A hush fell over the crowd as the final bolt of lightning gathered above, its energy like nothing they had seen before as if it intended to erase him and his newfound power in one all-encompassing strike. The heavens cracked open, and the lightning plummeted down, faster and fiercer than anything that had come before.

  And then, the final strike!

  Boom!

  At that instant, Tian leaped, meeting the lightning mid-air. His form shone brighter, wings of black fire unfurling from his back, and he transformed, melding into the pure shape of a Phoenix. The power of his leap shattered the ground below, and the force of his presence tore through the skies as he launched himself toward the descending bolt.

  The disciples gasped as the impossible unfolded before them. The heavens trembled, the lightning meeting Tian’s form head-on, its energy colliding with the flames of the Black Phoenix. The sky itself seemed to crackle and shudder, unable to contain the power of their clash.

  A voice, barely a whisper, passed through the crowd. “He’s… breaking the sky.”

  The lightning shattered upon contact, shattering into fragments, its power dissipated by the sheer force of Tian’s might. The clouds writhed, their fury defeated, and a silence heavier than any sound fell over the sect.

  The disciples stared, speechless, as Tian, cloaked in the flames of the Black Phoenix, hovered against the backdrop of a broken sky. He had done it—he had shattered the heavens’ wrath, a feat beyond anything the world had ever known.

  And as they looked upon him, some in fear, some in awe, they understood: this was not Tian as they knew him. This was the Black Phoenix reborn, a force that belonged to legend, and one that would change the world.

  Dong!

  Dong!

  Dong!

  The Heavenly Bell tolled through the valley, its ancient ring echoing like the heartbeat of the world itself. On the Elder Peak, the ground trembled, and the sky darkened, rolling with clouds of seven colors—each one ablaze with lightning. The atmosphere thickened, and a bone-chilling wind spread from the peak, sending shivers through the disciples of the Black Phoenix Sect. The mountain was drenched in golden light, pouring like a waterfall from the heavens, enveloping Tian in an ethereal radiance. He stood there, suspended in a storm of Qi, his eyes closed, face serene, while his aura rippled outward, cold and forbidding.

  A hush had fallen over the crowd of onlookers below. Among them, murmurs arose, punctuated by startled gasps.

  “Is… is this real?” whispered one of the younger disciples. “Is Young Master truly transcending the King Realm?”

  “It’s not just a breakthrough.” An elder disciple shook his head, eyes widening. “Look! His Domain… it’s becoming boundless. This isn’t mere King Realm. It’s something greater.”

  As the bell rang its fourth and final time, Tian’s body began to transform. Streams of radiant golden light snaked around his limbs, his apertures devouring Qi and light alike, as though he were an endless well. His wounds, the scars from years of cultivation, healed at a visible pace, leaving his skin smooth and radiant, almost otherworldly. A seven-colored glow pulsed from him, weaving in and out of his pores, merging into his blood, veins, and bones. The disciples below gasped in awe, unable to tear their gaze from the spectacle unfolding.

  A low rumble echoed from Tian’s body as his Sea of Qi transformed. What had once been a lake now roared like an ocean. Deep within it, a small figure—no larger than a child—sat cross-legged, wrapped in seven-colored radiance, exuding an unfathomable power. It was a miniature of Tian himself, a spirit born from the very essence of his cultivation, absorbing the tribulation’s power, drawing it into his soul. His Sea of Qi churned, expanding with every breath he took, each inhale bringing in a storm of Qi, each exhale releasing a wave of pure, concentrated power.

  His internal Qi thickened, growing denser than stone and hotter than molten steel. As his Sea of Qi pulsed, it spread an aura across the Elder Peak, suffusing the mountain in a radiant, otherworldly glow.

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  Eighty-one stars shimmered like brilliant lights atop his Sea of Qi. God's will descended onto Tian's body and sanctified him. His body had become half-saint, and his Souls also experienced a breakthrough. He gathered his will and began to solidify his internal Qi. Moments passed as he concentrated his Qi. His dantian began to emit tiny bits of light as if it were a miniature cosmos.

  Once his Qi stabilized, Tian prepared for the breakthrough. He had already received God's Will and could now freely break through to the King realm. He had condensed one of the strongest martial souls and bodies, making him unique.

  Rumble!

