The others quickly retreated further.
Observing the dark clouds overhead growing larger and darker, the lightning, as thick as a water vat, struck the spiritual light shield surrounding Shangye Shaoqing once more. The entire ground shook, arcs of electricity shot out, and a fierce wind raged.
"This lightning seems to be getting stronger. Can the Great Emperor withstand it?" Chu Tianshu asked with concern.
"Look at these dark clouds, they're multiplying. It's terrifying!" Lu Jixing clicked his tongue. If it were him, he probably wouldn't have survived the last strike and would have been cleaved bloody.
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
The third, fourth, fifth bolt...
The lightning became denser and its power grew, having already gouged a deep pit in the ground. Seeing the sixth bolt about to strike from above, Su Luo had to warn everyone, "We must leave this place, or we'll be affected. Hurry!"
Amidst the astonishing thunder, lightning illuminated the entire sky, and the group quickened their pace to move away.kuAiδugg
After running a mile, they looked up and found they hadn't completely left the range of the thunderclouds. They ran again, feeling the air around them become oppressive, making breathing difficult. It wasn't until they were ten miles away that they felt some relief.
Li Tianjue gazed at the distant thunderclouds, his expression grave.
Originally, near the entrance of the ancient ruins, the sky was a mass of blackness. Clear skies had turned into night, and lightning continued to fall relentlessly, its duration unknown.
"This is trouble..."
It wasn't just Li Tianjue; even Su Luo sensed something.
No one had expected that Emperor Haotian's absorption of the divine source would cause such a commotion.
Bolt after bolt of lightning fell. Even from ten miles away, they could see it clearly. It was certain that this commotion had spread and was known by countless people. Before long, the news would reach the Demon Lord Fan Moluo.
This was because this area fell within the territory of the Dark Demon Ridge!
"If only we had let the Great Emperor leave this place and find a safer spot to absorb it," Chu Tianshu said with some regret, "The commotion is too great to hide. People from the demonic sects will surely come to investigate the cause soon."
Lu Jixing frowned, uncertainly, "If the Great Emperor finishes absorbing it by then, it's fine. But what if he hasn't finished yet? Won't he be discovered by people from the demonic sects?"
What's done is done, let them discover it!
Su Luo took a deep breath and comforted everyone, "Don't worry too much. Even if people from the demonic sects find out, even if Fan Moluo himself comes, does he dare to stand in the path of this lightning? No one would dare approach the Great Emperor unless they were tired of living."
Upon hearing this, Wen Daier's beautiful eyes lit up, "That's right! With the situation like this, no one can approach the Great Emperor. Even if people from the demonic sects come, we have nothing to fear. When the Great Emperor finishes absorbing it, we'll have even less to fear. Who can match the Great Emperor?"
Thinking this way, the group waited with peace of mind.
They hoped the Great Emperor would overcome the lightning tribulation soon and successfully absorb the divine source.
On the other side...
The anomaly spread across a hundred-mile radius, and within half a day, Fan Moluo was aware of it.
Black Dragon Ridge, within the Demon Dragon Palace.
"Without any news of Fan'er, yet such an anomaly appears. Something must have happened in the ancient ruins!" Demon Lord Fan Moluo muttered to himself, sitting on his throne with a chilling aura. The grand hall was deathly silent and cold, empty save for him.
He wore a black robe adorned with dark gold dragon patterns, a tall crown on his head, his eyes sharp like a hawk's, with a hooked nose and thin lips. He exuded authority and an imposing presence even when not speaking. His figure seemed shrouded in an invisible mist, indistinct yet exuding a strong pressure and mystique.
If it were merely lightning, Fan Moluo wouldn't have taken it so seriously.
This was because he had already confirmed that the Nether Dream Demon Envoy and the Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Lord were dead, having perished only a short while ago.
Hundreds of people, including two of his most capable subordinates who had reached the Spirit King realm, had entered the ancient ruins for mere hours before being annihilated. This indicated the terrifying nature of the ruins.
Although Fan Moluo had experienced it before, he had still underestimated the dangers of exploring the ruins.
He had to uncover the truth!
"Soul tracing reversed, Heavenly Eye reappears!"
Suddenly, Fan Moluo uttered a few words. He clasped his hands together, his fingertips rapidly forming seals and pointing towards the sky. A flash of spiritual light flickered, and the hall was immediately filled with swirling lights and rippling energy. An invisible and mysterious power surged, and a magical image appeared.
This was a secret technique he had placed upon his eight great envoys, specifically to control their lives and prevent betrayal. If they died, he could see the scenes they witnessed before their deaths through their eyes, giving him complete control.
However, each use of the secret technique consumed a large amount of mental energy. Fan Moluo would not have used it lightly unless the matter was extremely serious.
The scene displayed made his pupils contract.
"It's actually... a Golden Armored Divine Being! So powerful. Who is this person to fight the Golden Armored Divine Being to a draw... What? There's also Li Tianjue... Good, good, so that's how it is! No wonder my people died so miserably. People from the Azure Void Heaven were mixed in! My hard work was ruined..."
Fan Moluo was deeply shaken, his face turning ashen.
Although he didn't recognize the young man fighting the Golden Armored Divine Being, his evasive movements suggested he was no ordinary person. He would never forget Li Tianjue's appearance, especially his signature secret technique, Mirror Flower Water Moon, which was impossible to impersonate, further confirming his identity.
It was people from the Azure Void Heaven who had killed so many of his subordinates!
Regardless of the cause of the current lightning anomaly, it was undoubtedly related to the people from the Azure Void Heaven.
"To dare ruin my grand scheme, how detestable... Guards!" Fan Moluo's sinister voice was like that of a king of demons. In moments, a shadow flickered in the hall, and a man with fiery red hair appeared.
"Your subordinate is here," the Blazing Flame Demon Venerable said respectfully.
"People from the Azure Void Heaven have arrived. They ambushed the Nether Dream Demon Envoy and the Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Lord, and Poison Toad King and White Bone Demon Lord also died by their hands. The Flower Demon is also missing. This time, I will ensure they never return. Blazing Flame, go and make preparations. For now, that's all..."
A series of secret instructions were whispered into the Blazing Flame Demon Venerable's ear. The Blazing Flame Demon Venerable noted them all down, "Yes, your subordinate will depart immediately."
Boom!
He transformed into a ball of flame and vanished into the air.
"Since it has come to this, I can no longer spare you. I've let you live for a full four years. Bai Yanshu, your death is at hand!" Fan Moluo uttered word by word with a sinister look on his face, and then he too vanished from the hall...
After a full day and night, the lightning gradually dissipated.
Chu Tianshu had already brought Tang Xiaoguo and the others. They waited patiently ten miles away. During this time, some demonic figures did come to spy, but Su Luo and the others paid them no mind, letting them investigate.
When they returned to their original spot, they found some scorched corpses along the way.
Needless to say, they were the demons who came to spy, thinking treasures had appeared due to the anomaly, only to die under the lightning. Serves them right!
"You've arrived," Emperor Haotian said, sitting cross-legged in his original position, looking at everyone with a smile.