The Dragon

The lightning struck the scale, seeming to hammer its brilliance into it. In an instant, the air around them erupted in an explosive force, creating a sensation of intense pressure on everyone’s ears, rendering all sounds muffled and indistinct.

The remaining flashes of electricity scattered like snakes slithering straight down. They looked small, but upon impact, they burst into flames. The formation could only partially reduce the tribulation’s power. Ah Fu, who had a natural ability to absorb lightning, found himself overwhelmed, managing to neutralize only half of the force. The rest fell upon Gu Fuyou to withstand.

Employing a spell, she further halved the tribulation’s strength, leaving the remaining impact to be endured by her body. Gu Fuyou braced herself, channeling her spiritual energy rapidly to form a protective shield against the thunderbolt’s assault.

The pain was far more intense than she had anticipated. A sharp gasp escaped her as a small cut appeared on her hand, with bright red blood winding around it like delicate threads.

On the vast plain, the aftermath of the lightning seemed to devour all light, casting everything into indistinct shadows. The wind swept across the withered grass, carrying with it the wild, raw scent of the post-thunderstorm wilderness.

Zhong Michu looked up to the sky. The world was engulfed in darkness, with only intermittent flashes of lightning piercing through the cloud layer, casting stark white brilliance.

The first strike was merely a taste, a scout probing the way. The real challenge was yet to come.

A heavy unease settled in Zhong Michu’s heart, making it feel restrained, its rhythm subdued. Her lips lost their color, but in the surreal ambiance, it went unnoticed.

She wished she could step forward and intercept the thunderbolts for Gu Fuyou, just as she had done on top of the Biluo Sect’s spirit mountain.

Heaven and earth are governed by their own set of principles, under which each person encounters their own unique challenges. The pain and sorrow one endures must be borne individually, as outsiders are incapable of diminishing this burden. While it is permissible to use spiritual items to soften the impact of a tribulation, transferring the bulk of it to another carries the risk of divine retribution, potentially compromising the spiritual paths of both involved.

Just like life itself, one may walk with others, but the journey is ultimately one’s own, to be completed on one’s own feet.

Unless absolutely necessary, she could not step forward.

The sky flashed, with all light focusing intensely on a singular point before shooting straight downwards. This spectacle transcended a mere thunderbolt, manifesting as a towering pillar of light. The Thunder Tribulation marking the transition from Soul Splitting to Immortalization was a phenomenon far beyond the scope of ordinary lightning.

A ringing sound filled everyone’s ears. Zhong Michu quickly lifted Yi’er and shouted, “Retreat!”

Members of the Dragon Clan retreated. Zhong Michu stood her ground, shielding Yi Er’s head in her arms. With a sword that split into thousands, she arranged a sword formation to intercept the lightning scattering around them.

Gu Fuyou and Ah Fu were completely engulfed in the intense light. Zhong Michu watched them, her eyes stinging from the fierce wind and rampant lightning. Her clothes fluttered wildly in the chaotic atmosphere, but the roar of the lightning drowned out all other sounds and sights.

When the worst was over, and the thunderous roar echoed as if hammers were striking the heavens, the world transitioned from extreme brightness to darkness.

Zhong Michu, in this moment of transition, saw the scene before her.

The once-green plains had been scorched into barren land. Gu Fuyou stood in the distance, looking utterly disheveled. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. Blood snaked down her arm, gathering at her fingertip into a dark red droplet before dripping into the mud.

Ah Fu shook its head, its chest fur singed.

While Gu Fuyou hadn’t borne the full brunt of the Thunder Tribulation, the mental strain she experienced was arguably more taxing. She had to balance between the lightning being too strong, which could shatter the scale, and too weak, which wouldn’t be effective. It was like controlling the furnace while forging an artifact.

Fortunately, she still had it under control.

Suddenly, the world plunged into darkness again.

The rumble of thunder heralded the descent of the third bolt, still with the potential to destroy everything in its path.

Being inherently sharp-sighted and keen-eared, the Dragon Clan was even more sensitive to such glaring radiance. Zhong Michu closed her eyes and slightly turned her head away.

