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--- Chapter 102 ---
Desolate Mountain, Thundercall Peak.
Han Yue stared at the distant lone peak with a worried expression. She sighed helplessly, "What kind of crazy body-refining technique requires someone to be struck by heavenly tribulation?"
"Don't you have faith in him, Xiao Yue?" commented a lazy voice behind the beautiful young woman.
Han Yue glanced back and saw Liu Erlong sitting on a boulder with Dugu Bo and Ye Xuelan. As Title Douluo of the academy, they had come to protect and heal Han Yuan in case something went wrong during his breakthrough.
Han Yue rolled her eyes at Liu Erlong and replied unhappily, "Of course I'm worried!"
"We're talking about my dear, handsome, genius brother here!"
"Tsk, what a brocon," Liu Erlong said with a smirk.
"At least I'm not an old cow who likes to prey on someone's young grass! Hmph!" Han Yue retorted sharply.
Although she has compromised with those women, it doesn't mean she likes them preying on her brother like a fresh piece of meat.
"Hehe, that's what makes things interesting. There is a saying that the grass on the other side is always greener, right? I'm only choosing the greenest one for me." Liu Erlong wasn't embarrassed. Her face is thick enough to take all that criticism.
"Alright, alright, you two. Can we stop bickering?" Ye Xuelan interjected, trying to break up the argument.
"I don't want to hear that from another old cow!" Han Yue shot back, causing Ye Xuelan's veins to pop.
"You..." Ye Xuelan's eyes flashed with divine light.
Meanwhile, Dugu Bo stared at the gloomy sky filled with thunderclouds, maintaining a calm expression. What nice weather!
He then shifted his gaze to the peak, where a calm figure was meditating, flickering with purple-silver electricity. The figure appeared to be eighteen years old, but in reality, he was just ten this year.
The figure wore a loose dark-blue robe and pants that fluttered gently as the compressed spirit energy around him created an unrelenting wave.
Yup, it was none other than Han Yuan. Last year, Han Yuan had absorbed a 100,000-year-old spirit ring as his fifth spirit ring, and today, he wanted to break through to the Spirit Emperor Realm while refining the Great Sun Thunder Body.
It was hard to believe such a young child could reach the Spirit Emperor Realm, but this is the reality. He had only cultivated as a spirit master for four years and had surpassed countless genius spirit masters, leaving them behind in a ditch!
Honestly, Dugu Bo felt embarrassed because, at ten, he had still been playing around with his cultivation. Of course, that was before he started experiencing poisoning from his martial soul, which caused him to take his cultivation more seriously.
Kids, these days, are monsters!
"Great Sun Thunder Body, huh? Tempering one's body with continuous strikes of lightning tribulation, allowing someone to possess the physical fitness of a Title Douluo upon completion." Dugu Bo shook his head bitterly.
Han Yuan shared his body refining method with Dugu Bo, but the Poison Douluo didn't believe anyone could replicate what Han Yuan did.
Even then, no amount of craziness will give Dugu Bo and others the courage needed to endure a lightning strike from heaven.
There's a reason why spirit beasts experience PTSD when they reach the 100,000-year mark: they face two options—transform into humans or endure a heavenly tribulation, continuing their cultivation to reach 200,000 years and earn another chance at a powerful lightning strike.
Dugu Bo doesn't know that Han Yuan is 'naturally' favored by nearly all lightning made by nature, including the heavenly tribulation.
Of course, it didn't mean Han Yuan was immune to the dangers of these lightning strikes because the sheer raw power of nature could still injure him.
Fortunately, Han Yuan has sufficiently prepared for this challenge. He is confident in his renewed mastery of the Law of Lightning, having modified the White Tiger's Lightning Law to create his own version.
Yes, you heard that right! Han Yuan has developed his own Profound Art—perhaps he should call it Divine Art in this lower-tier cultivation world.
In fact, over the past three years, Han Yuan has improved all of his cultivation techniques, making them more efficient and easier to practice. The Insect Vibrato Breathing has evolved into the Breath of Cicada, the Mental Palace Art has transformed into True Spirituality Art, and the Earthly Nourishment Manual is now the Nature Nourishment Sutra—each of these is 200% more effective than before.
Han Yuan has also upgraded his Song of Thunderclap into Thunder Sonata, which perfectly complements his unique version of the White Tiger's Lightning Degree, World Shaking Profound Art.
Learning the Sage Spirit Immortal Legacy has enabled him to create the Secret of Soul, a secret method. The Secret of Soul strengthens one's mortal soul and transforms it into a divine flame.
Han Yuan accomplished all this in three years, using his advantages to the fullest.
Han Yuan also discovered a secret use of the Task Master System. After experimenting with tasks for a few years, he found that the rewards he got were 'literally' based on what he needed in his cultivation.
