Mushu's brows shot up. "That means he's hitting the fifth level." A mixture of admiration and self-deprecation filled his voice. He scoffed. "Master is too damn fast! At this rate, he'll catch up to me in a year." His tone was light, but his heart weighed heavy with frustration; he had been stuck at a bottleneck for five years now.

Pharsa crossed her arms, her lips curling into a knowing smirk. "It's not that surprising. Master is truly talented, but don't forget, he's sleeping with Madam. Madam holds an abundance of yang energy, far more than anyone else I've seen.

Shen Sei even said that Madam's aura is comparable to a heavenly emperor. And with Master's body naturally full of yin, most likely because of the black magic lingering in him, it would have been very difficult for him to level up. But Madam's presence alone is boosting his cultivation to ridiculous heights."

Mushu and Reginald simultaneously fell silent, their faces darkening, darker than a pot bottom.

They couldn't refute Pharsa's words.

But Pharsa's explanation only reminded them of one undeniable truth … they were still pitiful, single dogs.

'I'm too pitiful… Too pitiful,' Both Reginald and Mushu's hearts were crying as they thought of the idea.

From another corner of the room, Leeroy stirred. Half-asleep, he caught their conversation and let out a lazy chuckle. "Then I guess Chatty should reach a higher level once he marries you, Pharsa!"

A moment of silence stretched between them.

Then — THWACK!

Pharsa's boot flew through the air and struck Leeroy squarely in the face.

"You!" Pharsa barked, flustered beyond reason.

Leeroy groaned, rubbing his cheek. "Damn it, woman! At least warn a man before attacking him in his sleep!"

But the teasing grin tugging at his lips betrayed his words.

The forest trembled beneath the fury of the heavens.

Lightning raged in the sky, illuminating the darkness with blinding flashes. Each bolt came down harder, faster, more relentless than the last, striking Four Eyes with merciless precision. The scent of burning flesh mixed with the raw energy crackling in the air, and the earth groaned under the pressure.

Ling Li stood motionless beside him, her sharp gaze locked onto the heavens, counting every strike, every wave of destruction. She had faced this countless times before; she knew the rhythm, the law of the tribulation.

Three Stages of the Thunder Law

The first — the 'Annihilation.' It tore apart the old body, stripping it down and forcing rebirth.

The second — the 'Purification.' It cleansed cultivation, purging dregs and imperfections, leaving only pure energy behind.

And the last — the most unforgiving of all — the 'Lightning Tribulation.' A trial meant to crush the weak, to strip away the unworthy.

Chu Yan had already survived the first two. But as Ling Li watched the sky churn, as she felt the heavens gathering their wrath, she knew what was coming — the final stage.

The two most devastating strikes were upon him.

Her heart pounded violently against her chest.

He wouldn't survive them.

Not like this.

Without hesitation, Ling Li stepped forward, placing herself between Four Eyes and the raging heavens. He barely had time to react before a thick, deafening wave of lightning cracked through the sky, descending upon them like divine judgment.

A blinding explosion.

The force surged through Ling Li's body, not as an attack but as an embrace. The raw, primal energy of the heavens did not wound her; instead, it flowed into her, merging with her immortal essence, weaving itself into her being like threads of celestial fire.

Her eyes gleamed, reflecting the storm above, as power rippled through her form, illuminating the very veins beneath her skin. The tribulation recognized her—not as a challenger but as one of its own, a force beyond mortality.

The second strike came — more furious, more commanding.

Ling Li didn't flinch.

Instead, she welcomed it.

The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, tearing apart the earth beneath her feet. Still, Ling Li stood unwavering, her body absorbing the pure divine might. The energy coursed through her, refining her strength and amplifying the boundless power already flowing through her veins.

She was not the heavens' enemy.

Ling Li was its vessel.

But Four Eyes, he was mortal. He was vulnerable.

As Four Eyes' tried to protest, his body violently rejected the celestial energy, a sharp cough wracking his frame as blood burst from his lips in thick, dark waves. His breath hitched, his vision swimming. The black magic within him rebelled against the divine force, convulsing in agony, unable to coexist with the heavens' wrath.

Ling Li's gaze sharpened, her heart tightening. She tightened her grip on him, shielding him—not from the lightning itself, but from the destruction it sought to bring upon him.

She would not let the heavens erase him.

Not while she stood between him and fate itself.

Four Eyes tried to push her away, tried to protest, but just as he opened his mouth, a violent cough tore through him, sending thick, dark blood spilling past his lips. His body trembled uncontrollably, the black magic within him reacting violently against the tribulation.

Ling Li's heart clenched.

The heavens despised black magic — always have, always will. It was an eyesore to their divine laws, a violation they sought to erase from existence. They wouldn't simply test him.

They would seek to destroy him.

Ling Li knew this. She had seen it before.

But she would not allow it.

As the final waves of lightning dissipated, leaving the air thick with charged energy, Ling Li tightened her hold on Four Eyes, steadying his shaking form.

His breathing was ragged. His skin burned, raw with wounds, but he was alive. Alive.

She had made sure of it.

Far away, Mushu and Pharsa stood outside the house, watching the distant sky, listening to the lingering echoes of the tribulation.

"Madam is truly awesome," Mushu muttered under his breath.

Pharsa crossed her arms. "She would rather face divine wrath than let him fall."

Mushu let out a deep breath, shaking his head. "If he survives this, he's going to owe her for eternity."

Pharsa smiled slightly, her voice quiet but firm. "I don't think she minds."

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