Chapter 428

Chapter 428: Certain Death

“It’s actually him!”

After some searching, the crowd quickly confirmed the target and gasped in surprise.

Most of the cultivators had come here early to start their training in hopes of reaching the Void Refinement stage before others, but they did not expect Ji Yang, who had just arrived, to break through to that realm.

Considering the previous experience with the young man, they dared not speak much, choosing instead to observe quietly.

This person had a strange and solitary personality, and they were afraid he might get physically aggressive over a single word or action; they certainly did not want to attract Ji Yang’s attention.

Although some felt apprehensive about Ji Yang’s strength, they still prepared to watch his Tribulation Crossing.

This person was incredibly powerful, easily defeating opponents of the same stage, and on top of that, he specialized in body-refining techniques, giving him a natural advantage during the Tribulation Crossing.

Such a cultivator would undoubtedly be able to survive the lightning calamity, and their chances of success would increase as well.

They didn’t need to do anything but gain confidence! Who wouldn’t want such an opportunity?

In an instant, all the cultivators present stopped their training, moving aside to prepare for the spectacle of Ji Yang’s Tribulation Crossing.

Facing their gaze, Ji Yang seemed unfazed, but then he remembered something and spoke up to remind them:

“This lightning calamity is quite enormous; it’s best if you all don’t watch!”

Upon hearing Ji Yang’s warning, everyone scoffed.

What lightning calamity? Why should they not look? They absolutely wanted to watch! What were they afraid of?

Though they thought this way, no one voiced it; instead, their actions and expressions showed their disdain.

Seeing that they weren’t listening, Ji Yang didn’t try to persuade them further and instead focused on dealing with the lightning calamity.

As the Techniques within Ji Yang circulated rapidly, his realm instantly shot up from Late Spirit Transformation.

In an instant, the entire sky turned dark.

The sudden darkness caused a stir below:

“What’s happening?”

“What’s going on?”

…

The crowd became restless, looking up only to see countless calamity clouds gathering from all directions.

“Is this the calamity clouds?”

“How can it cover such a vast area?”

…

It was no wonder the crowd was astonished. When the previous young man crossed his tribulation, the clouds above only stretched a few miles, and there was still light outside the lightning calamity.

But now, these calamity clouds directly shrouded a radius of dozens of miles. Everywhere under the clouds was dim, and all the cultivators situated below felt awe at this strange phenomenon.

As thunderous roars erupted from the clouds overhead, many in the crowd’s hearts skipped a beat, as if they were the ones crossing the tribulation, not someone else. The expressions of several cultivators quickly turned grim.

Could such an overwhelming storm truly be for this man?

This made many cultivators present feel a twinge of regret; perhaps they should have listened to the warning after all. However, the calamity clouds had already gathered and expanded for dozens of miles, making it a bit late to leave now.

Moreover, they wanted to see how this grand lightning calamity differed from other lightning calamities; they feared missing it and regretting it later.

Ji Yang, positioned directly beneath the center of the lightning calamity, slightly raised his head to observe the calamity clouds forming above him, his expression becoming somewhat serious.

Was it really necessary to make such a fuss for just a Void Refinement stage lightning calamity?

This was more powerful than the lightning calamity he faced during his Spirit Transformation stage, more than several times its intensity. Clearly, this lightning calamity was extraordinary, and he needed to respond carefully.

However, the next moment, determination shone in Ji Yang’s eyes.

He had been diligent and hardworking in his cultivation for … two whole years!

How could a mere lightning calamity defeat him?

Under everyone’s anxious gaze, the first lightning calamity struck swiftly.

The crowd initially blinked as a bright flash lit the area, followed by a tremendous roar in their ears. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning, as wide as an arm, descended from above, aiming directly at Ji Yang!

“Hiss.”

Seeing this, the onlookers retreated several hundred meters to avoid being caught in it.

However, glancing at this first bolt of lightning, which resembled the third lightning bolt faced by the previous young man, prompted gasps of astonishment from the crowd, who fixed their eyes on Ji Yang, eager to see how he would respond.

Under their watchful gaze, Ji Yang remained immovable, showing no intent to summon any defensive treasures.

Although the onlookers recognized his mastery of body-refining techniques from his physique, seeing him stand firm before the arm-thick lightning bolt, ready to resist it with just his body, made many shake their heads.

This was indeed a bit too arrogant.

While body-refining techniques could effectively weaken the force of a lightning calamity, lightning calamities were also extremely destructive to physical bodies—ordinary body refinement could hardly withstand its power.

If he had a treasure to serve as the first line of defense, he could use body-refining techniques to gradually disperse the remaining power of the lightning calamity.

Thus, Ji Yang’s action seemed like a death wish to the crowd.

Yet, they still watched Ji Yang without blinking, wanting to see how he would cope.

As the thick bolt of lightning struck Ji Yang’s head, he instantly became enveloped in electric light; this was the manifestation of the power of lightning calamity, and each spark was enough to cause headaches for other cultivators.

In the flickering light, the crowd could not see Ji Yang’s figure clearly, but they sensed his aura remained intact and undiminished.

