The storm had quieted now, the sky above no longer crackling with energy.
Dark clouds still loomed overhead, but the worst of it had passed.
Gu Jin felt an odd sense of relief, knowing that she had made it through the one hundred strikes, albeit with the woman's help.
She couldn't quite believe it.
Her eyes fluttered shut as her body sank into a deep exhaustion.
The adrenaline that had kept her going during the tribulation had faded, leaving her utterly spent.
Every muscle in her body felt like it had been torn apart and stitched back together.
The woman moved closer, sitting down next to her without a word.
She didn't offer any comforting gestures, gentle touch, or words of reassurance, but her presence alone was oddly comforting to Gu Jin.
The woman exuded a quiet strength, one that made Gu Jin feel protected even in this weakened state.
For a long while, neither of them spoke.