Chapter 802 Resisting Heavenly Lightning

Not long ago, in a place unseen by the people who left their last words to each other inside the main grotto, some words of persuasion also took place.

“Ouyang Lianghan, do you really think I’m a Confucian sage? It’s impressive to withstand heavenly lightning, but can you please choose a different kind of lightning? Do you know the power of the Nine Heavenly Lightning? What that old man playing the zither said was absolutely right, there was no exaggeration.”

Cui Hao, in his phantom form, asked helplessly:

"Is it because that short woman is around that you're too ashamed to run away?"

"No."

Ouyang Rong shook his head inwardly.

Cui Hao's phantom pointed to the phantom of the old man next to him who was taking advantage of the opportunity to drink alcohol:

"Then why do you insist on taking this thunderbolt? Ignore Tao Yuanming, let him do as he pleases, because he's a dead man anyway, and he's going to die anyway. Before he dies, he borrows the [Craftsman] and [Humble Scholar] fake swords and delivers a fully charged 'Return Home' sword to the heavens. He'll have a great time, but you're still alive, and you might end up in trouble."

Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:

"Aren't you a dead man too? Why are you stopping me? Aren't you from the previous dynasty as well?"

The handsome young man grinned:

"I'm different; I'm kind-hearted. Besides, today's extermination of Buddhism was indeed exhilarating and satisfying. I won't take your things for nothing; I'll help you make some careful plans so that when Tao Yuanming and I leave, we can leave you some good stuff. Didn't you see that I've seized two counterfeit ding swords for you? They're the only counterfeit ding swords corresponding to the ding swords, along with some other miscellaneous items. You should be secretly happy. This is called building up a family fortune. Although you're not surnamed Cui, I treat you like a nephew of the Cui family; it's fate that brings us together."

Ouyang Rong remained silent.

Using Ouyang Rong's perspective, Cui Hao's illusory figure glanced at the people in the main grotto, witnessing the various aspects of life unfolding before the heavenly lightning struck. He then looked at the stunningly beautiful, short woman who was running towards him, seemingly offering herself up for free, and narrowed his eyes, suggesting:

"How about this, you can choose whoever you want to take with you. We can take three people, so you can pick whoever you like. Besides this short girl, you can pick two more, and we'll all go together."

Cui Hao's illusory figure waved his hand dismissively:

"As for the others, let them be struck by lightning. Anyway, you've already shown your might today, so running away from the lightning isn't shameful. Even if it is, most of the people who know are already dead. Let the lightning finish things off and clean up the mess, leaving a white expanse, which is truly clean."

"And what about this grotto?"

Cui Hao was somewhat surprised: "A grotto?"

Seeing Ouyang Rong's calm expression, he couldn't help but ask:

"You're staying to preserve this grotto? You're not doing this out of kindness to save people, you're trying to preserve the land?"

Ouyang Rong didn't answer, but asked seriously, "What will happen to this Xunyang Grottoes when these nine heavenly lightning strikes?"

Cui Hao shrugged: "It's uncertain whether the first few layers of the Nine Heavenly Thunder will destroy the ground, but the last three layers won't strike a fixed point. They will form a net-like thunder pool that will definitely wash over the ground. This main grotto will not be saved, and the lotus stone carvings on the dome will also be lost. They will all collapse together."

Ouyang Rong nodded and said, "Then let's resist."

"Are you out of your mind? I already said we could take three people with us. Is it worth it for a lifeless cave that can't be moved? Besides, that damn Buddha statue was destroyed, so why do you still care about this cave?"

“I destroyed the Donglin Buddha, not the Xunyang Grottoes. They are different.”

“What’s the difference, Ouyang Lianghan? I’m just asking you this: you’re in a great position right now, and you can leave with a full load of spoils. But now, for the sake of this, you’re going to brave the nine layers of heavenly lightning, and end up seriously injured or even dead. Do you think it’s worth it?”

Ouyang Rong asked:

"Cui Hao, was it worth it for you to die tragically while writing the national history and recording the truth? Just to leave behind a few pages of historical facts for posterity?"

