The Legend of the Great Desolation: I Am the Fortress

Chapter 158 Though I am but a mortal, my heart still yearns for the sky.

Wow~~~
The crimson lightning shattered, instantly transforming into endless crimson electric snakes.

In the sky, endless crimson lightning snakes roamed everywhere, instantly enveloping the enormous creature that stood silently in the void.

call out!
The chaotic vortex in the sky instantly contracted, transforming into a dazzling bolt of lightning.

A flash of lightning had already entered Lei Zhan's body.

This bolt of lightning was so fast that it was impossible to resist.

"The Heavenly Tribulation...I've survived!" Lei Zhan murmured softly, and the spatial and temporal power surrounding him instantly vanished.

With a whoosh, the enormous three-legged golden crow's body instantly retracted, returning to its original form, a faint smile appearing on its face.

With a wave of his hand, two different chaotic wonders appeared in the air.

These are the remaining two great chaotic treasures: the Earth Rock Crystal, representing 'Earth' among Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire, and the Jade Dew, representing 'Water'.

With a thought, Lei Zhan easily outlined the unique and mysterious runes of the Nine Directions Qi Refining Method in the void with divine power.

Runes roared and merged directly into the two chaotic artifacts.

Soon, the two chaotic artifacts began to melt, and in a short while, they turned into two blobs of liquid of different colors, which were swallowed directly by Lei Zhan.

Of the four great tribulations of the celestial beings, the first three tribulations—wind, fire, and thunder—have the effect of transforming the bodies of cultivators, allowing them to truly 'transform from mortal to immortal'!
The Celestial Tribulation is the process of achieving the body of a Celestial Immortal.

The Heavenly Tribulation is the process of attaining the body of a Heavenly God.

Of these three tribulations, the lightning tribulation is the most ferocious and has the best effect on tempering the body.

In the Nine Directions Qi Refining Method, the first two Heavenly Tribulations are both chaotic wonders that transform into corresponding attributes.

This tribulation of lightning was achieved by using the last wisp of divine lightning to completely transform the body into a divine form.

At the same time, the earth, water, wind, and fire were completely fused together to form the prototype of a celestial golden pill.

All that remains is to overcome the final tribulation of inner demons so that this Celestial Golden Pill can be completely condensed!

……

"He survived! Lei Zhan has survived the heavenly tribulation!" Wang Shu looked at Lei Zhan, who had fallen from the void and was now sitting cross-legged on a large rock, resting with his eyes closed.

For a moment, her smile was radiant, like countless beautiful flowers blooming in spring.

……

"He can even withstand such world-destroying innate divine lightning..." Sun Wukong's face was full of smiles, but he still muttered to himself:
"Junior Brother is such a prodigy. He will gain even more benefits from passing through the Innate Divine Lightning than from the Pure Yang Golden Light Lightning! At this rate of cultivation, he might soon be on par with me!"

"No, no! When I get back this time, I, Old Sun, must also seriously comprehend the Great Dao! I've cultivated for countless years, only to be overtaken by a newly initiated junior brother... That feeling isn't pleasant!"

……

"Junior brother, you are truly extraordinary. Such achievements, once the time is right, will be remembered by countless immortals and demons!" Ji Dian shook his tattered fan again, a leisurely smile on his face.

Clearly, he was very happy to see Lei Zhan successfully overcome the heavenly tribulation.

……

"Junior brother..." the woodcutter murmured to himself, then his figure flickered and he vanished from the spot.

He arrived silently, and when he left, few people noticed.

……

“Junior brother…” Silver Moon God looked at the figure sitting cross-legged in the distance with a deep gaze, and then glanced at Red Snow God beside him without making a sound. “Now that you have passed the Heavenly God Tribulation, and have a deep connection with the Star Picking Palace… I suppose you will also be arranged to participate in those wars.”

……

"The Heavenly Tribulation...I've passed it!" the Crimson Snow God murmured softly. "Once...I've passed the Heart Demon Tribulation, I will become the Lord of my Star-Picking Mansion lineage! And those few...should settle down now."

……

Each person who watched Lei Zhan's second primordial spirit undergo tribulation felt a mix of emotions, and various thoughts also flashed through their minds.

But Lei Zhan was unaware of all this.

Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't care now.

Because the tribulation of inner demons has already arrived!
The tribulation of heavenly lightning that Lei Zhan experienced was already unprecedented in the entire Three Realms, and this tribulation of inner demons will only be more terrifying.

