"What's going on? Wasn't the Skygang Thunder Layer about to disappear? Why is it reappearing now?"
"Another Martial Dao True Talisman? Someone else is undergoing a tribulation? Are you kidding me? When did lightning tribulations become so common, like a marketplace? One after another—it's ridiculous."
"That's an incredibly fierce spear will—yes, it's definitely spear will! It looks like it came from the City Lord's Mansion. I remember that Lord City Lord used a battle spear when he first rose to fame. His spear techniques were outstanding—each strike unstoppable, sweeping through all opposition. That imposing presence is still deeply imprinted in my mind, unforgettable. He was truly peerless in battle."
"So it's the City Lord undergoing a lightning tribulation? As expected, Lord City Lord is second to none. His spear will has already become powerful enough to face heavenly punishment!"
Countless citizens witnessed the event. Though shocked, they quickly realized the Martial Dao True Talisman was flying out from the City Lord's Mansion. Excitement and blessings filled their eyes as they looked toward the palace tree.
They hoped Yi Tianxing could directly overcome the tribulation.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As soon as the Martial Dao True Talisman entered the Skygang Thunder Layer, bolts of dense lightning rained down upon it. Yi Tianxing's will had already merged with the spear dao space within the talisman, where a battle spear stood upright, nine feet tall, its entire body glowing with the hue of blood jade. A domineering, forward-pushing, mutually destructive spear intent surged from it.
In that moment, his will fully merged with the spear will.
Each bolt of lightning striking the talisman manifested directly within the spear dao space, transforming into white lightning bolts that crazily bombarded the blood-colored spear. The pressure was immense, the power overwhelming.
With each strike, the blood jade spear seemed on the verge of shattering.
The spear retaliated—piercing the void, cleaving everything before it.
The terrifying "perish-together" intent within the spear echoed through the void.
"Kill! Kill! Kill! I am invincible! Fight to the death! Destroy everything, even if I perish!"
One thrust shattered a bolt of lightning. But others struck the spear, shaking it violently. A layer of bloody light shattered, vanishing completely—leaving nothing behind.
The blood jade spear visibly shrank.
But at the same time, its spear will grew more refined.
The shattered lightning transformed into strands of mysterious pure Yang energy, which merged into the Martial Dao True Talisman. Yi Tianxing could clearly sense the talisman undergoing a metamorphosis—but a single bolt was not enough.
"Continue!"
His intent firm, he showed no hesitation. As lightning continued to appear in the spear space, the spear kept thrusting—fast as lightning, unstoppable. No retreat, only attack.
Every strike carried unmatched, indomitable will—crushing everything in its path.
Bolts of lightning shattered under the spear, yet each impact also took its toll. The spear shrank visibly, but Yi Tianxing didn't fear—he became more exhilarated.
"What's being shattered by the lightning is precisely the impurities within the spear will. Those lingering distracting thoughts are being destroyed, making the spear intent purer, more condensed, more powerful. This is like refining iron ore into fine steel."
As long as his own will remained intact, the spear will would never break.
But these lightning strikes were akin to slashing his soul—agonizing beyond description. A moment of weakness would shatter the spear will entirely.
It was a torture that could drive an ordinary person insane—like being cut into pieces by a thousand blades.
Fortunately, Yi Tianxing possessed an iron will, forged in countless battles. These agonies didn't break him—they hardened his spirit.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
"Battle! Battle! Battle!!"
Treating each lightning bolt as an enemy, he made the spear his body and charged forward endlessly—his spear will single-minded, attacking without defense.
Unrelenting attack was his defense.
Again and again, lightning was shattered. Again and again, the spear was broken—yet, through indomitable will, it was reformed each time, growing stronger and more unbreakable.
No one knew how long it lasted, but eventually, the Martial Dao True Talisman began visibly transforming within the Skygang Thunder Layer, gradually forging itself into the shape of a spear.
Before long, a simple, ancient-looking battle spear was formed.
