The Last Immortal

Chapter Seventy-Eight

The number of seven sevens, forty-nine bolts of Heavenly Thunder.

Yan Shuang had already ascended to the rank of High Lord of the Immortal Tribe a thousand years ago. In theory, enduring these forty-nine bolts of Heavenly Thunder should not have been difficult for her. However, as an Ancient Demonic Beast, the Thunder Tribulation triggered by A Jiu’s ascension to High Lord meant that the final three bolts each carried the peak power of a High Lord.

By the time the forty-seventh bolt of Heavenly Thunder descended, her golden wings were already mangled and bloody. Yet even so, she stubbornly spread her wings, refusing to retreat even half a step.

In the side hall of the Hall of Eternal Life, A Jiu, who was about to ascend to High Lord, seemed to sense something. His eyes snapped open, and a surge of Demonic Power shot out, blasting the hall doors open. At that moment, the forty-eighth bolt of Heavenly Thunder struck Yan Shuang in the chest. She spat out a mouthful of blood and was forced to one knee by the force of the thunder.

A Jiu’s expression changed drastically, and he struggled to break free from his meditative state to face the tribulation outside.

Yan Shuang glared fiercely at him: "Your demon body cannot withstand the Thunder Tribulation! Don’t come out! Stay inside!"

Although A Jiu’s Demonic Power far surpassed hers, his demon body only possessed the Inner Core of a Lower Lord and could not withstand this final bolt of Heavenly Thunder.

Proud and unyielding by nature, A Jiu was not one to be stopped by Yan Shuang. He would rather face the tribulation himself than let a woman risk her life to protect him.

Realizing his intention, Yan Shuang roared, "You fool! The entire Great Marsh Mountain has been risking their lives to protect you and the Nine Star Lantern for two full days. If you want to see all their efforts go to waste, then come out!"

A Jiu was not foolish. He had long noticed that the Nine Star Lantern was at the critical moment of ignition. Outside the hall, the disciples of Great Marsh Mountain were exhausting every ounce of their strength to prevent the Thunder Tribulation from destroying the Nine Star Lantern. Because he had remained in the side hall, the main force of the Heavenly Thunder had fallen upon him. If he stepped out now and a single bolt of Heavenly Thunder accidentally struck the Nine Star Lantern at the center of the main hall, all their efforts would be in vain.

The so-called Heavenly Tribulation was the descent of the Nine Heavens’ thunder upon one’s body. Once the Thunder Tribulation was overcome, Spiritual Power from heaven and earth would gather within the body, tempering the bones and advancing one to the next stage of cultivation.

A Jiu ceased his stubbornness. His brow furrowed solemnly as he focused his mind, gathering the Demonic Power within him. The nine-tailed mark of the Fox Demon Clan manifested behind him, its faint golden Demonic Power thick and ancient. Upon closer inspection, within the nine tails was a faint, illusory tenth tail, though it had not yet solidified into a tangible form and was difficult to detect.

"How rare. Among the nine-tailed foxes born to the Fox race over tens of thousands of years, you are actually the highest-grade Heavenly Fox. No wonder Chang Qin treasures you like the apple of her eye."

The Heavenly Fox, the supreme being of the Fox race in legend, was the most likely to evolve into the divine beast known as the Ten-Tailed Heavenly Fox. Typically, they were born with nine tails already.

Among the Fox race, nine tails were considered Demon Beasts, while ten tails were Ancient Divine Beasts.

Suddenly, a cold and frivolous voice sounded without warning beside A Jiu’s ear. His eyes snapped open, and he shouted angrily, "Who’s there?"

The hall was empty. Outside, Yan Shuang and the others were still waiting for the final bolt of Heavenly Thunder to descend.

No one heard his roar, nor the ghostly words.

"Little fox, you cannot see me."

"Who are you, really?"

"Who am I? I am you!"

"Playing tricks, you Demon Creature, show yourself!"

Realizing that the voice came from within his own body, A Jiu’s eyes darkened slightly. A surge of golden Demonic Power flowed from his forehead to every part of his limbs and bones. The golden light swept through, purifying his body inch by inch, yet the ghostly laughter did not diminish in the slightest."Don't waste your efforts, you can't break free from me. Have you forgotten? I saved your life! Without me, you would have died long ago in the Nine Nether Purgatory, devoured by Demonic Beasts! Little fox, I've invested so much effort in you. Now it's time for you to repay this kindness."

"Nonsense! When did you ever save me? I don't even know who you are!"

Golden light swept through A Jiu's body but halted half an inch from his heart, where black Demonic Power enveloped his Inner Core, preventing his Demonic Power from approaching. The black Demonic Power let out a sinister laugh and suddenly surged toward the golden Demonic Power.

