Each subsequent attack became faster and stronger than the previous, forcing her to utilize more and more strength to counter them.
BANG!!! BANG!!!! BANG!!!!!
One after another, the Heavenly Tribulation continued raining lightning strikes down upon Nadia with no mercy whatsoever. There wasn't a single inch of space left untouched by its wrath. As the earth around Nadia had caught fire from the aftermath of the clashing energies while icy blue glacial frost formed everywhere else.
"How many strikes does she need to resist?" Scarlet asked as she observed the situation unfolding with concern evident in her voice.
Aria turned her head towards her, answering, "The number varies based on the level of cultivation someone is breaking through. When breaking through to the Origin Realm, a cultivator needs to withstand three strikes, and for each subsequent level, there are an additional three strikes. Since Nadia is about to break through to the King Realm, she needs to withstand nine strikes to succeed."
"That's a lot..." Scarlet commented with wide eyes filled with surprise after hearing her explanation.
"Yes, but it is worth it because those who can overcome their tribulation will be rewarded with a vast amount of heavenly spirit essence that will enhance their body and soul, giving them a significant boost in power.
That's why cultivators take their tribulation so seriously, as they want to reap the most benefits possible out of it." Aria elaborated further while continuing to watch the scene ahead with sharp eyes, not wanting to miss anything important happening there.
Rias nodded and chimed in, "But it also depends on how well prepared you are before taking your trial, because even a small mistake could cost you your cultivation or even worse—your life itself. As such, there are always people who are so eager to gain more power that they rush through the preparation stage of their breakthrough. These fools usually end up paying a heavy price for their impatience.
Always remember that cultivation has always been about patience and perseverance; you cannot become strong overnight, nor can you accomplish anything meaningful without putting in sufficient effort."
Upon finishing her words, she glanced sideways towards Asher, noticing that his gaze had never wavered since the moment the first lightning bolt appeared in the sky; he had been paying full attention to his personal maid's condition the entire time, refusing to relax until he confirmed her safety.
BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
A final explosion erupted from the center of the clash, drowning out all other noises in its wake as it echoed throughout the heavens and earth alike, engulfing everything within sight with bright flashes of white light followed by thick clouds of smoke that blanketed over half of the barren plains, shrouding them from view completely.
Everyone present had their attention directed towards the origin point of this explosion, waiting for it to fade away so they could observe what happened within it.
After a few brief moments, the smoke dissipated into thin air and revealed Nadia standing tall in the midst of destruction.
The surrounding area around her resembled a scene straight out of hell, with countless craters riddled across the surface of the earth, accompanied by countless pieces of broken ice shards scattered across the ground here and there.
Everything else within the vicinity lay flattened to the point where even rocks were pulverized into dust.
Seeing that Nadia was safe and sound, Asher and others sighed in relief, glad that things had ended well without any major mishaps occurring during the process.
Soon, the dark cloud in the sky started gathering an immense amount of pure heavenly spirit essence, which condensed together and transformed into a gigantic white pillar of light descending to Nadia.
The light bathed her in a warm glow that brought peace to her mind and body as it enveloped her entire being within its embrace.
It flowed through her veins like a gentle river flowing through the lands while washing away all the exhaustion and injuries and filling her dantian with pure heavenly spirit essence, allowing her to advance to the next cultivation realm.
Soon, she broke through to the next realm and reached the King Realm, having achieved what many cultivators desired most and yet failed to achieve in their lifetime.