Cui Hao suddenly fell silent.

Tao Yuanming's phantom glanced at the handsome young man.

A moment later, Cui Hao looked up at the dark, threatening thunderclouds, then waved his hand impatiently:

"I must be crazy to be sharing this ninefold heavenly lightning with you... Let me make this clear beforehand: you may die or suffer other serious injuries. The key is not the lightning itself, but the divine punishment. Bearing the lightning might not be difficult, but the divine punishment is hard to avoid. I can only do my best to help you reverse and avoid it, but... I can't guarantee that you'll escape unscathed."

Ouyang Rong nodded.

Tao Yuanming turned his head and looked at the young man with some newfound respect.

The taciturn old man carrying a hoe suddenly said:

"I will lend you a sword."

Ouyang Rong exchanged a glance with him, then returned to reality to deal with the lady-in-waiting who had suddenly come to fix his hair.

After a short while, Ouyang Rong put away the mandarin duck jade hairpin, asked Rong Zhen to wait a moment, then channeled Tao Yuanming, calmly said a few words to everyone present, and walked alone towards Tian Lei.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the young man in the scholar's robe, holding the bronze scroll-shaped fake sword, projected the sword shadow of the "Humble Scholar" from the distant, unknown Peach Blossom Spring as the legendary sword master.

The phantom of the "Humble Scholar" was added to the "Craftsman" body.

This time, it's a return to full strength.

The true return to one's roots.

It is the ultimate return of the sword.

Just before [Craftsmanship] was poised to launch and soar into the sky, Cui Hao, who was controlling the body alongside Ouyang Rong, suddenly spoke:

"It's different. There are two reasons why I died."

"First, there was a troublesome fellow. We fought for half my life, and I was seriously injured. By the time I was compiling the national history, I had lost most of my cultivation. If I still had my cultivation, I wouldn't have died so easily. Second, I am not just a Confucian Qi cultivator. I come from a place where the title of 'historian' is most prestigious. In every dynasty, only upright and honest historians could go there. It was the highest honor for a scholar. Unfortunately, since the decline of historians in the Spring and Autumn period, such people have become increasingly rare..."

Cui Hao's smile had long since vanished, and his tone was unusually serious:

“Ouyang Lianghan, historians cannot tell lies; history is meant to be left to posterity.”

After listening quietly, Ouyang Rong spoke softly, leaving behind a similar remark that Rong Zhen had made not long ago:

"They're all the same. They're also meant to be passed down to future generations."

Cui Hao was slightly taken aback.

I didn't stop him anymore.

The three scholars walked up side by side.

Thunderclouds overhead, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and then fell.

The first bolt of lightning was silvery-white, and its shape resembled a branch.

The fine, blue-green sword light pressed forward relentlessly.

[Craftsmanship] Break it with a single sword.

The second bolt of lightning, also in the shape of a branch, was blue.

It was shattered with a single sword strike.

The third bolt of lightning was a strange green color and also resembled a branching lightning pattern.

It was shattered with a single sword strike.

The fourth bolt of heavenly lightning, azure Yi wood lightning, contains vitality.

The fifth strike was a black, dark lightning bolt, carrying extreme cold.

The sixth strike, a gray primordial thunderbolt, cleaves through lewdness and evil.

All three bolts of lightning were evolved versions of spherical lightning bolts. [Craftsmanship]... I still shattered them with a single sword strike, connecting all three bolts of lightning in one go.

The legendary swordsman and his natal sword are just like that; there are no complicated twists and turns. As long as someone is slightly stronger, he can defeat them with a single sword strike.

The first six heavenly lightning strikes were no match for the combined power of the two cauldron swords and the fully charged "Return to the Past" sword strike.

But starting from the seventh strike, the heavenly lightning changed!

The thunderbolts changed from spherical thunder to net-like thunder.

The seventh strike is a purple chaotic lightning bolt, its power random; it can be so strong as to annihilate the gods and immortals of the Divine Land, or so weak as to allow women and children to survive.

