Bolts of lightning crashed down one after another.
The sky flickered between light and dark.
The descending thunder tribulations seemed intent on annihilating Di Tian with the next one or the one after.
The powerful lightning produced "crackle, crackle" sounds.
Gradually, Di Tian's body became charred black all over, distinct from the color of his scales.
In the air,
the faint smell of scorched flesh could still be detected.
It was unknown how much time had passed.
Di Tian's body was covered in wounds, and his soul power aura had become chaotic.
"Damn it!" Di Tian let out an unwilling roar, his long dragon cry echoing through the heavens.
He had only just awakened and had no time to adjust his condition or recover from the mental fatigue before being forced into crossing the tribulation.
In truth, if his condition had been adjusted to its peak, he might have had a few parts chance of success.
Di Tian struggled to lift his head.
High in the sky, rumbling sounds continued.
In the boundless black cloud layer, thunderclouds swirled in the center, forming a massive vortex.
Lightning gathered from within the vortex before crashing down fiercely. The enormous vortex resembled the eye of thunder, staring straight at him.
The oppressive and suffocating feeling was something even Di Tian could not resist.
"Dragon God, are you really unwilling to give us soul beasts a path to survival?"
With their lord Gu Yuena out of control, Di Tian's heart had already sunk to the bottom. If not for his strong resilience, he might have given up in despair.
But before he could even plan what to do next—how to save Gu Yuena—he was targeted by the thunder tribulation again, and such a terrifying one at that.
It was only because he, Di Tian, had thick skin and tough flesh. An ordinary quasi-god undergoing this kind of "lightning bath" would have long since perished.
While he was lost in thought, another bolt of thunder tribulation descended.
"Don't underestimate me—I am the Beast God Di Tian!"
A dragon roar resounded.
Soul power rapidly converged at his front claws, dark-attribute soul power compressed to the extreme.
Then he fiercely grabbed toward the falling lightning.
"Boom!"
The two collided.
The sky and earth seemed to crash together, space rippling with distortions.
A mouthful of bright red blood sprayed from his mouth. Barely managing to offset this thunder tribulation, Di Tian was also violently struck by the tribulation's energy and sent flying thousands of meters away.
Blood dripped steadily from his wounds.
Before Di Tian could adjust his state, yet another terrifying bolt of lightning tore through the sky and plummeted straight down.
Di Tian let out a miserable cry.
His body trembled violently.
The impact from the lightning directly smashed him into the ground, blasting out a crater hundreds of meters wide.
The ferocious beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest trembled nonstop upon witnessing this scene.
But one or two of them endured their fear and wanted to help Di Tian—for example, Xiong Jun.
In Xiong Jun's view, Di Tian could lose, he could die, but he could not die so aggrievedly.
Di Tian was his eternal rival—how could he fall to a thunder tribulation?
"If you don't want to die, don't go over there. That is not something you can handle."
Just as Xiong Jun was about to act, a calm voice sounded. The speaker was Ning Rongrong.
Xiong Jun turned his head and glared:
"Then what do you say we do? Can we only watch from here?"
Sensing the anxiety and anger in Xiong Jun's tone, Ning Rongrong softened her voice: "Forget it. Even if you went, you'd just be sending yourselves to die."
"I'll help you out. But I can't guarantee one hundred percent success."
The Glazed Holy Sword in her hand let out a sword cry. Ning Rongrong's gaze slightly focused.
Upon hearing the cry, Qian Renxue's line of sight shifted slightly. Noticing Ning Rongrong's Glazed Holy Sword, she was quite surprised.
Had this weapon advanced?
It seemed even sharper than the Angel Holy Sword.
Qian Renxue also knew this was not the time to ask. She merely took a brief look.
Ning Rongrong formed seals with her hands.
The Glazed Holy Sword instantly flew out, entering the range of the tribulation. Its speed became even faster.
With a boom,
the thunder tribulation from the sky descended.
Di Tian felt he was about to give out—his entire body felt as if it were falling apart.
He could only watch helplessly as the thunder tribulation grew larger and larger in his vision.
"Hundred Steps Flying Sword—Sword Cleaves Heaven and Earth."
A terrifying sword light slashed through the lightning.
"Sizzle—"
The thunder tribulation about to strike Di Tian was split in two. The unknown energy that followed annihilated it completely.
In the next second,
Ning Rongrong appeared beside Di Tian. The Glazed Holy Sword that had severed the tribulation also returned to her hand.
Ning Rongrong's strength had already reached this level?
Di Tian sucked in a cold breath.
He knew that when Tokisaki Kurumi and Ning Rongrong worked together, they could unleash even greater power.
But now, it was only Ning Rongrong, and she could already block a thunder tribulation comparable to god-realm power.
How inconceivable this was.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda slowly condensed and flew to Di Tian's side. Then, Di Tian's body recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"This... this is?"
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, as an auxiliary-system martial soul, has a certain healing ability." Ning Rongrong spoke. "I'll handle the rest!"
Upon hearing this, Di Tian nodded with a complicated expression: "Thank you."
Di Tian did not ask if Ning Rongrong could do it. Since she dared to step in, she must have some confidence.
After all, this was Ning Rongrong.
Back when she was only a Soul King or Soul Emperor, she had dared to confront him, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, and even made him suffer a loss.
Di Tian recalled in his mind the second time he met Ning Rongrong in the Heaven Dou Empire, when she had tricked him with poison.
Thinking about it now, less than ten years had passed—what terrifying talent!
"Don't think too much about it. I'm not entirely helping you—I'm also confirming some things."
Ning Rongrong gave Di Tian timely comfort. Di Tian was stunned, then gave a bitter smile without speaking.
The purpose did not matter anymore. What mattered was that Ning Rongrong had saved him.
The thunder that had been brewing for a long time descended again, stronger than the previous one.
The purple-black lightning seemed intent on devouring everything in its path.
Ning Rongrong controlled the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, sending it flying high into the sky.
"Boom!"
The falling lightning smashed directly onto the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. The pagoda trembled lightly, and a misty aura spread outward.
The thunder suddenly dissipated—whether swallowed or defended against was unclear.
After blocking this bolt of thunder,
the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda returned to Ning Rongrong's surroundings. Its colorful glow slowly flickered, enveloping Ning Rongrong with strands of holiness.
"Watch closely, Di Tian. Let me show you my true strength now."
The Glazed Holy Sword was placed horizontally in front of her. Zhenqi ripples slowly spread outward.
Ning Rongrong's aura formed a standoff against the thunderclouds in the sky.
Sensing the unparalleled oppressive pressure, Di Tian's face showed disbelief.
"You... you became a god?"
"God?"
Ning Rongrong gently shook her head.
"I am not what you call god-level. However, not long ago, I did kill a fellow who had just become a god."
"You..."
Di Tian wanted to say more, but that surging and overwhelming aura came crashing like a tidal wave. Even though he had just taken human form, Di Tian was blown dozens of meters away by the energy surge.
Gazing at Ning Rongrong, who resembled a true god, Di Tian subconsciously swallowed:
"Not a god, yet possessing the power to slay gods—what exactly are you?"
The surrounding temperature plummeted rapidly. Hexagonal snowflakes landed on Di Tian's hand.
"It's... snowing?"
Di Tian was stunned, then reacted and looked toward Ning Rongrong.
Was this her doing...
This kind of control over nature.
(End of chapter)