Library of Heaven’s Path

The First Elder had thought that he would be able to kill the other party easily with his sword art, but who could have known that the other party would redirect his strength into the lightning tribulation instead?

It was a taboo to intervene in the cultivation ordeal of another cultivator. If someone did intervene, not only would it grow in size and intensity, it would even launch a barrage of destructive attacks on the aggressor.

It was for this reason that he did not dare stop the falling lightning bolts despite the devastating damage they had been causing to the city. He did not think that he would actually slip up just like that.

Knowing that he would be zapped to death if he did not defend against the bolt of lightning falling on him, the First Elder could not afford to focus his attention on dealing with Zhang Xuan anymore. He swiftly flicked his wrist and sent a powerful palm strike forward.

Kacha!

The clash between the ferocious bolt of lightning and the First Elder’s mighty palm strike induced ripples of shockwaves to diffuse into the surroundings, resulting in the complete collapse of all buildings and formations in the vicinity.

As powerful as the lightning strike was, the First Elder was even stronger. As a 9-star master teacher, his cultivation had already surpassed the bottleneck of Saint 9-dan; there was no way a bolt of lightning of this caliber would be able to hurt him.

Hu!

While he was fending off the lightning, Zhang Xuan made use of this opportunity to slip his Primordial Spirit into the storm clouds and vanished from sight.

To slip into the lightning in his Primordial Spirit form… isn’t he courting death?

The First Elder could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Previously, he had thought that the other party was dashing toward the storm clouds in order to conceal his true goal, but to think that he was really planning to get into the storm clouds!

Due to the strong yin attribute of a soul oracle’s Primordial Spirit, soul oracles were deeply fearful of lightning. Was diving right into the storm clouds not as good as committing suicide?

Regardless of whether he’s seeking his own death or not, since he’s a soul oracle, the Master Teacher Pavilion will not fault me for killing him!

The First Elder harrumphed as he turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan’s still-trapped physical body with his eyes filled with killing intent.

In the first place, it was his duty as a master teacher to slay all soul oracles that came his way!

He had still had some considerations about laying his hands on the young man in the past, but given the current situation, there was no need for him to hesitate anymore!

He swiftly gathered sword qi at his fingertip once more, preparing to reduce the young man’s physical body into meat paste so that his Primordial Spirit would have nowhere to return to, but before he could make his move, another thick bolt of lightning zapped down in his direction.

“You…”

The First Elder’s hair immediately stood on end, and he hurriedly used his sword qi to fend off the lightning bolt.

Boom!

The collision of the forces ended with the triumph of the First Elder’s sword qi, but at the same time, it seemed like the lightning tribulation had determined him to be its primary target. It relentlessly sent bolts of lightning one after another toward him, leaving him a little flustered.

What a relief that everything worked out according to plan! Zhang Xuan thought as his Primordial Spirit gazed down at the situation.

Given his current strength, he was absolutely no match for the First Elder. Even if he hurled all of his means toward the latter, he still would not stand the slightest chance. Thus, he was left with no choice but to intentionally release a slight hint of his soul oracle aura in hopes of drawing the First Elder’s attack toward him and redirecting it toward the lightning tribulation.

Once the First Elder got caught up with the lightning tribulation, even if he was one of the strongest experts in the world, it still would be no easy feat for him to struggle free of its pestering.

But this lightning tribulation is ultimately still a threat to me, so I’ll have to deal with it as soon as possible. Given what’s happened so far, there’s no way I’ll be able to deal with it face-on. I guess there’s only that way then, Zhang Xuan analyzed.

Knowing that he had gotten the First Elder off his back for the time being, Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his attention toward the storm clouds.

So far, he only knew of one feasible way to get rid of the storm clouds—absorb its energy furiously until it finally fled in fear.

However, his body and Primordial Spirit were already in a bloated state, and he had no cultivation technique that he could use for a breakthrough either. To make matters worse, time was not on his side. All it would take was a split second of freedom from the lightning tribulation for the First Elder to destroy his physical body.

“Absorb!” Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth viciously, and with a deep roar, he began devouring the surrounding lightning energy as if a massive whale swallowing water.

Geji! Geji!

As Zhang Xuan began absorbing the lightning energy unreservedly, his Primordial Spirit, which had already reached ten meters in height due to his reckless absorption of energy in the past, swiftly broke free of its bottleneck and began growing once more at an unprecedentedly rate.

It was only out of fear that his Primordial Spirit would grow too big and be unable to fuse back into his body properly, as had happened several times in the past, that he had not dared to absorb energy recklessly anymore. However, given the predicament that he was in, he could not care about that anymore. If he could not control the lightning tribulation soon, he would be the one to lose his life!

Tzzzzzzz!

Energy gathered around him at an ever-increasing rate, and very soon, a vortex appeared in the ocean of lightning energy with him at the very eye, supplying him with seemingly endless energy.

