Chapter 574 - 466: 9-Tailed Divine Spirit Quells the Thunder Tribulation

The situation terrified everyone. They could only watch as the Celestial Wolf Ancestor, now powerless to stop the Thunder, failed. Wave after wave of lightning lashed against the shield overhead, shattering the Barrier in an instant. A sky full of thunderous light drowned every member of the Demon Race present. The shadow of death loomed over all!

Any thought of resistance was futile. After all, not even a Celestial Spirit could defy a Celestial Tribulation. A Celestial Tribulation was an instrument of destruction; dust had no right to stand in the way of Thunder.

For this very reason, all the Demon Race Ancestors present fell into despair. Yet, it was at this moment that the severely injured and exhausted Celestial Wolf Ancestor rose once more. He forced himself into the sky and blocked the incoming wave of the Thunder Tribulation. His fine silk robes were annihilated, and his body was burned to a crisp.

His life hung by a thread; death seemed certain. But not only did the Celestial Wolf Ancestor survive, but an even more astonishing power erupted from within him. After his aura waned to an absolute low, it began to skyrocket. To the shock of all, a wolf-shaped Dharma Aspect condensed in the vast expanse between heaven and earth. It seemed capable of propping up the sky itself, a guardian for all of Celestial Wolf City. That colossal presence made the terrified members of the Demon Race below weep with relief as they gazed up at him. In that instant, their faith in him soared to its peak.

Indeed, the Celestial Wolf Ancestor had succeeded. He had risen from the ashes, breaking through in the midst of desperation to reach the True Body Realm. This meant he was now the undisputed supreme expert of the Primitive Ancient Forest. No one could compare to him now!

The immense power he now wielded clearly included a partial ability to guide the Celestial Tribulation. In a way, he had earned the "favor" of the Thunder Tribulation, and the True Form he had forged could now evade it.

Of course, this was merely a subtle evasion, not direct control. It was more akin to redirecting the Thunder Tribulation away from the city at the cost of his own lifespan, sparing himself and his domain from further catastrophe.

This was a heavy price to pay. As a being who had advanced to the True Body Realm, his lifespan had increased significantly. But the amount of life he had to expend was even greater. Thus, after being engulfed by another flash of thunderous light, his body shed its White Jade form, growing dim and beginning to crack.

The Celestial Wolf Ancestor now looked even more wretched than he had at the start. But he had succeeded in redirecting the second wave of the Thunder Tribulation elsewhere. At the very least, the core of Celestial Wolf City was safe. Still, everyone’s hearts pounded with lingering fear.

However, the situation was still far from optimistic. The intensity of the Thunder Tribulation was, unbelievably, still climbing. After all this time, not only had it failed to subside, but for some unknown reason, it had reached an even higher level of power!

RUMBLE—

The suffocating, despair-inducing fury of the Thunder shattered what little courage the members of the Demon Race had left. It was replaced by a despair utterly devoid of hope. At this point, no one clung to any illusions. Even the Celestial Wolf Ancestor, who had just survived one calamity and achieved a breakthrough, had returned to the ground. He was panting heavily, his eyes were clouded, and he showed none of the glorious splendor befitting his new True Body Realm.

’He’d successfully broken through to the True Body Realm and should have been radiating magnificent power. This was supposed to be the day of his longevity banquet. But now, because some unknown powerhouse had triggered a Thunder Tribulation, his entire legacy was on the verge of annihilation.’

’It was hard to fathom why his destiny was so cruel. In the great unseen, what terrifying figure had he possibly offended to invite such a calamity?’

’He had already given his all. He’d even managed to help Celestial Wolf City weather the previous wave. But now... now the tribulation’s power had surged to a point where not even sacrificing his own life would be enough to quell it.’

’Celestial Wolf City can’t be saved. My own fate is sealed. I could have run, but I sensed the chance for a breakthrough within the tribulation and chose to stay and gamble. I knew if I didn’t take this chance, another like it would never come again. A Thunder Tribulation isn’t something I can summon at will—I wouldn’t even dare to try.’

