“Could this be… heavenly lightning?” The elders were simultaneously despondent, only able to observe these occurrences and fearing their implications from afar. Transcending was a highly evasive and sought-after experience in cultivation, nonetheless it remained an abstract concept. It didn’t reflect how advanced one’s level of abilities were. However, being struck by heavenly lightning did.
“Exactly who is being anointed right now?” The elders’ faces paled. All of them knew what this meant. If the master struck by heavenly lightning belonged to one of the three main family clans in Shi Qu Town, the other two clans would have all but lost their esteemed reputations here.
Back on the mountain, Ling Chunxi was rudely awakened by a clap of thunder. My, oh my. Battle Qi Level 6! She already felt the changes within herself. Her mouth hung agape, unable to utter a word. To reach such a level of cultivation in such a short period of time. Wasn’t this almost too easy?
What could she say? Transcendence was indeed transcending. She possessed an inherent understanding of why she was able to advance at such a rapid speed and how rare this achievement was. It would be difficult for her to encounter such good fortune again in the future.
But before she could even rejoice, Ling Chunxi noticed an anomaly in the sky’s appearance. Blood and euphoria drained from her face. “Hey, God. There’s no need to toy with me, all right?”
“Isn’t this… heavenly lightning?”
Being struck by heavenly lightning was a legendary occurrence. It was an anointing only bestowed upon cultivators who had successfully broken through to Battle Qi Level 9. In the martial arts cultivation field, it is believed to be a significant marker of distinction. One could only truly become a warrior at the pinnacle once struck by lightning of the nine heavens. The lightning would refine the meridians and restructure the bones of the struck warrior, enabling freedom from all physical limitations and a deep realization of the meaning of heaven and earth behind cultivation itself.
However, there were countless cases in which a ninth heaven lightning strike had reduced many a qualified warrior to dust.
Currently, Ling Chunxi’s abilities had only just reached Battle Qi Level 6. This was cause for much concern. How was she supposed to withstand this heavenly baptism meant for those with much higher levels of abilities?
Without daring to spare time for even a thought, Ling Chunxi immediately leapt to her feet and rushed down the mountain. When she ran past the spot where Little White sat waiting, she scooped the fox into her arms in a single motion and continued racing downhill. Dangerous times called for reckless escapes.
Thankfully, although the dark and densely packed clouds emitted crackles of thunder and flashes of lightning, no lightning strikes befell Ling Chunxi. She breathed a sigh of relief as she ran on. The elders of the three main clans of Shi Qu Town who were observing the skies from their own courtyards were likewise consoled by the lack of a lightning strike. Perhaps they were simply indulging in overthinking. How could it be that such a rare occurrence would happen with such ease on a day as ordinary as this? An oddity in the weather was all it was.
By the time Ling Chunxi was midway down the mountain, the clouds had already broken apart and sunlight shone gloriously upon the land once more. She crumpled to the ground, exhausted, as a wave of relief washed over her. Little White let itself out of her embrace to give her space to recover.
‘What was that crazy weather if it wasn’t heavenly lightning?’ she wondered as she massaged her aching legs and struggled to catch her breath. Just as she turned her eyes to the skies to unleash a rant, a sudden streak of lightning rained down upon her followed by a crash of thunder. Her vision was colored white and a burning shock of electricity surged torturously through her body.
Ling Chunxi collapsed in agony. Whether it was heavenly lightning or not was unimportant. What was important was to avoid it, which she was trying hard to do. But alas, she was still struck by lightning!
Every inch of her throbbed like a wound. Lying on her back, she was barely able to move from the overwhelming pain. Ling Chunxi felt like crawling to her feet just to point at the heavens and curse at God. ‘Damn you! Damn you! Goddamn you, you deceitful one! Is this some sadistic joke?! Do I need to tell you being struck by lightning hurts like hell?! Why don’t you give it a try sometime before inflicting it upon others, huh?!’
As though sensing her anguish and anger, Little White gently climbed onto Ling Chunxi’s chest and began licking her face with its tiny tongue to comfort her.
After much strain, Ling Chunxi managed to croak out an incoherent string of words to the small fox in between labored breaths. “This treacherous God is playing games with me Little White, why do you think that is? I’m… Ling Chunxi. I’m… I can… everything. Turn buds to flowers. Pigs to roast pork. I… everything…” Darkness steeped across her vision as she lost to the pain. Beneath a blue and cloudless sky, Ling Chunxi lay unconscious on Purple Maple Mountain.