Chapter 313 Heavenly Punishment
Qi Huang was not blind, so she noticed the abnormality immediately. However, in this chaotic world, Yin energy was abundant and Yang energy was declining, so abnormal weather was not uncommon. The only thing that was difficult to explain was the inexplicable oppressive aura.
“Such a terrifying oppressive aura!”
At this moment, Yaoyao also sensed the abnormality and couldn’t help but speak.
“Where is this oppressive aura coming from? Could it be that a strong enemy is attacking?”
Qi Huang’s nerves immediately tensed up at this thought. She had to know that her spiritual sense strength had already reached the late stage of the Shentong Realm, and even so, she felt a palpitation. If this oppressive aura was emitted by a person, then that person’s strength would definitely exceed the Shentong Realm.
“Could it be that those imperial concubines really invited a master from the Heavenly Punishment Realm to appear to deal with me?”
Qi Huang murmured to herself with a solemn expression, and at the same time, her spiritual sense was fully unleashed, carefully scanning every inch of land within a radius of dozens of li. However, the result was that she achieved nothing.
“Did you find any enemies?”
Qi Huang suspected that the other party might have a way to hide their aura, such as wearing clothes made from the fur of the Nine Nether Demonic Cat like Thousand Shadows. So, she asked Yaoyao.
“No! The only master hidden nearby is Thousand Shadows, and he has no reason or ability to emit such a powerful oppressive aura.”
Yaoyao replied sternly.
“This is really strange. Then where did this oppressive aura come from?”
Qi Huang was puzzled.
As time went by, more and more dark clouds gathered overhead, densely packed together, blocking out the sun and the sky. The sky turned as black as the bottom of a pot, so much so that not even a ray of sunlight could penetrate. Moreover, the thunder grew louder and louder, and the lightning within roared and growled, like hungry beasts eager to devour people.
The small county town was completely shrouded in darkness. It was daytime, but it became so dark that one couldn’t see their hand in front of their face. The residents gradually became panicked. People hid in their homes and lit candles, not daring to come out. The crying of children, however, echoed in unison.
At the same time, the oppressive aura between heaven and earth also became more and more obvious. Ordinary people with weak physiques were the first to be unable to withstand it, and they all knelt on the ground, trembling.
“It… It seems something is wrong! I… I’m even feeling a bit scar… scared.”
Yaoyao stammered again.
“I… I also feel that something is wrong, nhưng… but where is the problem?”
Qi Huang replied with a trembling voice. Her spiritual sense had already reached the Shentong Realm, and the fear emotion had also disappeared by more than half. But even so, she still felt as insecure as a newborn baby at this moment.
And at this moment, Eunuch Zhong, standing in front of the inn, suddenly changed his expression and muttered to himself, “Damn it! Could it be…”
“Steward Zhong, wha… what is it?”
A middle-aged man dressed as a military general next to him asked with trembling lips. He was Feng Hui, the Left Guard of the Imperial Army’s Left and Right Guards. He was in charge of three hundred soldiers and was the main force of this imperial concubine escort team.
“Heavenly Tribulation! The current situation is very similar to the legendary Heavenly Tribulation!”
Eunuch Zhong’s expression became solemn.
“What? Heavenly Tribulation? But there are no Heavenly Punishment Realm experts in our Xihui Dynasty? Steward Zhong, have you ever seen a Heavenly Tribulation?”
Feng Hui asked in disbelief.
“How could I have seen a Heavenly Tribulation? I’ve only heard a little about it. However, we are now carrying out an important task. It’s better to believe it than not to believe it, so it’s best to be careful.”
Eunuch Zhong replied, then raised his head and let out a sharp voice unique to eunuchs, “May I ask which senior is undergoing tribulation here? We are a team sent by the Emperor of the Xihui Dynasty to escort the imperial concubine into the palace. If there are any mishaps, it will be difficult to account for. Please, for the sake of the Royal family of the Xihui Dynasty, find another auspicious place to undergo tribulation.”
“Wh… what? He… He said Heavenly Tribulation? Heavenly Punishment… Heavenly Tribulation that Heavenly Punishment Realm experts will attract?”
Qi Huang stammered when she heard Eunuch Zhong’s words. She was now at least a late-stage Shentong Realm expert, so she had learned about the Heavenly Punishment Realm beforehand. The so-called Heavenly Punishment consisted of two parts: “Heavenly Calamity” and “Man-made Calamity.” Among them, Heavenly Calamity was also called Heavenly Tribulation, which was manifested as lightning strikes from heaven.
