Of course, these 9 tribulations don't count the Heavenly Step tribulations needed to become Higher Existences. But this trial is special for reasons you'll all learn in the future…]
Due to comprehending the Weapon's Master will, Dyon had a chance of facing a War God tribulation every time he crossed a large barrier. So, he couldn't help but wonder what would appear this time.
A crack of thunder tore across the skies. Not long after, the beating of a drum filled the ears of those spectating. The loud, reverberating booms seemed to dictate the beating of billions of hearts, pulling the strings of their emotions as it saw fit.
Dyon's eyes sharpened. Amid the splitting clouds, countless descending feet could be seen. Each was clad in beautiful ethereal royal blue armor.
The more of their figures that appeared, the stronger the beating of the drums became.
Blood rushed through the veins of the spectators. They couldn't decide if they wanted to run for their lives, or if they wanted to run through a brick wall. The mixture of youthful vigor and killing intent balanced a harsh dichotomy that grated on their nerves.
Soon, the endless swarm of warriors appeared in full few.
They could only be described as an army of discipline, power and intimidation. They stood in perfect symmetrical rows, divided by nine weapons types Dyon recognized immediately – the battle ax, the dagger, the spear, the rod, the halberd, the bow, the saber, the glaive, and the sword!
Over the past few months, though they worried about Dyon's safety still, Dyon's wives had been relatively relaxed. They were confident in Dyon's ability to win.
Though they were still confident now as Dyon had never lost before, their worry couldn't help but intensify. After all, Dyon had just left a grueling battle, only to be thrust into a situation where he was forced to face countless millions of warriors alone?
The worst part was that tribulations always scaled to one's talent, didn't that mean that Dyon's tribulation might be the hardest to ever appear?
All of this said… Dyon couldn't have been more relaxed. It wasn't because he looked down on this tribulation, but rather because he realized something very important.
Where did most of Dyon's strength come from? There were three main factors. His soul, his Presence, and his qi's fusion with his vital qi, or the energy of his blood.
What did all three of these things have in common…? None of them were directly related to his qi talent!
In an instant, thousands of beautiful white flowers the over three meters tall appeared in the skies. A moment later, they opened up to reveal countless men completely identical to Dyon!
Dyon's weapon pagoda opened in a flash, equipping each and every one with weapons and armor of the supreme grade.
After resting for so long… Dyon's soul strength was ready to unleash.
Dyon calmly watched as his clones demolished the blue armored army. For an army made up entirely of Lower Dao Formation avatars, there was nothing difficult about the task.
The Mortal Alliance watched in awe. Was a dao tribulation meant to be so easy?
Maybe the Heavens were enraged, but by the time the second tribulation descended, it was almost easier than the first.
Dyon's qi was sealed, and his body's movements were locked in place. Not long afterward, yet another army descended, but the difference this time was that Dyon was given an army of his own as well.
It didn't take a genius to understand that this was yet another War God Tribulation, except this time, Dyon was tasked with taking on the role of Commander.
Unable to use your own prowess, the tribulation was without a doubt meant to be quite difficult. In fact, the War God himself struggled with this trial very much as a man who believed in his own strength first and foremost.
But, the Heavens made one mistake… While his qi was sealed and his body was restricted from movement, there were no such measures taken on his soul at all.
Commanding his troops, Dyon systematically dismantled the opposing army. His attacks and counterattacks were so precise and ferocious that Emperor Pakal could only lower his head in respect. Both he and Lord Odin had already been unwilling to fight back any longer after the first 4 weeks of Dyon's battle with Oshire, but now they found it hard to raise their heads.
Much like the first two War God trials Dyon faced, these two came with rewards of their own.
The War God Avatar trial taught Dyon True Weapon Wills, a path many sought for all of their lives but could never find. Yet, Dyon had grasped the start of not just one, but nine of them.
The War God Heart trial laid the very foundation Dyon used to form his Dao Heart. It may have seemed that the Pride Clan was the sole reason, but the truth was that Dyon had been slowly laying the groundwork for his breakthrough for a long time. In truth, even now, he was still doing exactly that. The secrets of his Dao Heart were a mystery even to him…
Maybe it was quite apropos that Dyon's Dao Heart was just as arrogant as himself.
This aside, this time around, Dyon gained some interesting benefits as well.
His first dao trial, the War God Army trial, gained him an interesting new energy he didn't exactly know how to classify. It was kind of like Presence, but also like a Domain at the same time.
It was only after slaughtering half of the army that Dyon came to realize exactly what it was… It was War God Martial Intent!
When Dyon saw this, he immediately stopped going through the motions of his trial, activating his soul qi halo and basking in the feeling. It would be too late to regret it if he didn't comprehend as much as he could before the tribulation ended.
