Chapter 295: Life-Sustaining Qi, Jie Lei Continues

"Not bad—truly, even in the immortal cultivation era, this thunderstorm trial still strikes fear into countless cultivators."

Lu Qing, his body charred black, barely registered the shouts of Ma Gu and the others. At this moment, his entire focus was on enduring the trial—he had no breath left for reply.

Gazing at his own wounds, Lu Qing couldn’t help but sigh in awe.

The Jie Lei descending from the Jie Yun was truly terrifying.

Even with his body, shattered through multiple limits and far surpassing the strength of an ordinary Xian Tian Jing cultivator, one strike had left him grievously injured.

Now, his skin was scorched beyond recognition, his flesh riddled with gaping holes. His internal organs were nearly half-cooked, and his meridians and acupoints were torn apart—reduced to ruins.

Save for the Brow Qi Cavity, not a single part of him remained intact.

To put it plainly, he was, in all but name, a broken man.

Yet despite the severity of his wounds, Lu Qing showed no panic. His expression remained calm, as if he were waiting for something.

Then, in an instant, a white mist appeared from nowhere, wrapping around him like a living shroud.

This mist pulsed with vitality, carrying an ancient, profound aura. As soon as it touched his body, the agony lessened drastically.

Without hesitation, Lu Qing activated his Combat Technique, drawing in every drop of the mist into his body.

"Indeed. After the Jie Lei comes Life-Sustaining Qi. The records in the Heritage were not lying."

From the scrolls left behind by the Lihuo Sect, Lu Qing knew: the heavens, through their will, manifested the Jie Yun to unleash the Jie Lei—not to annihilate the cultivator, but to purify and test him.

Thus, though the Jie Lei was deadly, it carried within it a thread of life.

Each time a cultivator endured a strike, the heavens bestowed Life-Sustaining Qi.

This Qi was ineffable, capable of reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bone—truly miraculous.

As the white mist entered him, healing spread through his body. His organs regenerated, his meridians reshaped, his acupoints reborn.

Within moments, his injuries had healed by over half.

The wounds sealed completely, and his body, surprisingly, had grown even stronger than before.

"Thank heavens! Lu Qing is alright!"

The sight of Lu Qing recovering sent waves of joy through the crowd gathered on the high platform.

Earlier, his wounds had looked so horrifying they’d feared he wouldn’t survive.

Even Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou exhaled in relief.

But then, his expression darkened. He stared up at the sky.

"No… why hasn’t the Jie Yun dispersed?"

Lu Qing, too, lifted his gaze.

His injuries—save for the blackened skin—were nearly fully healed.

The burn marks were, in fact, self-inflicted, a mark of his resolve.

But the Jie Yun still loomed above, its power intensifying.

This meant his trial was far from over.

He still needed to preserve some Life-Sustaining Qi to face the next Jie Lei.

"As recorded in the Lihuo Sect’s Heritage, the Jie Yun, born of the heavens’ will, varies in power depending on its color. Gray Jie Yun carries the weakest force.

Yet even among gray Jie Yun, there are differences.

The weakest produces only one Jie Lei. The strongest, however, can unleash up to nine—each one exponentially stronger than the last."

Lu Qing stared at the Jie Yun above.

He didn’t know how many strikes awaited him.

But with the cloud still present and growing in intensity, it was clear: this would be no simple test.

So he didn’t consume all the Life-Sustaining Qi at once.

Instead, he held back some within his Dantian, a reserve for emergencies.

Instantly, as if sensing his recovery, the Jie Yun struck again—without delay.

This time, the Jie Lei was thicker, brighter, more devastating than before.

"Aaaah!"

Ma Gu and the others, who had just begun to cheer, screamed again as the thunderbolt descended.

Boom!

Lu Qing, once more, endured it with his body—no evasion, no defense.

The Jie Lei was both trial and opportunity.

Only by enduring more trials could one receive greater blessings from the heavens.

Yes, he could have used other methods to deflect the lightning.

But that would be cheating—avoiding the true test.

Until he could no longer bear it, he would not resort to his hidden cards.

The overwhelming electrical force tore through him.

This strike was far stronger than the last.

Even with his body now reinforced by the Life-Sustaining Qi, it was still no match for such divine force.

In an instant, he was struck down—crimson blood erupted from his body, then instantly seared dry by the heat.

Dozens of fist-sized holes pierced him from front to back. His internal organs were completely roasted.

The damage was worse than before.

"A Qing!"

Old Doctor’s voice cracked with alarm as he watched Lu Qing’s condition.

"Master, I’m fine. Don’t worry."

Lu Qing’s voice came through, his head lifting once more.

Relief washed over the onlookers.

Old Doctor opened his mouth to speak—only for Lu Qing’s voice to cut in again.

"Master, I need to focus fully on the thunder trial. Please, guard my back."

Another thunder strike?

The words sent a fresh jolt through their hearts.

But before they could react, the Life-Sustaining Qi returned, enveloping Lu Qing once more.

The words died on their tongues.

They knew—this was no time for questions.

Lu Qing was in mortal peril. Whatever they wanted to say would have to wait until after the trial.

Lu Qing’s wounds were severe—but the Life-Sustaining Qi this time was even greater.

It was enough to fully restore him.

As was his habit, he left some of the Qi untouched in his Dantian, keeping it stored for emergencies.

It was that reserve, he realized, that had saved him the last time—by protecting his Dantian at the critical moment.

Sensing his recovery, the Jie Yun struck again—another Jie Lei descending.

And so it went: each time Lu Qing healed, another strike fell.

Before long, it reached the sixth.

Boom!

The sixth Jie Lei shattered his body once more—already repaired by the Qi.

Blood flew, then dried instantly under the heat.

