Chapter 66 Advancement! Struck by Lightning!
Inside the dimly lit cave, Yu Tianxing was suspended above the cave by chains, his limbs hanging limply, consisting only of bones and a little muscle. He coughed occasionally, spitting out thick, dark blood that dripped onto his blood-soaked clothes.
Ji Xingyang's voice echoed from inside the cave: "Father, did that old codger Chongjue do something to you again? Why is your puppet bleeding profusely and disappearing halfway through its journey?"
"It's nothing." Yu Tianxing said in a low voice, his face pale. "That body is unusable. I will replace it with another one. Be prepared immediately."
The puppet possessed by the split soul was severely injured in the final illusion of the first competition. The split soul could have been healed by magic, but the main body was being tortured by Chongjue at the same time, making it difficult for the split soul to heal the puppet simultaneously. He could only let the puppet's wounds fester and bleed incessantly.
"Your voice is weaker than usual..." Ji Xingyang's voice trembled, on the verge of tears. "The binding formation was already devouring and eroding your spirit, and only your self-healing talent allowed you to hold on until now. You're no longer human, and that old bastard even attacked you cruelly... I'm going to rescue you now!"
"Don't rush. Go do your work and make sure the puppet is safe." Yu Tianxing patiently reassured his junior disciple, "I'm useful to him, so he won't let me die."
Even though he was burning with anger, Chongjue had not forgotten that he needed Yu Tianxing to help Hongqizong win the championship. He did not kill him and left when he saw that he was on the verge of death.
Yu Tianxing possesses the ability to heal himself. As long as he has a breath left, he will not die. With just a little time, his flesh and blood can regenerate, and his broken and shattered bones can also heal.
Mingran set up a healing array for him, and he transferred the healing effect to his main body by splitting his soul, accelerating the healing of his life-threatening body. Once his flesh and bones had recovered to 30% on their own, he had the strength to resist the binding array that was suppressing and eroding his spirit, and he split his soul again to participate in the competition.
Ji Xingyang replied, "I brought four puppets to the competition this time. One of them died, leaving three. Anyway, I can't control them to defeat the opponents in the Cloud Platform Competition. I just made them admit defeat. They are in good physical condition now, so you can rest assured, Father."
Who could have known that among the disciples of the Nameless Sect participating in the Spiritual Cultivation Competition, only Ji Xingyang was actually alive? The other four who came with him were all puppets materialized by Yu Tianxing.
"I'll be late," Yu Tianxing instructed, "Don't let her find out."
"Later? Why later?" Ji Xingyang asked anxiously, "Father, are you alright?"
"Go." Yu Tianxing closed his eyes and cut off Ji Xingyang's telepathic communication.
********
Hongqizong, the resting place for the Shen family's disciples who participated in the examination.
The atmosphere in the residence was low-key and heavy. The lower-ranking disciples who came and went did not dare to breathe loudly. They hurried along, and after leading the person into the hall, they rushed out of the residence to the observation platform to pay attention to the progress of the competition.
Inside the hall, five high-ranking elders sat in the highest positions with grim expressions, looking down at the person who entered the hall, remaining silent.
Shen Qinglu stood with her arms crossed in the lower part of the hall, waiting for a long time. When no one spoke, she said coldly, "They said you want to discuss the dissolution of the engagement with me. If that's not the case, I'll go back and continue to participate in the competition."
"Kneel down!" An invisible pressure suddenly surged forth, and Shen Qingluo's shoulders slumped as if she were carrying a thousand-pound burden, her body plummeting downwards.
Shen Qingluo took a step forward with her left foot, using her magic to protect herself and resist the pressure, desperately suppressing the urge to kneel down.
"You unfilial daughter, Shen Qingluo, do you know your crime?" A dignified, elderly female voice came from the center of the hall, followed by another oppressive aura that rushed towards Shen Qingluo.
Shen Qingluo's knees were suddenly struck hard by a hammer, and the pressure on her head, shoulders, and back was exerted simultaneously.
Unable to withstand the spiritual pressure from the five Nascent Soul cultivators seated above, Shen Qingluo coughed up blood and was forced to kneel prostrate before the five elders of the Shen family.
Shen Qingluo's neck was pressed down by the oppressive force, preventing her from lifting it. Her forehead was pressed against the cold ground, rendering her unable to move. She could only stare at the ground and sneer, "What crime have I committed?"
