Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 327: Chapter 323: Overcoming Oneself

As the chains tightened, immense Power was exerted on the Divinity Sealing Tower. The small pagoda trembled violently, as if it were about to shatter into pieces.

’If I hadn’t just used the Annihilation Black Wind to temper the Divinity Sealing Tower, I’m afraid I’d be in real danger right now.’

Ning Jiang’s expression was grave. The previous Weapon Difficulty and Sickness Difficulty hadn’t been major problems for him, but this Primordial Spirit Difficulty alone made him feel a sense of danger.

What made him wary was his premonition that the Celestial Tribulation probably wouldn’t end after the Primordial Spirit Difficulty.

The remaining two tribulations would be a matter of life and death!

”Break.”

Ning Jiang activated the Divinity Sealing Tower, sending it crashing violently against the invisible, formless chains, smashing countless of them to dust.

But the Divinity Sealing Tower itself also shook violently, on the verge of being shattered by the chains.

’The third difficulty is over.’

A few moments later, Ning Jiang recalled the Divinity Sealing Tower. The third difficulty had been a close call.

But he didn’t even have a moment to catch his breath.

Suddenly, a vast and mighty sound reached his ears.

DONG!

A soundwave spread out from the sky. It came from a large golden bell, which let out a faint golden soundwave that swept outwards like a circular torrent.

It spread all the way until it washed over Ning Jiang.

’Hmph. No matter how many forms this Celestial Tribulation takes, I will shatter them all with brute force.’

Ning Jiang threw a punch, colliding with the soundwave.

BOOM.

With a massive bang, his body shot backward, flying over a hundred feet away. He even coughed up blood.

This was astonishing!

One must understand, he had not been injured once since the tribulation began, but this time he was. It was easy to imagine just how terrifying the power of this Celestial Tribulation was.

”Kill.”

Even knowing the Celestial Tribulation’s immense power, Ning Jiang knew there was no avoiding it. His only option was to fight back.

BANG BANG BANG BANG—

He threw countless punches. The area descended into utter chaos. The entire sky thundered, surging with light as a sea of Qi Force swept out in all directions.

An unknown amount of time passed.

The soundwaves stopped, and the thunderclouds in the sky above finally began to recede.

”Sect Leader, congratulations! You’ve succeeded.”

Yue Wenfu and the others came forward to congratulate him.

But Ning Jiang stood there, ignoring them completely. He closed his eyes and said slowly, ”The Illusion Difficulty... it really is realistic. The slightest wavering of one’s will, and you’ll be deceived, trapped within.”

”Sect Leader, what are you talking about?”

”Yes, the Celestial Tribulation is over.”

Lin Zhan and Fang Xue said in surprise.

Ning Jiang didn’t speak. He raised his palm and slapped it against his own head.

CRACKLE.

Immense Power descended. His entire head was pulverized, and his body vanished without a trace.

When he opened his eyes again, the thunderclouds still filled the sky, and the great golden bell was still suspended there.

This was the fourth difficulty: the Illusion Difficulty.

Inside the illusion, Ning Jiang had successfully passed the Celestial Tribulation. Everything had felt incredibly real. The method to escape the Illusion Difficulty was also very simple: kill yourself!

But to do so required immense determination and unwavering resolve.

Otherwise, who could be certain whether they were in an illusion or not? If it wasn’t an illusion, wouldn’t a single slap mean killing oneself for real?

Any other Martial Artist would surely not have dared to be as decisive as Ning Jiang.

”Of the Three Calamities and Five Difficulties, the Sect Leader has already passed four. Is the fifth difficulty about to descend as well?”

”The records concerning the fifth difficulty have always been vague and lack detail. What exactly is it?” the group wondered.

Regarding the fifth difficulty, there was only a saying that it existed after the fourth, but as for what it actually was, there were no detailed records.

”The Self Difficulty.”

At that moment, three words slowly escaped Ning Jiang’s lips.

The others didn’t know, but he knew what this difficulty was!

Everything around him gradually darkened. A layer of dark light shrouded down from the thunderclouds, enveloping Ning Jiang within it.

At that moment, no one could see Ning Jiang clearly anymore.

This was also why there were no detailed records of the fifth difficulty. If you couldn’t even see it, how could you know the details?

And more importantly, most of the Martial Artists who had experienced the fifth difficulty had utterly perished!

The Tribulation Crosser dies, and the onlookers can’t see anything. Thus, the fifth difficulty had always been exceptionally mysterious. Some even considered it a trial of certain death.

”The Sect Leader is an unfathomable person. The things he has done have always brought about all sorts of miracles. I believe that even this Celestial Tribulation is no match for him.”

”That’s right. Fortune favors the blessed. The Sect Leader will definitely overcome this tribulation.”

”If even the Sect Leader can’t pass the fifth difficulty, then no one in this world can.”

Yue Wenfu and the others were all cheering for Ning Jiang.

At the center of the dark tribulation, an incomparably piercing divine radiance bloomed. The light was so brilliant and dazzling, it seemed like the first ray of light at the dawn of creation.

Gradually, a human figure condensed at the center of the light.

BOOM!

The moment the figure condensed, it took a single step forward, appeared before Ning Jiang, and threw a punch.

POW.

Ning Jiang threw a punch in return. The two fists collided, and the tremendous sound was like an erupting volcano.

Ning Jiang retreated more than ten steps, and the figure retreated the exact same number—not a single step more or less!

At this moment, the light gradually dissipated, revealing the figure’s face.

It was a man with white clothes and white hair. He was young and impossibly handsome—and he looked exactly like Ning Jiang!

With the two of them standing together, it was impossible to tell which was real and which was fake.

This was the Self Difficulty!

And the nature of this difficulty was also simple, boiling down to four words: Go beyond your limits!

But surpassing oneself was easier said than done.

The copy conjured by the Celestial Tribulation possessed the exact same strength as Ning Jiang. Everything Ning Jiang knew, the copy also knew. Under such circumstances, one could only imagine the difficulty of defeating it.

”No one can stand in my way, not even a copy of myself. I am the one and only!”

Ning Jiang let out a long cry. His white hair flew wildly as he became one with his fist, punching out with surging Thunder Power, like a world-splitting thunderbolt crashing down to annihilate its target.

On the other side, the copy mirrored his every move, throwing the exact same punch.

It was a clash of perfectly matched fists.

DONG.

The most terrifying collision yet occurred.

In this world, defeating a powerful enemy was not so difficult. But defeating oneself? That was as hard as ascending to the heavens.

RUMBLE...

Ning Jiang went completely berserk. His fists blazed with brilliant thunderlight as he instantly unleashed multiple Martial Techniques, pushing their power to the absolute limit to destroy the copy.

The copy showed no weakness, its methods identical to Ning Jiang’s.

SLASH.

Ning Jiang chopped with his arm, using his hand as a sword, and unleashed Long River Sunset.

The copy did the same, slashing down with one hand to counter.

The two retreated in unison, then crashed into each other at the exact same moment, engaging in a fierce battle.