Chapter 395: Thunderstorm Like Crying and Laughing

The power of this final heavenly tribulation lightning bolt was simply terrifyingly strong. Even with the powerful lightning-controlling and absorbing ability of the Edict Lightning Incantation, which absorbed over half its power, and with the unmatched might of the immortal sword, which cleaved through the heavenly lightning and thunderclouds—even so, the remaining lightning stubbornly struck Ji Yuan's body.

This tribulation lightning strike didn't land squarely, but it was absolutely excruciating, making Ji Yuan fully experience a long-unfelt pain.

But the more critical the moment, the less Ji Yuan could give up. He had already withstood ninety percent; to give up with less than ten percent remaining would be unbearable, far more than just spitting a few mouthfuls of blood.

However, this wasn't entirely a bad thing, because even if Ji Yuan could effortlessly block all the heavenly lightning, this tribulation belonged to the scroll. Not a single spark of lightning could fail to touch the scroll, otherwise, there might well be another one.

Amidst a crackling and sizzling of lightning, Ji Yuan's vision was filled only with the purplish-gold hue of the tribulation lightning.

With his body trembling, Ji Yuan slowly loosened his grip on the immortal sword with his right hand, then gradually moved it towards his chest, pressing his palm over the inner pocket area of his chest, where the paper crane resided in its brocade pouch.

While Ji Yuan was confident he could endure it himself, the paper crane, whose spiritual awareness was growing daily, was extremely vulnerable. A direct hit from this level of heavenly lightning would undoubtedly reduce the paper crane to ashes.

Fortunately, when Ji Yuan touched the brocade pouch, he could still feel the plump paper inside. It was also fortunate that this pouch had been reinforced with special methods, otherwise, things might have turned out very differently.

The main target of the tribulation lightning remained the 'Heaven and Earth Creation' scroll, which Ji Yuan clutched tightly in his left hand. Thus, the lightning merely acted as a conduit through Ji Yuan's body, then largely converged on his left hand.

Ji Yuan channeled his full magical power, partly to support the scroll in his left hand and partly to use his own body to impede the lightning. As his thoughts moved, a row of magic coins flew out from his sleeve, instantly transforming into pure magical power and spiritual energy, which greatly boosted Ji Yuan's power at that moment. He even developed a magical aura, directly pushing the lightning open.

“Sizzle… sizzle…”

The last trace of lightning finally vanished. This mountain ridge and several surrounding peaks were all emitting wisps of smoke. Ji Yuan stood rooted, calming his racing heart and turbulent magical power. White smoke also billowed from his own body.

“Boom…”

The thunder still rumbled, but Ji Yuan showed no alarm. He looked up at the sky. The turbulent, converging form of the dark clouds was gone.

Furthermore, because of the immortal sword's strike, the rolling dark clouds had split open in the middle, forming a wide gap. Sunlight streamed out from it, illuminating this mountain range with a band of light, and significantly increasing visibility.

Though thunder still echoed in the sky, it was no longer the heart-pounding tribulation lightning.

“Hoo…”

Ji Yuan took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. He released his right hand, which had remained pressed against his chest, and looked down at the scroll in his left hand.

The original white color of the Xuan paper was gone. The scroll now had a withered yellow hue, and some of its edges even showed vague burn marks.

From his chest, the little paper crane peeked out of the brocade pouch, its head emerging to look at Ji Yuan's left hand, observing how the hand, usually quite fair, was now faintly blackened.

However, Ji Yuan had no mind to pay attention to his injuries now. He had even forgotten the pain. He carefully grasped the upper and lower edges of the scroll with both hands, and slowly unrolled it.

From the outside, the scroll certainly wasn't unscathed, so Ji Yuan's heart, which had just relaxed a little, tensed up again.

Finally, as the scroll unrolled, Ji Yuan saw the characters. His handwriting was still distinct. As more of the text was revealed, its spirit and meaning gradually became apparent to his eyes. The ink of these characters was dark black, and occasionally, they would briefly shimmer with a purplish-gold hue. All the characters were intact, imbued with spirit and meaning. If one felt carefully, there was even a vast, heavenly might emanating from them.

“It's fine! It's good that it's fine!”