’And the result? I broke through, but I’m not going to survive. I have to face this tribulation’s judgment, and no one can save me. There will be no one left to protect Celestial Wolf City. What a shame. I finally reached the True Body Realm, but I haven’t gotten to feel an ounce of the dignity and pride that should come with it.’

He felt lost. As death approached, countless memories and emotions flooded his mind. But just then, everything changed. High in the pitch-black firmament, where only tendrils of Thunder slithered, a surging, spiritual radiance suddenly swept forth. It was as if a being of unimaginable power had been born. The faintest glimmer of its afterglow was enough to shelter all of Celestial Wolf City. The reason was simple: the entire Thunder Tribulation had been drawn away, mesmerized by the source of that snow-white light!

It was the purest white light in the world, a glorious radiance that rivaled the Thunder itself. It was as if a Divine Spirit had descended from the heavens. Boundless Heaven and Earth Spirit Charm was pulled toward it, rushing in that direction as if to offer its aid.

In that moment, the Celestial Wolf Ancestor’s heart hammered in his chest. He collapsed to his knees in a direct display of submission. This was not merely submission born from an overwhelming difference in power, but also submission born of salvation. His very bloodline yielded.

Before the eyes of all, the True Form of a Nine-tailed Fox flickered into existence at the very heart of the Thunder Tribulation. Now visible, now indistinct, she exuded the pride and sanctity of a Celestial Spirit. It seemed nothing could possibly defile her; not even the Thunder Tribulation itself could defeat her.

She simply endured the Thunder Tribulation as her True Form was forged. Like a flawless piece of uncarved White Jade, she was ceaselessly refined. Under the tempering of the tribulation, she developed a majestic, divine might that struck fear into all living things.

The Thunder Tribulation that should have annihilated her became the perfect material to forge her body. The very same Thunder—a single strike of which would have been enough to kill the Celestial Wolf Ancestor—descended in countless bolts upon the Nine-tailed Fox’s True Form. Rather than harming her, it caused her to erupt in brilliant light. An impossibly powerful aura swept over a vast area, compelling every living creature to kneel in her direction.

The Nine-tailed Fox endured the boundless Thunder Tribulation and saved every living soul. The scene was more vivid than anything they had ever witnessed and would be forever seared into their minds. For millennia to come, it would be passed down through their bloodlines, ensuring all their descendants would know that one of their ancestors had been spared from death by a Nine-tailed Fox God.

Whether she was a god no longer mattered. At this moment, the Nine-tailed Fox *was* a true god. Her True Form was a pillar between heaven and earth. Even the Celestial Wolf Ancestor, who had displayed such might just moments before, would be shamed to stand in her presence; he likely couldn’t even compare to her smallest toe. *This* was a being that could truly prop up the heavens, a being that could glare defiantly at the firmament itself.

In both aura and presence, the Nine-tailed Fox was enough to command the submission of all creation. When heaven and earth were plunged into darkness, she alone was a radiant beacon of light!

Just like that, the image of the Nine-tailed Fox was burned into the memory of everyone in Celestial Wolf City, and indeed, all the countless members of the Demon Race who witnessed it. A corresponding instinct for submission was etched into their very bloodlines. The heavens themselves, unable to destroy this divine being, began to retreat. With a sweep of her tails, the Nine-tailed Fox dispersed the dark clouds, allowing daylight to once again grace the world.

In her final moments, just before she vanished, the Nine-tailed Fox gazed down from afar, her eyes sweeping over all living things. Her voice, ethereal and great, echoed as if from antiquity itself, like a divine oracle: "Celestial Wolf City... My name is Nine-tailed."

Her voice descended like the tolling of a great bronze bell. Countless Demon Race Ancestors prostrated themselves. Even the Celestial Wolf Ancestor, a master of the True Body Realm, remained on his knees in worship—pious, solemn, fervent, and full of adoration.

His mind was completely filled with the majestic image of the Nine-tailed Fox!