Chapter 984: Paragon of Virtue, Enforcing Justice on Behalf of Heaven
When the tribulation transcendence livestream resumed, countless viewers witnessed the thunder tribulation, which had been surging violently and expanding continuously just moments before, now shrinking at a rapid pace.
At the same time, within the internal network of the Thunder Tribulation System, numerous relevant cultivators were observing this scene in shock.
“All monitoring equipment is back to normal and functioning again…”
“The seventh thunder tribulation is naturally contracting, exiting its Spirit Realm propagation state…”
“The minor realm’s thunder pressure has dropped below the critical threshold; the risk of damage to the Grotto-Heaven’s structure has disappeared…”
In the livestream feed captured by the surveillance equipment, the clusters of thunder tribulation continued to contract, ultimately turning into wisps and strands that swirled around Zhang Yu’s entire body like splashes of water.
The thunder tribulation, originally so incomparably violent, was now as docile as water before Zhang Yu.
In fact, to the eyes of cultivators with sharper discernment and deeper cultivation, those wisps of thunder tribulation were constantly weaving in and out of Zhang Yu’s flesh and Primordial Spirit, clearly taking the initiative to temper his body and facilitate his comprehension of the profound technical mysteries across both microscopic and macroscopic domains.
He Zhaisheng said in shock, “The thunder tribulation isn’t retaliating? Instead, it’s actively helping the cultivator?!”
In all his years dealing in Tribulation Bonds, not only had he never seen such a scene before, but he had never even heard of such a thing.
Heavenly Monarch Overdrive, a recipient of the Celestial Evolution Award, had just changed his profile status to “Courses on Fire Sale.”
At this moment, he was also staring intently at Zhang Yu on the screen. “Incredible. This phenomenon shatters years of conventional understanding regarding thunder tribulations. Does this mean the thunder tribulation possesses autonomy? Perhaps all our past explorations into tribulation-cracking technologies were fundamentally flawed…”
Right now, he genuinely wanted to conduct a thorough study of this phenomenon.
Yet the thought of his current bond losses forced a sigh from him. “Better release an analysis video first to grab some views.”
In the next moment, under the watchful gaze of countless cultivators, Zhang Yu gently extended a single finger.
A hint of curiosity, a touch of confusion, and a trace of bewilderment seemed to linger on Zhang Yu’s face as he quietly stared at his index finger.
The very next instant, a scene unfolded that left everyone utterly astounded.
Amid a subtle vibration, wisps of thunder tribulation were born from Zhang Yu’s fingertips. Like a tiny flame, they gently flickered, radiating faint pulses of thunderlight.
Yet in the eyes of countless cultivators, this faint thunderlight was blinding to the extreme, as if it had flashed across all the Ten Great Sects in that single instant.
Inside the securities firm, He Zhaisheng was completely astonished: “What does this mean? Is he…”
An unthinkable thought welled up in his mind: “…Is Zhang Yu generating a thunder tribulation?”
The magic power inside Heavenly Monarch Overdrive surged violently: “Is he triggering a thunder tribulation? Or generating one? Or… merely manipulating it?”
He knew the differences between these were immense, and their impact on the world — and on the bonds — would be worlds apart.
Watching this scene from within the Myriad Laws Sect, Fa Liuyuan felt a lingering fear flash through his heart: “This seventh thunder tribulation… I’m afraid it was also within the Immortal Emperor’s calculations.”
Beside him, a flicker of surprise also crossed Dugu Ming’s eyes. He turned to Fa Liuyuan and said, “Heavenly Monarch Fa, it seems you made a very wise choice.”
Caressing the Feather Book in his hand, Dugu Ming said, “If you had handed it over any later, I’m afraid these terms wouldn’t be on the table anymore.”
Inside the Grotto-Heaven of the Myriad Laws Immortal Clan, Bu Yingshu exclaimed in shock, “Dad! What’s going on? Does the Thunder Tribulation System have this kind of VIP service? Making the thunder tribulation so obedient? How come I didn’t get this when I underwent tribulation?”
Bu Yuangui replied, “I don’t know.”