When the power of the lightning calamity dissipated, they looked closely and saw Ji Yang, struck by the lightning, completely unharmed, even his hat remained untouched.

“What… kind of body-refining technique is this? How can it be so formidable!”

…

The others fell silent as well, unsure of how to express their shock.

Such a powerful body-refining technique was something they had never seen before, and the key point was that Ji Yang’s clothing was entirely undamaged, which seemed utterly unreasonable.

“Wait, this person seems to be able to absorb the power of lightning calamity?”

Among the crowd, an elder quickly noticed the anomaly. The power of lightning calamity was highly destructive, and only by absorbing it could one remain unharmed.

Hearing the elder’s explanation, the crowd nodded in agreement, and one person couldn’t help but express their incredulity:

“Does that mean this person can cross the tribulation without injury?”

But as soon as this was said, several cultivators looked at him as though he were a fool.

The elder merely smiled.

“Hahaha, how could that be possible? Even if this person has such abilities, the power of lightning calamity is not something that can be easily absorbed! Just this one bolt of lightning is enough for him to bear. If he absorbs too much power of lightning calamity, he will simply be turned to dust under its impact. How could he take it in?”

“In my opinion, for this second lightning calamity, he will definitely summon a defensive treasure! Otherwise, he will surely die!”

Hearing the elder’s firm predictions, the others nodded in agreement.

Beneath the lightning calamity, Ji Yang’s body trembled slightly as the Thunderous Power surged within him. Countless powers of lightning calamity were buried in various acupoints and every bit of flesh, waiting for the next moment to unleash his abilities.

This bolt of lightning had not reached the limits of this ability. Ji Yang estimated that if he faced about ten more bolts of the same strength, it should be enough to achieve great success with this technique, making it a quick and powerful one-time ability.

Soon, the second bolt of lightning began to form, still the thickness of an arm, but it astonished all the cultivators present.

This bolt of lightning contained faint purple lightning, which accounted for one-third of it.

The change in the lightning color often indicated a significant increase in power, and previously, the young man only saw such faint purple lightning appear with the fourth bolt—just imagine the difference!

Facing this second lightning calamity, Ji Yang maintained a relatively calm expression.

At least it was still faint purple, not a higher intensity. If the second bolt had been black lightning, he would have indeed faced a dire outcome.

“Why hasn’t he summoned his defensive treasure yet?”

“Is he waiting to die?”

Some cultivators inquired of the elder who had made the earlier prediction, eager to hear his explanation.

“Hmph, this young man is relying on his body-refining techniques and is overly arrogant. Even if he doesn’t die from this bolt of lightning, he will certainly be heavily injured.”

The elder spoke with certainty, facing Ji Yang’s bravado.

Before the crowd could ask more, the second bolt of lightning had already descended upon Ji Yang’s head.

As the lightning calamity struck, countless powers of lightning calamity spilled out into the surroundings, causing the onlookers to retreat, unwilling to be touched by such terrifying power.

Once they safely distanced themselves, the crowd eagerly turned their gazes back to the center of the lightning calamity.

When the power of lightning calamity dispersed, amidst the charred ground, a figure reappeared before them.

Seeing Ji Yang unscathed, the cultivators could no longer hold their silence:

“How is that possible?”

“Who is this person?”

“Could he be a talented disciple from an elite sect?”

…

In an instant, the crowd buzzed with speculation, but they had yet to see Ji Yang’s face or know his identity.

Having crossed two lightning calamities, even Ji Yang’s hat remained intact, and a whirlwind of opinions erupted.

“Fellow Daoist, didn’t you say this person would be heavily injured under this lightning calamity? But why does he have no injuries at all?”

Hearing the doubts from other cultivators nearby, the elder quickly concealed his surprise and replied calmly,

“Hmph, this person’s body-refining techniques are so remarkable he’s probably a disciple of the Diamond Sect, practicing an unparalleled body-refining technique. But this young man is still too arrogant; that last bolt of lightning was not an ordinary one.”

“On the surface, he appears unscathed, not even a scratch on his skin, but in reality, his body is likely riddled with holes, with countless powers of lightning calamity lingering within him. Right now, he is just holding on by sheer will. The truth will be revealed under the third lightning calamity!”

Listening to the elder’s analysis, the other cultivators nodded in agreement.

His deductions were reasonable, making it hard not to believe him.

In that moment, the gazes directed at Ji Yang began to fill with a hint of pity; such a talented disciple might ultimately fall under the lightning calamity.

Amid the crowd, two disciples from the Diamond Sect exchanged glances.

Did their sect have such a brother? Why did they have no memory of him? Had some brother hidden his presence and appearance?

But upon reflection, the truly unique body-refining techniques belonged solely to their Diamond Sect, so this brother might have perfected it; otherwise, he wouldn’t have such results. Moreover, his physique closely resembled that of their Diamond Sect disciples.

Realizing the tribulation-crossing individual was likely one of their own, the two could not help but shout out,

“Brother, go for it!”

Upon hearing their words, others looked over, and with the confirmation from Diamond Sect disciples, Ji Yang’s identity as a Diamond Sect cultivator spread rapidly.

In an instant, many cultivators began to speculate which disciple Ji Yang might be from the Diamond Sect.