Chapter 136: Crossing the Tribulation Clouds

Chapter 136: Passing Through the Tribulation Clouds

Wu Hong had no time to think. Although there might have been some exaggeration in what the Ten-Thousand Demons Ghost Banner had said, he dared not risk his life again.

He obediently walked to the edge of the chaos beneath the two weapons and waited. The instant the thunder tribulation gathered, he leaped down without hesitation.

Though the rolling tribulation clouds radiated a terrifying pressure, this was his only chance. Wu Hong still had people he cared about and matters left unfinished in the mortal world. He could not remain trapped here forever, dying without even knowing why.

“Rumble—”

There was clearly no sound in the sky, yet the thunder resounded within Wu Hong’s heart.

This thunder tribulation was indeed bizarre beyond compare. The Ten-Thousand Demons Ghost Banner, however, seemed entirely unaware of it—a fact Wu Hong did not know.

The chaotic aura before him grew increasingly faint, but Wu Hong saw that the Ten-Thousand Demons Ghost Banner had not moved, so he did not dare make the slightest disturbance. After all, its knowledge and experience surpassed his by more than ten thousand times.

“Crack—”

Another peal of thunder rang within Wu Hong’s heart.

“Heavens! What am I seeing? There is no thunder at all, yet the barrier between heaven and earth has actually cracked! This is truly forbidden! I do not know whether it is fortune or disaster!”

The astonished voice of the Ten-Thousand Demons Ghost Banner echoed through Wu Hong’s mind.

A scene like this had also appeared in the eternally mysterious Primordial Realm, shocking every living being within it.

A chaotic void had emerged above the Primordial Realm as well. Above the Primordial Realm lay the Immortal Realm.

The great powers of every faction were utterly shaken. They extended their spiritual senses, attempting to investigate the truth, but all of them vomited blood violently and cried out:

“Forbidden! Forbidden! Ah! The heavens and earth are about to descend into chaos…”

The great powers, the myriad worlds, and all the gods and Buddhas of the heavens were shocked in this instant.

Yet the instigator of it all was merely Wu Hong. His actions had disrupted the balance of heaven and earth, plunging the celestial secrets into confusion. Wu Hong was the key to everything.

But the only thing Wu Hong cared about now was escaping this Profound Water Realm.

“Now!”

The voice of the Ten-Thousand Demons Ghost Banner suddenly rang out in his mind.

Wu Hong seized the opportunity and leaped without hesitation into the tribulation clouds before him—the passage leading toward the lower realm.

The moment he jumped in, he felt gray mist surrounding him. The courage of Wu Hong and the Ten-Thousand Demons Ghost Banner was undeniably extraordinary.

These tribulation clouds of heaven and earth appeared above the barriers only when one advanced to the innate realm. It was also the sole moment when the barriers between heaven and earth loosened.

Yet the danger was unimaginable. It was a place of certain death, with no hope of survival.

Layer upon layer of gray tribulation clouds completely enveloped Wu Hong. In an instant, he lost all sensation. He did not even know whether his body was falling or floating in the sky. Every feeling had vanished. Only a sliver of clarity remained in his mind, allowing him to know that he was still alive.

Even the sensation of pain disappeared. Wu Hong’s Ox-Slaying Hammer undergoing the tribulation was something that had never happened in heaven or earth before.

An ordinary hammer forged from mortal iron should, in theory, have had no chance of developing a spirit, much less becoming sentient. Its status was lowly beyond measure. Yet it had opened a new chapter in history.

Even if the Ten-Thousand Demons Ghost Banner’s words foretold a tremendous upheaval in heaven and earth, no one knew what form that upheaval would take.

It was only a legend. For anything in existence to become a spirit, it needed either a fortuitous opportunity or refinement by the heavens. Weapons were no exception. If the vicious blade in the hands of King Ma, which had slain countless people and gathered endless resentful souls, became a spirit, perhaps someone might believe it. Given the countless lives taken by that blade and the innumerable souls of the wronged it had accumulated, its transformation would be understandable.

But no one had ever heard of an ordinary weapon made from mortal iron—without undergoing any refinement, remaining nothing more than a common iron weapon—radiating holy light, untouched by even the slightest trace of killing intent, and surviving a thunder tribulation.

This had unquestionably shattered the laws of heaven and earth. The tribulation of the Ox-Slaying Hammer had pierced through all three realms. Even the incomparably mysterious Primordial Realm—the world where innate experts existed—had developed a spatial black hole above it.

Wu Hong knew nothing of this. His current situation was exceedingly dangerous.

Whenever Wu Hong encountered danger or an opportunity, the Great Sun Tathagata True Interpretation would burst from his body to protect him. Now it hovered above his head, radiating a faint golden light to shield him.

