Chapter 47 - The Sacred Family

Darkness covered the entire Ju capital, spreading over the other city regions as lighting sparked several times within; the center of the lightning aimed at one particular being, Ju Fan.

Seeing the gathering clouds and lighting within, Ju Fan closed his eyes and activated his 'Self Destiny Prediction Art,' but then.

Spark! Boom!

A single lightning tribulation strikes him before Ju Fan could even tap into his destiny, causing the surroundings to distort instantly as a much larger crater appeared where Ju Fan stood.

The surrounding cultivators witnessed the first strike of the lightning tribulation as they were thrown miles away from the impact; realizing how powerful the strike from the heavenly tribulation was, caused shivers in their hearts. According to historical records from thousands of decades ago, a lightning tribulation is caused when one tries to ascend beyond the limitations set upon them by the heavens and aim for higher domains and powers.

When one reaches the limitations of their current realm, their minds and concepts stop growing as an indication of reaching the limit of comprehension and understanding within that realm. But when one tries to ascend beyond the limitations of that current realm, it invokes heavenly tribulation as the heavens of the cultivation universe sees that as challenging their authority.

If they created a cat to be a cat for the entirety of its existence, then that should be the only purpose of that cat, to remain and behave like a cat. But suppose it tries to ascend beyond the boundaries of a regular cat or gain anything beyond its assigned reality and purpose. In that case, it will be punished for going against the will of the heavens, therefore, eliminating it from existence.

This same rule was placed on all existences, as certain boundaries and barriers limit every living and non-living being. It was already an abomination for humans to become cultivators as that goes against being an ordinary mortal and against the will of the cultivation universe. Still, now these same humans wish to ascend the limitations of an ordinary cultivator and ascend higher domains and realms? is nothing but blasphemy towards heaven's will and authority.

For the heavens to eliminate such abominations, they made a trial of lighting tribulation to test the said individual undergoing ascension to see if they are worthy of ascending higher planes of the cultivation universe. And now, Ju Fan was undergoing this tribulation.

Some cultivators looked at each other as they resolved to escape; it is also stated in the historical records that when a tribulation happens, it will consider the person and everyone within a certain radius of that person as challenging the heavens, also striking them in the process. The more people, the more intense the attacks will be.

The space sword immortal wasn't affected much by the impact as he could reduce the shock before it reached him using his Qi; he held his sheathed sword on his left as he spoke to the surrounding cultivators. "Stay away from him, or else you will also invoke yours."

The cultivators hearing the Space Sword Immortal, finally reacted as they launched themselves from the central areas of the Ju capital, heading towards the outer residences. Ju Shu and Ju Han also retreated to the outer layers as the family powerhouses followed. Kang Mo quickly picked his already knocked-out son, Kang Mu, from the ground as he flew.

Lou Min and the Moonflower sect elder and her members also retreated to leave the central areas. The twins looked at each other as they vanished from their spots, appearing on a rooftop in the outer residences. The rest of the cultivators and sect representatives also headed for the outer regions of the capital.

The Space Sword Immortal was the only cultivator remaining within a hundred meters radius within the lighting tribulation, 'Space door,' he spoke as he lightly jumped backward, entering a space crack as he vanished while leaving a sentence to Ju Fan. "Try your best, little Fan."

At the center of the lightning tribulation, Ju Fan was standing within the crater created by the lightning strike as he stood with torn clothes and roughed hair; he looked up and jumped out. Opposite him was the calm and murderous gaze of the demon god puppet, standing as he smiled maniacally towards him.

"Your body is quite tough, surviving a strike from a heavenly tribulation, not bad."

The demon god puppet spoke as he stood unreactive to the lightning sparks around him the least. With his elemental body, the lightning is just a boost of strength for him, as he can absorb the lightning directly, becoming stronger in the process.

Ju Fan saw the unaffected demon god puppet. He frowned as he also understood why, but Ju Fan couldn't care less about the demon puppet as another lightning strike was gathering, bigger than the last; Ju Fan raised his head as he began flying directly into the strike.

Spark! Spark! Boom! Boom!

Two lightning strikes landed on Ju Fan as his flying body was heavily smashed into the ground by the lightning impact; blood could be seen flowing from his mouth as he struggled to get up. He turned on his chest and slowly rose; he stood and flew again at the incoming three lightning attacks while screaming.

"I challenge you, FOR I AM JU FAN."

Three lightning strikes landed on Ju Fan as his body was smitten again, bombarding heavily into the ground as he spat mouthfuls of blood, his voice echoing as the cultivators could hear his struggle. Three lightning attacks have landed, and it seems Ju Fan wouldn't be able to survive the remaining as his body was already torn, and one could see his muscles and bones, his face looking almost half-skeleton as blood dripped.

Ju Fan laid on his back, arms spread as he watched four more lightning strikes gather and ready to smite him. The demon god puppet was about to mock Ju Fan when he realized something was wrong; his elemental body had a crack on the shoulders. He looked at the crack as he assumed a shocked expression.

"How, what-?"

He looked up, but before he could finish his words, four lightning strikes landed as his body slammed into the ground, creating a crater. The demon god puppet laid on the ground face down as he still had his shocked expression, 'what? How? I have the demon elemental body; lightning shouldn't affect me, but how am I affected?' the demon god puppets thought as he stood up.

Looking at another lightning tribulation gathering, and at five this time, he quickly reacted as he dashed away from the attack. But before he could even take a step, another tribulation attack struck as his body instantly had multiple cracks.

