I Created a Protagonist Sect: My Programmer Job is Super Overpowered

Chapter 36  Heavenly Tribulation

Chen Mo's body hovered impassibly in a meditative lotus position as the chamber around him grew increasingly saturated with swirling spiritual energy. The dense, nebulous fog coiled and eddied, drawn inexorably towards the cultivator's dantian like a whirlpool.

Though his serene expression remained outwardly placid, the merest hint of strain furrowed his brow—the only outward sign of the monumental exertion occurring within.

As the maelstrom of power intensified, realization blossomed in Chen Mo's mind. He had not foreseen that the destabilization of his soul space would provide the catalyst for this breakthrough into the Void Traversing Realm. "Hm? What's this?"

With a casual gesture, the roof above dematerialized at Chen Mo's beckoning. But the formerly azure sky had taken on a startling metamorphosis—roiling storm clouds now blotted out the heavens in an ominous morass of thunderheads. Arcs of elemental lightning danced across the churning darkness in increasing frequency.

A Heavenly Tribulation. The archetypal phenomenon heralding a cultivator's transcendence into a higher realm of existence. But its arrival at this juncture puzzled Chen Mo.

"A Heavenly Tribulation? But how is that possible? I'm only breaking through to the Void Traversing Realm." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Chen Mo's mind raced as he analyzed the emergence of this celestial baptism. Such cosmic trials traditionally accompanied far more monumental breakthroughs—into the Tribulation Transcendence Realm and beyond. 'Activate skill [Existence] '

[

Name: Heavenly Dao

Information: Due to continuous evading of the Heavenly Dao's restrain, the Heavenly Dao deems you a dangerous entity and seeks to eliminate you.

]

"Oh! I forgot this guy was still trying to restrain me"

A wry smile played across his lips as the first rumbles of paradoxical thunder roared in the ominous cloudscape above.

"As I see it, these so-called Heavenly Tribulations are not only a process to weed out the weak but also the strong. The path I tread lies far beyond such paltry confines."

Bolts of purifying lightning began raining from the heavens, battering the earth in arcing tendrils of destruction. Yet Chen Mo remained unmoved, a glowing corona of spiritual energy encapsulating his form in an unshakable bastion.

The true trial was only just beginning.

…

The prospective disciples gathered in the courtyard craned their necks skyward, expressions awash with a mixture of awe and trepidation. Above them, the heavens roiled and churned in an ominous display—storm clouds massing into an impenetrable morass that blotted out the very firmament itself. Forks of elemental lightning danced across the thunderheads, their searing brilliance a harbinger of the imminent devastation to come. A full Heavenly Tribulation, the likes of which could scour entire mountain ranges from existence, was manifesting directly over the sect's hallowed grounds.

Terror lent speed to the whispered words racing through the assembled cultivators. But before panic could take root, Mei Ling's commanding voice rang out across the courtyard.

"Calm yourselves. This is simply our sect master undergoing his next breakthrough." Her tone brooked no argument as she leveled a reassuring look at each potential disciple. "The patriarch will undoubtedly find a way to weather this trial."

The steel in Mei Ling's words seemed to steady the restless crowd. Hushed murmurs began circulating about Chen Mo's illustrious accomplishments and prodigious talents.

"What realm do you suppose the sect master is currently in?" "Can it be he's transcending to an even higher plane? I thought such breakthroughs became increasingly arduous the further one climbed..."

"Well, considering he single-handedly crushed an entire sect of the third rank without breaking a sweat, I wouldn't put anything past him."

Gradually, awe superseded apprehension as the would-be disciples extolled the might and prowess of the figure whose legacy they hoped to one day join. Regardless of how incredibly daunting each successive tribulation appeared, Chen Mo's disciples had unwavering faith that their patriarch would emerge triumphant.

After all, he was considered the world's strongest genius.

The grand ceremony to induct new sect members would simply have to wait until the heavens themselves had finished venting their fury upon the unshakable titan at the eye of this celestial storm.

…

Heavenly Palace, Hall

The vaulted halls echoed with Elder Zhang Wei's pounding footfalls as he rushed into the opulent chamber and dropped into a deep kowtow before the sect's venerable Patriarch. "We've received news from the spies planted within Chen Mo's sect," the elder stammered out, his voice quavering with barely restrained trepidation.

The Patriarch's expression morphed into a severe frown at the unspoken implications carried in Zhang Wei's tone. "Out with it. What have you learned?"

Swallowing hard, the elder relayed the earth-shaking report with halting words. "They say...Chen Mo is currently undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation."

Spiderweb cracks emanated from where the Patriarch's hands clenched the armrests of his throne with supernatural force. "That's impossible!" he bellowed, imperious fury reverberating through the throne room. "Even with that accursed treasure in his possession, how could he have broken through so quickly?"

Pinned beneath the overwhelming pressure of his lord's unbridled rage, Zhang Wei could only bow his head fully to the punishing floor as he rushed to reassure the irate cultivator. "I swear it is true, my lord! Every spy has corroborated the same!"

Just as the Patriarch's aura reached a suffocating peak, a lilting feminine voice cut through the tension like a willow branch parting still waters. "It is not impossible to undergo Heavenly Tribulation before the Tribulation Transcendence Realm." The Patriarch's furious glare snapped towards the woman emerging from behind his throne with a gliding, ethereal gait. Her crimson silks accentuated the foxy ears and lush tail marking her as one of the mystical vulpine race.

"Oh?" The simple syllable carried a universe of inferred meaning.

"Some of our clan's most exceptional geniuses undergo such cosmic baptisms even in the Golden Core Realm," the fox-woman explained with a slight, sly smile. "It seems this Chen Mo likely possesses some rare physique that accelerates his cultivation."

The Patriarch's piercing stare bored into the woman for an endless moment before his hand rose to pensively stroke his bearded chin. For his part, Elder Zhang Wei dared not so much as lift his gaze from the marble tiles—his fear of meeting the vulpine cultivator's probing stare palpable. "If he has gained such fortuitous opportunities from that damned treasure, then we must act before he grows beyond our ability to contain." With a succinct wave of his hand, the Patriarch issued his decree. "Invite Chen Mo's sect to the upcoming Chaotic Holy Lands. There, we will remove this threat before he becomes an even greater nuisance."

"At once, my lord!" Zhang Wei rasped his fervent assent before scrambling from the chamber with undignified haste.

The faint smile playing across the fox-woman's full lips morphed into a sly, knowing smirk as she watched the elder's panicked retreat.

"A chaotic physique, is it...?" she purred, more to herself than any other. "How...interesting." The game was afoot, with enticing new layers unfolding by the hour. It would be such a pity if her adorable little sister missed out on all the fun.