The thunder roared continuously, and the sky was already filled with dark clouds. Countless lightning bolts interlaced, seemingly ready to strike at any moment. This was the thunder tribulation—specifically, Su Bai's thunder tribulation.
Su Bai looked up at the sky above him, his brows furrowed. The power of this tribulation was overwhelming, likely due to the high purity of his bloodline.
Meanwhile, within the Star Dou Forest, all the soul beasts were trembling with fear. Many hid in their lairs, not daring to come out. Those near Su Bai's location began to flee in panic. The entire Star Dou Forest was thrown into chaos because of Su Bai's thunder tribulation.
At the core of the Star Dou Forest, in a swampy area, the Emperor Crocodile was roused from its slumber. It lifted its massive head and gazed at the sky, its eyes sharp with anger. It couldn't believe that a soul beast had quietly advanced to a hundred thousand years right under its nose. The Emperor Crocodile felt its status as the overlord of the Star Dou Forest was being challenged. Known for its domineering nature, it couldn't tolerate any soul beast surpassing it, so it began to move.
Elsewhere, Su Bai had already transformed into his true form. His enormous dragon body appeared, now twice as large and even more majestic than a year ago.
The arrival of the thunder tribulation also awakened Xiao Wu from her sleep. When she awoke and didn't see her beloved beside her, she sensed his location and found him directly under the thunder tribulation. Anxious, she rushed out.
"Xiao Wu," Da Ming called out as he saw her emerging. "I can sense the boss's aura beneath the thunder tribulation. Is he going through a tribulation?"
"It seems so," Xiao Wu replied bitterly, a mix of worry and anger in her heart. She was angry that Su Bai didn't inform her he was about to face a tribulation. Although she understood he didn't want her to worry, she was still upset.
Unaware that Su Bai simply didn't have the time to inform her, the breakthrough had come too suddenly.
"These thunder tribulation looks incredibly powerful. I wonder if the boss can handle it?" Er Ming suddenly voiced his concern.
"Whap!" Da Ming immediately smacked Er Ming on the head with his tail, scolding, "Watch your mouth!"
He gave Er Ming a meaningful look, seeing Xiao Wu growing even more anxious.
"I'm going to find him!" Xiao Wu declared resolutely.
"No, you can't!" Da Ming stopped her immediately. "Thunder tribulations can only be faced alone. If you go, you'll distract him."
Xiao Wu hesitated, knowing that helping with a tribulation was impossible and might even cause more harm.
After a while, she spoke again, "I still have to go. Don't worry, I'll just watch from a distance and won't get too close. He's my beloved, and I need to see him with my own eyes."
With her determination clear, Da Ming had no choice but to accompany Xiao Wu along with Er Ming toward Su Bai's direction.
The thunder tribulation had been brewing for a long time, its power growing increasingly immense.
"It's finally starting," Su Bai muttered, his gaze firm. No matter how daunting the tribulation, he had to overcome it.
He couldn't afford any carelessness. The system had informed him that this was a unique tribulation for him, named the Ancestral Dragon Tribulation. As an ancient Azure Dragon, the absolute ruler among dragons, this tribulation was specifically designed for him. Its power was unimaginable, and it consisted of nine stages.
Crack!
The first stage began, with countless lightning bolts surging down toward Su Bai. This initial stage involved a total of 999 lightning bolts, and he had to endure them all to pass.
"Hmph!" Su Bai grunted, allowing the lightning to strike his body. For this first stage, he planned to rely solely on his Eternal Body to withstand the assault.
In an instant, Su Bai was engulfed by the countless lightning bolts. The sight terrified many soul beasts, knowing that they wouldn't survive even a single bolt.
Xiao Wu was extremely worried, but Da Ming tried to comfort her, saying, "Don't worry, Xiao Wu. The boss is incredibly powerful; he won't have any trouble."
Half an hour later, the 999 bolts of lightning finally ceased, and Su Bai's dragon form reappeared, unscathed. He had successfully withstood the first stage using just his body.
Soon after, the second stage began. Countless lightning snakes descended again, forming a cage around Su Bai. Without hesitation, he gathered energy in his dragon claws and unleashed an Eternal Azure Dragon Claw, shattering the cage. The second stage was thus easily overcome.
Next came the third stage. As the tribulation progressed, its power intensified. The third stage involved attacks from the five elements—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—each descending in turn.
Su Bai remained undaunted. He activated his bloodline power and faced the oncoming tribulations head-on.
As the hours passed, he successfully navigated through the fourth, fifth, and sixth stages. By the time he had overcome the eighth stage, he was visibly battered. His once majestic scales had shed significantly due to the relentless lightning strikes, leaving him appearing grievously injured.
However, only Su Bai knew the truth. Despite his seemingly dire condition, his state was actually quite good, even better than before. He was undergoing a transformation. Once complete, this metamorphosis would render him far more powerful.
"Su Bai, please be safe," Xiao Wu prayed, her hands clasped together as she watched anxiously. Da Ming and Er Ming were equally concerned. They knew there was one more stage left, and it was always the most formidable. They weren't sure if Su Bai could withstand it, especially in his current condition.
Their worries were compounded by the presence of a powerful entity within the forest's core. This entity, they knew, would not tolerate another hundred-thousand-year soul beast in the Star Dou Forest.
Boom!
The final stage of the thunder tribulation commenced with an ear-splitting roar. The sky above erupted with a brilliant display of lightning, which then coalesced into the form of a colossal dragon.
"A dragon made of lightning," Su Bai observed with a mix of awe and determination. "Perfect."
Instead of fear, he felt exhilaration. With a roar, he activated his bloodline power and surged forward to meet the lightning dragon head-on. A fierce battle between the two dragons ensued, their clashes lighting up the sky and shaking the forest below.
After an intense struggle, Su Bai emerged victorious. The final lightning dragon disintegrated, and Su Bai, though exhausted, stood triumphant.
Instantly, the sky cleared. The warm sunlight once again bathed the Star Dou Forest in its glow. Xiao Wu, seeing her beloved safe, sighed in relief.
"Fantastic! The boss did it!" Da Ming cheered.
"Boss is unbeatable!" Er Ming echoed, both of them celebrating Su Bai's success.
In the forest, a soul beast with a cultivation of ninety thousand years muttered, "It seems the Star Dou Forest has a new overlord."
"Not so fast," another soul beast, close to reaching the hundred-thousand-year mark, retorted coldly. "Don't forget, the one in the core won't allow this."
Suddenly, sensing something ominous, the soul beast halted mid-sentence and began to conceal its presence.
Before it could elaborate, a massive golden figure flew overhead, heading straight towards Su Bai's location.
The Emperor Crocodile, the ancient ruler of the Star Dou Forest, had been roused and was on its way.