Super God Golden Crow Record

Chapter 71 Void Refining Period

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and during this time, Zhao Chen's cultivation has become increasingly advanced. The bottleneck of the Void Refinement stage has also begun to loosen slowly.

On this day, Zhao Chen was sitting cross-legged on the high platform of the palace on the planet Merlo, circulating his internal energy and drawing hundreds of strands of star power from the void.

The bottleneck of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm had been holding Zhao Chen back for years, and this time he was determined to break through it in one fell swoop. Zhao Chen used his divine sense, carrying his magical power, to repeatedly attack this invisible barrier in his sea of ​​consciousness. But each time he failed. However, tonight, this barrier finally began to crumble.

Zhao Chen opened his eyes, and a flash of golden light streaked across his pupils. Though swift, it was remarkably bright in the darkness.

Zhao Chen stood up and flew towards the uninhabited mountain range on the north side of Merlo Star. Merlo Heavenly Court's equipment generally doesn't scan that area, and the female angels' patrols don't deliberately pass through there.

Zhao Chen flew to the mountain peak, sat cross-legged, and sank his consciousness into his sea of ​​consciousness. He poured all his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation into that barrier, like an unstoppable river bursting its banks.

The fourth level of the "Great Sun Golden Crow True Explanation" was pushed to its limit. Pure Yang True Fire surged wildly from within his body, the dark golden flames burning fiercely in the night wind. Star power, like moths drawn to a flame, rushed in from all directions, converging on him and being instantly refined by Zhao Chen.

After an unknown amount of time, a cracking sound was heard, and the barrier of the Nascent Soul stage shattered.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, Zhao Chen's primordial spirit suddenly opened its eyes, its entire body radiating golden light. The primordial spirit also began to expand violently, growing from the size of a real person to about ten feet, then ten feet, and finally a hundred feet. Its illusory image repeatedly solidified and dispersed within his sea of ​​consciousness, changing into various forms at will.

As Zhao Chen expanded his divine sense outward, he discovered that his divine sense, which previously could only cover the Merlo Star Region, could now cover even more distant star regions.

The range of divine sense at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm is several times greater than that at the late stage of the Divine Transformation realm. In the northern border star field of the Angel Nebula, the location of the demon's lair was firmly locked by his perception. Every planet and every nebula within the range of his divine sense was clearly presented in his perception.

Initial stage of Void Refinement achieved!

But Zhao Chen didn't have time to sigh, because the heavenly tribulation was about to arrive.

Looking up at the sky, the once clear and cloudless sky of Mero suddenly turned into a vast expanse of dark, heavy clouds, layer upon layer, obscuring the starlight from all directions.

The lightning surged within the clouds, but it wasn't the color of lightning on a rainy day; instead, it was golden. This was a pure lightning power condensed from the laws of heaven and earth, radiating a terrifying and awe-inspiring divine might.

Although Zhao Chen knew that cultivating immortality was inherently defying the heavens and seizing the essence of heaven and earth, whenever a cultivator was about to break through a major realm, heaven and earth would send down tribulations as tests. Passing these tests meant a breakthrough and a significant increase in lifespan. Failing meant either a regression in cultivation and a shattered Dao heart, or even the complete destruction of one's soul and spirit, with all one's cultivation being reborn to nourish heaven and earth.

But why did he feel that his tribulation was even stronger than the tribulations in the cultivation world? Could it be like those transmigration novels, that this world sensed he was an anomaly and was giving him special treatment? Zhao Chen felt like he was being targeted.

Just as Zhao Chen was lost in thought, the first lightning bolt struck down, but he didn't dodge. With a thought, the Chaos Bell hovered above his head, unfolding a gray-black light barrier. The lightning struck the light barrier, exploding into a shower of golden sparks. Yet the light barrier remained completely still, and Zhao Chen was unharmed.

Then came the second and third courses.

Each lightning tribulation was stronger than the last, and cracks began to appear in the light screen of the Chaos Bell.

Zhao Chen raised his hand, and the Pure Yang True Fire began to pulse in his palm.

With a wave of his hand, a dark golden pillar of fire condensed and shot into the sky, colliding head-on with the lightning. Flames and lightning exploded on the mountaintop, blasting half of the entire mountain where Zhao Chen was located apart, sending debris flying through the air.

As the fifth lightning bolt struck, a trickle of golden blood finally spilled from Zhao Chen's lips. The light screen of the Chaos Bell had been shattered in half by the previous attack.

Zhao Chen raised his hand, and the God-Slaying Spear materialized from his palm. He thrust forward, the spear tip piercing the bolt of lightning. The dark red patterns on the spear were dazzlingly bright. He unleashed his Devouring Talent at full power, slowly devouring and refining the energy of the lightning tribulation along the spear, finally flowing into Zhao Chen's body.

Next is the sixth. The seventh. The eighth.

Zhao Chen knelt on one knee atop the shattered rocks, his body charred black, dark golden blood seeping from his skin. But he could not fall.

The final, ninth tribulation lightning bolt had been brewing in the tribulation clouds for a long time. Golden lightning churned, compressed, and condensed wildly within the clouds, finally transforming into a golden lightning pillar as thick as a bucket, which crashed down towards Zhao Chen's face at an incredible speed.

Zhao Chen staggered to his feet and poured all his remaining cultivation into the tip of the God-Slaying Spear to meet the attack head-on.

What Zhao Chen didn't know was that the entire planet Melo was shaken because of him.