He got White Tiger's Lightning Degree because his mastery over lightning was stuck. He also got the Sage Spirit Immortal Legacy because he has no pointers on manipulating souls.
So far, Han Yuan only tested the rewards from the Douluo Dalu Universe, whether it was the method of creating Spirit Soul, Electrolux's Undead Magic, study material of Soul Guide Tools, or even Divine Beast's bones from the future.
Although Han Yuan could try to get his hands on the reward from outside the Douluo Dalu Universe, the things he got were always random. After all, the system gave him what he needed, not what he wanted.
Once, Han Yuan hoped to get "Heavenly Flame" from Battle Through the Heaven as a reward, but the Task Master System gave him a low-level beast flame instead. While the beast flame is impressive, Han Yuan only used it to feed his Pill's Fire.
He also hoped to get "Profound Art" or "Divine Technique" from a higher-leveled cultivation world but got a mediocre technique. Then, Han Yuan realized the quality of the reward was also calculated based on how difficult the "Task" he issued and completed.
"I want to issue a task." Han Yuan gazed at the thunderclouds above with a faint smile.
[Please enter your input]
"I will complete the Great Sun Thunder Body and survive the heavenly tribulation lightning strikes."
[Ding! The system has taken your input]
...
[Task: Go, Zap, Zap, Boom, Alive!]
[Objective: Survive the round of Heavenly Tribulation's lightning strikes and refine the Great Sun Thunder Body]
[Reward: Unknown]
[Time Limit: Thirty minutes]
...
Han Yuan grinned, and his body unleashed a frightening beast-like roar, overcharging with electricity. Every cell in his body became very active as the thunderclouds swirled above his head, firing a bolt of white lightning at him.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Han Yue, Liu Erlong, and Ye Xuelan stopped fighting. They focused on Han Yuan immediately, watching him endure the lightning strike with a ferocious look on his face.
Although worried, the ladies' eyes couldn't help but bite their lips at this rare side of Han Yuan.
Another lightning bolt hit Han Yuan, but he laughed, "HAHAHA, COME ON! THAT ONLY TICKLES ME! GIVE MORE MORE!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Han Yuan's body charred, becoming darker than obsidian. His body was 'constantly' overloaded with lightning energy, which further transformed into life energy.
He's becoming a human lightning rod, absorbing the power of heaven and turning it into his own.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Twenty-five minutes passed quickly.
Han Yuan stayed in the same position all this time, but the area around has gotten ruined and unrecognizable. His breath is steady, constantly blowing red vapor, which is his blood.
He opened his now silver eyes flickering with purple electricity and laughed, "It seems you can't give me a challenge, after all."
"How disappointing."
"I know you have more power than this."
"Don't be shy~! Strike me down with it!"
"Strike me down if YOU HAD THE BALLS, HAHAHA!"
The thunderclouds seemingly responded to Han Yuan's insult and became smaller yet condensed, gathering the last remaining lightning energy in the atmosphere for final judgment.
Zzt!
ZZZT!
The white lightning becomes crimson blood, painting the sky red.
"Hehe, that's more like it." Han Yuan grinned, stood up, and opened his arms. "DO YOUR BEST!"
Swoosh!
A crimson spear of the condensed lightning nature descended from the sky like heaven's judgment. It was faster than sound, seemingly tearing all resistance in the world.
Han Yuan watched the crimson spear appear before his eyes and hit his chest without mercy.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The peak disappeared, leaving a cloud of dust in return.
Inside the cloud of dust, Han Yuan lays on the ground motionlessly. He has no breath left in his body.
However, a miraculous sight happened as the Purple Silver Grass grew rapidly around Han Yuan, covering the destroyed mountain peak and the surrounding area.
Dum! Dum!
The sound of a heartbeat echoed.
A vibrant, green flame of life set Han Yuan ablaze as he experienced a rebirth-! No, it's an evolution!
Dum! Dum!
As the heartbeat gets quicker, every plant in the Desolate Mountain Range seemingly welcomes its monarch. They surrendered to this awakened noble's aura and willingly gave their energy to Han Yuan.
Massive life energy slowly moved from underground and reached Han Yuan's body, healing him from all his injuries. The charred outer body slowly fell off, revealing a golden sun-like luster.
Additionally, Han Yuan's spirit rank finally leveled to level 60, making a half-step Spirit Emperor.
[Ding! You have finished your task]
[Calculating reward...]
[Ding! You have obtained a "Sealed Spirit Soul" from Douluo Dalu 3: The Legend of Dragon King]
[Ding! You have unlocked the World Travel Function]
...
...
At the same time, in the Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, a blue-haired woman in a royal blue dress opened her eyes. She stared at the far distance and mumbled longingly, "My baby..."