"The stronger you are, the better!" Huang Wu laughed wildly, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the roiling purple lightning in the sky.
BOOM!
The heavens roared in fury. A bolt of thunder crashed down like a divine spear, slamming directly into both Huang Wu and Jiang Chen.
Huang Wu's upper robe exploded into tatters, revealing his chest—now cracked and bleeding under the immense lightning pressure. Blood gushed out like a freed river, but just as quickly, his wounds regenerated.
"Hehe… seems like you can't harm me after all," Huang Wu sneered arrogantly at the sky, his voice filled with madness. He raised his arms, as if inviting more destruction. He wanted it. Every time the heavenly thunder struck and nearly killed him, the Immortal Origin within his body fused deeper into his flesh, reshaping his very being.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen was in a far worse state.
"F-Fuck!" he screamed, his voice barely audible through the constant rumble of thunder. His right arm had been shattered completely, and unlike Huang Wu, he didn't possess a heaven-defying regeneration. He frantically swallowed healing pills, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.
"Has this bastard gone insane?! He's provoking the heavenly tribulation like he wants to die!" Jiang Chen cursed, his body trembling. "He's going to get me killed too!"
But Huang Wu couldn't hear him. The sound of thunder was so deafening that even one's own thoughts felt muffled. Forget hearing another person.
BOOM! BOOM!
The heavenly tribulation seemed to respond to Huang Wu's challenge. It turned completely toward him now, thunderbolts raining down in rapid succession. The heavens had chosen their target.
Each strike blew apart portions of Huang Wu's body—his arms, legs, even half his face—but in seconds, his flesh regenerated, stronger than before. His aura grew more terrifying with each wave of pain.
The Immortal Origin within him was merging rapidly now, fusing with his bones, blood, and soul. His physique twisted and transformed, evolving under the hammering force of the tribulation.
And through it all—Huang Wu laughed.
Huang Wu was fully submerged in the midst of his tribulation, unaware that from deep within a distant mountain, a pair of ancient eyes were silently observing him.
Those eyes watched every moment—his defiance of the heavens, his fusion with the Immortal Origin surging within his body.
"This boy… suits my temperament," a deep, hoarse voice murmured in the shadows of the mountain cave. "He shall become my inheritor."
"Even though he doesn't possess any renowned physique, his foundation is exceptional. And now… after merging with the Immortal Origin, his potential has become unparalleled."
The voice carried a strange excitement.
"My Celestial Race was nearly wiped out during the last Dark Era. Perhaps not even a single one of us remains in the Supreme Realm anymore... But through him, I shall rise again. Not only will I grant him my inheritance—I'll bestow upon him my purest bloodline… and even my Celestial Immortal Eyes."
The voice grew colder, almost sinister.
"And then… I'll plant the Bloodline Seed and soul seed within him. When he reaches the Supreme Realm… I'll take over his body. Hehehe…"
The sinner's eerie laughter echoed faintly through the mountain's hollow depths. But what he didn't realize… was that even he couldn't clearly see Huang Wu's true fate.
After passing through the Immortal Gate, all chosen cultivators were scattered across different ancient lands—each filled with countless opportunities, dangers, and legacies left behind by ancient powerhouses.
In these lands, powerful techniques lay hidden—not protected by sects or specific person, but simply waiting. Anyone who found such a place and passed its trial could claim the treasure.
But in rarer places, far more than just techniques were left behind. There, entire inheritances had been sealed away—physiques, bloodlines, and even immortal souls, waiting for someone worthy.
Before their deaths, some mighty cultivators had transformed their very souls into "choosers"—sentient remnants entrusted with the task of passing down their complete legacy to a worthy successor who could carry their will across the ages.
However, not all of them were truly selfless.
Some had hidden intentions—to one day take over the body of their chosen inheritor. Yet, within the Immortal Palace, they were bound by its supreme laws. Any attempt at possession would trigger the rules of the realm and result in immediate erasure.
Because of this, most such schemes ended in failure.
But there are always exceptions.
A few managed to bypass the restrictions, secretly planting a soul seed or bloodline curse. Over time, these seeds would fester, slowly corrupting the host until, in a critical moment—perhaps at the peak of cultivation—they would awaken and seize full control.
Huang Wu was still enduring his tribulation, his body continuously merging with the Immortal Origin. At the same time, in a distant palace, Jiang Chen was also crossing his own tribulation.
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted—a dragon's roar so powerful that it shook the heavens, echoing across the skies. Even Huang Wu turned his head, eyes narrowing as he looked toward the source.
"It seems he's proven his qualifications to the heavens," Huang Wu muttered. "The heavenly punishment is ending."
As his voice faded, the lightning ceased. Though the sky was still blanketed in clouds, the oppressive darkness had lifted
Just then, a stream of purple qi surged in from the east and struck Huang Wu's body. He gasped lightly as the energy entered him.
"My body… has fully merged with the Immortal Origin," he said, exhaling slowly. He turned to look toward the distant palace where Jiang Chen had been undergoing his tribulation.
But Jiang Chen was gone.
"So, he disappeared... I thought he might want to fight me," Huang Wu murmured with a hint of disappointment.
A moment later, he felt a strong suction force pulling at him as well. Before he could react, his body vanished from the spot, sucked away by the palace's mysterious power.
Only his voice echoed faintly in the air:
"No wonder Su Chen hates being randomly sucked up and thrown around inside this Immortal Palace…"