Chapter 1668

"Is this the heavenly tribulation?" Shang Hongxue lifted her head, gazing at the enormous Hunyuan Bell hanging above Longshe Shan; looking up from below she saw only pitch‑black emptiness, nothing visible. She knew clearly it was her husband's weapon, the Hunyuan Bell.

In the darkness, countless golden runes spun, emitting an especially captivating light; a single glance would draw one in. These runes carried Chen Chuyang's insights—his understanding of formations, of heaven and earth—and from any single rune one could sense one's own Dao.

Shang Hongxue watched the runes; no thought needed, they entered her mind and imprinted themselves automatically, then she comprehended them without effort. This situation truly frightened her, but she quickly adapted, entering a particular state of insight.

Beside her, Shang Hongchen, seeing this, was filled with envy.

"This is too absurd! I can't even comprehend a single rune, yet they keep rushing into Hongxue's body, playing favorites."

She felt envy and resentment; Shang Hongchen knew her envy was useless—it was the runes' choice. Her talent and comprehension were insufficient to earn the runes' approval, so she could only watch helplessly as Hongxue continually gained insight.

She also wanted to gain insight, tried a few times, then gave up—she simply couldn't understand, completely baffled; all she could do was stay beside Hongxue, acting as her Dharma Protector. The Hunyuan Bell kept vibrating; each bombardment by the heavenly tribulation shook the surrounding cosmic order.

Immediately afterward, they too were affected by this vibrating energy; the formation above also trembled, bearing the Hunyuan Bell's vibrations. The bell's sound penetrated the formation, shaking their bodies and minds; those with weaker cultivation fled directly, unable to face the Hunyuan Bell head‑on.

Liu Yuer and the others returned to their rooms, activated the formation, and hid together with Shang Hongxue and Shang Hongchen's children; Hu Yueer and her two companions did the same, not daring to come out, for the heavenly tribulation's power is the bane of the Monster Race—any stray bolt can shake their souls, possibly causing collapse at any moment.

Unable to bear it, they could only… hide, trying to stay as far from the heavenly tribulation and the Hunyuan Bell's vibrations as possible.

Xiao Qian'er came out of the Pill Refining Hall, affected and unable to continue pill refining; she lifted her head, gazed at the Hunyuan Bell, and was instantly stunned.

"What is this?"

"Is Master's weapon undergoing tribulation?"

Xiao Qian'er knew it wasn't Master undergoing tribulation but Master's weapon; according to her knowledge, a weapon's tribulation only means either it is ascending to become a holy artifact, or Master has forged a heaven‑defying weapon that violates cosmic law, thus inviting the tribulation.

Clearly, the Hunyuan Bell before them was not just freshly forged; that is to say…

"Is Master's weapon about to ascend?"

"Hiss, a holy artifact."

Xiao Qian'er's heart was shocked, but she dared not speak it out; she knew enough, and this must not be leaked, or it would cause great trouble.

"Master."

Xiao Qian'er saw Chen Chuyang's figure standing on Longshe Shan, outside the formation, beneath the Hunyuan Bell.

With hands behind his back, he gazed at the heavenly tribulation in the sky; countless overflowing tribulation forces entered his body, most of which he absorbed, preventing the formation from being shattered directly by the tribulation; boundless lightning coiled around him, forming a huge lightning sphere—anyone who approached this area would die.

Clearly, Longshe Shan could remain so tranquil thanks to Chen Chuyang standing there absorbing the tribulation's power.

The fearsome heavenly tribulation power, upon reaching Chen Chuyang, became as gentle as a spring breeze, absorbed by him and turned into part of his body.

The tribulation power entered his body, tempering it and, incidentally, strengthening Chen Chuyang's Hunyuan Body—this was done deliberately.

Grandmother Long Zetian also left seclusion; she couldn't stay in, the commotion was too great to cultivate peacefully, so she came out to see what was happening, instantly appearing beside Shang Hongchen and the others, opening her mouth to ask—upon seeing Shang Hongxue's state, her pupils widened gradually.

"Is this an epiphany?"

"Hiss, this girl actually…"

The state of epiphany—that was her lifelong pursuit; no, rather, it is the state all cultivators seek. Once entered, cultivation advancement becomes the least noticeable; after epiphany, one can reap tremendous benefits—some directly find their own Dao and thereafter soar to the heavens.

Some obtain heaven‑defying abilities, others gain astonishing insights; Shang Hongxue's situation is far from simple. She immediately stopped her questioning, stood beside Shang Hongxue, and acted as her Dharma Protector.

She lifted her head and saw Chen Chuyang's figure—the boy wrapped in tribulation—still so heaven‑defying.

"Hiss, this boy is truly a monster; wrapped in tribulation, yet nothing happens to him."

"This tribulation resembles that of a holy artifact's ascension; could it be…?"

Long Zetian abruptly lifted her head, fixing her gaze on the dark shadow in the sky—the great Hunyuan Bell looming over them, enduring the tribulation's bombardment; each blast sent massive tremors, and in a daze she seemed to see the evolution of heaven and earth, the division of the world by earth, wind, water, and fire.

That vision flitted by in an instant, yet she still saw it.

"This… this…"

Long Zetian stepped back several meters, pointing at the sky in disbelief, her lips stammering.

Her continually trembling body could not believe what she saw before her—this was a holy‑artifact tribulation, the kind that occurs when a spiritual artifact ascends to become a holy artifact; she had seen this image in her memories, yet now she witnessed it with her own eyes beside Chen Chuyang.

What a magnificent sight—a holy artifact! If the Azure Dragon Clan had possessed a holy artifact back then, they would not have been exterminated.

"Chen Chuyang is too heaven‑defying—did he really produce a holy artifact? This is too crazy; am I hallucinating?"

"No, this is real; all of this is real."

"Is it truly a holy artifact?"

"Gurgle."

She still couldn't believe it, yet she kept staring at the sky; the tribulation's sound was fading—this tribulation was about to pass.

She knew that once the tribulation was successfully passed, the holy artifact would appear.

Chen Chuyang this boy truly completed it, truly did it; thinking of this, even the previous Ascending Dragon Pool paled in comparison. Long Zetian thought she had overestimated Chen Chuyang, but instead she had underestimated him.

"Hiss‑hiss‑hiss." Long Zetian sucked in a cold breath, stammering: "This boy is truly a monster; he can even forge a holy artifact, heavens!"

At this moment, Long Zetian's heart was filled with excitement; the rise of the Azure Dragon Clan was now within reach.

"Long Ming has borne a fine son."

"He really is a good boy."

Above the sky, Chen Chuyang lifted his head; the surrounding tribulation had not dispersed but grew more intense. He opened his mouth and swallowed all the tribulation force in one gulp; these forces were compressed and then entered his body internally, forcibly ingested and digested.

Then he leapt onto the Hunyuan Bell, standing above it, saw the tribulation about to dissipate, and charged straight into it.