It might even be more terrifying than those legendary accounts!
……

"Young Master, Young Master is awake!"

A crisp sound echoed in Lei Zhan's ears, causing him to pause in surprise.

"Master?"

Leizhan slowly opened his eyes.

He looked around, a question lingering in his mind.

"Is this... am I undergoing a tribulation of inner demons?"

He was surrounded by a large, simple, and unassuming room that felt strangely familiar.

"Am I... inside the tribe?"

"My memories seem to be getting increasingly blurry," Lei Zhan murmured softly.

He found himself back in his childhood, back in the tribe he once belonged to.

This time, the entire Donghe Lei clan was spared from divine or demonic calamities, and the entire tribe was not destroyed.

And Lei Zhan himself was able to grow up without any worries.

Although the entire Donghe Lei clan was small, the most powerful cultivator was only a small clan of Wanxiang Zhenren.

Fortunately, Lei Zhan's parents were core members of the Donghe Lei clan, which led him to embark on the path of cultivation.

This time, there was no passing of the three trials, no chance to be accepted as a disciple by the immortal Juhua, and similarly, no black bead to help with enlightenment.

Lei Zhan is merely a tribal genius who has awakened memories of his past life.

He had even completely forgotten his own memories of cultivation, and only vaguely knew that he was undergoing a tribulation of inner demons.

Lei Zhan's inner demon tribulation was terrifying. In the world of inner demons, his understanding of the Dao and his memory of various supernatural powers and methods were directly obscured.

It was like a grand dream, everything was just an illusion.

Although Lei Zhan's inner demon tribulation was unprecedentedly terrifying, it was not omnipotent. Although many of his memories were obscured, his mental strength at the peak of the third level could not be erased.

Even with the mental strength at the peak of the third level, his journey in this life was far less smooth than in the real world.

Through his mental effort and cultivation over tens of thousands of years, he also acquired a second primordial spirit, and eventually both of them successfully cultivated to the late stage of the Returning to Emptiness realm.

"In the Desolate Era world... Qi cultivation and divine demon body refinement are all at the stage of returning to the void. Even transcending tribulations to become an immortal is still just the starting point," Lei Zhan sighed inwardly.

Thanks to his mental strength, he began his tribulation.

It's very easy to possess the mental strength at the peak of the third level, which is comparable to the combat power of a celestial god or true immortal.

Neither the Heavenly God Tribulation of the main body nor the Heavenly Immortal Tribulation of the second primordial spirit is difficult.

Although his Heavenly Tribulation encountered the Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation, he easily overcame it.

In the world of inner demons, time slowly passed, and the mental strength at the peak of the third level naturally could not help him solve all problems.

In the world of inner demons, one cannot attain enlightenment.

Although countless years have passed, Lei Zhan has recalled some memories. He is still a celestial being, but he has become somewhat famous throughout the Three Realms.

However, one day, Lei Zhan heard some news.

The River of Oblivion has broken, and the Bridge of Helplessness has collapsed.

Even the six realms of reincarnation were completely shattered and destroyed.

"The underworld is shattered!"

Lei Zhan murmured to himself.

"Someone is manipulating the Two Realms Calamity Dragon Life and Death Array to attack the Six Paths of Reincarnation, causing the Underworld to shatter..."

"Is this day finally coming?"

Lei Zhan knew that the great calamity of the Three Realms recorded in that book from his past life was about to descend.

The impending war between the three realms filled Lei Zhan with terror. Even a powerful god was nothing more than cannon fodder of a higher rank in such a great battle.

He couldn't change anything, nor did he have the power to change the course of the battle.

"why why?"

"I've already changed my original destiny, and both my main body and my second primordial spirit are at the level of celestial gods and true immortals... yet I still have to face this great battle in the end?"

"Is a speck of dust destined to remain forever just mud that falls into the ground?"

Lei Zhan shouted in his heart.

However, the power of the inner demon tribulation was beyond his control.

time flies.

century.

Millennia.

Long periods of time pass quickly.

Finally, the final battle that Lei Zhan least wanted to see arrived.

This great battle far surpassed the usual inter-realm wars, with the vast and endless forces of immortals and demons on both sides almost filling the entire void.

Both sides suffered heavy losses, but Lei Zhan's main body and second primordial spirit were fortunate enough to survive the fierce battle.

But suddenly.

Something unexpected happened!

