Edited by: Dr.Lock
Proofreader: Arya
Empress Li Yang looked at Gu Qing Shan in shock.
She wanted to say something else, but as she felt his determination, she had no words that could persuade him.
The Progenitor Fiendess sighed and pulled her away.
『 It’s fine, even us Tianma can’t help someone who has no regard for their own life or death 』she said.
Li Yang’s gaze was still glued on Gu Qing Shan as she was pulled off the plaza.
At this point, there was no one else inside the range of the Tribulation.
Gu Qing Shan began his breakthrough.
Circulating spirit energy in his Dantian, he forced them all though a certain bottleneck.
This caused spirit energy all around his body to rush and strike towards the bottleneck as well.
The Laws of Heaven and Earth recognized the signs of his breakthrough.
Within the Tribulation clouds, arcs of lightning exploded one after another, creating bright flashes.
The giant lightning dragon fully escaped its restraints of clouds and water as its electric purple eyes locked onto Gu Qing Shan.
Roar!!!
The giant lightning dragon opened its jaws wide and charged downwards.
Sensing that, Gu Qing Shan opened his eyes and leapt from his cushion.
Taking the Earth sword from the void of space, his body turned into a light blue sword phantom and rushed at the lightning dragon.
Secret Art, [Crescent Slash]!
The sword phantom and dragon clashed in the sky——
Boom!
The sword phantom was struck away by the lightning dragon, but the dragon itself also lost control and crashed into a structure just outside the plaza.
As soon as the lightning dragon crashed into it, the structure was decimated without a single sound and disappeared.
The dragon turned its head and once again took flight.
In the sky, the light blue sword phantom dissipated to show Gu Qing Shan’s body.
Various places on his body were already charred black.
A sword phantom can cut through anything, but it couldn’t handle a simple impact with the lightning dragon.
Gu Qing Shan tapped his Inventory Bag, took out a pill and swallowed.
He was clearly surprised as he muttered: “So it can become this terrifying huh?”
A female voice came from the void of space: “Gongzi, use me”
“Ah? You have a solution?”
“I can disperse some of the lightning, but the destructive range of lightning as it explodes is a bit too wide, you need to be careful”
“Very well”
Gu Qing Shan nodded, put the Earth sword back into the void of space and drew the Six Paths Great Mountain sword.
Below, the lightning dragon once again charged at him.
Gu Qing Shan pointed his sword downwards.
Secret Art, [Water Flow Severance] x8!
Streak after streak of sword phantoms exploded as they came out from the tip of the Six Paths Great Mountain sword, flew through the sky and struck at the dragon’s head.
The lightning dragon endured the impact and kept flying upwards.
Finally, when it was around 200 meters away from Gu Qing Shan, the lightning dragon roared before dispersing into smaller arcs of lightning and returned into the Tribulation clouds.
Gu Qing Shan finally let out a sigh of relief.
A total of 40 sword phantoms with the [Law Breaker] property was needed to destroy the lightning dragon.
He quickly took out another pill and swallowed.
The sky remained silent.
It was as if the Tribulation clouds returned to silence without reacting to him.
“Wah~! Hooray, I knew Gu Qing Shan could do it!” Laura sighed in relief and loudly laughed.
“That’s not it, Laura, the situation isn’t optimistic at all” Ilya spoke with a heavy expression.
“Ah? No way, he already destroyed that lightning dragon didn’t he?” Laura asked.
“That lightning dragon was only a half-sentient creature formed from the first reaction of Heaven and Earth. At most it only served to signify the opening of the Tribulation” Ilya explained.
Empress Li Yang stood on one side and nodded: 『 That is indeed the case, not a single bolt of true Tribulation Lightning had fallen down yet 』
“Is Tribulation Lightning stronger than that lightning dragon?” Laura asked.
『 Several times stronger, at least! And as time passed, the power of Tribulation Lightning would only increase 』Empress Li Yang answered her.
The Progenitor Fiendess also added: 『 The lightning dragon is only the trigger for the Tribulation, the real thing only truly begins now 』
She sighed and shook her head: 『 The results of this ordeal have been decided, he won’t make it 』
『 Why are you so sure, Mother? 』Li Yang hurriedly asked.
『 He is already injured facing the lightning dragon, never mind the several kinds of increasingly powerful lightning strikes afterwards. There is still the Soul Annihilation Lightning where any living being struck by it will be instantly reduced to ash, not even leaving their soul to enter reincarnation 』
The Progenitor Fiendess continued: 『 After the Soul Annihilation Lightning, he will have to face Manifestation Lightning, whose power will also be increased greatly in this world 』
『 I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of form the Manifestation Lightning will take 』
Hearing that, Empress Li Yang no longer held any hope for a fluke.
