The aftereffects of the seventh Purple Thunder of the Heavens still echoed in the air. Xiao Qi knelt on one knee, his breath disordered, blood staining his shattered clothes. However, his eyes were like tempered steel, showing not the slightest sign of defeat but burning with even more intense fighting spirit. He could feel that the Golden Core embryo within his body, tempered by the frenzied Thunder Tribulation, was condensing and becoming complete at an unprecedented speed, just one step away!
But Heaven clearly did not intend to give him any breathing room.
Above his head, those heavy tribulation clouds covering a hundred li had transitioned from the deep purple to a heart-stopping interweaving of dark gold and chaos! The destructive aura reached its extreme, as if the entire sky were about to collapse, thoroughly crushing this heaven-defying individual below!
"The eighth tribulation, Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder!" Chieftain Mu Yan's voice carried a despairing rasp. This was already a legendary tribulation thunder, which only supreme prodigies with reversed heavens foundation could trigger! This thunder contained a thread of chaos-destroying intent, no longer a single attribute but the source of all thunder, annihilating everything!
"RUMBLE—!!!"
There was no blinding thunder light, only a seemingly slow yet as if bearing the weight of the entire heavens dark golden chaotic current, slowly descending from the center of the tribulation clouds. Where it passed, space twisted, light annihilated, all things returned to nothingness! That pure, unquestionable destructive will caused Zhao Tiezhu and Chieftain Mu Yan watching from afar such soul-crushing terror that they nearly knelt in submission!
Facing this destructive strike that far exceeded the previous ones and was nearly at the level of Heavenly Dao origin, Xiao Qi knew that any single technique would be insufficient to resist! He took a deep breath, extracting the last of his body's strength, placing all hope on his most fundamental foundation!
"Four Symbols, appear!"
He silently chanted in his heart. Within the depths of his dantian, the Four Symbols Jade Pendant that had been dormant and stabilizing the universe suddenly erupted with unprecedented chaotic light! The four enormous, extremely solid holy beast shadows of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise, as if crossing through time from antiquity, suddenly appeared around Xiao Qi in the four directions!
The Azure Dragon coiled, its dragon cry clear and melodious, radiating boundless vitality and power, forming a cyan-green curtain of light.
The White Tiger guarded, its tiger roar shaking the forest, radiating violent killing intent and sharp metal energy, transforming into a bright-white barrier.
The Vermillion Bird spread its wings, its phoenix cry reaching the Nine Heavens, radiating the Southern Bright Separating Fire essence that could burn all things, condensing into a crimson ring of fire.
The Black Tortoise crawled, its turtle and snake intertwined, radiating immense defensive and cold-ice power, constructing a jet-black fortress of defense!
The Four Symbols holy beast shadows, head connected to tail, their auras blending, formed a perfect cycle, firmly protecting Xiao Qi in the center! Chaotic-colored light flowed, as if evolving a newly-opened small world, forcibly withstanding the terrifying pressure and annihilation intent brought by the Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder!
"BOOM—!!!"
The dark golden chaotic current violently struck the Four Symbols protective barrier!
There was no earth-shaking explosion, only a teeth-grinding, world-founding being ground away eerie sound! The Four Symbols barrier vibrated intensely. The Azure Dragon shadow let out a mournful cry, its light dimming; the White Tiger shadow howled continuously, its killing energy being constantly eroded; the Vermillion Bird fire ring flickered uncertainly; the Black Tortoise fortress showed hidden cracks!
This Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder was actually forcibly decomposing and annihilating the Four Symbols origin!
Xiao Qi, at the center of the barrier, endured immense pressure. His bones creaked, blood continuously seeping from his seven orifices. But his eyes were wild, fully stimulating the Four Symbols Jade Pendant, maintaining the barrier unbroken!
At the same time, he did something extremely bold, even!
He did not merely defend passively but actively guided a thread of Purification Origin, like the most nimble fingers, penetrating the Four Symbols barrier, carefully touching that destructive Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder!
This was not for attack but for."Purification"!
He intended to use his own Purification Origin to cleanse the pure destructive will within this world-annihilating thunder!
"Sizzle—!"
The moment the Purification Origin contacted the Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder, a violent sound occurred, as if cold water hitting boiling oil! That destructive will was tyrannical, frantically counterattacking, attempting to also annihilate that thread of Purification Origin!
Xiao Qi grunted. His spiritual sense felt like pierced by thousands of steel needles, extreme pain. But he guarded a point of clarity on his spiritual platform, operating the Purification True Intent that had transformed after merging with the World-Purifying Ling Yan—no longer simple dispersion, but accommodation, understanding, transformation!
He "saw" the essence of that destructive will, not pure malice, but Heaven maintaining balance, a heartless mechanism for clearing "anomalies"!
He no longer attempted to "destroy" this destruction but guided the Purification Origin, like diverting a flood, attempting to "appease" that violent destructive will, slowly stripping and purifying the violent, chaotic parts, leaving only relatively pure "annihilation" energy free of subjective malice!
This was an extremely dangerous process, like dancing on the tip of a blade! Any carelessness, and the Purification Origin would be thoroughly assimilated and annihilated, his divine soul would also suffer severe damage!
However, relying on a deeper understanding of the path of purification and the essential improvement brought by the World-Purifying Ling Yan, he actually.barely succeeded!
That thread of invading Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder, although still violent, had its core that was full of malicious destructive intent specifically targeting Xiao Qi personally, worn away by the Purification Origin! Although just an insignificant thread, it caused the entire Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder's power to develop an extremely minute, disharmonious obstruction!
That single obstruction became the last straw that broke the camel's back!
"Roar!""Howl!""Cry!""Bellow!"
The Four Symbols holy beast shadows seemed to seize this fleeting opportunity, all letting out sky-shaking roars! The chaotic light blazed once more, forcibly withstanding the slightly reduced Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder!
After about three breaths of stalemate, that dark golden chaotic current finally exhausted its energy, slowly dissipating between heaven and earth.
The Four Symbols shadows also became extremely dim, nearly transparent, eventually returning into Xiao Qi's body. The Four Symbols Jade Pendant's light was faint, clearly having consumed enormous energy.
Xiao Qi sprayed another mouthful of blood, his body swaying, but he ultimately.still stood!
Eighth tribulation, Chaotic Heaven-Annihilating Thunder, relying on Four Symbols Protection and the desperate act of Purification Origin, barely.passed!
He raised his head, looking toward those tribulation clouds that seemed to have become even more angry, brewing the final strike. The corner of his blood-stained lips curved into an unyielding arc.
Just one more left!