"It's Martial Uncle Qiao!"

Jiang Heng was instantly thrilled, pulling his disciple along as they flew directly to the summit of Liutong Peak. This was the location where Qiao Chu was in seclusion. After three months, the young man was finally ready to face the thunder tribulation.

Zhang Yiyi was equally excited. Not only was she happy and anxious for Qiao Chu, but this was also the first time she would witness a divine transformation thunder tribulation up close.

Upon arrival, Jiang Heng swiftly set up several defensive formations around Qiao Chu's seclusion area and personally guarded the perimeter.

Before long, the Sect Master and others also arrived, gathering to witness the birth of the next divine transformation practitioner of the Yunxian Sect.

Reaching the divine transformation stage was a pivotal moment, marking the transition to the highest tier of practitioners. Of every hundred Nascent Soul practitioners, only about ten would successfully advance to divine transformation. Moreover, the paths established after this stage could greatly vary in quality, with some practitioners paving extraordinary paths and others not so remarkable.

Typically, those who advanced to transcending tribulation and later ascended to the Great Ascension stage were those who had established superior paths during their divine transformation.

The Yunxian Sect currently had twenty-seven Nascent Soul practitioners, three in divine transformation, two who had transcended tribulation, and two at the Great Ascension stage. Additionally, there were over a hundred core Jindan practitioners, which solidified the sect's top position in both combat power and overall strength among various sects in the world.

Because of this strength, the Yunxian Sect could afford to set a high bar for new disciples, requiring at least three spiritual roots to qualify for the selection every three years.

If Qiao Chu succeeded in advancing to divine transformation, the sect's top-level cultivation reserve would increase by one more. Moreover, considering Qiao Chu's hundreds of years of effort, his path after the divine transformation tribulation would likely be extraordinary. With his unparalleled combat power at his level and his ability to challenge opponents beyond his rank, the sect would essentially gain another transcending tribulation expert.

The Sect Master, Dongfang, was increasingly excited. As the Sect Master, his duty and mission were to ensure the Yunxian Sect had a prosperous future, honoring the trust and hopes of the previous Sect Master.

The thunderclouds swirling in the air above the seclusion area grew denser, seemingly swallowing the entire sky.

Zhang Yiyi had never truly witnessed such a powerful thunder tribulation but had a gut feeling that Uncle Qiao's tribulation this time was several times stronger than a normal divine transformation tribulation.

"This is bad; it's actually the Ninety-Nine Thunder Tribulation!"

(Translator XiaoBai: The Ninety-Nine Thunder Tribulation is considered one of the most intense and difficult trials, consisting of ninety-nine thunderbolts, each more powerful than the last. It signifies a significant challenge, typically faced by cultivators attempting to reach the peak of their cultivation or make a major breakthrough.)

After a short while, the rolling thunderclouds reached their peak, and Dongfang's face fell. The earlier excitement had completely vanished.

This was too extreme. It was merely advancing to divine transformation, not breaking into the Great Ascension stage. To start with the most severe Ninety-Nine Thunder Tribulation, was there no mercy at all?

Not only Dongfang but also the other sect elders felt regretful upon seeing this. They clearly did not expect Qiao Chu to have any chance of survival under such a fierce thunder tribulation. "Be quiet! What's there to panic about!"

Jiang Heng rarely scolded the Sect Master in public, his face stern yet composed.

His reprimand quickly steadied the unsettled hearts of everyone present. Although they still had little hope for Qiao Chu's outcome, they managed to calm their nerves.

"Send out the order immediately. All disciples below the Jindan stage must retreat immediately and are not allowed to observe this thunder tribulation in any form to avoid disrupting their cultivation."

Jiang Heng had not anticipated that Qiao Chu's divine transformation would be met with the most formidable thunder tribulation. While he was worried, he also needed to keep everyone calm and protect the lower-ranked disciples of the sect.

"Understood, follow the True Saint's decree!"

Dongfang, feeling both ashamed and frightened, realized this should have been his responsibility as the Sect Master. Now, he had to rely on Jiang Heng's reminder, which he found to be a serious oversight on his part.

Such a powerful thunder tribulation was beyond the psychological endurance of ordinary disciples. Letting them witness it up close so soon could potentially cast a shadow over their hearts, making it difficult for them to overcome their own tribulations in the future. The Sect Master acted swiftly, and before the first bolt of lightning struck, all disciples below the Jindan stage had received orders to withdraw.

"Master, Little Junior Sister..."

Wuji, who had been guarding his master and junior sister, looked worriedly at his junior sister, who had not retreated according to the rules.

"It's fine, Yiyi. Let her stay here and observe the tribulation up close," Jiang Heng reassured him. He had complete trust in his disciple's resolve and was present himself to intervene if necessary.

This reassurance made other sect leaders and elders glance curiously at Zhang Yiyi. To be trusted so much by Jiang Heng, this new disciple in the Qi Refining stage was evidently exceptional.

Wuji, relieved by his master's confidence, focused intently on the thunderclouds in the sky.

"Master, after the divine transformation, will the tribulation for establishing the path be even more powerful than the Ninety-Nine Thunder Tribulation?"

Zhang Yiyi asked, her eyes fixed on the approaching thunder tribulation, her expression uncertain.

The Ninety-Nine Thunder Tribulation was the most formidable, and since divine transformation came before establishing the path, the tribulation for establishing the path was generally more intense.

But now, Martial Uncle Qiao was facing the most severe Ninety-Nine Thunder Tribulation right from the start. What would the tribulation for establishing the path be like?

Jiang Heng's eyes flickered, and Yiyi's words made him feel a chill.

The Heavenly Dao seemed to have malicious intent, evidently planning to use the strongest thunder tribulation to eliminate his disciple. If that failed, would it resort to using the tribulations or heart demons that only celestial beings would encounter?

Before Jiang Heng could respond, the first bolt of lightning finally descended, a gold lightning bolt as thick as a water barrel striking straight at Qiao Chu's head, instantly exploding across the sky.

Everyone was stunned. If the first bolt was already beyond imagination, what would the next ninety-eight bolts, growing increasingly stronger, be like?

Yet, no one could interfere with another's tribulation. At this moment, the only one who could help Qiao Chu was himself.

While everyone anxiously watched, Qiao Chu remained calm and collected, meeting the first thunder tribulation of his divine transformation head-on without any external assistance, relying solely on his own strength.

Unexpectedly, the first nine bolts of lightning did not even leave him wounded.

This was truly an extraordinary feat. While the onlookers were amazed, they also gained a sliver of confidence in Qiao Chu's ability to successfully overcome the tribulation.

However, the Heavenly Dao seemed to be enraged.

The tenth and eleventh bolts descended simultaneously, and the golden lightning illuminated the entire world, leaving no other colors.

"Ha-ha, finally something worthwhile!"

Qiao Chu's spirit lifted as he finally bought a valuable protective robe.

Little did others know, the primary purpose of the robe was not to help him withstand the lightning but to prevent the increasingly severe thunderbolts from tearing his clothes apart, thus preserving his image.