Cracks split across his torso, as if he were about to tear apart at the seams.

"Lu Gongzi…"

Hu Ze Zhi watched, tears streaming down her face.

She couldn’t bear to imagine the pain Lu Qing must be enduring.

Beside her, Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou was utterly stunned.

Six Jie Lei… How deep must Lu Xiao Langjun’s cultivation foundation be to trigger such a response?

Though his knowledge of Jie Yun was limited, one truth was clear:

The more Jie Lei a being could draw, the deeper their cultivation roots.

To begin with, the fact that Lu Qing had drawn forth a Jie Yun at all had shocked him.

Now, six strikes—each stronger than the last—had come down.

And it seemed far from over.

Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou’s shock was indescribable.

He couldn’t fathom the depth of Lu Qing’s foundation—how could one so young wield such power?

Not just Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou—he felt it across the entire region, beyond the reach of the Jie Yun’s aura.

The gathered masters and cultivators, stunned by the sheer might of the heavens, trembled.

Each Jie Lei was so powerful it could crush them instantly.

What on earth could be inside Tian Ji Lou that could provoke such a celestial phenomenon?

And among those who understood the Jie Yun best—figures like Xuan Ming He Shang and the Black Robe Man—shock gave way to wild excitement.

To summon so many Jie Lei, the target could not be a mere living being.

In this early stage of Qi’s return, no true immortal could have arisen.

Only a Unique Treasure, and a rare, high-grade one at that, could provoke such a reaction.

Could it be… the Spirit Artifact from the ancient texts?

Xuan Ming He Shang’s heart pounded. Even he, so composed, could not hide the hunger in his eyes.

In that moment, he made a vow:

Once the Jie Yun faded, no matter the cost—he would claim that treasure.

If this was truly the legendary Spirit Artifact, and he could possess it…

Even Fang Zhang would have to show him respect.

"Look! Another thunder strike!"

As all minds were paralyzed by the growing power of the Jie Yun, a seventh bolt descended.

This one was thicker than any before, its aura so intense that several Xian Tian initial-stage cultivators trembled violently, nearly collapsing.

"Trouble…"

Lu Qing’s thoughts barely formed—when the Jie Lei struck.

The world flashed white.

His vision vanished.

Even his Yi Shi, his consciousness, began to fray under the storm of lightning.

Worse—lightning surged toward his Brow Qi Cavity, intent on erasing his soul.

Only at the last moment did the Shen Hun Fu Lu within his Brow Qi Cavity emit a pulse of power.

The Soil Spirit Pearl glowed with radiant waves, repelling the lightning and stabilizing the space.

When the storm cleared, Lu Qing’s form was revealed—

A broken, lifeless heap on the ground.

His body was torn beyond recognition. Only his head remained mostly intact.

But even that bore a deep crack across the brow—visible bone beneath.

Yet he still lived.

The Life-Sustaining Qi arrived just in time, wrapping him in its healing embrace.

Even Lu Qing, however, was shaken.

For the first time, he had truly felt death’s breath.

If his soul cavity had shattered, his consciousness erased—no Qi, no technique, no miracle could have saved him.

"What’s going on? Why is this seventh strike so much stronger? It’s more than double the power of the sixth!"

Lu Qing frantically absorbed the Life-Sustaining Qi, his voice trembling.

The first six strikes had each grown only slightly stronger.

But this one—this was a quantum leap.

And worse—part of it had been aimed directly at his Brow Qi Cavity.

It was as if the heavens themselves sought to utterly destroy him.

"Something’s wrong. By nature, the Heavenly Trial is a test, not an execution.

No matter how fierce, it should leave a sliver of hope.

It shouldn’t be so merciless—so determined to kill.

If it truly wanted me dead, why not manifest a higher-tier Jie Yun and strike me down in one blow?

Why go through all this trouble?"

The Jie Yun above began to swirl again, gathering power for the next strike—its might now magnitudes greater than the seventh.

Lu Qing’s mind raced.

If the seventh nearly killed him, the eighth would surely finish him.

He replayed the moment in his mind—the lightning seeking his Brow Qi Cavity.

Suddenly—light dawned.

Without hesitation, he reached into his mind and summoned a yellowish spiritual pearl from his brow.

It shot out and vanished into his Qiankun Yiqi Dai.

Instantly, the Jie Yun paused.

Its rotation slowed. Its power began to fade.

Lu Qing exhaled—his heart lighter.

Now I understand.

It was the Soil Spirit Pearl all along.

The Heavenly Trial wasn’t meant to kill.

It was to refine him, to help him fully step into Xian Tian Jing.

To become a true Xian Tian, one must rebuild the body, refine the Xian Tian Zhì Qū—including the Brow Qi Cavity.

But because the Soil Spirit Pearl sealed his Brow Qi Cavity, it had become too stable.

Even a Xian Tian Jing cultivator’s cavity would be less secure.

And so, the Jie Lei, unable to penetrate, had no choice but to increase in power—until it could finally breach his space.

So that’s it.

He’d created a misunderstanding.

His own strength had become the trap.

But the irony had awakened him.

"My Brow Qi Cavity is stronger than normal—not just because of the Soil Spirit Pearl, but because of the Shen Hun Fu Lu’s protection.

And my Script Dao? I’ve already reached the Hou Tian Limit. No further progress is possible.

The true essence of my Divine Seal Sect Heritage lies in the Shen Hun Fu Lu.

To break through the Hou Tian Limit, one must undergo trials, shatter limits.

And today… is the perfect chance."

With that, Lu Qing focused.

A single thread of Shen Hun Fu Lu shot from his Brow Qi Cavity, floating in midair before him—pulsing with an ancient, profound aura.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end