- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 498
Leo’s physical body was undoubtedly strong, but the sources of his strength were extremely chaotic.
There was the effect of his own martial training, the effects of various medicinal balms and pills, genetic serums, Hulk’s gene, and the Extremis virus, among other things.
All of these had accumulated, and while there didn’t seem to be any immediate issues, he always felt that there might be hidden dangers in the future.
It was simply too mixed, too chaotic.
This haphazard accumulation had indeed made his body stronger and stronger, but there was always the risk that one day it might collapse under its own weight.
Although losing his physical body wouldn’t be a fatal blow—his primordial spirit alone could sustain him—he knew the body was the foundation. Without it, future cultivation would be significantly hindered, and reaching higher levels of achievement would become extremely difficult.
Thus, he decided to use this tribulation as an opportunity to purify his body. By allowing the heavenly thunder to temper him, he could expel all the impurities from his body, much like refining steel, strengthening it while eliminating all potential risks.
“That’s the stuff!”
When the first bolt of purple thunder struck him directly, Leo’s eyes widened in an expression of pure enjoyment.
“Bring it on!”
With his current physical strength, he easily withstood the first bolt of purple lightning.
He could feel that although the thunder hadn’t destroyed his body, it had triggered his life essence at its core, purging impurities from his body.
However, after the first bolt of lightning, the tribulation clouds didn’t immediately release the second one. Instead, they sent a wave of celestial energy into Leo’s body, causing a qualitative change in his true essence and enhancing his life force.
The heavenly thunder stimulated his life essence, purifying his body, while the celestial energy further strengthened his core. The two processes complemented each other, representing the true nature of a tribulation.
And this was only the beginning—there were still eight more bolts to come.
He couldn’t even imagine how powerful his body would become after enduring all nine bolts of thunder.
“Boom!”
The second bolt of purple thunder came down, this time as thick as a thumb.
“That’s more like it! Come on, keep it coming!”
Leo endured the second bolt without any trouble.
Normally, with his original body, without transforming, he would have struggled with the second strike of purple lightning.
The power of a cultivator’s tribulation lightning was no joke.
But since his body had already been strengthened by the first bolt of lightning, he found it much easier to withstand the second strike.
It made him think that perhaps cultivators could increase their chances of surviving the tribulation if they paid more attention to physical training and dared to allow the lightning to temper their bodies.
Every strike of lightning would further strengthen the body, reducing the likelihood of death by the final, most powerful bolts.
Otherwise, without the protection of spells and artifacts, and relying solely on the celestial energy to strengthen the body, it was almost certain that the ninth strike would kill them.
The current practice of relying on spells and artifacts during tribulations likely originated because cultivators relied too much on their treasures in everyday battles, neglecting their physical strength.
It was always the strongest treasures that survived in the end.
The Emei Sect’s dominance as the number one righteous sect came from their unparalleled flying swords and artifacts.
As a result, no one dared to use their frail bodies to face the Heavenly Thunder directly, missing out on the opportunity to be tempered by it, and that’s how things evolved to the way they were now.
But this was only his speculation—whether it was true or not couldn’t be confirmed.
Either way, the second bolt had been exhilarating for him.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the Shu Mountain watching the tribulation were utterly stunned. They saw Leo facing the Heavenly Thunder without any defense, enduring it with his body alone, and instead of being in pain, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it.
Anyone who didn’t know better might think he had some peculiar fetish.
“Boom!”
The third bolt of lightning struck, this time as thick as an arm.
“Hiss!”
Even with the previous tempering and celestial energy, Leo’s body finally began to feel the strain.
“Why does it feel like the strength of the thunder has suddenly increased so much? Well, the stronger the thunder, the better the tempering.”
The second bolt had been thumb-sized, but the third had suddenly grown to the thickness of an arm, making him feel as though the power had jumped several levels.
He recalled Dan Chenzi mentioning that during his own tribulation, the third strike hadn’t been this strong. Had he misremembered?
But after thinking it over, Leo realized it wasn’t a bad thing. The stronger the thunder, the more it would benefit his body. As long as it didn’t kill him, he welcomed it—he hoped the tribulation would push him to his limit.
Besides, it wasn’t as if the tribulation could truly kill him. He had far too many hidden cards and life-saving measures.
“Xuantianzong, was your third bolt this strong during your tribulation?”
On the outskirts, Dan Chenzi was dumbfounded as he watched the third bolt strike and turned to ask Xuantianzong.
Xuantianzong was silent for a moment before responding, “This level of thunderbolt is as strong as the sixth one during my tribulation.”
“It’s the same for me. Why is Junior Brother Qingfeng’s tribulation so much stronger?”
Dan Chenzi was equally puzzled.
Just then, they heard Leo’s excited shout:
“Hahaha, this is amazing! Not enough yet! Bring it on, I want them thicker and stronger!”
“Boom!”
The fourth bolt of lightning crashed down, now as thick as a water barrel.
“Second form!”
Knowing that his current body wouldn’t be able to endure it, Leo activated his second form, transforming into a muscular giant to meet the next strike head-on.
“This is as strong as the ninth and final bolt in my tribulation,” Xuantianzong muttered, his mouth twitching.
Dan Chenzi nodded in agreement, adding, “I think I understand now. Before my tribulation, our master told me to have a sense of reverence for the Heavenly Tribulation, which could increase the chances of success. Now I know why.”
He suspected that Leo’s defiant attitude had annoyed the Heavenly Dao, which in turn had deliberately increased the difficulty of the tribulation.
Most cultivators faced the tribulation with fear, praying for the lightning to be as weak as possible so they could survive. But here was Leo, grinning with excitement and complaining that the lightning wasn’t strong enough.
“Junior Brother Qingfeng truly is extraordinary!”
Xuantianzong couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
Even with the immense power of the fourth bolt, Leo had endured it once again.
The fourth bolt of Leo’s tribulation was equivalent to the ninth and final strike of a typical tribulation. Most cultivators at the peak of Nascent Soul or Primordial Spirit stages died because they couldn’t survive that final bolt.
Yet Leo had not only survived, he had done so without using any artifacts or spells, relying solely on his physical body. Aside from his clothes being burned away, his body remained completely unharmed.
Even most demon beasts that had already ascended to Earth Immortal level wouldn’t be able to withstand such a strike unscathed, relying only on their bodies.
(End of Chapter)