Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San-Chapter 750: Can a Tribulation Be Bribed?

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor was on the summit of the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain—a mountain now noticeably shorter, with as much as a third of its mass gone for good.

His expression was extremely grim, even somewhat pale, but deep in his eyes, there was a hint of relief.

Mei Gongzi stood beside the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, her heart filled with anxiety. She had no idea what condition Tang San was in, but she was certain of one thing—Tang San was still alive.

Now that the tribulation clouds had dispersed, did this mean Tang San had successfully overcome the tribulation? She was desperate to fly to his side and check on him.

The reason she was so sure that Tang San was still alive was the connection between them through the Asura Sword. Tang San could sense Mei Gongzi through the sword, and she, in turn, could sense that Tang San’s aura was still present.

This was also why Tang San had no qualms about leaving Mei Gongzi by the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor’s side. Mei Gongzi had played a crucial role in breaking through the Spacetime Lighthouse’s spatial folds. With this merit, and the fact that the tribulation process revealed the Crystal Demon Emperor but not the appearance of Tang San himself, and did not involve Mei Gongzi in any way, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had no reason to suspect any connection between them. Besides, the White Tiger Demon Emperor and the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor were both closely watching.

Most importantly, at this moment, the most pressing matter for the Emperors was to discuss what had just happened. The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had some explanation to give; who would care about something as minor as Mei Gongzi's evaluation?

One by one, figures descended from the sky, landing on the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain. Each of them bore a solemn expression.

Although the emotions of the Emperors varied, they all shared a common feeling— a sense of crisis. The terrifying tribulation they had just witnessed had truly frightened them.

They all sensed that this tribulation was targeted at someone who hadn’t yet reached godhood—it was a tribulation meant for ascension. Yet the destructive power within that tribulation was so intense that it could even harm the essence of these Emperors; even they could not face it directly. This was terrifying. And such power had been directed at the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain. Who could believe that the one undergoing the tribulation had nothing to do with the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor?

Seeing the Emperors descend, Mei Gongzi quietly moved to the side of the White Tiger Demon Emperor.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor glanced at her, nodding slightly, indicating that she should stay behind him.

Mei Gongzi exhaled softly, feeling a sense of relief as the tension and anxiety that had been gnawing at her heart began to dissipate, replaced by a strong sense that the world was not what she used to think it was.

She had always regarded Tang San as a sort of encyclopedia, someone who had brought her countless strange and novel experiences. Yet today, he had once again shattered her understanding. This man had managed to manipulate a dozen Emperors as if they were stupid children, successfully overcoming a tribulation under their watchful eyes and then disappearing without a trace. It was nothing short of a miracle!

Since she could sense the cold, questioning, and serious gazes of the Emperors, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor would naturally not miss them.

There was no doubt that, for the other Emperors, the primary concern was the damage the tribulation had done to their essence. But even though it would take years, maybe decades to recover, they could recover. The Celestial Fox clan, on the other hand, had no such hopes. Half a millennium of accumulated luck had just vanished, returning to the plane. This was not just the purely personal cultivation of the Celestial Fox Emperor; it was the fruit of the entire clan’s efforts under his guidance. The loss was indescribable.

"I think it’s about time you explain what’s going on," the Sunborne Nymph Emperor said in a deep voice.

In terms of cultivation, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor and the Undying Demon Emperor were the most powerful among the Emperors present. If they started to question him, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had no choice but to be honest. At this point, if he didn't reveal something, he wouldn't be able to get away with it. After all, this concerned the safety of the entire Ancestral Court.

He replied bitterly, "If I told you I wasn't entirely sure what happened, you probably wouldn't believe me. So, let me tell you what I do know.

"You all know that our clan controls the flow of fortune and has been gathering it for the Ancestral Court, bringing prosperity to the entire Daemon Continent and benefiting every race within the Empyrean Dominion and the Solstice Empire. The Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain is the core of this fortune, anchoring the Ancestral Court and allowing demons and nymphs to flourish, becoming the rulers of this planet. That is why, beyond the Daemon Continent, there are no Emperors.

"To gather this fortune, our clan has paid a great price. In any plane, fortune has two sides: luck and misfortune. Since most luck has been drawn to our Daemon Continent, the corresponding misfortune must go somewhere. Some of it spreads across the rest of the planet, so while demons and nymphs enjoy prosperity, other races often face the trials of misfortune. However, we couldn't just spread all the misfortune to the outside, or our luck would also dissipate. So we kept some of the misfortune sealed beneath the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain to attract luck. To prevent this misfortune from causing harm, our Celestial Fox Clan has isolated it in a small separate plane. That small plane is what you all know as the Hell Garden."

The Earthshade Nymph Emperor furrowed her brow and said, "These things are all recorded in the history of the Ancestral Court; we're well aware. What we're asking is what happened just now."

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor nodded and said, "I said that just so you know where I’m coming from. The Hell Garden requires regular sacrifices to seal the misfortune, which is why the Ancestral Court's Great Beast Fighting Arena's life-and-death battles are held there. It appears to me that someone with ulterior motives used these battles to infiltrate the Hell Garden and forcibly undergo a tribulation there. The reason such a powerful tribulation was drawn is that this individual... has created a transcendent bloodline."

Upon hearing the term "transcendent bloodline," the expressions of the Emperors present changed.

As Emperors, they were well aware of what a transcendent bloodline represented—the term "transcendent" referred to transcending the confines of this very plane. In that moment, they understood why the tribulation had been so terrifying and violent: it was the plane trying to destroy something that surpassed its limits!

They had been eyeing the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor with accusatory gazes, but at that moment, they relaxed slightly.

The Sunborne Nymph Emperor drew a deep breath, then asked the question that was on everybody’s mind: "Do you know which bloodline it was that became transcendent?"

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor replied gravely, "I only have a general idea; there were many complex bloodline changes. The person undergoing the tribulation actually manifested multiple bloodline auras, which could either be inherent to them or something specially gathered for this tribulation. The attributes I sensed included time, space, immortality, and berserk rage, among others."

The Undying Demon Emperor narrowed his eyes. "By 'immortality' do you mean... my clan’s undying trait?"

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor confirmed, "Indeed. At one point during the tribulation, they used the Nirvana Rebirth ability; otherwise, they would have been obliterated by the lightning long ago."

The Undying Demon Emperor remarked incredulously, "But even with my clan's power, how could they possibly withstand that without being a god? I know I couldn’t do that myself when I was at that level; hell, I’m not sure I could do that now!"

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's expression grew even grimmer, and he nodded. "That's exactly why they chose the Hell Garden. They took advantage of the fortune my clan had accumulated for the Ancestral Court over the years. When the tribulation descended, they used this fortune as a shield, allowing it to disperse and return to the plane. This basically amounts to bribing the tribulation, slowing down the lightning and enabling them to withstand it."

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The White Tiger Demon Emperor’s jaw dropped. "Did you just say they... bribed a heavenly tribulation?"