Eleven meters!

Twelve meters!

Thirteen meters!

In less than a minute, his Primordial Spirit had already grown to a size of twenty meters. Even amid the vast expanse of storm clouds, he still towered like a giant.

“I can still continue on, you know? At the very most, I’ll just perish together with you!” Zhang Xuan sneered coldly.

He could sense that the arrogant lightning tribulation, which had been determined to claim his life from a moment ago, had grown a little hesitant. The lightning energy in his surroundings had visibly grown quieter than before, and the storm clouds were trembling a little, seemingly out of fear.

It had thought that by gathering all of its kin and friends, it would be able to get rid of this fellow once and for all. However, not even in its wildest dreams could it have imagined that the young man would actually have such a trump card up his sleeve, allowing him to take in lightning energy endlessly, as if a black hole. At this rate, its entire tribe might just lose their life!

Hu!

Decisiveness is a mark of a true hero. Fully understanding this logic, the lightning tribulation did not spend too long hesitating before it decisively chose to turn around and flee.

Knowing that it would react in such a manner, Zhang Xuan swiftly sent a telepathic message to it.

“Do you think that I’ll allow you to get away after everything that you’ve done? Mark my words, if you flee right now, I’ll vow to sap you dry every time you appear in this world! If you don’t want that to happen, you’d better listen to my instructions right now. I have some things that I want you to do for me!”

He had no idea whether the lightning tribulation was capable of comprehending his words or not, but he was certain that it possessed its own consciousness. Otherwise, it would not have been scared into fleeing each time it encountered him.

It has finally stopped its attacks…

Beneath the storm clouds, the First Elder finally managed to catch a breather from the relentless assault of the storm clouds.

As powerful as he was, it was still difficult to cope with the seemingly endless barrage of attacks from the lightning bolts, not to mention that each lightning bolt was by no means weak. Even at this moment, he could still feel his heart pounding in discomposure.

He might have succumbed to the lightning bolts if the lightning tribulation had continued striking him at that rate, but since it had stopped, it probably would not attack anymore. Thus, he quickly turned his gaze over to Zhang Xuan’s physical body with animosity reflected in his eyes.

“From the moment you began practicing the arts of soul oracles, you should have known that this was the outcome that you would face!” The First Elder harrumphed as he thrust a palm strike toward the young man’s motionless body.

The killing intent behind the First Elder’s attack immediately triggered the Mind of Void, and Zhang Xuan’s body instinctively attempted to move to dodge the attack. However, the First Elder’s Spatial Suppression was still locking him firmly in place, rendering all of his struggling futile.

Kacha!

At this moment, once again, before the palm strike could reach Zhang Xuan, a streak of lightning bolted down toward the First Elder.

Unlike the ones that the First Elder had faced before, this very lightning bolt was several times larger and stronger, to the extent that it seemed as if it would combust the surrounding air. It was the kind of attack that fully displayed the overwhelming prowess of nature in subduing everything that dared defied it, leaving those standing against it feeling utterly helpless and despaired.

This…

Goosebumps rose all over the First Elder’s body from the sheer danger he felt from the bolt of lightning.

I did attack you earlier, but I didn’t do it on purpose! You also had your vengeance striking me again and again, so surely you don’t have to be so perverse as to come after me again and again, right? Or will you only be happy after you send me down to my grave?

Furthermore… I can understand why you would want to strike me, but the person who has summoned you here is just over there, sleeping with his eyes closed. Shouldn’t you strike him as well?

As stifled as the First Elder was, he knew that he would have to focus all of his strength into dealing with it, or else even with his cultivation realm, he would still sustain severe injuries from it. Thus, he swiftly redirected the might of his palm strike over to deal with the lightning bolt.

Si la!

As the two powers met one another, a devastating shockwave rippled into the surroundings, tearing open a massive spatial rift at the center and disintegrating everything that it came into contact with.

“Cough cough cough cough!”

Eventually, the First Elder did successfully withstand the lightning bolt, but he still sustained a certain degree of damage. Charred marks could be seen all over his body.

I have to kill that b*stard before this lightning tribulation dissipates!

Knowing that it would be dangerous if several more lightning bolts of this caliber fell on him, the First Elder clenched his jaw furiously and sent a punch toward Zhang Xuan.

But as if the lightning tribulation was intent to protect Zhang Xuan, it struck down rapidly on the First Elder once again before the punch could connect.

Kacha! Kacha!

Smoke rose from the First Elder’s convulsing body. The frenzied elder turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan once more, only to see that the latter had opened his eyes at some point in time and was looking straight at the storm clouds.

“I’ll leave him to you for the time being. I’m going to rest for a moment.”

After saying those words, Zhang Xuan made use of the shockwave from one of the lightning bolts to break free of the Spatial Suppression before leisurely making his way down to the ground.