Chapter 2289: Isolation Tribulation

Cyril slowly thrust the black and white spear into the fracture in the sky. The spear pierced in further, causing the web-like fractures in the sky to grow larger and larger. Inside these fractures was an expanse of dark chaos and void.

An aura of destruction and grief swept through heaven and earth.

The members of the Heaven Crushing Sect finally recovered from the Origin Tribulation, and they continued to funnel their power into the Heaven Crushing Spell Formation.

The Ancient Dragon Empress looked up at the two powerful Heavenly Disciples in the sky, and she discovered that there was genuinely nothing she could do to help. Even during the Origin Tribulation, she had only barely maintained her composure and not fallen to her knees. However, her Dao had already been severely damaged, and even her mind had started to waver.

She was clearly a Heavenly Disciple as well, so why was the gulf between them so great…?

As a Heavenly Disciple, what was her significance?

The Ancient Dragon Empress felt extremely vexed and defeated. However, she continued to tirelessly pour her Heaven Crushing Power into the Heaven Crushing Spell Formation. Crushing the heavens wasn't for herself, but rather for the beings of the entire world! She had to persist!

Chen Chen looked toward the fractures in the sky. At this moment, a dark matter suddenly enveloped the sky. Immediately afterward, it enveloped the land and then the void.

His vision became black.

Chen Chen was extremely alert, and he murmured, "Is this… some sort of energy attack?

"No, this isn't an energy attack!"

Chen Chen immediately ruled out his own speculation.

If this were an energy attack, he would have been able to instantly shatter it, regardless of how powerful it was.

"Changes and experiences in my own world… This is actually a true experience?" Chen Chen looked around, yet he didn't discover any signs of illusions or trickery.

Immediately afterward, countless stars and planets materialized before him. He existed amid these stars, and what he saw was a breathtaking and magnificent sight.

However, Chen Chen naturally understood that the Heavenly Dao hadn't dragged him here to enjoy the scenery.

"Such grand efforts. By the looks of it, this tribulation is only targeted at me and me alone. It's not a large-scale tribulation. Anyhow, targeting me first? I guess so… After all, one should capture the ringleader in order to capture their followers…" Chen Chen chuckled as he said this. He then calmly observed the stars and planets before him.

What was his first feeling upon seeing these dazzling celestial bodies?

It was naturally astonishment and awe. He couldn't help but admire the natural wonders of the universe.

Moreover, Chen Chen knew that this sight was real.

He was indeed standing in the center of the universe. As he gazed at the boundless celestial bodies, his senses were greatly aroused and stimulated.

Right now, it could be said that he was greatly enjoying these scenes.

He was like the ruler of the universe as he peered at the countless stars.

Chen Chen enjoyed this scene for a day, and then for a month. Gradually, however, the dazzling celestial bodies before him didn't appear magnificent and enjoyable anymore. Instead, they appeared a little… dull and boring?

Indeed, they were a little dull and boring.

The celestial bodies were unchanging. Even though the planets were orbiting, and even though the galaxies were transforming, Chen Chen still felt that the scene before him was starting to become monotonous and boring.

Regarding his initial feelings of astonishment and awe, these had already disappeared long ago. Becoming accustomed to something was sometimes a terrifying notion.

Chen Chen understood that this wasn't what the Heavenly Dao wanted him to experience.

One year passed, ten years passed, one hundred years passed…

Chen Chen didn't have anyone to talk to, nor did he have anyone to accompany him. He could only gaze at the universe before him, not eating, not sleeping, and not being able to do anything else. He could only continue to gaze forward.

Is this the feeling of being the ruler of the universe? So incredibly boring…

Chen Chen chuckled as this thought flashed through his mind. He understood what the fourth tribulation of the Nine Tribulations of the Heavenly Dao was.

It was the Isolation Tribulation.

This was a tribulation that would make Chen Chen experience profound loneliness.

In fact, this was something that one would have to experience if they were to become the Supreme Heavenly Dao.

Chen Chen understood that loneliness could make one go insane.

If one forced a mortal human to stay inside an unchanging room for several days with nothing to do and no one to talk to, they would definitely go crazy in no time.

