Bathed in Lightning

The heavens have unpredictable winds and clouds...

The moon has its waxing and waning...

Suddenly, the sky was blanketed in dark clouds. Arcs of electricity, resembling thunder dragons, roamed, collided, and exploded across the firmament!

The surrounding atmosphere became instantly oppressive, causing birds, beasts, insects, and fish to scatter in a frantic escape.

"Boom—splash!"

"Boom—splash!"

Drops of rain began to fall upon this mountain range. The "raindrops" landed on leaves and slid off, while the once-calm Cold Pool rippled with wave after wave.

Xiao Yi Xian stood atop the high mountain, letting the rain soak her clothes. Cold droplets slowly traced paths down her cheeks.

Her purple hair was dampened by the rain, and beads of water quietly gathered at the tips of her locks...

Xiao Yi Xian felt the nourishment of the rain; this was her first time witnessing a rainy day in this otherworldly realm.

The entire sky was incredibly gloomy, with only faint light weaving through the black clouds. The roars of magical beasts echoed from all corners of the mountain range—

The branches and leaves of the forest performed a beautiful symphony accompanied by the rain, and the occasional "roar" mixed in to provide a soundtrack. Everything felt like Kyōka Suigetsu.

Gusts of wind accompanied the raindrops, and as Xiao Yi Xian felt the firmament so close at hand, a surge of heroic spirit rose within her. The Sword Box on her back trembled slightly, and with a "shiu," the sound of a sword hummed through the air.

A silver-white sword instantly unsheathed, its sharp tip pointing straight toward the heavens, as if it intended to touch the infinite firmament.

"Rumble!"

Thunder resonated between heaven and earth, as if enraged by Xiao Yi Xian's actions. Suddenly, an arc of electricity, as thick as a bowl and resembling a roaming dragon, struck down violently.

Xiao Yi Xian gripped You Su, and the Purple Cloud Wings on her back instantly unfurled. Purple Dou Qi erupted in a torrent, and a massive sword glow collided with the mighty lightning.

"Crack!"

A sensation of shattering came from the sky. Liu Yan and Chi Han looked toward the scene, only to see a purple figure using that silver-white sword to shatter the lightning.

A few pale purple feathers drifted down from the lifelike Purple Cloud Wings on her back.

The breeze above the firmament gently brushed the hair away from Xiao Yi Xian's forehead...

"This?"

Chi Han and Liu Yan were somewhat dumbfounded. What was their master doing?

Standing on a high mountain, holding a sword, and challenging the heavens? Wasn't that just asking to be struck by lightning?

Xiao Yi Xian leaped into the air, her Purple Cloud Wings flapping once more as she charged into the flashing thunderclouds.

On the Dou Qi Continent, only medicinal pills and exotic beasts triggered heavenly tribulations. Since ancient times, heavenly tribulations had represented destruction, yet they also contained the purest essence of vitality within them.

In truth, there was no real difference between lightning and heavenly tribulations... it was merely a matter of scale and power.

Xiao Yi Xian clutched You Su as the wisps of her hair and the pale purple feathers on her back were scattered by the strikes of the thunder.

Rapid cultivation inevitably led to an unstable foundation. She wanted to test the power of this so-called lightning, to temper her physique, solidify her foundation, and incidentally see if there were any treasures hidden within.

As Xiao Yi Xian charged into the sky-filling black clouds, the endless thunder seemed to grow restless because of this intruder. Bolts of lightning, resembling snakes, lashed out toward her.

Xiao Yi Xian condensed Dou Qi Transformation Armor over her body, her eyes filled with nothing but fighting spirit as she faced the overwhelming barrage of thunder.

It had been a long time since she had truly stretched her limbs...

Streaks of purple Sword Qi rampaged through the black clouds, possessing a momentum that seemed capable of sweeping across all directions.

The purple Sword Qi circled around Xiao Yi Xian within the black clouds, appearing like an emperor among blades, leaving the two people below dumbfounded.

"Earth Grade Low Rank Fighting Skill—Myriad Swords Returning to Origin!"

The fighting spirit and madness in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes flashed by in an instant. The Dou Qi in her Dantian surged forth, and You Su in her hand seemed to transform into countless streaks of Sword Qi, condensing all around her.

A biting killing intent erupted, and the tip of You Su flickered with a bewitching purple sword glow.

The surroundings were filled with pale purple, translucent Sword Shadows, so dense that they made Chi Han and Liu Yan's scalps tingle.