"Little fox, since your memory is so poor, let this venerable one help you remember."

The black Demonic Power roared forth, devouring all of A Jiu's Demonic Power before rushing through his body straight toward his mind.

A Jiu couldn't speak, his entire body rigid, forced to watch helplessly as the black Demonic Power gradually consumed the Demonic Power within him, even his consciousness slowly being devoured and eroded.

A flash of demonic light, followed by excruciating pain in his head as if being torn apart, and dark scenes hazily appeared in his mind.

He saw himself three years ago, unwilling to be disciplined by Chang Qin, leaving in anger and traveling all the way to Purple Moon Mountain, only to be enveloped by a dark aura and dragged into a space filled with magma and dark, violent energy. There was only endless night, ferocious Demonic Beasts, and countless bones. Day after day, he was hunted, covered in blood, until his Spiritual Power was exhausted. At the brink of death, the Demonic Qi that had brought him into the Purgatory suddenly appeared, asking if he wanted to live.

He wanted to live. He hadn't yet proven himself to Chang Qin, hadn't yet avenged his father and mother. He couldn't die.

To survive, he willingly allowed the Demonic Qi to enter his body, finally surviving in the most terrifying Nine Nether Purgatory. From then on, he was no longer a weak fox hunted by Demonic Beasts but a hunter within the Purgatory. He hunted continuously, devouring the Inner Cores of Demonic Beasts, growing stronger and stronger until the entire Purgatory's Demonic Beasts rose against him. That great battle ended with his defeat—his Demon Core shattered, severely wounded, he fled to the only sanctuary in the Nine Nether Purgatory, beneath that phoenix tree. But this time, even the phoenix tree couldn't save him. On the verge of death, his memories sealed by the Demonic Qi, he once again teetered on the edge of death until... the appearance of that warm and pure-hearted Water Condensation Beast with emerald-green eyes.

From then on, the bloody nightmares ceased. The half-year of companionship that followed was like a fleeting dream. Awakening to reality, he realized he had long been corrupted by the Demon Tribe, willingly reduced to their captive.

Memories broke through their shackles, everything flooding his mind. A Jiu finally remembered how he had spent those missing three years and finally understood why he had attracted such a terrifying Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation. To survive, he had devoured countless Inner Cores of Demonic Beasts in the Nine Nether Purgatory. Those Inner Cores accumulated into a terrifying power within him, elevating his strength far beyond that of an ordinary Demon Monarch. But his Demonic Power had always been suppressed by the Demonic Qi within him, something even he hadn't known. Once that Demonic Qi ceased its suppression, the Heavenly Thunder would descend.

When others undergo tribulation, they advance from Lower Lord to High Lord. When he undergoes tribulation, he has no idea what he will become after ascending."It was you who brought me into the Nine Nether Purgatory! It was you who pretended to let Ayin and A Jin discover me! It was you who used my body to enter Great Marsh Mountain! It was you who injured Ayin!" A Jiu roared, a flicker of clarity returning to his eyes as he struggled to resist the Demonic Qi's control over his body.

"Correct, little fox. You've finally remembered. But what I've done goes far beyond that!" The Demon Venerable's malicious laughter echoed in A Jiu's mind. "Weren't you the one who hated your aunt Chang Qin the most? Well now, I've killed her for you. Shouldn't you thank me, little fox?"

The icy words slithered through his heart like a venomous serpent. A Jiu froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes before transforming into earth-shattering grief. Seizing the moment of his emotional turmoil, the Demonic Qi surged toward the last glimmer of golden light in his mind, completely devouring his reason.

A Jiu's fiery amber pupils turned completely black—cold and abyssal.

No one knew what had transpired in the side hall. Consumed by Demonic Qi, A Jiu easily broke free from his meditative state and appeared outside the main hall before anyone could react.

"A Jiu, go back!" Yan Shuang, who had been worried about him all along, was horrified to see him rush out of the side hall.

The disciples of Great Marsh Mountain looked on in shock, but having exhausted their Immortal Power under the Thunder Tribulation, they were powerless to stop him.

"A Jiu, A Jiu, you mustn't come out!" Qing Yi, who had been protecting Yan Shuang and still retained some strength, saw A Jiu emerge and moved to pull him back.

To his surprise, A Jiu unleashed a surge of Demonic Power, striking Qing Yi with immense force.

Qing Yi never expected A Jiu to attack him. Caught completely off guard, he was sent crashing to the ground, coughing up blood, his eyes filled with disbelief.

