The sudden thunderclap jolted Ji Yuan out of his imrsion in his conception of the Tao. He abruptly looked up at the sky and imdiately understood what was happening without even needing to divine it.
“A lightning tribulation? How could this be…”
Ji Yuan’s words trailed off as he realized sothing. He glanced down at the still-wet ink of the scroll, “The Transformation of Heaven and Earth” on the table.
“Did the completion of this book actually attract a lightning tribulation?”
Looking around, he could see the surrounding wind whipped up alongside lightning and thunder. The sky thickened with dark clouds, turning a clear day into a gloomy, overcast one in hardly any ti at all.
‘This is bad, I can’t stay in Daliang Monastery!’
It only took a breath or two between being startled awake by the thunder to realizing the gravity of the situation.
Although there were many eminent monks in Daliang Monastery, most of them were ordinary monks with mortal bodies. Moreover, even those with spiritual attainnts were did not have a particularly high level of cultivation or spiritual power. Ji Yuan knew that there was no ti to hesitate, he decisively rode the wind and clouds and used his full spiritual power to transform into a beam of light and depart.
Most of the monks in Daliang Monastery were in a state of panic. Many monks hurriedly ran out of their rooms and to look at the sky, where they saw dark clouds gathering and lightning flashing.
The abbot of Daliang Monastery and several senior monks leapt out of the main hall and shouted at the monks around them who were screaming in surprise.
“Don’t panic, don’t panic! The monks of Daliang Monastery must not make a commotion!”
“All monks of our monastery, return to the main hall, the Buddha Hall to take shelter from the rain and recite the Buddha’s Inscription Mantra! If we quietly cultivate the Dharma, this lightning tribulation will not befall us!”
Under the reprimands and reassurances of the senior monks, so of the monks with weaker willpower finally cald down.
“Crack… Rumble…”
“Ah…!”
The thunder ca too suddenly, and Princess Chu Ruyan scread in panic, instinctively grabbing the lady-in-waiting beside her. The lady-in-waiting and Monk Huitong were also startled by the thunder, and then instinctively looked up at the sky.
Dark clouds rolled in like a whirlpool, gathering and swirling in the sky, with lightning flashing within them.
“Whoosh…whoosh…whoosh…”
A strong wind swept through, bending the flowers and plants almost to the ground, making it difficult for people to stand.
“A lightning tribulation! How could there be a lightning tribulation!?”
Monk Huitong cried out in surprise. The princess was only able to stand with the support of the lady-in-waiting.
“Master Huitong, what exactly is happening?”
Her words were drowned out by the howling wind. Huitong heard them, but before he could respond, he saw a white light rise from the forbidden area of the temple, and he could vaguely see a figure flying on the clouds.
Many of the monks of Daliang Monastery, Chu Ruyan, and the lady-in-waiting all saw the white light rise and disappear. The mont it ascended to the sky, Ji Yuan’s calm voice, which he tried to keep quiet, finally echoed across the monastery.
“Monks of Daliang Monastery, do not be afraid. This lightning tribulation is aid at , Ji Yuan. Once I leave, it will not affect Daliang Monastery…”
The voice was calm yet powerful, carrying waves of echoes that overwheld the thunder, resounding throughout the entirety of Daliang Monastery.
“That person is flying! Is that Mr. Ji? Mr. Ji can fly!?”
The lady-in-waiting watched in astonishnt as the white light flew away top the clouds. In reality, it was only there for a fleeting mont. The light had already flashed and disappeared above the monastery in the blink of an eye, leaving only a small dot of light that was soon out of sight.
Although the dark clouds over Daliang Monastery had not dispersed, the swirling, converging feeling was gone; it had been replaced by a single, ordinary cloud covering the sky, accompanied by the occasional rumble of thunder. The strong winds had also subsided considerably, making it at most just a thunderstorm.
Only at this mont did the atmosphere of panic within Daliang Monastery subside.
“Boom…”
The thunder continued to rumble, but it no longer possessed the sa terrifying power that had previously instilled fear in people’s hearts.
“Your Highness, please follow this humble monk into the monastery, it’s about to rain heavily!”
“Uh, okay, okay!”
“Master Huitong, was that Mr. Ji’s voice just now? He just turned into a beam of light and flew away?”