As the light began to diminish in intensity, Zhong Michu cautiously opened her eyes. She saw the ground around her cracked and uneven, while Gu Fuyou stood with her head bowed, a clear display of exhaustion etched on her face. The skin on her exposed arms had turned black.

As the thunderclouds gradually parted, slender streaks of light filtered through, resembling delicate ribbons of silk weaving through the sky.

Zhong Michu sighed in relief. The tribulation was over. Only three lightning strikes for a Soul Splitting cultivator crossing a threshold seemed minimal. Perhaps it was because Qing Jun’s body had already undergone this tribulation and reached the state of Immortalization. Gu Fuyou’s cultivation had fallen when she took over the body, and now, as she underwent the tribulation again, it was unusually different.

Who knows the thoughts in Zhong Michu’s heart.

She hadn’t forgotten the heavenly retribution and the limitations of a Soul Splitting cultivator. The more lives a cultivator takes, the heavier the tribulation becomes.

Throughout their journey, Gu Fuyou had taken many lives. Zhong Michu feared Gu Fuyou might not survive this ordeal. If the worst came to pass, they might have to risk their paths to immortality. Thankfully, they weathered the storm.

However, just as Zhong Michu began to relax, Gu Fuyou, with great effort, lifted an arm. Pointing a finger, she wrapped her spiritual power around the heart-protecting scale. After a moment, she grumbled with dissatisfaction, “Still not enough.”

She looked up at the dispersing thunderclouds, which were breaking apart.

Suddenly, Gu Fuyou’s expression turned fierce. She yelled defiantly at the sky, “Blind heavens! When I don’t need you, you’re all too eager to cause trouble, but when I actually need you, you suddenly become useless.”

Zhong Michu’s easing expression halted midway, only to hear Gu Fuyou continue to curse, “You silver-plated lump of lead…”

Zhong Michu quickly covered Yi’er’s ears. Yi’er, with her little face buried in Zhong Michu’s embrace, started to lift her head but was gently pressed back down by Zhong Michu.

Yi’er asked, “Mother, is Ah Man’s Mother’s tribulation not over yet?”

Zhong Michu replied, “No, cover your ears.”

“Okay.” Yi’er obediently covered her ears with her hands.

The dissipating thunderclouds hung suspended in the sky, stagnant like large blue rocks, neither dispersing nor gathering.

Gu Fuyou continued to taunt, “If you were a man, your wife would be driven into the arms of another!”

Zhong Michu approached her, trying to stop her, “Ah Man.” She feared that further insults might complicate matters.

Cursing the heavens is a taboo.

Suddenly, from the scattered thunderclouds, over a dozen bolts of lightning struck down, all aiming straight for Gu Fuyou.

The lightning came without warning, striking swiftly and catching her off guard.

The lightning struck Gu Fuyou before she could react.

Perhaps the tribulation was already over, or maybe the clouds were dispersing, but this bolt was not as terrifying as the previous three. Yet, its brilliance still blinded the eyes.

Upon hearing the loud howl from Ah Fu, Zhong Michu’s heart raced. She set Yi’er down and hurried over.

The lightning flashed briefly, disappearing almost as quickly as it appeared.

In that scorched landscape, two figures stood, resembling stone pillars.

Ah Fu let out a mournful low growl. His fur was burnt off completely, leaving patchy bald spots on its body. The beast king still retained its dignity, but its majestic appearance was hard to maintain.

Zhong Michu stood in front of Gu Fuyou. The “pillar” in front of her had skin as dark as coal, either from the ash or the impact of the lightning. Her clothes were tattered, and her long hair – how much of it was left? Not a single strand.

Words failed Zhong Michu, her heart aching. After a moment, she managed, “You…”

Lifting her head, Gu Fuyou held up the scale, which shimmered brilliantly.

Gu Fuyou’s face, smudged like a cat, showed a pure smile, “Zhong Michu—”

Zhong Michu, feeling overwhelmed, responded with a stern face, “Ah Man—”

Both spoke at the same time, their voices intertwining so closely that it was hard to tell them apart.

