C12 A Calamity

"We have no choice but to face it head-on."

Everyone caught in the Celestial Thunder Killing Array understood this and immediately sprang into action. Some activated their Protective Light Barriers, others called forth protective magical artifacts, and still others released their defensive talismans. But the question loomed: could they withstand the assault?

Boom! A muffled explosion marked the detonation of the first Tian Leizi. Almost instantly, dozens of Tian Leizi around it exploded in a chain reaction. One individual, who had summoned a protective Giant Bell to encase themselves, found their efforts futile. The simultaneous explosions of the Tian Leizi shattered both the Giant Bell and its would-be protector.

That night, no one could sleep.

At the Thousand Thunder Inn, it was as if a grand festival of celestial thunder was taking place, with each explosion mimicking a lightning strike from the heavens. With every breath, hundreds of Tian Leizi burst simultaneously, making the entire Multicolored City tremble.

The booms were relentless, and the successive detonations of the countless pea-sized Tian Leizi sounded like endless thunder. As one exploded, another would mysteriously appear, as if they were never-ending.

For the time being, Soong Yuan remained safe.

It was all thanks to Hsiao Yan, who held a massive golden sword. The sword's golden light soared, morphing into a towering golden cauldron. Turned upside down, the cauldron's mouth provided a shield for both Soong Yuan and Hsiao Yan, protecting them from the deadly lightning.

Hsiao Yan was barely holding on.

The continuous explosions of the Tian Leizi were overwhelming and numerous. Hsiao Yan, who had to keep infusing Vital Spirit into the golden cauldron to sustain its protective shield, was gradually reaching his limit.

Soong Yuan was filled with worry and a sense of helplessness. His three Innate Divine Thoughts were incredibly powerful, especially effective against other cultivators, but they were powerless against the inanimate Tian Leizi.

Being of Zero Cultivation, he couldn't retain any Vital Spirit in his body, which meant he couldn't lend a hand to Hsiao Yan.

The critical questions were: How much longer would the Celestial Thunder Killing Array last? And how much longer could Hsiao Yan maintain the golden cauldron's protection?

With a pale face and sweat dripping like rain, Hsiao Yan's hands trembled as he clutched his great sword. Despite his square face and upright figure, a smile with a trace of bleakness crossed his features. "I can maintain this for about a hundred more breaths. After that, Soong Yuan, it seems your lifelong regret will indeed become a reality."

"Damn it, this is all Qian Xiaoruo's fault. She set me up," Soong Yuan muttered under his breath, retrieving the Thousand-cauldron Umbrella his parents had prepared for him. He planned to deploy this magical treasure as a last resort once Hsiao Yan could no longer hold out. Yet, both Soong Yuan and Hsiao Yan were aware that the umbrella was just a Low Grade Magic Artifact, and in the face of the relentless Celestial Thunder Killing Array, it might only offer protection for a brief moment.

What to do?

No solution.

Despair.

The others were faring even worse. Screams of agony echoed as one by one, they were reduced to ash by the devastating strikes of Tian Leizi. In less time than it takes an incense stick to burn, over half of those who had followed Soong Yuan and Hsiao Yan had been annihilated, leaving only a handful, including the one-eyed man and Sunn Liang.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it all," the one-eyed man roared like a deranged wolf, brandishing his Ghost Fire Blade. He lifted the blade, and from it emerged a spectral head the size of a cartwheel, soaring into the sky and belching thick, gray ghost fire. This formed a protective fan-shaped barrier, valiantly withstanding the continuous onslaught of Tian Leizi.

"F*ck, it looks like I'm done for today," Sunn Liang growled, his expression dark and foreboding. Vital Spirit roared from within him, enhancing the Samadhi True Fire Fan with its contrasting flames—one deep red, the other pale white—creating a dual-layered blaze that shielded him.

However, their reserves of Vital Spirit were nearly spent. In just a few more moments, once their energy was exhausted, they would face certain death.

The assault seemed endless, the explosions relentless. Tian Leizi kept appearing and exploding without pause...

Despair consumed everyone—Soong Yuan, Hsiao Yan, the one-eyed man, Sunn Liang...

At the last second, a shadowy figure burst from the unassuming cottage where Qian Xiaoruo had been. It was unmistakably a woman, draped in a silver cloak, miraculously untouched by the Tian Leizi.

She moved effortlessly, as if the place was empty, swiftly approaching the one-eyed man and Sunn Liang. She threw them cloaks identical to hers and barked, "Quick, put these on. They'll protect you from the lightning. Come with me."

Overwhelmed with surprise and relief, the one-eyed man and Sunn Liang quickly set aside their doubts and hurriedly wrapped themselves in the silver cloaks. They followed the woman back to the unassuming cottage, which offered them a temporary haven of safety.

"Who is she? Why did she save us? What is her relationship with Qian Xiaoruo? And how did she obtain these silver cloaks that shield against lightning, allowing her to stand unafraid amidst the Celestial Thunder Killing Array?"

Their questions lingered, unresolved, and what followed only heightened their sense of wonder and unease.

Inside the cottage, a plain wooden table bore a brocade box that, astonishingly, contained the Universe Compass—an item of great importance left in such an odd and casual manner.

The woman, whose appearance was unremarkable and who had rescued them, gracefully took a seat on the rattan chair beside the table. Abruptly, the chair shone brightly, enveloping her. It was evident that this was also a concealed Teleportation Magic Array, now activated and preparing to transport the woman away.

"You understand the principle of using another's hand to strike a blow, and you know who has been using you to commit their murders," the woman's chilling voice echoed. "I've rescued you in the hope that you will complete the unfinished task and slay the one who deserves to die but has not yet been killed."

With that, the magic array's light dissipated, and the rattan chair shattered into dozens of fragments scattered on the ground. The mysterious woman disappeared without a trace.

"Could she be from the Black Wind Sect? Her reason for saving us seems to be to push us to continue our pursuit of Qian Xiaoruo. But here, in the Thousand Thunder Inn, right in the middle of Qian Xiaoruo's trap and under the full coverage of the Celestial Thunder Killing Array, she moves with such freedom? Is she the Black Wind Sect's spy, planted close to Qian Xiaoruo? And why did she leave us the Universe Compass?"

The one-eyed man and Sunn Liang, cloaked in silver, looked at each other in disbelief. They were staggered by the incredible and scarcely believable events, feeling as if their minds could hardly keep up.

Suddenly, the intensity of the Celestial Thunder Killing Array exploded, doubling its ferocity. The overwhelming power, like a cataclysmic force, completely demolished the modest house. The last few cultivators who had followed Soong Yuan and Hsiao Yan to this place were obliterated. The Thousand Thunder Inn had turned into a veritable inferno.

In Multicolored City, tens of thousands of cultivators trembled with fear as they watched the destruction of Thousand Thunder Inn. It was a disaster of epic proportions.

With a roar of fury, Hsiao Yan, having exhausted his Vital Spirit, miraculously forced himself to channel power into the Golden Cauldron Sword. The sword's summoned Golden Cauldron swelled massively in a desperate attempt to fend off the Celestial Thunder. But after just a few moments, it crumbled to pieces...

Tian Leizi's relentless attack continued. Soong Yuan quickly activated the Thousand-cauldron Umbrella, but it held up for only a fleeting five breaths before exploding into fragments that scattered far and wide.

Hsiao Yan's eyes closed as he fell rigidly to the ground. The strain of pushing his powers too far had caused severe internal injuries, leaving him unconscious.

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