The lady-in-waiting asked again in a slightly excited voice. The so-called gods, Buddhas, immortals and saints… Monk Huitong had spoken of them eloquently before, but in terms of impact, none of his words had the sa impact as Ji Yuan’s flying.
“That was indeed Mr. Ji who flew away, riding on clouds and radiating divine light. He clearly did not want to burden Daliang Monastery. But this lightning tribulation… Praise be to the Great Mingwang Buddha, may the Buddha protect us… ah…”
Monk Huitong suddenly couldn’t continue. Mr. Ji himself was an immortal who could sit and discuss the Tao with the Buddhist master Mingwang Foyin. The Dharma would protect him…
‘With Mr. Ji’s cultivation level, the lightning tribulation shouldn’t be able to harm him. So why did he attract one? Mr. Ji’s practice is pure and flawless, how could…?’
Monk Huitong suddenly looked at the large tree in the forbidden area in the distance. Perhaps it wasn’t Mr. Ji himself who had attracted the lightning tribulation!
“Master, what is a lightning tribulation?”
“Master Huitong, will Mr. Ji be alright?”
“Master, can I learn how to fly and teleport? Could you please introduce to Mr. Ji?”
The two won kept bombarding Hui Tong with questions.
“Praise be to the Great Mingwang Buddha! You two, let’s hurry to the monks’ halls to take shelter from the rain. I will answer these questions slowly!”
…
At this mont, Ji Yuan’s flying speed reached its limit. Wherever he flew, dark clouds gathered overhead, as if following him, or rather, following the scroll in his hand.
With his full supernatural vision activated, Ji Yuan scanned the vast land, avoiding any place where people were he sensed anger. However, the lightning tribulation had co too suddenly, leaving him little ti. He could only flee at all costs, going as far as he could.
Finally, Ji Yuan stopped above a rather desolate ridge of a large mountain. Almost as soon as he stopped, the dark clouds in the sky imdiately grew larger, with countless lightning bolts swirling within them. The clouds continued to expand, causing the sky to darken.
A dozen or so breaths later, the surroundings had darkened to the point where it seed as though night had just fallen.
“Boom…”
A bolt of lightning struck a mountain peak, splitting a large tree in two. The thick flashes of lightning illuminated the dark mountain.
Ji Yuan landed on the mountain ridge, looking up at the sky. A massive vortex of dark clouds, swirling with lightning, pressed down relentlessly.
To be honest, even now, this scene filled Ji Yuan with trepidation. But it was absolutely out of the question for him to just put down “The Transformation of Heaven and Earth” and run away.
After deducing it, Ji Yuan hadn’t even read it through in its entirety yet. If it were to be destroyed, he would also be destroying his own state of mind. Who knew when he would be able to deduce it again.
‘It’s just a lightning tribulation, bring it on!’
But he could not and would not dare to put the book away in his sleeve now, otherwise he would truly be struck down.
“Sizzle… Crack! Boom!”
Before Ji Yuan could finish his thought, the first bolt of lightning impatiently struck down from the sky, illuminating the entire mountainside in a ghastly white light.
“Boom……”
“Zzzzt… zzzt… zzzt… sizzle…”
Ji Yuan pointed his sword to the sky with one hand, surrounded by wreaths of lightning. Above him, a pair of crimson hands, palms facing upwards, blocked the attack for Ji Yuan; it was the Golden-Armored Warrior he had summoned in an instant.
“Crack… Crack… Bang… Boom…”
The scattered lightning swept across the desolate mountain ridge, shattering boulders and sending dead trees flying, leaving scorch marks on the ground.
All the lightning bolts seed to be sliced apart by a thin film around Ji Yuan, and the Golden-Armored Warrior’s entire body was covered in lightning. The yellow light of earth spiritual energy gathered at the feet of the Golden-Armored Warrior to resist the lightning, while Ji Yuan’s spiritual energy continuously supported him so that the Golden-Armored Warrior would not run out of energy.
The storm of lightning was not fleeting; it poured down like a long river, a display of heavenly might. Ji Yuan gritted his teeth and endured it, not because he was struggling, but because he was tense.