Shen Ting reprimanded, "You violated the family's ancestral teachings, ignored the list of those who could transcend the world set by the Shen family, and crossed the world without permission. That's the first point."
"You defied the family's arranged marriage and unilaterally declared that you would break off the engagement with Xiaosu Pavilion, causing my Shen family to lose face. That is the second point."
Shen Ting paused, his tone becoming more forceful: "You disregarded the interests of your family and deliberately defeated Ning Zhuang in the Yuntai competition, disqualifying him from the competition. What were your intentions?"
"Relying on my own extraordinary cultivation, taking the initiative to clarify that the marriage was not my own wish, and following the rules of the competition to defeat my opponent, all these are ordinary actions that ordinary people take. Just because I am a daughter of the Shen family, I am guilty for doing these things. This is ridiculous." Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead, and stray hairs stuck to her face. Shen Qingluo trembled and used all her strength to support her upper body with her hands, raising her head to glare angrily at the five Shen family elders sitting on the seat.
The Shen family consisted of four men and one woman. Shen Ting, the leader of the competition team, sat in the middle, staring at her with a stern and cold gaze.
Shen Qingluo's eyes revealed a mocking look: "That's right. Grandma is in the head seat, but she doesn't rely on herself, so she doesn't find it ridiculous."
The Shen family has a traditional and rigid family style, but the reason why Shen Ting holds a high position and great power is very simple. As the second daughter of a collateral branch of the Shen family, she gave birth to three sons who were both at the first stage of the Mahayana stage and the second stage of the Nascent Soul stage after marrying into the main family. Her two daughters married into the royal family in the small world, making great contributions to consolidating the Shen family's position.
The Shen family made an exception for her, granting her Qi Refining Pill and Foundation Establishment Pill respectively to help her cultivate. Later, with the help of her two sons who successfully transcended the world, she also came to the spiritual cultivation world. After taking Golden Core Pill and Nascent Soul Pill in succession, her cultivation advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. She held a high position in the Shen family and her word was law.
As a beneficiary of the established rules, she particularly values upholding family traditions and regulations.
"How dare you! A mere woman dares to utter such arrogant words and show no respect for her elders! She should be punished with whipping according to family rules. Guards, take her away!" An elder to Shen Ting's left said in a deep voice.
Shen Qingluo opened her mouth to defend herself, but an elder on the right waved his hand and slapped Shen Qingluo's left cheek with a strong gust of wind. The force was so great that she fell to the side and hit her forehead hard on the ground, causing blood to ooze out.
Another elder raised his arm and palm, facing Shen Qingluo, then clenched his fist. Shen Qingluo's throat was choked shut, and he could not speak.
Two disciples rushed out and pinned down Shen Qingluo, who was struggling to sit up and resist, and were about to drag her away.
A clear, crisp female voice rang out from outside the door: "I was wondering where our sect's participating disciples had gone. So they were captured by the Shen family."
Who is it? The four elders sitting down quickly glanced towards the door.
Old Madam Shen stared at the young female cultivator in gray robes who slowly walked into the hall, her eyes filled with gloom: "Ji Mingran."
"It's me." Ji Mingran greeted him naturally, leaning on his cane, which tapped on the floor, making a "tap, tap, tap" sound.
In an instant, the expressions of the four elders outside Shen Ting changed.
A bunch of women, practicing Qi cultivation but with a disability, thinking they're something special.
An elder spoke up: "So you are young friend Ji from the Dingsheng Sect. My Shen family is interrogating a rebellious daughter. Since you are an outsider, young friend Ji, you should go back."
The word "little friend" was pronounced with great emphasis.
“If we’re seriously discussing seniority,” Ji Mingran walked to Shen Qingluo’s side, tossing a wooden staff in her hand, and used it to poke aside the two disciples who were restraining Shen Qingluo. Her eyebrows twitched, and she said in a light tone, “I am her Granny Ming.”
“If you think about it carefully, she calls you ‘grandmother’ and me ‘maternal grandmother’, oh dear.” Ji Mingran looked at the cold-faced Old Madam Shen with a smile: “We are actually of the same generation.”
"So young, yet so inexperienced, so ignorant of the consequences, spouting such arrogant words!" Old Madam Shen roared in fury, glancing sideways at Shen Qingluo with disgust. "You spend all your time hanging out with these scoundrels; no wonder your character and morals are deteriorating day by day!"