With a solemn expression, he added, “But I suspect… this might be an effect that only the seventh thunder tribulation can bring.”
Within the Heavenly Sword Sect, streaks of sword qi materialized out of thin air. Like ribbons of softness wrapping around fingers, they coiled toward Bai Zhenzhen from all directions.
Wherever the sword qi passed, it seemed capable of severing everything, even the surrounding light and the Spirit Realm itself…
The time from the sword qi’s appearance to its descent was faster than any reaction Bai Zhenzhen could muster, advancing toward her inch by inch as if in a world where time stood still.
Yet right at that moment, a figure suddenly flashed right in front of the sword qi.
By the time Bai Zhenzhen’s consciousness registered that chilling sword intent, she only saw the mysterious figure pinching a clump of sword qi, a light chuckle escaping his lips.
Bai Zhenzhen asked in surprise, “What is this?”
The mysterious figure said indifferently, “Just some sore losers trying to strike back.”
At the same time, looking at the thunder tribulation pouring from his fingertips, streams of information echoed in Zhang Yu’s mind.
“Wonderful! A true paragon of virtue! The world is saved…”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Have I already passed the seventh thunder tribulation?”
His memories regarding the specific questions and answers in the test felt completely hazy; he only remembered making many choices, but couldn’t recall their actual contents.
However, the information continuously welling up in his mind after overcoming the seventh thunder tribulation… was something he remembered crystal clear.
“A paragon of virtue shall not suffer the pain of the thunder tribulation. Henceforth, the thunder tribulation will no longer backlash, but rather aid in body tempering, allowing one to comprehend the profound mysteries of the microcosm and the macrocosm.”
At that moment, Zhang Yu felt that even if he did nothing — without resisting the thunder tribulation or even circulating his cultivation art to temper his body with it — the thunder tribulation was assisting him on its own initiative.
Not only did it automatically temper his body, but all sorts of profound mysteries of the microcosm and macrocosm also surfaced naturally in his mind alongside the tempering process.
“This is practically AFK auto-grinding the tribulation,” Zhang Yu marveled inwardly. “So the original intent of this thunder tribulation was for those who passed the moral assessment to undergo tribulations automatically without the slightest risk… Isn’t this a bit too convenient?”
“This can no longer be called the Tribulation Transcendence Realm; this is simply the Dao Comprehension Realm… And perhaps I am the only cultivator in the entirety of Kunxu currently cultivating within this Dao Comprehension Realm.”
“In that case, the era when this thunder tribulation came into being must have been one where all kinds of good people successfully broke through, while cultivators of low moral character… perished one after another beneath the thunder tribulations, right?”
“Then it seems the records claiming that no one survived the thunder tribulation for an entire era might not necessarily be true either. After all, this seventh thunder tribulation adjusts in real time, constantly shifting its moral standards. In that case… the era following the birth of the thunder tribulation might well have been an era where the Righteous Path held an absolute advantage…”
Hearing this, Immortal Slayer analyzed, “It’s also possible that everyone wanted to easily pass the tribulation through the path of virtue, and ultimately every cultivator under heaven began fiercely competing over morality, forming an increasingly twisted world.”
Just as Zhang Yu was pondering, information regarding yet another layer of reward emerged.
“A paragon of virtue shall enjoy the blessings of the thunder tribulation, able to produce thunder tribulations autonomously and enact punishment on behalf of the heavens.”
After comprehending this layer of reward, Zhang Yu extended a finger and tried to apply this power of “Self-Produced Thunder Tribulation.”
Immediately following that, a bolt of thunder tribulation burst forth from his fingertip.
Looking at this thunder tribulation he had generated himself, Zhang Yu was also slightly shocked. “The test result of ‘Paragon of Virtue’… is truly extraordinary. It actually gave me the ability of Self-Produced Lightning Tribulation?”
At the same time, information regarding the third reward surfaced.
“A paragon of virtue possesses the supreme foundation for Immortality, deserving priority elevation to achieve Immortality and jointly build the world’s Dao Lineages.”
The next moment, rays of thunderous light converged and surged in Zhang Yu’s mind, ultimately forming the words “Paragon of Virtue,” which was branded firmly into his Sea of Consciousness like a label.