“I’ve finally forged it!”

“There are so many ways to forge the Heart Protecting Scale!”

“This Heart Protecting Scale is indestructible. Nothing in this world can match its resilience. With it, you’ll have no weaknesses.”

“You fool! Just like Qing Jun, using the tribulation’s lightning to temper spiritual tools. But have you thought about the risks? A slight distraction could be fatal.”

Neither could hear the other, both eager to express their heartfelt concerns.

“From now on, no one can hurt you.”

“Who in the world chases after the heavens with curses like you?”

“I never want to see you hurt again, any price is worth paying.”

“If it wasn’t successful, you could have found another way. Exhausted as you were, facing the lightning again, if something happened… Have you ever thought…”

Both suddenly paused, as if frozen, their eyes locked on each other, their competing voices silently ceasing.

After a long pause, Zhong Michu hoarsely said, “Are you a fool?”

“Breaking through to the Immortalization stage is a rare opportunity. Using it to forge the Heart-protecting Scale, who knows how many years you’d have to wait for another tribulation?”

Gu Fuyou replied, “I have a thousand dreams, but becoming immortal isn’t one of them.”

Gu Fuyou placed the scale over Zhong Michu’s heart and said with a smile, “You should keep it close to your heart.”

Zhong Michu sighed softly, looking at her with both affection and amusement, “You should see what you’ve turned into.”

Lifting a hand to gently wipe her forehead, Zhong Michu cleaned off the blackness from Gu Fuyou’s face, which turned out to be dirt from the charred remnants of wild grass and lightning.

When Zhong Michu touched it, Gu Fuyou realized what was strange; it was the coolness on her head. She reached up to touch, but Zhong Michu couldn’t stop her in time.

Bald, completely bare.

“Ah!” Gu Fuyou clutched her head, looking devastated, “Zhong Michu, my hair is gone!”

Zhong Michu, who had been wearing a cloak when she arrived, untied it.

“I can’t show my face, I can’t show my face!”

Zhong Michu held the cloak by its collar, and with a swift motion, covered Gu Fuyou, feigning indifference, “Who would recognize you with that face anyway?”

From the side, Ah Fu’s whimpering could be heard. Looking back, the sight of the once-proud creature, now devoid of his majestic fur, was truly heartbreaking. Ah Fu, his pride broken, buried his head in Yi’er’s embrace.

A doctor from the Dragon Clan approached, waiting at a distance for instructions.

Gu Fuyou, imitating Ah Fu, hid herself completely under the cloak and in Zhong Michu’s arms, clinging to her waist, “I don’t want to be seen.” As reality set in, she became self-conscious, perhaps recalling hundred years back when she had never faced such an embarrassing situation.

Zhong Michu glanced back, and the onlookers discreetly turned away, leaving the area.

Yi’er still held Ah Fu, looking around curiously. Zhong Michu called her in a low, drawn-out voice, “Yi’er.”

Yi’er obediently left.

Once they could only see distant figures, Zhong Michu spoke softly, “They’re gone now. Your injuries are serious. I’ll take you back to Xiaoyao City for the physician to examine you, so I can rest assured.”

Gu Fuyou peeked out from under the cloak, her bright eyes and innocent look reminiscent of a young bird just out of its shell, making one want to protect her.

Seeing this, Zhong Michu’s heart softened with a smile.

Suddenly, Gu Fuyou, recalling something, whispered, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, doesn’t this remind you of a bridal veil unveiling?” She chuckled as she said this.

This was a trait that hadn’t changed in seven hundred years – her playful spirit.

As the storm clouds dissipated, revealing a clear sky, Zhong Michu stood with the light behind her, making her gaze appear even deeper.

Gu Fuyou leaned against her, clearly exhausted and in pain, but still managed to rest her chin on Zhong Michu, looking up with a tender, intimate smile, murmuring, “I love you.”

Suddenly, a shadow fell over them, and a hand lifted her chin.

Soft lips met hers.

Zhong Michu kissed her.

Gu Fuyou’s eyes narrowed with pleasure, deeply curved with emotion.