An unyielding will charged straight into the heavens, Lin Fang's eyes brimmed with defiance. At this moment, he was free, both in body and soul—none, not even the heavens, could stop his resolve.
With a "boom," a gigantic bolt of lightning descended from the storm clouds, striking Lin Fang squarely; it charred the originally vibrant and gleaming scales to burnt black.
An intense pain emanated from the struck area, but it did not frighten Lin Fang away; instead, it provoked his ferocity even more.
A second thunderbolt followed closely, striking at Lin Fang with vengeance. The giant python did not dodge or evade but instead charged towards the lightning.
This seemed to sound the horn for the attack of the Heavenly Tribulation, as incessant thunderbolts rained down on Lin Fang, each stronger than the last.
In an instant, Lin Fang's demon body was unrecognizable, resembling a tree charred by lightning—completely scorched, with a faint smell of burnt flesh faintly wafting through the air.
However, at this moment, the Golden Cores Lin Fang had ingested within began to take effect, with miraculous breaths tirelessly repairing his riddled body. His flesh shone with a silver light, the result of long-term consumption of Spirit Honey, resembling a spider web that held his flesh together.
His body may have been in shambles, but Lin Fang's eyes became brighter and brighter. He had never felt so good—not physical comfort, but spiritual fulfillment.
Eight consecutive thunderbolts, each more powerful than the last, were all resisted by Lin Fang.
The Heavenly Tribulation suddenly ceased its assault, becoming eerily quiet. Lin Fang knew that the most critical test of a demon creature's Transformation was upon him—the final trial: the Tribulation of Transformation. Naturally, many demon creatures, out of fear, avoided this lightning through various means. Although they could successfully transform, it would leave behind hidden problems.
Lin Fang had always believed in fully committing to what he undertook—how could he possibly flee? He aimed for perfect Transformation. He raised his snake head, which was too gruesome to bear, and roared into the heavens, his voice filled with an unwavering will.
Accompanied by a resounding boom, a massive purple bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking directly onto Lin Fang's body.
An intense pain surged through him. Although Lin Fang was prepared, it nearly knocked him unconscious. What was most terrifying was that this bolt of lightning ravaged everything it touched inside his body—instantly riddling Lin Fang's body with holes.
The power of this final thunderbolt exceeded Lin Fang's expectations; his body was about to be completely destroyed.
Yet, from within that thunderbolt emerged a unique power—a profound force that awakened all living beings, nourishing everything.
As if creating the heavens and the earth and shaping all living beings, Lin Fang's previously shattered body reappeared in a strange way. His internal organs materialized one by one, and now, Lin Fang had completely transformed into a human clad in a python's body.
The giant python slithered through the sky before coiling tightly around the mountain peak. With a gentle twist, it shed the blackened snake skin left by the Heavenly Tribulation, transforming into a handsome, fair-faced youth.
The youth was stunning, full of vitality. With a mere point of his finger, the shed snake skin transformed into a Daoist Robe that he donned with ease.
"This is true Transformation, a complete and utter change of form!" Lin Fang murmured to himself.
It was in this moment that Lin Fang truly understood why the last bolt of the Heavenly Tribulation was called the Tribulation of Transformation. Because only through the baptism of this tribulation could one be completely reborn. Otherwise, they were simply using the power of the Heavenly Tribulation to cleanse the Demon Qi from their body. In the end, they would still be trapped in a monster's form, unable to achieve a Taoist Body.
Having succeeded in Transformation, Lin Fang was ecstatic. However, a new problem quickly presented itself before him.
Without a suitable cultivation technique, the methods of the Demon Clan mostly stem from instinct, arising from their bloodline, yet vary from individual to individual. Only those with powerful bloodlines have a legacy of techniques to inherit. As for a little monster like him, he only had the most rudimentary of cultivation methods. Once he achieved transformation, that was the peak, and thereafter, there was no path in cultivation; everything depended on oneself.
Fortunately, he had successfully transformed and cultivated a Taoist Body, which allowed him to practice many of the dharma techniques from the Three Realms.
However, he was like a skilled cook without rice, for he had not a single suitable technique at his disposal.