However, sensing this information, Zhang Yu frowned slightly because he only perceived the literal message without feeling any concrete reward.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “It seems this layer of reward hasn’t granted me any specific ability, but rather serves as a kind of label, a mark…”
Immortal Slayer said, “Perhaps the Immortal who established the Thunder Tribulation Dao Lineage back then had other supporting measures in place. It is just that with the changing of the times, those supporting measures have long since ceased operating.”
The Sect Examination Clone was even more optimistic: “It’s called the Immortality Foundation, so maybe it’ll only take effect when we ascend and become an immortal? Besides, the thunder tribulations are just one part of the Heavenly Tribulation Dao Lineage. Perhaps this ‘Paragon of Virtue’ is meant for dealing with other kinds of Heavenly Tribulations.”
These fleeting thoughts passed in an instant, and Zhang Yu knew this wasn’t an issue he could figure out with just some casual contemplation.
Meanwhile, the very moment the thunder tribulation materialized on Zhang Yu’s fingertip, all live broadcasts concerning him were instantly suspended, triggering yet another wave of heated discussion and endless speculation.
As a frontline staff member, Hong Shanlang received orders to communicate with Zhang Yu as a representative of the Thunder Tribulation System and inquire about his situation.
However, before he could act, a leader stopped him.
“Hong Shanlang! If Zhang Yu can truly generate thunder tribulations, how high will his bonds skyrocket? It will cause massive problems! When the thunder tribulation short squeezes, one bankruptcy will trigger the next, and who knows how many people will die!”
“All news concerning Zhang Yu must be suppressed right now!”
Looking at the other man’s crazed face, Hong Shanlang sighed inwardly, knowing that he must have secretly shorted Zhang Yu’s bonds.
Theoretically, cultivators working within the Thunder Tribulation System were barred from trading Thunder Tribulation Bonds.
He must have circumvented surveillance to short Zhang Yu ahead of time, never expecting things to develop this way.
Hong Shanlang thought to himself, “With Thunder Tribulation Bonds, one is buying Zhang Yu’s thunder tribulation. Ultimately, the more thunder tribulation resources Zhang Yu brings, the more thunder tribulation each bond can proportionately redeem, making it all the more valuable.”
Hong Shanlang could well imagine that if Zhang Yu could truly generate a thunder tribulation… regardless of its scale, the moment the news got out, the entire Tribulation Bond market would go mad.
Meanwhile, Hong Shanlang’s side was not the only one taking action; numerous securities firms, news media, and upper-tier cultivators from various sects were all eager to dig for information at this moment.
Yet, just as all sorts of consciousnesses crossed the Spirit Realm and attempted to descend before Zhang Yu, they were completely blocked.
A streak of sword light descended from the heavens, slashing directly through the Spirit Realm.
In an instant, the entire minor realm where Zhang Yu was located was sealed off by the Heavenly Sword Sect, cutting off all Spirit Realm communications to him.
Upper-tier cultivators from other sects, the media, and investors all voiced their complaints in unison.
“As the Tribulator of the Tribulation Bond, Zhang Yu has an obligation to disclose his Tribulation Transcendence status to the public!”
“Lift the ban! We want to interview Zhang Yu!”
Soon enough… the Heavenly Sword Sect issued an announcement declaring that they would hold a press conference in five minutes.
Within those five minutes, a figure appeared before Zhang Yu.
“A-Zhen?” Zhang Yu said in surprise upon seeing Bai Zhenzhen appear before him. “Why are you here?”
Bai Zhenzhen said, “The higher-ups thought that since I’m quite close to you, I should represent the Heavenly Sword Sect to talk things over with you. Either way, I’m on your side, so if you have any demands later, just tell me.”
“Talk things over?” Zhang Yu recalled the process of the seventh thunder tribulation, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen seemed to be receiving some messages. After a moment, she said, “The higher-ups’ first demand is that you keep the details of the seventh thunder tribulation strictly confidential.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Once the contents of the seventh thunder tribulation are made public… it will probably cause a moral shock to today’s Kunxu society.”