"It was just a joke, why get angry?" Ji Mingran shrugged smugly. "The elder just said I was an outsider and this matter had nothing to do with me. In fact, this matter has a lot to do with me."
Ji Mingran smiled and said, "I am the 36th generation disciple of Dingsheng Sect. According to seniority, I am her senior uncle and also the great-grandfather of the sect." As she spoke, she took out the exquisite brocade pouch from her waist. "As the ancestor of Dingsheng Sect, I should naturally make my disciples give their all to bring glory to the sect. She is imprisoned here by you. How can she participate in the competition?"
Five elders of the Shen family watched her actions with apprehension.
As everyone knows, this young woman with mediocre talent and physical disability is the junior sister of Venerable Hongyan of the Dingsheng Sect. Under his protection, she must have plenty of spiritual artifacts and treasures.
"As a member of the Shen family, she has violated the family rules and should be punished." An elder said arrogantly, his words unyielding. He simply gestured for his two disciples to step aside to avoid injury.
Shen Qingluo was released, her black hair disheveled, blood flowing from her forehead to her chin, and she sat awkwardly on the ground. Although she was no longer suppressed, her forced resistance had caused a slight backflow of spiritual energy, leaving her completely exhausted.
"I don't know anything about clan rules. All I know is that the Shen family intended to take away my sect's participating disciples during the Spiritual Cultivation Competition and obstruct our competition." Ji Mingran rummaged in his pouch for a while, then pulled out a chair, helped Shen Qingluo sit down, and sat down himself.
A chair, just right for two slender women to sit on.
Who in their right mind would store a chair in a precious spatial artifact? The elder of the Shen family breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ji Mingran did not take out the artifact, but he still felt that her behavior was really suspicious.
"I don't see an extra chair here. Luckily, I brought one myself." Ji Mingran smiled politely at the five angry-looking elders of the Shen family. "Since we are of the same generation, there is no reason for you to sit while I stand."
"You're rambling on and on," Shen Ting said angrily. "Are you deliberately trying to oppose the Shen family?"
"I came here simply to get my sect's disciples back in the competition," Ji Mingran said with a frank smile, dropping a bombshell. "And then, while I'm at it, I'll give you a friendly reminder that I'm about to advance in my cultivation level. Judging by the timing, the heavenly lightning should be striking soon, so you'd better get out of the way."
With his sleeve suddenly tugged, Ji Mingran turned his head and nodded happily to Shen Qingluo, who was overjoyed.
She used the Spirit Returning Array to accelerate the refining and storage of spiritual energy in her sea of consciousness for a year, and the vast and parched sea of consciousness became much fuller of spiritual energy.
In the previous competition realm, the Realm of All Beings was an ancient realm with pure and extraordinary spiritual energy. She paid special attention to it and, at the moment of breaking the final illusion, simultaneously set up a spirit-returning array to absorb the spiritual energy of the realm into her sea of consciousness the instant it collapsed.
This risky move did indeed cause her consciousness to be stretched, resulting in her being in a daze when she first landed on the cloud platform.
However, since her sea of consciousness can withstand the power of 100,000 inheritances, it can also accommodate the spiritual power of a secret realm.
After the gradual absorption of the spiritual energy from the previous cloud platform competition, the spiritual energy of the secret realm has been fully incorporated into her sea of consciousness. Now, her sea of consciousness is full of spiritual energy, and her mind is clear.
Advancing to the next level is only natural.
"What did you say?" Shen Ting and the others were stunned for a moment before looking towards the door.
A Shen family disciple ran in from outside the door and said, "Elder, Elder, dark clouds are gathering above our courtyard, and purple lightning is rolling, as if heavenly lightning is falling. Many sects are sending messages to inquire whether our clan's disciples are about to advance."
Upon hearing this, the five elders' expressions changed. One of them instantly appeared outside the door, looked up at the sky, and then returned, nodding with a gloomy face.
Is she really going to advance to the next level?
Rumor has it that she was promoted to Qi Refining only a year ago. How could she have advanced to Foundation Establishment in such a short time?
Could it be that he took the Foundation Establishment Pill?
Advanced pills have always been precious, and even major pill sects only have a few. How could the once-prosperous sect, now in such a state of decline, have managed to find one?
