Chapter 160
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Chapter 160: The Master-Servant Gamble
A vague voice suddenly echoed in Ye Yun’s ears. Though unclear, the words were discernible.
Ye Yun froze, disbelief flooding his eyes.
"Was that you speaking? Divine Feather Vulture King?" he exclaimed.
"Enough chatter. Since you wield lightning, you might help me endure this heavenly tribulation. Succeed, and I’ll acknowledge you as my master," the Divine Feather Vulture King’s voice rang clearly to all three.
The trio exchanged stunned glances. How could a mere beast speak? Even spirit beasts with intelligence only grasp simple commands—none could speak like this. And this vulture hadn’t even undergone its transformation!
"How? You’re just a beast!" Yu Minghong blurted.
"Silence! Lightning-boy, decide now. Help me resist this, or walk away—I won’t blame you," the vulture pressed urgently.
Ye Yun inhaled deeply. "This tribulation’s power exceeds my cultivation level."
"Exactly why you must choose. Your lightning might aid me… or destroy us both," the vulture replied, voice tense.
Ye Yun frowned at the thickening heavenly tribulation above.
"Don’t do it, Ye Yun! Even tenfold strength wouldn’t save us," Duan Chenfeng warned gravely.
"Brother Ye, that lightning could kill with a touch!" Yu Minghong added.
Ye Yun hesitated, eyeing the barrel-thick tribulation now three zhang above the vulture. Logic said death awaited, yet an inner voice urged him forward.
Conflict raged within him. Success promised rewards beyond the vulture’s servitude, but failure meant physical and spiritual destruction.
"Well, boy? Decide!" The vulture’s dim golden aura flickered.
"How do I trust your oath?" Ye Yun demanded.
"I’ll swear by the tribulation itself! Survive this, and we’ll bond through a soul blood oath—my life and death yours to command!"
"No!" Duan Chenfeng and Yu Minghong grabbed Ye Yun’s arms in unison.
Ye Yun shook them off, darting toward the millstone-sized lightning.
"Bold lad! Seventeen centuries I’ve lived—none dared this!" The vulture laughed, astonished.
"Seventeen hundred thirty-eight years? Featherless chicken, you’re ancient!" Ye Yun smirked.
"Featherless?! After this tribulation, you’ll regret that!"
"Remember—you’ll be my servant then," Ye Yun retorted, eyes locked on the lightning.
"Anything you say, master. My brothers became immortal beasts ages ago while I endured this curse," the vulture growled bitterly.
"Immortal beasts?" Ye Yun glanced at the vulture’s bald form, skeptical.
"Focus! Use your lightning or flee before you die!" the vulture snapped.
Ye Yun ignored it and looked up at the lightning’s overwhelming might, taking a deep breath.
He was deeply shocked inside. The heavenly tribulation consisted purely of lightning energy, radiating terrifying power. If an ordinary Qi refining stage disciple faced this tribulation, the sheer pressure alone would crush their spirit and shatter their soul.
Yet Ye Yun felt no discomfort from the pressure—he could even ignore it completely.
Why? Was it due to the Thunder Spirit Qi?
It must be. Only by mastering Thunder Spirit Qi could he face such lightning pressure without flinching.
"Kid, why are you standing there? Act now!"
At that moment, the Divine Feather Vulture King roared. The lightning in the sky split like a millstone—one strike targeting the Vulture King, the other aimed at Ye Yun’s head.
The heavenly tribulation divided, crashing toward both.
The colossal Divine Feather Vulture King was struck first. The tribulation slammed into its skull like a massive hammer.
With a pained growl, the Vulture King’s body shattered, flesh and blood spraying. Unimaginable agony tore through it as meridians snapped and flesh disintegrated.
Even as its life force dwindled, the Vulture King refused to yield. Surging currents of lightning ravaged its body, shredding it inch by inch.
The Vulture King suddenly lifted its bloodied head. Its bald crown, now free of blood, glimmered with a golden hue. A single golden feather slowly formed where no feathers had grown.
Though the tribulation shattered its body, it couldn’t break the Vulture King’s will. Instead, the beast channeled the tribulation’s power to forge that golden feather.
A faint glow enveloped its broken form. From afar, the golden feather’s radiance bathed the Vulture King in light.
Meanwhile, the other half of the tribulation struck Ye Yun’s head with brutal force.
But instead of fear, anticipation flashed across Ye Yun’s face.
As the lightning descended, he thrust his palms upward. Light shimmered in his hands, accompanied by thunderous rumbles. Purple bolts weaved into a crackling sphere.
Zzzzt!
The tribulation engulfed Ye Yun. Blinding lightning erupted, shielding him from Duan Chenfeng and Yu Minghong’s sight.
"What do we do? What’ll happen to Brother Ye?" Yu Minghong cried out, certain the situation looked dire.
"Wait. I don’t believe Ye Yun would fall so easily. Remember—he commands Thunder Spirit Qi. He’s not like us," Duan Chenfeng said grimly, though doubt tinged his voice.
The heavenly tribulation ground down on the Vulture King like a millstone. If the golden glow failed, its 1,738-year lifespan would end here.
Yet the golden feather blazed brighter, visible even miles away in darkness.
Finally, the tribulation’s power faded. The purple lightning dissolved, leaving no trace. The golden glow around the Vulture King dimmed, revealing a mangled body oozing blood streaked with gold.
"Ha! Did I survive? I knew I’d conquer this final great tribulation! Now I’ll ascend as a spirit beast—my cultivation soaring, an immortal beast within reach!" The Vulture King stood tall, howling despite its wounds.
"But why hasn’t my intelligence fully awakened? Why no advancement?" Its voice echoed across the peak.
It turned and saw lightning confined within a small space, its light vanishing at the edges.
"Must this human survive his trial for me to truly evolve?" Having lived millennia, the Vulture King grasped the truth instantly.
"Hold on, kid! You’re my future master," it murmured, watching the trapped purple lightning snake with keen interest.
In the distance, Duan Chenfeng and Yu Minghong waited anxiously. The lightning had shrouded Ye Yun for half an incense stick’s time—far too long.
"Stay strong, Ye Yun!" Duan Chenfeng urged, breathing deeply.
Yu Minghong stood silent, face tight with worry.
Suddenly, the swirling electric snakes thinned.
Within the fading lightning, a familiar figure stood motionless. No vitality radiated from him—yet a gentle pressure seeped outward.
