Book 5: Chapter 77: Tragedy! Weaving oneself into a cocoon |
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Fortunately, Yuntai An was not like Ji Yanxiu.
He was the great prodigy of the direct line of the Chaoyang King's residence. Not only was his bloodline far superior to Ji Yanxiu's, but his strength had also reached the mid-Purple Mansion Realm. His family's deep foundation was far beyond that of an average great prodigy.
Even though the second bolt of heavenly lightning was stronger and caught him off guard, he managed to defend against it, albeit with another mouthful of blood. Though it looked a bit miserable, he ultimately held his ground.
"Great, that bolt of lightning didn't hit Anye." Sword Ji and Formation Ji exchanged glances, a trace of joy flashing in their eyes, feeling relieved.
"Ugh!"
These words fell into Yuntai An's ears, causing his expression to twitch. The second mouthful of blood he had swallowed back down was spat out again.
His heart was filled with indignation.
Did these Spirit Artifacts have to be so pragmatic?
Truly, the world had changed, and people's hearts had grown cold, even the Spirit Artifacts had become so realistic.
In the blink of an eye, the tribulation clouds in the sky began brewing the next bolt of lightning. The speed of the lightning's formation was swift, and the third bolt carried an even stronger intent, its power naturally more extraordinary.
"Young Master Anye, wake up quickly." Ji Qianqian took advantage of the pause to try and shake Wang Anye awake, "Now is not the time to comprehend sword intent."
"No worries." Wang Anye's calm voice sounded in her ear, even though his eyes remained closed, "Miss Ji, stay by my side, don't go anywhere. If there's danger, I'll step in."
"Alright then."
Hearing Wang Anye speak, Ji Qianqian's mind unexpectedly calmed down, feeling an unprecedented sense of security.
She even secretly curled up a bit, making herself more comfortable in Young Master Anye's embrace.
She wished she could stay like this forever, but unfortunately, she knew the gap between their statuses was too vast for anything to ever come of it.
In that moment of distraction.
The third bolt of lightning arrived as expected, its target clearly Wei Qingyun.
Good!
Yuntai An let out a slight sigh of relief, thinking it was about time for Wei Qingyun to suffer a bit too.
Unexpectedly, just as the lightning was about to strike, a strong gust of wind swept through the sky. The tribulation clouds were disturbed by this wind, causing even the imminent lightning to waver.
Naturally, under the influence of a variable called "coincidence," the third bolt of lightning once again changed direction, heading straight for Yuntai An!
"Damn it!"
Yuntai An's face showed more shock and anger than fear.
How could he be so unlucky?!
His heart was filled with frustration and confusion, but even so, his hands moved without delay.
A jade talisman engraved with golden patterns was already in his grasp. It was the Golden Bell Talisman bestowed by his ancestor.
At the moment the lightning struck, he pinched his fingers, and the talisman shattered instantly.
A golden bell-shaped shield, both real and illusory, erupted from the talisman. The bell appeared incredibly solid, with countless mysterious and profound characters swirling on its surface, clearly indicating its formidable defensive power.
"Boom!"
The third bolt of lightning struck the golden bell-shaped shield.
The buzzing sound of the energy explosion caused Yuntai An's eardrums to ache, and the shockwave transmitted to his body made his internal organs churn.
"Ugh!"
Yuntai An's body trembled, nearly collapsing to the ground, and he couldn't help but spit out another mouthful of blood, his expression a mix of shock and anger: "This heavenly lightning is damn bullying! Why does it keep targeting me?"
However, Yuntai An didn't know that this was only the beginning of his nightmare.
It was as if he had mastered a major divine ability where his words became reality. The fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh bolts of lightning all inexplicably targeted Yuntai An.
For instance, the lightning initially aimed at Wang Anye would always, due to some inexplicable change, veer off and strike him.
The seventh bolt was the most excessive, clearly aimed at Wei Qingyun, but halfway through, it turned towards Wang Anye, only to veer again and strike Yuntai An before he could relax.
It was simply too much!
If it were any other great prodigy, being bombarded by divine tribulation lightning like this, they would have long lost their lives.
Fortunately, Yuntai An hailed from the Chaoyang King's residence, with numerous trump cards in hand. He kept throwing out life-saving cards one after another, barely surviving the increasingly fierce lightning strikes.
Unfortunately, no matter how many trump cards he had, he was ultimately only at the mid-Purple Mansion Realm.
After enduring six bolts of lightning, Yuntai An lay on the ground like a dead dog, his body charred black, and even a man of iron couldn't help but shed tears.
This was bullying, too much bullying!
Wasn't it supposed to be two bolts per person on average?
"Sigh, this is too tragic." Sword Ji turned her head away, unable to bear watching, "It seems Yuntai An's luck isn't very good."
