On the back mountains of Rongyun.
Shen Tanwu carried two small, injured kids down the mountain step by step. Along the way, he encountered a few demons stationed at the base of the mountain. When they saw him descending, they greeted him casually, “You just came down from the mountain. Has the array been breached?”
Being a demon himself, and despite having two wounded children with him, the other demons assumed they were captives he had brought down from the mountain.
Shen Tanwu wasn’t in the best mood and replied absently, “Almost.”
Xie Chi was nearing the end of his fun.
Dark storm clouds gathered on the horizon, with a light drizzle falling on his face, refreshing and cool. Shen Tanwu looked up to see the sky lit by occasional, ominous flashes of lightning.
Was it going to rain?
The weather in the cultivation world was indeed strange. Despite being only a few cities away, while it was still snowing in Yudong, Rongyun had already started its spring rain.
On his shoulder, Jing Wei was clinging tightly to his neck, almost as if he intended to strangle him alive. Although the kid was unconscious, he still managed to push aside the equally injured Taro Ball beside him. This kid really had a strong sense of possession.
He ignored the surrounding demons and made his way down the mountain without any obstruction.
In the lower city of Rongyun Sect, the clinic was overflowing with people. Due to the demon army’s invasion, many of the city’s residents were injured.
He visited three clinics, but no one dared to admit the two blood-soaked children he carried, fearing it would bring trouble upon themselves.
Finally, he found a clinic willing to take them in, but it was so dilapidated and filthy that it was hard to find a place to stand.
Shen Tanwu scanned the dirty, chaotic space, furrowing his brows, and asked the ragged doctor in front of him, “Is this really a place for treating illnesses?”
He couldn’t shake the feeling that this place resembled one of those shady clinics for harvesting kidneys.
The doctor turned around with a smile, removing his hood to reveal a bald monk.
“Of course it’s for treating illnesses. If it weren’t, why would I run a clinic?”
Shen Tanwu looked at him with some skepticism. However, if he went looking for another clinic, the little guy on his shoulder, who was still coughing up blood, might not make it.
After a long moment, he lowered his gaze and said, “Alright, as long as you can cure them, I’ll pay whatever it costs.” After all, Shen Tanqi had the money.
The doctor smiled gently and took the most severely injured Jing Wei from Shen Tanwu’s shoulder. “This monk only sees fate when treating illnesses and doesn’t charge for his services.”
Shen Tanwu raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure you’re fated with me?” He had only recently arrived in this world.
The doctor placed Jing Wei on the only relatively clean bed in the clinic, turned around, and pulled out a large steamed bun from his robe. Taking a bite, he chuckled, “Not with you, but with this child.”
Shen Tanwu was taken aback. He carefully lowered Taro Ball from his shoulder. Was this fake doctor and real monk saying he was fated with Taro Ball?
The doctor set the two kids side by side on the bed, then rummaged through the medicine rack, muttering to himself, “Their father and I once fought demons together. Last night, I calculated their misfortune and came to offer help.”
The clinic had long been abandoned, so he had gotten a lucky break.
Shen Tanwu listened, trying to make sense of it. “So, you can save them?”
“Of course.”
The doctor found the herbs he needed, crumbled his steamed bun, and mixed it into the medicine jar, then began to grind it slowly and cook it over a flame. After a pause, as if remembering something, he pulled out a stick of incense, placed it on the jar’s lid, and whispered, “When this incense burns out, take the children and go find them.”
Shen Tanwu was puzzled. “They’re so badly hurt. How am I supposed to take them? Even minor injuries need a hundred days to heal, not to mention, Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce are currently locked in a fierce battle with Xie Chi at Xianding Lake. What’s the point of taking the kids there now?”
The doctor shook his head, pressing herbs onto Jing Wei’s chest wound to stop the bleeding. “There are still two more children, aren’t there? Just take those two.”
Two more?
Shen Tanwu was about to ask in a rush when he suddenly remembered Goldfish and Sandan in the carriage at the base of the mountain.
When they arrived, thinking the carriage wouldn’t catch up with Shen Tanqi and the others, Shen Tanwu, eager to help, left the children in the care of Fang Wenxun, who had come along.
