"Fellow Daoists like us, stuck at the mid-stage Body Integration realm — I couldn't begin to count how many there are among the human and demon races. Yet those who manage to break through to the late stage are nothing more than a scant handful. If I recall correctly, Fellow Daoist Han should have advanced to mid-stage not long ago. To already be assaulting the late-stage bottleneck at such speed — this rate of cultivation is simply monstrous. Even those legendary figures of our ancient era, I dare say, were no different." Zen Master Jin Yue nodded, fully agreeing with the silver-haired elder.
"Yet precisely because Fellow Daoist Han's talent is so extraordinary, this step will be all the harder to cross. After all, in so short a time, his foundations are inevitably rather shallow, which will only increase the difficulty of breaking through the bottleneck." The silver-haired elder narrowed his eyes slightly as he spoke.
"Heh heh, this is all mere speculation on our part. As for the actual outcome, we shall simply have to wait and see. Fellow Daoist Han may yet leave us quite astonished!" Zen Master Jin Yue replied with a light chuckle.
"I hope so. If our city gains one more late-stage cultivator to hold the fort, our side will have a far easier time in the decisive battle against the demon race. And given that Fellow Daoist Han's prowess at mid-stage already rivals that of a late-stage cultivator, should he advance one step further, he might well be able to stand against even the avatars of the Holy Ancestors of the demon race." The silver-haired elder pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Mm. As long as the true bodies of the demon Holy Ancestors have yet to descend, their avatars represent the absolute pinnacle of the demon army. If Fellow Daoist Han can truly find a way to tie one down, we can abandon the original plan and concentrate our forces on dealing with those demon race Sovereigns first." A cold gleam flashed through Zen Master Jin Yue's eyes upon hearing this.
The silver-haired elder nodded but said nothing more, turning his gaze back toward the celestial phenomenon in the distance.
By now, the sea of fire clouds high above had transformed into a vast crimson ocean, blanketing more than half the sky beneath its glow.
Beneath the fire clouds, brilliant streams of multicolored light began condensing into spheres, reshaping themselves into enormous runes of every color. They drifted weightlessly through the upper sky, radiating dazzling brilliance.
In the next instant, the runes shuddered violently and shot straight upward toward the fire clouds, as though attempting to pierce straight through.
The fire clouds let out a deep, resonant hum and churned with even greater ferocity. The moment the enormous runes touched the cloud, they emitted a sharp sizzling sound, then trembled before shattering one after another.
These runes were pinned beneath the fire clouds, unable to break through by even the slightest margin.
A cold snort suddenly echoed through the entire void. Immediately after, a flash of azure light flickered within the emptiness, and a colossal, hazy figure of a thousand zhang in height materialized, expressionlessly tapping the empty sky several times in succession.
After an invisible ripple passed through space, the enormous runes began condensing at a rate more than ten times faster than before.
Millions upon millions of runes took shape in the span of a few breaths, surging upward once more like a tide.
The fire clouds, for reasons unknown, seemed possessed of some profound mystery. Despite facing the dramatic surge in runes, they held firm as an immovable mountain.
However, both the fire clouds and the enormous runes were expanding at a staggering rate, as if this process would continue without end.
The colossal phantom figure, however, appeared to have grown impatient. With a sudden movement of one arm, it launched a punch toward the crimson clouds from afar.
Though it appeared to be nothing more than a phantom, the instant the fist struck, a thunderous explosion erupted.
The azure figure flickered and dissipated into nothingness, but an invisible wave of tremendous force surged easily into the fire clouds before detonating within them.
A series of deafening booms followed in rapid succession. A section of fire clouds vanished instantaneously, leaving behind a gaping hole more than a hundred zhang in diameter.
A cluster of runes shot through the opening, but the fire clouds flashed and the void sealed itself shut once more.
The runes that had broken free instantly gathered into a mass, vaguely coalescing into another colossal rune roughly an acre in size.
With a flash of light, the rune gradually grew clearer, on the verge of solidifying into a tangible form!
But at this critical juncture, thunder suddenly erupted above the fire clouds as massed dark clouds coalesced out of thin air, vaguely transforming into writhing black flood dragons. Baring fangs and brandishing claws, they tore the temporarily immobilized five-colored humanoid figure apart in a single encounter.
Then the sky-splitting roar of thunder erupted!
Thick arcs of silver lightning surfaced across the dragons' bodies, interweaving and flashing in a dazzling display!
"Ninety-nine in total — eighty-one of them! Unbelievable! I recall that when the last senior attempted his late-stage tribulation, he only drew thirty-six lightning dragons. For Fellow Daoist Han's late-stage tribulation to summon this many — it's simply incredible!" Zen Master Jin Yue couldn't help but cry out in alarm at the sight.
A flash of horror also crossed the silver-haired elder's eyes, though his voice remained calm as he said: "This late-stage tribulation is terrifyingly powerful. I wonder how Fellow Daoist Han intends to weather it. If things go wrong, not only will he fail to advance to the late stage — his very vitality may suffer devastating damage. It's a pity that outsiders cannot intervene in a heavenly tribulation of this caliber. Otherwise, with our assistance, Fellow Daoist Han might actually have a chance."
The elder seemed to have already concluded that Han Li would not survive this tribulation.
"Brother Gu, there's no need to worry overmuch. If Fellow Daoist Han chose this moment to assault the late-stage bottleneck, he must surely have a degree of confidence. Let us simply watch and see." Zen Master Jin Yue took a deep breath and spoke with a solemn expression.
As if to confirm the monk's words, a thunderclap rang out through the clear sky!
Several dozen bolts of golden lightning, each as thick as a water barrel, pierced upward from below. With a single flash, they pierced straight through the rune-laden fire clouds and struck the writhing black flood dragons with devastating force.