The tribulation cloud was still thick, churning ominously as monsters made of lightning continued to pour out.
The TPP was still absorbing them, significantly reducing the burden on Klaus. The Void Piercing Needles were efficiently killing the monsters both in the air and on the ground, causing streams of tribulation runes to flow into his body like a waterfall.
His body was absorbing so many tribulation runes that his second qi sea started surging with energy, forming faster than before. It was being filled with so much energy that the core was developing more rapidly than Klaus had ever anticipated.
He wasn't concerned about how quickly the second Paragon Star diagram was forming the core; his concern lay in how fast the space inside his Tribulation Prison was filling up.
Klaus said to the senior.
[This is a tribulation for an ascendant, without a doubt. The number of monsters emerging will only increase as time passes. However, since you've begun forming the second Star Core, once it is complete, the prison can be further expanded, creating more space for you to capture additional monsters.]
Klaus couldn't see a way forward.
[Then you can divide your soul strength between handling the tribulation and absorbing the runes from the monsters within your soul sea. Of course, you can also let the dragon, which is currently undergoing its upgrade, absorb alongside you.
This way, the more monsters pour in, the more energy you absorb. Once you manage to form the core, you will regain your soul strength, which will be highly beneficial.]
Klaus moved to sit beside Queenie. "I'm going to start cultivating now," he said.
Queenie nodded. She could only nod and observe since there was nothing she could do but sit back and watch Klaus handle everything.
Klaus formed a series of hand seals that had no noticeable effect on the outside. However, internally, inside his soul sea, the monsters trapped within the tribulation prison began bursting into runes that flowed into the second qi sea.
Another stream of runes entered the dragon, now encased in a large cocoon as it was undergoing an upgrade, a transformation that would make it even more powerful.
Externally, the Void Piercing Needles continued their relentless task of killing the monsters for him. His mind was controlling them, making sure his senses stayed sharp now that he had divided his attention.
Ohema and her mother stood watching Klaus with different expressions. Pride was evident on Ohema's face, while shock was written all over her mother's. She was indeed stunned.
Earlier, her mother had asked Ohema how they could move forward, considering that in a few years, living on the moon would no longer be an option. Life was not easy for them, even though they were stronger than the people on Earth.
They had planned to invade Earth and claim it for themselves, but from what Ohema had just shared, that was no longer an option.
When her mother asked again, Ohema simply told her to keep watching Klaus. However, she asked her to observe not as someone who was saving her daughter, but merely as a Grandmaster stage expert facing the tribulation of an Ascendant.
When she did, she understood what Ohema meant. Klaus was defying all logic to an extent that even she, the strongest person on both Earth and the moon, couldn't comprehend.
"If you want our people to have a place to live in the coming years, then you will have to form an alliance with Earth and hope they accept it. Of course, if Klaus manages to save Sister, then it will be simpler for you.
But if you even attempt to use hostile force against them, then I hate to inform you, Mother, you and our people will lose," Ohema said with a calm expression.
At that moment, the heavens roared, and the tribulation clouds grew even more ominous.
"The first stage is over; here comes the second stage," Klaus said, standing up.
He gazed up at the clouds and waited for the second stage to reveal itself.
He didn't have to wait long before something huge emerged from the clouds, instantly filling the tribulation ground with a heavy presence.
Soon, the creature made its full appearance: a 150-meter-long Lightning Leviathan. As its massive body unfurled, Klaus felt his movements being restricted. The heavens were trying to bind him.
"Tsk," Klaus smirked, a small smile appearing on his lips.
Suddenly, a crescent-shaped item materialized and began hovering behind him. His second spirit weapon, the Crescent Arc/disc, had appeared.
It spun behind him, and without wasting any time, the two Void Piercing Needles that had managed to eliminate the remaining monsters zoomed forward, bypassing the TPP and reaching the Leviathan.
The Crescent Arc also moved, and before the Leviathan could get within the range of the TPP, all three weapons pierced through its body, killing it instantly. The runes swirled around and then, like a waterfall, began pouring into Klaus's body.
"Damn, what a bunch of rich tribulation runes. I want more," Klaus shouted, and the heavens responded to his challenge.
From the tribulation clouds, dozens of Leviathans started to appear. Klaus's smile widened. He knew he was in for a feast.
More tribulation runes for him to consume.
The Void-Piercing Needles went to work, as did the Crescent Arc. Klaus's mind was focused on controlling them to strike quicker and more efficiently.
However, not all of the Leviathans were being killed. Some entered the TPP, and immediately, they were transformed into runes, which were then absorbed into the second star core inside his soul sea.
It was forming faster than Klaus had anticipated. The runes he was absorbing now were several times richer in energy than those from his tribulation.
Klaus quickly realized that if he played his cards right, he could form multiple cores before the tribulation ended. He was making progress, albeit slowly.
Time passed, and hundreds of Leviathans continued to emerge from the clouds, but Klaus, who had already cultivated the [Sage Mind] technique to the third stage and the [Unshakable Mind] even further, was hardly exerting any effort in his attacks.
He simply stood in front of Queenie, hands behind his back, controlling the spirit weapons with his mind. Meanwhile, the second Paragon Star Diagram was handling the absorption. It was all going easy for him.
However, to those watching, this was something they never expected. Klaus was just a mere human in their eyes, yet somehow, he was facing the tribulation of an Ascendant with a finesse that suggested he wasn't even concerned with the heavens themselves.
"Naturally, I wouldn't say anything. But how is it possible for a mere Grandmaster stage cultivator to do this? Is there no logic in the world anymore?" Grand Elder Ylthia muttered coldly, her gaze fixed on Klaus, her thoughts not friendly at all.
But for now, she held her tongue, as the tribulation continued.