The first bolt of heavenly thunder descended.
Yun Jin did not deliberately resist it. She even dispelled the protective formation around her. Spiritual energy coursed through her body, and she directly withstood the strike.
A trace of surprise flashed across Yun Jin's eyes.
This thunder…
Before she could ponder further, the next bolts surged down endlessly.
Di Xiao stared at Yun Jin, who was wrapped in violet thunder, and could not help but feel a tremor of fear.
Normally, during a heavenly tribulation, there was always a gap between each strike, giving the cultivator a moment to breathe. But Yun Jin's thunder heavenly tribulation seemed intent on killing her outright. The bolts came crashing down one after another, relentless, as if the heavens feared she might survive.
Could she really endure this?
Yet amidst the storm of violet thunder, Yun Jin's expression became oddly strange. She had prepared long and hard for this heavenly tribulation. But once it actually descended, she felt as if a cannon had been used to swat a mosquito. This violet thunder looked terrifying, but its actual force… felt rather average.
Yun Jin even had the leisure to reflect.
Could it be… that the thunder wasn't weak, but rather she had become too strong?
Or perhaps, this was merely the first stage, and the true power of the heavenly tribulation had yet to reveal itself?
But this level of weak pain was no good at all.
How could she lure out Lin Xiao like this?
"Senior Di, time to start the act."
Di Xiao froze when Yun Jin's voice rang in his mind. He stared at her in disbelief. thunder was tearing through her body, yet she still had the thought to… act?
Before he could respond, Yun Jin suddenly let out a piercing scream. A violet bolt as thick as a tree trunk slammed into her, striking her squarely. She quickly brought out several treasures in succession, barely managing to withstand it.
A mouthful of blood burst from her lips.
Di Xiao's fingers twitched. That didn't look like an act at all. If Lin Xiao struck at this moment…
But Yun Jin's voice rose in his mind again.
"Senior Di, I'll keep playing. But you need to pay more attention to your expressions. When you saw me coughing blood, you should've looked excited, but not too obvious. It needs to be suppressed excitement. Understand? Ugh, if I had known your acting was this bad, I should've arranged a crash course beforehand. Too late for that now, but I still believe in you! You can do it!"
Di Xiao: "…"
So it really was an act.
He had actually worried for her just now.
Yet this infuriating woman still had the energy to critique his acting skills!
Di Xiao's face twisted in frustration.
"Yes, yes, that twisted look works! Makes you look like a real pervert," Yun Jin's delighted voice rang again in his mind. "Hold that expression!"
Di Xiao: "…"
Boom!
Another bolt crashed down.
Yun Jin roared, her voice laced with despair and grief.
"Damn heavens, why treat me so unjustly! How can any human survive such a heavenly tribulation?"
The talismans on her body crackled and shattered by the dozens.
"The heavens are unfair! The heavens are unfair!" Yun Jin wailed furiously.
Di Xiao's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
"Senior Di, did you see my acting? This is on par with the leading roles of two great female-lead films! Oh, and remember to turn on the recording stone. We need this on record.
The matter with Lin Xiao may not be broadcast-worthy, but this heavenly tribulation scene is gold. When we release The Yun Jin Saga: Part III, we can use it as a promotional hook."
Yun Jin's voice droned on in his mind as she continued screaming and cursing at the heavens.
Di Xiao felt completely numb.
He swore, at first, he had genuinely been worried.
But now?
Now he just wanted to find some way to shut Yun Jin up.
Couldn't she at least show a little respect for the heavenly tribulation?
"Remember, film carefully, and don't forget your facial control. I noticed you messed it up again just now. I'll have to give you some criticism later," Yun Jin's voice buzzed again.
Di Xiao: "…"
Were some people born with an innate talent for pissing others off? How could Yun Jin, even at a life-and-death moment like this, make others want to strangle her first?
He resigned himself, secretly activating the recording stone, while trying his best to maintain that "suppressed excitement" expression she demanded.
"Ahhhh!" Yun Jin raised her sword, Tai'a, and pointed it at the surging thunder above.
"Come then, let the storm rage fiercer!"
"I, Yun Jin, fear you not!"
"My fate is mine, not Heaven's!"
Bolt after bolt descended.
The treasures and talismans on Yun Jin's body dwindled, and her aura weakened bit by bit.
She acted for a full day.
Yet Lin Xiao never appeared.
Yun Jin grumbled inwardly.
That Lin Xiao… really was cautious.
On the second day, the thunder's intensity was clearly stronger than the first.
Yun Jin's solemn voice rang in Di Xiao's mind.
"Senior Di, the heavenly tribulation has nearly doubled in power. I need to get serious now!"
Di Xiao's heart tightened.
Wan Dao Saint had endured nine days and nine nights of heavenly tribulation.
Judging from Yun Jin's signs, hers might last even longer. And if the power doubled each day, by the third, the fourth… the final intensity would be unimaginable.
No wonder even Yun Jin had to face it seriously.
But then Yun Jin's voice came again.
"I realized my acting yesterday was too exaggerated. I was still shouting slogans, which means I wasn't truly at my limit. Today I'll shift my performance style. But it can't be too sudden.
Today, I'll look weakened. Tomorrow, severely wounded. The day after, near death.
That sequence should work."
Di Xiao's lips twitched violently.
So her seriousness… wasn't about the heavenly tribulation.
She was serious about her acting style?
Fine. Fine. He believed it now.
"Senior Di, I need to critique you as well. Your acting has to show more progression, your emotions should evolve each day. For example…" Yun Jin droned on endlessly, as if she had all the time in the world.
Di Xiao gritted his teeth and spat out one word: "Scram!"
"Yes, yes! That angry glare is perfect! Senior Di, you really do have talent. Just a bit more refinement and you'll be a natural. I recommend you aim for three parts glee, four parts caution, and three parts smug villain…"
Yun Jin's voice buzzed like a haunting ghost, never-ending.
Di Xiao's eyes grew colder, his gaze at Yun Jin now carrying a genuine hint of murderous intent.
"Excellent! So real! Senior Di, you have remarkable potential. When we shoot The Yun Jin Saga: Part III, you must cameo!" Yun Jin said approvingly.
She might have come here to cultivate immortality, but in another world, she would have been a great director without doubt.
In the depths of the void, a faint ripple appeared. Lin Xiao stood concealed within a thin film of water. Though he lingered in the void, no one could sense him. His eyes were calm as he observed Yun Jin's heavenly tribulation.
The chance to kill Yun Jin might only come once. This heavenly tribulation was already terrifying. Perhaps he did not even need to act. If Yun Jin perished beneath the thunder, all the better.