Chapter 161 - 160: Don’t Worry, I’m Used to Getting Struck

Five people were advancing at the same time. While three of them were putting on a grand and impressive display, the other two were like a trickling stream, causing not a single ripple.

As they waited quietly, the brilliant sun that had just been shining overhead was suddenly obscured by dark, gathering clouds. The faint sound of muffled thunder rumbled in the distance.

Chu Liangyu frowned. She had a bad feeling. ’This is the perfect setup for a lightning strike.’

It was obvious their advancements were too heaven-defying, and the Heavenly Dao wanted to strike them dead.

This wasn’t like the Cultivation World, where advancement required a Heavenly Tribulation for Body Refining. In their current state, the three of them couldn’t possibly withstand such an assault.

If Chu Liangyu didn’t intervene, the only path awaiting them was death.

These three played a crucial role in the tribe, so Chu Liangyu couldn’t possibly stand by and do nothing.

Fortunately, she had anticipated Feng Qingqing’s Beastification today. Worried that something might go wrong, she had come to the training grounds in her true form, which saved her some trouble.

However, this was also her first time encountering such a situation. ’I have no idea how many lightning strikes each person will have to endure.’

Sighing, Chu Liangyu felt a weariness in her heart.

But on the bright side, she had subdued the Thunder Spirit not long ago, which gave her considerable resistance to Thunder. It should be much more bearable for her.

Of the three, the Elder was the first to show signs of change, and the dark clouds above him were much thicker than the others’.

A trace of worry also appeared on the Elder’s wrinkled face. Chu Liangyu quickly moved to his side and reassured him, "Don’t worry about advancing, Elder. Leave the Heavenly Tribulation to me."

The Elder’s eyes filled with emotion. He nodded heavily and said, "Thank you, Chief."

Perhaps because of Chu Liangyu’s guarantee, the Elder’s heart quickly calmed, and he refocused on circulating the energy within his body.

The black wings on Chu Liangyu’s back unfurled, their massive span enveloping the Elder completely. If any lightning were to descend, it would strike only Chu Liangyu.

Chu Liangyu’s expression turned grave. She looked up at the thunderclouds, quietly awaiting the arrival of the lightning.

The thunderclouds grew heavier and heavier, creating a suffocating pressure. At that moment, the thunder was no longer a dull rumble; a bolt tore through the layers of clouds and plummeted straight down.

The flash of lightning was blinding. For an instant, Chu Liangyu’s vision was filled with white, and she couldn’t see anything else.

The Elder, protected beneath her wings, was completely unharmed. But she was left numb and tingling all over from that first bolt. She couldn’t help but cough, and a puff of smoke drifted from her mouth, creating a somewhat comical sight.

However, before she could even recover for a moment, lightning began to rain down upon them without the slightest pause.

After being baptized by several consecutive bolts of lightning, Chu Liangyu felt awful. Her bones ached so badly that her brows furrowed in pain.

Fortunately, she had been struck by lightning often in the past and had grown used to it, so she didn’t find it unbearable now.

Besides, compared to the punitive lightning she had encountered on Void Island, this was nothing.

CRACKLE! The thunder roared in her ears. Chu Liangyu silently counted about nine strikes.

Just as she finished counting the ninth strike, the dark clouds above them suddenly dispersed, and the obstructed sunlight once again shone down on them.

This meant the Elder’s Heavenly Tribulation was over. Chu Liangyu let out a sigh of relief. Her black wings unfolded, revealing the Elder she had been protecting.

At that moment, the Elder’s face was a mask of excitement and joy. He stood there, stunned, not moving for a long time, as if his mind had been overwhelmed with happiness.

Chu Liangyu glanced at the two pairs of wings behind him and smiled, her tone light. "Congratulations, Elder."

Hearing Chu Liangyu’s voice, the Elder finally snapped back to his senses. He shot to his feet, bowed deeply to Chu Liangyu, and said, "Thank you, Chief! This old man will surely engrave your kindness in my heart!"

His voice was choked with emotion, mostly from the gratitude he felt toward Chu Liangyu.

After he finished speaking, wisps of Power of Faith began to spill from his body, flowing ceaselessly toward Chu Liangyu.

Chu Liangyu was stunned for a moment, then the smile on her face widened. She reached out to help the Elder up and said, "As the Chief of the tribe, it’s only natural for me to do everything I can to protect my people."

"Why don’t you rest for a moment, Elder? I’m going to help Jiaojiao and Cheng Miao."

Chu Liangyu saw the dark clouds above them growing thicker and couldn’t help but frown. There was no time to say anything more to the Elder; she flew straight toward the two of them.

Both of them were talented, but Cheng Miao had grown up among the tribespeople from a young age. His comprehension and abilities were clearly a cut above Xiong Jiaojiao’s in some respects.

Looking at the state of the thunderclouds above them now, it seemed Cheng Miao would be the first to be struck.

Having made her judgment, Chu Liangyu went directly toward Cheng Miao. But just as she shielded him beneath her wings, a bolt of lightning impatiently struck down.

This strike hit Chu Liangyu before she could even catch her breath, leaving a lump of air trapped in her chest, unable to move up or down.

She didn’t know if it was because of Cheng Miao’s superior talent, but the lightning here was several times more powerful than the Elder’s. It was nearly as strong as the punitive lightning.

"You..." Cheng Miao only realized what was happening after he was plunged into darkness—Chu Liangyu was using her own body to block the lightning for him.

Suddenly, he was at a loss for words. He stared at the black wings above him for a long time, as if trying to see the expression on Liangyu’s face through the tiniest gap.

At this point, Chu Liangyu had already been hit by several bolts and needed to focus her mind, but she noticed the person she was protecting was still in a daze.

"Hurry up and advance. Don’t make me take these hits for nothing."

Cheng Miao snapped out of his shock and nodded. He quickly adjusted his state and continued gathering power for his advancement.

Seeing this, Chu Liangyu refocused on dealing with the lightning. ’But...’ After she counted nine strikes in her mind, the thunderclouds still showed no sign of dispersing. It was clearly not over yet.

At the same time, the muffled thunder above Xiong Jiaojiao grew louder. The sound reached Chu Liangyu’s ears, giving her a very bad feeling.

However, before she could react, lightning descended from above Xiong Jiaojiao, hurtling straight toward her.

Chu Liangyu’s pupils contracted sharply. In that instant, her body moved faster than her mind—she directly summoned the Thunder Spirit to block the space above Xiong Jiaojiao!

The Thunder Spirit was born from lightning itself, so it naturally had no fear of this Heavenly Tribulation.

Seeing that Xiong Jiaojiao was out of danger, Chu Liangyu was about to breathe a sigh of relief. But before she could fully relax, the normal-sized bolt of lightning in mid-air suddenly swelled to several times its size and struck down violently!