Chapter 85: Lightning Tribulation
"I have a bad feeling that Her Majesty might end up widowed. The thunderclouds have already spread over most of the Neon Province. Even a normal lightning strike would be unimaginably destructive."
At this moment, on the outskirts of Cainan City, two pink-haired girls were hiding in a secluded corner of a manor villa, watching the almost blurred satellite images.
"There's nothing we can do about this. Didn't he already ask that Shenron for help? Let's hope he can make it through."
Meanwhile, at the very center of the tribulation cloud, cold sweat was already covering Franklin's forehead. He had imagined the power of the lightning tribulation to be immense—
But judging from the current scene, he had still underestimated the might of the heavenly tribulation. With his current strength, his chance of surviving it was only 0.1%.
As this thought flashed through his mind, the dark clouds above pressed downward. An overwhelming force descended, making his bones creak audibly. Franklin took a deep breath.
Even if he died, he would die with dignity. Even if he died, he would die in a way others would respect. With that resolve, Franklin formed hand seals with both hands and faced the terrifying pressure head-on.
Right then, several lines of text appeared before his eyes. When he read the contents, he exhaled deeply—he was saved.
[World Integration: Successfully integrated into the Tree-Born World Dragon Ball Timeline (Innate Awakeners' current world: Dragon Ball Timeline), allowing the Dragon Ball Timeline to proceed smoothly. The number of missions is unlimited. Complete all missions to receive the Tree-Born World Origin and officially become a native of the Tree-Born World.]
[The mission time and location are set in the current main worldline of the Innate Awakener—six years in the past on the main timeline. The Innate Awakener will be forcibly transported six years back to Blue Star.
Main missions will be issued then. Once completed, temporary return will be allowed. Each time the Innate Awakener time-travels within the main worldline, their lifespan will be consumed.]
[Transmission will begin in one minute. Please prepare.]
After reading the mission description, Franklin's goal shifted from surviving the lightning tribulation to simply holding out for one more minute.
Forming hand seals again, earth-element spiritual energy surged out. The ground churned, and dirt and stones flew up, forming a hemispherical dome that thickened layer by layer around Franklin.
To stabilize the hemisphere and better disperse the lightning strikes, countless wooden vines wove into a mesh, crisscrossing over the dome in multiple layers.
As Franklin worked frantically to prepare, energy within the tribulation cloud gathered at the center.
A lightning bolt as thick as a finger shot down from the sky, aiming straight for Franklin inside the thirty-to-forty-meter-wide earthen dome.
The moment the lightning struck the dome, the soil exploded upward, but the spiritual energy–infused earth and vines quickly neutralized the bolt.
Seeing this through his divine sense, Franklin didn't even have time to feel relieved before the second strike—carrying apocalyptic force—came crashing down.
The dome didn't have time to repair itself before most of it was blasted apart. Thanks to the protective vine-wood sphere underneath, Franklin wasn't injured yet.
But the third bolt formed in an instant. Thicker now—about the size of a baby's arm—it struck again.
In a flash, the remaining dome was obliterated. Franklin twisted his body at the last moment and barely dodged. Even so, half of his body was scorched black.
Before he could react, the clouds roiled again. The fourth lightning bolt had already taken shape, streaking straight for the crown of his head.
Seeing the countdown display with thirty-three seconds remaining, Franklin gritted his teeth and summoned the Guardian Sword. Spiritual energy surged madly into the blade.
Skill of the Guardian Sword: Guardian Barrier (By infusing spiritual energy into the Guardian Sword, a defensive barrier can be formed externally. Its shape can be controlled at will. The more spiritual energy infused, the stronger the barrier.)
Franklin activated the skill instantly. As the fourth bolt came down, he poured spiritual energy into the sword like it cost him nothing. A shattering sound rang out.
His spiritual energy was almost completely drained, leaving only a faint Golden Core seed floating in his dantian.
The barrier shattered, but the residual force of the fourth lightning bolt still slammed into his body, flinging him away.
His clothes had fused with his charred skin. Franklin let out a long breath. Fortunately, his physical body was strong; for now, he'd only suffered surface burns.
Looking at the thunderclouds still roiling above and the massive thunderball forming at their center, feeling the power that could annihilate the world, Franklin felt like he was already standing by the Three-Lives Stone on the Bridge of Helplessness.
The fifth bolt did not descend in full. A single strand peeled away from the thunderball—thick as Franklin's wrist—and came for his head.
With just over ten seconds left, Franklin steadied his breathing, planted his feet firmly on the ground, steeled his heart, and gathered his strength.
He punched upward with everything he had. A strange shattering sound followed.
The fifth bolt exploded like fireworks. The surrounding ground split into deep trenches as the lightning scattered in all directions.
The ground was scorched black and cracked like a spiderweb extending for hundreds of meters. Franklin's right arm and the entire right side of his body were burned to ash and vanished.
Seeing only three seconds remaining and no sign of a sixth lightning bolt forming overhead, Franklin finally exhaled in relief. As the transmission light enveloped him, he saw, just before vanishing, a bowl-thick bolt descending toward him. Franklin waved with a grin, and in the next second, he disappeared from the spot.
The white light faded. When Franklin could see again, he took a long breath. He was back on the outskirts where he'd faced the tribulation.
Feeling the relaxed atmosphere around him and gazing at the clear blue, cloudless sky, Franklin gradually loosened up. He needed to use this time to recover and strengthen himself.
Next time, he had to crush that terrifying tribulation effortlessly.
But just as he thought that, thunder rumbled out of nowhere. A bowl-thick bolt of lightning cut across time and appeared above him. It struck before he could even react. His vision went black.
"Eh? That thunderball looks smaller. Could it be that the tribulation is dispersing? Did Lin actually pass it?"
No one answered Lala's question. Everyone standing on the high terrace of the manor villa held their breath, searching for any sign that Franklin had survived.
"Lady Lala, normally a tribulation comes in groups of nine. The son-in-law—no, Franklin—only withstood five bolts. What struck just now was only the sixth."
Zastin's words hit like a thunderclap. The people who had been desperately searching for excuses to believe Franklin was alive fell silent.
Son Goku's eyes turned blood-red. The Kamehameha he was charging in his hands was aimed straight at the massive thunderball still forming in the sky.
"No, Lin won't fail. Lord Shenron is still here, isn't he? Didn't it say it would restore Lin to his peak state at the critical moment?"
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