Simultaneously, in the Martial Dao space, all lightning vanished. The space was now filled with mysterious pure Yang energy, slowly merging into the now three-inch-long spear embryo.
"This power... it's not truly pure Yang, only possesses a portion of pure Yang characteristics."
Yi Tianxing noticed that with the lightning no longer attacking, the Martial Dao True Talisman had finished its transformation.
A simple spear had formed—surrounded by a white halo, further tempering the spear will.
But it wasn't truly pure Yang—just one-tenth pure Yang, similar to the first layer of the Skygang Thunder Layer.
Naturally, it would no longer be struck by that layer's tribulation lightning.
The lightning tribulation had ended.
With a thought, the now-spear-shaped Martial Dao True Talisman appeared before him and returned into his body, settling in his divine sea.
He could feel it: the spear intent now radiated a faint trace of pure Yang.
"Not truly pure Yang, just a diluted trace. Only by surviving all nine lightning tribulations, passing through all nine layers of the Skygang Thunder Layer, can one achieve true pure Yang."
He confirmed his speculation.
The spear intent hadn't reached full pure Yang. It was like dye diluted with water—still red, but faint. Pure Yang was a relative state. Only after nine tribulations would it become perfect and flawless.
"As spear will increases, this spear embryo will grow accordingly. It is the embryo of spear intent condensed to the extreme. Once perfected—it will be immortal and indestructible. A single thought will shatter the void."
He could walk the path of the spear cultivator anytime.
But Yi Tianxing didn't choose this path—not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to.
The existence of the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower meant he could wield various types of life-bound divine weapons. A spear was just one tool. A sword or bow could be just as deadly.
To him, martial arts were simply a means to kill. It didn't matter whether it was pure or not. As long as it could kill enemies, and he used the right technique at the right time—that was all that mattered.
"Pity that my sword intent hasn't reached its peak yet. Same with arrow intent. They need more tempering. Otherwise, I could've undergone tribulation with them all at once."
Yi Tianxing shook his head. Within him, the Sword Dao and Arrow Dao True Talismans still awaited their moment—just shy of perfection. They needed further refinement.
But there was no rush.
In the sky, the Skygang Thunder Layer slowly began to fade.
"A rare opportunity. To draw out the Skygang Thunder Layer is no easy feat. I might as well let the Skygang Bottle have a feast."
Seeing the Thunder Layer dissipating, a flash of light passed through Yi Tianxing's eyes. Without hesitation, he waved his hand—releasing the Skygang Bottle from the City Lord's Mansion, which shot up into the sky.
It burrowed directly into the Thunder Layer.
Bolts of lightning surged over it like a flood.
"What's that? Another person undergoing tribulation? Is this a festival or something? One after another—it's making my years of cultivation feel like a joke. I've trained in blade techniques too! Why can't I form blade intent or a Martial Dao True Talisman?"
"That's no Martial Dao True Talisman—it's a bottle!"
"Look! That bottle is devouring the Skygang Thunder Layer's lightning! So fast! That lightning is highly destructive and violent—how is the bottle not being blown to bits?"
Many spectators were stunned. A bottle had flown straight into the Thunder Layer.
Even rare treasures would avoid such lightning—it could easily reduce them to dust.
Yet what they saw now was astonishing.
The bottle, like a bottomless pit, absorbed all the lightning it encountered—effortlessly. Even fools could see—it was no ordinary item.
Still, since it flew out from the City Lord's Mansion, no one dared have any funny ideas.
"The Skygang Bottle can absorb the Skygang lightning."
Cai Yan's expression was one of surprise. She knew about the bottle—but it had always remained low-profile, silently absorbing Skygang energy to refine Skygang Pills. No one knew it could absorb lightning too.
"Of course it can. With its current strength, the first layer of Skygang Lightning is nothing. The lightning is just condensed Skygang righteous energy, which it can refine into Skygang Pills."
Yi Tianxing nodded calmly.