**Chapter Eighty: Just Deserves It!**
At Dachunyang Palace, on Zixiao Terrace.
The moment the target was lost, Zhang Hainan fell into a brief panic.
Although he had carefully studied various materials regarding the Code 0 urban legend and knew that its powers were strange and special, he had never imagined that Code 0 could disappear into thin air under the lock of Zixiao Terrace, leaving not a trace behind.
This was almost impossible, and before this unexpected event occurred, there wasn’t even a need to use the word “almost” as a qualifier.
While the striking range of Zixiao Terrace had certain limitations and could only lock onto targets appearing within its strike zone, once locked, it entailed an all-encompassing lock from body to power. Once locked, saying it was impossible to escape was not an exaggeration.
To break free from Zixiao Terrace’s lock and strike, there were only two possibilities: the first was to completely abandon the physical body and powers, a method which for an urban legend or a spiritual ability user was essentially synonymous with dying on the spot.
The second was to move out of the strike range of Zixiao Terrace at a speed faster than the lightning that fell from the sky, crossing nearly ten thousand kilometers; this capability, akin to teleportation, was not possessed by any known urban legend or spiritual ability user.
Thus, Zhang Hainan had miscalculated.
In his decades as the chief priest of Dachunyang Palace, he had overseen and controlled Zixiao Terrace hundreds of times, and had mastered it well. While claiming to strike with millimeter precision was somewhat exaggerated, achieving centimeter-level precision was entirely feasible.
The last time he made a mistake while controlling Zixiao Terrace was so long ago that it felt as distant as a vague shadow of first love that had turned into a mere name in his memory.
“…”
This was troublesome; the lightning might affect an area of several kilometers and inevitably harm innocent bystanders.
Moreover, that kid Luxianbei was still there!
If anything were to happen to her, how could I face Brother Qing Ji again?
Zhang Hainan thought, hesitated briefly, then steeled his heart, and began chanting the description of his spirit pattern ability, pushing his spirit energy to its limits.
In theory, even if Zixiao Terrace lost its target, there was a way to intercept the lightning it generated.
But that was only theoretical.
No chief priest of Dachunyang Palace had ever done that.
If Zixiao Terrace was likened to a firearm, the lightning it produced would be equivalent to bullets fired at high speed. Attempting to intercept that lightning was no different from an ordinary person trying to intercept a b*llet flying at supersonic speed.
An ordinary person trying to intercept a b*llet with their body would typically end up dead or injured; it was almost impossible to escape unscathed.
However, although it sounded somewhat disrespectful, Zhang Hainan felt that compared to previous chief priests of Dachunyang Palace, he was certainly not an ordinary person.
Before him, aside from the legendary founding ancestor who was suspected to possess cataclysm grade strength, no chief priest had ever reached cataclysm grade in spirit energy fluctuations, let alone someone like him, who existed at the pinnacle among many cataclysm grades.
He was confident that, while minimizing his own injuries, he could reduce the destructive power of the lightning about to fall around Changlekou subway station to within the range that nearby buildings and Luxianbei could withstand.
As for the remaining part…
Let Luxianbei handle it; a little lightning for the mess she caused was hardly unfair!
“…From the Divine Nine Gods, lead the air of the Five Emperors above; below, save the masses of life, protect the Two Instruments without tilting, safeguard all lives for eternal peace…”
Accompanied by the recitation of the spirit pattern ability description, various phantoms like the Xuanjing Jade Crown, Xuan Feather Flying Attire, a large black flag, and a swirling black dragon instantly manifested around Zhang Hainan’s body.
Under the cover of these phantoms, his spirit energy fluctuations continued to intensify, and his initially slim physique quickly swelled, inflating his plain Daoist robe until it burst with a “ripping” sound, exposing his muscular body to the air.
Tiny arcs of electricity traveled along the lines and grooves of his muscles.
His white hair shimmered with a bluish-violet glow beneath the flickering lights.
His murky gaze unknowingly transformed into dazzling lightning.
Finally, accompanied by a deafening thunder, that tall and robust figure vanished in an instant, as if it melded into the Zixiao Terrace, which was now roiling like a stormy ocean.
……
Meanwhile, at Dachunyang Palace, in Qiaoyuan Courtyard.
Hearing the sound of thunder from outside the window, Huasang, lying like a lump of mud on the windowsill, slightly lifted her eyelids and focused on the gathering storm clouds in the direction of Zixiao Terrace, her brow furrowed in thought.
Only that guy could have driven the chief priest to this extent, right?
She really couldn’t have a quiet day…
Huasang thought, lazily reaching beneath her dirty pillow to pull out an exquisitely designed envelope.
This had been sent to her through someone before Luxianbei set off for Shancheng, and to ensure it reached her hands, it was delivered by one of the few independent spiritual ability users employed at the Calamity Scare No-Responsibility Company.
Inside the envelope were two letters, one about mundane fireworks, and the other an instruction manual for using the fireworks, handwritten by Luxianbei.
However, after receiving the letter and reading the manual, Huasang found herself in a dilemma.
In theory, if she swallowed this packet of mundane fireworks, she could resolve the spirit pattern out-of-control issue that had troubled her for over a decade, with no need to fish for the Big Turtle in the Cold Pond. But simultaneously, once the crisis of spirit pattern control was lifted, she would also forever lose the possibility of merging the turtle and snake.
Huasang didn’t know if anyone had ever attempted to fully combine spirit patterns and spirit seals, which were completely different yet complementary powers, to achieve a breakthrough.
