The old Demon Emperor, his body smoking from the second wave of heavenly lightning, felt like cursing upon hearing Xu Mo’s words.
Who would believe him? His Dry Emperor had just conquered the Great Jin, unifying the Eastern and Northern Regions for Da Gan.
Coming to the Western Region at this juncture, how could he not be suspected?
The old Demon Emperor exerted all his might and finally weathered the second wave of heavenly lightning. Xu Mo, meanwhile, watched from the side with a smile.
Seeing this, the old Demon Emperor couldn't help but say, "Thank you for making the trip, Emperor Gan. There’s no need to help with the tribulation. Although I am old, I still have some confidence and many trump cards. I do not fear heavenly lightning!"
He deliberately emphasized the word 'trump cards,' warning Xu Mo not to make any rash moves. Otherwise, even if it meant mutual destruction, he wouldn't let Xu Mo gain any advantage!
"Old Demon Emperor, you misunderstand me. I am truly here to help you through your tribulation this time," Xu Mo said earnestly.
He hadn't expected his sincere offer of assistance to be misunderstood by the old Demon Emperor. It was difficult to do good deeds!
The old Demon Emperor still didn't believe Xu Mo. He deliberately moved further away, his expression extremely vigilant.
"Emperor Gan, outsiders cannot interfere with the tribulation. Although you say you once assisted the Empress of Great Jin, I still wish to overcome this tribulation with my own strength. This is the most in line with the Heavenly Dao!" the old Demon Emperor stated, refusing him decisively.
Rumble!
The thunder rolled, and the third wave of heavenly tribulation began to brew.
Seeing the old Demon Emperor stubbornly refusing to trust him, Xu Mo reluctantly retreated for the time being.
"Very well, when you encounter a tribulation you cannot withstand, I will then offer my assistance."
Being magnanimous, even though the old Demon Emperor doubted him at every turn, Xu Mo still chose to stay and help him through the tribulation, putting aside any past grievances.
Only when Xu Mo had retreated over ten li did the old Demon Emperor gradually lower his guard, but he did not relax.
The heavenly tribulation descended, carrying an aura of utter destruction, and struck the old Demon Emperor directly.
"Roar!" The old Demon Emperor roared towards the sky. A colossal tiger's roar shattered several bolts of lightning, and then he manifested a giant tiger claw, shattering all the heavenly lightning with a single strike.
Xu Mo watched from a distance and nodded, "The old Demon Emperor's strength is quite commendable. With this move alone, he can barely contend with Little Sage."
The drifting bottle floated beside him, also commenting, "This old Demon Emperor likely possesses some divine beast bloodline, which is why his strength is so formidable. If he were to reveal his true demonic beast form, his power would likely increase further."
Divine beast bloodline!?
Xu Mo was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected the old Demon Emperor to have such an origin. He had previously thought he was just an ordinary demon.
Speaking of divine beast bloodlines, Xu Mo thought of the depths of the Endless Sea, where a five-clawed flood dragon, infinitely close to a true dragon, resided.
Decades ago, when he was traveling in the Endless Sea, he had encountered that flood dragon. It was immensely powerful and the king of the sea beasts in the Endless Sea.
"With the Great Desolation descending upon Earth, that flood dragon, hidden in the Endless Sea, should have been the first to discover it. I wonder what it's doing?" Xu Mo mused.
That flood dragon was incredibly powerful. Xu Mo speculated that it might have achieved sainthood long ago. It had simply been lying low in the depths of the Endless Sea, having no contact with the land, thus remaining unknown.
The thunder rumbled, and the old Demon Emperor, having narrowly escaped danger, passed the third wave of heavenly lightning.
"Crack!" The fourth wave of heavenly lightning struck without pause.
This time, the old Demon Emperor did not resist head-on. Instead, he produced a sacred artifact: an oil lamp with a wick burning with a strange blue flame.
