Chapter 196: Heavenly Tribulation Returns

Magical Girls in South China were far more warlike than those from other regions.

The reason was naturally tied to how South China had once fallen into the hands of the Mirror Kingdom.

The Mirror Kingdom let Mirror Beasts wreak havoc unchecked, and even at one point intended to slaughter South China’s population and occupy the region.

The psychological trauma inflicted on the people of South China was far greater than anything the Witch Association had caused.

Not only the Mirror Kingdom — every strange catastrophe always seemed to appear in South China first, before spreading elsewhere. It was turbulent before the Mirror Kingdom, and it did not calm down afterward either.

For a long time South China was called the source of disasters.

At root, it was because the Mirror Kingdom’s spatial technology had been exposed to other remnants of the old world.

That caused many old-world factions to try to seize the new world’s source. The first place they came down on was South China.

That’s why so much trouble erupted.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the people of South China refuse to let the Mirror Kingdom go.

And precisely because they constantly guarded against the Mirror Kingdom’s return and fought the Witch Association and other old-world ghosts, most South China Magical Girls, once they became Magical Girls, started taking part in fights and even slaughters.

Any long-famous Magical Girl could be said to be battle-hardened.

Take Qingluán, who in the North China Beihai campaign joined forces to hunt down two A-level Disaster Beasts, eight B-level Disaster Beasts, countless below-C Disaster Beasts, and resisted two Witch Association regional directors far beyond A-level trouble — fighting continuously for forty-eight hours. She was one of South China’s Magical Girls capable of handling things alone. She was also, after all, the one called Yiyi — ranked tenth on the South China Disaster Beast Hunting List and tenth on the Central Bureau’s list!

There were countless contests and duels big and small, so even Magical Girls who didn’t join the official Disaster Control Bureau still had plenty of combat experience.

Once the hardy culture took shape, by now even without official contests or Witch Association enemies, South China Magical Girls would start matches for fun when they were bored.

There was even a famous custom in South China.

If your eyes met, you just began to fight!

When Keke and her group arrived they ran into a Disaster Control Bureau Magical Girl and a fight started immediately.

Although Susan eventually stepped in to handle it, the opponent had fierce fighting will and decent technique.

She obviously had a lot of experience, though her cultivation rank was lower, only Seedling.

So Keke was very cautious from the start.

Even though she had Teacher Shion’s personal guidance and a natural edge over many other Magical Girls, she could not underestimate anyone.

After waving and greeting her brother, they queued to enter the competition arena.

Someone tugged at Keke’s clothes from behind.

“Keke, Miss Keke?”

Keke turned and saw the girl tugging her was wearing a panda-like mascot outfit, with a panda head covering her face so her features could not be seen. “My name’s Huanhuan. Want to team up?”

“You look like you don’t have teammates.”

“He saw it too. When people withdraw, teams break up. Magical boys have to find teammates on their own once they retreat. After finding a team you can’t join before everyone else does.”

The panda girl then demonstrated a sequence of military-style punches. “I’m very strong!”

Keke couldn’t help but rub her forehead. “No need.”

After registering, contestants generally stayed transformed. Keke couldn’t understand why a Magical Girl would make her magical outfit look like a mascot…

It looked unreliable from every angle.

“How did you know my name?”

“If you team up with me, I’ll tell you.”

Keke scanned the area. Because teams had been broken, she couldn’t spot Yiyi or Senior Susan anywhere. “A temporary team.”

“Okay.” The panda girl giggled, the expression on her panda head changing to match her mood. “South China’s Disaster Control Bureau Magical Girls all know about you. They’ve built up curiosity over the legendary Azure Cloud Sect and Magical Girl Shion, and they want to see what the Beihai Disaster Control Bureau can do.”

“So before you arrived, South China’s Disaster Control Bureau turned the files on Beihai inside out. Lots of people are waiting to see your performance.” The panda girl pointed at the stands. “See over there? Twenty-some people, all from our Disaster Control Bureau, here to watch you.”

Keke suddenly felt enormous pressure.

They came to watch them, but actually those people probably wanted to see what Magical Girls connected to the Azure Cloud Sect were capable of.

Keke had noticed Azure Cloud Sect’s influence had grown recently.

It was expanding toward South China, West China, and North China. Each region’s Disaster Control Bureau was notified to avoid opposing Azure Cloud Sect’s expansion and to assist it instead.

Many in South China had participated in handling Heart Image Remnants, so they understood the Azure Cloud Sect better.