Only at this moment did Ji Yuan truly relax. His body was no longer as tense as before.

“Whoosh…”

A torrential downpour fell at this moment. The heavy rain extinguished the small fires ignited by the lightning on the surrounding hilltops, and cooled the earth.

Ji Yuan didn't use any divine abilities or spells. He allowed the heavy rain to beat down on him. The cold rainwater invigorated him, making him feel even more awake.

Only now did the stinging pain, especially in his left hand, become increasingly apparent throughout his body.

“Hiss… that really hurts!”

Ji Yuan gave a self-deprecating laugh. With his composure and powerful mind, he naturally wouldn't be unable to endure this pain, but that certainly didn't mean the pain was slight. Another cultivator would likely be in too much pain to stand steady.

Then Ji Yuan gently brushed his right hand over his left arm. The scorched blackness on it instantly receded, and some fine black powder fell away with it.

His arm quickly looked as it did before, seemingly free of injury, but only Ji Yuan himself knew this was merely superficial. Internally, the damage remained.

Compared to the delayed rain in the desolate mountain where Ji Yuan was, the entire Tongqiu Prefecture had already been drenched in this thunderstorm. Aside from a few individuals, the common people of Tongqiu Prefecture were unaware that something beyond mortal sight had occurred in a certain place.

Inside Daliang Temple, Monk Huitong and Princess Chu Ruyan, dragging their meditation cushions, sat together on the corridor beneath the eaves of the monastic hall. The female attendant stood a little further away, leaning against a pillar. All three watched the heavy rain.

“Boom…”

The thunder continued to rumble. Listening to the thunder, the Princess suddenly spoke.

“The thunder seems much softer than before, doesn't it? But the rain seems to be getting heavier.”

“Yes, the thunder is indeed a bit fainter than before!”

As they spoke, the rain grew heavier and heavier.

“Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…” “Boom…”

Wind and rain howled in the sky, and the thunder sounded piercing. The pattering sound of rain hitting the ground was dense and continuous, splashing and creating echoing ripples in the growing puddles.

“Whoosh…” “Pitter-patter…”

Chu Ruyan unconsciously moved closer to Huitong. Unsure if it was from the cold, goosebumps appeared on her skin. After a long moment, she whispered to Huitong, who had been frowning.

“Huitong… this wind, rain, and thunder are a bit frightening…”

Huitong suddenly stiffened, opened his eyes, and looked at the sky. The Princess's words had, instead, reminded him.

“This sky… I wonder if it’s laughing or crying!”

I hope Mr. Ji is alright!

Monk Huitong felt worried in his heart. He looked up at the distant horizon, and suddenly his expression froze. Because from afar, there was actually a long white line in the distant sky, stretching all the way to the farthest reaches of his sight.

‘No, not a white line. The clouds have been parted!’

When the Azure Vine Sword had slashed towards the sky earlier, it was at the peak of the lightning's intensity. The entire Tongqiu Prefecture was awash in flashes of lightning. Even the eminent monks of Daliang Temple hadn't noticed the immortal sword's gleam, so Huitong only now noticed that white mark across the sky. The color of the sunlight was particularly conspicuous within that white line of clouds.

Seeing that ray of sunlight in the distance, it was as if the gloom in his heart had also been somewhat illuminated.

“Master Huitong, are there many immortal or divine beings in this world like Mr. Ji, who can fly and burrow into the earth?”

The Princess asked softly. Huitong kept his hands clasped together and didn't turn to look at her, simply answering calmly.

“My cultivation is shallow, and my experience and knowledge are not profound, but I do know that there aren't many individuals like Mr. Ji in this world. As for flying and burrowing, those are merely types of divine abilities or spells. Those who understand these abilities can cast them; naturally, their cultivation must be good, but the threshold isn't exceedingly high, so there are relatively a few more practitioners of such abilities.”

“Then why haven't we seen them before? Do they all cultivate in the world of immortals?”

Chu Ruyan kept her gaze on Huitong. Monk Huitong’s profile still looked remarkably handsome, and his slightly fleshy earlobes gave him an even gentler overall demeanor.

“Amitabha, Great Bright King Buddha, Your Royal Highness, cultivators naturally have their spiritual realms and places of cultivation, which mortals, without affinity, would find difficult to discover. However…”

Monk Huitong turned to Chu Ruyan, smiled slightly, and continued.