They were probably still waiting in the carriage.
He immediately felt a surge of respect and said, “This was all part of your calculation, Master?”
The doctor laughed heartily and waved his hand. “I’m no master, just a wandering monk who fights demons. Besides, I’ve seen that child before.”
Shen Tanwu thought of Goldfish and Sandan—one was as helpless as a chick, and the other was just a pile of egg yolk. He couldn’t understand why the monk wanted him to take the children to the mountain.
He asked worriedly, “Won’t taking them put them in danger?”
The doctor looked out at the dark, overcast sky, the wind howling and threatening a storm. It seemed to signal an impending thunderstorm.
He withdrew his gaze, his eyes deep and unreadable. “That’s why I told you to wait until the incense burns out. Listen carefully: once the sky has been struck by eighty bolts of lightning, and the incense has completely burned away, then take the children to the mountain.”
Shen Tanwu looked at him, hesitating, but seeing the doctor’s unwavering gaze, he swallowed his doubts and softly replied, “Alright.”
As dusk settled, the sky grew darker, and Shen Tanwu’s unease deepened as he looked out the window.
Suddenly, from the depths of the oppressive dark clouds, a thunderous roar echoed across the heavens and earth, as if the sky itself was shouting in fury. The lightning that followed was so bright it glowed with a golden hue—an extraordinary sight Shen Tanwu had never witnessed before.
His limited knowledge due to crossing over made him think—was this the legendary ‘heavenly anomaly,’ a sign of impending calamity?
Boom!
The first bolt of lightning struck.
Shen Tanwu’s thoughts were interrupted, and he quickly etched the moment into his memory.
He heard the doctor sigh and murmur, “It’s beginning.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, countless golden bolts of lightning followed, striking the ground. The earth trembled, the air was moist, and Shen Tanwu even felt his hair lift from the sheer force of the thunder.
Judging by the direction of the lightning, it seemed to be hitting the Xianding Lake. Shen Tanwu’s heart tightened as he silently prayed for Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce’s safety, hoping they wouldn’t be struck dead by the lightning.
For the first time, he felt just how small humans were against the might of nature.
This wasn’t just a thunderstorm; it was… heavenly punishment.
By the fiery shores of Xianding Lake, as the thunderstorm struck, Shen Tanqi was blasted several meters away by the overwhelming spiritual energy contained in the lightning tribulation.
He stared in shock as the bolts of lightning continued to strike one after another. The figures of Yu Ce and Xie Chi were swallowed by the lightning and thick mist, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
The spiritual energy from the thunderstorm was too overwhelming. Shen Tanqi couldn’t believe this was the kind of lightning tribulation described in novels. If humans had to endure such a strike, they would surely be turned to ashes!
Or was it because the daemon race had tougher bodies than humans, making the tribulation even more perilous?
What could he do to help Yu Ce?
Suddenly, a crackling electrical sound filled his mind, and a yellow chick appeared out of nowhere, wiggling its little behind.
“Hey, host, long time no see. Have you missed me…” The system’s greeting was cut short as Shen Tanqi grabbed it urgently.
Shen Tanqi asked hastily, “Where have you been? Why did it take so long to connect?”
“After the last time when the main system sent repair personnel and system, I was worried that System 4540 might report back to the main system. So, I went to keep an eye on it, and I actually caught it.”
The system recounted its recent experiences with a sense of pride. “Fortunately, that guy implanted my chip, so I could control what it said. This little world is now completely free from the main system’s surveillance! But I’ll need to go back and continue controlling 4540 soon…”
Shen Tanqi had no time to worry about the main system now. He held the system and directed the chick’s gaze towards Yu Ce and Xie Chi, who were suffering through the tribulation. He said urgently, “Don’t go yet. Look at this situation. Yu Ce is undergoing tribulation.”
As soon as he spoke, the system seemed to freeze for a moment, then said incredulously, “Aren’t you supposed to be in the grand sect competition today?”
It had only been gone for a short time, and the plot had advanced so quickly?
Shen Tanqi pressed his lips together and said decisively, “The situation is complicated. I can’t explain it all right now. Can you think of any way to help Yu Ce get through the tribulation?”
