Astral Pet Store (WN)

Chapter 1209: The Seventh World

The first batch of tribulation takers finished soon after. The ocean of lightning in the sky was already gone; Su Ping and his pets stayed in midair while digesting their recent acquisitions.

Little White was the first to change; its body had been rapidly strengthened. The change in its bloodline and the power of lightning accumulated in its body allowed it to break through and become a Star Lord.

This caused another tribulation round; lightning filled the sky once again.

Su Ping didn’t suppress Little White’s level, simply allowing it to make the breakthrough.

Actually, Little White and the Little Skeleton were already powerful independent pets. Su Ping chose to give them resources, instead of guiding them hands on.

They had their own personalities and thoughts; Su Ping could only give them the nutrition they needed. Their growth would completely depend on themselves.

The thunderous clouds summoned by Little White soon occupied everybody’s eyes. The entire sky turned dim, and there was an unprecedented pressure in the air. The Heavenly Tribulation was more powerful than any of the ones preceding that day.

“His pet has already surpassed many geniuses among the gods in terms of potential!”

“…They’ll be infuriated to death if they know of this.”

Heather and the other Superior Gods looked on, speechless.

To think that gods couldn’t even compare to one of Su Ping’s pets. It was truly maddening.

Su Ping noticed how the tribulation was much stronger. Since they were also inside the effect range, the tribulation was almost comparable to that of an Ascendant. The intense pressure made him feel as if his blood were boiling. His latent power was also activated.

This is more like it. It seems that I can’t really get much unless the tribulation taker is a top Star Lord, thought Su Ping.

He stayed in position, merely giving a brief glance at the thunderclouds above him to then continue cultivating with his eyes closed.

The pressure was so overwhelming that any other Star Lord would have been scared off. Even the Ascendants would have had trouble offering help.

Little White instantly canceled the transformation, turning from an eight-year-old boy into a magnificent dragon once it noticed the tribulation was caused by the breakthrough. There were dark patterns on its white scales, and its horns looked like dazzling bolts of lightning.

It raised its head and roared to taunt the skies!

The lightning bolts soon came crashing down.

The Little Skeleton, the Dark Dragon Hound and the others stopped cultivating and solemnly stood by Little White’s side, ready to offer help.

Little White, however, roared and refused their kindness while staring at the sky fearlessly.

It was reminded of its childhood, how its parents were suppressed right before its eyes, and how it was forced to leave them. The humiliation and regret made the creature’s determination grow, no longer willing to be weak. It wanted to control its fate!

Another flashback came, when it returned to the mountaintop as king of all the Vast Sky Thunderous Dragons!

“Roar!!”

The violent lightning bolts struck down; Little White was covered in lightning armor. Su Ping had advised them to absorb instead to resist the lightning strikes, all to assimilate the tribulation power.

The Heavenly Tribulation would be very rewarding taking that approach!

The pet’s lightning armor soon fell apart. The strikes were much more powerful than before. Little White trembled and its scales fell down as if burnt.

Bang!

A second volley struck before the first lightning strike came to an end. Little White shook hard, as if bashed by a fallen beam. It nearly collapsed.

Lightning exploded underneath its feet, helping it stabilize with the counterforce. The patterns etched on its scales became increasingly brighter, seemingly growing.

Bang!

The third lightning bolt struck brutally. Little White’s scales exploded; many of them had been knocked off. Blood gushed out. The dragon fell down and hit the ground.

The lightning bolts’ power increased. Little Skeleton and the others quickly positioned themselves, trying to block the remaining lightning strikes.

The tribulation was already at the Ascendant level; any other Star Lord would have been obliterated by the very first strike.

Roar!!

Little White rose from the ground and roared regretfully. Covered in blood, it took to the sky again, passing through the pet’s defense. It suddenly stretched its wings again like an invincible dragon king, as if saying, ‘come again’!

Bang!

Cold and merciless lightning smashed down, digging into Little White’s flesh. The condensed small world also fell apart; the bones on its wings were exposed. All that was left was its skeleton and an unyielding soul!

“Hooo!”

Little White let out a roar; no one knew if it was to express anger or pain.

The skeleton was shaking. The dragon’s lightning patterns were constantly growing, until they completely covered the skeleton. They transformed into some sort of mysterious power.

Whoosh!

The Little Skeleton and the other pets hurriedly approached and tried to help. However, Little White waved its bone wings and bellowed to stop them.

The pets exchanged bewildered looks upon seeing how determined Little White was. They all fell silent.

Bang!

Another lightning bolt struck down the next moment, hitting Little White before it could react. An essential aura emerged from its bones, like pure threads of lightning which managed to block the strike!

Still, it only took a few seconds for the lightning bolt to become more powerful, and Little White was instantly drowned. Even its soul was extinguished!

Su Ping had already noticed Little White’s determination despite the crisis, so he didn’t offer help. Besides, it was a great opportunity to train them. He had to activate their potential even if they had drawn out all of it.

That was the only chance for low-born beasts to change their fate!

Exceeding the limits again and again was painful, but it would bring everlasting advantages to their offspring. Besides, it was also the greatest advantage for oneself!

Resurrect!

Little White reappeared in perfect conditions, feeling dazed for a moment. It then looked gratefully at Su Ping.

He smiled, allowing the fella to try its best. He also asked the Little Skeleton and the others to keep their distance. That tribulation was Little White’s alone.

Roar!!

Little White was in its peak status after resurrecting. It roared and charged, covered in lightning patterns, seemingly more powerful than before.

I think that’s… the essence of lightning.