They likely assumed the Beihai Disaster Control Bureau had trained Azure Cloud Sect, or that Beihai acted as a backyard for Azure Cloud Sect, so these Magical Girls’ strength would represent Azure Cloud Sect’s level. That explained their curiosity and anticipation.

Keke took a deep breath.

She absolutely could not embarrass Teacher Shion!

“But how strong is that legendary Magical Girl Shion really?”

Keke smiled faintly. “Teacher Shion is the strongest!”

“Wow, I really want to see her…”

But Shion wouldn’t be stepping in at this level. You probably won’t get the chance.

“Contestants, please enter the competition arena.”

At the announcement, the two quieted.

Before entering the forest, Keke turned back to look.

This competition’s spectator stands were a specially built semicircular viewing arena — said to be the work of civil-engineering Magical Girls who studied back in Beihai. Each tier was arranged like theater seats facing the forest, with glass walls allowing direct views of the Magical Girls’ fights, and screens overhead and on the sides to broadcast the matches.

Her brother was still sitting below in the audience.

She had to perform well.

It had been a while since she felt like a student whose parents came to watch the university sports meet.

Keke inhaled deeply, intending to open her demonic sense to search for Senior Susan and Yiyi.

But as soon as her demonic sense expanded, it was suppressed.

Keke grabbed Huanhuan beside her and shoved her out of the way.

Two magic cannon blasts exploded at Keke and the panda girl’s feet!

“Keke!”

The panda girl jumped in fright — she hadn’t expected to be ambushed by three Blooming Magical Girls!

How shameful! And they were only Seedlings!

She scrambled to her feet, but in front of Keke a petal-shaped magic array slowly rotated.

The magic cannon blasts only produced ripples on it, unable to break through.

“Chirp.” Keke looked up at the three attacking Magical Girls. “Blooming?”

She pointed a finger at the three and pressed down.

“Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger!”

Teacher Shion had once said, no matter who you faced, start with Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger!

Of course, Keke didn’t assume that a single Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger would win everything.

When she’d fought Dandelion before, the move’s power had been inadequate — lackluster force, loose mana, insufficient speed. Either it missed, or if it hit, the damage was too small — merely an opening greeting.

This time, the large swath of forest was crushed flat under those three fingers, turning to level ground, and the three Blooming girls were forced to the earth, their transformations broken!

The whole arena erupted in gasps.

Not only Keke, Jiang Si was stunned.

He had thought Keke’s Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger still needed work; against Dandelion it had been caught at the last moment and neutralized. Being entangled by three Bloomings could have caused trouble.

But now he got to see how much Keke had improved lately.

He hadn’t expected an instant takedown.

Were these Bloomings really so slow to react? Keke’s Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger wasn’t instant — it had about a 0.065-second wind-up. They didn’t even manage to start a magical defense.

What do you girls usually fight — play house?

“No wonder she’s a Beihai Magical Girl.”

“Could she be one of Azure Cloud Sect’s true-transmission? I heard Azure Cloud true-transmission are really powerful…”

“I told you Beihai Disaster Control Bureau is just a name. Mostly it’s Azure Cloud Sect’s backyard. How would East China’s Magical Girls be this strong…she’s only a Seedling!”

Keke watched the three eliminated Magical Girls being escorted out of the forest, stunned for a moment, then she grabbed Huanhuan and shot into the forest!

That Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger had flattened a small patch of forest — too noticeable, someone would find them.

“Huanhuan… he, he’s really strong! Has he already ascended beyond Shion?”

“No, I still have a long way to go. Dandelion said I’m far off…”

A strange feeling rose in everyone’s hearts.

Keke hadn’t left Beihai much; in fact many Beihai Magical Girls hadn’t. Before Beihai’s strongest Magical Girl Iris arrived, the only benchmark they had was Azure Cloud Sect’s Magical Girls.

Azure Cloud Sect had Magical Girls across the full spectrum; they served as a reliable gauge of strength.

None of Beihai’s Disaster Control Bureau Magical Girls considered themselves especially strong compared to Azure Cloud Sect — none had reached true-transmission level.

“Huanhuan’s panda head shook with excitement. “Those three were famous in South China! They hunted A-level Disaster Beasts — ranked seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth on South China’s Disaster Beast Hunting List. They’ve beaten many witches, real veterans. I can’t believe you just one-shot them. You aren’t pretending to be a Seedling, are you? You’re already a high-level Blooming, right?”