At the thought of the words “moral shock,” a sense of helplessness welled up in Zhang Yu’s heart.
Yet he knew that with the Kunxu cultivators’ Immortal Dao Aspiration, many cultivators might very well alter their own moral standards just to undergo the tribulation.
“This kind of impact seems to be something the Immortal Emperors do not wish to see.”
Right then, however, Zhang Yu’s gaze suddenly sharpened as he remembered an issue he had been overlooking all along.
“The fact that the Heavenly Sword Sect could make this request further proves… the upper echelons of the Heavenly Sword Sect indeed know the contents of the seventh thunder tribulation. What about the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor, then?”
Zhang Yu looked back at his communication records with the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor, his heart sinking involuntarily. “If the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor also knows the contents of the seventh thunder tribulation and still supported me undergoing it… that means he is certain I can definitely transcend this tribulation.”
“He has a profound understanding of — even absolute certainty about — the choices in my heart.”
“My character, my choices… everything is within Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor’s expectations.”
Thinking up to this point, Zhang Yu felt the eerie dread of a massively corrupt official whose thoughts had been thoroughly seen through by the Emperor. The only subtle difference was that he had been singled out as a ‘Paragon of Virtue’ in a den of beasts.
On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen had already continued, “Also, the higher-ups said… for your subsequent Tribulation Transcendence process, all data must be disclosed to the Heavenly Sword Sect for use in thunder tribulation technology research.”
“And then regarding the thunder tribulations you produce…”
When she said this, Bai Zhenzhen also looked at Zhang Yu with some surprise. “The Heavenly Sword Sect will buy up all the quota of thunder tribulations you produce each year for five million Immortal Coins per year. You are not allowed to sell them to anyone else without authorization.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself, “The amount of thunder tribulation I can produce per unit of time… has a ceiling, and that ceiling isn’t very high. As expected, since the Heavenly Sword Sect oversees the Heavenly Tribulation Dao Lineage, they understand this as well.”
Bai Zhenzhen: “Finally, the higher-ups told me to tell you that if you can’t make a decision yourself, you can also ask your own higher-ups.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu froze slightly, and then immediately looked toward the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor inbox that had appeared before him.
After a moment of thought, he tried compiling the current situation into a report and clicked send.
Looking at the words “Sent Successfully,” Zhang Yu thought to himself, “It can still be sent out successfully? Is this a communication channel that the Heavenly Sword Sect… deliberately left open? I see… The ones truly negotiating right now aren’t A-Zhen and me, but probably the Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor behind me and the Heavenly Sword Immortal Emperor behind A-Zhen.”
“Perhaps the Heavenly Sword Immortal Emperor isn’t directly behind A-Zhen, but even so… extending all the way up behind the one who is… it ultimately must be the will of the Heavenly Sword Immortal Emperor.”
“They might have even agreed on everything long ago, and now they just need us to go through their motions.”
At this moment, an even deeper sense of being manipulated welled up within Zhang Yu. It felt as though every single step of his tribulation transcendence had been meticulously calculated by the two Immortal Emperors.
Within a split second, Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor replied with differing opinions on where the thunder tribulation Zhang Yu generated each year should go.
Over the ensuing time, Zhang Yu felt as if he and Bai Zhenzhen were merely two puppets, conducting negotiations under the Immortal Emperor’s manipulation to discuss the allocation of the thunder tribulation he would produce annually.
Amidst the back-and-forth exchanges and continuous stream of messages, Zhang Yu suddenly said, “Sect Examination Clone, when you flatter him, try to probe him for me…”
Zhang Yu (Sect Examination Clone): “Your Majesty’s foresight is truly divine. Every step of this subject’s transcendence through the sevenfold thunder tribulation was precisely as Grandpa Immortal Emperor predicted.”
Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor: “For surviving the sevenfold thunder tribulation, you should thank your homeland. The people from there indeed meet the requirements of the sevenfold thunder tribulation far better than the tribulation-transcenders of today.”
Zhang Yu: “The commoners of the 1st layer truly lack Sect Nature.”
Myriad Laws Immortal Emperor: “We were referring to Earth.”