Finally, the lightning passed. Those four or five breaths felt like four or five hours. Aside from the spot where Ji Yuan and the golden-armored warrior stood, most of the surrounding area was charred black.
“Hooh…”
Ji Yuan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Looking at the Golden-Armored Warrior, he could see that the lightning on its body still lingered. Wisps of blue smoke had begun to rise from its body, clearly indicating that it was about to collapse.
Left with no other choice, Ji Yuan could only reluctantly wave his hand to recall the Golden-Armored Warrior. Even after turning back into the yellow paper talisman it was still wreathed in lightning, and Ji Yuan felt a stinging numb sensation when he held it in his hand.
Ji Yuan knew the physical strength of the Golden-Armored Warrior quite well: even a martial arts expert wouldn’t be able to withstand it. Although he didn’t know how strong his own body was, not even he wanted to try.
But Ji Yuan didn’t have ti to think it over further.
“Crack… Boom…”
Another bolt of lightning struck, this ti with a pale purple hue. It descended like a hurled spear of lightning, illuminating everything around it in an instant.
Four or five breaths later, the lightning finally subsided. This ti, Ji Yuan had summoned two Golden-Armored Warriors, but they were both shattered by the lightning. He himself also experienced the sensation of being electrocuted in the last bit of the lightning’s residual power, and even his eyes stung a little.
“Huff… huff…”
Ji Yuan took a slight breath to relieve the pressure. He could still bear the consumption of spiritual energy, but the pressure in his heart was too heavy.
His gaze was constantly fixed on the sky. The lightning above was gathering at an astonishing rate, and this ti it had already taken on a purple-gold hue. Bolts of lightning were constantly converging on the core within the clouds…
“Edict: Exorcise Evil and Bind Demons!”
With a sharp shout, Ji Yuan finally unleashed his trump card against the lightning. As the decree fell and the mysterious yellow Qi swirled around him, the lightning talisman shot out from Ji Yuan’s wide sleeves and headed straight for the heavens.
Swoosh…
A massive lightning talisman appeared in the sky, and at the sa mont, lightning struck again.
“Crack… Rumble…”
The lightning, like a waterfall cascading from the sky, poured continuously onto the lightning talisman, making to turn a deep purple-gold. Each flicker of the talisman grew more and more dazzling as it continued to expand.
Oh no, the lightning talisman is about to collapse!
How many breaths could it last? Two breaths? Three?
Ji Yuan was heartbroken. This lightning talisman was a precious treasure; destroying it would be devastating. But he had to endure, otherwise he would not be able to survive this lightning tribulation!
Ji Yuan was certain that there wouldn’t be too many lightning strikes this ti, at most only three, but they would definitely be three incredibly powerful ones. Otherwise, with such exaggerated power, if there were six or seven, he would have no choice but to run away.
Finally, even with the combined power of the mysterious yellow Qi supporting it, the lightning talisman’s glow reached a blinding level, indicating its imminent collapse. Exactly three and a half breaths had passed at this mont.
Withdraw!
With a thought, Ji Yuan instantly withdrew the cracked Lightning Talisman with a flick fo his sleeve. at the sa mont, his right hand grasped the hilt of the Green Vine Sword. The light from the character “concealed” on the scabbard had completely rged into the character “sharp.”
“Don’t underestimate !”
Ji Yuan roared angrily at the heavens, drawing his sword!
“Shiiing—”
Swish…
The sword unleashed its full power, its sword light mingling with the lightning, illuminating the surroundings until only a white glow remained, obscuring everything else and making it impossible to see one’s own hand in front of one’s face.
At this mont, the sword energy and sword light, carrying an unparalleled might, sliced a crescent moon into the air, splitting the cascading lightning in two, and cleaving through the chaotic thunderclouds above.
“Sizzle, sizzle, zzzzzzt… sizzle, sizzle…”
Even though the lightning was split apart, endless bolts continued to pour down along the hilt of the sword.
“Urgh…”
Ji Yuan groaned, enduring the pain. He gripped the wondrous technique of “The Transformation of Heaven and Earth” tightly, constantly channeling his spiritual energy to protect it. The boundless power of the lightning intently rushed into Ji Yuan’s left hand, entangled with the spiritual light of the scroll.
T/n: Happy translation anniversary! This site has officially been translating for 2 years! 😀
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