Chapter 174: Chapter 174

"Host’s cultivation has broken through to the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm, achieving a tremendous accomplishment. You have the following options."

"Option one: Having broken through to the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm, one should aim for great success and acclaim. Immediately achieve a resounding reputation, and receive the reward of the [Sword of Immortality]. Sword of Immortality: One of the Top-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, the Sect of Interpretation’s destiny Magical Tool."

"Option two: Having broken through already, the Three Realms are fraught with danger and brimming with experts. Continue to cultivate for even greater prowess, and receive the Dao Technique reward [Imperial Gods’ Thunder]. Imperial Gods’ Thunder: The favored Divine Power of Lord Yuan Shi of the three pure Saints of primeval chaos, comparable to Tribulation Thunder, a thousand times stronger than the five lethal thunders."

Such a lavish reward.

Sha Chen was stunned and overjoyed. He hadn’t expected that the reward for breaking through to Daluo Golden Immortal would be so generous.

Just emerging to receive the Sword of Immortality? Ridiculous. He definitely wasn’t going out.

Without hesitation, Sha Chen chose to continue his cultivation, and then the system rewarded him with [Imperial Gods’ Thunder].

Tianpeng, seeing Sha Chen silent and lost in thought, assumed he was going to renege on his debts.

He continued, "Old Sha, don’t you play tricks. I have given you all my possessions for your breakthrough; how will you repay me?"

"Now, just passing on the Spirit Summoning Decree to me seems hardly enough. All my possessions... how could a single Divine Power suffice?"

Sha Chen responded, "I understand."

Tianpeng immediately approached, slinging an arm around Sha Chen’s shoulder, and said, "The sooner you understand, the better. I’ve done you a great favor, nearly saving your life; what’s your gesture of gratitude?"

With that, he looked towards Sha Chen’s storage room, which was already empty, except for some special elixirs or divine elixirs. They were of little use to him now. Then his gaze shifted to the nearby treasure vault, where many of Sha Chen’s Magical Tools were stored. Each one was very tempting. What Tianpeng was most looking forward to was acquiring one of them. He was making eyes, barely stopping short of telling Sha Chen outright that he wanted one of the Magical Tools.

Tianpeng asked, "Old Sha, how will you show your gratitude?"

Sha Chen replied, "Thank you."

Tianpeng was taken aback, bewildered. "That’s it? Just thanks?"

GASP! He gasped in astonishment, exclaiming, "Old Sha, you’re too stingy! Give me back my resources!"

He cried out, "A thousand phrases of flattery exist in the world, but none is cheaper than ’thank you’!"

Sha Chen rolled his eyes and decided not to tease him further. Just as he was about to give him some benefits, his expression subtly changed.

In the outer area, thunder roared ominously.

Tianpeng said, "Could it be the thunder punishment has come? How come it’s so early today, and this time it looks extremely terrifying."

Sha Chen furrowed his brow, looked to the outside, and with a fierce glint in his eyes, said, "It’s not thunder punishment; it’s the Tribulation Thunder for my breakthrough to the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm."

Breaking through to Daluo Golden Immortal wasn’t so simple; one must endure a tremendous assault of thunder, the ordeal of a Daluo Golden Immortal. In other words, Sha Chen was not yet truly safe. Only after surviving the Tribulation Thunder, considered a death ordeal even for a Daluo Golden Immortal, could one be truly safe.

Feeling the terrible Tribulation Thunder from the outer area, Tianpeng was scared out of his wits, trembling as if seeing death itself.

"How can this Tribulation Thunder be so terrifying?" he exclaimed. "I’ve witnessed other Daluo Golden Immortals undergoing tribulation before; it was never this scary. Even if three Daluo Golden Immortals underwent tribulation together, they’d be obliterated!"

Tianpeng shivered in fear and horror.

Sha Chen, on the other hand, had eyes that shone brightly.

Being inherently cautious, he would normally have tried everything to mitigate such a frightening Tribulation Thunder. But not so today.

