Chapter 155: Great Demon's Tribulation!!!

In the suburbs of the capital, dark clouds covered the sky, making day and night indistinguishable.

A Northeast tiger over two meters long and weighing about 300 kilograms roamed the forests, its whole body brownish-yellow with multiple narrow black stripes arranged horizontally on its back and sides, looking extremely imposing.

But it moved stealthily, its round head occasionally peeking out to look around; the aura of the king of the mountains diminished somewhat, instead gaining a somewhat sly feeling.

"Roar!"

It raised its head to look at the extremely low sky, the Northeast tiger seemed somewhat fearful, couldn't help but let out an angry roar to bolster its courage, then quickly went deep into the forest, disappearing without a trace.

Not long after, several vehicles stopped nearby, and a group of people got out, among whom there were indeed police, holding guns.

"That tiger must have run into the forest on this side."

It turned out that there was an animal zoo nearby, and one of the Northeast tigers had accidentally escaped; the zoo could only seek help from the Forestry Bureau, and finally, based on the tiger's trail, they locked onto this location as the target.

The capital is located at the northern end of the North China Plain; further north lie the Yin Mountains, while to the south stretches an endless plain, making the capital's terrain a junction of plain and mountain range.

Now that the tiger has gone into the mountains, it's a mixed blessing: the good side is it won't threaten urban residents' safety; the bad side is that finding the tiger may take considerable time.

"Looking at this, a heavy rain is about to fall; by then it will probably be even harder to find."

"Heaven isn't on our side."

"First, seal off the vicinity, don't let people go up the mountain, and by the way notify nearby residents to stay on guard so they aren't accidentally harmed by the beast; also guard the roads at the mountain base to prevent the tiger from running down from the mountain."

As the orders were conveyed, a cordon was quickly set up at the mountain base, strictly forbidding outsiders from approaching.

It was finally decided to split forces into two groups: one team guarded the mountain base entrance, while the other ventured into the mountain to conduct a search.

Such a large-scale operation quickly attracted the attention of many nearby villagers and townspeople, who pointed and gossiped there.

"They've even sealed off the mountains; what are they doing?"

"I don't know; why are these people holding guns? They look quite frightening."

"What's happened around here? Could it be that some fugitive has run over?"

The villagers only found out after inquiring that a tiger had actually escaped from the zoo and entered this mountain.

"Good grief, there really is a tiger in the mountains; these people are here to catch it. We'd better leave quickly, lest we cause trouble—if the tiger charges down, it would be disastrous."

"When you go back, also tell each other: don't approach this area unless necessary; once the tiger is caught, the blockade will be lifted."

Not long after, the authorities also issued a notice to nearby residents, reminding them to stay vigilant and not linger.

Meanwhile, the search party in the mountains soon discovered large beast footprints on the ground, the traces having been made only a short while ago.

"It seems that Northeast tiger should be right here."

The footprints led westward; originally they expected to spot the tiger, but instead they found only a pile of tiger dung.

Later the footprints spread southward; when the search team rushed there, aside from a pile of tiger dung they found nothing else.

It seemed as if the Northeast tiger knew people were coming to catch it, creating doubtful formations, leaving these footprints to confuse their vision and thus conceal its true traces.

"This tiger is quite crafty."

The Northeast tiger played hide-and-seek with them, but given the search team's numerical superiority, even though it created doubtful formations, its traces were still discovered.

If given a bit more time, it might really have escaped, but unfortunately the search team arrived too quickly; no matter how clever, it couldn't outwit humans.

At this moment, amidst the lush green trees, a yellow shadow stood out conspicuously, and the special police slowly raised their tranquilizer guns.

"Fire!"

The dark muzzle was already aimed at the Northeast tiger's body.

"Whoosh!"

Accompanied by the whistling sound of air being split, the Northeast tiger's ears and tail quickly prick up; its pair of icy beast eyes accurately gazed toward where the forestry staff and special police were located.

"Roar!"

Accompanied by an earth-shaking roar, it lunged forward, the tranquilizer needle also striking its hind leg, quivering a few times before falling off.

The Northeast tiger quickly vanished into the underbrush; when the crowd went to pursue, there was no trace of it left, only a tranquilizer needle remaining on the spot.

The forestry worker stepped forward quickly, picked it up, and saw that half of the liquid remained inside.

"Some anesthetic has entered its system; the Northeast tiger shouldn't be able to run far—let's keep tracking."

