"Bitch." Lei Dong was never one to curse, but in this moment, his consciousness teetering on the edge of madness, an incomparably fierce hostility erupted from him. Furthermore, his heart now harbored an intense hatred for Ji Shuangshuang, a hatred so profound he wished he could tear her limb from limb and devour her.

Lei Dong slowly floated up from the crater. The concave footprint etched into the chest plate of his Black Emperor Armor clearly displayed the terrifying power of Ji Shuangshuang's kick. A malevolent aura, interwoven with ghostly nether energy and countless malevolent spirits, radiated outwards, centering on Lei Dong.

Beneath the ferocious and imposing Black Emperor Armor, he appeared like a demon god clawing his way out of hell. The eyes beneath the Black Emperor helmet had shifted from madness to cold indifference.

Swish, swish, swish—several Netherworld Immortal Slaying Fingers shot out. Within their deep blackness trailed filaments of Law imbued with a destructive intent.

"Hmph, a mere firefly dares to shine so brightly." Though she spoke arrogantly, Ji Shuangshuang was already prepared, meeting his attack with several streams of Gilded Fire Finger energy propelled by her Extreme Yang True Fire. The two forces collided, exploding into several magnificent fireworks in mid-air.

Simultaneously, Lei Dong stomped the void, tearing open space, and appeared before Ji Shuangshuang like a phantom. The Black Emperor Armor’s gauntlet coalesced into an iron fist, slamming down without mercy.

But Ji Shuangshuang was not someone easily overcome. While secretly astonished at this brat's terrifyingly precise control over the Law of Space, her fighting spirit surged, and she met his punch with a punch of her own, smashing them together fiercely.

Bang, bang, bang! Every punch, every move from the two of them seemed innate, as if forged by heaven itself. Most terrifyingly, their fists and feet were infused with overwhelmingly potent energy. Upon impact, space shattered into fragments, forming countless razor-sharp Spatial Blades.

It was fortunate this battleground was the Altar of Myriad Spirits, protected by a powerful defensive formation. Waves of energy, akin to an overwhelming tide, swept out carrying the spatial shards, all intercepted by the protective shield.

This was the only reason their battlefield hadn't expanded. Otherwise, any weaker individual caught in the residual waves of such a confrontation would likely be ripped to shreds. Of course, these violent shockwaves caused no harm to the powerful Vermilion Bird Clan Leader, Ji Ziyan. Even the spatial ripples, resembling a Category Twelve hurricane, failed to disturb a single strand of her hair.

She stood suspended in the void, cradling Ding Wanyan, watching with keen interest as Lei Dong and her daughter engaged in a battle of the most savage and primal nature. Ji Ziyan had never before witnessed a young man at the mere Divine Transformation realm unleash such formidable power to contend with her daughter on this level.

While it was true that her daughter was not specialized in close-quarters combat, it was evident that this human youth was hardly a master of brawling either. Their melee techniques, beyond the sheer brute force involved, were almost laughable.

Having lived to the age of Ji Ziyan, many things had lost their hold on her. Few things in this world still demanded her attention or concern. However, her daughter, Ji Shuangshuang, was one of those things she deeply cared about. Seeing her daughter seemingly develop affection for someone, and that someone appearing to be a young man of character and potential, filled Ji Ziyan with a distinct sense of "maternal solace."

The only thing that caused Ji Ziyan slight worry was her daughter's tendency towards high-handedness in her actions. But this young man was impressive; not only did he withstand her daughter’s ferocious assault, but he still had the reserves to fight back.

For a time, the more Ji Ziyan looked at Lei Dong, the more pleasing he became to her eye—a sight akin to a mother-in-law growing fonder of her prospective son-in-law the more she saw him.

In truth, fundamentally, Lei Dong’s strength was several tiers below Ji Shuangshuang’s. The terrifying combat power he was exhibiting stemmed entirely from his Peerless Under Heaven state. Under this condition, any energy within his body, regardless of its source, was combusted to form an immense, surging battle force.

Lei Dong swallowed hundreds of Innate Spirit Gathering Pills as if they were roasted beans, supplemented by several Chaos Crystals. These medicinal properties and the Chaotic Spiritual Qi, catalyzed by the Peerless Under Heaven activation, burned to become inexhaustible strength, allowing him to stand toe-to-toe with Ji Shuangshuang.

But this was the limit of his capability. Deep down, Ji Shuangshuang had never truly intended to kill Lei Dong. After all, she had forcefully stolen his wife, who was pregnant at that, an act that would drive any man mad. Though Ji Shuangshuang understood this, certain actions still needed to be carried out.

The power burning within Lei Dong grew hotter; his meridians felt utterly annihilated, yet they were ceaselessly reborn with the aid of the Innate Spirit Gathering Pills. For Lei Dong, this sensation was worse than death.

