Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 835: Successfully Surviving the Tribulation

"Ahhhh! This old man will block it!" Spirit Void Old Ghost bellowed, spinning the Myriad Soul Banner frantically like a whirlwind. Ghostly radiance erupted across the banner's fabric, unleashing thousands of yin souls that surged forward, merging into a towering hundred-zhang ghost phantom right in front of him.

The massive ghost figure bore a bluish face with sharp fangs, clutching a dark soul shield in its grasp, defiantly confronting the lingering power of the thunder pillar.

Yet the Heavenly Dao thunder naturally overwhelmed yin and evil forces. As soon as the thunder pillar struck the soul shield, a crackling burn filled the air.

The enormous ghost phantom let out an agonizing wail as it started to melt away, while the soul shield quickly blackened and crumbled into scattered ashes.

Spirit Void Old Ghost's complexion drained to ashen pallor. He coughed up a hefty spurt of dark blood, waved his sleeve, and released three soul orbs pulsing with thick death aura. They burst in the sky, forming a dense veil of soul fog.

These soul orbs were his vital treasures, nurtured over countless years, each harboring a millennium of ghost strength.

Meant as a secret weapon for realm breakthroughs, he now deployed them merely to weakly cushion the thunder's fury.

The soul fog slammed into the thunder pillar and ignited right away, becoming a vast expanse of ghastly green fire. Still, it endured for only three breaths before the thunder pillar ripped it to shreds.

"Take this too!" A fierce glint flashed in his gaze. He ripped apart his robe with brute force, exposing a savage soul imprint on his torso.

Seals formed in his hands as he slammed them onto it—"Blood Soul Sacrifice!"

His shout triggered a triple surge in the surrounding ghost power. But his ashen locks whitened visibly in moments, and his flesh withered rapidly, drained of all vitality.

This forbidden art consumed one's essence and soul for a short power boost, inflicting lasting Dao wounds.

Harnessing this amplified strength, Spirit Void Old Ghost directed the Myriad Soul Banner to unleash myriad soul filaments, interlacing them into a gigantic soul web to halt the thunder pillar again.

However, the thunder pillar this time tore straight through the soul web, crashing down onto his shoulder with a resounding—"Crack!"

The bone-snapping noise echoed clearly.

Spirit Void Old Ghost's left arm exploded into a gory, twisted ruin under the thunder's impact. Onyx ghost blood mingled with burned flesh chunks, spraying across the area.

His form plummeted to the earth like a broken puppet, stirring up a dust storm.

He fought to rise. His left limb hung useless, and the Myriad Soul Banner dangled slack in his grip, its cloth torn by deep rifts. The yin souls' cries inside weakened to whispers.

That barrage of techniques—from unleashing the Myriad Soul Banner fully, to offering his core soul orbs, to invoking the Blood Soul taboo—exhausted his final aces. Yet they failed to fully repel even the initial heavenly tribulation. Its aftermath alone had crippled him badly.

"No… impossible…" Spirit Void Old Ghost shook uncontrollably. Staring at the roiling thunderclouds above, the ferocity and zeal in his eyes gave way to pure dread. "This is just the first… and ninety-nine follow? Heavens, are you mocking this old man?"

Memories of his life flooded back. Orphaned young, taken in by a ghost cultivator, he had practiced dark methods. True, his victims included despots who tormented the masses, faithless betrayers, and foes hunting him down. He never massacred the blameless without cause.

Was it solely his Ghost Path cultivation that denied him even the right to face the tribulation?

Despair crashed over him like waves. He collapsed onto the dirt, his mangled frame quivering faintly. His once-bulging eyes dulled, a wry grin twisting his lips. "Enough, enough… a lifetime of striving, only to succumb to heavenly tribulation in the end…"

He shut his eyes gradually, bracing for the next bolt of heavenly tribulation, too drained to fight back.