Right now, this expanse of dazzling universe was like an unchanging room for Chen Chen.

However, it was a slightly bigger room.

A very long time passed.

Ten thousand years, twenty thousand years, one hundred thousand years, one million years…

Chen Chen felt like the surrounding stars had already become background decorations.

Even the explosion of stars, the feasting of black holes, and the contortion and implosion of galaxies were unable to evoke any emotion from him.

Was this boring?

Yes, it was incredibly boring.

Was he bored?

Yes, he was insanely bored!

In fact, Chen Chen was already starting to experience a sense of confusion. He was slightly confused about who he was, where he was, and what he was living for.

Regardless of how powerful one's mind was, they would still find it immeasurably difficult to endure eons of loneliness.

This was especially the case if this loneliness lasted for hundreds of millions of years or even billions of years…

Chen Chen even witnessed the entire lifecycle of a planet, from its birth to its death.

However, his mind didn't waver a single bit. In fact, he felt like taking a nap.

However, he didn't sleep. Instead, he continued to experience this loneliness.

To say nothing of ordinary cultivators, even Dao Integration Stage super-mighty beings and God of Creation Stage divine beings might experience mental collapse if they were subject to such boundless and infinite loneliness.

This loneliness wasn't something that ordinary lifeforms should have to experience or endure.

After all, one had to realize that the lifespan of Return to Void Stage mighty beings was only one million years. Although Dao Integration Stage super-mighty beings could possess a near-infinite lifespan, the existence of destiny and tribulations meant that the average lifespan for such super-mighty beings was only around one hundred million years.

However, how long had Chen Chen gazed at the starry universe for?

Ten billion years? One hundred billion years?

It was far too long, and even Chen Chen couldn't remember clearly.

However, Chen Chen had an intuition that if he didn't defeat this tribulation, he would be trapped in this starry universe forever. If that were to happen, would it be any different from death?

Of course it would! Such a punishment would be billions of times more torturous than death!

One wouldn't be able to understand the harrowing nature of such boundless loneliness unless they experienced it themselves.

Chen Chen's loneliness continued, and it was already unclear how long had passed.

"What should I do?" Chen Chen suddenly asked in a hoarse voice as he gazed at the endless universe.

"Who am I…?"

Chen Chen raised his hands before his eyes.

"Oh… that's right… I'm called Chen Chen…

"Chen Chen… Chen…

"That's right, I'm dust…"

Chen Chen's dazed eyes gradually regained brightness and clarity.

"I'm as minuscule as dust, completely unremarkable in the boundless universe… However, as dust drifts through the universe, it can endure billions of years of time but still remain unbreaking. Is this not a reflection of its greatness?

"Even dust and dirt can contain a universe within them…

"Being minuscule but not being inferior.

"Being lonely but still maintaining one's Dao."

As if receiving a baptism of knowledge, Chen Chen's pitch-black eyes became increasingly bright and limpid. The billions of celestial bodies that were reflected in his eyes became clearer than ever before.

"If this is the consequence of guarding my own Dao…

"Then I'm willing to face it.

"I was but a particle of dust to begin with."

Standing in the center of the Realm of Stars, Chen Chen spread his arms toward the billions of celestial bodies.

His body started to gradually fade as if it were truly transforming into a particle of dust that was about to fuse into the boundless universe. This was a particle of dust so small that it didn't reflect his figure anymore.

Chen Chen's vision spun.

The universe before him gradually disappeared.

He then reappeared in the sky above the Heaven Crushing Glazed Palace.

The members of the Heaven Crushing Sect all felt as if they had been locked inside a dark room for a short while. Even Cyril had the same feeling.

However, only Chen Chen's expression had become mature and aged with vicissitudes.

Cyril was slightly worried upon seeing Chen Chen's expression. He knew that it was definitely Chen Chen who had defeated this tribulation.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Cyril couldn't help but ask.

Chen Chen smiled and shook his head. His limpid eyes then gazed up at the expanding fractures in the sky, and he said, "I'm fine. Nothing happened."

1. In Chinese, the second "Chen" in Chen Chen literally means dust/dirt.