However, under this torment, his cultivation broke through limits again and again. Every part of his body was reconstructed through destruction, becoming stronger, and even more frenzied. If the Black Emperor Armor were removed, he would be seen as a living person covered in blood, every inch of his skin raw and weeping.

His cultivation slowly climbed higher through repeated sprints at the edge of his limits: reaching the peak of Divine Transformation, and even pushing slightly beyond that peak.

Supported by seemingly endless power, Lei Dong appeared to be evolving constantly. But at this moment, he felt nothing at all. Reason had been entirely supplanted by madness; he was like a walking corpse, knowing only how to attack wildly, having utterly discarded defense and magical arts. Even the Primordial Spirit within his body had shifted from a solid state to becoming ethereal, gradually dissolving into his physical form, infusing every single life factor.

Boom! He was smashed into the ground again by a strike from Ji Shuangshuang, gouging out a massive pit. But this time, Lei Dong did not rise. He remained motionless, as if dead in the crater.

Just as Ji Ziyan frowned slightly, considering whether her daughter had been too heavy-handed, even an entity like her instantly showed surprise on her face. The vast expanse of black mist, seemingly driven by an unseen force, condensed into a suffocating cloud of tribulation.

The cloud was thick and heavy; faintly visible within the rolling thunder and lightning were flashes of heavenly might filled with the aura of destruction.

A majestic pressure unfolded, revealing the profound solemnity of the cosmic laws. It seemed as if anyone would be annihilated into ash under this lightning tribulation, which was acting on behalf of heaven to purge a transgressor against the natural order.

"Undergoing tribulation?"

Ji Shuangshuang gazed in shock at the pit where Lei Dong lay seemingly dead. Lei Dong, who had been at the late stage of Divine Transformation only moments ago, had continuously broken through during the fight, even shattering his shackles to form a body capable of the Void Refining stage.

In her lifetime, Ji Shuangshuang had never seen someone directly ascend to tribulation mid-battle. Countless self-proclaimed geniuses, upon preparing to break their bottlenecks and face advancement, would undertake extensive preparations to enter the final step in their best condition and greet the heavenly tribulation. Yet, even with such measures, many still perished, unable to pass.

The higher the level of the tribulation, the more formidable it became. The transition from Divine Transformation to the Void Refining stage was perilous. Ji Shuangshuang herself had faced life-threatening moments during her own tribulation, barely surviving thanks to her strong will.

But Lei Dong, in his current state, appeared to have absolutely no defenses. How could he withstand the mighty heavenly coercion under these circumstances?

As she hesitated, wondering whether to intervene and help, Ji Ziyan seemed to read her thoughts, transmitting a low reprimand: "Shuangshuang, don't be foolish. You know that interference in a heavenly tribulation invokes the wrath of the universe's laws, which will descend an even stronger tribulation, annihilating both you and him." It was a universal understanding that heavenly tribulations must not be meddled with.

"But I..." Ji Shuangshuang felt a wave of shame mixed with a sense of letting Lei Dong down. After all, she had instigated all of this. Despite her dominance, arrogance, and even unreasonableness, Ji Shuangshuang still possessed a sliver of kindness. More importantly, Lei Dong, the Divine Transformation brat she had initially dismissed, had erupted with such power to match her equally.

In a world where strength was supreme, Ji Shuangshuang, though unwilling to admit it, had tacitly acknowledged Lei Dong’s qualification to stand as her equal. This was unimaginable for a prodigy like her; she could count on very few peers, even among those at the peak of Void Refining, who could fight her to this extent.

The thought of her own combat strength during her Divine Transformation stage shattered her proud self-esteem.

Her daughter's stammering clearly led Ji Ziyan to a misunderstanding. With a solemn expression and a hint of pity, she transmitted her thoughts: "I understand your feelings, but you absolutely must not intervene, or you will harm him and yourself. Shuangshuang, this human youth seems far from ordinary. To exhibit such powerful aura and strength at the Divine Transformation level, even if he used some unconventional means, is unprecedented in my lifetime. Let him face his tribulation alone; it is hard to believe someone of his caliber would perish in the heavenly ordeal. And one more thing, daughter: I am relieved that you no longer despise humans, but rather, you've taken a liking to one."

"Mother, how could I possibly like a human?" Ji Shuangshuang reacted instantly, her face flushing scarlet as she denied it.

"I know, I know. Young girls are modest." Ji Ziyan chuckled softly. "Your temper certainly resembles mine. I was the same way with your father back then. Men, if you don't show them a little toughness, they think you’re a pushover. However, daughter, your methods were a bit too brutal; watch yourself during future flirtations."

Flirtations? Ji Shuangshuang nearly collapsed from shock.