Chapter 598: Three Thousand Heavenly Thunders, Evening Nantuo Order

The sky churned, echoing with thunder as the wind rose and clouds gathered. Patches of black clouds appeared in the firmament, growing thicker and expanding their reach.

The wind in the Green Sand Desert also grew more powerful, its whistling moans like the wails of ghosts.

Waves of oppressive feeling descended from the sky, covering not only Xu Qing’s location but also the entire Green Sand Desert.

A roaring sound fell from the heavens, causing all living beings in the Green Sand Desert to flinch.

All forces within the mountains, including the cultivators of Mount Kusheng, were startled. Even within the Red Moon Temple, people looked up at the sky.

“What’s happening?” The sky seemed amiss. Chen Fanzhuo, sitting cross-legged within his sect, was also startled. He quickly opened his eyes and looked at the dark sky, a wave of unease rising within him. He had no idea what was occurring.

Equally uneasy was Mu Daozi, who was carefully serving a black-robed elder a tea for apprenticeship. The teacup in his hand trembled, spilling tea.

The black-robed elder in front of him instantly looked up at the sky, his expression equally surprised and doubtful.

Additionally, Old Ancestor Mogui, the strongest rogue cultivator in Mount Kusheng, who had been meditating cross-legged, instantly appeared in mid-air. His face was unprecedentedly grave as he gazed at the firmament.

Everyone reacted similarly, even the tribe living beneath the desert.

Not to mention the people inside the sun floating in mid-air, who were the source of all this.

Ning Yan trembled, Wu Jianwu gasped, Li Youfei was horrified, while the Captain stood there with an expression of anticipation, looking downwards.

“The Young Lord was right,” the Captain murmured. “Ever since little A Qing was recognized as the future Prefect of Fenghai Prefecture, that old man clearly prioritized safety. But it's not as serious as the Young Lord made it sound. Little A Qing’s Dao heart is slowly being shaped. In a few more years, he will naturally develop his own Dao without needing guidance.”

“However, at this stage, this is a good thing for little A Qing,” the Captain thought, looking at the ground.

On the ground, the Young Lord, disguised as an old man, slowly ascended with his hands behind his back. The moment he left, the sky exploded with unprecedented roars, and arcs of lightning suddenly appeared, arcing across the heavens in all directions.

Its range continuously expanded, from a thousand zhang to ten thousand zhang, and continued to grow until it eventually covered almost half of the Green Sand Desert.

This extraordinary phenomenon caused immense shock to all beings in the Green Sand Desert.

Before they could observe closely, a roaring sound, like an enraged deity, exploded from all directions. Countless thunderclaps echoed, and innumerable arcs of lightning converged into heavenly bolts, covering half the desert and descending over a vast area.

They struck the sandy ground!

There were no fewer than three thousand bolts of heavenly lightning.

These three thousand bolts struck various locations. After their descent, amidst the roaring sand, they rapidly converged beneath the desert towards Xu Qing's position.

It was as if three thousand lightning dragons were arriving simultaneously, their momentum astonishing, as the ground churned, creating long fissures.

Witnessing this, the Captain gasped, his eyes wide. Even he was horrified at this moment.

“They're trying to kill little A Qing!” the Captain exclaimed in shock, about to fly out, but the Young Lord in mid-air glanced back.

“Calm down!” The Captain paused, his expression shifting repeatedly.

At this moment, three thousand lightning dragons roared, charging directly towards Xu Qing. Looking around, the ground continuously exploded, creating a deafening sound, as the three thousand heavenly bolts finally converged!

A sound that reverberated throughout the Green Sand Desert transformed into a violent, deafening sonic wave. Beneath the desert where Xu Qing was located, the surrounding sand shattered simultaneously and suddenly exploded amidst the tremendous noise.

Furthermore, a tragic, mournful cry came from within the sun, drawing the attention of Ning Yan and others.

They saw the sole remaining Red Moon Temple divine envoy, who had been absorbed by Xu Qing. At that instant, his body emitted lightning from within, shattering into a rhomboid wooden shard that fell to the ground.

His sudden death occurred before anyone could react. The earth's vibrations instantly intensified, and continuous explosions spread their impact over a thousand miles.

Eventually, from a distance, a crater a thousand miles deep appeared on the ground.

In the very center lay a scorched five-zhang tall body, motionless, its fate unknown.

“A bit subpar. Only a few hundred of the three thousand heavenly bolts were withstood,” the Young Lord said, shaking his head. He raised his right hand and waved, pulling the scorched body towards him, then turned and returned inside the sun.

Once inside the sun, Ling'er, her eyes red with anxiety, quickly ran over.

“Brother Xu Qing!” Seeing Xu Qing covered in injuries and barely conscious, Ling'er's tears flowed as she embraced him. Xu Qing looked towards the Young Lord.

“Grandpa, you...” Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu held their breath, their hearts trembling as they looked at the motionless Xu Qing.

“He won't die,” the Young Lord said calmly. Just as he finished speaking, he saw Ling'er crying, and his heart softened.

“This is also a form of tempering, and with that Red Moon divine envoy to continue the tribulation, when your Brother Xu Qing reaches his limit, the other party will automatically share the burden…” Hearing this, the Captain looked towards the spot where the divine envoy had vanished, his heart churning as he murmured to himself.

“The Xi Nan Ritual of Substitution.” Wu Jianwu and Ning Yan now understood the reason behind the previous scene. Both gasped.