Purple lightning struck [Craftsmanship].

The powerful [craftsmanship] suddenly slowed down a bit.

Beneath the thunderclouds, an arc swayed slightly.

The fire in the cauldron also moved in the wind, swaying from side to side, like a flickering candle in the wind.

Ouyang Rong felt a sweet taste in his throat, which he swallowed, causing his scholar's robe to flutter in the wind.

Above, the cauldron sword could no longer withstand all the lightning, and purple lightning overflowed, bypassing the [Craftsmanship] and falling towards Xunyang Grotto.

The heavenly lightning, which could not destroy the cauldron sword, was a destructive force when it fell upon the mortal realm.

Inside the Xunyang Grottoes, the bamboo forest atop the mountain that was the first to come into contact with the purple lightning was completely reduced to a wisp of smoke.

It falls randomly, and could land on everyone's heads in the next moment.

Rong Zhen, Yi Qianqiu, Xue Zhongzhu, Wu Daozi and the others all changed their expressions, feeling a sense of powerlessness as if their fate was beyond their control.

At this moment, Ouyang Rong suddenly raised his finger and pointed it at the white sturgeon.

A Kui Xing talisman entered the body of the white sturgeon.

The white sturgeon soared into the air, taking the purple lightning head-on.

In the air, the purple lightning that had been indiscriminately striking was suddenly attracted by the white sturgeon, and in an instant it possessed the sturgeon, with purple arcs of electricity covering its bronze body.

The fish's body was torn apart inch by inch, but in a short while, it began to heal under the influence of the Kui Xing talisman and purple lightning...

The white sturgeon's body is undergoing some kind of strange change.

Regardless, the seventh bolt of lightning was neutralized.

Everyone stared blankly at Ouyang Rong, before they could even breathe a sigh of relief.

The eighth bolt of lightning struck.

It is a blood-red, karmic debt thunderbolt.

It specifically targets those who indiscriminately kill innocent people, and it's unclear which filthy thing in the main grotto lured it there; everyone in the grotto suffered a terrible misfortune.

The crimson lightning of karmic debt first struck the [Craftsmanship] high in the sky, and was also mostly absorbed by the [Craftsmanship].

The remaining lightning spilled out and fell into the main grotto.

This time, it landed randomly next to the high platform, and by the time others looked over, the female officials and armored soldiers on the outer perimeter had disappeared.

Everything was reduced to dust.

Body and soul annihilated, leaving no trace.

It even made those who looked over gradually doubt whether there had ever been female officials or armored soldiers standing there before.

A chilling and terrifying feeling washed over everyone.

Granny Song was already on the verge of death. Earlier, seeing the first few bolts of lightning blocked, her face had been pale with resentment, but seeing Ouyang Rong also struggling to cope, she grinned maliciously, her face flushed an unnatural red.

"Hehe, you all have to die..."

But before she could finish speaking, Ouyang Rong appeared in front of Granny Song.

"What are you doing, you brat!"

The young man in the scholar's robe had cold eyes. He first ripped off her right arm, which was engraved with the Daoist inscription of the lamplighter, and threw it aside as if he was keeping something. Granny Song then spat out a mouthful of blood.

However, this was not what terrified her the most. Immediately, Ouyang Rong made a hand seal as fast as a phantom and pointed a finger at her right shoulder.

The bleeding stopped, but the Daoist patterns etched all over Song Mama's body began to writhe strangely.

The old woman, who looked neither human nor ghost, changed her expression drastically:

"You, you want to..."

Before her terrified voice could fade, the Guixu Guiding was activated again.

Ouyang Rong grabbed the battered, white-eyed old woman and tossed her into the air like trash.

The crimson lightning seemed to be attracted by a metal magnet, and all the lightning bolts in the sky were drawn to the old woman's body in mid-air.

As the lightning struck her head, Granny Song's expression was one of unbearable pain.

The remaining thunderbolts of the eighth heavenly thunderbolt all entered the void.

A moment later, a charred, hunched corpse fell from the sky and crashed to the ground.

