What Do I Test You On

Su Luo nodded. "That's right. The more effort you put in, the less I have to—wait, no. Actually, I never planned to contribute much in the first place."

Finally, the South End Demon Lord passed out again, and from then on, he kept fainting repeatedly, each time sooner than the last.

During one brief moment of consciousness, the South End Demon Lord asked, "My Lord, why not bring in more people?"

He was barely holding on. He had lost count of how many times he had blacked out. Every time he woke up, he resumed refining. Since becoming a Demon Lord, he hadn’t pushed himself this hard in ages.

"Too many people would create chaotic demonic energy, lowering the success rate of the refinement."

Besides, if there were more people, how could Su Luo rest?

Not that he was slacking off entirely—he did contribute occasionally. After all, the task was challenging, and relying solely on the South End Demon Lord wasn’t realistic.

Finally, after three days and nights, the refinement was complete.

The South End Demon Lord collapsed to the ground. "At last... at last, it’s done..."

His body was utterly exhausted, and he even felt like his lifespan had shortened significantly.

It had been grueling.

But at least it was a success. As he gazed at the completed Thousand Falling Thunder Bell, an immense sense of pride surged within him.

Of course he felt accomplished—he had poured his very life into this.

At that moment, the heavens and earth began to shift ominously. The air grew heavy with foreboding.

Dark clouds gathered instantly, and thunder roared across the sky.

This celestial phenomenon marked the birth of the Thousand Falling Thunder Bell.

Only by enduring this heavenly tribulation would the artifact truly be complete.

Naturally, they couldn’t let the bell face the tribulation unprotected—it would shatter instantly. Some shielding was necessary.

Su Luo couldn’t control the tribulation itself, but the dark clouds were another matter—and an easy one at that.

[Heavenly Cloud Tribulation]

He seized the energy of the tribulation clouds, converting it into a controlled heavenly punishment.

A portion of the tribulation was directed at the Thousand Falling Thunder Bell, tempering it to enhance its quality.

The rest of the tribulation was diverted toward the Right Envoy and the other Demon Lords who had gathered to watch.

They struggled to defend themselves. The tribulation’s power was immense—even beings as strong as them could be injured if they weren’t careful.

Finally, the skies cleared, and the Thousand Falling Thunder Bell was complete.

"Everyone, as you can see, our Thousand Falling Thunder Bell is finished," the Left Envoy announced proudly.

The Right Envoy and the Demon Lords nodded in acknowledgment. They hadn’t expected it to actually succeed.

The artifact before them radiated an extraordinary, mystical aura—it was truly remarkable.

The Left Envoy boasted a little more, praising himself before finally concluding.

"The South End Demon Lord and I will rest now. In the meantime, continue gathering intelligence on the righteous sects. This time, we will restore our former glory and make the world tremble before the Heavenly Demon Sect!"

Of course, this was all just talk. What intelligence could they gather that he didn’t already know?

But since the refinement had been completed ahead of schedule, there was plenty of time to kill.

Su Luo left immediately. The Left Envoy persona was temporarily shelved as he returned to his true self and headed back to his temporary residence.

There, he found Nangong Xiyun meditating atop a mountain peak, seemingly deep in cultivation.

Since when had she become so diligent?

Normally, she was never one for rigorous training.

"You’re here," she said.

"I am," he replied.

"You shouldn’t have come."

"But I’m already here."

Su Luo sat down beside her.

Nangong Xiyun sighed with a hint of resentment. "Are you here to test me?"

Su Luo was confused. "Test you how?"

"I still can’t touch you, yet you sit here tempting me."

"Come on, I’m not some irresistible temptation. And you weren’t like this before."

Back when she was Ah Yun, she had been perfectly normal.

"It’s all your fault." Nangong Xiyun herself found it strange—the more she couldn’t touch Su Luo, the more she wanted to.

Even after just a few days apart, the longing had grown unbearable.

So she had secluded herself here to cultivate and calm her mind.

"Alright, alright. My fault, my fault."

Su Luo hadn’t expected Nangong Xiyun to be like this. He had originally planned to tease her a little, but now he decided against it. Instead, he simply sat quietly beside her.

Nangong Xiyun glanced at him, and the moment she had just regained was shattered. Restlessness surged again.

"Go. Just go," she urged.

Afraid she might lose control, she could only console herself—patience, patience. Time would pass, and soon this would be over.

Seeing her state, Su Luo obliged and left.

Back at his quarters, Little Yu was diligently cultivating.

She understood that only by improving her strength could she truly help Su Luo.

But she also felt that Su Luo was growing more powerful by the day. Catching up was impossible, but that didn’t mean she would stop trying.

Su Luo didn’t discourage her. Instead, he began guiding her cultivation.

In the past, he had rarely intervened in her training.

But lately, he had taken a keen interest.

Perhaps, without realizing it, Little Yu had become someone important to him.

After instructing her, Su Luo returned to his room to rest. He also took the time to write in his journal.

[Good. Everything is ready. Now it’s time for the Heavenly Demon Sect’s grand performance.]

[Well, more like their grand defeat.]

[This time, their target is the Seven Stars Sword Sect—an old acquaintance.]

[In the past, the Heavenly Demon Sect would attack multiple sects at once. Now, even a single sect feels like a stretch, though they’re playing it safe this time.]

[Too bad their ‘safe’ choice happens to be a sect with a protagonist. Failure is inevitable.]

[The plan is simple: assault the Seven Stars Sword Sect, activate the Thousand Falling Thunder Bell in a strategic location, and wipe the sect off the face of the cultivation world in one fell swoop.]

[Yes, complete annihilation. Anything less wouldn’t justify such a massive mobilization.]

[Unfortunately, the Thousand Falling Thunder Bell takes time to activate, so the Heavenly Demon Sect’s assault serves as a distraction.]

[Naturally, such a crucial artifact needs guarding, and I’ve been assigned to that duty.]

[The others will lead the attack on the Seven Stars Sword Sect.]

[At first, everything goes smoothly. The Heavenly Demon Sect’s elite forces outnumber the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s. Even with the terrain advantage, the latter stands no chance.]

[But then, by sheer coincidence, Di Haoao of the Emperor Heaven Sect arrives.]

[He had come to express gratitude for the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s past support, bringing lavish gifts as thanks. His first stop was the Seven Stars Sword Sect.]

[Upon arrival, he finds the sect under attack and immediately intervenes. He alone can’t turn the tide, but his entourage includes a Great Ascension expert—a precaution taken by Di Haoran after past incidents.]

[Di Haoran, fearing something might happen to Di Haoao during his journey (given the number of sects he had to visit), had assigned powerful escorts.]

[And of all times, this ‘something’ happens now.]

[With this, the Seven Stars Sword Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect reach a temporary stalemate. But the Heavenly Demon Sect still has their trump card—the Thousand Falling Thunder Bell.]

[So they remain confident of victory.]