Chapter 62: Trial of the three Bolts

The wilderness stretched endlessly before Jiang Feng, a vast expanse of darkness illuminated only by the flicker of lightning dancing across the heavens. The torrential rain drenched him to the bone, but his steps never faltered. Each stride carried him deeper into the heart of desolation, far from the safety of Northern Moon City and its watchful eyes.

The storm above churned with relentless fury, and the three lightning bolts writhed like serpents, coiling and uncoiling within the blackened clouds. The oppressive weight of the storm pressed down on Jiang Feng, as though the heavens themselves were watching, waiting to pass judgement.

After running for two hours, Feng made sure that no one was around or was he being followed before stopping in a clearing surrounded by jagged rock formations, Jiang Feng steadied his breath. He could feel the power of the storm gathering above him, a chaotic force that would soon descend with devastating intent. His meridians hummed with energy, each glowing faintly, their potential untested yet thrumming with power.

'Pitiful nine heavens, come' a deep voice echoed above Jian Feng as a massive dragon with four horns took shape. Its eyes shine like torches in the dead of night, with lightning moving between its scales as he lifted its head and roared. Jiang Feng looked above him, the shadow of the Aetherion Dragon blocking his view with its massive body.

"So this is the result of the Dragon Vein-Blood Bone Fruit, where did my father get it from and what exactly is this thing?" Feng murmured, he remembered seeing Lin Moyi and that guy from the Shadow Church summoned spirits to assist them in combat but he was far from their level so he didn't quite understand what was happening.

"This is the moment," Jiang Feng looked skyward away from the roaring dragon, his voice steady despite the growing tension in his heart. "The path of reverse cultivation has brought me here. If I survive this, I will stand above the heavens themselves. If I fail..." He did not finish the thought. There was no room for failure.

"COME AT ME!" 'RAAARRRRR' Jiang Feng shouted while the dragon roared!

The First Bolt: Wrath of the Heavens

The sky roared as the first bolt parted the dark clouds and descended. It was a spear of golden light, so bright that it split the darkness with a blinding brilliance. Jiang Feng planted his feet firmly into the ground, channeling the energy of his meridians to spread across his body, pulling in a deep breath, the air around him intently heated as blue flames burst into motion, covering him from head to to. His body tensed as he raised his arms, palms open to receive the strike.

BOOM!

The lightning struck him directly, sending shockwaves rippling outward. His muscles screamed in agony, his skin scorched and smoking, as it splits open, spilling blood on the ground. Yet, above him, the Aetherion Dragon stirred, its presence immense and unyielding, as its bright eyes burning with unyielding light.

"Absorb it!" Jiang Feng roared, his voice strained. The dragon's maw opened, and it devoured the residual energy of the bolt, converting it into a torrent of power that coursed through his meridians. But there was just too much lightning, causing him to spit out blood, as he swayed.

The Zhou Meridian pulsed, its connection to his entire spiritual network stabilizing the violent energy as much as it could. All nine meridians started to glow a golden hue, as they started to expend and thicken, causing the pain to subsided, and replaced by a surge of strength.

"One down" he whispered, his gaze lifting to the heavens once more, feel how vast the sky truly was.

The Second Bolt: Blade of the Storm

The second bolt descended almost immediately, a jagged arc of silver lightning that slashed through the air like a celestial blade. Its sharp aura pierced the atmosphere, sending a chill down Jiang Feng's spine. Reacting instinctively, he shifted his stance, grounding himself as the Aetherion Dragon roared once more. Its obsidian claw shot skyward, colliding with the lightning in a brilliant explosion of energy.

The Skyforge flame erupted from the dragon's form, spiraling upward as if to consume the silver bolt, but the newborn dragon's strength faltered. The lightning forced its way through, slamming into Jiang Feng with ferocious precision, sending shockwaves rippling through his body and blasting into a nearby rock face.