Although human speed can't match the tiger's, if the anesthetic takes effect, they still might be able to catch up.

The brownish-yellow shadow moved with extraordinary agility, leaping through the undergrowth, but soon its speed gradually slowed, presumably due to the anesthetic taking effect.

The Northeast tiger staggered drunkenly, its beast eyes gazing at the sky above; as the shadows closed in, it sensed a powerful aura descending nearby!

The threat it posed was even heavier than that of the group of people just now; an indescribable fear made the Northeast tiger's whole body tremble!

"What kind of existence is that?"

It didn't know, and had no cognition of it.

It simply felt inexplicably that it was an oppression emanating from the level of life itself!

Its original tiger roar turned into a whimper like a kitten's; its beast eyes shrank to pinpoint size, and all its fur stood on end, becoming fluffy.

Instinctive fear combined with the anesthetic's effect made its body sway on the verge of collapse, and finally it could no longer support itself, crashing to the ground.

Although the Northeast tiger's consciousness remained clear and it wanted to leave, it had already lost the ability to move.

But at that moment, it suddenly widened its eyes, revealing a hint of terror.

Because it saw a creature not particularly large, circling in the distant forest, raising its head to question the heavens, gazing straight at the firmament.

Although that creature's size wasn't huge, it exuded an aura that overwhelmed the eight directions, every move captivating the tiger's heart and soul!

"Ooooh..."

At that moment, it seemed to also catch sight of itself, but only a fleeting glance, which instantly made the Northeast tiger whimper and lie honestly on the ground, ceasing to struggle.

That was—a giant snake!

……

The ink-black hue above grew ever denser, the forest already reaching the point where one cannot see their own hand in front of their face.

The search team members moved through the mountains and forests, flashlights in hand, looking for the tiger's shadow, "Strange, it should be around here; why can't we find any trace of the tiger?"

"The anesthetic should work, right? In theory, it shouldn't be able to go far."

"Just as everyone was searching, a bolt of lightning tore open the dim sky, the black curtain suddenly ripped open a huge gap, a blinding flash filled their vision, and the deafening thunder startled them."

"Looking up at the sky, thunderbolts raced about, already taking shape, the faintly emanating pressure made people's hearts turn cold."

"\"Continuing the search in this weather would probably be somewhat unsafe. \""

"Under a big tree it's easy to be struck by lightning, and they aren't carrying any lightning protection gear; looking at the dark clouds overhead, they probably won't dissipate anytime soon."

"After discussion, they decided to first go down the mountain, but the descent was also not peaceful; a sudden gale arose, blowing the surrounding trees this way and that, making it feel as if even people might be blown into the sky."

"During this time, more thunder rumbled on, inexplicably making people's hearts race."

"The locations where this lightning struck are not far from where they had been searching earlier; one can imagine that if they didn't leave now, they might get struck by lightning."

"\"This weather is too strange; such a heavy thunderstorm came out of nowhere. \""

"……"

"Although the Meteorological Bureau hasn't yet detected the cause of the black clouds' formation, it has monitored unstable airflows within, containing extremely violent lightning energy, which will greatly affect citizens' activities."

"Therefore, the Capital Meteorological Bureau immediately issued a red lightning warning notice, reminding citizens to strengthen precautions."

"【According to our station's observations, a large-scale lightning event is expected soon, with gusts reaching level 11 or above; please guard against the adverse effects of thunderstorm gales and lightning disasters, advise relevant units and personnel to take precautions, our station warmly reminds: in lightning weather, try to reduce outdoor activities.】"

"Because of the red lightning warning, the Capital airport was also affected, with the flight display board showing entirely red, indicating no takeoff."

"Many passengers were stranded in the airport, not knowing when normal service would resume; asking staff, the replies were also vague."

"\"What the hell, I still have a business trip; why wasn't I notified earlier? They suddenly cancelled flights, and now it's too late to rebook. \""

"\"Rebooking is useless; all flights are grounded—you can't exactly fly the plane yourself. \""

"\"Doesn't that mean we're all stuck here? This is just too unlucky. \""

"\"Looks like there's red lightning weather; going out isn't safe—spending a little extra time is better than losing your life. Look at the weather outside—who would dare run out there? \""

"\"You can't say that either; our time is precious too—why couldn't they have given notice earlier? \""

"\"The airport side didn't detect it either; they also just got the notice—no one wants this kind of sudden situation. \""

"Inside the airport, complaints immediately rose; no one had expected a sudden grounding, but given the abrupt weather change, there was nothing to be done."