Shen Ting immediately told him to leave: "If you want to advance, go back to your Dingsheng Sect residence." She narrowed her eyes, "Or, we can invite you back."
It's a joke. If the heavenly lightning strikes, this place will be reduced to charcoal in an instant. Even if the five Nascent Soul cultivators work together to block the six heavenly lightning bolts of the Foundation Establishment cultivator, why should they help the disciples of the Dingsheng Sect, who have no relatives or friends, block the heavenly lightning?
She needs to leave, immediately!
“I’ve set my sights on this place and want to advance my cultivation here.” Ji Mingran sat calmly in the chair, showing no intention of leaving. “I suppose you all know that I am extremely skilled in teleportation arrays. If you try to make me leave, I will do everything I can to come back.”
Shen Ting's face was extremely pale.
Shen Qingluo is a daughter of the Shen family, and they can still restrain her under the pretext of dealing with a traitor to the family.
However, Ji Mingran is the patriarch of the first peak of the Dingsheng Sect, and has the Mahayana stage Venerable Hongyan backing him. If he harms her, it would be to declare that the Shen family is at odds with the Dingsheng Sect and to oppose Venerable Hongyan.
Moreover, it is common practice in the cultivation world for others to give way when cultivators advance. This is not Shen family territory. If they do not give way and are struck by heavenly lightning, it is entirely their own fault. There is no reason for the cultivation world to support them.
Shen Ting's face turned ashen. He glared at Ji Mingran and said resentfully, "The Shen family disciples should retreat ten miles away, meditate, and regulate their breathing." They had already accepted this insult; the essence of spiritual energy brought by the heavenly lightning should rightfully belong to the Shen family disciples.
At Shen Ting's command, all the disciples of the Shen family retreated to a place ten miles away from their residence. Even the Shen family disciples on the observation platform were recalled to guard the place and prevent outsiders from entering.
Enraged, the Shen family even took away the lights from the main hall, plunging the hall into darkness.
"Mingran...you're advancing in rank?" Shen Qingluo asked anxiously, her face full of worry. "It's all because of me that you have to advance here. I'll stay here to protect you."
Cultivators advancing to the next level is defying the laws of nature and often faces a near-death experience. In such cases, elders from both ordinary people and aristocratic families would act as protectors for their disciples during the tribulation.
Without the protection of elders, advanced disciples can only rely on their own luck.
If Ji Mingran hadn't come here to find her, she should have survived this tribulation under the protection of her senior sister from Donglu.
But now, she has nothing.
Ji Mingran patted Shen Qingluo's hand and blinked, saying, "I'm sorry that you have to endure the heavenly lightning again, but I should be able to withstand it. I'll just borrow your spiritual power while I'm at it."
Shen Qinglu hurriedly nodded: "Go ahead and use it, go ahead and use it."
Boom! A thunderclap suddenly sounded outside the window, shaking the heavens and the earth.
"Wasn't it supposed to be Foundation Establishment advancement? This heavenly lightning is almost as powerful as the Golden Core tribulation..." On the observation platform, the team leaders in the Class A seats noticed the abnormality of the heavenly lightning.
The first bolt of lightning, dozens of times larger than ordinary lightning, tore through the clouds and slashed down menacingly, instantly illuminating the dim hall with a bluish-white light.
The roof tiles were reduced to ashes, and lightning struck Ji Mingran!
This lightning was hundreds of times more terrifying than when she advanced! Shen Qingluo's pupils shrank sharply, and she involuntarily tightened her grip on Ji Mingran's hand, channeling spiritual power into it even faster. Her other hand conjured a long sword, ready to confront the heavenly lightning at any moment.
Her hand, which was covered in cold sweat, was squeezed. Shen Qingluo turned her eyes to look at the person who was comforting her.
The weak Qi Refining cultivator Ji Mingran remained calm and composed, his clear eyes reflecting the lightning, and he smiled: "Qingluo, a book I read before said that people who do bad things will be struck by lightning."
A pale golden light enveloped her entire body, and her arched eyebrows also shone with light.
Like a god, Shen Qingluo suddenly realized.
The person in front of him instantly blurred and disappeared, leaving only the words: "They bullied you one by one, so I want this lightning to strike the Shen family on the head and wipe them out."
A note from the author: The flu nearly killed me; everyone please remember to wear a mask when you go out!
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