BOOM

Jiang Feng gritted his teeth as the silver lightning slammed into him, his entire body trembling under its destructive force, blooded all over. His meridians flared to life, glowing with radiant energy as they worked to channel the overwhelming power coursing through him. The Ren and Du Meridians surged to stabilize his yin and yang balance, while the Zhou Meridian activated, ensuring the energy flowed seamlessly throughout his body.

Suddenly, his blood began to churn, its color shifting into a gleaming gold, thick and heavy as it spilled onto the ground. Each droplet resonated with an aura of draconic might, faint but undeniable. The golden blood shimmered, pulsating with an ancient power that seemed to call out to the heavens themselves.

As the lightning crackled within his body, the blood absorbed it greedily, the arcs of silver energy vanishing into the golden pools to Jiang Feng's amazement. Jiang Feng's heart pounded as the mixture of blood and lightning began to empower him, transforming his very essence. His veins felt as though they were expanding, reinforced by the absorbed energy, while his draconic presence intensified.

With a defiant roar, Jiang Feng's body stabilized, the silver lightning fully consumed and converted into strength. The pressure around him faded, and he stood back up, his aura sharper and more refined. The second tribulation had passed, and Jiang Feng had not just survived—he had grown stronger.

The Aetherion Dragon roared within him, growing larger, its black scales gleaming with newfound strength, it's body looking more life like as it pulse around his heart. The ground around him was burnt black, even the far away trees were shattered.

"This is way too much commotion, won't I be discovered soon?"

The Third Bolt: Echo of Chaos

The third bolt was unlike the others. It was erratic, its trajectory wild and unpredictable, a manifestation of pure chaos that spiraled through the skies before slamming into Jiang Feng's head with brute force. The impact was devastating, driving his body into the ground with a resounding crack. Dirt and rock exploded outward as blood spilled freely from his wounds, pooling beneath him in a growing golden-red sheen.

Jiang Feng shut his eyes, his breathing shallow but deliberate as he willed himself to stay alive. In the midst of pain, the teachings of the Silent Reaper echoed in his mind:

"Feel the unseen, hear the unspoken, and move in the shadows between moments. Embrace your fears, accept the void, accept the darkness."

The chaotic lightning ravaged his body, threatening to obliterate his very existence, but Jiang Feng did not resist. Instead, he surrendered. He embraced the fear that clawed at his heart, the hatred buried deep in his soul, and the darkness that now defined his life. The void welcomed him, and his silent mantra resounded in his mind:

"Only at the brink of death can one truly understand death—and live in darkness forever!"

The flames that had once danced blue around Jiang Feng's body deepened, shifting into an ink-black hue so deep it seemed to swallow the very light around him. The shadows of the night bled into him, forming a dark shroud that enveloped his form, isolating him in an unnatural, deathly silence. Even as thunder roared across the heavens, within Jiang Feng's domain, there was only stillness.

The energy of chaos surged through his body, clashing violently against the stability of his meridians, threatening to tear him apart from the inside out. But his Yin Wei Meridian flared to life, its stabilizing power harmonizing the chaotic energy with his own. The process was excruciating—his body trembled, blood streaming from his mouth—but his will survive remained unyielding. Bit by bit, the erratic lightning was consumed by the dark energy he had tapped into, its chaotic force becoming a part of him, strengthening his flesh and blood.

At that moment, the dragon above him roared, its obsidian scales crackling with arcs of lightning. A sudden, radiant light descended from the heavens, piercing through the darkness and enveloping the dragon. The ethereal glow took the form of three brand new glowing meridians, connecting the dragon's chest to Jiang Feng's core. The connection pulsed with raw, primal energy, forming a symbiotic bond between man and beast.

Jiang Feng opened his eyes, now glowing with a deep, predatory light. The third bolt of tribulation had been conquered—not through resistance, but through acceptance. With every passing moment, his power grew, the darkness surrounding him rippling with newfound strength as the bond with the dragon deepened. In this union of chaos and void, Jiang Feng had crossed yet another threshold on his path to greatness.

And with that he had successfully passed his second tribulation