Volume 7, Chapter 2: The Thunder That Turned a Corner
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Human nature is curious, and the hearts of gods are no exception. Within those unseen, lightning-filled clouds, a faint projection from another dimension stood calmly, hands clasped behind its back, amidst the thunderstorm. The terrifying, chain reaction of calamities seemed utterly ineffective against this figure; every bolt of lightning that approached within three zhang (approximately 10 meters) of him immediately ceased, more obedient than the most docile child. It was not a true "person," for the figure was illusory, so faint it seemed it might vanish at any moment. However… This ethereal figure, as light as a wisp of smoke, possessed a far more formidable presence than the Five Elements Guardian Array painstakingly laid out by Xiao Wenbing. At this moment, his body was concealed within thick clouds, his divine eyes piercing through layers of barriers, directly observing every movement on the surface. He subtly extended his slender white fingers, swirling layers of tamed, tiny electric sparks. "The taste of three consecutive heavenly lightning strikes is quite something, isn't it?" the man murmured smugly. "A method for tens of thousands to transcend tribulation, truly fascinating. This person is... truly talented!"
After a while, seeing the protective shield on his face re-energize to its maximum power, he lightly flicked his finger, and a ball of electricity shot out, forming a gigantic bolt of lightning in the thick fog. "Let's add a little more difficulty and see where your limits are."
On the surface, Xiao Wenbing and the others stared intently at the suddenly formed, colossal lightning bolt that blotted out the sky. In an instant, gasps of astonishment echoed throughout the formation. "Is...is this thing really that big?"
Before Xiao Wenbing could even ask a question, some people had already begun to unconsciously murmur. Xiao Wenbing's face remained expressionless, but his heart was in turmoil. He was struggling to control himself. Although he and Mirror God had conducted countless simulations before this plan, and had fully estimated the difficulties to come, he never imagined that he had underestimated the Heavenly Tribulation. A chain of tribulations affecting tens of thousands of people was vastly different from ordinary Heavenly Tribulations. Not only had the frequency of the strikes become strangely unusual, but their power was also far beyond what he had anticipated. When the third, fourth, and fifth bolts of heavenly lightning struck down one after another in a short period of time... He was already somewhat desperate, but when the sixth bolt of heavenly lightning appeared, his core sank uncontrollably to the bottom. According to his previous estimation, such a massive amount of energy from the lightning should have been generated during the eighth strike. But it seemed that the power contained in this tribulation far exceeded his expected difficulty. A tribulation involving ten thousand people was indeed not a game. He looked up at the sky, his eyes shifting several times. He had made up his mind. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Wenbing said softly, "Baiyi, Yaqi, when the next bolt of heavenly lightning strikes, you two come close to me. Remember, remember."
His voice was calm and composed, without the slightest hint of panic, as if he were leisurely enjoying tea at home. The two women's gazes almost simultaneously fixed on his face, and Zhang Yaqi also asked softly, "Why?"
"Don't ask any more questions, just do as I say."
The two women exchanged a glance, a faint understanding flashing in their eyes. However, when facing Xiao Wenbing, they only nodded slightly in agreement and remained silent. The bolt of lightning above their heads was still gathering power in the thunderclouds, refusing to descend. The more it did so, the less confident everyone became. They reached out and slowly stroked the Heavenly Void Ring, wondering whether they should bring out this last trump card.