"No, impossible, Master, master?" The demon god puppet, realizing his immunity not working against tribulation lightning, quickly turned to his master for help; but what awaited his gaze was another disbelief. His master, Lu Fan, was stuck in an attacking position while his newly summoned puppets followed suit.

The demon god puppet couldn't comprehend the series of shocking events as he saw the girl who was supposed to be fighting his master standing next to him while facing the area of the lightning tribulation. He slowly looked up and saw six lighting gathering this time; panic appeared on his face as he couldn't move due to losing a leg, his dark energy for regeneration not reacting as his master was the source.

Ju Fan was already in a near-death state, his body had been smitten five times, and there were two more to go; he laid on his back as he heard the old man screaming for help. He smiled as he thought. 'The heavenly tribulation lightning is different and a hundred times more powerful from ordinary lightning, so his body wouldn't be able to withstand its attacks.

"Haha, hahaha,"

Ju Fan loudly laughed as he awaited his death, he knew there were two more attacks left, and he wouldn't survive, but at least, the old puppet wouldn't either. This thought was the reason for his laughter, and besides, even if he dies, there is young master Alex who has unfathomable power; he thought Alex would surely take action.

Within the hundred meters radius, Patrick and his group witnessed all the series of events; they didn't have any expressions of sympathy or sorrow as they watched the events with calm and unreactive faces. Patrick watched Ju Fan getting smitten by a series of lightning attacks as Ju Fan faced death.

As they were within the hundred meters radius of the lightning attacks, they were also struck, but their stand was still not affected the least, let alone them. Patrick sighed as he spoke softly to something. "That's enough show for today."

With Patrick's words, the space of the broken world vibrated, and the tribulation lighting instantly dispersed. The darkness which covered the entire Ju capital also cleared as the moon shone brightly in the sky; the surroundings quieted down as if there wasn't lightning tribulation. Patrick stood with hands in his pocket as he watched Ju Fan slowly rise from the deep crater.

Ju Fan's body which was smitten multiple times began regenerating quickly at a macroscopic level as heaven Qi entered his body from all directions.

At the outer residences of the Ju capital, the Space Sword Immortal was the first to react with disbelief; he knew that for one to ascend to True Immortal, one must undergo seven lightning tribulations before becoming a True Immortal. But Ju Fan's sixth lightning tribulation was about to strike when everything instantly dispersed. Including the dark clouds as if the heavens changed their mind.

Ju Shu, Ju Han, Jiang Shi, Elder Mo, the family powerhouses, the Sect representatives, and the remaining rouge cultivators all witnessed the instant disappearance of the tribulation, along with the dark clouds.

"What? Just like that?"

"I thought it said seven in the records; how is it only five?"

"Was the Imperial guardian able to ascend?"

"I think so; his body seems to be accumulating the heavenly energy and dominance of a True Immortal." The standing cultivators spoke as they all looked at Ju Fan.

But while everyone looked at the floating Ju Fan who was adjusting to his True Immortal realm, Lou Min's attention was on Patrick's group. When the Space Sword Immortal alerted everyone to leave the area, this group of three and the new girl fighting Lu Fan remained. She also saw the troublesome Lu Fan stuck in an attacking position with hundreds of puppets following.

Lou Min had thought that this new girl must have used a technique out of this world as there is no record of anyone in the history of the broken world using such impossible abilities. And the fact that the girl didn't even bother the leave proves her confidence in her strength. Lou Min thought as she finally understood what true weakness means. Even when her daughter lays traumatized, she can't do anything about it.

Jiang Shi and Elder Mo saw Ju Fan's ascension to True Immortal; they weren't reacting like the others as this wasn't their first time seeing a True Immortal. Elder Mo squinted his eyes as he tried to contact the shadow he left on Patrick; to his surprise, it was still there. He smiled as he thought of something.

Ju Fan remained in the air as his body regenerated completely; Qi stopped entering his body as he felt the shortage of Qi in the lower realm. He looked at his torn clothes but didn't mind; he could feel and sense every living organism in the lower realms with his True Immortal realm consciousness. But while sensing the lower realm, Ju Fan noticed four beings not included in his spiritual sense; he opened his eyes as he saw Patrick looking directly at him.

With eyes meeting, Ju Fan instantly vanished and appeared before Patrick; he was already on his knees when he appeared and spoke. "I am eternally grateful for young master Alex's benevolence; my life is at young master Alex's disposal."

Ju Fan spoke as his voice echoed in the surroundings; he knew Patrick must have interfered, or else he would already be dead; he remained on his knees as he heard Patrick's voice.

"No need for ceremonies; you have a guest."

Hearing Patrick's words, Ju Fan raised his head and saw Patrick looking at the distant sky; he traced as he saw a gigantic portal descending on the lower realms. Ju Fan stood as he saw an enormous cart with six beings with wings on their backs as they were chained to the enormous cart.

In the sky, the enormous cart stopped as the next moment; pressure descended upon every living being on the lower realm. Twelve humans with magisterial robes led the cart, and the chained angels stopped.

"Who has ascended to True Immortal?"

Everyone heard a woman's voice coming from inside the cart filled with arrogance and disdain as the suppression pressure increased.

Ju Fan stood as he looked at the cart; he saw a design and immediately recognized the emblem; his expression changed to cold and murderous as he spoke softly.

"THE SACRED FAMILY."