Chapter 254 251: Making a stand!
Val repeated the motion several times,
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The tribulation beasts were smashed into the ground again and again by the giant hands made out of Val's bloodline skill.
This continued until their forms broke apart and disintegrated. They simply ceased to exist, their brief lives snuffed out as quickly as they had ignited.
Val didn't feel a hint of joy even though he had overcome the tribulation beast. His expression was unreadable.
"The tribulation is yet to end."
Killing these tribulation beasts should be enough for a Whitemore to breakthrough to the 3rd level, but Val could sense his wasn't over thanks to his Detect trait.
"This is unreasonble."
He thought bitterly as he looked up and saw something drastic take place.
Rumble!
Thunder rumbled ominously in the sky above, as if the heavens themselves were sounding a warning.
Lightning zigzagged across the clouds, crackling with a feverish energy.
Suddenly, the individual bolts of lightning fused together, culminating in the manifestation of a massive lightning dragon.
Its form was majestic, yet terrifying, composed entirely of pure electrical energy.
With its appearance, Val's sixth sense flared up.
Clearly, he was being told that the creature was strong enough to bring about his downfall if he wasn't careful enough.
"I have to fight this thing too? This tribulation... it's honestly a bit too much for a beginner warrior."
Val stood there, gazing up at the intimidating form of the lightning dragon that had materialized in the sky.
His mind raced as he weighed the gravity of the situation. He was sure that no other Whitemore at level 3 would be capable of facing such a challenging tribulation.
For most of his kin, their tribulations merely involved slaying a modest number of tribulation beasts, maybe three or five at most.
But his Feral Thunderstorm Heavenly Tribulation was something else entirely.
First, there were the twenty-five tribulation beasts he had to vanquish, each a formidable foe in its own right. And now, this lightning dragon emerged, elevating the danger to an unprecedented level.
He couldn't help but muse over the sheer disparity in the scale of tribulations between him and other Whitemores. On a difficulty scale, his was easily ten to a hundred times more formidable. And this was no exaggeration. Most tribulations were stepping stones, rites of passage that one was expected to overcome. His, however, seemed more like a towering wall, almost insurmountable.
Val pondered the reason behind this discrepancy and realized that it was probably tied to the exceptional purity of his own bloodline. The purer the bloodline, the greater the tribulation one had to overcome to ascend to the next level. Thus, he was facing this monstrosity that many other of his lineage never had to face during their tribulations.
"It's alright.'
Although many would find such unfairness to be distressing, Val felt no sense of injustice. Rather, he saw it as an affirmation of his potential. His bloodline's purity was not a curse but a badge of honor. To him, this formidable tribulation was the universe's way of acknowledging that potential.
'It just mean that the benefit I would get from advancing is just that great.'
Moreover, he knew that if he could conquer this tribulation, the rewards would be phenomenal as well.
The bloodline skill that he would unlock would be leagues above what other Whitemores could hope to acquire by advancing to level 3. He could very well gain abilities that would set him apart, elevating him to a class of his own within the Whitemore lineage.
Basically, the stakes were monumental, but so were the potential gains.
And so, standing at the precipice of what could either be his greatest triumph or his most devastating failure, Val didn't let his resolve waver.
'My innate class is at level 2 but I am stronger than level 4 bloodline users.'
'If anyone can turn this perilous tribulation into an unparalleled opportunity, it is me.' n(-0VElB1n
'Dragon,' Val revealed a taunting smile, 'Show me your worst. I am not afraid of you!'
The tribulation lightning dragon looked at Val, who was coincidentlly staring at it, and their eyes met.
The lightning dragon felt deeply offended by Val's audacious gaze.
How dare a mere mortal lock eyes with a tribulation beast?
In the draconic code of conduct, this was nothing short of an open challenge.
Infuriated, the dragon unleashed a cataclysmic surge of pressure, so intense that it altered the very landscape below.
Trees splintered and were reduced to rubble in an instant.
The hill, which had stood the test of time, wobbled as if struck by an earthquake, fissures appearing in its once-solid structure.
Weak beasts were knocked unconscious in an instant.
The immense pressure released by the tribulation lightning dragon was like a physical force, carrying the weight of a mountain and the might of a tempest.
So overwhelming was this show of power that the very hill seemed on the verge of collapse. It was as though the world itself was yielding to the dragon's majesty.
Val sensed the coming maelstrom and clenched his fist, summoning the giant celestial hands to form a protective barrier around him.
However, so strong was the dragon's might that its pressure shattered through them as if they were made of glass and crashed into Val like a tidal wave, bending him under its weight.
The immense pressure was a manifestation of the dragon's will, a challenge to Val's own resolve. The tribulation beast sought to bring him to his knees, to force him into a posture of submission. If it succeeded, Val would never gain the recognizing of his innate bloodline, and his white devil class would forever be stuck at level 2.
Val had no intention of allowing that to happen.
He felt his muscles strain and his bones creak as he resisted the crushing force bearing down on him.
His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum, each beat a reminder of the stakes at hand.
His teeth gritted, his eyes narrowed, and his entire being focused on a singular thought.
In that moment, a roar akin to the dragon's emerged from his mouth!
"I refuse to yield!" Val declared, his voice tinged with indomitable resolve.
Activating all his stat boosting bloodline skills and using blood manipulation to increased the flow of blood to his brain and throughout his body, Val gained enough power to push back against the pressure.
It was as if an immovable object was meeting an unstoppable force.
Slowly but surely, he began to regain his posture, rising up against the will of the dragon.
At this point, he was not just resisting a tribulation that wanted him to fail.
He was declaring his sovereignty over his destiny!
Under the shocked gaze of the dragon, he straightened his back and smiled triumphantly.
"Now, its your turn to be at the receiving end of my wrath!" He glared at the dragon and declared.