The members of the imperial court and Shi Xiong were not targeted by the lightning but the very aura of the lightning made their breathing hard.

The imperial palace was surrounded by a sea. Other than this, the first zone of imperial capital also consists of spirit stone mines, medicine garden, alchemy chamber, guest house, etc.

As soon as the barrier broke, the very aura of the Dao Ancestor realm from Tribulation lightning annihilated most of the first zone.

Thousands of imperial guards and members of the imperial family died because they couldn't stop the aura of lightning from invading their bodies. They died even though the tribulation lightning didn't target them!

Even before the barrier broke, Lin Li has fallen to her knees because of the aura of tribulation lightning. She was lucky that the violet bead made a cocoon around her and her son thus protecting them.

Others were not so lucky. Before the barrier broke they were barely keeping themselves alive. After the barrier broke, just the aura of lightning was creating destruction in their bodies.

Only Shi Xiong and few others who were at Divine Manifestation stage, or those who have a treasure of Divine Manifestation stage were able to save themselves from dying. They knew if the lightning targeted them they would have no chance of survival.

How can they fare against the Celestial Lightning when even Lady Wang Xixi didn't last one second!

Shi Xiong was having a hard time believing the changes. Yesterday, his grandson suffered an unspeakable tragedy. His grandson was targeted by the beasts in the second zone for making love! Dozens of beasts made love with his grandson in front of thousands of people! Shi Xiong believed nothing could be worst then that.

But then half an hour ago, Skyrise Emperor was about to agree on Ying Xiu's request to have Shi Xiong's grandson to be used as an experiment specimen! The fate of an experiment specimen was far worse than death. He felt that was the worst thing. Worse than the tragedy his grandson suffered under the claws of beasts!

Just as he thought his grandson's fate is sealed, the Heavens intervened by sending the Celestial Lightning. For a moment, he was even pleased thinking that the Skyrise Emperor would be so busy that he won't spare any attention to his grandson.

He couldn't even rejoice in the thought as soon as the aura of lightning arrived inside the barrier. It made his body tremble in pain! That was when the barrier successfully shielded them from the strange lightning!

After the barrier broke the true hell began for him and others. The tribulation lightning didn't target him and others but yet their bodies were full of injuries. Many of their bodies were as black as charcoal.

Shi Xiong felt nothing could be worse than this. He realized that the Heavens were showing him that there could always be a worse thing. His idea of worse has been expanded in the last twenty-four hours!

"Perhaps the real tragedy has just begun. Our Empire would be on deathbed even if we survive the slaughter of Heavens," Shi Xiong told himself.

Skyrise Empire is one of the strongest Empire in the Endless Continent but in future, they would have to clutch for straws for saving themselves.

"I guess Lin Li and her son are dead as well unless they have a Divine Manifestation stage treasure," Shi Xiong bitterly thought. Lin Li was her best friend's daughter so he didn't want her to die.

"Haah. I can barely save myself much less them. I should think if escaping from here. If a stray lightning hits me I would be dead," Shi Xiong ran in his full speed towards the exit of the first zone. Due to the intervention of the Heavenly Laws the cultivators were not able to use any form of spatial magic which included flying and teleportation.

Aaaahhhhhh!

Shi Xiong was running on the sea surface when he heard a heart-piercing shriek from behind in the imperial palace island. He was shocked because most of the weak cultivators were already dead. Only people who have Divine Manifestation stage and above powers or treasures survived.

Due to the lightning tribulation, Shi Xiong and many 'weaker' stage cultivators were not able to use their Divine Sense or Divine Perception. Even then Shi Xiong knew who the shriek belonged to. How could he not know the voice of Ying Xiu! The bastard who tried to make his son as an experiment specimen!

Shi Xiong was surprised by the shriek as the lightning only attacked Skyrise Emperor, Blood Witch, and Wang Xixi. Ying Xiu is a Divine King stage cultivator! He was stronger than Shi Xiong but yet he was screaming! The tribulation wasn't attacking him so why was he screaming?

Shi Xiong turned back and saw a horrifying scene. The Blood Witch originally didn't have any skin on her body. Her internal organs very initially visible but now at a rate visible to mortal eyes...she was forming a skin.

The horrifying part was she is absorbing the flesh and blood of Ying Xiu and other cultivators who haven't left the ruins of the imperial palace.

"How dare you, dirty whore! I am the prime minister of this Empire! I command you to stop"

Ying Xiu has a hard time believing that this bitch dared to attack him. He is the prime minister of Skyrise Empire! He has control over millions of lives and now his body was withering all due to this ugly whore!

The Blood Witch was able to fend off the first lightning attack on her. But she knew she couldn't survive this tribulation in her current state. She needed more power.

"Dare? I even dare to make your Emperor as my slave and you ask how I dare? Instead, you dare to command me? " Blood Witch said with a laugh.

She finds it funny people with high status think that she would give them face. What is the use of high position if you are weak. In life and death crisis which idiot would talk about status?

She knew the world was full of idiots, who were so drunk in their little power, that they thought themselves as the king of the world.

Originally, she didn't plan to absorb anyone besides the 'saplings' she chose. Absorbing the energy from a different source who doesn't share the same origin is akin to drinking poison.

From the last million year, she only absorbed the young saplings in whom she has implanted her soul strands as seed. With the passing of time, the soul strands would grow into a tree controlling the 'sapling'. This process was extremely slow but it resulted in her target having the same source as her. Plus she only used people who shared the bloodline of Skyrise Empire which was compatible with her.

Such practice made it sure that absorbing them didn't result in any hidden injuries or accumulation of poison. It resulted in a stable foundation.

But now she was facing the worst threat she has ever faced. She didn't feel such crisis when she faced Demon Extermination a million year ago. Due to the attack of grey matter, she was forced to discard her body and a part of the soul.

The current crisis was even worst. It was an attack by the Laws of Heavens!

Absorbing people who didn't share the same source was truly drinking poison but at the very least she would be able to face the tribulation

Satisfying thirst by drinking poison! Both paths resulted in death! One would give an instant death and the other would give a slow death.

She wanted to live a little longer even if it gave her a horrifying death! She casted a giant blood vortex towards the sky as if in defiance to the Heavens.

"I don't want to die!"