“But it's not that ordinary people never see them. It's just that ordinary people are often too focused on their desires and thoughts, and many times, they wouldn't recognize a true master even if they met them face-to-face. For instance, Mr. Ji occasionally goes to teahouses to listen to stories, with a pot of tea and two plates of dried fruit, applauding the storyteller's exciting tales just like any other ordinary tea guest.”

“Hehe, if Your Royal Highness were to pass by nearby, how would you know he was an immortal cultivator and a great master?”

Chu Ruyan lowered her head and thought for a moment, then shook her head and replied.

“Perhaps I would just consider him a person of refined demeanor.”

Perhaps it was because she was too familiar with Huitong that, even after gaining a new understanding of Daliang Temple, Chu Ruyan felt no sense of distance from Huitong. Her purpose even remained unchanged.

Beneath the tree in Daliang Temple's forbidden area, monks had already set up a simple rain shelter to prevent Ji Yuan's table from being directly soaked by the heavy rain.

About half an hour passed. The intensity of the thunderstorm gradually lessened, and then slowly ceased.

The rain came quickly and left just as quickly. Even the dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed after the rain. Sunlight once again illuminated the earth, and a rainbow appeared in the sky north of Daliang Temple.

“How beautiful! It's rare to be with you and not be listening to scriptures, but watching a rainbow after the rain!”

Chu Ruyan exclaimed with a hint of distraction. Monk Huitong merely sighed faintly, saying nothing more.

However, as his gaze fell upon the rainbow, he noticed a faint magical light approaching. It was Ji Yuan, stepping on clouds, drawing near to Daliang Temple.

“Mr. Ji is back! Mr. Ji is indeed alright!”

Huitong exclaimed with joy. All the monks in Daliang Temple with some cultivation, who could perceive this, showed signs of delight. Even the Princess and her female attendant were joyful.

Ji Yuan, of course, was not entirely unscathed, but he had yet to encounter anyone who could discern his true condition. So, at least on the surface, he appeared perfectly fine.

When Ji Yuan descended within the forbidden area of Daliang Temple, a number of monks had already gathered around the perimeter, including Huitong, who was with the Princess and her female attendant. However, no one entered the forbidden zone.

Landing beneath the tree, Ji Yuan casually put his table back into his sleeve, then slowly walked out of the so-called forbidden area.

“Mr. Ji, what was that lightning tribulation just now?”

The Abbot of Daliang Temple cautiously asked. Ji Yuan thought for a moment, deciding it was better not to explain the profound magic in too much detail. So he gave a somewhat ambiguous reply.

“Rest assured, Abbot. This tribulation has nothing to do with Daliang Temple. It was caused by something I just wrote. It has safely passed, and there will be no further issues.”

“Amitabha, Amitabha, it is good that Mr. Ji is alright!”

Ji Yuan's gaze swept across the scene. The monks outside the courtyard all bowed their heads in Buddhist salutations. This reverence was as if he were a Bright King of Buddhism. His gaze ultimately settled on Huitong.

“Master Huitong, Daliang Temple now has the incarnation of Master Foyin. And you… well, since you have witnessed Master Foyin's profound magic and benefited greatly from discussing the Dao with him, I too must take my leave.”

“May all masters advance in their cultivation daily. There is no need to see me off.”

Ji Yuan originally wanted to tell Huitong that since Daliang Temple now had the Bright King's incarnation, he could now resume his wandering travels. But upon seeing Chu Ruyan beside him, he promptly stopped speaking.

No sooner had he finished speaking, a clear female voice immediately rang out.

“Sir! Mr. Ji, please wait a moment!”

Ji Yuan looked at the female attendant, and asked in confusion.

“Is there something, Attendant Lu?”

The usually assertive female attendant was uncharacteristically nervous and hesitant at this moment. She glanced around, swallowed, and then lowered her voice.

“Sir, for cultivating magic and becoming immortal, are there… are there any requirements?”

This was also a straightforward person; as soon as she opened her mouth, Ji Yuan understood immediately. So he smiled, shook his head, and said.

“I do not take disciples.”

(End of this chapter)