"boom……"
A deafening roar echoed as the massive bolt of lightning finally emerged fully from the thunderclouds, its colossal form, hundreds of feet long, crashing down upon the highest point of the Five Elements Guardian Array. In an instant, the sky erupted like a blazing sun, countless sparks flying in all directions, painting the entire sky a dazzling, multicolored spectacle. However, this breathtakingly beautiful scene was fraught with death, a truly terrifying sight. A full quarter of an hour later, the enormous bolt of lightning finally exhausted its power and dissipated completely. Looking up at the sky... The protective shield was riddled with holes. Without waiting for urging, everyone actively absorbed the heavenly energy to quickly replenish the shield's depleted power. "God, even if you're playing with me, please slow down," Xiao Wenbing muttered to himself. Although he was mentally prepared to die, every extra moment was precious. However, after witnessing the power of this heavenly lightning, any lingering hope he had truly vanished. With a flick of his finger, the genuine Xuanwu Shield emerged from the Heavenly Void Ring. The heavenly lightning rose and struck, each strike more powerful than the last. The sixth strike was already so powerful; the following strikes would surely be too much for them. But Xiao Wenbing was not one to give up easily. His battles with the Dark God, his duels with the Flame Realm, and his experiences in the Underworld had instilled in him a relentless belief in never giving up until the very last moment. He might not believe in fate, but he was determined to do his utmost. The Xuanwu Shield slowly rose, gradually extending beyond the protective barrier, hovering high above everyone's heads. A thin ray of light shot from the Xuanwu Shield, striking the secondary Xuanwu Shield held by the previous person with lightning speed. Then, the second, the third… until everyone's hands were connected to this strange light. Through these more than ten thousand secondary Xuanwu Shields, everyone's energy rapidly converged upwards, pouring into the main Xuanwu Shield. No one resisted. These top-tier cultivators knew that only by working together could they have a chance of survival. At this moment, any selfish or self-serving behavior… All of them were courting death. After absorbing a large amount of energy, the Xuanwu Shield gradually underwent a strange change. The Xuanwu Shield, slightly larger than a washbasin, seemed to be growing steadily, albeit slowly. As its size increased, the energy within the shield also became thicker. This Xuanwu Shield, modeled after the super artifact known for its strongest defense, finally began to unleash its true power. From the washbasin to the tabletop, from the tabletop to the sports field, the Xuanwu Shield only stopped expanding after it completely obscured everyone. Xiao Wenbing sighed. He didn't want the Xuanwu Shield to become so large. In the current situation, the more concentrated the energy, the higher the utilization rate. Such a large size was merely visually impressive and wouldn't generate greater power. However, his control was such that he couldn't allow the Xuanwu Shield to grow larger, thus preventing it from absorbing more energy. And to counter the upcoming seventh heavenly lightning, he had to accumulate such powerful energy. When Xiao Wenbing's Xuanwu... As the shield stopped expanding, the Five Elements Guardian Array below had also fully recovered from its precarious state. With the concerted efforts of tens of thousands of Tribulation Stage experts, the energy absorption speed far exceeded Xiao Wenbing and Zhang Yaqi's expectations. Clearly, at this critical juncture, everyone was forced to unleash their maximum potential, naturally resulting in an even greater effect. Under its master's control, the Xuanwu Shield gradually became transparent, allowing those below to clearly see the changes in the lightning in the sky. Xiao Wenbing was making them fully experience the immense pressure of the thundercloud storm, using this terrifying pressure to tighten their nerves, squeeze out their potential, and strive to obtain more support. Within the cloud, the figure unexpectedly paused all movements, uttering a voice with an unusual fluctuation: "How come there's the aura of an old tortoise? Although it's just its shell, it's already given me enough surprise. Fine, for the sake of the old tortoise, I'll spare you. However, let me give you a surprise too."
In his heart, these people's lives were like ants; their destruction or salvation depended solely on his whim. The cycle of heaven, the retribution for good and evil, were nothing compared to his momentary mood. Tens of thousands of eyes looked up at the sky, seeing the imposing Xuanwu Shield before the Five Elements Guardian Array, and everyone felt a sense of relief. With these two holding the line, they could definitely withstand the next round of heavenly lightning; as for the next round…
We'll talk about it later!