It was pulverized into dust, leaving not a trace.

The eighth bolt of heavenly lightning has passed!

Just then, the ninth bolt of heavenly lightning appeared in the thunderclouds.

It's golden.

Golden Thunder of Merit.

Specializes in striking those burdened by karmic debts.

It easily bypassed the [Craftsmanship] and arrived on the ground.

This time, it wasn't random; instead, it transformed into a golden electric grid in mid-air above everyone's heads and spread down.

Everyone was terrified and panicked, pushing and shoving like birds and beasts.

Ouyang Rong suddenly raised the eighteen seeds, and the Kui Xing talisman emerged and landed on everyone in the audience in an instant.

Golden light burst forth.

At the same time, golden lightning struck, covering the entire cave.

Looking down at the terrifying golden lightning that had passed through their bodies, everyone was filled with mixed feelings of joy and surprise. Even the Fang sisters raised their sleeves and sobbed. Xue Zhongzhu, Wu Daozi, and others, who had always been enemies, also had complicated expressions in their eyes as they were shocked.

But the good times didn't last long; after three breaths, the golden light began to fade.

The Kui Xing Talisman is almost exhausted.

But the golden lightning continued to rage, with no outlet, showing no signs of abating, and was even about to attach itself to the cave and the mountainside.

However, the golden light protecting everyone was about to dissipate, and he was about to take the lightning strike himself.

They couldn't help but look in unison at Ouyang Lianghan.

But then he saw blood trickling from the corner of his lips, and he was looking around at Jin Lei.

Clearly, the young man in the scholar's robe, all alone, had exhausted all his methods.

A chill ran through everyone, and despair gradually crept onto their faces. Some even trembled and closed their eyes.

“Ouyang Lianghan…”

Just as the protective golden light was about to run out, the world seemed to fall silent. Ouyang Rong, whose mind was racing, vaguely heard a woman crying and calling his name. He didn't have time to think about who was crying.

One Dingjian sword can block one attack, but do you have nine Dingjian swords to withstand it?

The old musician's words from not long ago suddenly flashed into Ouyang Rong's mind.

The young man in the scholar's robe suddenly looked up and threw something out of his sleeve.

This thing flew into the air.

The crowd could vaguely see that the object was round like a bead, crystal clear, and emitted a dim light, like a glass bead.

Everyone was puzzled by the young man in the scholar's robe throwing glass beads.

At the same time, the golden light completely disappeared.

The golden lightning that was about to strike the crowd instantly teleported onto the "glass bead".

It's like a pool full of clear water flowing into the only drain at the bottom of the pool.

The luminous pearl, which had been gathering dust for a long time with Ouyang Rong, now bore the brunt of all the golden lightning that had leaked out from the [Craftsmanship].

In the wildest golden lightning, it remained unbroken for a long time, like a work of art.

Everyone was stunned.

An old musician was also dumbfounded.

Is there something that can rival the hardness of the Ding Sword? Even the fake Ding Sword is no match for it, so what is this marble-like little thing...?

Before anyone could react, the ninefold heavenly thunder seemed to have ended, and the thunderclouds gradually dissipated.

Ouyang Rong gripped the luminous pearl with one hand, kept his eyes closed, his sleeves fluttered, and he slowly landed, surrounded by a three-foot-deep pool of lightning.

An arc fell from the sky.

[Craftsmanship] Hanging above Ouyang Rong's head, it was also covered with electric arcs.

The arc that withstood nine layers of heavenly lightning had its cauldron fire temporarily extinguished, and nine colored electric arcs were now wrapped around it, faintly forming ancient and primitive lightning patterns.

Thunderous threads coiled around the cauldron and sword.

It seems untouchable.

At this moment, the white sturgeon suddenly flicked its tail, rose into the air, and circled around Ouyang Rong.

Its eyes were bright and lively, with faint purple arcs of electricity appearing in the depths of its pupils.

It seems that this white sturgeon, with Ouyang Rong's help, underwent a tribulation and unexpectedly underwent some special changes, as if it had gained sentience.

