Chapter 2003: Heaven Collapses and Earth Sinks

"I originally wanted to say it, but the young master left in such a hurry that I didn't even have a chance to get the words out."

Zhao Buzhu explained with a troubled expression.

"You didn't tell Young Master Ye that he needs to go to the Northern Wasteland for his heavenly tribulation? How could you be so careless?"

The middle-aged man widened his eyes, full of anger, and questioned Zhao Buzhu.

Although in Prison Immortal Town, all cultivators undergoing heavenly tribulation choose to go to the Northern Wasteland, but the specific reason is unknown to anyone.

However, Zhao Buzhu at this moment seemed unaware of the seriousness, still responding with a puzzled expression.

"I really didn't have time to tell him, but even if I hadn't, it shouldn't be a big deal, right?"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man almost jumped up in anger; he was about to continue scolding Zhao Buzhu a few more times, but the words died on his lips.

Seeing him shake his head helplessly and let out a heavy sigh, he then ignored Zhao Buzhu, turned around sharply, and shot off toward outside the town like an arrow released from a bow.

At the same time, among the crowd originally gathered together, a small group of people, as if summoned, hurriedly followed the middle-aged man, fleeing in all directions outside the town.

Seeing this sudden scene, the people left behind were all dumbfounded, staring at each other, completely unaware of what had happened.

For a moment, the whole scene became chaotic, with people whispering and discussing, various speculations and questions filling the air.

Just because they didn't go to the Northern Wasteland for the heavenly tribulation, how could it lead to such a situation?

It's truly puzzling; moreover, what exactly do that middle-aged man and his companions intend to do?

"What on earth are they going to do?"

One person whispered.

"I don't know."

Another person likewise lowered his voice in response, while the person beside him also shook his head with a suspicious expression, indicating he had no idea about the current situation.

However, Ye Zhangqing, who was in Prison Immortal Town, knew nothing of this; at this moment he was fully focused on withstanding the heavenly tribulation.

Only see those thick bolts of heavenly thunder, like heavenly dragons, striking down from the firmament with a force that could destroy heaven and earth, as if they wanted to swallow Ye Zhangqing whole and strip him alive.

Yet facing the heavenly thunder pouring down from all directions, Ye Zhangqing had no intention of dodging or evading at all.

When the heavenly thunder struck down upon him, he resolutely chose to meet it head-on, directly clashing head-on with the heavenly thunder.

Not long after, the first wave of heavenly thunder shattered under the impact of Ye Zhangqing's formidable strength.

Although he succeeded in shattering the first wave of heavenly thunder, the thunderclouds above his head did not dissipate; instead, they seemed to be gathering power in secret, preparing to unleash a more terrifying heavenly tribulation.

Ye Zhangqing lightly exhaled a breath of turbid air, secretly thinking that this first wave of heavenly thunder posed little pressure to him and his body had suffered no injury.

Thus he raised his head, his gaze fixed straight upon the heavy thunderclouds above, silently awaiting the next wave of heavenly thunder without distraction.

Under Ye Zhangqing's sharp, sword-like gaze, the oppressive thunderclouds above seemed to sense an unprecedented provocation, instantly becoming restless.

The countless bolts of heavenly thunder flashing with dazzling light were like angry, roaring giant dragons, emitting deafening roars.

At that very instant, a bolt of heavenly thunder far stronger than any previous wave surged forth from the rolling, surging thunderclouds with an overwhelming force, carrying a terrifying aura of annihilation, and rushed straight toward Ye Zhangqing.

For a moment, the heavenly thunder filling the sky intertwined, forming a heavenly net that obscured the sky, as if the apocalypse had arrived and the world was about to be destroyed.

Yet beneath this terrifying canopy of heavenly thunder, Ye Zhangqing appeared incredibly small; his figure was like a speck of insignificant dust, seemingly about to be swallowed whole by this violent force at any moment.

Even so, facing such an overwhelming disparity, Ye Zhangqing showed no fear.

In the blink of an eye, when the heavenly thunder descended like Mount Tai pressing onto an egg and reached Ye Zhangqing's front, he tightly gripped his long blade and unleashed a series of extremely fierce slashes.

Instantly, several blood-colored blade lights tore through the void, colliding fiercely with the heavenly thunder with an unstoppable momentum.

Only a deafening "Boom—" was heard; the heavens and earth trembled, and the seemingly indestructible heavenly thunder was torn apart the instant it contacted the blood-colored blade light.

Immediately thereafter, in merely the blink of an eye, the heavenly thunder that could have destroyed heaven and earth vanished like smoke dissipating in the air.

Ye Zhangqing's way of undergoing the heavenly tribulation was simply crude and brutal to the extreme, relying solely on his own formidable strength to confront the heavenly thunder head-on.

The heavenly thunder that makes countless cultivators pale with fear posed no threat whatsoever before Ye Zhangqing.

Only see one after another mighty heavenly thunder striking repeatedly, yet without exception they were all shattered and torn apart by Ye Zhangqing's head-on resistance, while he himself remained completely unharmed, standing like an immovable war god between heaven and earth.

The heavenly thunder in the sky rolled down like silver dragons, roaring as they charged toward Ye Zhangqing.

Yet these mighty heavenly thunder could not inflict substantial harm on him.

Nevertheless, as the heavenly thunder continued to fall endlessly, a heart-pounding force was silently accumulating.

Ye Zhangqing concentrated fully on resisting the heavenly thunder strikes from above, completely unaware of the changes occurring beneath his feet.

Only see the solid ground, under the continuous impact of the heavenly thunder, beginning to show fine cracks.

At first, these cracks were as fine as a spider's web, but they quickly spread, gradually deepening and widening.

Before long, the entire ground looked as if covered by a huge network of fissures, a shocking sight.

Those cracks kept expanding and extending, as if the earth could not bear the weight, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

Finally, when Ye Zhangqing realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Only a deafening boom was heard as the already cracked ground instantly collapsed and sank, forming a bottomless pit.

Dust flew and shattered stones scattered, the scene both spectacular and terrifying.

"This is...... what's happening?"

Ye Zhangqing stared in astonishment at the suddenly collapsed earth before him, his heart filled with doubt and shock.

Such a situation had never occurred in his previous heavenly tribulations; what exactly caused the ground to collapse?

Could it be that some mysterious and powerful force lies hidden underground? Or could it be that this heavenly tribulation differs from previous ones, containing more perilous variables?

Countless questions surged in his mind, leaving Ye Zhangqing momentarily unable to make sense of anything.