Curious Come and find out

At this moment, the Right Envoy and the West Extreme Demon Lord also arrived from the South Continent, their expressions complicated as they gazed at Jiang Ningshu.

The West Extreme Demon Lord remarked, "Truly worthy of being the former Demon Sovereign. She’s terrifying."

The Right Envoy remained silent, but his expression conveyed agreement.

Simultaneously, they began to feel uneasy.

Would she come after them for revenge later?

But recently, Jiang Ningshu hadn’t paid much attention to the Heavenly Demon Sect, so she likely wouldn’t bother with them either.

It was the Left Envoy who had led the rebellion back then—it had nothing to do with them.

Though they kept reassuring themselves inwardly, they knew whether Jiang Ningshu would hold a grudge was entirely up to her. No matter how reasonable or innocent they claimed to be, if she refused to listen, it would all be for nothing.

At this thought, they felt the urge to flee.

But even if they escaped today, they couldn’t escape forever.

Better to wait and see.

The heavenly tribulation continued, two bolts of lightning crashing down, each more powerful than the last.

Jiang Ningshu showed no reaction, simply enduring them.

It seemed almost effortless now.

No longer did she have to struggle desperately as she had the first time.

"Heavenly tribulation… is just so-so," she mused aloud.

As if provoked, the tribulation intensified.

This time, three bolts descended.

Yet this only made Jiang Ningshu grow stronger.

The onlookers were stunned, having never witnessed such a formidable tribulation.

Even the one Di Haoran had endured paled in comparison.

"How terrifyingly powerful."

"Could she be… ascending to the legendary Tribulation Phase?"

"Seriously? That’s a realm no one has reached in ages."

The more they watched, the more certain they became—this was indeed the Tribulation Phase.

"Hmph, surviving is another matter," someone muttered.

"But can’t you see? She’s not even struggling."

"Hard to say. Some can’t stand others succeeding—they might interfere."

In the end, it all came down to one thing: only by surviving could it be called a successful ascension. No matter how strong one was, dying under the tribulation would only be a tragic tale.

Some couldn’t resist the urge to sabotage her.

The mentality of resenting others’ success was common at any cultivation level.

Du Mingyuan was such a person. During tribulations, it was the perfect time to kick someone when they were down.

In his mind, he sneered. Blame yourself for being so brazen. Flaunting your tribulation is just inviting trouble.

Without warning, Du Mingyuan activated a treasure, sending a fierce sword aura slashing toward Jiang Ningshu.

Tribulations were most vulnerable to disruption—losing focus could easily lead to being devoured by the heavenly punishment.

No one present dared to intercept the attack; they had no ties to Jiang Ningshu.

Di Haoran wanted to intervene, but it was too late. The sword aura had already entered the tribulation’s range. Stopping it would mean drawing the lightning onto himself.

Yet his heart was conflicted. Part of him wanted to save her, but Jiang Ningshu was, after all, the former Demon Sovereign.

Su Luo leaped into action, kicking the sword aura back with a single strike.

Du Mingyuan erupted with power, dispersing the rebounding energy.

"Meddling fool."

"You’re mistaken. I’m here precisely to prevent such nonsense."

"I’ve been wondering—why hasn’t the tribulation struck you?"

"Curious? Come closer and find out."

"You think I won’t dare?"

Su Luo didn’t answer, only chuckled mockingly.

Du Mingyuan’s patience snapped. He dashed toward Su Luo.

If Su Luo could avoid the tribulation’s wrath, so could he.

Du Mingyuan had a theory—Su Luo must possess a treasure that shielded him from the tribulation’s detection. Staying near him would ensure safety.

From that position, he could strike Jiang Ningshu more effectively.

But the moment he stepped into the tribulation’s domain, a bolt of lightning split the sky and struck him down.

This was merely a minor offshoot of the main tribulation, yet it left Du Mingyuan half-dead.

He tried to dodge, but it was too late. He attempted to endure it, but his strength was insufficient.

Scrambling back in panic, he only breathed a sigh of relief once he was outside the tribulation’s range.

Du Mingyuan couldn’t comprehend it—how was the tribulation so absurdly powerful?

All thoughts of interference vanished. Now, he just wanted to escape.

"Stay."

Another sword aura flashed, severing what remained of Du Mingyuan’s life.

The others immediately fell into line.

This black-robed figure was no ordinary man. That sword aura spoke for itself, but more importantly, the tribulation truly ignored him.

A treasure capable of evading the tribulation’s detection? They had never even heard of such a thing.

How mysterious.

In truth, they were overthinking it. There was no treasure at all.

Su Luo had already reached the Tribulation Phase. The heavenly punishment recognized that he had endured tribulations of this caliber before.

As long as he didn’t assist Jiang Ningshu in resisting the lightning, the tribulation wouldn’t target him.

But those who hadn’t even reached the Tribulation Phase? The moment they interfered, the lightning would strike without mercy.

Time passed slowly. The tribulation showed no signs of stopping, growing fiercer with each wave.

Jiang Ningshu finally began to take it seriously, feeling slight pressure—but it was still manageable.

The spectators were at a loss for words. Given the circumstances, it seemed Jiang Ningshu might actually succeed.

Someone spoke up.

"Are we really just going to let her succeed? The Tribulation Phase… With that, the title of ‘Strongest Under Heaven’ will undoubtedly be hers. Are we all just going to stand by?"

"True. We don’t even know her character. Oh, right—she was once part of the Heavenly Demon Sect. That’s not reassuring."

"Exactly. If she later brings calamity to the cultivation world, will we even be able to stop her? Wouldn’t it be better to act now…?"

Their concerns weren’t unfounded.

Di Haoran’s expression darkened. Jiang Ningshu had saved him not long ago, and he’d heard she hadn’t committed any atrocities recently.

After much deliberation, he chose to remain neutral. If Jiang Ningshu ever threatened the cultivation world, he would stake his life to eliminate her then.

For now, he would neither help nor hinder.

Di Haoran’s stance influenced many righteous cultivators, who likewise abandoned any thoughts of interference.

They respected his decision.

At that moment, eight heavenly bolts descended.

Jiang Ningshu focused entirely on the tribulation, beginning to strain—but the end was near.

These eight bolts carried lingering power.

Then, Jiang Ningshu erupted.

It was as if a colossal demonic abyss had opened within her body. Surging demonic energy poured forth, forming a black whirlwind that swept outward in all directions.

Along with this energy came an overwhelming pressure, spreading like a tidal wave.

Those spectating who lacked sufficient strength immediately found it hard to breathe, their vision swimming. Some even plummeted from the sky.

It was terrifying.

And at that very moment, nine heavenly bolts—like nine furious dragons—roared down from the clouds, each carrying apocalyptic force.

They tore through the sky, their destructive might crashing mercilessly onto Jiang Ningshu.

Before such power, everything else seemed insignificant and fragile.

Yet Jiang Ningshu remained standing tall, facing the tribulation head-on.

Su Luo showed no concern. He knew—Jiang Ningshu would emerge victorious.