"Indeed, it's fortunate we didn't choose him as the heir to the manual." Formation Ji patted her chest, her lazy and charming face showing a hint of fear, "With this luck, I'm afraid he won't live to reach the Void Realm."
Even Ji Qianqian on the other side couldn't bear to watch any longer. It was too pitiful~
"Ugh!"
Yuntai An had no more blood to spit out, so he simply lay on his back, staring at the tribulation clouds above, his face pale as he weakly cursed, "Damn heavens, come on, keep striking me if you dare."
Not good!
Wei Qingyun's heart trembled, sensing that things were about to go wrong.
The reason he set up this situation today was to use the power of heavenly lightning to kill Wang Anye. If the lightning really ended up killing Yuntai An, it would sow the seeds of a great disaster.
Who was the Chaoyang King?
In terms of strength, she was at the late Void Realm; in terms of power, she was one of the most influential kings in the Immortal Court. Even though she no longer went to the battlefield, her influence was still immense.
In a fair competition, no matter who won or lost, she wouldn't have much to say. But if Yuntai An were to die, the Chaoyang King would certainly not let it go, and might fully investigate the truth.
Although divine tribulation lightning could interfere with some time-reversal treasure investigations, what if the Chaoyang King went to cry in front of the Immortal Emperor?
He knew his own methods well; he could deceive Void Realm experts, but if the Immortal Emperor took notice and intervened, it would be impossible to hide.
At that point, how could Wei Qingyun expect to escape unscathed?
The only solution now was to ensure Yuntai An's survival while making Wang Anye suffer.
It was unclear whether Wang Anye was just lucky or if Ji Qianqian had extremely high fortune, but the lightning always veered away from them, much to Wei Qingyun's surprise.
He hadn't wanted to use that move, as more actions increased the risk of exposure. If Sword Ji and Formation Ji realized he was behind the scenes, it would result in going for wool and coming back shorn.
But now... there was no choice, he had to risk it!
Wei Qingyun used his movement technique, flashing to Yuntai An's side: "Brother Tai An, don't worry, I'll block the eighth bolt of lightning for you."
In that moment, Yuntai An was deeply moved.
He had never liked Wei Qingyun, thinking this guy was scheming and pretentious.
Who would have thought that in this critical moment, he would be willing to stand up and protect him?
"Thank you, Brother Wei. From now on, you're my brother, Yuntai An." Yuntai An said, choking with emotion.
While Wei Qingyun was reassuring Yuntai An, he took the opportunity to flick his fingers hidden in his sleeve, sending an invisible and obscure energy towards Wang Anye.
That energy was like an invisible whirlwind, sweeping towards Wang Anye and Ji Qianqian.
No matter which of the two had good luck, it wouldn't matter, because this move was a protective innate ability from the Tree of Fortune—[Fortune Dispel]!
Even someone with extremely good luck would find their good fortune leaving them after being hit by this move.
Of course, this move was about "dispelling" fortune, not "stripping" it.
Though they seemed similar, they were actually two completely different forces of the heavenly law.
"Dispelling" was temporary; as long as the "person" who was the source of the fortune remained unchanged, the scattered fortune would eventually gather back, returning to its original state.
But if it were "stripping," it would change the fundamental fortune, never to be restored.
Currently, the Tree of Fortune was too low-level to have that ability. Whether it would in the future, no one knew.
As the obscure energy swept towards Wang Anye and Ji Qianqian, Ji Qianqian suddenly felt a terrifying premonition of impending doom.
"Huh?"
Wang Anye also slightly tilted his head, though he didn't open his eyes, he was clearly alerted.
However, under normal circumstances, human Basalt cultivators couldn't directly sense the power of fortune. Even if the two realized something was wrong, they wouldn't be able to stop it.
Nor would they know how to stop it.
Yet.
As soon as the obscure aura touched Wang Anye, instead of dispelling his fortune as Wei Qingyun expected, it seemed to encounter a natural enemy, freezing in place with a shiver.
The next moment.
It rebounded at a speed faster than it came, shooting straight back towards Wei Qingyun.
"Boom!"
An invisible wave exploded above Wei Qingyun's head, shattering the red cloud hovering there into countless scattered points of fortune light.
Even the white fortune energy around Wei Qingyun seemed to be swept away by a fierce wind, starting to dissipate continuously.
His whole body trembled, as if he had been shocked, and his face turned extremely ugly.
At that moment, he felt as if he were in a quagmire, every movement filled with an odd sluggishness.
He realized something was wrong.
He had been backfired against.
Yet.
Before he could react, the eighth bolt of lightning in the tribulation clouds above had reached its peak.
"Boom!"
A blinding white light suddenly burst forth.
The lightning struck down, its terrifying power accompanied by deafening thunder, shaking the entire sky.
Its target was Wei Qingyun.
"Gulp."