  Just like an overfilled jar, Tian’s dantian cracked and shattered allowing the energy to enter his body, meridians, blood, and bones. The vortex increased in size, becoming at least a small world, and seven new stars formed above the vortex. They were at least ten times bigger than the last ones, Tian had finally broken through to the Martial King Realm.

  As soon as he broke through, he stood up. His presence was both commanding and intimidating.

  His aura surged forth, blasting outward with an intensity that made the disciples stumble back.

  “Look at him!” one disciple whispered, fear and awe mingling in their voice. “The Young Master… he’s… he’s… a monster.”

  “Monster?” a bolder disciple muttered, snorting. “That’s putting it lightly. This is more than transformation… it’s a rebirth!”

  Now, Tian’s form began to shift as his transformation was completed. His face was sharper, his expression more fierce, his body emanating a heat that was both scorching and soothing. The mask that once concealed him shattered in the intense radiance, revealing his new face—a face both strikingly youthful and yet fearsomely powerful, with eyes that seemed to burn with a fire from another world. His once-black hair now flowed behind him like an inky waterfall, streaked with traces of gold and crimson, each strand shimmering as if woven from pure flame.

  The crowd stood in awe as Tian raised his hand, summoning his Domain with a single, casual gesture. His Domain surged outward, encompassing a radius of 500 miles, thickening the very air and binding it to his will. The earth trembled, and the sky darkened within his domain, transforming the very environment. A dark red mist filled the space, alive with streaks of gold and black flames, and an ominous energy pulsed within it, terrifyingly cold yet paradoxically warm. Inside, anything that touched his domain would face obliteration, burnt to ash in an instant.

  This was the Reaper’s Embrace—a conceptual domain, an extension of his own will, blending life and death within a single breath.

  “Young Master…” one disciple murmured, his voice barely audible. “Is this… is this what it means to be a Flame Sovereign?”

  Another disciple, more bold, laughed nervously. “Forget Flame Sovereign! We should be calling him something else entirely. I mean, what kind of monster has such power?”

  They stared, mouths agape, as Tian lifted his hand and summoned forth a sphere of flame. But this was no ordinary fire; it was the True Phoenix Flame. A black-and-gold conflagration swirled within his palm, alive, burning with the intensity of a star and the purity of divine light. It pulsed, each flicker of flame whispering of rebirth, eternity, and annihilation.

  The air around him crackled with power as Tian’s gaze shifted, surveying the awe-stricken disciples and elders. He gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile, though his eyes held an intensity that silenced the crowd. His transformation was complete; he was no longer merely the Young Master of the Black Phoenix Sect. He was something far greater, a sovereign reborn in flames, wielding a power beyond the comprehension of those around him.

  A whisper ran through the crowd as they watched, rooted in place by the overwhelming aura.

  “Is he even human anymore?” someone whispered, shivering. “Or has he truly become… a demon?”

  Another disciple chuckled nervously. “If he isn’t human, well, we’re all doomed. No one can stand against him now.”

  “Stand against him?” scoffed a senior disciple. “I’d be glad if he doesn’t accidentally burn us alive by breathing.”

  Their chatter was silenced as Tian turned his attention back to his surroundings, the power of his domain extending further. The temperature dropped again, a biting cold filling the area despite the blazing flames dancing within his Domain. His aura had changed; it was no longer simply terrifying. It was oppressive, like a storm that threatened to consume everything in its path, yet so radiant that it filled onlookers with an almost reverent awe.

  "He has reached the Ultimate level!" Longzhi grinned, his joy obvious.

  "He... He really did!" Elder Wang still couldn't believe what was happening.

  "He now has the black flame. I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse for the mortal world," High Elder sighed, seemingly disturbed.

  Tian opened his eyes and a burst of power enough to shatter souls was released, without activating his Deity Eyes, could clearly see over thousands of miles. His hearing and senses enhanced a thousandfold; he could hear his Elders talking and birds chirping from a mile away.

  Swoosh!

  Tian got up and began performing the Worlds-End Sword Technique. A Colorless Sword emerged from his body, hovering behind him.

  All the swords within the Sacred Sect flew out of their sheaths and approached the Colorless Sword. The phenomenon was awe-inspiring as if the Emperor Sword had appeared and commanded all other swords.

  "Is this the Legendary Sword convergence?" Elder Wang asked in amazement.