A sliver of light finally peeked through the clouds. Unlike the massive, hundred-zhang-long lightning bolt of the previous one, this one was only about three zhang long. However, no one dared underestimate this seventh bolt of heavenly lightning, for everyone knew that the power of heavenly lightning was increasing with each passing day, so the size and scale of the lightning did not necessarily indicate its power. This bolt of lightning lingered uncertainly in the sky, sometimes hiding behind the clouds, sometimes peeking out, giving off an extremely strange and peculiar feeling. It was clearly just a bolt of lightning, but it seemed to be alive, like a top-tier master closely observing the changes below and acting accordingly. Faced with such a bizarre lightning bolt, no one dared to be careless. Everyone was cautious and vigilant, waiting intently. Under intense scrutiny, the heavenly lightning, after a long period of silence, finally unleashed its power. Accompanied by a deafening roar, the seventh bolt of lightning crashed down heavily. Everyone's eyes followed the trajectory of the lightning, which was about to make contact with the massive Xuanwu Shield. Everyone was highly focused, their eyes fixed on the bolt of lightning, not blinking. Fortunately, these were top experts; anyone else would have been unable to keep up with the speed of the lightning. The lightning streaked across the sky, and just as it was about to touch the Xuanwu Shield, it suddenly veered outward, leaving a bright and dazzling trail of light in the sky, bypassing the massive shield with lightning speed. What... happened?
Everyone on the mainland, including Xiao Wenbing, stared blankly as the lightning bolt bypassed the giant shield and struck directly onto the light barrier of the Five Elements Guardian Formation.
Volume 7, Chapter 3: Guiding Techniques
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The unprecedentedly massive impact was deafening. Under the impact of the lightning, the light shield in the northwest of the great formation finally cracked open, leaving a small gap. Then, to everyone's disbelief, the entire light shield finally shattered completely.
The power contained in the seventh heavenly lightning bolt exceeded the limit that this formation could withstand. Even the Five Elements Tunnel could not withstand such pressure and cracked open in several places.
Although the power of this lightning bolt was far less than that of the thundercloud storm that extinguished the Dark God in the past, its energy was extremely concentrated, focusing on a single point, which is why it caused such great destructive power.
As scattered fragments of energy flew through the sky and shot downwards, the aftershocks of the seventh bolt of heavenly lightning followed closely behind.
The faces of many experts were pale. They didn't care about these energy fragments, but the aftershock of that lightning was definitely not something to be trifled with.
In an instant, the cultivators who were holding their ground in the northwest all changed color.
If it were just an ordinary seventh bolt of heavenly lightning, they wouldn't care, given their own strength and the Xuanwu secondary shield they possessed. But what was coming towards them was the seventh bolt of heavenly lightning from the Ten Thousand People's Chain Tribulation!
Just by looking at the sheer force with which it shattered the protective barrier of the great formation, everyone knew that anyone who was hit by it would be instantly pulverized and die without a burial place.
"Wow……"
With a loud shout, more than ten people flashed by, their faces filled with terror as they fled in a panic towards the center of the great formation. Clearly, under the threat of the heavenly thunder and earth, they had lost their composure and were only concerned with escaping for their lives.
In stark contrast, the hundreds of people enveloped by the lightning, though their faces were deathly pale and their eyes filled with despair, remained firmly rooted to the spot. Not a single one of them intended to desert. Hundreds of Xuanwu secondary shields were raised high, forming a small protective net within this small area.
Once the heavenly tribulation lightning strikes, unless it hits someone or is destroyed by its immense energy, it's a fight to the death. There's absolutely no way to escape.
Faced with the aftershocks of the seventh heavenly lightning, they were already prepared to trade their lives for it.
Xiao Wenbing's face flushed red. He had already realized that those who had fled were the fierce and ruthless demons from the cultivation world. He never expected that they, who possessed such unparalleled fearsome reputations, would behave so pathetically when faced with death. They had truly disgraced the cultivation world.
As for those who stepped forward, knowing they would die but still holding their posts, they were naturally the many skilled fighters of the Flame Realm. Looking at the performance of both sides, at this moment, he deeply regretted bringing these guys here to embarrass themselves.
