Chapter 137: The Divine Hammer Transcends the Tribulation

Chapter 137: The Divine Hammer Transcends the Tribulation

The protective energy surrounding Wu Hong, currently fused with the Thousand-Armed Buddha manifestation, flickered incessantly. The two forces remained locked in a stalemate, neither able to overcome the other. Wu Hong was certain that the violent energy raging outside was millions of times more terrifying than anything he could comprehend; it was truly beyond measure.

This was far more horrific than any innate thunder tribulation Wu Hong had ever known; the lightning had condensed into an actual ocean. What Wu Hong did not foresee was that even with his dense protective true energy, wisps of lightning power managed to penetrate the Thousand-Armed Tathagata manifestation, reaching his physical body directly.

These wisps of energy continuously tempered his physique. His body, which had previously been stripped of flesh until only bone remained—save for his intact skull—began to regrow skin and muscle under the influence of this refining energy. However, Wu Hong could barely feel it, as his entire body was numb, devoid of sensation; everything was unfolding in silent, hushed oblivion. In the blink of an eye, his physical form was restored, his body glowing with a crystalline light as arcs of electricity danced across his skin. Of course, Wu Hong remained oblivious to all of this.

It was unclear what heavenly treasure this Thousand-Armed Buddha manifestation was, but it possessed the ability to refine the incredibly violent lightning energy, slowly transforming its volatile nature before channeling it into Wu Hong’s body. At this moment, the Tathagata manifestation was his only defense—that was all Wu Hong could perceive.

What Wu Hong did not know was that this Thousand-Armed Tathagata manifestation was, without a doubt, the greatest treasure in heaven and earth. If he could maintain this fusion for an extended period, he would be invincible. His current energy state far exceeded that of the great powers within the Origin Realm, and was even more ferocious than those in the Immortal Realm. One must understand that the power of a heavenly thunder tribulation is something no human or god dares to challenge. Yet, Wu Hong existed in a world of blinding white, isolated from everything else, unable to sense the explosive power surrounding him.

Wu Hong’s body plummeted rapidly, taking much longer than it had during his ascent. Time and space had become distorted due to this spatial thunder tribulation, as if time itself had ceased to flow. Gradually, Wu Hong’s expression shifted. Within the ocean of lightning below, solid crystals of thunder began to appear, striking his energy barrier with a continuous, sizzling sound. The protective true energy of his manifestation began to show signs of succumbing to the pressure.

With a sharp crack, the energy barrier of the Tathagata manifestation shattered.

Unbeknownst to Wu Hong, a pair of eyes had been watching him from the sky. Had he seen the owner of those eyes, he would have surely cried out in shock. The observer was none other than the mysterious old man from the dilapidated temple who had sold Wu Hong his martial arts manuals.

The old man floated in mid-air, completely devoid of any energy fluctuations. Ordinarily, this world prohibited the existence of any power exceeding the innate realm; anyone who surpassed it would face the judgment of heaven. Yet, this raggedly dressed old man, showing no trace of true energy or protective aura, hovered deep within the lightning ocean, his eyes gleaming as he watched Wu Hong.

Wu Hong remained entirely unaware of this. The old man smiled slightly and muttered to himself, "Truly peculiar. Even I cannot see through your destiny."

"However, lad, if you hadn't met me, you would be dead for sure this time. This spatial thunder tribulation is the most terrifying thing in heaven and earth—hardly something a mortal could withstand. Very well, I shall help you one last time. Whether this brings fortune or disaster, this is the end of it."

"Sigh—does doing this count as interfering with the secrets of heaven? If I don't help, it would be a pity to let that True Thusness manifestation be destroyed."

The old man spoke to himself, revealing that the Thousand-Armed Buddha protecting Wu Hong was known as the "True Thusness manifestation."

As the protective energy shattered, Wu Hong felt his entire body go numb. The Tathagata manifestation began to crack, and despair washed over him. This near-solid ocean of thunder was truly terrifying. The mysterious Great Sun Tathagata True Explanation could not protect him, and this strange Thousand-Armed Buddha could not shield him either. What else remained? To resist with his own physical body? That would be a cruel joke. Wu Hong felt that once the outermost protection was gone and his physical body was exposed, he would be pulverized tens of thousands of times over by the violent energy.

