GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

Chapter 1687: The Tribulation Has Started.

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Life essence is very rare since there is no more production of it. One can only get it through personal contacts. Tandrake got his from his son. He bought it from Ghoto, who needed the money to buy a secure future for his wife and children in the immortal lands without him.

That is one of the major differences between the father and son. Tandrake never cared for Ghoto and would not have made such a stupid decision, but Ghoto always went the extra length to protect his family.

Now Tandrake has gained something truly invaluable from what he considers the most stupid decision that Ghoto could make. He had to sell all he had, but it was worth it. If anything, Tandrake finally felt that the birth of Ghoto might not be a bad thing after all.

The thought of that brought a smile to Tandrake's lips. He chuckled and said, "I have to become an immortal. If only because of my son. I will help out his family in his absence." He put his affairs in order. Next, Tandrake found a relatively safe place to make the breakthrough. It was a valley between two artificial mountains. It was a quiet and secluded place. Not even shockwaves from distant battles can get to him here.

It is a good place, but he had to pay for it, and it was expensive. The cost didn't discourage him, though. He needs the protection so that he won't be interrupted during his

breakthrough. Besides, if he does, he won't have a need for his wealth anymore.

When he was ready, he stood under the open void naked. He didn't wear anything or equip any artifacts because it would interfere with the tribulation. It is always best to face the

tribulation of the void universe the way one was born, or the tribulation will increase in difficulty exponentially.

Then he invoked the law matrix. It was easy to do. He tried to become one with it, and the law matrix recoiled at his attempt. The recoil led to the agitation of the law matrix and the subsequent creation of a lightning storm.

He looked up at the storm brewing in the void and said solemnly, "The tribulation has started."

The lightning storm is the first stage of the tribulation. It is called the body stage because it tests the strength and integrity of the body of a Sovereign.

The path of perfection rewards immortality only to those who bear no weakness. The body is the first part of one's existence that will be tested for weaknesses.

Tandrake was confident as he gazed at the brewing clouds. As someone who created a concept with lightning, a lightning storm is the least of his concerns.

He thought he was being rightfully confident, but it turned out that he was only overconfident. The lightning used in the tribulation was not normal lightning. It overwhelmed the resistance of his body to lightning immediately.

He was shocked physically and stunned mentally by the situation. His body was charred quickly, so his blue fur disappeared. If not for his body of law, he would have turned to ashes immediately. This realization stunned him further.

Despite the damage to his body, it was his pride and ego that hurt him the most. If not for the pain, he would have remained stunned for much longer. But the pain jarred his mind and awakened him. Even then, he still couldn't move, much less defend himself. The lightning had a grip on his body that prevented him from being able to move.

Fortunately, there was no need to defend himself. The lightning tribulation is just a test. The void universe is not trying to kill him. It will stop the lightning when it is satisfied with the state of his body. Defending with other means will only prolong the inevitable. All he has to do is bear the lightning storm and prove the integrity of his body.

That doesn't mean he can't die. He will surely die if his body is not acceptable. This thought was constantly ringing in Tandrake's mind as the lightning burned away his flesh. What gave him some confidence was the bottle of life essence he had kept aside for use in emergencies.

He has yet to use the life essence, but it is already paying dividends. The boost to Tandrake's confidence didn't let him panic. He bore the pain well until the universe found his body acceptable.

Then the next tribulation started immediately. He didn't know when it started because there were no signs. But he felt the effect soon after. It felt like something other than pain. He felt itching all over this body. It overwhelmed the pain and made him roll over the ground, trying to reach an itch he couldn't scratch.

This is the soul test. The itch is caused by the lightning destroying his soul as well as his body. The lightning from the previous test only destroyed his body. He could heal it because the spiritual aspect of his existence was still intact.

It was like a bucket of water. No matter how much water is taken out of the bucket, the water can be replenished back to its previous form. But if the bucket itself reduces in size, then no matter how much one tries to replenish the water, they will not be able to regain the previous volume.

This is occurring simultaneously with the lightning destroying his body. So not only is he losing his body, he is also losing his soul. He is losing both the water and the bucket.

The way to pass this test is to be very strong in both body and soul. If one has a big bucket and

a lot of water inside it, they wouldn't mind a little reduction in it.

But Tandrake is not going to use this method. He used his divine sense to grab and open the bottle of life essence since he couldn't move his body.