He was no novice to the Daluo Golden Immortal level; his physical body had long ago solidified into the Da Luo Dharmakaya. Moreover, his cultivation as a Daluo Golden Immortal was profound and substantial, much stronger and more robust than that of ordinary people. With a Daluo Golden Immortal’s Primordial Spirit, the cultivation level of a Daluo Golden Immortal, and the body of a Great Witch, Sha Chen felt that passing through this Tribulation Thunder wouldn’t be an issue at all.

Besides, he had a strong premonition that the system’s reward might be related to this Tribulation Thunder.

Without a second thought, Sha Chen activated his Black Tortoise Armor and stood in the Flowing Sand River, parting its waters. There he stood, surrounded by the river water, with only a hundred-yard radius around him vacant.

As if even the Flowing Sand River was afraid of the Tribulation Thunder.

Dark clouds shrouded the sky, thunder rumbled, and lightning serpents skittered across the heavens.

The immortals of the Heavenly Court, witnessing this display, gasped in shock as well. The watching immortals of the Thunder Department also retreated far away, their horror growing, their scalps tingling.

Taoist Master Bi said, "Whose condensed thundercloud is this? It’s so terrifying, far exceeding the punishment thunder by a thousandfold!"

Taoist Master Chen added, "This is Tribulation Thunder. It must be that someone is transcending to become a Daluo Golden Immortal, but whose tribulation could be so fearsome?"

The other Heavenly Masters also felt their scalps tingle and exchanged apprehensive glances, retreating even further. As Heavenly Masters of the Thunder Department, even they would keep a wide berth from such Tribulation Thunder and dared not come close. Because it was too terrifying. Not even Wen Zhong, the strongest in the Thunder Department and not a Daluo Golden Immortal himself, could utilize Divine Thunder that at best could only barely hurt a Daluo Golden Immortal. However, before this Tribulation Thunder, they felt like lesser witches in the presence of a Great Witch.

The thunders crashed down.

The watching immortals of the Thunder Department saw Sha Chen below in the Flowing Sand River, standing amidst the parted waters, gazing from the center of the river.

They furrowed their brows.

Taoist Master Bi remarked, "What is Sha Chen doing? Is he out to watch the excitement?"

Taoist Master Chen commented, "Beneath the Tribulation Thunder, if someone dares approach and gets mistakenly injured, it’s on them."

At that moment, Taoist Master Gou arrived. Seeing the situation, he burst into laughter and said, "How foolish Sha Chen is to dare spy on a Daluo Golden Immortal’s tribulation! Just watch, he will be mistaken by the Tribulation Thunder and struck down; let him reap what he sows!"

Taoist Master Bi responded, "Brother Gou, is that really appropriate? If he dies, it will be our responsibility."

Taoist Master Gou, looking somewhat haggard for reasons unknown, snorted, "What does his death have to do with us? If he seeks his own demise by watching, we’re not stopping him."

"And even if he isn’t killed by the Tribulation Thunder," Taoist Master Gou sneered to himself, his eyes shining with anticipation, "the Daluo Golden Immortal undergoing tribulation, disapproving of others coveting the thunder, will take action to kill him." He waited to see Sha Chen become the butt of the joke.

Thunder fell with the force of ten thousand jun. The Flowing Sand River was submerged, with Sha Chen at the center. The spectacle and the momentum were earth-shattering.

A poem bears witness to this:

Clouds from all directions gather in the azure abyss, numerous as mighty dragons racing the thunder.

It arrives like thunder, collecting its fierce rage, and ceases like the river and sea, solidifying into clear light.

The one undergoing tribulation was Sha Chen!

Taoist Master Gou was dumbfounded. The immortals of the Thunder Department were all stunned as well. They looked at each other in dismay, shocked and terrified.

Wasn’t Sha Chen just here to watch the excitement? Wasn’t he supposed to be killed by the thunder? How could he be the one undergoing tribulation?

Taoist Master Gou’s body shuddered with realization, his frightened eyes almost popping out, feeling as if he was the one struck by lightning.