The system opened its mouth, as if trying to come up with something, but finally just said, “I really can’t help. You’ve pushed the plot forward too much. The tribulation for the male lead was supposed to come much later, certainly not right after the sect competition.”
Hearing this, Shen Tanqi felt a deep sense of helplessness. Even with the system’s assistance, it seemed he really couldn’t do anything to help Yu Ce.
“Let’s leave it to fate,” the system sighed deeply and comforted Shen Tanqi. “Don’t worry. He’s the male lead. The male lead shouldn’t fail the tribulation.”
Unless… because of the drastic changes in the plot, the male lead accidentally dies, which was also a possibility.
Shen Tanqi was silent for a moment, holding the system tightly before reluctantly setting it down gently. He whispered, “Alright, you go ahead and handle your business. We’ll manage on our own.”
The system had already done enough for them; he couldn’t rely on it any further.
“Host… Once I’m done with 4540, I’ll come back immediately, and we’ll figure something out together!” The system nuzzled against his pants leg, looking worried. “Yu Ce is the male lead, but you’re not. Be sure to protect yourself.”
Shen Tanqi gazed at it solemnly and nodded. “Alright, don’t worry.”
The system’s form vanished as if it had never been there, and Shen Tanqi turned his attention back to the distant struggle between Yu Ce and Xie Chi.
Xie Chi was wrapped tightly by the white dragon’s tail, enduring bolts of lightning that nearly shattered his soul under the fierce tribulation.
Typically, tribulations test the body, but Yu Ce’s tribulation was targeting his soul.
“Brother…” Xie Chi’s voice was filled with panic as he struggled with all his might. “Don’t kill me! Mother said you have to take care of me. Let me go, and I swear I’ll never practice demonic arts again. Brother!”
The dragon’s tail tightened with each passing moment. The white dragon, absorbing the bolts of lightning meant for itself, was suffering even more than Xie Chi. His soul was being tormented, and the tribulation was so severe that it seemed capable of annihilating him completely.
There was no other way—whether he could endure or not, he had to face the tribulation.
“Let me go! If this continues, you’ll die too, Yu Ce!” Xie Chi’s eyes were bloodshot, but he couldn’t break free from Yu Ce’s grip. “Fine, if you won’t release me, then when the tribulation kills you, I’ll first kill Shen Tanqi, then your three children, and finally, slaughter the entire Rongyun Sect!”
Boom—Another bolt of lightning struck, followed by a third. Xie Chi’s threats were drowned out by the deafening roar of the thunder.
Shen Tanqi gripped his sword tightly, his heart racing as he watched the relentless lightning. At first, he could hear Xie Chi’s fierce curses, but soon, even Xie Chi’s voice was swallowed by the storm.
The tribulation raged on, relentless and dense, like a torrential downpour of lightning bolts. Shen Tanqi couldn’t even get close.
Forty-eight bolts, forty-nine…
The fiftieth bolt!
And still, the lightning didn’t stop.
Shen Tanqi looked at the sky in disbelief. The dark clouds showed no sign of dispersing.
Is this some kind of joke? After forty-nine bolts, and still more?
Was the heavens subjecting Yu Ce to the eighty-one trials of the Immortal Tribulation just because he was the protagonist?
He made the sign of the cross on his chest and forehead, then clasped his hands together in prayer. “Buddha, Jesus, Guanyin, Taoist Ancestors, Emperor Yan and Huang, please protect Yu Ce. He’s a good person, don’t let him be struck dead. What will happen to our family of a dozen if he’s gone…?”
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the thunder finally began to wane, but the dark clouds still hung thick and heavy. Shen Tanqi anxiously glanced at Yu Ce and Xie Chi not far away.
The smoke and mist rolled on, lingering stubbornly. The white dragon’s form dissipated, seemingly transforming into his human shape.
Shen Tanqi gripped his sword tighter and cautiously approached. From the haze, a figure slowly stood up, making Shen Tanqi’s heart skip a beat. He hesitantly called out, “Yu Ce?”
In response, there was only maniacal laughter.
“Shen Tanqi, he’s dead!”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