With the new ranking system spreading, some Magical Girls didn’t fully grasp it but knew there were strict tiers within each level. Huanhuan immediately assumed Keke was a high Blooming.

One strike to wipe out three Bloomings — what else could it be?

“It’s not—”

They were simply too weak.

Keke, by nature, found it hard to belittle others. She didn’t like putting people down, especially fellow Magical Girls.

She owed her current strength to Teacher Shion and Special Training under Senior Dandelion.

Those who rose to Blooming in South China had genuinely fought many battles.

Still, Keke wanted to ask why they were so weak...

While the panda head’s expression continued its high spirits, Keke began to use a dazzling set of techniques.

“Masterpiece series, One: Reforging the Ruined Flame Body.”

“Crimson Acceleration · Altered, Mana Solidification · Altered, Wind Flow Breath · True, Scarlet Heavenly Eye · Altered.”

Crimson flames flared from the panda head. A floating eyeball revolved around her, glittering. She exclaimed, “I feel stronger. I’m so strong. I’m Super Panda Head now.”

“You got strengthened. They empowered you.”

Then dozens more Bloomings closed in.

The panda-headed girl’s face twisted in embarrassment. “I fight a whole group of Bloomings?”

“Just kidding. Protect yourself. Don’t lose quickly.”

Although Keke reacted fast and left the exposed plain, she was still targeted.

Forget strength for a moment — how many Bloomings were there!

Even if she used Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger, she couldn’t press down ten at once.

Keke wasn’t arrogant enough to think the remaining Bloomings wouldn’t counterattack when she struck.

Maybe her defense was weak, but Blooming magic itself wasn’t necessarily poor. If she used Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger and hit a nail — got grabbed in the gap and had her transformation interrupted — it would be over.

After all, Keke was a Seedling beating Bloomings. She mentally relied on higher-against-lower tactics and wanted to secure victory more steadily.

Open distance, split them up, pick them off one by one...

“Masterpiece series, Three: Whispers of the Pale Blossom Core.”

Petals flew and halted midair where dozens of Blooming Magical Girls had been approaching Keke, who looked surprised and delighted. “Yiyi!”

Silver Lotus gave a rare playful flick of her long hair, looking supremely confident and carefree. “Heh, so we’re not trash, Keke!”

The second one being besieged had naturally been Silver Lotus.

As the Beihai Disaster Control Bureau’s Magical Girl captain, Silver Lotus was a focus target.

At first Silver Lotus was tense. Dandelion had captured her so many times that she’d developed a natural fear of other Bloomings, considering herself the weakest.

From once being able to trade blows with Dandelion to the gap steadily widening, and after stepping into Blooming she could no longer see Dandelion’s back — she’d even been knocked out by a regular boy without magic after ten punches.

Silver Lotus had assumed she was the bottom among Bloomings! Just for fighting Disaster Beasts and cleaning basic enemies.

She didn’t expect the Bloomings attacking to be cleared away as if they were fodder.

Could it be that I’m strong?

That idea brewed, and Silver Lotus grew bolder. She actually began engaging Bloomings head-on. After fighting Dandelion so much, she had learned to retreat to avoid direct combat.

A single encounter could let Dandelion strip all her petal control; she couldn’t land a single hit.

But after crushing the Bloomings, she discovered others couldn’t control that many petals at once!

My petals are powerful in direct combat! I can even drown and divide other magic!

Normal Bloomings couldn’t stop her petal onslaught and she could use those petals to absorb the mana in their magical outfits!

This was something she couldn’t do even against Dandelion; when facing Keke she also wouldn’t normally drain Keke’s magical outfit because Keke’s mana control was excellent.

Silver Lotus felt triumphant, her confidence restoring.

Once she had been a famed genius in Beihai’s surrounding tens of miles! Even in the Bureau she had competed with senior Hyacinth’s level!

Now things were right again.

“Let’s wipe them all out at once, Keke!”

“Okay!”

Because of the commotion, more Magical Girls circled around. Everyone tacitly planned to first eliminate Keke and Silver Lotus.

This was beyond the acceptable threshold!

Wide-range control plus a zero-frame opening Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger — if they didn’t take these two out first, nobody else would have a chance!

Just as Keke and Silver Lotus were about to make their move, someone in the crowd whispered:

“Open Heart Image.”

Both their faces darkened.

Heart Image was a different matter.

