Above the Nine Heavens, the realm of Xu Chu surged, and as expected, the world responded with celestial phenomena.
Clouds from a thousand miles away converged, roaring like a hurricane across the skies. In mere moments, five-colored clouds gathered out of thin air, transforming into ethereal shapes—a dragon, a tiger, and a resplendent canopy adorned with five hues. Beneath this canopy, countless auspicious clouds formed and dissolved, dancing in and out of existence, as if the laws of nature themselves bent to Xu Chu's ascension.
His immense aura spread like a tidal wave, filling the sky with such pressure that it could be felt for thousands of miles.
Suddenly, the heavens themselves rebelled.
Thunderclouds rolled in, thick and menacing, obliterating the visions of glory. Lightning streaked across the sky like wild serpents, creating chaos in the gathering clouds. This was the Thunder Tribulation—an ordeal reserved for those attempting to ascend to the realm of the Great Emperor, a trial that had not been seen in Dongzhou Continent for ten thousand years.
Jie Yun had arrived.
"Jie Yun... will Xu Chu be alright?" Orion's gaze darkened with concern as he observed the furious storm brewing above. The calamity of the heavens was no trifling matter. Throughout history, countless prodigies had been struck down at this final hurdle, their hopes and dreams shattered by the brutal hand of thunder.
Standing beside him, Emperor Qingyun merely smiled, his demeanor calm amidst the storm.
"Lord, worry not. Observe." He pointed two fingers toward the sky, and in an instant, a sword shadow appeared, its form vast and domineering.
"Qingyun Sword Technique—Transform Qi into Sword!"
As the words left his lips, the clouds above recoiled. The furious serpents of lightning turned toward Emperor Qingyun, hissing as if recognizing a past foe. But behind their aggression lurked something deeper—fear.
With a single strike, Qingyun's sword cleaved through the sky.
The roaring thunder silenced. The once-mighty lightning serpents writhed in agony as if the very essence of their power had been wounded. One blow was all it took. The mighty thunderclouds, which moments earlier had threatened to obliterate Xu Chu, were split in half.
The tribulation passed.
With the storm dissipating, the surging energy within Xu Chu calmed, solidifying his transformation. He had succeeded. Xu Chu had ascended to the realm of Emperor Wu.
"Is this... the power of Emperor Wu?"
Xu Chu's gaze was filled with awe and disbelief as he felt the overwhelming strength coursing through his body. His power, now a hundredfold greater, surpassed all he had ever known. From a mere semi-saint, he had become one of the most powerful beings in the continent.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Chu casually flicked his wrist. A gust of his energy shot out toward a distant boulder, shattering it into countless pieces with a deafening explosion.
The onlookers, including Orion, could only click their tongues in astonishment. The display was a stark reminder—if that power had been aimed at a human instead of stone, there would be nothing left but dust.
Orion, intrigued, opened Xu Chu's personal status panel. "Middle stage of Emperor Wu," it read.
Kneeling before Orion, Xu Chu expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, my lord!" His loyalty remained unwavering, despite his newfound strength.
Nearby, Ying Mo and Yuxiang couldn't hide their envy. Watching Xu Chu's meteoric rise stirred dreams of power within them.
"When will it be my turn?" Yuxiang muttered, the desire unmistakable in his eyes.
But Orion had always been selective, and Yuxiang was never at the top of his list.
"Xu Chu, now that you've reached the level of Emperor Wu," Orion began with a grin, "I have a task for you. Create more space rings and distribute them among our forces."
Space rings were rare, and only those who wielded immense spatial power, like the Great Emperor, could craft them with ease. For master craftsmen and lesser figures, it was a delicate process requiring time and effort. But for an Emperor Wu like Xu Chu, creating them would be as simple as waving his hand.
"With two powerful Emperor Wu by my side, I should be more than capable of defending myself now," Orion mused. Xu Chu and Emperor Qingyun were already forces to be reckoned with, and their combat abilities rivaled even the peak of Emperor Wu. Together, they could dominate the Dongzhou Continent, a land where only a few dozen great emperors had ever existed in its long history.
Having dispatched the powerful martial saints earlier, Orion no longer intended to linger in the Medicine King Valley. The major players had already arrived, and the weaker ones—those beneath the semi-saints—were of no consequence to him.
But to Orion, even the smallest fish had their value.
His eyes gleamed with a new idea. "Even small fry is still meat."
With that thought, he opened the system's lottery panel once more. "I'll try a Saint-level lottery."
[Ding! The host has selected the Saint-level lottery. The system will now draw...]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for winning twenty powerful semi-saints!]
As soon as the notification sounded, twenty majestic figures appeared next to Orion, their powerful auras radiating outward.
"Hu Yi, Li Er, Wang San..." they recited one by one, bowing respectfully. "We are at your service, my lord!"
Orion smirked, pleased with his prize. Though these semi-saints weren't individually extraordinary, their collective power was significant. In fact, twenty semi-saints working in tandem could be far more devastating than a single martial saint.
Satisfied, Orion gave them their orders. "There are many monks heading toward the Medicine King Valley. Your task is simple: kill them all. Leave no survivors."
"Yes, Lord!" they responded in unison, their voices booming like a war cry.
With these twenty half-saint sentinels guarding the valley, not even a mosquito would be able to enter unnoticed.