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Chapter 150: Aldrian’s First Heavenly Tribulation 3
In Dalahan City, King Douwin sat on his throne when a royal guard rushed in, immediately kneeling before him.
"Your Majesty, we have a situation. Something has appeared on the horizon," the royal guard reported.
King Douwin with puzzled expression, stood up and walked outside the royal palace. He looked southwest and was stunned to see black clouds, even though still far away yet already filling the entire horizon, turning it into a dark line. The king turned to the royal guard and asked,
"Has there been any report from that direction? That doesn’t look like ordinary bad weather."
"Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve tried to contact our men in the city of Badin, but they said they are unsure whether it’s heavenly tribulation clouds or just a normal thunderstorm."
"They don’t know? How is that possible?"
"They mentioned heavy rain accompanied by the pressure of a heavenly tribulation, so they’re uncertain what kind of storm it is."
The king felt confused. With that kind of description, he couldn’t be sure either. But from here, he could see the black clouds slowly approaching the capital. If this was indeed a heavenly tribulation, he couldn’t imagine the power of the lightning that would strike with clouds that scale. To cover the area from Badin City to the capital meant it was already spanning a quarter of the Forgeheart Kingdom.
Some people in the city began noticing the black clouds on the horizon, which were becoming more visible. Most assumed they were just typical overcast clouds and paid them no mind. However, the high-ranking cultivators of the city were not so dismissive. Dalahan City had become a gathering point for many powerhouses from across the continent, and they were already taking note of the approaching clouds.
Many cultivators sensed that something was wrong when they detected the flow of energy being drawn toward that direction. For cultivators at the King and Emperor stages, their heightened senses were attuned to even the most minuscule fluctuations in energy. When the energy around them began moving in a single direction, even at a slow pace, it was clear this was no ordinary occurrence.
At that moment, a group from the Flamecrest family was relaxing in their inn. The group consisted of cultivators, all of whom were above the Low Earl stage, with the strongest among them at the Low King stage. Aldrey Flamecrest, their leader, sat at a table inside his room, reading a book. Beside him, a balcony provided a view of the outside.
Suddenly, he noticed a disturbance—murmurs from the crowd outside. He walked over to the balcony and saw people staring southwest. Aldrey also looked in that direction, baffled by the sight. The black clouds spanned the entire horizon, and they seemed to be moving slowly toward the city.
He kept staring at the approaching black clouds, his gaze trembling, but his eyes wavered for a different reason—his heart tightened, as though something was pulling him. He felt an inexplicable urge to go to that place, though he didn’t know why.
"What’s happening to me?" he thought.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a noble family with a crest of a water dragon soaring above the waves was enjoying themselves at a luxury restaurant, drinking and eating. However, their attention shifted toward the black clouds on the horizon. Leading the group was a beautiful woman with long black hair.
Her blue eyes as clear as still water, reflected her concern as a frown crossed her flawless face when she noticed the clouds. Like Aldrey, she felt her heart tighten and an urge to run toward the black clouds’ direction. She shook her head, trying to dispel the feeling, but it was strong. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her energy circulation to calm her mind.
"What’s happening to me?" she wondered.
"Lady Irene, what is that?" one of her female guards asked.
"I’m not sure. It looks like normal thunderstorm clouds, but their movement is strange," Irene replied.
Yes, she was Aldrian’s mother, Irene Rivas. She and her group had arrived in the city only a few hours earlier and were now relaxing at the restaurant. When her father decided to send a delegation to the Forgeheart Kingdom to acquire a sword, she volunteered to lead the group, just like many others. But Irene had another reason for coming here—she wanted to leave the Rivas Grand Duchy, not just to search for Aldrey, but also to slip into the secret realm of the Everlasting Silent Forest and watch over Aldrian.
Irene had already promised Aldrian that she would return to him, and even take him outside if the situation allowed. However, she still couldn’t create the right circumstances to bring him with her. The status quo with the Flamecrest family remained unchanged. Once, she had broached the subject of reconciliation with the Flamecrest family to her father, but as expected, her father had erupted at the idea of the Rivas family having an amicable relationship with the Flamecrest family.