Chen Huaian dabbed the blood from his lips, eyeing the wavering Blue Lotus Sword Domain, his expression grim as a storm.

The mere aftershock of the debut heavenly tribulation had almost demolished the mighty array. With ninety-nine more strikes, ten sword setups wouldn't suffice—nor would a hundred!

He was on the verge of swearing when the sky's thunderclouds halted their tumult.

The gathered Thunder Beast image slowly dissolved. The violet-black clouds withdrew visibly, unveiling the prior bright and blue heavens.

Stranger still, the fierce Heavenly Dao pressure evaporated entirely.

A bridge of rainbow light eased down from the cloud depths.

Forged from vapor and haze, the bridge sparkled with myriad glowing specks, radiating a soft, holy presence—a complete reversal from the earlier thunderous terror.

Spirit Void Old Ghost lay with eyes closed for ages. Rather than the expected doom, a soothing warmth wrapped around him.

Curious, he pried open an eye. Spotting the immortal bridge, he froze solid, jaw dropping wide enough for a fist. He overlooked his shattered arm's agony. "This… what's going on? An immortal bridge? Wasn't it supposed to finish off this old man?"

Chen Huaian stood even more stupefied. He lifted a hand to scrub his eyes, wondering if the tribulation had induced visions. "No way, this Venerable One is doomed! What trick is the Heavens pulling? A smack followed by sweets? That doesn't add up—where'd the ninety-nine tribulations go? How can it bail midway like that?!"

He glanced at the immortal bridge inching toward Spirit Void Old Ghost, then at the flabbergasted elder, his lip spasming.

He sensed… he'd been played for a fool.

Had the sword formation gained its 30% boost, fending off the first heavenly tribulation would've been simple.

Knowing Spirit Void Old Ghost's trial was just that single hit, he'd never have squandered those premium spirit jades.

All that wealth, wasted!

As for Spirit Void Old Ghost, after a daze, he gulped and tentatively reached out his good right hand to graze the bridge's rim—a rush of pristine immortal spiritual energy poured into him. His battered form started mending bit by bit, and the sharp ache in his left arm eased notably.

He snapped his gaze to Chen Huaian, eyes brimming with confusion. "Chen Sword Master… this old man, this… does it signify the tribulation passed?"

Chen Huaian's mouth jerked. "You're asking this Venerable One—who does this Venerable One query? This Venerable One hasn't faced a tribulation… But with the immortal bridge appearing, it probably means success, yeah…"

The bewilderment churning in Chen Huaian's mind rivaled Spirit Void Old Ghost's.

Tu Shan Yue's prior trial had been odd—much ado, scant peril.

Spirit Void Old Ghost's was downright freakish.

For most, tribulation spelled near-certain death. For him? One thunderbolt, and done!

The grand celestial display and Thunder Beast earlier appeared as mere formality, a show for the crowds.

As if proclaiming to Cangyun Realm's denizens: Look! The heavenly tribulation arrived, see?

No claims later it skipped town, alright~

Utterly… half-hearted.

It seemed the Immortal Realm ran low on staff, rather… undiscriminating.

Spirit Void Old Ghost rubbed his head. The gloom had fled his features, supplanted by a spark of realization. "This old man… this old man thinks he gets it! Hahahaha! Maybe because this old man, despite the Ghost Path, stayed true to his heart and touched the Heavenly Dao?"

Chen Huaian: "…"

A ghost cultivator touching the Heavenly Dao?

The absurdest jest ever!

He'd sooner buy that the tribulation overseer was a novice fumbling the task.

Even stranger, the wild Heavenly Dao pressure had fully dissipated.

Meanwhile.

Cangyun Realm, Upper Realm.

"Oops…" Real Person Jade Compassion smacked her brow, eyeing the Cangyun Realm sand table, and poked out her tongue in embarrassment.

"Adjusted only the tribulation's overall might, overlooked tweaking the count of strikes… hehe…"

…