Chapter 218: You Are My Tribulation!

High above, Kunyun stood with his head held high.

The Grand Ancestor of Great Shun, the Ascetic Monks of the Brahma Nation, the Heaven-Stealing Thief, Jin Hai... he had overcome trial after trial. Now, only a hollow Kunlun remained.

Surviving this life tribulation was finally within his grasp!

At this thought, Kunyun formed hand seals without hesitation. Using himself as the center, his magical power as ink, and his divine powers as a brush, he outlined a form.

Below, Wang Ping, who had been watching the battle, widened his eyes. The shape Kunyun was drawing was the exact same majestic dragon silhouette he had caught a fleeting glimpse of when that sliver of divine sense fought him earlier. This time, however, it was not just a single claw—it was a complete, flawless True Dragon manifesting in the heavens!

"So this is a destiny form..."

The Tribulation Transcending First Layer cultivated magical power, and the Tribulation Transcending Second Layer cultivated divine powers. What did the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer cultivate? Wang Ping had once asked You Xuexin and learned the answer.

The Tribulation Transcending Third Layer cultivated destiny.

By sensing karma, one traced their own trajectory within the torrent of destiny. The form depicted through this process embodied the cultivator's comprehension of their affiliated qi.

This was the destiny form.

For a cultivator, a destiny form was both a footnote to their own destiny and the future direction for Qi Refining Entering the Dao. It could truly be considered the foundation of the Immortal Dao.

Thus, some cultivators called this step Foundation Establishment, meaning that only by successfully mapping out a destiny form did one truly possess the foundation to pursue the Immortal Dao.

Because of this, the destiny form was the ultimate trump card for a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer. However, the vast majority of them would never release it. If a destiny form suffered any damage in a clash, the backlash would immediately ripple into the torrent of destiny, adding countless variables to their future life tribulations.

Only at a time like this.

Only when undergoing a life tribulation would a cultivator boldly and fearlessly unleash their destiny form, because this tribulation was fundamentally a test of the destiny form itself!

"I humbly invite the wood qi to preside! Born from the bursting seed, taking the form of thunder, blazing with fire to ride the dragon!"

Thunder rolled across the sky. Kunyun's figure vanished, replaced by a towering True Dragon that stretched across the heavens, surging with layers of thunder and fire as it summoned the wind and called the clouds!

Surveying the sight, the sea of clouds formed its mane, and its spine eclipsed mountain ranges. The wind and rain bowed before it like loyal subjects, while crackling lightning served as the whiskers framing its jaws. The towering antlers on its head stood like the axis of heaven and earth, commanding the five thunders, as golden, lake-sized dragon eyes stared fixedly at Kunlun.

Yang wood in the sky manifests as thunder and dragons!

This was Kunyun's core comprehension of the Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Azure Thunder Qi. Even more, it was the form he had painted within the torrent of destiny to symbolize himself.

The Jade Horned Dragon!

A chi was a hornless dragon that had received the mandate of heaven. By gaining jade, it became noble. It was only one final step away from growing horns, soaring into the heavens, and transforming into a True Dragon.

Being able to manifest such a destiny form proved two things: first, that Kunyun's Destiny Pattern was noble enough; and second, that his attainment in the Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Azure Thunder Qi was profound enough to earn the favor of the world's qi. Among the myriad destiny forms, this was absolutely top-tier—rare even among true transmission disciples!

Seeing this, Kunlun's expression grew complicated.

"Back then, Senior Brother's destiny form was merely an ink flood dragon that failed to earn the recognition of the Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Azure Thunder Qi. Now, it has finally transformed into a dragon."

With that said, this reincarnated true transmission disciple also formed hand seals. Lightly tapping the center of his brow, he channeled his magical power and divine powers to the absolute limit as he softly chanted:

"I humbly invite the fire qi to preside! Shining brightly in the Bing position, clinging to the midday sky, illuminating the six directions—the ultimate flame of the scorching sun!"

Before his words even faded, the heavenly light surged!

The radiance condensed at Kunlun's fingertips. Following the sweep of his arm, he casually drew a circle.

A scalding torrent of flames poured out from the ring Kunlun had drawn, washing the world in blinding white light and dissolving his own figure within it.

Below, Wang Ping looked up.

The Heaven's Will Profound Blade, which had originally acted as the sun, had been forcefully suppressed by Mingyou, its light dimmed. Yet now, a new blazing sun was slowly rising!

He had actually drawn a sun!

Faintly visible inside the sun was a divine bird of unparalleled magnificence. It spread its wings and let out a long cry that rivaled the dragon's roar and the booming thunder.

The Solar Radiance Crow!

A crow was a sun-bearing bird that carried the mandate of Bearing Heaven. It radiated brilliant light, governed the rising and setting of the sun, nourished all living things, and regulated the order of heaven and earth. It was equally a top-tier destiny form.

The blazing currents of flame and heavenly light erupted endlessly, incinerating all phenomena. Striking dead center, they violently collided with the thunder dragon Kunyun had become.

Yang fire crossed the sky, shining like the midday sun!

"Rumble!"

High in the sky, thunder rolled and flames scattered. Yet, the sound of their collision surpassed the limits of mortal hearing, rendering it seemingly silent and still.

Even so, this spectacle of a True Dragon chasing the sun—a scene previously found only in mythological tales—was now manifesting for real at the zenith of the sky. Just the aftershocks triggered massive landslides and earthquakes, terrifying the beasts below into fleeing and sending nearby commoners running to spread the word.

"The Heavens! The Heavens are furious!"

"Are they even human?"

"Run! Hurry and run!"

Even Loose Immortals dared not look too closely at such a clash, and Martial Dao Grandmasters could only flee. Across all of Great Shun, only a tiny handful of individuals still possessed the qualifications to gaze up at the sky.

