Val reached the summit of the hill not long after he started the climb.
Once there, he decided to make sure it was a safe enough place to make a breakthrough and activated his Heavenly Eye Skill. As a result, his surroundings became clear as day to him.
A few beasts were lurking quiet close to his location, but none of them were formidable enough to pose a threat to his life.
They didn't have the ability to take advantage of the situation when Val would be entirely focused and busy surviving the heavenly tribulation to strike him down. And so, this was a very good location to attempt his breakthrough.
Val walked up to the edge of the cliff before he raised his head and looked towards the heavens.
The sky above was exceptionally clear. It was a vast expanse of blue that stretched as far as the eye could see with a sun that hung bright and high, showering the land with its golden rays. But this was all about to change pretty soon.
A flash of remembrance sparkled in Val's jet-black eyes. He remembered the information he'd read about the special kind of heavenly tribulation that members of the Whitemore family face when they advance from level 2 to level 3. It was commonly referred to as the Ire of Heaven, but also went by other name, which was Feral Thunderstorm.
In this particular tribulation, bolts of lightning would crash down from the sky, each strike birthing a tribulation beast on impact with the ground.
One had to defeat all of the tribulation beasts that emerged to gain the second acknowledgment of their bloodline and successfully upgrade their bloodline to the third level and become level 3 warrior.
This tribulation was considered to be thrice as hard as the Lightning Tribulation that Whitemores undergo when progressing from level 1 to 2. But even with this knowledge, Val didn't feel a shred of fear or apprehension. He believed that with his strength that rivaled intermediate-rank bloodline users, overcoming the tribulation meant for beginner-level warriors would be a piece of cake.
'Let's do this.'
Confident in his capabilities, Val pulled out the bloodline upgrading potion from his void orb, uncorked it, and swallowed its contents in one fluid motion. n(/OvElbIn
The sky, once clear and sunny, underwent a sudden transformation.
Dark thunderclouds rolled in, assembling as if summoned by an invisible hand, and the atmosphere grew heavy with tension.
BOOOOooooom!
With a resounding boom that could deafen anyone in the vicinity, thunder roared overhead, announcing the commencement of the heavenly tribulation.
Lightning forked down from the sky like serpents of pure energy, each bolt striking the earth with the force of a hammer.
Where the lightning struck, miraculous transformations began to occur.
Beasts made of mud, earth, and electric energy emerged from the scorched ground.
These unique amalgamation of elemental forces were the feared tribulation beasts of the Feral Thunderstorm Heavenly Tribulation.
They differed greatly in size; some towered at a height of 5 to 7 meters, resembling titanic wolves made of the elements, while others were more modest in scale, about the size of a lion but with a wolf-like countenance. And there were about 25 of them.
Under the shadow of the thunderclouds, their eyes glowed ominously with a predatory glint as they glared at Val. They were beings with a single-minded goal to challenge Val and potentially end his advancement, along with his life.
A vibration started from their chest and came out from the depths of their throats as a threatening growl before they moved in unison, like a well-coordinated army, gradually closing the distance between themselves and Val. Every step they took seemed to make the ground tremble.
"A predator is mistaken for prey. How amusing."
The thought flickered through Val's mind as he stood, unwavering, amidst the circle of menacing tribulation beasts. His face remained stoic, betraying no emotion, no fear.
As the beasts closed in on him, in his hand materialized Voidslayer, the weapon that had seen him through countless battles.
Val tightened his grip around its hilt and swung it several times in different locations in less than a seconds.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each time he swung it, shockwaves of immense power burst forth from the body of the sword, hitting the advancing elemental creatures head-on.
Though they were big and heavy, they were still lifted off their feet and thrown backwards.
"You underestimate me at your own peril," Val said to the disoriented tribulation beasts coldly.
A sharp glint of ruthlessness flashing across his jet-black eyes as he added, "As mere weaklings, you should have never dared to show your fangs to the strong."
Wasting no time, Val activated his Blood Manipulation bloodline skill with a thought.
In the next second, his blood bar was shortened to 1/3rd its size, and enormous hands materialized in the sky above.
These hands were unlike anything one could imagine, resembling those of ancient, godly giants.
They dwarfed the tribulation beasts, casting dark shadows that enveloped them completely. Even the beasts that stood at a towering height of 7 meters seemed minuscule in comparison.
The beasts felt so intimidated that they forgot the only meaning of their life and began to retreat.
"Where do you think you're going?" Val said menacingly.
He had no intention of letting them run away. After all, in their death was his path to glory.
He made a grabbing potion with his hand.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the very next moment, with a swiftness that belied their size, the giant hands descended upon the rapidly retreating tribulation beasts, booming through the air and grabbing them in a deadly grip.
The beasts' instinctual reaction was to struggle. However, despite fiercely twisting and tossing around, they failed to break free.
Val raised his hand.
The hands lifted the beasts they've ensnared into the air, suspending them like trophies of a victorious hunt.
Val brought his hand down rapidly.
Bam!
As a result, the hands smashed the beasts they've into the ground.