Ning Yan, especially, knew many secret histories. An ancient ritual he had read about in ancient texts instantly appeared in his mind.

“The Xi Nan Ritual of Substitution!” Ning Yan had read many ancient texts and had a very deep impression of the Xi Nan Ritual. This technique was no longer known in this era, but during the era of the Xuan You Ancient Emperor, it was exceedingly malicious.

Xi Nan was a great ominous tree from ancient times. Every hundred years, it would undergo a tribulation, and each time, countless powerful cultivators would inexplicably die in various places.

Later generations studied it and discovered strange connections: all the deceased cultivators had died in place of Xi Nan's tribulation, serving as substitutes.

Thus, people gradually devised this ritual.

During the era of the Xuan You Ancient Emperor, only imperial family prodigies, under the guidance of elders, would perform this ritual by using foreign beings as substitutes for their tribulations.

What was most astonishing about the Xi Nan Ritual of Substitution was its ability to allow the tribulation-undergoer to reach their absolute limit and experience a life-or-death trial. Afterward, the cultivator who served as the substitute would transform into a wooden shard.

This wooden shard possessed a cursed power that, once unleashed, had astonishing might.

Thinking of this, Ning Yan suddenly looked towards the place where the divine envoy had died, and indeed, there was a wooden shard.

Meanwhile, the sky outside returned to normal as the lightning dispersed, and the black clouds also faded away. However, the tremors from the ground continued to spread.

Though it seemed to be only a thousand miles in scope, the impact of the three thousand heavenly bolts earlier shook the entire Green Sand Desert. Countless mountains quaked, and even Mount Kusheng trembled intensely.

Inside, gasps of alarm were continuous, and a sense of gravity was extremely strong.

Figures ascended into the sky, strands of divine consciousness formed, and feelings of fear and vigilance erupted simultaneously.

“Which powerful being is undergoing tribulation? It doesn't look like a tribulation; it's more like refining something!” Instantly, countless doubts and speculations arose among the beings of the Green Sand Desert. Even the Red Moon Temple was alarmed and sent out search parties to investigate the cause.

But they found nothing.

The impact of this event on the cultivators of the Green Sand Desert was extremely profound.

As the strongest rogue cultivator, Old Ancestor Mogui, now in mid-air above Mount Kusheng, took a deep breath. His ancient eyes gazed at the firmament as he murmured.

“The Green Sand Desert is about to face a storm.” Similar sentiments arose in the hearts of many powerful figures. As for Mu Daozi, the black-robed elder sitting before him was also trembling inwardly. After a long moment, he took Mu Daozi's tea and spoke in a low voice.

“Do not leave Mount Kusheng anytime soon. I’ve been feeling uneasy, as if something bad is about to happen. You haven't done anything out of line recently, have you?” Mu Daozi quickly shook his head.

“Master, your disciple has been here all this time, preparing to build the sect gates. I haven't done anything out of line.” The black-robed elder then nodded.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing, who had caused all this commotion, managed to open his eyes within the sun. He could feel his body was extremely weak, yet at the same time, an astonishing power surged within him.

All thirteen Nascent Souls had reached the third tribulation stage.

His combat power had soared dramatically. Any Nascent Soul cultivator encountering him would feel despair and horror deep in their hearts.

At this moment, Xu Qing could already contend with cultivators at the initial stage of Dao Nurturing.

Even the weaker Dao Nurturing cultivators far surpassed Nascent Soul cultivators. As for the stronger ones, they were infinitely close to the Spirit Treasure stage; once they formed a Heavenly Dao, they could break through their own limits, materialize the illusory, and achieve a true Secret Treasure.

Thus, three days passed with Xu Qing's healing.

Mount Kusheng was visible in the distance.

After seeing that Brother Xu Qing was fine, Ling'er finally breathed a sigh of relief. She became lively again and began to introduce the pharmacy to the Young Lord.

“Grandpa, my family's pharmacy is especially beautiful! Especially inside, with my arrangements, it's very cozy. I wipe it clean every day, not a speck of dust,” Ling'er said happily. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu were also curious, and the Captain showed anticipation.

As for Li Youfei, he was equally excited. Last time, he had fled, but this time, he was different. Someone like Old Ancestor Mogui was now a joke in his eyes.

The Young Lord smiled, feeling very pleased. In the past, his extraordinary status made it difficult for him to experience worldly joys or familial affection. Then he was suppressed in the Sea of Heavenly Fire, suffering immensely.

Even after his return, he mostly healed alone. But these days, being with these children, hearing them call him 'Grandpa, Grandpa,' he said nothing outwardly, but a rare warmth blossomed in his heart.

So, hearing Ling'er's cheerful words, he smiled and nodded. However, when his gaze swept outside, his expression became slightly peculiar.

“Ling'er, is your pharmacy in the earthen city a hundred miles ahead?”

“Yes, Grandpa, it’s in that earthen city! We’re finally home,” Ling'er said, her eyes filled with anticipation.

As the sun gradually approached Mount Kusheng, Xu Qing also paused his healing. He weakly stood up, and with Ling'er's support, he looked in the direction of the earthen city outside, a sense of emotion rising within him.

This trip, back and forth, had taken a full half-year. But in the next instant, Xu Qing's eyes narrowed.

A scene of ruins appeared in his perception. Immediately after, a roar came from the direction of the earthen city. Amidst the rising dust, the few remaining houses there collapsed.

Xu Qing was stunned.