At least, there were no recorded attempts.
Even if someone had tried, they probably failed.
If she succeeded, she would be the first recorded success!
But if she used the mundane fireworks to catch the Big Turtle in the Cold Pond and controlled the spirit pattern by absorbing its powers, it was still not a guaranteed success.
Moreover, whether she could even catch it remained to be seen.
As everyone knows, fishing is not guaranteed to yield results even with the best fishing rod, bait, and fishing spot.
Catching a turtle was no different!
If this were the past, given Huasang’s lazy and hassle-averse nature, she would have undoubtedly chosen the first option, the one about her spirit pattern control issue.
However, now, after experiencing the turmoil caused by the Pink Fluffy Rabbit, she hesitated before the choice before her.
She strangely felt a spark of ambition.
Perhaps she was infected by Fu Xinyi’s madness?
That girl had been so diligent lately that she was about to go crazy, Huasang thought.
As the storm clouds at the horizon dispersed, she withdrew her gaze, resting her arms on the windowsill and lying back down.
After a long while, a sigh escaped in the darkness.
She was sleepless.
“Ah—! Fine, let’s give it a try? Night fishing has its perks; maybe I’ll catch it after all?”
Talking to herself, Huasang slowly crawled down from the windowsill, threw on a clothes jacket, tucked the envelope safely, took the fishing rod from the corner, and left the Qiaoyuan Courtyard, bathing in the newly fallen moonlight of Dachunyang Palace as she headed toward the Cold Pond on the back mountain…
————
Before Luxianbei, no one or urban legend could evaluate the question, “How was the experience of the lightning strike from Zixiao Terrace?”
This question was as heartless as a parachute purchase review section; only survivors could comment.
Yet up to now, there hadn’t been any survivors targeted by Zixiao Terrace, which was being used as a weapon.
Luxianbei thought that if she ever had the chance to survive, she would definitely give a bad review and complain about Zhang Nan.
Complain to Qing Ji!
In her line of sight, the lightning resembled a thriving, leafless tree, coated in blue-violet glimmers, as it continuously spread out, creating a breathtaking view. Then, at the moment when one of those branches radiating destructive power approached her, countless predictive thoughts flashed through Luxianbei’s mind.
It was as if a barrage of information had been triggered, overwhelming her.
Each bore words like “d*ath,” “serious injury,” and “spirit platform purity damage,” rendering her despondent.
However…
Being seriously injured was still better than dying, right?
I think I can still be rescued! Luxianbei thought.
As for the option of spirit platform purity damage, she hadn’t even considered it.
Because the spirit platform purity was no longer merely a spirit energy item; it was also a repository for the God Realm prototype, and within that God Realm prototype were hundreds of thousands of residents, including a member of the Solar Eclipse Society just inserted.
Those were all living beings!
If the God Realm prototype exploded, they could very likely d*e in an instant…
Luxianbei had made a decision in her heart. Just as she tilted her body at the fastest speed, the bolt of lightning that was supposed to strike her eyeball grazed her face and landed on her shoulder.
The next moment, she experienced the legendary “electric therapy.”
The numbing sensation spread from her struck shoulder rapidly throughout her body, causing half of her muscles to lose control, convulsing and spasming, followed by a weird itch and pain that surged from her bl**d and flesh, which had already lost feeling.
Luxianbei had undergone painful trials more than once, but she could guarantee that this time’s pain would rank among the top three in her experiences.
But… something felt off?
The destructive power of this lightning was much weaker than she had imagined, Luxianbei thought.
She had expected the first lightning bolt would instantaneously obliterate her entire shoulder, but aside from the intense pain, it did not cause any significant damage.
The feeling was akin to watching a massive iron hammer labeled “100T” swoosh in, only to realize upon impact that it was made of silicone.
The psychological gap was huge!
Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly noticed that the predictive thoughts flashing in her mind had, at some point, eliminated the “d*ath” option, leaving only “serious injury” and “minor injury.”
At that moment, she sensed a familiar spirit energy fluctuation, two of them, quietly invading the range of her spiritual awareness.
Looking up at the direction from which the spirit energy fluctuations came, she first saw a glossy black magpie.
Following closely behind, amidst the flashes of lightning, she saw a half-real, half-illusory majestic figure.
Seemingly seated on a divine throne, that vague elderly man was both dragging the lightning from the sky as if pulling a rope and looking down.
From the two figures, Luxianbei felt a subtle joy.
Though they did not utter a sound, it was as if she experienced a hallucination, hearing them whisper to her ear, “Just deserves it!”
Luxianbei, “…”
**Hehe Pigeon**
A high-quality meat pigeon breed, also known as Big Macaw, originally from Belgium. An adult pigeon weighs about 1000 grams, suitable for cooking. (Another day of writer’s block, wrote several drafts and wasn’t satisfied, taking a day off today, two updates tomorrow.)
**Steamed and Boiled Pigeon with Tianma**
**Ingredients**
Main ingredient: 1 pigeon, 1 spoon of Tianma powder, 6 jujubes, 1 spoon of goji berries, 6 slices of American ginseng
Additional ingredients: 3 slices of old ginger, appropriate cooking wine, a little salt, and a few green onions
**Directions**
1. Open the pigeon to remove the internal organs, wash clean;
2. Add cooking wine, salt, Tianma powder, green onion segments, jujubes, goji berries, and American ginseng into a bowl,
and steam in a steamer for 2 hours, then take it out to serve.
