Chapter 116: A Thousand Year Promise

  It was as if all the light in the world had gathered on that bolt of lightning, so dazzling and resplendent it was, like fireworks bursting in a dark sky, yet with an earth-shattering momentum, it struck down at the small lotus stone pedestal suspended in mid-air, at the figure standing proudly atop it, without mercy, without pause.

  At this moment of lightning speed, the figure suddenly moved.

  In the flickering flames, a bony and slender hand suddenly stretched out, with its five fingers spread wide and palm facing upwards, directly confronting the rapidly descending lightning bolt. With a few "whooshing" sounds, the brilliant firelight instantly dyed the sky above the Lotus Platform red. Suddenly, three layers of firewall appeared between the lightning bolt and the palm, each layer thicker than the last, and in an instant, they protected Xuan Xiao's body.

  BOOM!!!!!!!

  Just as the lightning struck, it hit the outermost layer of the firewall, and a red glow flashed on and off, with a hissing sound constantly, sparks and electric light scattered in all directions like shooting stars, passing over people's heads, splashing everywhere. The flames burning fiercely on the firewall suddenly surged several feet high, but in the next instant, they disappeared with a bang.

  "Rumble, rumble, rumble——!!!"

  Dark clouds again brought three flashes of lightning that struck the lotus stone platform, causing it to shake violently. Amidst the cries of shock from Cloud Sky River and others, everyone retreated to the corner of the stone platform where the impact was smallest. Mu Rong Ziying saw Shen Baiyun still standing in a daze on the platform, not knowing what he was thinking about, and quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him over.

  Shen Bailian's eyes widened as she strained to find Xuanyue's figure amidst the rolling heat waves and piercing electric light.

  The lightning flashed and disappeared, and when I looked again at the lotus stone platform, the ground was covered with charred marks of fierce fire burning and lightning striking everywhere, without a single intact place. In the gradually dispersing smoke and fire, a tall figure slowly emerged, wearing a white robe that was inflated by the strong wind, holding a sword with bright red light, it was Xuan Xiao.

  Murong Ziyin saw his safe and sound figure, even though he was very dissatisfied with Xuanxiao's behavior, he couldn't help but praise him in a low voice: "Xuanxiao is indeed an extraordinary person."

  Yun Tianhe and the others were still in shock, but after hearing this, they couldn't help but nod their heads one after another, recalling how the four consecutive heavenly thunderbolts had just struck him without causing him any harm.

  After a few flashes of lightning, the sky and the earth suddenly fell silent, and the whirlpool in the air seemed to slow down its rotation. The electric lights that shuttled through the dark clouds became more and more frequent, denser and denser, and surprisingly, they all converged on the large whirlpool in the air without exception.

  The fierce wind gradually subsided, and the fluttering clothes of everyone in mid-air slowly settled back onto their bodies. But this calmness before the storm made everyone's heart beat even faster.

  In the silence, all that could be heard was a rapid succession of breaths. Shen Bailian almost forgot to blink her eyes, staring intently at the person on stage, watching his every move with rapt attention, so absorbed that she even forgot about her own safety.

  "Psst... psst..."

  Just then, a strange and eerie sound came from the sky, and everyone looked up, involuntarily taking a cold breath. The huge whirlpool that had stopped spinning had somehow gathered an enormous thunderball in its center!

  In the clouds, countless lightning bolts crisscrossed like a net, and this thunderball happened to be suspended right in the center of the electric net. Like a raindrop falling into a spider's web after a new rain, it quickly absorbed all the energy on the web, and its body grew bigger and bigger in circles. The dark clouds churned and rolled, shooting out one or two more lightning bolts that poured into the thunderball, with blue light flashing back and forth, occasionally appearing on the surface of the thunderball. When several blue lights touched and intersected, a loud crackling sound was instantly triggered, showing its incredible power.

  Xuan Xiao was located directly below the thunderball, and the scene naturally fell within his eyes. However, he looked up at the sky with an unchanging expression, only a pair of phoenix eyes revealing increasingly gloomy light. The Xuanhe in his hand, on the other hand, was shining brighter and brighter with red light, seemingly fearless, not only fearless but also somewhat eager to try, as if he couldn't wait to fight against the heavens.