A fragrant breeze wafted by, and Feng Baiyi had already flashed out. Xiao Wenbing was startled and reached out to stop her, but how could he possibly stop the successor of Heavenly Thunder?
Hundreds of experts from the Flame Realm were certain of their deaths, but giving up was absolutely out of the question. Each of them used all their strength to force out their last bit of energy, causing the Xuanwu secondary shield to radiate light, dazzling and captivating.
However, just as the heavenly lightning was about to strike, a flash of purple light appeared overhead, actually blocking the bolt of lightning filled with death energy.
The eyes of tens of thousands of people were focused on the purple ball of light, where Feng Baiyi stood with her head held high, hovering in the air. Her palms faced each other, and a small black hole rose gently from them, seemingly connecting to a deep and unfathomable unknown world, or perhaps possessing an immense and powerful suction force.
The bolt of lightning seemed to fall into the black hole intentionally or unintentionally, and then disappeared without a trace.
The people below stared in disbelief at Feng Baiyi's solo performance, utterly impressed by the skills she displayed.
Although this bolt of lightning was only the aftershock of the seventh heavenly thunderbolt, even hundreds of experts at the Tribulation Transcending stage wouldn't dare say they could touch it. Yet, this frail woman before them single-handedly neutralized it.
Their gazes toward Feng Baiyi changed once again, and even those top experts near the center of the formation, whose strength was no less than that of dragons and phoenixes, revealed a deep sense of awe.
The Flame Realm is also a place where strength speaks volumes, and Feng Baiyi, through her performance, completely won everyone's respect.
"Crackling and popping..."
The shattered energy fragments mercilessly slammed into the protective net that everyone had worked together to set up. Although the energy was considerable, it posed little threat to the group wielding the Xuanwu secondary shield.
With a flash of purple, Feng Baiyi returned to her original state after dispelling the calamity of the heavenly lightning.
Xiao Wenbing, still shaken, held her small hand and said, "White Robe, you scared me to death!"
Feng Baiyi felt a warmth in her heart, gripped the handle tightly, smiled, and exuded charm.
However, when she turned her gaze and saw Zhang Yaqi's ambiguous smile, her face flushed, and she immediately broke free from Xiao Wenbing's large hand and turned her face away.
Xiao Wenbing chuckled and asked, "White Robe, what kind of magic is this? It's so powerful!"
"This is a guiding technique, diverting irresistible forces to other dimensions."
Other dimensions? Where?
Perhaps it's the realm of gods, perhaps the realm of immortals, perhaps the mortal realm, or even the underworld. Feng Baiyi let out a light breath; clearly, the spell she had just used had greatly depleted her energy.
You mean you don't know?
"Indeed, the guiding spell only temporarily opens a passage to another dimension; as for where it leads, only God knows."
Xiao Wenbing nodded slightly. "Fine, it's better to let others die than myself. Let them suffer this heavenly lightning."
Looking back, the riots on the ground continued, and the culprits were all close to the center of the formation, clearly considering it the safest place.
Xiao Wenbing's face immediately turned ashen, and his good mood vanished. As a member of the cultivation world, he was utterly disgusted by these people's behavior. He immediately shouted angrily, "You bunch of idiots! Who gave you permission to leave your posts? Go back now!"
Those men were notorious and ruthless figures in the cultivation world. Upon hearing Xiao Wenbing's words, their ferocity flared. The most hot-tempered among them jumped up, their faces contorted with rage, and shouted, "Who do you think you are, daring to order your father around?"
Xiao Wenbing laughed in fury and said, "Insolent words! Beat him!"
The dozens of people were enraged, but before they could even draw their magical weapons to attack, they felt countless powerful forces striking them from all directions. Although their reaction was extremely fast, the force of the sudden attack was too great. In just an instant, they were beaten to pieces, their flesh torn apart, and they were on the verge of death.
