The Thunderbolt Cheetah’s body expanded for a moment, its veins glowing bright, then steadied as the power settled into its bloodline.

Lin Mu’s expression softened with pride. "So you’re taking the same path as me, Little Shrubby. Not merely enduring the storm, but ruling it."

Like master, like beast.

The fifth strike came, then the sixth, each larger and more violent.

The cheetah did not falter. Every bolt it consumed only made it stronger. With each clash, its speed increased, its body sharper, until its movements were nearly impossible to follow. The sky became its hunting ground, every bolt a prey that it devoured without hesitation.

By the tenth strike, the clouds had gathered into a colossal whirlpool, spinning faster and faster as lightning churned within. The pressure pressed down on the valley, cracking boulders and splintering trees.

Even Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang couldn’t help but tremble, forced to retreat deeper into the protective qi Lin Mu spread around them.

The eleventh bolt fell like a heavenly pillar, blinding and absolute. The cheetah streaked upward, its body dissolving into a pure arc of light. Beast and lightning became one. The heavens shook as the two forces collided, then silence fell for a single instant, the world holding its breath.

Then came the explosion.

KABOOOOOOM

The valley was consumed in white light, brighter than the sun, washing away all shadows. For miles, the earth trembled as shockwaves rolled outward.

When the light finally dimmed, the clouds above were torn apart, their fury spent. Only faint wisps of smoke and static lingered in the air.

The Thunderbolt Cheetah hovered in the sky, its once illusory body now solid, every line of its frame clear and perfect. Lightning streaked constantly across its form, arcs racing from its paws to its tail. Its roar echoed again, this time not as a challenge, but as a declaration of dominion.

SHUA

But a few moments later, the figure dissolved, its energy streaming downward into Little Shrubby’s massive body.

The beast shuddered violently, his muscles swelling with newfound strength.

SHUA

In the next moment, Little Shrubby’s Nascent Soul jumped out of his Dantian. Then, as if resonating with the newly strengthened bloodline of the Thunderbolt Cheetah, it too glowed with arcs of lightning.

The arcs gathered around his head, turning into a third halo.

Now Little Shrubby’s Nascent Soul had three halos behind it, Red, Green And Violet!

He had reached the Third Tribulation Stage of the Immortal Realm!

His fur glowed briefly, then darkened, his once fiery patterns now traced with streaks of silver-blue lightning. Around his legs, arcs of energy pulsed continuously, forming lightning-bolt shaped marks that shimmered faintly even when dormant.

Lin Mu’s eyes widened slightly. "So the Thunderbolt Cheetah has left its mark too."

Already, Little Shrubby’s body bore the heritage of his bloodline ancestors. The leaf-like marks on his ears came from the Fume Wood Panther. The dark stripes across his body were the gift of the Scorch Claw Tiger. His powerful build was the legacy of the Flash Fire Liger.

And now, running along his legs, were streaks of lightning, ever-shifting and alive, the sign of the Thunderbolt Cheetah.

Seeing Little Shrubby’s transformation, Lin Mu knew the beast had gained a new affinity.

’Lightning... He can now use Lightning Element too!’ Lin Mu was utterly thrilled.

While Little Shrubby could technically still absorb Lightning Elemental Energy due to the Thunderbolt Cheetah Bloodline, it was not as effective due to not be an innate affinity. The bloodline was not as strong as the Scorch Claw Tiger, Flash Fire Liger, and the Fume Wood Panther Bloodlines.

But now that it had been properly strengthened, it finally imparted the true natural affinity of the Lightning Element to Little Shrubby.

Previously, the Fume Wood Panther’s bloodline growth had granted Little Shrubby the affinity to wood and he already had the fire affinity since the start, but now with lightning added, he had three innate elemental affinities!

It was not just an additive boost, but a multiplicative boost to his strength.

But this was not all, as Lin Mu knew the boost in strength was not just in terms of elemental affinity, but also speed.

He knew well that the Thunderbolt Cheetah was a beast specialized in speed. Little Shrubby was already fast before, due to the Flash Fire Liger Bloodline, but it was nowhere close to the speed of the Thunderbolt Cheetah.

And now he had both!

’Just how fast would Little Shrubby be now?’ Lin Mu couldn’t even imagine.

The beast’s eyes opened slowly, twin orbs that flickered with fire and lightning together. He exhaled, and not only fire but electric sparks leapt from his breath, searing the air before dissipating.

The aura he released was no longer wild, but sharp and precise, like a blade of thunder ready to cut through the world.

The twin snakes slithered closer, bowing their heads slightly in reverence.

Xiao Yin whispered softly, "Big brother... you are truly different now."

Little Shrubby lowered his head, brushing against them gently, but the arcs of energy around his legs still crackled with pride.

Lin Mu finally descended, his robes fluttering as he landed before his companion. His hand pressed against the beast’s side, feeling the surging power beneath the fur.

"You have grown again," he said quietly, his voice steady. "The bloodline of the Thunderbolt Cheetah has awakened fully within you. With this strength, even the heavens must acknowledge you."

Little Shrubby let out a soft rumble, not the roar of battle, but the sound of gratitude and bond. The arcs of lightning dimmed slightly, as though bowing before Lin Mu.

The tribulation had passed. The valley was silent again, though the faint crackle in the air served as a reminder of what had taken place. The heavens had tested, and Little Shrubby had not only endured but triumphed.

And from now on, his paws would carry not only fire and wood, but lightning itself, swift enough to shake the earth, fierce enough to split the skies.