all appearance and no substance, what a pitiful farce!"

Indeed, Fatty Tiger might not recognize it, but Zhang Kui had encountered various Mahayana-level demons whose phenomena influenced the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, breathing like gods upon the world.

However, this creature before him, though possessing divine phenomena, was merely a bluff, an empty spectacle.

"Courting death!"

The Snake Demon became furious, and the serpent shadow towering like a mountain opened its huge mouth. A torrent of green demon fire surged forth, enveloping the entire peak like a storm.

The green flames exploded with a roar, and the once enchanting Yunxia Mountain swiftly became a charred inferno, a hell of flames.

Among the group of demons, Quanzhou National Guardian True Man Chen Yuanguang watched with his heart trembling, overcome with sorrow.

The evil spirits' power is vast, their lifespans long; such terrifying spells are not something the innately weak human race can withstand.

Zhang Kui was indeed a prodigy of the human race, exterminating the locust demon and rescuing the sky time and again, earning a grand reputation, only to die here unexpectedly.

Why didn't he just yield and give the item? After all, death ends all troubles, and living holds hope...

Suddenly, the giant snake shadow's pupils contracted, ceasing its demon fire.

Atop the peak, amidst the green flames, Zhang Kui shielded Fatty Tiger with one hand, looking coldly at him. The body of both man and tiger emitted a faint golden glow, and not even the edges of their garments were singed.

The mountain fell silent as demons of all sizes and shapes stared in unison at the summit, disbelief in their eyes.

This... is the Celestial Tribulation Realm?

The golden light on Zhang Kui's body faded, and he smiled slightly, revealing his gleaming white teeth. Golden flames ignited in his eyes, leaping a foot tall. "Is that all?"

"Today, none of you are leaving!"

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