Struck by Lightning
1406 Words
*Climbing the heavenly stairs, I look down below,*
*Seeing the Shangqing Sect's palaces and towers glow.*
Treading on emptiness and riding the wind, Chu Ran soared above the ten-thousand-*zhang* immortal stairs. He lowered his head and looked down.
He saw a white jade staircase stretching from the Shangqing Sect's mountain gate all the way to the foot of the mountain, endless palace halls and pavilions, majestic towering peaks, all shrouded in swirling white clouds.
*Looking down from above truly offers a different view!*
Chu Ran thought to himself, a smile curling on his elegant face.
This feeling of standing upon the void, riding against the wind, was truly not bad.
Overlooking the heavens and the earth, his body like a drifting mote, his heart like a gentle breeze—he felt carefree and unfettered.
The whole world was so quiet it seemed he was the only one in existence. This was a truly pleasant realization!
While Chu Ran was thoroughly enjoying himself, beneath his feet—
The youths trembling as they climbed the immortal stairs looked up towards the sky.
Instantly, their faces filled with horror.
There... there's someone flying in the sky!
*Mother, my legs have gone weak from fright.*
You'd think they'd feel jealousy, envy, or hatred?
No, not at all.
They just felt scared out of their wits.
*We're not even on the same level, okay?*
What place is this?
Say it with me, the *Shangqing Sect*.
*Shang. Qing. Sect.*
The Shangqing Sect, named after the honorific title of the Shangqing Heavenly Venerable. The Daoist palace of a Sage.
So-called Sages are revered by all under heaven, honored by all races.
None may stand above them.
Even a Great Luo Golden Immortal who arrived would have to descend from the clouds and walk up along the immortal stairs.
That's just how awesome a Sage is.
*I haven't lived that long, yet I'm seeing this!*
Someone actually dared to pass over the Shangqing Sect without landing, flying through the air!
*They must have a death wish!*
All those who could climb to the mid-to-upper section of the Ascending Immortal Stairs were individuals of extraordinary talent and heart. They had passed through the inner demon illusions, withstood the supreme imposing aura, yet—faced with Chu Ran's madness of seeking death where none existed, they were scared stiff, practically collapsing on the spot (…).
*He... he's bound to anger the Sage. The Sage will be furious!*
The youths, faces pale, stared at Chu Ran riding the wind overhead, thinking in fear and trepidation.
No sooner had this thought arisen than they saw—
The clear, cloudless sky suddenly gathered a dark cloud.
Immediately after—
*KABOOM!*
A thunderclap! A purple lightning bolt shot straight down from the sky towards Chu Ran!
Everyone on the immortal stairs instantly looked horrified.
The Sage... the Sage is truly angry!
*That youth is done for!*
*Mother!*
The thunder roared, deafeningly loud.
The sudden thunderclap startled Chu Ran, making him look up.
And this look was no small matter!
A purple tribulation lightning bolt as thick as a pillar flashed with electric light amidst the overcast, cloud-covered sky, crackling and sizzling.
Before Chu Ran could even react, this tribulation lightning struck straight down at him.
At that moment, Chu Ran's face turned green.
Cursing inwardly *Holy crap!*, he hastily dodged aside.
The purple lightning struck down extremely fast, almost in the blink of an eye, a mere few breaths.
Fortunately, Chu Ran was quick, dodging just in time.
The tribulation lightning grazed past him, stirring up a shower of fiery sparks.
The surrounding white clouds were all scattered by the strike!
*That was close!*
Chu Ran thought. He raised his eyes to look at the sky.
Without him noticing, the previously clear, azure blue sky had become densely overcast with dark clouds.
As if enraged.
Gloomy and terrifying.
Only then did Chu Ran realize he might have done something extraordinary? Provoking heaven's wrath?
He thought back deeply on what he had done today.
He hadn't done much. Just promoted, brainwashed, and peddled some unhealthy, anti-society ideologies to someone, just put on a bit of a show...