With just a thought from that towering figure, the Pangu Creation Formation where his second primordial spirit was located was directly annihilated by endless, terrifying water and fire.

"Do not--"

Lei Zhan watched from afar, his heart filled with boundless rage.

Few can calmly watch their second primordial spirit be annihilated into nothingness by the terrifying ancestral water and ancestral fire.

Lei Zhan closed his eyes.

He had once been unwilling to be ordinary and had struggled desperately, but now that the moment had come, he still couldn't face it calmly.

"This inner demon tribulation is truly real."

Lei Zhan suddenly smiled, a silent smile, yet one of relief.

Only when you know the vastness of the sky can you truly understand your own insignificance.

"The tribulation of inner demons is nothing more than a part of the evolution of the Heavenly Dao. Even the Heavenly Dao cannot control my life, let alone a mere tribulation of inner demons?" Lei Zhan said softly.

Although he was surrounded by endless immortals and demons, he became incredibly calm for a moment.

"And my heart, even if it is as lowly as dust, can only be controlled by myself..."

As Lei Zhan shouted these words, he immediately felt his Dao heart become incredibly clear.

……

"Hmm? This inner demon tribulation is so powerful? Junior brother has been trapped in the inner demon tribulation for more than three months now!" Jiang Jun looked at Lei Zhan, who sat cross-legged in the middle of the wilderness like a lonely stone, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

The inner demon tribulation of cultivators usually ends in seven days. For those exceptionally talented individuals, it only took them a little over a month.

But now... more than three months have passed outside, and perhaps countless years have passed inside.

However, they were unaware that, within the world of inner demons, over a hundred million years had passed since the birth of the Three Realms, and countless more had gone by. They had all awaited the cataclysmic calamity that was supposed to occur after endless ages.

“More than three months…that is indeed a bit long.” Ji Dian also looked into the distance, and put away the tattered fan in his hand.

"Hmm?" Wang Shu frowned as she looked at the figure. "The aura... Lei Zhan's aura is starting to weaken!"

"It's his heart, his heart is weakening." Sun Wukong was so anxious that he kept scratching his head.

In the tribulation of inner demons, once one is completely immersed in it, or completely surrenders to the world of inner demons, along with the real world, one will die and perish!

The aura surrounding Lei Zhan grew weaker and weaker, making even the disciples of Fangcun Mountain extremely nervous.

Waited for more than an hour.

The vibrant energy of the camp had been completely extinguished.

"Ok?"

"This……"

"Failed?"

Each of them looked terrible. They had all survived the most terrifying lightning tribulation, a tribulation so terrifying that no one had ever seen it before. Yet, in the end, they all fell victim to the final tribulation of their inner demons.

"Did we fail?" Wang Shu's eyes were filled with endless disappointment.

"Hey~~"

The Silver Moon Celestial sighed, "Junior Brother's tribulation is far too terrifying. If it were me, I wouldn't dare say I'd be even 30% confident I could survive it completely. But Junior Brother, this is only your second primordial spirit; you'll have your main body in the future..."

"Ok?"

suddenly.

Everyone's eyes lit up. They all looked at the figure sitting cross-legged.

boom! "

In the instant that Lei Zhan's aura completely vanished and he could no longer be detected.

However, in just the time it takes to breathe, Lei Zhan's aura suddenly rose rapidly and even became more vigorous.

……

The world of inner demons.

"Mortal world..."

"So... this is the true meaning of the 'mortal realm'?"

"I am but a humble mortal, yet my heart still yearns for the sky!"

Lei Zhan spoke softly, his heart yearning and yearning.

Everything became empty, void, and ethereal...

At that very moment, the vast army of immortals and demons still surrounded them, and there were still figures as powerful as if they were destroying the world.

But everything around him seemed less real to Lei Zhan.

"Let it end! It's all time to end it!"

Lei Zhan smiled, a faint smile, yet it seemed to be etched onto his face at that moment.

"broken!"

Suddenly.

"Boom~~~"

Space shattered, turning into chaos and darkness.

Then, the surrounding chaos once again transformed into reality.

"Huh?" Lei Zhan was taken aback, and the smile on his face disappeared.

"The tribulation of inner demons...is it not over yet?"

Lei Zhan looked around again.

This is a beautiful valley, filled with countless flowers in all their vibrant colors.

In the valley stood two figures that seemed incredibly familiar.

"Wangshu? Withered grass?"

……

(End of this chapter)