Pan Xuan moved. With a single step, he appeared above the seven gourds.
Vast Righteous Qi became a golden pillar of light spanning heaven and earth, enveloping him and the seven gourds.
The Merit Profound Yellow Dharma Aspect emerged behind him, its golden light of merit interweaving with Xuanhuang Qi into a vast scroll.
The strongest bolt of heavenly lightning crashed down. Pan Xuan raised his hand and used Vast Righteous Qi to guide it into the Star Divine Dao Seal.
The heavenly lightning exploded within the Star Seal's law space, making the seal itself tremble slightly, but ultimately failed to breach its barrier.
After the heavenly lightning dispersed, Pan Xuan withdrew his right hand. Not even a single crease remained on his purple-gold sleeve.
Almost at the same moment, the final eight bolts of heavenly lightning were also blocked by the Three Pure Ones.
Laozi dissolved two of them with Yin-Yang Qi.
Yuanshi melted away two with the Light of Chaos.
Tongtian shattered two with the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying.
The final two were crushed head-on by Pan Xuan with Vast Righteous Qi and the Merit Profound Yellow Dharma Aspect.
With all nine final bolts of heavenly lightning dispersed, the vast bank of tribulation clouds in the sky began slowly dissipating.
The first ray of golden sunlight pierced the dark clouds, warm and gentle, like the Heavenly Dao's blessing upon the birth of seven new lives.
Sunlight spilled over the seven gourds.
The cracks left by the heavenly lightning's impact rapidly healed beneath the Heavenly Dao's light.
The gourds' bodies also slowly melted within the light and reformed, gradually becoming seven human silhouettes.
The red gourd was the first to take human form.
That mass of crimson light slowly condensed into a young man wearing a crimson Daoist