1886 Hannah's Tribulation

Hannah sat in the middle of the island, far enough away from everyone that she could not harm anyone even if she intended to.

She remained seated and took deep breaths as she let her body do the thing. It was time to break through, and so her body knew what needed to be done for that.

Qi surged through her body without her command and slowly elevated her cultivation base step by step until it touched the threshold of Immortality.

It hung on that threshold, not moving back, but not moving further either. It remained there, waiting for Hannah's Intent.

Hannah chose to go beyond, and so her body followed.

Hannah felt a distinctive change in her body, but before she could even fully realize what the change was, she fell into a lull, attacked by the Inner Demon.

Hannah had been ready for this for the longest time. She had gone through every scenario the Inner Demon could use against her, every weakness she had, and tried to deal with the problems and get rid of them.

She hadn't managed to get through all the problems that plagued her heart, but she had prepared for this enough that the Inner Demon could not stop her.

Hannah opened her eyes and looked to the sky as the tribulation cloud began gathering all over the sky.

Alex and the rest looked to the sky, happy that Hannah had overcome her Inner Demon, worried that she now would have to fight against the Tribulation lightning.

Starweaver appeared in Hannah's hands, the thin sword glowing with an outline of white as Hannah prepared her first attack.

The first tribulation lightning bolt fell to the ground at the same time as when Hannah attacked. Her attacks carried with them the power of Immortal Qi, and that easily dealt with the first of the lightning bolts.

Hannah felt the aura from the destroyed lightning bolt gather around her. It went into her, merging with her Qi, improving them, condensing them.

Hannah had been prepared for this. She had been prepared for her Qi to lessen as she went on and become stronger at the same time.

She looked back up at the sky, ready to fight another lightning bolt.

Most people chose to use their regular Qi first and keep the Immortal Qi for the latter lightning bolts, ones that they weren't certain they could beat with their regular Qi.

However, Hannah was strong enough and had enough Immortal Qi that she could go through most of the fight against the tribulation lightning without running out of Immortal Qi.

By the time she did run out, what was left would be refined to the same level her Immortal Qi would be, so there was no point in holding back right now.

As one lightning bolt after another fell from the sky, Hannah fought each one, using mostly Fiery attacks to protect herself.

Second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth.

She destroyed six lightning bolts in total before she even felt like she struggled at all.

"She wants to save her Qi for the later bolts," Bai Jingshen said softly. "She shouldn't be doing that. Get through the 9 bolts first. They are the most important ones."

Liz grabbed the railing of the ship so tightly that it started cracking underneath her strain.

Long Huan quickly grabbed her hands. "It will be alright, Mother-in-law. Your daughter will do just fine, watch."

Hannah's Starweaver weaved through the air, sending out a large, fiery bird that flew up just as the seventh lightning bolt fell from the sky.

The attack and the lightning bolt clashed, sending out ripples of energy and aura in all directions. Bai Jingshen and Scarlet worked to protect them.

"Just 2 more," Long Huan said softly and looked toward the sky. No matter how much of a sturdy front he tried to put, he was still worried about Hannah.

Everyone was.

The eighth lightning bolt fell from the sky and Hannah stopped it with a Bursting Blaze. An explosion of fire lit up the world in fiery light before sunlight took over once again.

Hannah's body looked weak, and she took ragged breaths, but she wasn't hurt at all. Her clothes were fine, not a singe on them.

She stood tall once again and took deep breaths as she felt the Qi inside of her. The Qi had all concentrated to the point where they were indistinguishable from her Immortal Qi.

In fact, it was hard to say if she even had the pseudo Immortal Qi from before, because what she felt right now was all Qi that was ready to take the next step.

The skies crackled with lightning, thunderous booms trying to scare her from fighting back. Simple puffs of water would not be able to stop Hannah today.

A portion of the Qi filled her body, and she used a portion of it on the sword. True Fire Dao filled her once again as she waited for the final of the 9 lightning bolts to fall.

When it did, she struck back.

The explosion immediately sent Hannah kneeling on one knee as the force of the attack tried to break her. But she stopped it from breaking her. She stopped it from winning over her.

She stopped it from defeating her.

In fact, she defeated it.

Hannah stood up, a look of stern resolution apparent on her face. She felt the Qi in her dantian stir, become denser and settle.

She had become an Immortal.

The first 9 lightning bolts were what one had to overcome to become immortal. Her Qi had reached the point at which it could be called a proper Immortal Qi.

Hannah felt a stir in her body as the Body and Soul began to merge. She also felt a stir in her chest, where her Soul Space was beginning to open.

Only they didn't happen.

Just because Hannah had reached the Immortal realm did not mean that she got to keep it. She had to fight for her right to keep her Qi and anything else she gained through it.

She had to fight for her right to keep her status as someone who had stared into the hidden mysteries of the world and taken it into her own control.

It was time to fight the Dao lightning.

Hannah was low on Qi and she couldn't just take a pill in the middle of the battle. Not at this stage without causing more trouble for herself with the Heavens. She had to use what she had left.

'4 more attacks,' Hannah thought and got ready once more, preparing her Qi to fight what was going to come down from the sky next.

Her eyes turned purple, the world in the sky abuzz with brown aura. Aura of Earth Dao. They all began coalescing toward the center-right above her, and she timed the coming of the lightning bolt.

When the first of the Dao Lightning fell, Hannah reacted at the same time, attacking the sky herself.

A fire burned out of her sword, burning with a heat that was hotter than anything she had ever felt before, and it struck the incoming lightning bolt.

The world was filled with red and purple colors once again.