  The thunderball gradually expanded, initially expanding extremely quickly, then gradually slowing down. The blue light on the surface of the ball became increasingly bright and dense, and the dazzling electric light seemed to illuminate everything in the sky and on earth. Even the surrounding dark clouds emitted a faint indigo glow.

  The tense atmosphere on the lotus stone platform was gradually spreading, and later, everyone felt that their heart was beating faster and faster in their chest, but their breathing was getting slower and slower, as if the thunderball had not only absorbed all the electricity between heaven and earth, but also sucked away the air.

  At last, the thunderball suddenly swelled up again in a circle. With a loud "boom", it seemed to shake away the clouds in the sky for a while, and then a thick bolt of lightning as wide as several people surrounded by electricity burst out from the thunderball.

  That's not a lightning bolt, but a lightning rod!

  In the midst of thunderous roars and dazzling lightning, shattered rocks flew about wildly as the residual waves from the electric strikes spread out in all directions. The lotus stone pedestal suspended on the cloudy platform now resembled a lone leaf floating on stormy waters, drifting up and down with the waves, sinking and rising. Unfortunately for Cloud Heaven River and his companions, they had no choice but to cling tightly to the edges of the lotus petals protruding from the corners of the stone pedestal, straining to steady their bodies amidst the fierce gusts stirred up by the lightning.

  Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound was heard, followed by the startled cry of Han Xiangyun. Yun Tianhe and Murong Ziyin looked in the direction of the sound and shouted in unison: "Xiangyun!" In the midst of the raging wind, a red figure fluttered about, with half of the girl's body suspended in mid-air. The lotus leaf she was holding onto swayed precariously, having been shattered by lightning just moments before.

  The cloud sky river was in a hurry, busy stretching out his hand to pull her, but the strong wind was fierce, even if he wanted to stand upright on the platform it was already not easy, let alone move his feet? Mu Rong Ziying saw the situation and quickly grabbed the Wangshu sword that had just been snatched back in the chaos, rushed forward a step, exerted her strength and stabbed the sword towards the platform, the Wangshu sword cut through iron like mud, instantly inserting three feet into the stone platform. Mu Rong Ziying held the sword handle tightly with one hand, leaped out of the edge of the platform, her body twisting and turning in mid-air several times, finally managing to grab Han Xiang's hand, using force to send her towards Yun Tianhe's side.

  Three people panted at the edge of the platform for a while, and Mu Rong Ziying suddenly remembered Shen Baiyue. He turned his head to look back, but where was the person's trace beside the lotus petal he had leaned against just now? His heart skipped a beat, and instinctively looked towards the center of the stone platform. At this glance, his eyes widened in shock. In the midst of the raging wind, he saw that person in red clothes walking step by step towards the direction where the lightning column struck down.

  "Ba Ling!"

  The howling wind whistled in her ears, the calls behind her were so vague and unclear. Shen Bailian didn't turn back, but with great difficulty made her way through the raging wind, avoiding lightning, and walked towards the person at the center of the stone platform.

  A distance of only a few dozen feet, yet it seemed as distant as life and death. The figure's silhouette gradually became clear, with white clothes like new snow, sword light like red clouds, in the dazzling lightning, those two colors were so small, but they swayed, flickered, and never disappeared.

  Just like that person has always been unwilling to admit defeat and never gave up even in desperate situations.

  In the sky, that ball of lightning had blue light flowing through it, continuously sending down lightning bolts. The electric pillar crackled and sputtered, occasionally bursting out bright sparks. Shen Bailian was only a few feet away, but already felt the powerful force emanating from it, making her face sting all over. It's imaginable how much suffering Xuan Xiao endured being in the midst of it. However, on that stubbornly unyielding face, there wasn't a hint of pain, and those eyes were filled with unyielding determination.

  After an unknown period of time, the heavens' anger seemed to have finally subsided, and the thunderballs in the sky slowly began to shrink. The light on the electric pillars also gradually dimmed, and the deafening crashes that had been ringing out nonstop gradually grew fainter. The pillar itself also gradually became smaller. Just as it was about to disappear, the flames surrounding Xuanxu's body like a shield suddenly surged upwards, and then a thunderous roar burst forth from the sword in Xiwangmu's hand. The flames wrapped around the sword once again blazed fiercely, bursting out several meters high. Looking down at the tip of the sword, Xuanxu's handsome face was also flushed with a fiery glow that came and went in waves.