"First Seat..."

In Shuzhong, Chenlong stared directly at the grand battle above. Tears streaming heavily from his eyes, he couldn't help but mutter, "It looks like that person from the heavens is going to win."

"Will you not act?"

Even though the mighty power displayed by Kunyun and Kunlun left him deeply shaken, he believed the First Seat still had the ability to handle it. Thus, he couldn't resist asking.

"I will not act."

A breeze blew, carrying an ethereal voice. "Chenlong, the Martial Dao emphasizes putting an end to conflict. You are a Great Grandmaster now; you must learn what endurance truly means."

With that said, the breeze drifted upward.

Faintly, a woman in white manifested her figure. Yet, her gaze did not fall upon the True Dragon chasing the sun. Instead, she looked far higher, beyond the canopy of the sky.

She had seen exactly how the Heaven-Stealing Thief's clone had suddenly dropped dead. If she interfered, she would be the next one to die.

Thinking of this, the woman in white immediately shook her head. "Conflicts of the Immortal Dao should be left to those cultivators to break their own heads over. I have never been fond of fighting..."

Besides—

"It's still uncertain who will win and who will lose."

...

"Crack!"

A crisp sound of shattering entered Kunyun's senses. To him, it was the most beautiful music in the world—because the sound came from the rising sun before him.

Right before his eyes, the wingtips of the Solar Radiance Crow were the first to collapse, shattering like colored glass and scattering into tens of thousands of motes of light dust. As for the rising sun it had formed, the thunder dragon's antlers pierced directly through its center. The dragon's body, woven from thunder and fire, acted like a steel nail spanning heaven and earth, pinning the sun dead against the vast sky.

"Junior Brother, I have won!"

Kunyun's laughter echoed like thunder.

However, within that laughter lay a touch of surprise and confusion. As far as he knew, Kunlun's current destiny form should no longer have been the Solar Radiance Crow.

Because he had committed the grave sin of betraying the sect.

Back then, their Master had personally taken action and forcibly altered his destiny form, shackling a layer of the condemned prisoner over the Solar Radiance Crow as a severe punishment.

'A Destiny Pattern can be changed, but a destiny form cannot. Could it be that when he awakened his memories this time, he also broke through the bindings of the condemned prisoner? Or perhaps...'

In the next second, Kunyun received his answer.

"Screech!"

The Solar Radiance Crow completely fell. The rising sun faded into darkness before shattering, revealing Kunlun's figure once more. Yet, there was not a trace of defeat on his face.

"I have lost."

Kunlun's tone was exceedingly calm. His body began to disintegrate from the fingertips, turning into scattered flares of light, while his sea of consciousness fractured inch by inch.

His death was absolutely certain.

Yet, looking at him, Kunyun felt not a shred of joy. The sensation of successfully crushing his life tribulation and shedding his mortal shell had simply never arrived.

"...What's going on?"

Kunyun gritted his teeth, his thoughts spinning wildly. 'Why is it like this? Is Kunlun not the key to my life tribulation? Impossible! Then who else could it be?'

From the very beginning, he had firmly believed that Kunlun—who shared a massive grudge with him—was the opponent for this life tribulation. All of his numerous setups and preparations had been solely to defeat Kunlun. But at the final moment, after thoroughly destroying him, he found that the life tribulation still hung over his head, undispersed!

On the other side, Kunlun remained placid.

"Senior Brother, the grievances between you and me are now settled. I have effectively severed my mortal ties. After I reincarnate for another lifetime, there will be no more karma between us."

"Reincarnate for another lifetime?"

Kunyun frowned deeply. "You planned to die at my hands from the very start? Are you joking...? Hm? Wait, what's going on with your destiny form..."

Suddenly, Kunyun saw that the fallen Solar Radiance Crow upon Kunlun's body was not dissipating. Instead, it plummeted toward the earth below like a falling meteor.

Why? The man was about to die, so his destiny form should have vanished alongside him.

Unless—

"Boom!"

In the unseen void beyond mortal senses, a deafening shout echoed out once more. Gale-force winds rose again, violently sweeping toward an indistinct silhouette:

"You still dare to interfere?"

"Courting death!"

It was the Heaven-Stealing Thief!

At the critical moment, he had struck once more! But it was not the Time-Stealing Thief—it was the Merit-Stealing Thief! He was transferring Kunlun's destiny form to someone else!

Right after completing the transfer, his silhouette was shattered by the fierce winds once again.

Yet, the transfer was already complete.

Although the mighty unseen power was merciless in striking down the Heaven-Stealing Thief, for some reason, it tacitly ignored the transfer he had just executed.

Who was it transferred to?

In a flash of lightning, Kunyun's gaze darted downward. He finally made out the figure standing at the crash site of the Solar Radiance Crow. It was a youth who looked equally bewildered.

Wang Ping: "...Huh?"

Wang Ping, who had just been happily watching the fight—wishing they would brawl even harder—stood completely dumbfounded. The only thing left in his ears was Kunlun's faint, ghostly sigh:

'With my destiny form, I help Fellow Daoist in Uniting Earth to Behold Fire.'

'I have troubled you, Fellow Daoist.'

Holy shit!

For Gui water to unite with Wu earth, the supreme yang Bing fire was required to transform it into flame—and Kunlun's destiny form was unquestionably the most vigorous Bing fire in existence.

In the next second, Wang Ping's aura explosively skyrocketed!

Seeing this, Kunyun's lips parted slightly. Sensing the karmic ripples of his life tribulation, he could no longer hide the sheer shock and disbelief in his heart:

"It's you?"

"You are my tribulation!?"