*Could it be... showing off gets you struck by lightning?*
No—
Chu Ran quickly dismissed this speculation. If showing off got you struck by lightning, he would have been struck dead countless times already. After all, he was a professional at showing off, dedicated to flaunting and slapping faces for a hundred years, unwavering.
If not showing off, then it could only be...
Before he could voice the answer, another purple lightning bolt shot towards him from the sky.
"!!!" Chu Ran.
*Mother, this is going to kill me!*
Chu Ran hastily rode the wind under his feet, rushing forward quickly, dodging left and right.
He dodged it...
Chu Ran let out a sigh of relief, an expression of surviving a catastrophe appearing on his face.
However—
Before he could finish that sigh, *KABOOM!*
*KABOOM!*
*KABOOM!*
Thunder continued unceasingly. Countless purple lightning bolts struck down from the sky, like thick chains intertwining in the air, twisting together like braided dough, weaving into a shimmering web of electric light.
Several, even dozens of tribulation lightning bolts struck down at Chu Ran simultaneously.
"!!!!!" At that moment, Chu Ran's face turned purple, matching the color of the lightning.
*Damn it, what did I ever do to you!*
Chu Ran raged inwardly. *This looks like a fight to the death!*
*Where did I ever offend you!*
**Before the Jade Purity Hall, Tai Chi Plaza**
**The Qiankun Mirror hung high.**
Immortal Lord Yueci's mouth twitched uncontrollably, unsure whether to pity this youth or scold him for seeking death where none existed.
*This tribulation lightning is on par with the Triple Heavenly Tribulation!*
*This is deadly!*
Simultaneously, a subtle feeling arose within him. The Heavenly Venerable... as the legends say, his majesty is indeed unfathomable. Towards any being daring to provoke him, he shows no mercy, striking to kill.
Never mind if you're just a child...
Actually, Superior Immortal Yueci's long internal monologue could be summed up in three words: *Really petty.*
**Far away, within the Biyou Palace atop the highest peak of the Shangqing Sect**
**A waterside pavilion in the lake.** A man with a red mark between his brows leaned against the railing.
The mark, a vermilion-like vivid color, a sharp, hook-like line, hung between his brows like a sword.
He wore black robes, their color somber yet his aura sharp and imposing. His face was exquisitely handsome, so beautiful it surpassed even that of most women by three parts.
—However, his profound, mountain-and-sea-like aura of immense, sharp, majestic authority made one dare not look directly upon his heavenly visage.
The man leaned lazily against the railing, his black robes trailing carelessly across the ground. In his hand, he held a handful of fish food, idly feeding the koi in the lake now and then. His exquisitely handsome face wore a bored, indifferent expression.
Suddenly, thunder roared mightily in the distant sky.
Hearing the sound, the man looked up.
Eyes as dark and deep as night looked into the distance.
There, the sky was covered with dark clouds, purple tribulation lightning flashing with silver light and electricity.
Seeing this, the man instantly curved his lips. A look of interest appeared on his lazy face. "Interesting..."
"Someone actually dares to trespass through this venerable one's Daoist domain." The man spoke. Tilting his hand, all the fish food in his palm fell into the water.
Countless koi gathered, fighting for the food.
Not long after—
The clear, moving lake water floated with a patch of koi, bellies upturned.
All with swollen, bulging bellies, eyes protruding, staring wide.
*This emperor dies with eyes wide open...*
# *Praying to never be a koi in the Heavenly Venerable's immortal pond in the next life* #
The man in black was the supreme existence of the Shangqing Sect, the Shangqing Heavenly Venerable.
Gazing at the distant sky filled with tribulation clouds, purple lightning, and flashing silver electricity, an expression of amusement appeared on his exquisitely handsome face. He formed a hand seal in the empty air with his palm. A ripple like water swiftly flowed through the void before stilling.
It was as if a clear mirror hung suspended in the air, vividly displaying all scenes of the world.
And within the mirror—
Chu Ran's figure prominently appeared.
- Writer