Sha Chen, in merely a hundred years or so, had already become a Daluo Immortal! How could this be possible? Incredible! Utterly unacceptable!

Taoist Master Gou tore off his hairpin, his hair disheveled, appearing mad and horrified as if facing death. The immortals all looked at him with pity, but no one offered comfort. Those who understood, understood.

Sha Chen’s tribulation didn’t last long, and it soon ended, with him still looking spirited afterward. He simply glanced plainly at the immortals of the Thunder Department above, which made them all feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy, like chicks on the edge of an abyss. Each of them shivered with fear, retreating in horror, not daring to advance. This text is hosted at NovєlFіre.net

Sha Chen didn’t make things difficult for them; he only instinctively swept them with a wary glance, as they were the only living beings present. He worried they might take the opportunity to follow him back into the Black Tortoise Armor when he returned.

But his worries were unnecessary; he was a Daluo Golden Immortal, strong and powerful, with boundless Mana and vast Divine Powers. The immortals of the Thunder Department were terrified of him. Even if they received orders, they would hardly dare to approach the Flowing Sand River, let alone enter it.

After his breakthrough and surviving the Tribulation Thunder, Sha Chen also received the Imperial Gods’ Thunder gifted by the system, rejuvenating his Primordial Spirit. By mastering the essential power of thunder and tempering his Primordial Spirit, he was even able to use the electric arcs to extend the reach of his spirit sense, covering a much wider area. It even surpassed Downwind Ear’s ability, allowing him to easily detect any movement within hundreds of thousands of miles.

Sha Chen felt that he was safer now.

Only then did he open the Black Tortoise Armor and return. Everything that happened outside seemed unrelated to him.

After the breakthrough, he didn’t feel particularly mighty; at most, he just felt a little more secure.

He didn’t believe he was invincible or extremely safe. In the ancient past, Quasi-Saints were common as dust, and Daluos were plentiful as dogs. Although the primordial world shattered after the Divine Enthronement war, suffering heavy losses with many dead and injured, some were still alive. As long as these individuals were alive, they posed a threat to Sha Chen. He wouldn’t venture out lightly, nor would he easily make enemies of others. Even now, he still hoped the world would forget him.

However, it wasn’t that easy. A breakthrough to Daluo Golden Immortal, followed by a tribulation, was already enough to draw attention.

At this very moment, countless gazes converged upon him. Even those who previously paid no attention or thought little of Sha Chen’s talent were now discussing him.

「In the Lingxiao Palace of the Heavenly Court.」

The Jade Emperor urgently summoned his ministers to discuss the matter.

The Jade Emperor said, "It has come to our attention that the one undergoing tribulation just now was Sha Chen. He has already broken through to the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm without anyone knowing."

Although he spoke calmly, everyone could sense the outrage in his tone.

Li Changgeng too was shocked, his face a picture of disbelief. Sha Chen has become a Daluo Golden Immortal? How did he manage the breakthrough? He was only a True Immortal before being banished. To become so terrifyingly powerful in just a hundred years!

Pagoda-carrying Heavenly King Li Jing was also astonished, his eyes darting around. He thought, It seems that Sha Chen is a talent worth investing in. He then furrowed his brow, pondering how he could win Sha Chen over.

The Jade Emperor slammed the table and said, "Which of you will tell me what we should do?"

The Barefoot Immortal said, "Your Majesty, why not pardon Sha Chen, recall him to Heaven, and offer him a position as a divine general or marshal, so he may continue to serve the Heavenly Court."

The Jade Emperor inwardly sighed with a bitter smile. How could he not want to? But it was now beyond his power to recall him. The people sent out on the journey to retrieve the scriptures are like water that’s been poured out. If Sha Chen hadn’t been so outstanding, he might still have had a chance to bring him back. Since Sha Chen is so outstanding, Buddhism certainly won’t let him go.

What infuriated the Jade Emperor was how Sha Chen could be so exceptional.

He thought to himself, Damned Sha Chen, hiding so deep, even I didn’t know you were this outstanding.