The ones who made the move were the experts from the Flame Realm surrounding those people. They had long been disgusted by the behavior of these rabble, and now that they had received Xiao Wenbing's orders, they were no longer going to be polite to them. Dozens against one, even if these people had great skills, they would be completely wiped out in an instant.
Xiao Wenbing smiled coldly, reached out and beckoned, taking all those who were already seriously injured and on the verge of death into his Heavenly Void Ring.
Upon witnessing this scene, the other cultivators who had come from the cultivation world immediately fell silent. Even if they were foolish, they knew that they couldn't possibly contend with so many experts from the Flame Realm here. Knowing they were no match, their courage wasn't so strong anymore.
Xiao Wenbing's gaze swept over these people, and he said sternly, "You all go back to your original positions and are responsible for gathering energy to provide for the grand formation. If you dare to leave again, you will be killed without exception."
Their bodies trembled. Although they harbored resentment, they knew that if they didn't listen, their fellow followers who had stood up for them would set an example. So they had no choice but to return to their original positions and continue collecting energy.
Seeing that the situation had calmed down, Zhang Yaqi said worriedly, "Wenbing, you shouldn't have brought these people."
“That’s right, these people are already resentful. Even if this matter is over, they will find an opportunity to rebel. Rather than keeping these troublemakers around, it’s better to drive them away,” Feng Baiyi agreed.
A cold smile played on Xiao Wenbing's lips as he looked at the group, a hint of murderous intent in his eyes. He said softly, "Don't worry, I sent them here for a reason. These people have blood on their hands and are cowards who fear death. Hmph, they want to use me to escape the heavenly tribulation? I'll make them reap what they sow."
Feng and Zhang felt a chill in their hearts. Knowing that Xiao Wenbing had other plans, they stopped trying to persuade him.
In a flash, a figure approached the main array eye. Xiao Wenbing recognized him as Elder Yan.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, there's something strange about this lightning bolt." Elder Yan's voice was filled with barely concealed anxiety.
"What?"
Elder Yan looked tense and said, "That bolt of lightning actually changed direction halfway through its flight, and it even knew how to avoid the strong and attack the weak. It seems..."
Xiao Wenbing's expression shifted. Indeed, he had seen everything Elder Yan said. To be honest, even though he had seen it with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe.
A thought flashed through his mind, and his expression turned serious. He asked, "How is it?"
"This...this heavenly lightning...could it have become a spirit?"
"Impossible, can heavenly lightning become a spirit?"
"This..." Elder Yan looked helpless and couldn't say anything. This answer was indeed somewhat unbelievable.
"Wenbing," Zhang Yaqi said softly, "If the Five Elements can become spirits, why can't Heavenly Thunder?"
Xiao Wenbing and Elder Yan were both taken aback, then looked at each other in horror, both seeing the same look of shock in each other's eyes.
Humans, demons, and monsters can all cultivate into spirits, magical artifacts also have the opportunity to cultivate into spirits, and even the power of the five elements can be cultivated into spirits, so what about heavenly lightning?
Although there was no precedent of heavenly lightning being cultivated into a spiritual land, the strange heavenly lightning in the sky was sending chills down one's spine...
Could it be that they were really that lucky, encountering the Heavenly Tribulation of Spirit Formation?
"Boom..."
A tremendous sound rang out again, and the eighth bolt of heavenly lightning slowly revealed its ferocious light above their heads.
Volume 7, Chapter 4: By Chance
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The deafening roar was incessant. Faced with such a flexible and unpredictable thunderbolt, even Xiao Wenbing, who was initially full of confidence, felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao," Elder Yan suddenly lowered his voice and said, "if the energy of the Five Elements Guardian Formation is compressed to the range of the main formation eye, then perhaps it can withstand the remaining two Heavenly Tribulations."
"What?" Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat; Elder Yan's words were completely unexpected.
Elder Yan smiled slightly and said, "Take care, Fellow Daoist Xiao." He then bowed deeply to the three of them and turned to leave.