Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

  After buying two big carps from the fish stall, Li Nianfan walked around the town with Daji. They bought some daily necessities before going home.

  On the way home, Li Nianfan could not help looking up at the sky with a worried look. “Daji, do you think there have been more thunderclaps recently?”


  After a moment of thought, Daji said, “Indeed. It seems like there have been some changes recently.”


  Li Nianfan’s expression grew even more worried. He remembered how the sky changed abruptly in Azure Ville. There were frequent thunderclaps there, too. How terrifying!

  Not to mention, it was because of the thunderstorms that he decided to bring Daji home.

  It seemed that thunder and lightning were a frequent occurrence in this Immortal Realm.

  Li Nianfan asked, “Do you think the thunder will strike our house?”


  Daji looked at Li Nianfan and then looked up at the sky. “I think……it’s unlikely?”


  “We can’t leave it to chance. Ordinary people like us must live cautiously in this Immortal Realm.”


  Li Nianfan shook his head. “We live at the top of the mountain with trees surrounding us. That makes us prime targets of a thunderstrike! I must think of some precautions when we get home.”


  Li Nianfan frowned as he started to brainstorm ideas. The most straightforward way to deal with thunderstorms was to use a lightning rod. However, the key material in making a lightning rod was galvanized wire. Making it was not too complicated. He merely needed to find some ordinary metal and melt them into one.

  Now that he had a lighter at home, he should be able to make it. He had to return to the town to buy some metal equipment. Li Nianfan picked up his pace so he could start making the lightning rod. The sooner the safer.

  At the Linxian Palace.

  Qin Manyun and the four Elders were guarding a stone wall with worried looks.

  Vroom!

  Suddenly, the stone wall moved and Yao Mengji walked out.

  “Teacher!”


  “Sect Master!”


  Everyone’s eyes lit up as they walked toward him. However, when they laid eyes on Yao Mengji, the smiles on their faces stiffened.

  Yao Mengji looked worn out. His hair was messed up and his eyes had sunk in like an aged elder, looking weak and feeble. He looked nothing like before.

  Qin Manyun’s eyes turned red instantly. Trembling, she said, “Teacher, you……”


  Yao Mengji waved it off. “Speak no further. I don’t have many days left.”


  “This……this……” Everyone felt as if they were struck by lightning.

  Zhou Dacheng frowned and said hastily, “Yao Laotou, don’t speak nonsense. What’re you doing? How could you say such a thing?!”


  Qin Manyun added, “Yeah, teacher. Haven’t you already passed the Interrogation of Insights?”


  “Bad timing. Bad timing!” Yao Mengji smiled bitterly as he shook his head. “Now that there are massive changes in the world, I sensed during my Interrogation of Insights that the natural tribulation I need to endure is at least double the usual danger! Double! How am I going to survive it?”


  Everyone’s eyes narrowed as their hearts sank a little. “Double? How could it be?”


  They did not doubt what he said. Normally, cultivators could sense impending danger. Since it came to Yao Mengji during his Interrogation of Insights, it was unlikely to be a mistake.

  “I’d like to know why, too!” Yao Mengji said with a desperate look. He complained, “I got this far, yet something like this happens during my Cross Tribulation. What am I supposed to do!”


  Everyone gasped with their mouths wide open. They did not know what to say. The thought of doubling the danger was scary to even think about. How could it be!

  “Whatever! That’s fate,” Yao Mengji waved it off as he turned to Qin Manyun. “Did you present yourself well when I was in the retreat? I hope you didn’t piss the expert off.”


  “Of course, we didn’t piss him off. However, quite a lot happened……”


  Instantly, Qin Manyun recomposed her emotions and told Yao Mengji everything that happened from head to toe, as if she was telling a story.

  Yao Mengji looked like an ordinary elderly man, smiling as he listened to her story. He nodded and shook his head from time to time. Half a day had passed when Qin Manyun finished her story.

  Yao Mengji’s face changed along with Qin Manyun’s description, sometimes smiling and nodding with satisfaction, sometimes sighing with regret.

  When she mentioned the Liu Family, his face became serious. “How dare the Liu Family offend the expert. They must be destroyed! What a pity that I was in the retreat. If not, I would’ve gone and destroyed them myself!”


  When he heard about the descent of an Immortal, he was stunned. “There are indeed big changes in the world. My natural tribulation is probably related to this as well. I wonder what the future will hold.”


  When he heard that the expert gave Azure Ville a painting, his eyes filled with admiration as he gasped. “Azure Ville got lucky! Gu Changqing must be so happy that his jaw must be sore from smiling!”


  Finally, he looked at Qin Manyun and praised her, “Manyun, your recent improvement is very obvious. You’ve deciphered most of the expert’s clues. Ha-ha-ha! You’re my best student after all!”


  “However……there are some parts where your understanding is still too shallow,” Yao Mengji said to Qin Manyun. “As the expert said, ‘at worst you are a successful man, at best you are a legendary savior.’ That was obviously him reminding us! What he meant was that as long as we’re doing enough, he won’t let us down! For example, the expert must’ve been impressed by how Azure Ville sealed the entrance of the Demon Realm so he rewarded them with a painting!”


  Qin Manyun and the Elders looked impressed. “You’re so right! Thank you for your teaching!”


  “In this world, we must learn as we live and help others if we can. Just because we came across the expert, it doesn’t mean we’ll be trouble-free. We need to keep working for the expert! If we don’t share our capabilities with those in need, we will be disposed of by the expert!” Yao Mengji pointed out to them as if speaking his last words. “When I’m no longer here, the Linxian Palace will rely on all of you. Now that the world’s changing, you’ll need to be more cautious than ever!”


  The four Elders looked depressed as they said in unison, “Don’t worry, we’ll do our best to uphold the Linxian Palace forever!”


  Qin Manyun looked at her teacher who seemed to have aged instantly. She bit her tongue and said in a low voice, “Teacher, why don’t we go and ask the expert? He must have a way to help.”


  “No, no need!” Yao Mengji shook his head without hesitation. “The expert has helped us enough. If I do so, I’ll be disrupting his peace. Even if the expert is willing to help me, I’m too ashamed to ask for his help. And if it offended the expert, the Linxian Palace might be shut down because of me.”


  “Don’t be too upset. Death is beyond our grasp. Before I go, I’ll go and bid the expert farewell one last time!”