“He… He did say that, but I don’t know if it’s true… true or false. Anyway… I… I have never seen a Heavenly Tribulation.”
Yaoyao transmitted with difficulty. Her current strength was in the middle stage of the Shentong Realm. In terms of spiritual sense alone, she was no match for Qi Huang, so the negative effects were even more pronounced.
“Bu… But I still suggest that you recall that clone immediately and flee this place at once.”
Yaoyao then made a suggestion.
Qi Huang knew the principle that caution leads to a safe journey for ten thousand years, so she prepared to recall Huang Ling and flee immediately. However, the subsequent situation made her hair stand on end. The oppressive aura between heaven and earth intensified greatly in such a short period, like a killing intent that made her lose her senses and completely unable to release the Soul Bond. She also fell from the air unsteadily.
“How is this possible? I am a great master in the late stage of the Shentong Realm!”
Qi Huang wailed unwillingly in her heart.
And in the inn in the small town, Eunuch Zhong’s expression had completely changed. He immediately realized that something was wrong. Just as he was about to order his subordinates to protect the imperial concubine, he found that all his subordinates around him had knelt on the ground and were trembling. He had become a lonely person.
“No, I must protect the imperial concubine’s safety!”
Eunuch Zhong did not dare to delay and immediately ran towards the inn. However, at this moment, the oppressive aura between heaven and earth had converged to its peak. Even though his cultivation was equivalent to the Shentong Realm of a cultivator, he was still unable to concentrate his consciousness due to fear. His limbs simply did not obey his commands, and he walked unsteadily, not even as steady as a three-year-old child.
And at this moment, a bright blue lightning bolt suddenly shot straight down from the clouds, carrying the power to destroy worlds. It directly pierced through the inn where Huang Ling was located, and did not stop for a long time. From a distance, it looked like a world-destroying sword inserted between heaven and earth. Although the color was not bright, it still blinded everyone who saw it.
Eunuch Zhong stood stiffly, his legs trembling violently even with his powerful strength. This was because the blue lightning bolt was just a zhang away from him and shot straight down, piercing the inn through and through. It carved a bottomless black hole in the middle of the lobby. If he had been a step faster, he would have been reduced to nothing at that moment.
Eunuch Zhong, having narrowly escaped death, felt his scalp tingle and his eyes see stars. He then shakily sat down on the ground.
At this moment, the oppressive aura around them receded like a tide, coming and going quickly.
Qi Huang, who was outside the town, seemed unaffected, but her face had become exceptionally pale, because the lightning bolt was clearly aimed at the inn where the clone was located.
Qi Huang quickly released her spiritual sense, and then she saw that the inn had been pierced by a large hole by the lightning. The room where her clone was located had been completely erased. The pitiful Huang Ling was left with only a spiritual soul trembling in the air.
Fearing further mishap, Qi Huang immediately recalled Huang Ling into her space.
And at this time, Eunuch Zhong had already reacted. He ignored the inn, which was already on the verge of collapse and ran upstairs in three steps. Then he saw that the room where the imperial concubine was located had been completely erased.
“This is completely finished!”
Eunuch Zhong’s face was as pale as a corpse that had been dead for three days.
Qi Huang sat on the ground dazedly. After a long while, she snapped back to reality. She looked around, feeling like she had survived a catastrophe and was reborn. She knew very well that if she had not used the Golden Cicada’s Escape in advance and had remained in that room, then the one who would have become a “wandering ghost” now would not have been Huang Ling, but herself.
‘I finally understand where the sense of crisis came from just now. It turns out it wasn’t a specific person, but Heaven.’
Qi Huang thought with lingering fear.
“Fortunately, you used the Golden Cicada’s Escape in advance, otherwise we would all have suffered.”
Yaoyao’s trembling voice sounded. Although she had no flesh and blood, her body was condensed from Yin energy. Once it was dispersed, her strength would be greatly reduced.
“Yes, if I were struck, although I wouldn’t die completely, my physical body would be gone, and my Seven Vital Souls would definitely not be preserved. At that time, I would have to return to my mother’s womb to be reborn.”
Qi Huang wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and said. The “mother” she mentioned naturally referred to Cheng Hong Ling.
“What rotten luck! Who in that inn did something so heinous to be struck by lightning and even implicate me!”
Qi Huang’s heart calmed down a little, and she complained indignantly. After all, it took her a whole night to cultivate that clone, and now it was completely destroyed, which made her chest ache.
“Tsk! Why isn’t it you who did something bad and implicated others?”
Yaoyao retorted immediately.
