Xiao Tian stood on the peak of the world, his form as magnificent as the heavens themselves. The universe bowed to his will, the stars bending at his command. He had faced countless trials, battled gods, and even defied the very laws of existence. Nothing could break him. His power was absolute, his immortality guaranteed.
Or so he had thought.
The Heavenly Tribulation, a trial meant to crush even the mightiest of immortals, loomed before him. Most would quiver at the thought of it….. mortals feared it, cultivators dreaded it, but not Xiao Tian. He had weathered storms that could wipe entire realms off the map. He had defied destiny itself, conquered forbidden arts, and snatched power from the very roots of the universe.
The world had trembled when he ascended to the peak of cultivation, yet now, standing alone beneath the darkened sky, there was no fear in his heart. His chest swelled with arrogance, a defiance that had served him well through centuries of battle.
"Let the heavens bring forth their storm," he muttered to himself. "I shall stand tall, even against the divine."
The sky above him twisted and turned, swirling like an angry sea. Thunder rumbled, and the air crackled with electric tension. The heavens had sent their punishment before, but Xiao Tian had always emerged victorious. This time would be no different.
But then, the lightning struck.
Xiao Tian's body trembled for the first time in his existence as the lightning struck him directly in the chest, its energy scorching his soul. The pain was unimaginable…. an agony that tore through him like a thousand swords cutting through his flesh, his bones, and his essence.
He screamed, his immortal body, forged through countless battles, was no longer invincible. The energy coursed through him, burning away his power and his immortality.
For the first time in centuries, Xiao Tian felt fear. The absolute certainty of his strength faltered and it was then he realized the tribulation had finally broken through his defenses.
The pain was unbearable.
"No…" he whispered, "I… I will not fall."
But even as he gathered his remaining strength, the second bolt struck, then a third, and then another. Each one slammed into him with an intensity he had never experienced before. His body crumpled, his arms barely able to hold him upright as he fell to his knees.
There was no escaping this. No running. The heavens had spoken.
Xiao Tian's vision blurred, and for the first time in his life, he could not sense the flow of energy around him. His body, once impervious to time and decay, began to wither under the force of the tribulation. His heart thudded weakly in his chest, but he could no longer hear the pulse of his immortal soul.
The final bolt came crashing down, more powerful than any of the others.
He looked up to the heavens one last time, his face twisted in defiance. "Is this how I die? At the hands of the heavens I served?"
Then, with a blinding flash, everything went black.