The old man waved his hand, and a curtain of light, possessing the power to split the heavens and earth, surged toward Wu Hong. Instantly, Wu Hong’s brain was struck by the impact of the lightning ocean, and he fell into unconsciousness, losing all sensation as his body continued to plummet.

The old man’s heaven-splitting energy collided with the Thousand-Armed Tathagata manifestation, and the protective aura erupted in a blinding brilliance, reforming a shield around Wu Hong. The violent, near-solid lightning energy outside could no longer harm him in the slightest while he remained protected.

"Oh?" The old man sensed something and his face showed great shock. It had been countless years since his face had displayed such human emotion; anything that could surprise him in this vast universe was surely an earth-shattering, ghost-weeping event. The old man’s body suddenly vanished from the lightning ocean, flying off to parts unknown.

Only his voice echoed through the lightning ocean: "The world is vast and boundless. Little Thunder God, your divine powers are immense, yet even you, having set these barriers, could not foresee the cycles of the Heavenly Dao! In the end, someone has found the opportunity to break through... connecting heaven and earth..."

It was unclear what the old man meant, but that was no longer important. What mattered was that the person he favored, shielded by his energy, had survived the spatial thunder tribulation and fallen directly onto the continent of the Great Qian Dynasty.

On the outskirts of the Great Qian Dynasty, along the road from Yellow Cloud Town leading to the Great King Temple, a naked beggar lay face-up on the side of the road near the forest, unable to move. It was unknown how long he had been lying there, and no one had cared to save him; his body was covered in filth. This road to the Great King Temple was rarely traveled, so no one had noticed him, let alone offered to bury him.

In the distance, a procession appeared, consisting mostly of women in lavish clothing, clearly the entourage of a noble family. A sedan chair carried by eight men swayed gently. Inside sat a woman with a pale complexion and sharp, icy eyes—a woman of striking beauty. She rested her chin on one hand, lost in thought, perhaps recalling memories of the past.

"It was on this day, all those years ago, that I met him. But in the end, we were fated to be apart. Sigh—" the woman in the sedan murmured to herself with a sigh.

"Young Miss, there is the corpse of a beggar by the side of the road ahead," a maidservant suddenly exclaimed from outside the sedan.

The young lady inside was startled and quickly ordered the procession to stop.

"Halt!" At the maid's command, the sedan bearers obediently stopped and lowered the chair steadily. The lady, dressed in white as snow with a face like frost that kept others at a distance, emerged gracefully.

"Speak. What beggar?"

The maid blushed and said, "It is a beggar, completely naked, lying by the side of the road. I don't know how long he has been dead, as there is no sign of life. We didn't see him when we came this way earlier. It is very strange..."

"Bury him. He should not be left exposed in the wilderness," the icy beauty said. Her voice seemed ethereal, devoid of worldly warmth, drifting into the ears of every servant. Those who knew her well understood that she had a peculiar fondness for helping beggars; she had saved countless numbers of them over the years, a fact that deeply puzzled her staff. Only one maid, who had served her for many years, understood her heart.

This young lady was none other than Miss Huang Ling of the Huang family in Yellow Cloud Town, whom Wu Hong knew well. Since she was summoned to the capital by Emperor Yang Wei two years ago, her true identity had been revealed: she was not merely a wealthy young lady from a remote town, but the granddaughter of the "Old Man of the Lone Star," the leader of the Great Qian Dynasty’s two major assassin organizations—the Celestial Evil organization.

Two years had passed, and much had changed. War had flared up across the land, though no large-scale national conflict had broken out. Yet, many things had occurred. Two years ago, the newly appointed King of Martial Might had suddenly flown into the high heavens and vanished. People had countless theories, but the King of Martial Might remained missing. Many speculated that Wu Hong had ascended to the innate realm.