Amid the Tribulation

Han River.

Beyond the barrier of the grand formation.

A figure sat in a teahouse on the third floor. While drinking tea, she looked over the railing at the broad river, where pale violet rolling clouds filled the sky. Thunder rumbled in waves, as though a violent storm could break at any moment, and the accumulated rainwater would make the Han River below swell into a raging torrent.

"Waiter, what is going on?"

"Esteemed guest, you may not know."

The attendant hurriedly withdrew his gaze. Merely the spiritual radiance around this senior was not something he could look upon directly.

Lowering his head in haste, he explained, "Half a month ago, thunderclouds suddenly appeared for no apparent reason, shrouding all eight hundred li of the Han River and forcing those painted pleasure boats and tower ships ashore."

"Then lightning and thunder suddenly struck. Six bolts fell in succession before it finally stopped."

"Everyone says some senior patriarch must be undergoing tribulation here."

"The prefectural city sent people to lay down a formation and seal off the aura of the lightning tribulation, which is why it has become like this."

"No one knows how long it will last."

"So that was it." Xu Sanniang nodded.

She had long known what was happening. She had only returned here now to gather information.

That day, when she sensed that her mana was no longer vanishing while the Soul Banner remained silent, she knew something had gone wrong with Brother Tu Shan's lightning tribulation.

She had not rushed back in a panic. Instead, she had made ample preparations and cautiously waited for the turmoil to subside before returning.

From the looks of it, the thunderclouds above had yet to disperse.

Yet no thunder fell.

The entire Han River was shrouded in black-red mist, with