บท 866: Ch 866 - Powering Up
As Alex was the one who was crafting the pill, he was the one who received the most lightning strikes. He dealt with them easily, summoning a shield that protected both him and Verity. It absorbed the lightning bolts like a sponge absorbs water.
Within the lightning tribulation, the sparkling, translucent pill became even more dazzling. At first, there had been some milky white marks inside it, but after being bathed in the lightning, it became transparent, like a flawless diamond.
"Thirty lightning bolts, thirty-one, thirty-two..."
Alex counted aloud as his expression became more and more serious.
This was a similar process to when a person underwent the lightning tribulation. The more stable their power was, the stronger they were, and the higher the probability of surviving the tribulation. Treasure pills were the same, so success wasn't guaranteed.
"The next one should be the last," he said, looking up at the sky.
The thunder died away, and all the storm clouds within miles gathered above the furnace. Then a giant vortex formed, flickering with lightning.
"The thirty-sixth lightning tribulation!" he cried.
The peal of thunder was so loud that it briefly deafened everyone, and then the next few moments passed in eerie silence.
A lightning bolt in the shape of a dragon descended from the sky.
The lightning dragon was very detailed. Alex could make out four legs, a horned head, and even individual scales. The majestic creature landed heavily on the pill, and a moment later, there was a tremendous explosion.
The entire city block became a sea of lightning, and every building shattered.
Everyone watching from outside the area was astonished. Many mortals fell to their knees, thinking that a god had descended in rage. Even Agatha, who was out in the suburbs, trembled.
They couldn't imagine what Alex might have done to cause this.
There was a small area around Alex and Verity that no lightning could penetrate. The shield he had placed was protecting them both.
"Did it work?" Verity asked anxiously.
After seeing the terrifying power of the lightning dragon, she was worried that the pill hadn't been able to withstand the explosion.
Alex didn't answer. He simply stared at the center of the whirling clouds, his eyes shining with a golden light.
The lightning finally dispersed and revealed a crystal-clear diamond, without a trace of impurities, shining in the sky above him. Tiny threads of electricity spun around it.
He felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He let out a sigh of relief and allowed himself to smile.
"The treasure pill is finished."
The soul concentrating pill was one of the more powerful varieties of treasure pills. Alex had crafted it using lightning fruit and a thousand-year-old water dragon's core. Then, he had refined it with thirty-six bolts of heavenly lightning.
"I've done it," he said, his eyes sparkling. "Now it's time for me to advance further."
Anyone swallowing this pill would advance quickly, and they would be able to break through an entire realm, or maybe even two.
But with his deep understanding of the process, he intended to do more than that.
Verity looked at him, clearly puzzled, so he decided to explain.
"The second of the twelve incantations, the thunder god, is the divine lightning beast. With this pill, not only will I grow stronger, but I can also master this power. Then I will possess two divine-beast bloodlines. My strength will be beyond the imagination of this realm's Earth immortals."
Each of the twelve incantations symbolized an evolutionary leap. The divine beasts in the first nine stages were almost equally strong, but each of them had their own set of abilities. When anyone learned an incantation, they would gain a new divine ability, as well as a tougher body and a boost to their spiritual energy.
Even learning just one more would make Alex significantly stronger. But with every incantation he learned, his power would increase even faster, and eventually, it would be possible to learn all twelve. So, by completing a second incantation, he would be well on the way to amassing serious power.
"When the time comes," he said, "I won't even need to use any divine abilities or magical powers to fight against my peers. I can rely purely on my physical strength to push my way through."
He said goodbye to the others, and then he flew out of the city and found a hidden valley to begin his seclusion. He was determined not to leave again unless he succeeded.
When he did return, the entire divine realm would tremble.
Alex laid down layers upon layers of protective spells around the valley to ensure that no one could find or disturb him. Then he took out the treasure pill, swallowed it, and started cultivating his power.
After just one day, it was as if he had been training for several years. His body was enveloped by a dazzling white light, and within the light, numerous lightning dragons coiled, refining his body until it became crystal clear and bright.
**
While he was in seclusion, the entire divine realm was in turmoil. The realm hadn't produced a man like Alex in thousands of years. Eight powerful warriors had joined forces and hadn't been able to defeat him. With that alone, he could be ranked among the strongest in the world. He was on equal footing with the masters of the greatest sects.
Countless emissaries gathered in the city from all directions.
Alex was a young man, and he didn't come from one of the great sects. Many of the Earth immortals and sect masters saw an opportunity to increase their family's strength by offering their daughters in marriage to this powerful person.
Everyone was looking for him, but no one could find him.
Fern, Agatha, and Verity instantly became sought-after figures—especially Verity, who was rumored to be Alex's disciple. Everyone seemed to regard her as his spokesperson.
Not sure how to deal with it, she asked Agatha for some advice. "There are so many families and sects in town. They keep coming to ask if my teacher is here, and some want to propose marriage! But I have no more idea where he is than anyone else. And they're sending me all sorts of valuable gifts. I don't even know if I should accept them."
"Relax, Verity," Agatha said, reassuring her. "The Great One became famous after that battle. He's one of the most powerful beings in this realm, so it's natural for people to want to curry his favor. It doesn't matter whether you accept those gifts or not. The most important thing right now is the attitude of the seven great sects. He's killed so many powerful people from elite families. The seven great ones won't let this matter rest."
"You think they want to fight with my teacher?" Verity was even more upset now.
"They might not be able to fight him," Agatha said thoughtfully, "but there must be a reckoning."
Agatha came from a powerful sect, so she knew the way of things. If a sect couldn't recruit a person like Alex, then, to maintain the rule of the high sects, they would plot to destroy him.
**
It was the tenth day of Alex's seclusion, and shocking news rippled through the divine realm.
Kaden, the head of the Crimson sect, had asked the Great One to meet him.
The entire realm was thrown into an uproar. Three hundred years ago, Kaden had defeated a powerful ancient being. Ever since then, he had firmly held the title of the divine realm's number one master and had fought off many challengers. Legend had it that he wasn't too far away from becoming a celestial immortal.
And now, this heaven-shattering and earth-shaking figure wanted to meet with Alex.
The seven great sects had started to make their moves, and everyone was waiting to see how Alex would respond.
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