Yet, despite his anger, her father, who couldn’t stay mad at Irene, eventually said that reconciliation was possible—but only if it came from the Flamecrest family first. They would need to come to the Rivas Grand Duchy to formally declare their desire for peace. Hearing this, Irene could only sigh, knowing how difficult it would be for the Flamecrest family to take such an initiative.
Still, she had a path forward. If reconciliation were to happen, it would be up to her and Aldrey to convince their respective families. That’s why she was here—to meet Aldrey, knowing he would come to the city. She hoped to discuss their future and the future of their families. She had already learned where the Flamecrest family was staying and planned to meet with Aldrey when the time was right.
Meanwhile, Xin Haotian, Eleine, Sylphia, and Baek Ji-Min had already stepped out of their inn, looking toward the southwestern horizon. The three ladies exchanged glances before Sylphia sent a voice transmission.
"What is that? Are those storm clouds, or is it a Heavenly Tribulation?"
"From the strange movement of the clouds, that looks like a Heavenly Tribulation, but I have a strange feeling about it," Baek Ji-Min replied as they watched the clouds continue to close in on their location.
"That is quite an unusual Heavenly Tribulation. I feel the same way about it," Sylphia added.
"By the way, do any of you know which direction Aldrian went?" Eleine asked suddenly.
"Why are you asking that out of nowhere?—wait, do you think this could be caused by Aldrian?" Baek Ji-Min asked.
Without realizing it, they had already started associating every strange event they couldn’t understand with Aldrian. Their suspicions weren’t baseless. Every time Aldrian did something, it was always grand and far-reaching, affecting many things around him. Take for example, when Aldrian comprehended the Heavenly Demon’s Scripture, or when he forged a middle Divine-grade artifact—both actions had a wide-reaching impact.
Every single thing Aldrian did garnered attention, and this phenomenon fit the pattern perfectly. It was not out of the realm of possibility that Aldrian was behind this Heavenly Tribulation as well.
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At the central area of Dragon Back Mountain, the fifth strike of heavenly lightning descended with immense power, sending shockwaves of pressure that could be felt up to 500 kilometers away. Aldrian, still holding on, relied on his dome shield of energy. Though the heavenly lightning could not penetrate the shield, the damage it inflicted with each strike continued to accumulate.
Fortunately, the shield’s repair speed was impressive, quickly mending any broken parts before the next strike could land. Aldrian remained focused, continuing to comprehend the heavenly lightning, bringing himself closer to the heavens.
The clouds prepared to unleash the sixth strike, yet Aldrian stood in the midst of the heavy rain with a smile on his face. He didn’t know why, but he felt grateful to the heavens for this tribulation. Through it, he had begun to understand a small part of his past connection to the heavens. In his vision he enjoyed interacting with the heavens so much that he had learned how to meditate even within the tribulation clouds, relying solely on his body without any external support.
It was something he couldn’t have imagined, as he didn’t know what kind of power he would need to endure in order to meditate or cultivate in the middle of the tribulation clouds. Just the pressure and power alone sent chills through him, and only thanks to his domain ability, he had managed to hold on until now.
The sixth strike came down with even greater power, nearly shattering and penetrating the dome shield, but it still failed to touch even a single hem of Aldrian. As the sixth strike faded, the clouds seemed to halt their movements. The lightning strands that once crackled between the clouds were now still, leaving only dark, ominous skies. Even the rain subsided, and Aldrian noticed that the heavenly tribulation had paused all its activity.
Confusion filled him, yet at the same time, he felt the intent of the heavens more clearly, as though he could communicate with it directly.
"So, the last strike will be your special way of greeting me, huh?" Aldrian thought, still smiling. He looked up at the sky and shouted,
"Alright, heavens, show me your greeting!"
In response to his words, black and red lightning suddenly began to slither through the clouds, electrifying the entire sky with their chaotic movements. The pressure and aura of the heavens thickened in the air, so intense that even the people in Dalahan City—who were far from the tribulation clouds—could feel it. Many people that saw this had already prostrated toward the direction of the tribulation, begging for mercy from the heavens, believing that the end of the world was upon them.
As for Aldrian, who stood at the very center of this colossal storm, his smile never wavered. He knew that this final strike would be the most powerful blow he had ever faced in his life!
