Ajiu looked up at the sky, feeling for the first time that heaven was blind.
In these times of war and suffering, why wasn't heaven observant? Even a single rain shower would have been enough. Though Grandma couldn't bless everyone with rain, she had already benefited the people of this region.
For an elder to aspire to immortality and achieve enlightenment, to give their all, and then be struck by lightning – why couldn't heaven be more merciful?
Good heavens, the elders always said, good people get no reward, while villains live for centuries.
Heh, is this what they call heaven?
She couldn't understand. The moment these thoughts arose, Ajiu didn't notice that a purple light had suddenly erupted from her.
Another bolt of heavenly lightning descended. Ajiu sat down cross-legged.
"Heaven and Earth, Xuan Zong, the root of myriad Qi, cultivating for ten thousand kalpas, achieve my divine powers. Within the Three Realms and beyond, only the Dao reigns supreme. My body shall be encased in golden light, protecting me... The Five Emperors shall welcome me... Ten thousand deities will bow in reverence, commanding the thunder..."
Crackling and booming, a bolt of lightning struck.
It looked like it was about to hit her directly.
But then, the lightning abruptly ceased in mid-air and, like a ghostly claw, retracted.
Wang Shi suddenly regained her senses, "Who taught you that?"
"I don't know. It felt like someone was speaking in my ear, saying this incantation would work."
As Ajiu spoke, Wang Shi's body seemed to emit smoke. She stared at Meng Jiuer in a daze.
This was the Golden Light Body Protection Spell! She whipped her head back to look at the sky. The lightning in the dark clouds crackled and flashed, but none of it descended.
Wang Shi's emotions were indescribable. She glanced at her granddaughter again.
"Stop chanting! Are you my ancestor sent to torment me?" Wang Shi stamped her foot in anger.
But what shocked her was that this was a protective spell. It shouldn't have been able to contend with heavenly lightning. She had been on the verge of an ascension, using this lightning to advance a level.
And this girl had blocked it all.
Ajiu had no understanding of the cultivator's obsession with achieving immortality, an obsession that transcended life itself. They would never let go of any opportunity for advancement, even at the cost of their lives.
At this moment, Ajiu looked at her grandmother with a naive expression, "Why?"
"Don't ask," Wang Shi gritted her teeth and turned around, shouting, "Pretend you didn't see anything. Go back to the cave and sleep."
Ajiu was stunned by Wang Shi's angry roar. One moment she had been exceptionally kind, and the next, she was stern and cold.
"You're going to be the death of me!" Wang Shi never dreamed that she wouldn't be killed by the heavenly tribulation, but would be so angered by this girl that she'd wish for death.
She had no time to consider when this girl had learned this skill, or why she had suddenly become so powerful. Her sole focus was on overcoming this tribulation.
Just as Ajiu turned to run away, crackling and booming...
A bolt of heavenly lightning heavily struck, instantly illuminating the entire night sky. The deafening sound drowned out Wang Shi's muffled grunt of effort.
Ajiu slowly turned her head. A large boulder had been struck off the mountainside by the lightning and rolled down with a rumbling sound. A cloud of dust rose, looking dusty and disheveled against the backdrop of the next flash of lightning.
Wang Shi had vanished. Only the continued strikes of lightning were visible.
Ajiu furrowed her brow. What exactly was happening? She had only joked about Grandma being struck by lightning; it was completely unintentional.
The lightning continued. The people in the mountain cave were all woken up and came out to watch.
Some said it was going to rain, while others commented on the strange clouds.
Even Meng Shaode hobbled out of the cave, looking up at the sky, "Lihua, why is there dry lightning?"
"I don't know. It would be better if it rained. As the saying goes, dry lightning strikes people. I wonder who the wicked person is who is about to be struck by lightning."
Cai Lihua remembered the elders saying such things.
Ajiu felt a pang in her heart and lowered her head, saying, "Grandma was struck by lightning."
"What?" Cai Lihua's eyes widened. She pulled her daughter close, "That old woman was struck by lightning?"
"Mm," Ajiu nodded, her eyes red.
Meng Shaode's mouth trembled for a long time. Then, he let out a loud cry and rushed down the slope, "Mother!"
"Mother, your son is unfilial. I told you long ago not to do so many things against your conscience, but you wouldn't listen." Meng Shaode's mind was filled with all the troublesome deeds Wang Shi had committed in the village in the past.
"Shaode," Cai Lihua also ran, afraid the lightning might strike him.
Rumbling and booming...
Seeing Cai the Cook and the renowned Meng Shaode rush out shouting for their mother, everyone else followed them into the mountain valley.
A bolt of heavenly lightning descended, striking directly towards the crowd.
Just at the critical moment, the heavenly lightning, with a loud bang, struck obliquely at a giant tree.
The branches of the tree instantly snapped, and wisps of smoke rose from it.
A scorched smell permeated the air. The visible dark clouds gradually dissipated, and the lightning suddenly ceased.
People in the crowd searched around. Finally, someone shouted, "There's a person here."
Meng Shaode was pushing aside the burnt, dry grass, calling for his mother with anxious eyes, still searching.