Just then, a heat emanated from his chest. Lowering his head, he saw a flash of golden light as a book slowly appeared, its cover bearing the three bold characters: Journey to the West.
"Isn't this the book I was reading before I crossed over?" Lin Fang wondered, still in surprise.
The suddenly appearing Journey to the West radiated dazzling light and turned pages by itself, as if blown by an invisible wind. A page stood upright in the air, and on it was written: Understand the profound truths of Bodhi, break demons to return to the Primordial Spirit.
The fourteen radiant characters shone brightly, and soon a white mist emerged from the book, shrouding Lin Fang.
As Lin Fang groped through the fog, he soon found himself in a place surrounded by high towers and splendid palaces. Puzzled about his whereabouts, a ethereal voice reached his ears: "Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! The Tao is the most profound, do not take the Golden Core lightly. Without a wise man to transmit the Wonderful Secret, speaking is but thirst; your tongue will go dry!"
Lin Fang's heart trembled, following the sound, and soon he stood before a door—shut tight, but the window was wide open. Standing below the window, he clearly heard the voice inside.
"Esoteric and Exoteric Complete True Wonderful Secret, cherishing life is beyond words. Everything comes down to the Vital Essence, Qi, and Spirit, keep them secure and do not let them leak. Do not leak, store within, you receive my transmission, and your Tao will flourish. Remember these incantations, they are beneficial, dispel sinful desires and achieve coolness. Achieve coolness, bright and pure, then go unto the Elixir Platform and admire the Mingyue. Jade Rabbit hides in the moon, crow hides in the sun, naturally, the Tortoise and Snake entwine. Entwined, life is sturdy, and thus you can plant the Golden Lotus amidst fire. Condense the Five Elements in reverse order, and when your work is done, you may become a Buddha or an immortal."
The Dharma incantations that were not even to be transmitted to the Six-Eared had each reached Lin Fang's ears, laying bare the root source. Lin Fang was blessed with sudden enlightenment; he naturally grasped the cultivation method and could not contain his joy. He wanted to peek inside to see what was going on, but he found the view obscured by thick fog, and in the blink of an eye, he was back in reality, surrounded by trees and earth scorched by lightning.
He looked down at the Journey to the West in his hands, shocked and baffled. The Secret Technique that Patriarch Bodhi claimed was not to be transmitted to the Six-Eared had been obtained by him so easily—what secrets did this book hold?
Yet, the Journey to the West in his hand suddenly transformed into a beam of golden light and burrowed into his chest, disappearing from sight.
"Could it be that this book is the chief culprit behind my transmigration?" Lin Fang was full of doubts and suspicion, feeling as though multilayered mists veiled everything, obscuring his vision.
However, the commotion outside quickly interrupted his thoughts. His transformation had already alarmed the Buddhist forces. He saw a Gālan leading Buddhist Soldiers, rapidly approaching this place.
Seeing this, Lin Fang did not dare to be careless. Currently powerless to protect himself, if caught by these Buddhist Soldiers, his life would likely be forfeit. He quickly left the area.
Soon after, a Gālan accompanied by Buddhist Soldiers arrived at the scene, looking at the charred remains and sniffing the lingering scent of cooked meat in the air, he muttered with a frown: "It seems a monster has passed the Transformation Tribulation. It's a pity we are a step too late; it got away."
Behind him stood a line of towering soldiers glowing with a faint golden hue, expressionless and seemingly devoid of emotion, standing rigidly.
Lin Fang returned to his Cave Mansion and carefully checked his surroundings. Finding no traces of pursuit, he breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself, "Ever since the Black Wind Monster was captured, this place has completely fallen under the control of the Buddhist sect. Staying here is bound to lead to trouble sooner or later!"
He resolved in his heart that once his cultivation level was stable, he would leave this place and continue westward. For one, he had read the Journey to the West thoroughly and might seek benefits along the way. Secondly, those places were currently occupied by the Great Monster Kings, and as a little monster, he would find it easier to survive there.
Yet the thought of these places also inevitably falling under the Buddhist force's control as the Journey to the West progressed gave him an indescribable sense of urgency – he needed to rapidly increase his mana to survive; otherwise, there would soon be no place for him in this world.