But the situation was clearly dire. The protective golden radiance of the Great Sun Tathagata True Interpretation, which had always prevailed against every obstacle, was flickering uncertainly.

Kun Kun, curled inside Wu Hong’s sleeve, suddenly awoke. When it saw the gray, mist-filled world before it, its face filled with terror. It had been frightened senseless and began trembling violently inside his sleeve.

Wu Hong’s expression changed drastically. He had never imagined that even the protective golden light released by the secret manual of the Great Sun Tathagata True Interpretation would be unable to fully protect him.

If that golden light vanished, Wu Hong’s current body would turn to dust in an instant. There was no doubt about it.

With no other choice, Wu Hong took out every item stored in his Cosmic Rings, including the Thousand-Armed Buddha statue he had purchased at Tianxing Antique City.

To his astonishment, the statue seemed to have been stimulated by the surrounding tribulation clouds and began to shine brilliantly.

Wu Hong was overjoyed. He had known that the object was extraordinary, but he had never expected it to reveal its true nature at this moment and come to his aid.

“Rumble—”

Another explosion of thunder rang within Wu Hong’s heart. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Heavens! The mere sound of thunder echoing in his heart had actually inflicted severe injuries upon him. It was truly unbelievable.

“Crack!”

With a crisp sound, the protective golden light of the Great Sun Tathagata True Interpretation shattered.

Even the complete secret manual could not resist the might of heaven and earth. The ten-thousand-foot radiance upon its pages dimmed considerably, and then, with a flash, the manual shot back into Wu Hong’s mind.

Wu Hong felt no pain at all. Perhaps the thunderous energy within the tribulation clouds had numbed his entire body. Yet that made the situation even more terrifying. His body began to split apart, showing signs of disintegration.

Wu Hong immediately circulated all the true energy within him and transformed into the Thousand-Armed Tathagata’s true form. By then, the Dharma body of the Thousand-Armed Tathagata had condensed more than a hundred arms, its imposing might seemingly boundless.

The Heavenly Net descended over Wu Hong’s body, but in an instant it was torn apart and vanished into the tribulation clouds.

A bitter smile appeared on Wu Hong’s face.

It was over. The might of heaven and earth truly could not be resisted by human beings.

The hundred arms were blasted apart by the gray tribulation clouds. Wu Hong’s body also began to disintegrate, until nothing remained but a skeleton.

Strangely, however, a sliver of clarity still remained within him.

This death without pain was even more terrifying than a death filled with agony. He could only watch helplessly as his own body fell apart inch by inch.

Suddenly, the Thousand-Armed Tathagata statue burst into dazzling light, enveloping Wu Hong’s remaining flesh, skeleton, and head.

Wu Hong immediately regained his senses. A hope of life surged within his heart.

He hurriedly circulated all his true energy once more, causing it to resonate with the Thousand-Armed Tathagata statue.

The statue transformed at once. Bathed in the gray, chaotic tribulation clouds, it expanded rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it had grown as tall as Wu Hong’s Thousand-Armed Tathagata Dharma body and gradually merged with him.

Thus, Wu Hong was spared final death.

He suddenly opened his eyes, as though he had been resurrected, and cold sweat poured from his body.

It had been far too dangerous. The power within the tribulation clouds was outrageously violent. The might of heaven and earth was truly immovable.

Everything before him changed once more, transforming into a cool, luminous liquid.

Wu Hong temporarily regained control of his body. He had never imagined that the Thousand-Armed Tathagata statue could merge with him. His heart was filled with bewilderment.

Had it all been coincidence, or had someone arranged it deliberately?

Why had he happened to purchase a Thousand-Armed Tathagata statue identical to his own Dharma body? And why had it suddenly protected him when he was in mortal danger? Wu Hong had no answers.

The only thing he cared about now was how long it would take him to reach the ground and escape.

He did not want to remain here for even one second longer.

Wu Hong’s present form was a true Thousand-Armed Tathagata Dharma body. All of this was due to the mysterious Thousand-Armed Tathagata statue.

Wu Hong sat cross-legged in the void and extended a finger beyond the energy protecting his body, attempting to touch the clear, luminous liquid of thunder.

In an instant, his entire body trembled violently, and he nearly lost consciousness.

It was terrifying. Beyond the true energy protecting his body stretched an ocean vast as the sea—an ocean of thunder.

The finger he had extended instantly turned to dust and vanished. Fortunately, this was only a condensed Dharma body, not his true physical body.

Even so, it was far too terrifying. After merging with the Thousand-Armed Tathagata statue, Wu Hong’s Dharma body was countless times stronger than his physical body. Yet the moment it touched that sea of thunder, it was pulverized.