Grim was in a tight spot.

He was in the final step of tribulation. If he decided to face the tribulation, he would be attacked by the water serpents. It would also increase the difficulty of his tribulation.

But, if he decided to run away, all that effort would go in vain.

While he was distracted, a lightning bolt had already made its way. By the time he realized it, it was already.

Bang!

It struck him mercilessly.

He was alive because of his 'earth shield' and 'contract'. However, he was heavily injured.

Water serpents were getting closer every second, and he was heavily injured.

"Now isn't the time for a breakthrough. Life is more important."

He flew away. However, the water serpents were still chasing him.

He used 'dash' and soared away. It increased pressure in his body, and his injuries were getting worse.

He flew toward the lake in the North and reached there quickly.

Once there, he was greeted by a massive whale. It released a suppressing aura.

"It's even stronger than the beasts from the forest." He was trying to keep calm while gritting his teeth.

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"So I am not welcome here too."

Sigh!

Now, he was only left with two places he could fly to. The ruins in the west and the deeper part of the forest in the south.

He crossed the latter from his thought.

"It would be like committing suicide." So, he flew towards the ruins.

He was hoping to hide inside the ruins until he could recover.

After an hour, he was able to reach the ruin.

He went inside the fourth ruin and hid there. He started using 'regeneration' to heal his minor injuries immediately. Then, it was the turn of serious injuries.

Healing major injuries took him some time. He would use 'regeneration' until he ran out of Qi, then he would take a rest to gather Qi.

It took him a month to make a full recovery.

He wanted to try for the breakthrough again. So, he started cultivating again.

It took him a year to reach suitable conditions for the breakthrough.

He started absorbing Qi from the environment. In a few minutes, a cloud started forming above him. The cloud then turned black, and lightning formed in the cloud.

He was able to endure all three elements' tribulations.

The final was tribulation mixed with fire.

He made multiple layers of defense. He formed a layer of water on the top, a layer of air in the middle, and a layer of earth on the bottom.

He was hoping for water and air to reduce the temperature of the lightning by some levels, and the earth shield to take the impact of the lightning itself.

Boom!

He was struck by a lightning bolt.

He was able to withstand the first strike. Now, he had to repeat it 8 more times.

An hour passed, and he was barely able to pass the final tribulation. He was panting heavily, and he was so dizzy he could barely stand.

The tribulation cloud was starting to dissipate.

"System, what do I do now?" He had no idea of the next step.

"Start absorbing Qi and let it improve your crystal."

He started absorbing Qi and sending it to the crystals. The crystals started to transform.

The size of the crystal started to decrease. However, its shape started to improve. It looked as if a gem cutter was carving a beautiful gem from the rough gemstone.

The transformation was over on the tenth day.

He observed all three crystals. They all looked beautiful.

Their shape had transformed from a rough block to an octagon.

They were shining more brightly than ever. The first crystal in particular was beautiful to look at. It seemed as if a piece of the night sky was inside him.