A new lease on life.

Moreover, it could approach the Thunder Pool, which was clearly daunting. Having been tempered by heavenly lightning, it was fearless of thunder and lightning and freely roamed around the young man in the scholar's robe in the Thunder Pool.

This scene was somewhat bizarre.

The atmosphere in the room was silent.

Ouyang Rong's series of actions, including braving the heavenly lightning, shocked everyone. Yuan Huaimin, the Fang sisters, and others watched in stunned silence.

Wu Daozi and Xue Zhongzhu looked astonished.

Is there really anyone who can withstand nine layers of lightning and survive?

Everyone's eyes were filled with complicated emotions. After a long period of contemplation, Wu Daozi suddenly realized something, and his body soared into the air, three feet off the ground.

He looked down at Yu Kong's body, as if he had thought of something.

Rong Zhen, Yi Qianqiu, and the others also reacted and immediately stepped forward to block Ouyang Rong.

However, Wu Daozi did not take any risks, or rather, he was defeated by a certain young man in a scholar's robe and had no such thoughts at all.

The squinty-eyed old man stretched out his palm in Yuan Huaimin's direction:

"Little Huaimin, I have broken my promise, and I am truly ashamed!"

Before Yuan Huaimin could react, a black and yellow earth dragon root shot out from his sleeve, as if drawn by something, and landed in Wei Shaoqi's hand.

Wei Shaoqi realized what was happening and immediately crushed the roots of the Xuanhuang Earth Dragon.

In the next instant, the remaining half of Wu Daozi's paper body began to burn, turning into specks of ashes.

A burst of earthy yellow light bloomed at the feet of Xue Zhongzhu, Wei Shaoqi, and Du Shuqing.

On the other half of Wu Daozi's paper body, a picture of a temple hall faintly appears.

He seemed to be providing the specific teleportation location to the yellowish-brown light. Judging from the image, it appeared to be a Buddhist painting that had been painted on the wall of some hall in Chengtian Temple last night, which also concealed a hidden trick.

Amidst the flames, Wu Daozi, nearing the end of his life, clasped his hands in a respectful salute to Ouyang Rong.

"Your Excellency's demeanor is truly remarkable; I have learned a great deal from you today! There are always people more capable than you, and there is always a higher level to reach. Even the Nine Heavens Thunder could not harm you. Today is truly unforgettable for me. Unfortunately, my physical body is trapped and I cannot come here. In addition, I have to leave. I owe you a favor. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will pay you a proper visit!"

In the earthy yellow light, Xue Zhongzhu looked at Ouyang Rong, who was standing on the high platform with his eyes closed and silent, with a complicated expression, as if he was thinking about something.

The tall, blonde woman hesitated for a moment, then unconsciously took a step forward, as if to step out of the yellowish-brown halo, but was immediately stopped by Wei Shaoqi and the others.

"My lady, do not act rashly! Your life is more important than your sword!"

Upon hearing the words "sword," Xue Zhongzhu's face flushed red, and he stopped in his tracks.

In the next instant, Wu Daozi's body burned to ashes, and the disheveled figures of Xue Zhongzhu, Wei Shaoqi, and the others disappeared from the spot.

Teleport a hundred miles in an instant.

What was originally Wu Daozi's instruction to Yuan Huaimin to save Ouyang Rong and Yi Qianqiu's escape route has now become their lifeline.

A small act of kindness can lead to a life-saving reward.

Rongzhen had no time to stop the fleeing rebels, or rather, whether they were rebels or not was no longer important at this moment.

"Ouyang Lianghan!"

The girl in palace attire hurriedly turned around and ran towards Ouyang Rong, but was repelled by the thunder pool surrounding the man and his sword.

After the thunder, a fishy smell like ozone filled the air. Anyone who got close suffered nosebleeds, their hair stood on end, and they could hardly move an inch.

Ouyang Rong stood alone in the Thunder Pool, his eyes tightly closed, seemingly lost in thought.

(End of this chapter)