Hai Du found himself completely outmatched by the two masters who had achieved the true form through Spiritual Awakening.
The tribulation lightning descended upon them with the force of a gravitational beam from a black hole, targeting Hai Du and the two bamboo people.
The sheer energy threatened to rend muscle from bone, and had it not been for Tian Wei's return, Hai Du would have been torn apart in an instant.
He had no luxury of even a momentary distraction, unlike the bamboo umbrella woman and the leafy person who could divide their attention to fend off the wrath of the skies.
A single moment of looking away would mean instant death for him.
Even without the tribulation, Hai Du was barely able to hold on. The lightning, despite being split between the two groups, possessed a monstrous destructive power that surpassed anything he had encountered before.
It was several times more lethal than the one Tian Wei had faced in the icy canyons, reaching the level of a True Form destroyer.
The lightning tribulation matched the devastating powers that were ravaging the earth, while the power tearing through the mountain had reached the True Spirit level.
The cultivation path for mortals consisted of two main divisions: the pseudo phases and the true form.
The pseudo phases encompassed the initial three stages of cultivation, namely body refinement, foundation establishment (also known as the energy gathering phase), and tempered veins.
The subsequent stages were collectively referred to as the True Form phase. Upon entering the True Form boundary, a cultivator would be recognized as truly powerful.
Each phase required ten cycles of improvement before transitioning to the next stage.
Tian Wei possessed an immortal spirit that granted his body an extraordinary endurance beyond that of an ordinary cultivator.
Through sheer physical strength, he could prevent his muscles and meridians from crumbling, even when they hadn't undergone tempering and refinement - but even this had its limit. His fractured bones had already begun to heal, recovering from the heavy attacks inflicted by Ming Wen and the stabilizing of the erupting mountain.
However, he was far from fully healed, and if the heavens continued their onslaught, he wouldn't be able to withstand it. As the tribulation's electric current surged through his hand already that turned golden as he assumed half of his immortal nature, he realized it wasn't enough.
His true strength had yet to fully manifest.
The surge of energy mercilessly tore through his veins, shattering his bones into fragments. Completely battered, torn, and weakened, he descended under the oppressive gravity of the tribulation, crashing heavily onto the mountain.
He struggled to hold himself together, barely clinging to any semblance of coherence.
Despite his dire circumstances, he contemplated summoning his perfect immortal strength, but he made the decision to refrain from doing so.
He would rather face the wrath of the Yangs than invoke the fury of vengeful gods.
However, nature remained unrelenting, persistently determined to tear him apart.
It continued its relentless descent upon him, fueled by even greater fury.
It seemed resolved to annihilate him while he was at his weakest. With a sense of impending doom, another vortex of thunderbolts intertwined with swirling forked lightning came crashing down, intensifying the destructive onslaught.
Hai Du, on the other hand, was far from having an easier time. His spear began to exhibit signs of cracking under the relentless assault.
Even with his attention divided, the bamboo people proved to be a formidable force.
Determined not to leave anything to chance, he summoned every ounce of his strength, allowing a new surge of power to infuse his spear with renewed force. A howling wind picked up, blowing fiercely as the spear started to spin rapidly. The resounding growl of an ancient celestial dragon reverberated through the already rattled mountain.
Hai Du unleashed his perfected technique, the CingLong spear. The spear erupted with the unleashed might of his chi, propelling it forward as if driven by a luminous dragon. It forcefully pushed back the attacks of the umbrella and leaf sword, obliterating them and shattering everything in an instant.
The unleashed energy surged outward in all directions, overwhelming the two opponents who were unable to defend against its power.
Their ribcages were crushed, their lungs collapsed, their bones shattered, and they plummeted from the lofty heights of the sky. The lightning tribulation followed suit, pursuing them relentlessly.
Just as the lightning tribulation pursued the defeated bamboo people, it also pursued Hai Du, who was now drained and teetering on the edge of consciousness due to his depleted strength.
It followed him closely, just as it followed the limp figure of Tian Wei, whose broken bones were more shattered than the very mountain upon which he lay.
And so the lightning descended upon them, showing no mercy as it mercilessly tore into their flesh. There was no one to come to their aid.
LongSword's disciple could only watch in horror, helpless in the face of such devastation.
Xuan Yi remained deep in meditation, completely unaware of the unfolding tragedy.
The mountain became a gruesome scene. After the heavens had their share of amusement or retribution, the clouds dissipated like summer dew, leaving the survivors with barely half a breath.
As the blinding flashes and sparks gradually faded away, a gentler breeze swept through the area. From the distance, a man emerged, wearing a bamboo hat and robe. He paused at the battlefield where the partially charred bodies of Hai Du and Tian Wei lay.
"It seems it was a great idea that we sent more people than we initially thought necessary to retrieve these individuals," he muttered with a satisfied tone.
Extending his gloved white hand, he reached out to grasp Tian Wei's motionless form.
And as if on cue, Xuan Yi abruptly awakened from his deep meditation. His mind swiftly transitioned from the transcendent realm of self-fortification and introspection back to the harsh reality before him.
He laid his eyes on what felt like a barbecue scene on a mountain, a mountain already reduced to an icy sieve. A powerful surge of energy emanated from his body, causing the unstable fragments of the mountain to crumble further.
Uncrossing his legs, Xuan Yi rose to his feet and ascended into the air. His energies surged as he readied himself to mete his wrath on those that sought him so persistently.