She gritted her teeth and flung something to the sky.
It was a small black box, every Tianma noticed it as soon as it was thrown out.
『 What are you doing!? Do you want to be killed by the Tribulation Lightning as well? 』
The Progenitor Fiendess sternly questioned her.
『 No, this is only a set of armor, Heaven’s Tribulation won’t notice me 』Empress Li Yang explained.
『 Only an armor? 』the Progenitor sighed, then spoke: 『 In that case, Heaven’s Tribulation will indeed allow it—— but that is also very strange, as a sword cultivator that fights at the frontline, why does this brat not have even a piece of armor? 』
『 Yes, if he had been wearing armor, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt just now, so I gave him a Tianma armor for now, to temporarily help him resist the lightning 』Empress Li Yang said.
While they were talking, a ‘thud’ could be heard from behind them.
Laura’s legs had given out so she fell down on the spot.
Seeing her desperate fearful expression, Ilya realized that something was wrong.
“Your majesty, what’s the matter?” she hurriedly asked.
“The armor…” Laura muttered.
Ilya understood.
She solemnly spoke: “Your majesty, this Heaven’s Tribulation isn’t a joke, if your armor is only a prank, please take the hidden armor off him and let him wear the Tianma Empress’ armor to resist the Tribulation Lightning”
“…No, I can’t take it back” Laura lowered her head and said.
Can’t take it back?
Ilya was stunned.
Everything that belonged to the Bramble Bird royal family was marked with a unique insignia from the Saint Tree, any time that they wanted to take something back, they could simply ask the Saint Bramble Tree to do so.
This was a secret only known to the royal family and the two generals.
But Laura said she couldn’t back it back.
Without being able to think further than that, a surprised voice sounded in Ilya’s ears: 『 How is that possible! 』
Ilya hurriedly looked back.
The Tianma armor had scattered into parts and circled around Gu Qing Shan’s body, but couldn’t equip themselves onto him.
This was exactly the same as when Ilya gave him the Bramble Bird General armor.
The Tianma Armor flew back and turned into a black box again as it landed next to Empress Li Yang’s feet.
Seeing that, Ilya was even more confused.
She muttered: “Could it be the armor is sentient? And it had already accepted him as the master? No, if that was the case, the armor should’ve already activated”
“No other armor could equip themselves on him… just what…”
A thought came to her.
Ilya just recalled a frightening possibility.
It couldn’t be—–
Both her hands were gripped by someone else.
It was her Highness Laura—— no, her majesty.
“Big sis Ilya, do you remember, there used to be a Bramble Bird King who awoke the same [Infinite Worlds’ Shelter] ability as I did? Then he went to the Endless Abyss of broken worlds and brought back a certain armor?”
“I remember” Ilya’s heart beats faster and faster.
Could it really be—–
No, that’s impossible!
As she thought that, Laura lightly nodded.
“Yes, what I gave him was that armor”
Laura softly said, as if she was a young child admitting their mistake, but her tone was firm unlike never before.
“Your majesty… this is…”
Ilya was completely frozen from fear.
Laura shook her head: “Don’t say it, I already know this is my fault”
“So you realized that you shouldn’t have lent that armor away?”
“No, I shouldn’t have given that armor to Gu Qing Shan before I was able to awaken it!”
“But now, it’s no longer time for me to hide behind him”
“This is the time that I must win against my fear!”
Saying so, Laura slowly stood up.
Her every word contains overflowing determination.
“Ilya”
“I’m here”
“Gather everyone for the ceremony”
“Understood”
But without needing Ilya’s order, the Bramble Bird guards had already surrounded Laura, kneeling on one knee around her in a circle.
They said nothing and silently waited for that moment to come.
——-the moment that Laura had kept avoiding all this time.
Laura pulled out a dagger, cut the tip of her finger and touched it to her forehead.
“O’ great Mother Tree, I’m ready to be an adult” Laura whispered.
With those words, a glorious light came from her forehead and shot all the way to the sky.
This was a blinding golden light that contained power surpassing that of this world, even the Heaven’s Tribulation was nothing compared to it.
The light seemed to have broken something.
An endless overwhelming power poured down with the light.
The Bramble Bird guards all showed fanatical expression as they trembled and spoke in unison: “””Long live the Empress!”””
Ilya looked at Laura and joyfully spoke: “Your majesty, do your best, the great Mother Tree has sensed your plea, it has descended on this realm!”
Laura lightly nodded.
She turned to the faraway glorious golden light: “O’ great Mother Tree, I vow to you, I will never be too scared to participate in this coming of age ceremony ever again”
“Because, only an adult Bramble Bird can truly inherit the throne”
“Only the Bramble Bird sovereign… can awaken the Sovereign Armor”
