Lightning Tribulation (1)

Two years passed in the blink of an eye. Within the Profound Heaven Sect, the morning bells and evening drums sounded as always. Spiritual herbs spread, immortal birds sang, and all was peaceful.

Then, one noon, the sun shone brightly in a clear, cloudless sky. Sunlight fell through the thin air onto the peaks, gilding rocks and trees with a warm glow.

But within a few breaths, dark gray clouds surged up at the horizon. Drawn by some invisible force, they converged above Spirit Sword Peak and swallowed the entire sky.

The leaden clouds poured down like ink from beyond the heavens, churning in the gale. Pale violet lightning lurked among their layered billows like coiled dragons and serpents, its eerie glow all the more unnerving against the darkened sky.

Pressure spread from deep within the clouds, as though a black beast had seized all of Spirit Sword Peak in its grasp. The mountain trembled, and loose stones quivered on the ground. The air grew almost solid. Even the spiritual wind stopped flowing between the peaks, leaving everyone struggling to breathe.

Boom—

The first thunderclap shook the valley. Trees and grass shuddered, and dew spilled from their leaves like rain. On the upturned eaves of distant pavilions, hanging bronze bells rang in a frantic jumble. Their sound mingled with the thunder, sharpening the tension in the air.

News swept through the sect. In less than the time it took an incense stick to burn, the Sword Trial Platform was packed.

Disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect crowded the viewing stands. Even outer disciples who usually shirked their duties clung to the railings and craned their necks. The elders stood on the high platform, their expressions grave.

Chu Shihan stood at the front of the crowd, just behind the elders. The