Chapter 1154: The Gauntlet of Ascension |
The sky was dark and heavy, with no sunlight, yet there were no clouds either. The oppressive weight in the air forced even the Emperors hovering aloft to descend, until they were lower than the Blue Gold Palace itself. Only then did the pressure ease slightly.
"It really is the Emperor Tribulation… But why is the pressure so terrifying?" the Sunborne Nymph Emperor said in astonishment. They had all crossed their own tribulations and knew well what the process entailed.
Normally, the Emperor Tribulation had two stages. The first was called the Gauntlet of Ascension: When a Great Demon King or Great Nymph King attempted to step into the realm of Emperors, the plane tested whether they were worthy.
The dragon race's Grand Elder had once failed during this stage. He'd been crushed back down by the merciless will of heaven, barely surviving with heavy injuries. And that made him a member of an extremely select group; for ninety-nine out of a hundred, failure here meant death.
Yet now, the sky seemed to collapse downward, pressing upon even the Emperors' hearts, shaking their divine consciousness, filling them with dread.
Obviously, they had already passed the Gauntlet of Ascension. Moreover, as Emperors, they were past the level where a tribulation meant for an eleventh-order being could rattle them. But now, the tribulation had not even properly begun, and still the pressure was already so overwhelming. How could they not be shaken?
Meanwhile, the Tower of Life stood untouched, releasing its rainbow glow. The Blue Gold Palace also shone with light as usual.
Suddenly, a humming sound rang out.
That single sound shook the entire Ancestral Court. And it was not just that; the Emperors felt through their divine consciousness that this sound was ringing across the whole Daemon Continent.
The moment it rang out, the Tower of Life quivered. The rainbow glow dissipated for a breath before appearing once more.
The Emperors' faces paled. What kind of Gauntlet of Ascension was this?
Normally, Ascension meant just that: climbing against the crushing force of heaven, step by step. Once the challenger climbed past about three thousand meters, breaking through the pressure, they would be recognized as worthy, and only then would the second stage of the Emperor Tribulation begin.
During that climb, no disturbance could be tolerated. If interrupted, the attempt would fail. The process was long, and it was not just a grueling trial but also a crucible where the body was reforged under the plane's pressure, allowing it to bear the power of an Emperor.
But now, before Jin Miaolin or Mei Gongzi had even begun, the pressure was already unbearable. How could they climb at all?
The sky was like a titanic yet formless beast, its gaping maw poised to swallow the Tower of Life whole. The pressure made the entire Ancestral Court tremble.
"All Emperors, protect the city!" the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor commanded.
In an instant, the Emperors released their bloodline power, activating the great array of the Court. A veil of light spread from the surrounding Sacred Mountains, enclosing the Ancestral Court. Only then did the crushing force cease threatening the weaker beings. Without it, countless lesser lives were bound to be destroyed within mere moments.
Just then, on the thirteenth floor of the Tower of Life, a white light flared. The rainbow glow condensed into steps, rising upward into the sky.
But after only a hundred meters, the pressure above multiplied. The steps warped, dissolved into smoke.
All eyes fixed upon the tower. They knew: The Ascension would begin now.
Silver light flashed. Two figures appeared at the top of the tower, shrouded in rainbow light. Their forms could be faintly seen, but their facial features were obscured.
"White Tiger, what is that rainbow aura? It doesn't seem like Jin Miaolin's or Little Mei's bloodline power. Are they touching some higher-level Law? Do you know something about that?" asked the Undying Demon Emperor with a hint of concern.
White Tiger shook his head. "You've seen what that kid is like; he has a hundred abilities. Who knows what trick he's been cooking this time? But I have to say… To provoke such fury from the planar ruler, the Laws they delve in must be extraordinary."
The Undying Demon Emperor nodded and muttered, "If worse comes to worst, we'll clear a path for him."
There was indeed such a method. Emperors could clear a road, shielding the challenger and making the climb easier. The cost, however, was heavy; while success was almost guaranteed, the second stage would be weaker and the tempering of the new Emperor's body would not be up to par. Even though they would ascend and they would become Emperors, they would be forever unable to catch up to their peers.
The Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor was one such case; he had nearly failed his Gauntlet of Ascension and he was only saved when the Crystal Demon Emperor and Undying Demon Emperor opened the path for him. And the pressure he'd suffered was nothing compared to this.
Now, even mighty ones like Sunborne and Undying dared not climb beyond a thousand meters, lest the tribulation's wrath shift onto them and obliterate them.
Suddenly, Jin Miaolin's voice resounded across the Ancestral Court.
"Yor Majesties, today, Little Mei and I shall ascend to Emperorhood. We will walk this path together… by ourselves. Please, do not intervene. Let us rely on our own strength to step into the realm of Emperors. Today, we ascend together."
"What?!" the Undying Demon Emperor cried out. "They want to ascend together?"
Every Emperor was struck dumb. The pressure was already extreme enough even for one challenger. If two faced it together, the tribulation would intensify beyond precedent. Never in the Ancestral Court's history had two beings ascended at once.
"Is he mad?" the Sunborne Nymph Emperor gasped.
Yet even as they spoke, the two figures stepped forward.
RRRRUUUUMMMMBLE!
The heavens quaked. The rainbow staircase shattered beneath their feet. The sky twisted under the overwhelming pressure, and despite the protective barrier, the entire Ancestral Court trembled.
Yes—Tang San and Mei Gongzi were facing the tribulation together.
Hand in hand, they stepped into it. The crushing force bore down, smothering and suffocating. Mei Gongzi felt it to her very core: In that instant, they stood against the entire world.
Tang San took her left hand, turned to face her, and smiled. His face was his own now; he could no longer transform into a Blue Gold Tree, as the Blue Gold Transformation imprint had been absorbed into the Chaos Blue Silver Emperor.