The terrifyingly destructive aura of the lightning made Yuntai An swallow hard.
If he were hit again, how could he possibly survive?
Wei Qingyun's scalp tingled.
Not daring to delay, he immediately summoned the divine spirit artifact shield he had prepared, and a thick earth-element energy shield blossomed, enveloping him in an instant.
The lightning came too fast.
He hadn't had time to make more preparations before the lightning struck the shield.
Amidst the thunderous roar, the energy shield shattered instantly, sending Wei Qingyun flying, even cracking the divine spirit artifact shield.
He himself suffered internal injuries, spewing blood, and even his hairpin was knocked off, leaving his hair disheveled and making him look utterly pathetic.
This was the eighth divine tribulation lightning; even a newly ascended Divine Realm expert would struggle to withstand it without adequate preparation, let alone a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.
Yuntai An was right beside him, and although he wasn't directly hit by the lightning, the shockwave sent him flying.
He tumbled to the ground, his injuries worsening.
He coughed up blood with difficulty, his eyes wide with shock and grievance.
For in the moment the lightning struck Wei Qingyun, he realized that the eighth bolt was actually aimed at Wei Qingyun, and he, Yuntai An, was merely collateral damage.
However, Yuntai An couldn't complain much, as Wei Qingyun had ultimately come to help him out of goodwill.
It was just that neither of them expected that Yuntai An, who had been continuously unlucky with six bolts of lightning, would suddenly stop being unlucky.
"Brother Wei, are you alright?" Yuntai An still expressed concern for Wei Qingyun, showing that he was a man of integrity and loyalty.
"I'm not..."
Wei Qingyun barely caught his breath, coughing up blood as he was about to speak.
However, just as he uttered two words, a faint cracking sound reached his ears, as if something had shattered.
Not good, it's the Breath Soil Pendant!
Wei Qingyun's scalp tingled, and every hair stood on end, a sense of impending doom rushing to his mind.
Under normal circumstances, the Breath Soil Pendant wouldn't be so fragile; even if you smashed it or squeezed it with profound energy, it wouldn't break. But clearly, the lightning had dealt it a massive blow.
Under the lightning's impact, even the divine spirit artifact shield nearly failed, let alone the Breath Soil Pendant?
A series of faint cracking sounds followed, and then with a bang, the Breath Soil Pendant shattered.
Without the inscriptions on the Breath Soil Pendant to hold it together, the Breath Soil space folded within it unfolded into normal space.
A large amount of spiritual soil poured out like a sandstorm, and the confinement array painstakingly crafted by the Wei Clan collapsed in an instant.
"Ahh!"
Accompanied by a childish and angry scream, a not-so-large sapling burst out of the void, landing with a thud on the ground.
Its slender trunk wobbled, its thin roots barely supporting its body, and its willow-like leaves trembled, with remnants of broken restrictions hanging from its branches, looking both ridiculous and pitiful.
Clearly, this was the Tree of Fortune.
This was a big problem!
Wei Qingyun's pupils contracted, his scalp tingling, and he immediately prepared to retreat.
However, after the lightning strike, he was severely injured, and his movements were half a beat slower. In that brief pause, the Tree of Fortune was already "yowling" and angrily pouncing on him.
The sapling could barely stand, but it was clearly enraged, using all its strength.
First, it used an old tree's roots to bind Wei Qingyun tightly. Then, its branches flew, mercilessly whipping Wei Qingyun.
"Smack! Smack! Smack!"
As it whipped, it "yowled" as if venting its anger at being imprisoned and occasionally having its source power drained by the Wei Clan.
But the Tree of Fortune was only at the fifth tier, and having just been drained of some source power, it was in a weakened state, so these whippings didn't cause substantial harm to Wei Qingyun, only adding to his pain.
The damage wasn't great, but the insult was immense.
"Wei..."
Yuntai An was utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend what was happening.
He struggled to help, but the Sword Formation Manual had already "fluttered" over.
Sword Ji and Formation Ji were both shocked, "This sapling seems to be the legendary Tree of Fortune. Yes, yes, it's the Tree of Fortune, no doubt about it."
Tree of Fortune?
Yuntai An's concerned expression stiffened slightly, then gradually turned livid.
He suddenly understood why the lightning aimed at Wei Qingyun always veered towards him.
Though straightforward and loyal, he wasn't a fool. Raised in the Chaoyang King's residence, he had plenty of knowledge despite his obsession with swordsmanship, and he quickly pieced it together.
"Good for you, Wei Qingyun!" Yuntai An was so angry his face flushed, his body trembling, nearly spitting blood again, "You damn scoundrel, you secretly conjured this divine tribulation cloud, didn't you? You're damn insidious."
What infuriated Yuntai An even more was that Wei Qingyun had tried to manipulate and deceive his feelings!
This was intolerable!
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