The wind stilled.
As the thunder faded and the final groans of the fallen beasts ebbed into silence, a strange peace washed over the glade—too calm, as if the forest held its breath for what came next.
Tang Yan and Tang San stood bloodied but tall, staring down at the collapsing forms of the Infernal Vajra Behemoth and the Thunder Vein Spearthorn Drake. Their weapons trembled in their grasp—not from weakness, but confusion.
Then… light.
1. A Miraculous Surge
The dying beasts pulsed. Their shattered cores flared once, a final act of instinct.
Their auras did not fade into death. They spiked upward.
In a single, astonishing heartbeat, both beasts stepped beyond their limits, crossing the fabled barrier into the realm of 100,000-year soul beasts.
Di Tian's breath caught. "They… broke through…?"
Gu Yuena's eyes widened with sudden terror.
"No… no, they must not—!"
But even as she spoke, the souls of the beasts unraveled. Their consciousnesses—gone.
No last words. No lingering spirits. No will left behind.
Two blinding rings of deep crimson rose from the broken corpses, each pulsing with a depth of power that could drown entire armies.
They floated—once. Twice.
Then drifted downward.
One to Tang Yan.
One to Tang San.
2. The Silence Before the Storm
The moment the rings touched their chests, the world cracked.
A heavy stillness settled. Not a bird chirped. Not a leaf stirred.
Then—
Thunder.
3. The Goddess Bound by Heaven
Gu Yuena staggered backward, her expression shifting from awe to horror.
"They didn't leave behind their will… They've offered pure rings—without protection."
She clenched her fists, divine blood pooling at her palms. Golden ichor dripped between her fingers, staining the grass below.
"If they had left even a fragment of themselves… I could have taken the calamity for them… sheltered them beneath my divine domain…"
Her voice cracked.
"But now…"
She fell to her knees, trembling violently.
"The heavens won't allow it. I can't… I can't help them…"
4. The Truth of the Tribulation
Di Tian moved quickly, catching her before she collapsed fully.
"Lady Gu Yuena, calm yourself. You'll rupture your spirit thread."
He knelt beside her, golden scales pulsing faintly.
"This is not your fault. They chose this."
"And now… they must face the punishment alone."
From above, clouds began to spiral. A deep, dark vortex churning with lightning, frost, flame, and force.
"The God Realm won't spare them," Gu Yuena whispered, tears streaking her silver lashes.
"They'll kill them."
5. The First Thunderbolt Falls
The sky split with a scream.
The first bolt descended—a single stroke of divine retribution that bore down upon both twins with merciless clarity.
It struck like a falling star, engulfing them in golden lightning.
BOOM!
The earth trembled. Dust exploded.
When the smoke cleared, both Tang Yan and Tang San lay sprawled—skin blackened, clothes shredded. Blood seeped from the corners of their mouths. Their bodies twitched—but they were alive.
Barely.
But they moved.
Slowly… they rose.
6. A Silent Pact
Across the scorched battlefield, their gazes locked.
They didn't need words.
They understood.
They would stand. Together.
Step by step, they approached each other, standing side by side as the storm above grew fiercer.
"You fools!" Gu Yuena sobbed, her voice cracking under the weight of divine anguish. "You cannot combine tribulations—you'll die faster!"
"Tribulation is meant to be faced alone! If you shoulder each other's… it will become monstrous!"
But it was too late.
Above them, the twin clouds fused into something more—a monstrous spiral of divine punishment, crackling with energy meant for kings.
7. A World Holds Its Breath
Bi Ji covered her mouth, tears falling freely. The Three-headed Dog Mastiff whined, his massive body trembling with helpless sorrow.
Ah Yin clutched Tang Hao's arm far away, sensing the shift in the air.
Tang Hao stood like a statue, his fists clenched until they bled.
"That feeling…" he whispered. "That's… them."
They ran.
8. Closing: The Second Thunder Awaits
Tang Yan and Tang San stood beneath the storm—bodies wounded, bones aching.
But they did not kneel.
The sky screamed once more.
The second thunderbolt gathered.
And the heavens prepared to erase two miracles.
End of Chapter 81