"The Capital airport is fairly large; due to the grounding, nearly ten thousand people were stranded inside."

"The airport staff promptly gave an explanation; they too had just received the notice, sent personnel to try to soothe travelers' moods, and offered appropriate compensation."

"No one expected that the initially small black clouds would spread so quickly, instantly covering the entire Capital and causing such a huge impact."

"Looking up at the sky through the glass, lightning snakes surged, a storm loomed; travelers could only complain and hope the weather would clear soon."

"Not only the airport, but the railway and road departments also entered a state of suspension."

"After all, thunderstorm weather is likely to create convection in the air; once strong winds arise, these departments face major safety hazards, so for caution they still suspended related transport."

"Citizens on the streets were also hurried; many tourists secretly lamented their bad luck, and the streets that had just been bustling were now empty."

"Construction sites everywhere had also halted work and taken corresponding protective measures, reinforcing sheds, scaffolding, and towers to avoid accidental falls."

"Besides that, outdoor venues such as parks, scenic areas, and amusement parks also issued warnings, immediately closing relevant zones, evacuating visitors, and ceasing operations."

"Considering the uncertainties of thunderstorm weather, even schools urgently suspended classes, asking parents to pick up their children to avoid any accidents."

"Under the shroud of black clouds, the entire Capital was affected."

"Once a bustling metropolis, it now resembles a ghost city, dead silent!"

"……"

"The violent wind blew the surrounding trees this way and that, but Ye Qin stood unmoving like a rock."

"He gazed at the tribulation clouds above; the pressure grew heavier, almost making him unable to breathe."

"Ye Qin's jade-like eyes sank into an unprecedented solemnity; he had a premonition that this heavenly tribulation differed from previous deterrent tribulations, and feared it would not be easy to overcome!"

"According to Ye Qin's understanding, heavenly tribulation is a natural constraint on mighty life; only by undergoing its baptism and transformation can one forge a divine body, transcending the mundane, while those who fail become tribulation ash, returning to the origin of heaven and earth."

"And if one wishes to undergo heavenly tribulation, they must absorb the primal qi of heaven and earth; that is what draws heaven and earth's attention, bringing down the tribulation."

"Thus, from the moment Ye Qin began absorbing the heaven-and-earth qi, it was already destined."

"Those previous tribulations were merely minor skirmishes, incapable of posing a lethal threat to Ye Qin; they were meant to deter, to make him yield when faced with difficulty."

"But heavenly tribulation is different; a slight mistake could very well mean the annihilation of both body and soul."

"Now he has perfected his Golden Core and is cultivating his primordial spirit, finally provoking heaven's intervention, thus bringing down the heavenly tribulation—a great trial for him."

"Success means life evolves, thereafter stepping onto the path to immortality;"

"Failure means body and spirit vanish!"

"The air grew ever more oppressive, as if time had stopped at this moment, with not even a breeze stirring."

"In the distance lay a tiger, trembling, its whole body tense, low growls rumbling in its throat; it was clearly terrified to the extreme, yet dared not rise."

"It feared Ye Qin, and also dreaded the heavenly tribulation."

"Just then, Ye Qin's eyes sank, as if sensing something, and he let out a faint serpentine hiss."

"\"Here it comes! \""

"He looked up."

"Within the black clouds a massive vortex formed, white lightning tore the sky in two, revealing an unfathomable rift within."

"Silver snakes darted through the clouds, silver waves surged, as if in an endless ocean they stirred towering tsunamis that devoured everything between heaven and earth."

"The raging wind howled from all directions, nearly overturning that tiger."

"\"Boom! \""

"Only a tremendous roar was heard, as if the earth shook and mountains trembled, like ten thousand horses galloping forth, deafening."

"Crack!"

"In the next instant, a huge purple flash smashed the darkness, like swords clashing, carrying the force to shatter rotten wood as it fell from the ninth heaven, finally descending upon the mortal realm!"

"It charged straight toward Ye Qin!"

At this moment, the whole capital was lit up, the Forbidden City draped in a layer of white gauze; the Summer Palace shone as bright as day; inside Prince Gong's Mansion, exclamations came one after another; the Ming Thirteen Tombs seemed to echo with ghostly wails and wolf howls……

Heaven and earth lost their color!

(End of chapter)