"Go!"

Xiao Yi Xian let out a low shout. With a sharp "whoosh," the streaks of purple Sword Shadows, accompanied by lethal, surging Poisonous Gas, tore through the void in an instant.

"BOOM!"

Countless bolts of thunder were shattered by the Sword Qi...

Countless Sword Shadows were snapped by the thunder...

"Heh!"

The corners of Xiao Yi Xian's mouth curled up slightly. Her Purple Cloud Wings seemed to grow larger, and her flight speed increased by another level.

Below, Liu Yan looked at Chi Han beside him and said in astonishment, "This... the Young Miss clearly radiates the aura of a Dou Grandmaster, so why do I feel her damage output is so terrifying!"

Chi Han's vertical snake pupils emitted a faint glow. The black clouds were filled with Sword Shadows, and the silvery-white lightning was by no means weak; if it were him, he likely wouldn't have the courage to step forward.

Deep within his bloodline memories, the terror of heavenly tribulations still haunted him, even though he was now a three-star Dou Wang.

It was unknown how much time had passed, but the black clouds above the sky quietly receded. Xiao Yi Xian stood amidst the fading thunder, her clothes tattered and torn.

Light purple hair strands drifted down along with the feathers. Chi Han and Liu Yan felt as if that single figure was the only thing left in the world.

Reflected in the pupils of Xiao Yi Xian was the image of a sphere of light; this was undoubtedly a treasure.

"Sword One!"

A massive purple sword radiance carved out a path. The Purple Cloud Wings on her back flapped in an instant. Watching the small sphere of light within arm's reach, Xiao Yi Xian licked her lips and swallowed it without the slightest hesitation.

Wisps of lightning energy flowed gently through her meridians, and her body began to circulate the Sword Canon involuntarily.

White energy circulated continuously through her extraordinary meridians, and even the Sword Box on her back and the You Su in her hand absorbed a portion of the lightning essence.

The black clouds quietly receded at this moment, leaving only the silver moon standing lonely high in the sky.

Xiao Yi Xian stood high in the air, feeling a sense of lightness throughout her body. Even some impurities had been expelled from her skin!

"Splash!"

Xiao Yi Xian jumped into the Cold Pool to have a lovely scrub and wash her body thoroughly.

"Splosh!"

Xiao Yi Xian (a beauty emerging from the bath) broke the surface of the water. Droplets slid off her body, sending tiny ripples across the Cold Pool.

Xiao Yi Xian used her Dou Qi to steam away the water droplets on her body and changed into a white dress.

Under the illumination of the moonlight, her reflection on the water's surface came into view. Xiao Yi Xian touched her face, feeling that it was more supple than before, and it even seemed to have become fairer.

She felt completely relaxed, a sensation comparable to taking a hot bath after working herself to the bone in her past life.

"Miss!"

"Master!"

Liu Yan and Chi Han flew over at this moment. Seeing Xiao Yi Xian, who had become even more beautiful after coming out of seclusion, they were filled with joy.

"Mm!"

Xiao Yi Xian nodded. The mark on her hand emitted a faint glow, and a familiar figure appeared in her arms.

Little Spirit hugged Xiao Yi Xian happily and said, "Big Sister, I've broken through to become a Dou Shi! I finally have the ability to help you!"

Xiao Yi Xian tapped Little Spirit on the nose and nodded with a smile—Little Spirit had been in a deep slumber for a long time during this transformation, but her aura was already at the nine-star Dou Shi level.

It was likely that she had finished her transformation long ago, but seeing that Xiao Yi Xian was still cultivating, she hadn't disturbed her and had only come out now.

"The big snake and the old man?"

Little Spirit tilted her head, looking at the two people in front of her with some confusion. In her memory, these two people did not exist.

"Ugh!"

Both the man and the beast were somewhat dumbfounded. Liu Yan, in particular, felt as if he had been dealt a critical blow, his heart bleeding; they had clearly met before.

The man and the beast took meticulous care of the little ancestor, indulging her in everything. Seeing the scene before her, Xiao Yi Xian smiled sincerely.

"Chirp, chirp!"

High in the sky, Xiao Lan hovered beside Xiao Yi Xian, affectionately rubbing against those familiar purple locks.

Xiao Yi Xian stroked Xiao Lan's feathers. She was already a Dou Grandmaster now; time had passed so quickly, as if in the blink of an eye.