Immortal Divine Tribulation

Chapter 154: Stepping into the Thunder Pool

“Let him go!”

Li Yunyang and the others scrambled up from the ground, rushing madly toward this side. But a powerful energy barrier blocked them all outside.

Behind Tian Fan sat a man cross-legged. His robes were so ancient that not even historical records mentioned them. A boundless golden divine light radiated continuously from his body, flowing endlessly into Tian Fan’s body. 

Within Tian Fan, the Divine Celestial Heart Sutra suddenly began to circulate rapidly—this was power from the same source.

At this moment, the demon could no longer be called a demon. His body radiated divine power—majestic, domineering—like an awakened God of War. Although this aura wasn’t as terrifying as the demonic energy from earlier, it was far deeper, far purer. He resembled a slumbering tiger, ready to strike.

The demon’s face was filled with anxiety. Tian Fan still hadn’t awakened. He spat out a mouthful of essence blood, transforming it into a sea of vital energy. Vast life force surged like millions of wild horses. Blazing golden light enveloped Tian Fan, and endless vitality surged into his body.

Buzz…

Just then, a mass of purple-gold light slowly floated out from Tian Fan’s body. It radiated intense excitement and began to rapidly absorb the surrounding life force.

In the distance, everyone widened their eyes in shock. It seemed the Son of God harbored many secrets. Even from this glowing orb of purple-gold light, they could sense a faint but terrifying pressure.

“Could it be… does this clan still exist in this world…”

The demon looked shocked, staring dumbfounded at the glowing purple-gold mass. Then his gaze softened, and he said gently, “Little one, your master is in danger right now. Don’t compete with him for life force.”

Buzz…

The purple-gold orb seemed to understand his words. It flickered slightly, releasing a childish spiritual intent. It floated closer to Tian Fan and suddenly unleashed an overwhelming pressure. The divine light trembled violently.

“Awoo—!”

Above Tian Fan’s head, a five-foot-long purple-gold shadow appeared, letting out an angry roar. Though it still looked like a child, the powerful aura was clearly coming from it. No one could move—an intense spiritual force had frozen everyone in place. The purple-gold figure stared furiously at the people ahead, sending chills down their spines and making cold sweat pour from their foreheads.

“Alright, little one, it’s not their fault. I’m the one who hurt him…”

The demon spoke bitterly. Hearing this, the divine dragon shadow looked confused. Even though it was just a spiritual projection, it bared its teeth at the demon. If not for the fact that the demon was healing Tian Fan, it might have attacked him directly.

“Wait, is that…”

“That can’t be a Divine Dragon, right?”

The disciples of the Soaring Dragon Palace stared in awe at the purple-gold image above Tian Fan’s head. Head like an ox, antlers like a deer, eyes like a shrimp’s, ears like an elephant’s, neck and belly like a snake’s, scales like a fish’s, claws like a phoenix’s, palms like a tiger’s—its majestic and noble presence was undeniable. This was a true divine beast, the pinnacle among all living beings—the legendary Divine Dragon.

Sensing the gazes on it, the purple-gold Divine Dragon slightly turned its head. Sun Yueying and the others immediately tensed. The overwhelming spiritual pressure was no joke. Yet to their surprise, instead of feeling suppressed, a gentle intent enveloped them—like a toddler just learning to walk.

The divine shadow above Tian Fan’s head gave Sun Yueying and the others an adorable dragon smile. It looked weak, its form slowly fading. After all, it hadn’t been born yet, and the outburst just now had consumed too much energy. With a huff, it turned back toward the demon, waving a tiny golden claw angrily, and then faded completely, transforming into a streak of purple-gold light that shot back into Tian Fan’s body.

“Did I see that right? Was that really a Divine Dragon?”

“Looks like… it really was…”

In the distance, a huge group of people were nearly petrified. They could barely form words. What they witnessed today was simply too shocking—a glimpse of a legendary existence.

“Soul Return…”

Suddenly, the demon gave a low shout, golden light flashing in his eyes. Tian Fan’s eyes snapped open. Standing in front of him was a tall, imposing middle-aged man.

“Xiao Fan!”

The disciples from the Great Sealing Sect rushed over. Only after confirming he was okay did they breathe a sigh of relief. Li Yunyang gave him a punch and said, “Brat, you scared us half to death!”

Tian Fan looked at them blankly, then was deeply moved. A warm current flowed through his heart. He turned to look at the demon, his brows furrowing slightly.

At this moment, the demon’s eyes were bright, his red hair had turned black, and all traces of demonic energy had vanished. Though his appearance had changed drastically, Tian Fan still clearly recognized him—this was the very same demon who had stepped out from the Sea of Thunder.

“He saved you…”

Sun Yueying said softly, surprising Tian Fan.

“Thank you, senior, for saving my life!”

Though he didn’t know why the demon had changed so much, Tian Fan knew he was someone who had once stood invincible in this world.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, young master. This old servant has sinned… please forgive me.”

What happened next shocked everyone. The demon suddenly knelt before Tian Fan, bowing low to the ground. The collective sound of jaws hitting the floor echoed from afar. This was a being so fearsome that even the ghosts of the Returning Immortal Secret Realm trembled in fear. Yet now, he was kneeling before a young cultivator at the peak of Cloud Heaven Realm. If word got out, it would probably wake even the ancient elders of the secret realm from their slumber.

“Senior, what are you doing? Please get up!”

Tian Fan panicked, jumping up in shock. He had no idea what was going on. Sun Yueying and the others instinctively backed away. The demon’s actions were just too much.

“Senior, please stand up!”

Tian Fan felt dizzy. A terrifying being like this kneeling before him made his heart pound in fear. He grabbed the demon’s thick arm to help him up—though, in truth, the demon stood up of his own accord. Otherwise, even a million Tian Fans couldn’t have pulled him off the ground.

Clank, clank…

The sound of metal clashing rang out behind them. Only then did the crowd notice that a dark iron chain pierced through the demon’s back, going straight through his spine. This sight stunned everyone beyond belief. Who… or what, could possibly imprison such an invincible being?

“Senior… what is this?”

Tian Fan was stunned. He couldn’t imagine what kind of power could bind someone like this in such a place.

“I put it there myself…”

The demon now stood beside Tian Fan like a subordinate, making him feel jittery. Goosebumps ran down his back. But right now, none of that mattered. His eyes were completely drawn to the crystal-clear jade pearls floating within the Sea of Thunder. Step by step, he began walking toward them.

“Young master, no!”

The demon was alarmed. In a flash, he appeared in front of Tian Fan and blocked his path. “With your current cultivation, you can’t enter there. You’ll be obliterated—body and soul!”

He seemed to care more about Tian Fan’s life than Tian Fan himself. Just seeing him step toward the Sea of Thunder made cold sweat run down his back.