From the very first moment the thunderclouds began to gather, female angels were awakened from their sleep by the thunder within the storm clouds. They rushed out of their barracks in a swarm, looking up at the northern sky, which was first shrouded in boundless dark clouds, and then torn in two by dark golden flames and golden lightning. The storm clouds rolled and spread outwards, covering a small part of the planet Mero.

"What's that?" a young female angel asked, pointing tremblingly at the sky. "We don't know, we just arrived too," the female angels chirped, creating a chaotic cacophony.

Ruoning stood at the entrance of the barracks, her brown curly hair fluttering slightly in the night breeze, her silver armor still clasped with buttons that hadn't been fastened yet. She gazed towards the northern mountains, her pupils contracting as she witnessed the entire scene.

"Is it him?"

Keisha had already flown out of the palace, her silver wings fluttering slightly as she hovered in mid-air. She gazed silently at the torn sky above the northern mountains, a look of worry on her face.

He Xi stood on the palace terrace, her long silver hair cascading over her shoulders, wearing pajamas and clearly having just been woken up. She gazed at the distant sky, her fingers slightly clenched.

Liang Bing rushed out of the research lab at the Super God Academy, looking at the northern sky, her eyes brimming with tears, her lips still trembling slightly, her pretty face filled with worry. "Brother-in-law..."

Kieran stood on the observatory of the Super God Academy, his gaze calmly fixed on the sky covered by the tribulation clouds. His eyes held a mixture of surprise and shock beyond his control, as well as deep contemplation.

Karl stood behind him, his young face showing a complex mix of surprise, shock, desire, and greed.

"Principal, what kind of power is this?" Karl's face was full of eagerness for new knowledge.

Kieran did not answer him. He stared at him for a long time, and finally said only one sentence: "Not any known system."

"Yes," Karl nodded in agreement, then turned his gaze through the clouds of tribulation to Zhao Chen.

Zhao Chen was kneeling on one knee amidst the ruins, his body charred black, motionless. But his aura was rapidly rising.

Karl's pupils contracted slightly.

The tribulation of lightning has finally passed.

Zhao Chen knelt on the shattered rocks, panting heavily. Dark golden blood dripped slowly from the corner of his mouth, landing on the charred rocks with a sizzling sound.

Zhao Chen's clothes were completely torn off, revealing his charred skin. But the newly acquired power surged within him, and the Pure Yang True Fire reignited beneath his skin, burning even more fiercely than before.

Initial stage of Refining Emptiness, achieved.

Zhao Chen stood up, feeling the abundant power within his body. His divine sense spread out. Every planet, every nebula, and every fluctuation of dark energy around Merlo Star was within his perception.

He saw Keisha hovering in mid-air, He Xi standing on the palace terrace, and Liang Bing standing tearfully at the gate of the Super God Academy. He also saw Kieran standing on the Super God Academy's observatory, his white hair and beard fluttering slightly in the night breeze. And Karl was standing behind Kieran, his expression unreadable.

Zhao Chen put away the Pure Yang True Fire, his escape light shone, and he flew towards Keisha's direction.

Keisha met him in mid-air.

The silver wings behind him fluttered slightly, and his golden eyes held a complex expression, his mind filled with questions.

"What was that just now?" Keisha asked.

"I call it 'Heavenly Tribulation,'" Zhao Chen explained. "It's a test that heaven and earth bestow upon you when you break through to a major realm in your cultivation."

Keisha looked at Zhao Chen with a pained expression. "You're injured."

"They're just superficial injuries, nothing serious," Zhao Chen reassured him.

Keisha reached out and touched the still-healing wound on Zhao Chen's face, dark golden blood staining her fingertips. She stared at Zhao Chen for a long time before withdrawing her hand.

"Let's go back."

"Yes," Zhao Chen nodded in agreement, and flew towards the palace with Keisha in his arms.

He Xi stood on the palace terrace, watching Zhao Chen fly over. As Zhao Chen passed by her, she suddenly spoke.

Are you alright?

"What could possibly be wrong with me?" Zhao Chen reassured him.

"Alright." He Xi didn't say anything more, turned around and walked into the palace.

At this moment, Liang Bing rushed over from the entrance of the Super God Academy, her pretty face full of shock.

"Brother-in-law, you've practically cleaved the sky in two."

Seeing her anxious expression, Zhao Chen reached out and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Liang Bing froze for a moment, her face instantly turning red. She quickly took a step back, her ears still slightly red. "I see you're covered in blood."

Zhao Chen glanced at his body; the bloodstains on it had long since dried. He smiled and withdrew his hand.

Kieran stood on the observatory of the Super God Academy for a long time, until the storm clouds completely dissipated. The night sky on Planet Mero returned to its calm. He turned to look at Karl, whose face had returned to its expressionless state, and whose eyes had become deep and profound again.

"Principal, don't you think this power is even more mysterious and unpredictable than the power systems of the known universe?" Karl asked curiously.

Kieran looked at him. "Oh, so what's your opinion?"

"I don't know either," Carl said, "but I'd love to try."

Kieran was silent for a moment, then turned and walked off the observatory. Before leaving, he didn't forget to give some instructions.

"Zhao Chen's strength is unfathomable; don't try to take him down."

Carl stood there, watching Kieran's disappearing figure.

He turned back to look in the direction where Zhao Chen had disappeared, and a slow smile crept onto his lips.