The Legend of the Princess' Counterattack

Chapter 857: Breakthrough of the Void: The Ten Thousand Tribulations Thunder Pool

Above the Ten Thousand Tribulations Thunder Pond, leaden clouds swirled like ink. Eerie flashes of purple lightning flickered through the clouds, occasionally striking the pool, splashing the sky with lightning. Yun Yao, clad in a pristine white Taoist robe, her long hair dancing wildly in the wind, stood at the edge of the pool, her eyes firm and resolute. The breakthrough to the first level of the Cave Void Realm, "Sanxu," was within reach, yet a subtle sense of unease lingered within her, a feeling that this time, the breakthrough wouldn't be as smooth as before.

Taking a deep breath, Yun Yao resolutely stepped into the Thunder Pool. The moment the water touched her skin, a piercing chill coursed through her meridians and rushed straight to her spiritual core, threatening to freeze her very soul. But she gritted her teeth, activated her cultivation technique, and forcibly suppressed the chill, beginning to guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to converge at her dantian.

The moment Yun Yao stepped into the thunder pool, the nine-fold thunderbolt descended with a roar. The first bolt, carrying a devastating pressure, struck Yun Yao headfirst. She raised her hand and summoned the Void Spirit Jade. A soft white light shot up into the sky, colliding with the thunderbolt with a resounding roar. Amidst the violent explosion, the white light and the lightning canceled each other out, causing Yun Yao's body to stagger slightly, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.

However, this was only the beginning. A second and third thunderbolt followed, each more powerful than the last. Yun Yao relied on her tenacious will and exquisite skills to overcome crisis after crisis. But just when she thought she had successfully weathered the thunderstorm, something unexpected happened. The fourth thunderbolt was laced with wisps of inky black "Inner Demon Thunder."

As the Heart Demon Thunder appeared, Yun Yao's consciousness instantly fell into chaos. The scene before her began to distort and warp, and she found herself in an unfamiliar place. A thick, bloody smell filled the air. Chu Mochen lay bloodied at her feet, and in her hand, she clutched a blood-stained sword.

"No!" Yun Yao screamed miserably, the sword in her hand clanging to the ground. Tears welled up uncontrollably, and she rushed to Chu Mochen, wanting to help him up, only to find that his body gradually became transparent, finally transforming into tiny specks of starlight that dissipated into the air.

"This is fake, this must be fake!" Yun Yao kept telling herself, forcing her mind to concentrate and activate the "Heart Sword Enlightenment" technique. A dazzling sword light shone in her sea of consciousness, shattering the despairing illusion.

But before Yun Yao could breathe a sigh of relief, the shadowy figure of the Tiandao Pavilion Master suddenly appeared in the center of the thunder pool. The Pavilion Master, dressed in a dark robe, had a stern expression, and a hint of mockery and disdain in his eyes. "Yun Yao, if you don't join the Tiandao Pavilion, Chu Mochen's true identity will remain a mystery forever. Do you think you can escape the will of Heaven?"

Yun Yao glared at him and shouted, "I don't believe in any arrangement by Heaven! I will personally investigate Chu Mochen's identity. Even if it means becoming the enemy of Heaven, I will do it!"

The Pavilion Master sneered, and the power of the thunderbolt instantly increased several times. A fifth bolt of lightning, wrapped in boundless destructive force, descended upon Yun Yao. Yun Yao knew this was a life-or-death battle, and there was no room for retreat. She mobilized her spiritual energy, unleashing the full power of her Chaos Dao foundation. A black and white spiritual energy enveloped her, forming a solid protective shield.

Thunder struck the shield fiercely, shaking it violently and cracking it. Yun Yao felt as if her internal organs were shattered, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. But she persevered, continuously injecting spiritual energy into the shield to repair it. Just as the shield was about to shatter, Yun Yao suddenly realized the true meaning of the "space folding" magical power.

Yun Yao quickly formed seals with her hands, folding the space around her, skillfully diverting the force of the thunderbolt. The originally powerful thunderbolt was greatly weakened after the space was folded. In this way, Yun Yao miraculously withstood the fifth thunderbolt.

The sixth and seventh thunderbolts were equally powerful, but Yun Yao, relying on her initial mastery of the "Space Folding" ability and the strength of her Chaos Dao foundation, managed to get through them without any danger. However, the final two thunderbolts of the thunder tribulation were the true test.

When the eighth thunderbolt struck, the entire world seemed to be plunged into darkness. This thunderbolt contained the wrath of the heavens, as if it would completely obliterate Yun Yao. Yun Yao felt unprecedented pressure, knowing that if she could not devise a countermeasure, she would surely perish under this thunderbolt.

At this critical moment, Yun Yao suddenly recalled every moment she had spent with Chu Mochen. His deep affection for her, the hardships they had endured together, all surfaced in her mind. A powerful conviction rose within her, and she refused to believe she would stop there.

"My fate is in my own hands!" Yun Yao roared, mobilizing all of her spiritual energy to resonate with the foundation of the Chaos Dao. A powerful aura erupted around her, and the black and white spiritual energy merged into a massive chaotic vortex.

Thunder descended, colliding with the chaotic vortex with a resounding roar. For a moment, the world was ablaze with light, and the roar was deafening. Yun Yao struggled to hold on within the vortex, her hair singed by the thunder's force, her robe tattered, but her gaze remained resolute.

Finally, under Yun Yao's tenacious resistance, the eighth thunderbolt was completely defeated. But before she could even catch her breath, the ninth thunderbolt, also the most terrifying of all, descended upon the world with a mighty pressure that could split the world.

This celestial thunder contained not only the wrath of Heaven but also the power of countless inner demons. Yun Yao's sea of consciousness was once again assaulted, and visions of her past were constantly emerging, filled with painful memories of her past life and fears of the future. But this time, Yun Yao remained undeterred. She protected her sea of consciousness with her "Heart Sword Clearness" while fully energizing her Chaos Dao Foundation, preparing for this final blow.

The moment the thunder struck, Yun Yao unleashed the full force of her Chaos Dao Foundation, simultaneously unleashing her newly acquired "Space Folding" ability to fold and weaken the thunder's power layer by layer. However, even with this, the residual force of the thunder still left Yun Yao severely injured and falling to the ground.

Just when Yun Yao thought she was doomed, a mysterious force suddenly erupted from her Primordial Chaos Dao Foundation. This force countered the force of the Heavenly Thunder, ultimately dispelling it completely. Under the influence of this force, Yun Yao's Dao Foundation solidified into a rare "Primordial Chaos Dao Foundation."

After the thunderstorm, Yun Yao slowly stood up. Feeling the surging power within her, she knew she had successfully broken through to the first level of the Void Realm, "Sanxu." However, the joy of this breakthrough was short-lived. Recalling the words of the Tiandao Pavilion Master, she became even more curious about Chu Mochen's identity and even more wary of the Tiandao Pavilion's conspiracy.

"Chu Mochen, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, I will face them with you. We will uncover the truth and defy the will of Heaven!" Yun Yao gazed into the distance with a determined gaze, silently vowing in her heart. She knew that this breakthrough was only a new starting point in her long journey of cultivation, and greater challenges awaited her and Chu Mochen.