"I, I wasn't mute to begin with," the little mute said, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Then why didn't you say anything?!" Zhang Xiaobei's eyes widened. So many things had happened today, completely shattering her understanding of the past many years.
The little mute still wasn't used to speaking. He raised his hand and gestured, but didn't know how to express himself. After thinking for a moment, he gestured:
[It's better if I don't speak.]
His voice was a little different from ordinary people's. If not handled well, it could turn into a crow's mouth.
"Then you..."
Just as Zhang Xiaobei was about to say something, the little mute's expression changed. He suddenly pushed her to the ground and rolled a few times to the side.
The next second, a bolt of lightning split the sky and struck where they had just been standing with a 'zi la' sound. The snow and dry grass on the ground were all burned away. The bare ground was left with a charred color.
"Wh-what happened?" Zhang Xiaobei's face turned pale with fright.
The little mute immediately looked up at the sky, and at the same time, hoarsely uttered a word:
"【Imperial】"
Instantly, an invisible force enveloped the two of them, forming a defense. The little mute didn't possess many powers, and this was one of them. Just as he finished, the terrifying thundercloud that should have moved away appeared above them.
"So there really was someone left behind." Two deities stood within the thundercloud, their bodies flashing with lightning, looking down indifferently at the two people below. Compared to the divine power displayed by Lei Gong and Dian Mu, the little mute's power was like the glow of a firefly. It was insignificant and not worth mentioning.
Lei Gong took out the Demon Extermination Order and displayed a bit of his divine power. Strange characters and images appeared before his eyes.
"So that's how it is." Lei Gong nodded, put away the Demon Extermination Order, and his gaze fell directly on the so-called 'Mountain God.' He raised his hand, and lightning quickly condensed at his fingertips. With an aura of destruction, it struck down with a 'zi la' sound. If this strike hit, the defensive shield would surely shatter.
With just one glance, the little mute made a judgment, and his sense of crisis reached its peak.
"【Run!】" He grabbed Zhang Xiaobei's arm and flung her away. Before Zhang Xiaobei could even react to what was happening, her body instinctively started running. Run! Run faster! Her speed became like a fierce wind.
"No, no, no..." Zhang Xiaobei muttered, trying to make her brain work. "I'm just an ordinary person, why am I running?" "Those guys clearly aren't simple. They must be after the little mute's strange powers..." If anyone should be running, it should be the little mute! But, but... Zhang Xiaobei's fingers were still trembling. Ever since the thundercloud appeared in the sky, she had felt a sense of dread. It was like the difference between a mortal and a heavenly deity, and the weak were only fit to bow their heads and worship.
"No, no, no! We'll die, we'll die!" Zhang Xiaobei ran frantically, the surrounding scenery blurring. Suddenly, she made a sharp turn with her feet and ran back in the direction she came from.
"We'll die, we'll die, we'll all die..." she muttered, tears welling up in her eyes from fear. Unknowingly, strange patterns appeared on her face. Bone blades, resembling teeth, appeared silently on her arms and legs. Her head was reinforced, her body strengthened, and her palms and soles underwent bestialization. Finally, a horizontal eye appeared on her forehead and slowly opened. Her human eyes closed at the same time.
...
Bang!
After allowing Zhang Xiaobei to escape, the lightning strike landed on the defensive shield. Just as the little mute had thought, the defensive shield shattered directly. Even the residual lightning made his vision go black, and his entire body felt like it was being pricked by needles. At this moment, a divine voice came from the sky. Amplified by divine power, it was deafening.
"We are ordered to exterminate demons today. You have taken no lives. Retreat quickly, and your life can be spared." After speaking, the deities disdained to look at him again. Riding the thundercloud, they flew in the direction Zhang Xiaobei had left.
"【Wait】" The little mute forced his eyes open, looking at the thundercloud, "【I said stop!】"
Instantly, divine power vibrated. The surrounding time and space momentarily froze. Falling leaves from the treetops, the breeze passing by their ears, snowflakes splashing from the ground... all stopped in mid-air. Even the terrifying thundercloud was momentarily suspended.
"Quite interesting." After the state of stagnation ended, Lei Gong raised an eyebrow. He looked with interest at the little mute below, whose eyes were bloodshot from overusing his divine power. He had initially thought this human only possessed a small amount of divine bloodline. He hadn't expected... this power was somewhat beyond his expectations.
"This ability seems to belong to the Heavenly Sound Divine Official?" Dian Mu also looked thoughtful. "It does. Should we notify him to come and see?"
"No rush, I'll test his abilities first." Lei Gong looked at the little mute below, eager to try. Terrifying lightning again condensed into a ball at his fingertips. Compared to the previous warning, this probing ball of lightning was clearly more potent.
Dian Mu glanced at him. "Be careful when you strike. His physical body doesn't seem to have been reinforced." In the Heavenly Palace of this era, various regulations were not yet perfect or strict. Deities descending to the mortal realm was a common occurrence. Leaving various bloodlines in the lower realms was not unusual. However, one day in the Heavenly Palace was equivalent to one year in the mortal realm. As generations passed, the power of that bloodline would gradually become diluted. Most were ordinary people, and only a few would awaken some divine power. Divine officials came and went in the Heavenly Palace. If they encountered the descendants of others, as long as they hadn't committed any major offenses, they would generally show some respect.
"Of course, I know. You don't need to remind me." Lei Gong pointed a finger, and a bolt of lightning struck down.
Bang! The lightning hit the ground, leaving a charred pit. Seeing the little mute dodge, he struck down another bolt of lightning. He continuously stimulated and consumed the other's divine power. Facing such pressing attacks, the little mute had no time to ponder anything else. He only felt the sound of lightning constantly lingering in his ears, and his head buzzed. For so many years, this was the first time the little mute had output such a large amount of divine power, and he couldn't cope. In just a moment, seven or eight charred pits were left on the ground. And he himself had sustained injuries of various sizes. Seeing another bolt of lightning strike down, the little mute struggled to open his eyes and hoarsely said:
"【Wrong...】" position.
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly sensed something and abruptly turned his head to the right. There, a familiar figure, carrying a gust of wind, rushed back.
"You can't bully the little mute—!"