The oil lamp floated in the air, and instantly, a burst of blue flames erupted from the wick, covering the entire sky, as if to incinerate the heavens!
The heavenly lightning descended, was immediately enveloped by the blue flames, and was continuously consumed. By the time it struck the old Demon Emperor, its power had been reduced by ninety percent.
With the aid of the sacred artifact, the old Demon Emperor easily passed the fourth wave of heavenly lightning.
Looking at the oil lamp, Xu Mo was somewhat surprised. This sacred artifact seemed even more potent than his Dragon Tooth Cudgel.
Furthermore, it could attack over a wide area, making it a formidable weapon for group combat!
The old Demon Emperor barely managed to survive the fifth wave of heavenly lightning with the help of the oil lamp.
The sixth wave of heavenly tribulation began to brew. The dark clouds thickened, and the heavenly might surged, amplifying the power of the heavenly lightning.
The old Demon Emperor, however, was filled with excitement. He calculated that as long as he survived this final wave of heavenly lightning, he would achieve the Saint realm!
Throughout the tribulation so far, he hadn't even used his true form. This meant that his current tribulation to become a Saint was secure!
However, there was still a variable nearby. He had to guard against Emperor Gan’s sneak attack at a critical moment. Otherwise, all his efforts would be in vain, and he would lose his life.
The old Demon Emperor dared not be careless. Ninety percent of his attention was focused on the heavenly tribulation, while the remaining ten percent was used to remain vigilant against Emperor Gan.
"This heavenly tribulation... it feels like it's nearing its end?" Xu Mo frowned as he looked at the sky.
Could it be that the old Demon Emperor only had six waves of heavenly lightning?
This wouldn't do. If he didn't trigger the seven-wave heavenly lightning, wouldn't his trip be in vain?
"It seems I'll have to intervene at the critical moment," Xu Mo thought to himself.
The sixth wave of heavenly tribulation was even more potent. The old Demon Emperor believed it to be the final wave, so he unleashed almost all his trump cards.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!!" Deafening tiger roars echoed as the old Demon Emperor finally revealed his true form.
A black tiger, dozens of meters tall, stood majestically in the mountains. Its fur was black and crimson, its claws sharp, and its teeth gleamed menacingly, exuding an overwhelming presence!
Lightning rained down like a waterfall, striking the black tiger. The black tiger bared its fangs and roared in pain.
After enduring several waves of lightning, the old Demon Emperor, panting, finally withstood it.
His heart was filled with immense excitement!
For thousands of years, day and night, he had yearned for this day.
He had finally overcome the Saint tribulation and achieved sainthood!
"Awooooo!!" The old Demon Emperor roared towards the sky in exhilaration, his tiger fur bristling with excitement, his tail held high.
And at this very moment, Xu Mo made his move.
"Old Demon Emperor, your heavenly tribulation is not over yet. I shall lend you a hand and help you forge an immaculate foundation!"
Xu Mo took a step forward, instantly appearing above the dark clouds.
The heavenly tribulation had not yet dissipated, and the heavenly might was still present. Sensing the approach of an outsider, the heavenly might immediately became agitated, and countless lightning bolts struck towards Xu Mo.
Xu Mo waved his hand, and a barrier appeared, easily blocking all the heavenly lightning.
"Is this all the heavenly tribulation is? It's not even enough to tickle me," Xu Mo said dismissively!
The heavenly might was provoked. A more powerful heavenly tribulation struck towards Xu Mo, as if intending to annihilate him.
Xu Mo calmly neutralized it, as these lightning bolts were still within the scope of the six-wave heavenly lightning and posed no threat to him.
Seeing that the heavenly tribulation was slow to escalate, he couldn't help but frown and speak towards the sky: "******, ***, ****."
Rumble!!!
The lightning exploded, and the heavenly tribulation was thoroughly enraged. The power of the lightning surged by a whole level.
The seven-wave heavenly lightning began to brew!