Initially, Klaus anticipated needing a day to form the 9th core. However, that was before he received the demon core. That cut the time in half, allowing him to start forming the core much faster.
Ten hours later, the core was almost formed, so he stopped and first spoke to Veylor and Queen Lunara.
“No matter what happens, don’t enter the tribulation.” They nodded.
“Now, you can move back further. I will be starting very soon.” Veylor and Queen Lunara moved back, distancing themselves even further.
“Senior, you already know the drill. When needed, expand the tribulation prison.”
[I am ready when you are, brat.]
Klaus smiled, knowing the senior always had his back, regardless of his recklessness. The senior always stepped in to help, almost like a system.
Klaus took the last bite, devouring the final portion of the demon core. The moment it dissolved into his body, his 9th core formed. A wave of energy filled his body as he finally became a half-step Sovereign.
However, the moment his core formed, the message appeared, cutting his happiness short.
[Congratulations on your breakthrough. The Tribulation descends in 5 minutes.]
Klaus sighed and then turned toward the sky, watching as thick clouds began to form. He immediately sensed the danger hidden just below the horizon.
“Looks like they came prepared this time.” He smirked, feeling his body locked onto by something powerful and profound.
[They indeed came prepared this time. This means you’re in deep trouble, brat. However, you’ve also grown stronger, so be prepared for anything.]
“I am a prepared senior. I must become a Sovereign and, if possible, a Transcendent before the awakening.” Klaus didn’t want to jinx it, but he knew not all beings were of the same strength level.
He may have killed a peak Void stage being, but he could not defeat Veylor, who was only at Level 5.
This meant he needed to dominate the Void stage and perhaps be able to kill Chaos stage beings before the awakening arrived.
[Don’t worry. If the tribulation coming is the one I think it is, then you can achieve your dream much faster. Let’s hope for it.]
A few minutes passed, but Klaus remained seated, watching the dark clouds as the red sky turned dark.
The moment the clock hit the 5th minute, the heavens trembled and the clouds parted, creating a path for the first obstacle to arrive.
The Divine Judgment sword appeared from within the clouds, its tip first. The moment it did, lightning started raining down on Klaus, who sat calmly, watching the sword emerge from the clouds.
[As expected, it is the Thunder Domain Tribulation.]
“Indeed. I faced this when I was entering the Chaos stage back in my 4th life. Looks like the next obstacles will come with their own intensity.”
Klaus laughed and then, without even standing up, he summoned the cauldron and made it hover before him.
The Thunder Domain tribulation is a powerful tribulation in which the one undergoing it will face ten obstacles. It usually starts with the Divine Sword of Judgment, which unleashes three powerful attacks.
If Klaus manages to defend against all three and walks out alive, he will be sent to the second level. Currently, he had entered the first, where the Divine Judgment sword appeared with its sharpness.
Then, from the air, the giant sword rose and took a powerful swing, unleashing a 4-meter-tall lion bathed in lightning and fire.
It roared, shaking the air around it, then sped forward like a truck, shooting toward Klaus like a bullet. The speed wasn’t exaggerated. Within seconds, it was a few meters from Klaus.
However, despite this brute heading toward him, he remained seated, only pointing forward with his right hand as the cauldron spun and enlarged, reaching the same size as the lion.
It moved and clashed with the lion, shattering it into tribulation runes. They moved and entered Klaus’s body, making him smile.
‘It’s been a while since I felt this way. Keep ’em coming.’
The Divine Judgment sword took another swing, sending out a powerful sword arc. This time, Klaus reduced the cauldron’s size and ensured the spinning was much faster.
The cauldron was then hurled at the sword arc, clashing in the air, igniting a powerful explosion that sent shockwaves far and wide. It was a rather powerful attack for a tribulation that had just started.
“These bastards are much more serious now,” Klaus said with a chuckle, preparing for the last attack from the sword.
Naturally, the sword was supposed to make another swing. However, what happened next made Klaus finally become aware of the extent to which the heavens would go during this tribulation.
The sword rose into the air, vibrating like a spear before shooting toward Klaus, coating the tip with the divine essence it was made of.
Klaus didn’t expect that, but he knew it was something the heavens could do, having dealt with them for thousands of years.
“Come out.”
Klaus waved his hand, and a spear shot out, traveling through the air quicker than the sword. Within seconds, Klaus controlled the spear, littering the sword with countless holes.
Klaus used his mind, which had now reached a level immortals would be jealous of, to control the spear, making it break the sword before it could even come close to him.
It came close, but was destroyed before it could reach him. After being shattered, the fragments became tribulation runes and entered Klaus’s body.
When they entered, Klaus felt a powerful surge of energy enter his first core, making him wonder what was happening. The sudden burst of energy that entered his body was rather unexpected.
“What was that?” He muttered, sending part of his mind to his soul sea, appearing inside the first core.
When he appeared inside the core, his eyes landed on a towering cocoon, perhaps an egg, transparent but majestic. It was forming.
“Senior.”
[That is a soul egg. It’s what the soul body will be born from.]
“It’s different from the others,” Klaus muttered, staring closely at the cocoon. He had seen Nari and Queen’s soul body formation stages before leaving, so he knew his was different.
[That’s because you practice the Paragon star diagram unlike them. Your path is different.]
“I see. I guess I will remain here and observe.”
On the outside, Klaus’s body was lifted into the air and shot toward the cloud. A second later, he entered the second level, the level of the Thunder Cymbals.