Neither Evan Chu nor Sword Spirit Luna were aware of the Ancient Black Dragon's arrival. Meanwhile, the thunderclouds overhead grew denser and denser, and Evan could faintly sense the lightning factors within the clouds. He was tempted to try communicating with those lightning factors, to see if he could resonate with them, but the thought of risking Luna’s safety if anything went wrong held him back.
He knew better than to act rashly. About half an hour passed, and suddenly a tremendous, oppressive might descended from the sky. Hovering in midair, Evan felt as if he could be forced down to the ground at any moment. His eyes locked onto the clouds, and just then a crimson lightning bolt shot down from above. Evan’s mind sharpened and he immediately flew up to meet it.
This time, he didn’t use any martial techniques to counter the lightning. From the instant it appeared, he sensed its power wasn’t overwhelming—his physical body could withstand it easily.
The bolt was originally meant for Sword Spirit Luna, but instead struck Evan squarely. What neither of them realized was that true tribulation lightning will always target the one undergoing tribulation, no matter what.
Neither Evan nor Luna were clear about this detail. The fiery red lightning struck Evan, leaving him only slightly numb. Thanks to his Thunder Spirit Body, he could completely resist this bolt. The first tribulation lightning passed so easily that Evan was caught off guard.
Evan was surprised, but Luna was even more shocked. The lightning’s strength was about the same as Evan’s own Thundershift attacks. She couldn’t understand why her tribulation was so weak—was it just incredible luck, or did Evan somehow affect it? She couldn’t figure it out.
At that moment, the Ancient Black Dragon appeared above Divine Dragon Valley. Earth-shaking dragon roars echoed through the valley, frightening all the dragons into hiding. Golden Dragon Shrine Master Leon and Third Elder Marcus grew frantic, because the Divine Dragon Valley Gate was already open and every clan had sent many young dragon men and women out to preserve the Dragon Clan’s bloodline.
The Ancient Black Dragon’s figure flashed and appeared outside the Dragon Shrine Grand Hall. “Leon, get out here!” His voice shook the air, sending chills down Leon’s spine as he slowly walked out from the Golden Dragon Grand Hall.
“You’ve got guts, Leon. You actually dared to let Dragon Clan members leave Divine Dragon Valley on your own authority. I don’t think you’re fit to sit as Shrine Master any longer.” The Ancient Black Dragon slowly transformed into a pitch-black old man as he spoke.
“Ancient Black Dragon, your evil deeds end today—this is your death day. Even if you kill me, you won’t escape! A peerless genius has appeared in the Divine Dragon Clan, and today you’re doomed. You still dream of shattering the void on Seven-Star Convergence Day? Keep dreaming!” Knowing he had no hope of surviving, Leon’s courage surged. If he was going to die, it didn’t matter if it was sooner or later. Facing the Ancient Black Dragon head-on, he felt it was worth it—even if he died, he would not disgrace the Golden Dragon Clan.
The Ancient Black Dragon paused, glancing at the distant sky. "Someone is undergoing tribulation in Divine Dragon Valley—could it be the person you’re talking about? Interesting, interesting. I’ll take your life later. First, I want to see who dares to face tribulation here."
With that, the Ancient Black Dragon flashed away at high speed. Leon’s face changed dramatically. "No! He’s going to sabotage Evan’s bloodline awakening—we can’t let him succeed!"
Just then, Evan’s mother, Celine Tang, appeared. "Big brother, what’s going on? I think I just heard you mention Evan. Are you hiding something from me?"
"Lana, it’s a long story. Evan is in Divine Dragon Valley right now, awakening his bloodline. The one who just left is the Dragon Clan’s greatest enemy—the Ancient Black Dragon. He’s definitely going to sabotage Evan’s awakening." Leon said helplessly.
"How could you keep something this huge from me? If anything happens to Evan, I’ll never forgive you!" Celine Tang snapped, her figure flashing as she tried to rush toward the Blood Pool.
But as soon as she took off, she realized someone had locked her in place with a spatial domain. "Lana, the Ancient Black Dragon’s strength is far beyond anything you or I can resist. If you go, you’ll only throw your life away. We have to trust Evan—if he says he can do something, he will. As your big brother, I won’t let you take such a risk."
As soon as Leon finished speaking, Celine Tang was pulled back to his side. With a wave of his hand, she fainted instantly. "Third Elder, take her back to her room. She won’t wake for a day."
Just then, the second bolt of lightning struck from the sky—just as weak as the first. Evan muttered in frustration, “This is supposed to be tribulation lightning? I can completely ignore it—it’s way too easy.”
"Maybe this tribulation was never meant to be strong. Once it’s over, my strength should slowly recover. But you need to be careful with the last bolt," Sword Spirit Luna reminded him.
"Don’t worry. I’ll definitely help you get through the last one," Evan said with a smile.
“Afraid you won’t be able to help now. Who would’ve thought Divine Dragon Valley would have such a pure-hearted girl and such a powerful young man? You two really surprised me.” An ancient voice echoed from above, and a pitch-black old man appeared before them.
Evan and Sword Spirit Luna were instantly alarmed—this was the worst possible time for an interruption, and it was clear this guy had come to wreck everything. This was bad.
Evan instantly flashed back to Luna’s side, and used his divine sense to speak to Tom Chu in his storage ring: “Tom, no matter what, you have to help me hold off this old monster. Wait until Luna gets through her tribulation, then we’ll deal with him.”
Right now, Tom Chu was their only hope. "Don’t worry, big bro—I’ll do my best. But this old monster is seriously strong. I can sense he’s way beyond Ninth-Layer Venerable Martial Realm. You need to be careful too."
That last part sent a chill down Evan’s spine. If this guy was stronger than Demon Lord Solus at his peak, then he was up against a monster even more terrifying than the worst villain he’d ever faced. For a moment, the pressure felt crushing.
But the third and final lightning bolt was still gathering overhead, and Evan had to buy time. He called out to the old man, "If I’m not mistaken, you’re the Ancient Black Dragon, aren’t you? Never thought I’d meet a true ancient dragon from the primordial era—this is a surprise. What are you doing here?"
"Kid, I know exactly what you’re up to—trying to stall until the last lightning bolt comes down, aren’t you? I won’t give you the chance. Anyone who tries to ruin my ascension must die!" the old man snarled.
"Old monster, just look at yourself—do you really think you deserve to ascend to the Immortal Realm? Anyone who sees you covered in pitch-black filth would lose their lunch! Good thing I haven’t eaten, or I’d be throwing up yesterday’s meal. With a look like that, you’re better off dead!" Evan shot back.
"You dare insult me? Then you die!" The Ancient Black Dragon roared, his figure flashing as he lunged at Evan…