Su Ping observed Little White in silence. To his surprise, Little White’s small world changed, and a second small world was taking shape above it, full of thunderclouds and lightning bolts.

A second small world!

Su Ping was astonished. He didn’t expect Little White would be able to establish a second small world during a tribulation.

The tribulation’s lightning kept on going into Little White. It was transformed and absorbed as nourishment for the second small world.

That’s not a simple world of lightning… Su Ping’s eyes glittered. The new small world also had a strange force; relatively feeble in comparison, but it felt similar to his path of illusion.

Su Ping examined this carefully through their contract, only to discover it was the path of illusion!

Little White had combined the path of illusion with the path of lightning, creating a whole new law!

That’s supposed to be something only Ascendants can do… Su Ping was amazed, not expecting Little White to be that smart.

Beyond the tribulation’s range—Heather, Avril and the other Superior Gods were stunned. The pet created a new law? Even though it had created the law by fusing two of the old ones, it was still creation. Besides, most Gods of Rules had been creating laws using such a method.

“What kind of unbelievable talent is this?” Eborr couldn’t help but whisper.

Joanna narrowed her eyes and heaved a sigh. She thought how it would only take some time for Su Ping to surpass her. Little did she expect that even Su Ping’s pet would pose a threat.

She knew that his pets had been nurtured by the spirit power in Su Ping’s nursing pens. Even though their bloodlines were humble, their power of understanding was astonishing. Adding Su Ping’s crazy training and the laws he taught them, the pets did have unimaginable privileges. It seemed… reasonable for them to have such crazy achievements.

Inside the tribulation’s range.

The second small world established by Little White suddenly changed and sank, fusing with the first small world. The previously desolate, first small world was instantly transformed into a vast ocean of lightning, much more powerful than before.

“Fusion of worlds?” Su Ping was stupefied.

Su Ping realized he was mistaken. That was not a fusion of worlds. Rather, the second small world he had seen wasn’t an additional small world. The law created by Little White was not enough to establish an independent world, so it could only be attached to his sole small world.

Nevertheless, the improvement was still terrifying.

“This is the small world the little one created; a small world that solely belongs to the guy!”

The worlds were fused and Little White slowly craned its head; all the power of lightning was blocked from its world.

Roar!!

A shocking dragon call resounded and touched the sky.

The thunderclouds revolved and lightning stopped coming down; it seemed that the final punishment was being prepared.

The pressure in the sky increased as the clouds revolved, becoming as suffocating as the deep ocean. The final strike rushed downward; a dazzling lightning bolt.

Little White roared and stretched its wings, flying up to meet it halfway.

The next moment, it was struck heavily, then flung back. Its small world was pierced, its body finally being shattered along with its soul.

The final lightning bolt contained an extraordinary amount of Ascendant power, which was too much for Little White to bear. It was almost as powerful as a Heavenly Lord’s attack!

Little White died a second time—

But Su Ping resurrected it and had it stay inside the Heavenly Tribulation.

The dragon was heavily wounded again. Regardless of a shocking healing ability, it wasn’t able to recover until the tribulation ended.

Su Ping smiled and closed his eyes to resume his contemplation.

The fusion-based small world made by Little White had left a deep impression on him. It brought forth an epiphany, but he was unable to capture the essence just yet.

Heather and the others looked at each other in bewilderment, once again realizing that Su Ping was capable of resurrecting. No wonder he wants to experience Heavenly Tribulations.

Perhaps that’s his mysterious backer’s main power. It was beyond their understanding.

Time flew.

Another group of people about to take their tribulations arrived.

The thunderclouds above the Superior Palace seemed almost permanent.

The law of Heavenly Tribulation…

Everything goes through a tribulation.

Fire goes through a tribulation when it’s set ablaze and when it dies out…

A drop of water goes through a tribulation when it gathers and disperses…

There are disasters and tribulations in every person’s life. All living creatures are born because of tribulations and die for the same reason…

All existences must go through tribulations…

Su Ping sat cross-legged In the middle of the ocean, surrounded by lightning bolts. He emitted a terrifying pressure that carried an old and frightening aura. The people down below were panicking, feeling the real Heavenly Tribulation wasn’t in the clouds up above, but in the ocean of lightning where Su Ping was sitting.

It seemed that he was at the core of the Heavenly Tribulation!

A twisted mark slowly surfaced on Su Ping’s forehead. It was the sign of tribulation!

The ancient tribulation path slowly took shape inside Su Ping’s body. The power in the six small worlds surged out and made the path expand quickly, gradually turning into a small world.

Six small worlds appeared behind Su Ping like a glamorous lotus flower.

There was a seventh small world at the very top, dark, with ominous lightning bolts. It contained the aura of chaos and destruction.

Heather and the others were astonished to see that; even Joanna was shocked. They finally understood why Su Ping wanted to experience other people’s tribulations.

That maniac was trying to understand tribulations themselves!

He had actually grasped them and created a world based on them!

“That’s the forbidden path. He… He…” Eborr was pale, shocked by Su Ping’s boldness.

Avril couldn’t help but look at the thunderclouds, fearing that something would step out and hurt them.

Very soon, the seventh world became bigger and bigger, gradually taking shape.

Creating a seventh small world came easier with the accumulated experience. Once it took shape, he embedded it into the previous small worlds and connected them.

The seventh small world was completed!

Su Ping opened his eyes. There was a vague trace of lightning inside the mark on his head. He looked up at the thunderclouds. The sense of a hazy vortex deep in the clouds came as strongly as never before; it seemed to be connected to an unknown region.

Some sort of aura from said region was seeping through the vortex.

It was none other than the aura of tribulation!

…