The lightning slammed into the lead ship before branching out to the other four. The vessels were scorched black, and the formation shuddered violently as if on the verge of shattering.
The Dragon King let out a mocking laugh. "Can’t even withstand a single blow? Then witness the Five Thunder Tribulation, the very pride of your Immortal Arts. Hahaha!"
Nine-Thunder Tribulation (Rank B-S) is a lightning-type magic that descends from the heavens in nine progressive tiers:
- Low Tier (Rank B): 1*1 (1 bolt), 2*2 (4 bolts), 3*3 (9 bolts).
- Mid Tier (Rank A): 4*4 (16 bolts), 5*5 (25 bolts), 6*6 (36 bolts).
- High Tier (Rank S): 7*7 (49 bolts), 8*8 (64 bolts), 9*9 (81 bolts).
These bolts strike with varying colors. While they can manifest in one or two colors, it is extremely rare for all five colors to strike a single target simultaneously. Unlike the Five-Colored Divine Thunder, which always possesses five colors and spreads across multiple targets, this spell focuses its destructive power on one.
The Five Thunders consist of:
- Metal Thunder: White (Shatters Metal)
- Wood Thunder: Green (Shatters Wood)
- Water Thunder: Blue (Shatters Water)
- Fire Thunder: Red (Shatters Fire)
- Earth Thunder: Yellow (Shatters Earth)
(“Shatter” denotes a Critical Strike, multiplying damage exponentially: *2 times, *4 times, *8 times, and so on.)
The highest tier, the Nine-times-Nine (81 bolts), is known as the Lightning Tribulation. It is the bridge that allows a being to ascend from the Mortal Realm (Lv. 999) to the Immortal Realm (Lv. 1000). It is both a trial and a purification, refining a mortal shell into an immortal body. Success means being escorted by Immortals to the higher realms; failure means the total annihilation of the soul and cultivation, forcing one to reincarnate and start anew. This remains the greatest fear of the Great Immortals, causing many to halt their progress and settle for life as "Mortal Immortals."
The Dragon King began weaving his spells, combining the Five Thunder Tribulation (25% Critical Strike, 1 enemy, many times) with the Five-Colored Divine Thunder (100% Critical Strike, 5 enemy, 1 times).
- Tier 1: 1*1=1 Five-colored Critical Strike.
- Tier 2: 2*2=4 Five-colored Critical Strike.
- Tier 3: 3*3=9 Five-colored Critical Strike.
Every bolt carried five colors and triggered a Critical Strike, each more devastating than the last. At the 9th tier, the damage multiplier reached than 500 times (2^9). This forced every Sect Leader and Grand Elder to pour their energy into the ships' Five Elements Formations, exhausting every defensive spell in their repertoires.
The battlefield was a spectacle of divine grandeur visible for a thousand miles. The sky turned into a phantasmagoric canvas of colors that no witness would ever forget. Accompanying the chaos was the Dance of the Dragon Race, featuring the Four Great Dragon Kings and dozens of Yinglongs of various colors circling the heavens. Their Dragon Chant—the song of dragons—echoed through the heavens and the earth, awakening every slumbering creature to witness the upheaval.
This Dance and Chant was a God-Summoning Rite, calling deities from the Immortal Realm. Twenty-four Heavenly Lords (in civil official robes) appeared, glowing like suns, alongside Thirty-six Thunder Gods (in martial armor) radiating golden light. War drums thundered from the clouds, and trumpets of victory blared amidst the five-colored aura of the gods.
Suddenly, a Five-by-Five Lightning Tribulation (2^25) struck, obliterating the five flying ships. The formations shattered, and the cultivators were forced to flee into the open air to save their lives.
The Sect Leaders watched in horror as the deities from the Immortal Realm funneled energy directly into the Dragon King. They stood frozen in the air before a sight not seen in millennia. Seven Star (Lv. 899), standing atop a flying sword, bowed to the Heavenly Lords and Thunder Gods.
"May the Heavenly Lords and Thunder Gods appease their anger," he called out. "We came only to seek justice for our Sects following the Dragon Race's destruction. We have done nothing wrong."
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In response, hundreds of voices boomed simultaneously into Seven Star’s ears—and the ears of every Immortal present—like a form of psychic torture. As the voices faded, the Heavenly Lords and Thunder Gods vanished. The Dragon Kings and Yinglongs retreated into the clouds, leaving only the Dragon King behind.
"Very well," Seven Star said to the Dragon King, his voice strained. "We have received the message from the Immortal Realm. We shall sit down and renegotiate the previous Immortal-Dragon Treaty. Does that satisfy you, Dragon King?"
The Dragon King curled his lip into a smirk. "Not enough. We are not 'revising' the Immortal-Dragon Treaty. We are abolishing it. A new agreement shall be established: The Treaty of the Seven Great Races. The Immortal Race must return the rights stolen from the other Great Races."