Even if someone’s mana control was poor, total mana insufficient, magic power weak — even if the one stepping into Blooming was a rookie — a Heart Image Domain could never be underestimated!

It was like being pulled into a world someone else created!

The Heart Image Domain even drew other Bloomings in. Clearly this group had coordinated to hide the Heart Image caster.

Silver Lotus and Keke couldn’t find the Heart Image caster and were forced into attrition.

But the power inside a Heart Image Domain wasn’t so simple...

“Above!” Huanhuan yelled from behind. Keke reacted fastest and fired a cannon backhand!

But the mana cannon was neutralized mid-flight by the domain’s mana and vanished.

“It’s a domain that interferes directly with mana itself.” Silver Lotus looked ugly. “Why would a domain-class Magical Girl join this kind of match?”

Before she finished speaking, the Blooming Magical Girls above raised their wands in unison!

Now it was their turn. Insert cards!

【Stellar Mark Descends: Final Judgment】, 【Final Stellar Mark Descends: Earth-Rending Fangs】, 【Final Stellar Mark Descends: Purging Earth】, 【Final Stellar Mark Descends: Supreme Holy Sword】, 【Final Stellar Mark Descends: Masquerade and Fox Deity’s Waltz】.：【Stellar Mark Descends: Judgment Moment】!

As if synchronized, an inorganic mechanical female voice rang out inside the domain!

“Farewell, Beihai’s Magical Girls.”

“It’s over!”

Mu Jin, who had been sitting beside Jiang Si, immediately cried out, “This is cheating! How did a domain caster get into the match? It’s completely unfair!”

Jiang Si only took a deep breath.

His gaze was full of satisfaction and envy.

After all, his own breakthrough had been too fast; many of the old ancestors’ experiences were not his to share. Seeing Keke walk the old ancestor’s path again gave him both comfort about her bright future and envy that she could follow an emperor’s route.

The mana soaking into the extended Heart Image Domain made things clear to him.

Surrounded, Keke and Silver Lotus, disturbed by the Heart Image Domain and facing so many Bloomings, finally showed signs of strain. Even the panda girl had already fainted beside them.

But Keke showed no sign of retreat. She only wore a determined expression. “Yiyi, buy me ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes is enough?”

“Yes!” Keke’s face hardened. She gritted her teeth. “I’ll break through to Blooming!”

“Then you better hurry.” Silver Lotus’ petals bloomed again. “If not, I’ll beat them all and your breakthrough will be for nothing!”

Watching Keke close her eyes under Silver Lotus’ protection, Jiang Si felt for a moment like he again saw the Flame Emperor breaking through at Canaan Academy, surrounded and breaking through on the spot.

[Observation: Magical Girl universal ascension fluctuation detected. Heavenly Tribulation system activated.]

[Promotion target level assessment: Foundation Building Peak Perfection (Seedling Peak Perfection).]

[One-Nine Wind-Thunder Heart Demon Tribulation preparing.]

Dark clouds gathered overhead, then a huge tornado thundered down from the sky, enveloping the Heart Image Domain.

Yet Jiang Si merely clapped and laughed.

“Good, Keke!”

Mu Jin near him jumped and hurriedly returned to An Shiyu. “Little An, your boyfriend just went crazy!”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Many people glanced over at Jiang Si laughing uproariously, feeling a bit embarrassed.

An Shiyu, blushing, nodded awkwardly to those around her, playing the part of an apologetic girlfriend.

Some people showed regretful faces.

Such a pretty girl — why did she pick a madman?

Jiang Si didn’t care. After his laughter, he murmured with both pride and envy, “As expected of my sister Jiang Si, reproducing the Flame Emperor’s achievements!”

An Shiyu snuggled up to him, trying to block others’ view. She asked curiously, “What’s happening? What’s wrong with Keke?”

Jiang Si smiled calmly. “A breakthrough under fire.”

His tone carried an indescribable sadness and regret. “A realm I will never step into.”

As An Shiyu moved to comfort him—

A roar!

The huge tornado shattered in an instant!

Terrifying purple lightning pierced through the Heart Image Domain in an instant!

[Ten interference targets detected — Purple Mansion Heart Image.]

[Judgment: Someone is illegally undergoing tribulation!]

[—Tribulation elevated to maximum lightning level!]

[Primordial Unity Heaven-Blasting Purple Firmament Nine-Nine Divine Thunder Tribulation!]

[Output level: Two hundred percent!]