Chapter 172: Tribulation Crossing

You know, Sangyu is not someone who would easily seek death.

Even if you fall in battle here, she will not go looking for death; she will simply live on, until the day she avenges you by killing all your enemies!

You turn toward the Fox Clan Empress, take out the marriage contract, and hand it to her.

"I never expected so much to happen within three years."

"If I do not return, please allow me to break my promise and first apologize to the Empress; I hope you can understand."

The incident happened suddenly; breaking the promise was never your intention.

The Fox Clan Empress smiles: "If you truly break the promise, then I shall never marry again; keep the marriage contract as a memory."

"All the spirits of heaven and earth, I have set my eyes on you."

"If you do not want me to remain a lifelong widow, then come back and marry me."

The Empress is peerlessly elegant, stunning beyond compare; even in this dire situation, each smile or frown still captivates the soul.

"Alright."

You nod heavily.

Under Sangyu's and the Fox Clan Empress's gaze, you head toward the Heavenly Dome.

This time, you no longer rely on the protection of the Grand Array of Mountains, Rivers, and State, and you venture alone beyond the array wall.

You intend to do something that will shock the Ancient God Clan.

"Come! My tribulation! Come even more fiercely!"

All these years, you have long known the nature of the Heavenly Tribulation.

Within the Tribulation Crossing zone, anyone who interferes with a tribulation passer will be locked by Heaven's Will and regarded as an 'accomplice'!

This will cause the intensity of the Heavenly Tribulation to surge dramatically.

You wonder whether the divine thunder imbued with Heavenly Dao power can utterly annihilate the Moon Clan, and whether it can be broken by the Hidden Order Clan.

You will use your madness to seek an answer for the Human Race!

Boom—

The Tribulation Thunder roars; you charge toward the Nine Ancient God Clans, and anyone who cannot escape is locked by you.

Especially the Moon Clan that attacks in true form; ninety percent are within your Heavenly Tribulation range.

In this moment, you sense fear in the usually reckless Moon Clan.

They are frightened.

"Hahaha, you Moon Clan also feel fear?"

The more they fear, the more wildly you laugh.

Amid your laughter, the Tribulation Thunder crashes down like a celestial pillar, more terrifying than any you have seen, as if to erase everything.

Masses of the Moon Clan are reduced to ash under the thunder's onslaught.

You hear their cries of pain.

You clearly see the crescent mark on the Moon Clan's forehead shattered, confirming your hypothesis.

In the Tribulation Thunder's domain, the Nine Ancient God Clans must also submit.

The Heavenly Dao Rule supersedes the rules of the Nine Ancient God Clans.

You laugh more and more wildly.

Yet your target is not the Moon Clan; the Moon Clan attackers are relatively weak, and killing many holds little meaning for the Human Race.

Your goal is to destroy the Hidden Order Eye that spans across the Heavenly Dome.

The Hidden Order Clan has already sensed the crisis and wishes to retreat; the Hidden Order Eye is slowly fading.

But the Heavenly Dao Rule now covers this area; hiding away is not that easy.

"Hidden Order Clan! Dare you look at me again?"

You surge forward toward the Hidden Order Eye, cloaked in lightning.

The nearby Dragon Clan and Phoenix flee wildly, shouting, "He's gone mad! He's gone mad!"

They probably never expected you would summon such a terrifying Heavenly Tribulation.

The heavenly thunder continuously strikes.

The Hidden Order Eye inevitably gets hit by the thunder; each strike inflicts severe wounds upon it.

You can clearly feel the pressure from the Hidden Order Eye weakening.

This is one of the Hidden Order Clan's weaknesses.

When the whole clan shares a single core, sudden crises they cannot handle quickly render them extremely passive.

You know that even the strongest thunder cannot eradicate the Hidden Order Clan, but it is enough to keep them quiet for a while.

After this battle, the Human Race can catch its breath, and Sangyu will have more time to prepare.

As long as Sangyu advances to the next realm, the Human Race will stand on equal footing with the Ancient God Clan and no longer need to hide beneath the Grand Array.

As for you…

Perhaps you will never see that day.

You are the initiator of the Tribulation Thunder; Heaven's Will has locked onto you, and you endure damage far more frequently than any other target.

Such high‑intensity thunder strikes are beyond what you can bear.

You are already covered in wounds.

All protective talismans on your body have been shattered, your flesh is charred, blood flows nonstop, and your spirit is exhausted.

At this moment, the only thing that can help you deflect the thunder is the sword in your hand.

You lightly stroke the blade, a faint smile curling your lips.

"In this final moment, only you and I keep each other company."

The Sword Spirit Maiden's figure appeared.

Dong!

His heart trembled, as if the sea that had been calm for ten million years received a single drop of water, sending out ripples upon ripples.

He looked toward the girl, inevitably feeling a bit bewildered.

A tear bead dripped onto the back of his hand, washing away the soon‑to‑scab foul blood.

"Sword Spirit? Can it also cry?"

He and the Sword Spirit Maiden always merged in a strange state; in that world, they freely released one another.

He had always thought that it was illusory, belonging only to the spirit world.

But at this moment, the Sword Spirit Maiden's tear fell into reality, and also onto his heart.

"Master, I will accompany you."

The Sword Spirit Maiden stood firmly beside him, staring at the rolling Tribulation Cloud, as a stronger heavenly thunder was about to strike.

He recalled what Xi had said.

A Sword Spirit has a spirit; it will be a companion for his whole life.

She not only has a spirit; she is a real life!

"Fine."

He nodded heavily, "You and I, joining forces, can slay countless enemies; a mere heavenly thunder, what fear is there?"

The Sword Spirit Maiden said proudly, "Master, remember to choose me again in the next life."

The danger of death drew ever nearer.

He finally couldn't help but look back; Sangyu's eyes were blood‑red, her eye sockets filled with tears, staring at him tightly.

She wanted to rush toward him, but what held her steps back was the entire Human Race.

If she came, he would die in vain, and she would also die in vain; the entire Human Race would fall into a state where the Nine Ancient God Clans could freely slaughter them.

The Fox Clan Empress whispered into Sangyu's ear, as if saying something.

He saw her NineFoxTails constantly shaking, swelling, as if about to stretch beyond the formation barrier.

He shouted, "Empress, stop making meaningless sacrifices!"

He no longer hesitated, lifted his sword toward the sky and leapt.

The Sword Spirit Maiden followed him.

They drew ever closer to the Tribulation Cloud; the NineFoxTails also pursued them, and the Sword Spirit Maiden merged into the blade.

He lightly brushed his two fingers over the sword's spine, his gaze gentle.

"Sword Spirit, thank you, but you should not have accompanied me to perish here."

In an instant, he sealed the sword into its scabbard and threw her onto the Human Race's land.

"For the one who goes to death, I alone am sufficient!"