Chapter 105: The Premature Death of the Thunder God

Beneath a vast, clear sky, the formation remained invisible, imperceptible to the naked eye. Within Mount Fuzhong, numerous cultivators continued their search for the divine lightning, hoping to grasp that elusive shred of destiny.

Outside the mountain, an elderly Taoist with a transcendent air was busy repairing the formation, his expression weary and his eyes occasionally flashing with a hint of irritation. The formation was anchored by five Taoists, aligned according to the Five Elements. At the center, representing Earth, was Taoist Hongyang of the Sixth Heaven. The other four positions were held by figures of the Fifth Heaven, all capable of shaping mountains and rivers to weave their arrays. Yet, even such a grand formation had suffered a breach.

"When the formation was breached earlier, two cultivators entered Mount Fuzhong. The first was named Wu Nan, and the second was a young man in white with blue trim. It is suspected that the latter bears the greater responsibility," reported Taoist Honggu. He was the one stationed at that particular sector and, having moved to initiate repairs, had pieced together the events from those present at the time. He now relayed this information to Taoist Hongyang, who stood amidst the shifting clouds.

Hongyang received the news but remained silent for a long time. Unless the intruder was a master of the True Immortal rank, it would be impossible to bypass his senses and slip into Mount Fuzhong. But if they were not of that rank, how could they have broken a Five Elements formation? That person must possess something extraordinary. Under normal circumstances, he would have launched a thorough investigation, but this time, things were different.

"The Primordial Divine Lightning is the very first lightning generated by heaven and earth, residing in the celestial realm, eternal for millennia," Hongyang transmitted his voice. "The Sect Master has received guidance from our founding ancestors: once the Investiture of the Gods is complete, the Primordial Divine Lightning shall incarnate as the God of Thunder and take its place in the Divine Firmament Thunder Mansion. However, for reasons unknown, it was stirred and fell to the mortal realm, shattering into thousands of fragments."

He continued, "The God of Thunder has perished. The various divine offices of the Thunder Department will inevitably fall to those in the mortal world who practice the thunder arts. Those who obtain the lightning in this mountain may not necessarily secure a divine seat, but their chances will certainly be greater. The Sect Master’s will is to follow the mandate of heaven: let seventy percent of the lightning remain outside, while claiming thirty percent for the sect to bestow upon the most promising elders and disciples."

Honggu hesitated, "But..."

"Do not create complications!" Hongyang’s voice sharpened, brook no argument, and Honggu fell silent. Hongyang looked down, flipping a divination disc in his palm, upon which eight rays of light swirled ceaselessly.

These eight rays represented the disciples of the Huanhua Pavilion.

"One of them is dim. Are they injured? There are seven Fourth Heaven Masters from the Huanhua Pavilion and one Third Heaven direct disciple... This must be the latter." Hongyang was surprised. He mused, "To injure a disciple of the Huanhua Pavilion, the assailant must be a Master. Without my orders, my disciples would not act rashly, and as for other Masters, do they have the audacity to defy us?"

He put away the disc and looked down, his gaze chilling. Although the Shouzhen Sect and the Huanhua Pavilion were both lineages of the Taoist ancestors and generally on good terms, their traditions differed. Moreover, this mission was of utmost importance; while others thought it was merely for the divine lightning, only Hongyang knew that they were also here for one of the five immortal lotuses that had scattered from the northwest.

"The Five Lotuses are of great consequence, no less significant than the position of a deity in the Thunder Department," Hongyang closed his eyes and whispered, "There can be no mistakes."

***

Inside the cave, silence reigned. The mature woman had not struck a lethal blow, perhaps because she had seen Qingyuan and Yuling sitting opposite each other, neither choosing to attack.

From Yuling’s reaction, Qingyuan deduced that this mature woman must be a flower spirit of Mount Fuzhong. Her cultivation was far superior to his own, making it impossible for him to gauge her true level. Ordinarily, any figure above the Fourth Heaven entering Mount Fuzhong would trigger a reaction from the divine lightning or the formation. However, she had not come from the outside; she had always been here. Perhaps she possessed a skill for concealment, or perhaps her long years of cultivation in this mountain had forged a deep connection with the local terrain and geomancy. Such places, where the environment is bound to the practitioner, are often called "Domains." To the mountain spirit, this range was her sacred realm.

Yuling seemed to want to say something, her cheeks puffed out as if she still wanted to lodge a complaint.

"That's enough." The mature woman flicked her slender finger, striking Yuling on the forehead.

Yuling let out a cry of pain, a red mark appearing on her brow, and she quickly covered it.

"Is there anything in Mount Fuzhong that can be hidden from me?" the woman said. "It is not entirely this young man's fault. Since he did not kill, and your senior sister is in no mortal danger, let the matter rest."

Yuling glanced at Qingyuan, made a face, and then said to the woman, "It cannot just end like this. It must be up to my senior sister. Even if she says it's over, the Huanhua Pavilion cannot let it go."

"Your Huanhua Pavilion?" The woman tapped Yuling on the head. "You've only been in the sect for a few days, and already you forget your own home?"

Yuling covered her head and shrank back.

"Go and look after your senior sister."

After speaking, the woman waved her hand, and a flash of green light descended upon Gucang. Qingyuan wanted to stop her, but his entire body stiffened.

"If I wanted to kill it, could you stop me?"

The woman blew a soft breath, and Gucang’s wounds healed at a visible rate. As a mountain demon with the bloodline of an immortal beast, Gucang began to stir as his vitality returned. However, the woman waved her hand again, and a gentle breeze swept over, causing Gucang to sink back into a deep slumber.

"Don't worry, it's better for it to sleep than to be awake right now." She then turned to Lu Yushuang and blew another soft breath, a fragrant, ghostly wind carrying the scent of flowers. Lu Yushuang, who had been unconscious, became even more deeply ensnared in sleep.

Seeing her mother-figure look toward her, Yuling quickly covered her mouth, shaking her head, holding her breath, and muffling, "Don't put me to sleep, I won't tell anyone..."

The woman hummed softly and looked at Qingyuan. "I am called Hua Mei. As you can see, I am a flower spirit."

Qingyuan’s earlier guess was correct. He bowed and offered a salute, "My name is Qingyuan."

The woman said leisurely, "I know..."

Qingyuan realized then that every movement of the wind and grass in Mount Fuzhong could not be hidden from this exceptionally charming woman.

At that moment, she spoke a single sentence that made Qingyuan’s body tremble and go rigid: "You came here for the lost treasures of the Ancient Immortal, didn't you?"