A Jiu turned and glanced at Yan Shuang. The darkness and indifference in his gaze stunned her. A sense of unease rose in her heart as she watched A Jiu summon the Nirvana Wheel and hurl it violently against the main gate of the Hall of Eternal Life.

"A Jiu, don't!"

Before her voice faded, the gate of the Hall of Eternal Life was shattered. Inside, Xian Shan and Xian Zhu, their senses sealed, were channeling Immortal Power into the faintly glowing Nine Star Lantern at the center of the hall.

Eight of the nine stars were already lit, the final one flickering with a faint luminescence—a mere breath away from being fully ignited.

A cold glint flashed in A Jiu's eyes. He glanced at the gathering lightning in the sky and prepared to fly into the main hall.

Yan Shuang retracted her bloodied golden wings and swung her long whip, intending to pull A Jiu back. But A Jiu threw the Nirvana Wheel again, striking Yan Shuang with equal force.

"Get out of my way! Those who stand in my path shall die!" A cold voice issued from A Jiu's lips. He glanced at Yan Shuang, who was coughing up blood on the ground, without a trace of emotion.

Yan Shuang froze. "Who are you?" she suddenly demanded. "You're not A Jiu! Who are you really?"

A Jiu paused. He looked down with interest at the dying Eagle Clan princess, a subtle smile playing on his lips, but he said nothing. In an instant, he turned and flew into the main hall.

Just as he landed directly above the Nine Star Lantern, the final Heavenly Thunder descended upon Great Marsh Mountain with unstoppable force. It pierced through the Mountain Protection Array without hindrance, even passing through A Jiu's body, before crashing heavily onto the nearly ignited Nine Star Lantern and the sense-sealed forms of Xian Shan and Xian Zhu.This Heavenly Thunder was too magnificent and spectacular, containing divine power that almost illuminated the entire Great Marsh Mountain. It not only suppressed Yan Shuang and the others outside the Hall of Eternal Life, leaving them breathless, but also alarmed the immortals in the Heavenly Palace who were handling Lan Feng's funeral arrangements.

Yu Feng and Jing Lei were the first High Immortals to sense this Thunder Tribulation. The two flew out of the Heavenly Palace, looking toward the direction of Great Marsh Mountain, filled with astonishment.

"Yu Feng, this Thunder Tribulation, this Thunder Tribulation..." Jing Lei was so shocked he could hardly speak. "How does it seem like an omen of ascension to godhood? Who in Great Marsh Mountain is about to become a god again?"

Yu Feng's gaze was deep and heavy, his expression suddenly changing drastically. "It's that Nine-Tailed Fox Demon! Damn it, he's not advancing to High Lord—he's undergoing Divine Transformation! We've all been deceived by him! Great Marsh Mountain is in danger! Go, assemble the Immortal Generals, gather all the immortals, and head to Great Marsh Mountain!"

In the Demon Tribe camp at Rakshasa Land, the boundary between immortals and demons, Sen Yu frowned upon hearing his subordinate's report.

"You're saying that a few days ago, the Immortal Tribe discovered Hong Yi's traces at Great Marsh Mountain?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Several days ago, High Lord Lan Feng died in the Heavenly Palace. High Lord Lian Xi of Kunlun Mountain used the Mirror of the World to determine that a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon killed him. The immortals searched Great Marsh Mountain and found His Highness Hong Yi, who was advancing to High Lord."

"Nine-Tailed Fox Demon?" Sen Yu's expression changed. "Preposterous! Even if Hong Yi is also a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, he's merely a Lower Lord. How could he possibly kill Lan Feng?"

"Sect Leader Xian Shan of Great Marsh Mountain said the same. He protected His Highness Hong Yi, and the Heavenly Palace people returned empty-handed."

"The people of Great Marsh Mountain have always been steady and fair. Since Hong Yi is at Great Marsh Mountain, it seems that either Xian Shan or Xian Zhu was the one who entered Tranquil Mountain to see Chang Qin." Sen Yu looked toward the direction of Great Marsh Mountain. "The Nine Star Lantern is about to be lit, and Hong Yi is about to complete his tribulation. It's time to go to Great Marsh Mountain again."

Before his words faded, a magnificent bolt of lightning descended from the sky, traversing the Three Realms and landing atop Great Marsh Mountain.

Sen Yu abruptly stood up, staring at that Thunder Tribulation in utter astonishment.

Such power! How is this possible? That is clearly the Thunder Tribulation of Divine Transformation!

Without further hesitation, Sen Yu transformed into a bolt of lightning and sped toward Great Marsh Mountain.

The Three Realms were all shocked, yet outside the Hall of Eternal Life, there was a deathly silence.

Yan Shuang looked at the cold and indifferent A Jiu inside the hall, a trace of despair flickering in her eyes.