  Shen Bailian saw clearly, and immediately knew that Xuanxiao was taking advantage of the weakening of the thunder to mobilize his whole body's true strength, with the intention of defeating the lightning bolt in one fell swoop. Suddenly, a series of explosions were heard, the red light gradually grew stronger, the electric light gradually weakened, a fire column suddenly rose from the ground, and the lightning was suddenly scattered, and then continued to rise, rising several feet before suddenly turning into countless fragments of light, scattering in all directions.

  Xuan Xiao's face was flushed with a faint red glow, which gradually faded to a pale white. A hint of color flashed in his eyes as he gazed up at the sky and opened his mouth to speak, but instead, a mouthful of blood surged out first.

  "Junior brother! You..."

  Shen Bailian hastily stepped forward, lowering her voice to ask about his injuries. But before she could finish speaking, she saw Xuan Xiao's wildly smiling face suddenly freeze at the corner of his lips. Shen Bailian followed his gaze and her eyes widened abruptly.

  As far as the eye could see, there was only a dazzling blue light, majestic and vast, rushing towards them.

  BOOM!!!!!!!

  In the midst of panic, Shen Bailian's mind was surprisingly clear. He turned his head to look at the person beside him and suddenly smiled, but that smile carried a hint of helplessness and determination.

  Xuan Xiao saw his smile, slightly stunned, and then a strong force suddenly came, pushing him out of the circle in an instant, just falling outside the electric light. The next moment, a magnificent lightning bolt with a momentum that seemed to contain the last anger of the heavens, fiercely, fiercely struck down.

  Dazzling light, in the blink of an eye, submerged Shen Bailian's figure at the center of the stone platform.

  Severe pain suddenly spread throughout the body, as if a thousand needles were piercing the heart. But the more it hurt, the longer it lasted, and gradually even the feeling of pain was lost, leaving only a dull numbness, as if consciousness itself was slowly drifting away.

  So this is heavenly punishment?

  In a daze, Shen Bailian curled up the corners of his lips and smiled. Like this, he could repay you, right, Master Xuan Xiao?

  "Big Brother!"

  Who is calling beside my ear and why does that voice sound so mournful?

  "...... Bai Ling, Bai Ling!"

  And who is this, why does his voice sound so sad?

  Are they sad for me? Or is it for Xuan Zhen or Shen Bai Lian?

  "Xuan Zhen, you have hurt me deeply. Thinking that I would die and be done with it is a foolish fantasy. I will not let you get your wish!... Hmph..."

  Xuanxiao Shidi... why are you still unwilling to forgive?

  "Xuan Xiao, resisting with all one's might will only lead to more suffering! Unexpectedly, even heavenly punishment cannot eliminate you. The signs of your demonic transformation have already appeared. I will first send you to the deepest part of the East Sea Whirlpool, and then report back to the Heavenly Emperor to decide what to do next!"

  The Nine Heavens Xuan Nü

  "You!... Taking advantage of someone's misfortune, so cunning, it makes one's teeth ache!"

  "...If I don't take advantage of your dazed and weakened state to bind you, I fear the consequences will be severe. The situation is urgent, no need to say more, first I'll send you plummeting into the deepest part of the Eastern Sea's whirlpool. I'm returning to Heaven now to report back, you all, take care."

  Xuanxiao Shidi, it seems you can't avoid punishment after all...

  "This humble East Sea, what can it do to me? Xuán Zhèn, in this life there will definitely be a time for us to meet again. I absolutely won't let you die like this, wait for my return..."

  The sound of that person's angry and resentful voice gradually faded away, the other disturbances also gradually became a blur, the world returned to calmness, only his body, whether it was destroyed or lost, drifted in this vast darkness.

  "Oh, soul, return... oh, soul... return..."

  In a trance, another sound rose from low to high, like soft chanting, like warm murmurs, piercing through everything, directly reaching his soul, drawing all his consciousness towards the source of the sound, slowly drifting away.