987 Tribulation

Once the dazzling light disappeared, Li Yunmu's figure reappeared. At that moment, his body had been burnt and his clothes had turned into ashes.

He was covered in blood and all sorts of wounds. If Li Yunmu moved even slightly, all the injuries would open up and shoot out arrows of blood.

Li Yunmu was gasping for breath. The ball of lightning had injured him heavily, but Li Yunmu was astonished to discover that the strength of his physical body had unexpectedly advanced because of the heavenly punishment.

Moreover, the strength of his soul had improved too.

When he came out of the Ryukyu Small World, his body could already be considered among the most formidable in the immortal realm. Even some emperor realm powerhouse might not have a physical body as powerful as him.

Because of that, he hadn't expected that such a tyrannical body would surprisingly undergo another refining because of heavenly punishment.

It was no wonder then that everyone under the emperor realm was considered an ant. Heavenly punishment was like a cheat software. Its benefits toward the physical body and soul weren't something which an immortal powerhouse could obtain overnight.

If Li Yunmu wasn't walking the path of defying heavens, then the heavenly punishment wouldn't be so strict and his injuries wouldn't be so heavy.

But Li Yunmu didn't regret it. If he had been satisfied with living under the heavens, why would he live the painful life of a cultivator? Instead, he would've been much happier staying on Earth and spending time with his parents.

Since he planned to stand at the peak, then no one or nothing could stop him. Not even the gods of ancient times or the heavenly dao!

"Heavenly dao! If I don't die today, then I will definitely step upon you!"

Li Yunmu faced the sky and spoke loudly with his eyes almost falling out of their sockets as well as the injuries on his body opening. He acted as if he didn't feel anything.

At that moment, Li Yunmu was standing on the ground and experiencing the baptism of lightning. The ground was covered in cracks because of the attacks, and Li Yunmu was like a god of war, battling against the heavenly dao.

Another ball of lightning landed on Li Yunmu's body, and he again spat out blood, but his figure didn't move in the slightest.

Another one descended.

By then, Li Yunmu had already experienced twelve waves of heavenly punishment. It was only half the total amount, for the appearance of purple firmament palace was followed by twenty-seven waves of heavenly punishment.

It was the highest punishment unleashed by heavens on those who incurred its wrath. It attacked the body, soul, martial intent and martial dao in order to destroy their body, extinguish their soul, wipe out their intent, and cut their dao.

Even among the powerhouses of ancient times, there had never been anyone who had been able to successfully transcend even the first ten body-destroying waves of heavenly punishment.

Those who dared to stand against heavenly dao were destroyed. It was the majesty of heavenly dao!

Li Yunmu clenched his teeth and continued enduring the tribulation. The purple firmament divine lightning filled his body with cracks and many of his internal organs had shattered, which left him in extreme pain.

Until then, Li Yunmu had successfully lived through twenty waves of heavenly punishment, but the next seven wouldn't be like before. They would attack Li Yunmu's 'dao'.

If he was unable to withstand them, the foundation of his dao would be destroyed and he would turn into a cripple. This was the final punishment of the purple firmament palace toward the offender.

When Li Yunmu was inside the Yin Imperial Palace, Heavenly Emperor Ryukyu had told him about it, so Li Yunmu knew that he couldn't be careless when facing the seven waves of heavenly punishment. They were extremely terrifying, and so his gaze turned solemn. He fully unleashed his dao intent and waited for the heavenly punishment to descend.

The purple firmament divine thunder had been brewing in the clouds for a very long time when a slender black thunderbolt slowly descended. Li Yunmu didn't dare to be careless in the slightest and unleashed his full strength to contend against the heavenly punishment.

With the sound of an explosion, the heavenly punishment descended. Li Yunmu's mind turned blank for a split second, but soon after he sobered up.

The thunderbolt was still roaming around his body. He discovered that the seemingly gentle black thunderbolt was surprisingly devouring his dao bit by bit.

Li Yunmu hurriedly rotated his dao to fight against the heavenly punishment.

"You want to destroy my dao foundation then first destroy my body! Before my body is destroyed, my dao won't be extinguished!"

After his furious roar, Li Yunmu's dao intent erupted and wiped out the black heavenly punishment in his body.

Li Yunmu was left heavily gasping for breath, but before even a moment had passed, another wave of heavenly punishment, stronger than the previous one, descended from the purple firmament divine palace.

Before the heavenly punishment descended, Li Yunmu sensed its might. Once it appeared, everyone present in a hundred miles area could sense it.

Many people with a weaker cultivation base were forced to kneel toward heaven because of the powerful might of the heavenly punishment.

Li Yunmu's knees turned soft because of the pressure. He was about to kneel, but he clenched his teeth and forced himself to remain standing. The sound of bone breaking could be vaguely heard coming from his legs.

"Want me to pay allegiance to you? You're not worthy! My Dao is to chop down the heaven and behead the earth! I either stand at the peak and step on the heavenly dao, or I will die never to be born again!"

Once Li Yunmu said those words, he cut off all paths of retreat for himself. If he was able to resist the heavenly punishment, then he would win. But just like he said, if he lost, he wouldn't be able to reincarnate.

Li Yunmu gathered his dao intent on his fist and stomped on the ground. With a bang, the ground on which he was standing caved in by a few meters.

Li Yunmu was unexpectedly rushing forth to meet the heavenly punishment.

His punch rushed out to resist the heavenly dao. He had already prepared himself for death, and soon after, countless flickering thunderbolts covered his body.

After the sparks disappeared, Li Yunmu fell from the sky and slammed into the ground. The attack from just a moment ago had cripled his arm.

He clenched his teeth and rose up to run forward again, since the next wave of heavenly punishment was descending. Li Yunmu was struck down by it once more.

Soon after, he stood up without much thinking and rushed forth. With the sound of explosion, his body slammed into the ground and left deep marks.

At that moment, Li Yunmu's consciousness had gotten dizzy.

"Damn it, only three waves of heavenly punishment remain. Am I really going to die here?! I am not willing!"

Li Yunmu bit his tongue to regain his consciousness and looked at the descending heavenly punishment. His pupils narrowed because at that moment two waves of black lightning were descending at the same time.

Heavenly dao seemed to have been really infuriated. It surprisingly disregarded all laws of heaven and sent two waves of heavenly lightning at the same time. Regardless of whatever Li Yunmu did, he would be wiped out.

Heavenly dao had sensed Li Yunmu's potential and was surprisingly afraid of him.