The Seven Great Races are:
- Immortal Race (Successors of the Ancient Wu Race)
- Ancient Dragon Race
- Beastman Race (Successors of the Ancient Yao Race)
- Spirit Element Race
- Buddha Race
- Human Race (Successors of the Ancient Saint Race)
- Ancient Asura Race
The Dragon King's proclamation sent shockwaves across the entire Mu Continent. Every powerful entity on the continent listened as he continued:
"You, representing the Immortals, have led all races for too long under the guise of the 'Heavenly Dao.' But you only think of yourselves. The Heavenly Dao is balance for all, yet you suppress others to suit your whims. You demoted the Human Race—once equals to Immortals—to 'Sons of Heaven' who exist only to serve you. You branded the Dragons and the Yao as mindless demons to be loathed. You enslaved the Elves and manipulated the Humans and Buddhas to treat the Dragons, Yao, and Asuras as monsters to be exterminated, fueling endless war."
"Anything good is claimed as the work of the Immortals. Anything bad is blamed on us. What was once joined must now be divided. What belongs to a race must be returned to that race."
Seven Star narrowed his eyes. "Is this your wish, or the wish of the Gods?"
"Naturally, it is the will of the Gods in the Immortal Realm," the Dragon King replied. "If it were just for me, I would have taken my own spoils. Why would I drag the others into this?"
"This matter is too great for us to decide here," Seven Star conceded, seeking a tactical retreat for the injured Sect Leaders. "Let us meet in one month to discuss the details of this Treaty."
The Dragon King did not refuse. He had achieved his goal: escalating a minor skirmish into a continental crisis that forced the most powerful beings into the spotlight. As the Sect Leaders retreated to their floating islands to prepare their strongest artifacts for the confrontation in a month, they remained defiant. They believed that in a month, might would make right—and they did not believe they could lose, even with the Gods' interference.
The Emergency Council
Meanwhile, the three Royal Families of the Immortals—the Sun Elves, Moon Elves, and Star Elves—convened a meeting at the Moon City. They invited every Immortal of Nascent Soul rank and above, excluding the Beast and Dragon Immortals.
Three thrones sat at the head of the hall:
- Throne 1: Belonged to the King of Sun Elves (Lv. 999) (Deceased 500 years ago during the Great Rebellion, which ended the Golden Age of 1,000 Years of Peace).
- Throne 2: Occupied by the Queen of Moon Elves (Lv. 999) (The most powerful and influential female Immortal, Single. The female fairy tribe can give birth on their own, without needing a man, and always give birth to daughters).
- Throne 3: Occupied by the King of Star Elves (Lv. 999) (The elderly father of Seven Star and Nine Star).
The Queen of Moon Elves demanded an explanation. How did a simple matter of detaining a young dragon spiral into a continental crisis? After listening, she realized the truth: this was no accident. It was the Dragon King’s design from the very beginning.
"I see," the Queen said calmly. "And what solutions do you propose?"
Several Immortals shouted for "total war"—to suppress the Dragon Race so thoroughly they wouldn't lift their heads for another millennium. The motion gained massive support, but the Queen, a moderate, remained silent.
As they debated, news arrived from the Ancestral Dragon’s Nest:
- The Buddha Race: The Adida Buddha, whose standing form exceeds 10,000 meters, his body had long since turned into a mountain of stone. He sent his disciple, the Laughing Buddha. An Ancient Human with six fingers and six toes and green skin, he "sings" instead of speaking. Though his cultivation is equivalent to a Great Immortal (Lv. 801), he carries the Divine Soul of Adida Buddha (Lv. 999).
- The Asura Race: Represented by a 20-meter giant with four arms and blue skin, known as the Four-Armed God of Slaughter (Lv. 888). He arrived riding a massive drum, carrying the Divine Soul of the Asura Mother (Lv. 999), who possesses a thousand arms and a thousand eyes.
- The Yao Race: Represented by the Silver Stag Yao King (Lv. 950). A glowing deer standing 100 meters tall (capable of growing to 1,000 meters) with a sun-disk between its antlers and a smokeless black flame spirit stone orbiting it. Flowers bloom wherever he steps.
- The Spirit Element Race: No representative appeared, as they lack a collective ego and are easily summoned to support others.
- The Human Race: Remaining in confusion, only one Human dared to approach—the Human Emperor (King of Kings), a six-fingered Ancient (Lv. 999) who had disappeared 500 years ago.
Seeing the legendary representatives of the other races appearing one by one, the Immortal Race's confidence wavered. The talk of war died down, replaced by a desperate need for a diplomatic solution that would allow them to retain at least some of their dwindling dominance