Su Wen noted their directions, then quietly tailed the easiest target… Ming Kuan, the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
He followed him for several kilometres until Ming Kuan finally hid himself away. Choosing a secluded spot roughly ten kilometres from Du Yue, he concealed himself like a shadow. With the interference of the Heavenly Tribulation, ordinary cultivators would have found it difficult to detect him. But Su Wen followed like a ghost, patiently waiting for him to settle down and lower his guard.
As the fourth bolt of lightning struck Du Yue, the thunderous roar swallowed the land, making everything else seem eerily silent.
"I wonder if she'll be able to endure this monstrous tribulation," Ming Kuan thought to himself, licking his lips. "I'll need to be quick and take her before anyone else gets their hands on her…"
He was still lost in thought when a sharp, piercing pain exploded at the back of his head. His consciousness shattered before he could even react, vanishing along with his life as the thunder gradually faded.
Lurking behind him, Su Wen finally seized his chance under the cover of thunder. Using Celestial Void Steps layered with his Grade 2 Space Intent, he struck without hesitation, piercing Ming Kuan's head from behind. The man never knew who killed him… or how he died.
The last thing Ming Kuan heard, as darkness closed in, was a calm, almost lazy but sinister voice.
"Brother Ming, you're lucky to die so easily. If not for the tribulation… sigh."
Su Wen didn't bother to linger. He swiftly collected the man's belongings, then sprinkled corpse-melting liquid over the body. Within minutes, it dissolved completely, leaving nothing behind.
He then turned his gaze towards the direction Rom had gone into hiding and began moving again, all the while discreetly extending his Peak Soul Awakening Soul Sense to search for any dangers he might have missed.
Along the way, he discovered two more mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators lurking nearby, their gazes fixed on Du Yue with unmistakable ill intent.
'Damn it… her tribulation has really stirred up the hornet's nest,' Su Wen thought with a faint frown.
In the cultivation world, anyone lingering within a five- to fifteen-kilometre radius of a cultivator undergoing tribulation was automatically regarded as a potential threat. Such proximity could force the one facing the tribulation to remain on constant guard, fearing a sudden ambush at a critical moment.
Su Wen continued circling the area between five and twelve kilometres around Du Yue. Anything closer than five kilometres would be considered direct interference, something that could provoke Heavenly Punishment.
It was precisely this rule that had given Du Yue enough time during her previous tribulation in Moon City, allowing her to escape successfully from her father's grasp.
The sixth tribulation thunder descended.
Once again, Du Yue made no effort to defend herself. Her posture remained unchanged, one hand still resting beneath her chin as if she were deep in thought. The force of the lightning pushed her back until she hovered only a few feet above the ground, yet her blue robes remained completely unscathed.
She wouldn't allow a single thread of the dress her husband had bought for her to be ruined.
The sword beside her hummed violently, as though on the verge of breaking. Du Yue finally reached out, gripping it firmly and wrapping it in Spiritual Qi and Sword Intent. From now on, she would carefully control how much of the tribulation thunder the blade endured.
'If I tie my husband up… wouldn't I be able to do whatever I want?' she pondered seriously, her thoughtful pose never changing.
Some distance away, Su Wen suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine… yet no matter how he searched, he couldn't identify the source of danger.
Su Wen seized the moment created by the sixth tribulation thunder and struck both of them simultaneously. Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were no match for him in a direct confrontation… let alone when he attacked from the shadows.
They died without even having the time to regret their choices.
As usual, Su Wen, ever the "environmentalist," collected all their belongings for "recycling" before efficiently disposing of their bodies, leaving no trace behind.
No one knew of Su Wen's silent hunt… aside from Du Yue, who giggled inwardly like a little girl. A gentle warmth bloomed in her heart. She only wished this boring tribulation would hurry up and end so she could run into her handsome "guard" husband's arms and be carried away like a princess.
Su Wen, oblivious to Du Yue's thoughts, finally reached Rom's hiding spot. Rom, a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, had no idea he was being watched.
He didn't strike immediately, instead using Celestial Void Steps to silently take position, waiting patiently in his attack stance.
Rom's instincts screamed that something was off, yet even after stretching his Spiritual Sense in all directions, he couldn't detect a single thing.
Suddenly, the seventh tribulation thunder struck Du Yue. This time, she coated her sword with just enough Spiritual Qi to refine it further, letting the rest of the lightning flow into her body.
As always, she used a layer of Spiritual Qi to protect her robes… making it look, at first glance, as though she cared more about keeping her clothes pristine than safeguarding herself.
This was the moment Su Wen had been waiting for. As the thunder roared above, he unleashed the Pride of the Heavens Second Form, blending both Sword and Space Intents seamlessly.
The sword, as if fused with the void itself, shot straight for Rom's head. Rom, a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator on high alert, sensed the attack... but even with his reflexes, he could only dodge slightly. The strike tore through his right shoulder, severing it cleanly from his body like a carrot.
Rom let out a shrill cry, immediately swallowed by the thunder. Blood sprayed from the wound, staining his robes, as his severed arm tumbled to the ground like a discarded branch. He staggered backward, barely managing to remain standing. His eyes, wide with fear and hatred, locked onto Su Wen.
Before he could react further, Su Wen's sword struck again in a smooth, fluid motion. The blade tore through the side of Rom's head, exiting cleanly from the other side. Rom's body swayed violently as he tried to scream again, but his voice was choked by pain and drowned out by the rolling thunder.
His knees finally gave out. He looked up and met Su Wen's dark, pitch-black, emotionless eyes.
"You dared to look at my wife?"
Those were the final words he heard before his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground, fear frozen in his eyes even in death.
Su Wen calmly collected Rom's belongings and applied the environmentally friendly corpse-disposing liquid. Without leaving a trace behind, he turned his gaze toward Jin's hiding spot and moved off like a shadow toward his next target.