Chapter 88: Thunderstruck at Midnight

Chapter Eighty-Eight: Midnight Thunder

Lin Xueyu spoke to Li Hao in a tone of reproach, “Li Hao, you’re far too reckless. You dare to draw any kind of power into your body, but what if you end up damaging your physical form? I won’t allow you to do this again—do you hear me?”

“Sorry to worry you, Sister Xueyu. I’ll remember your words,” Li Hao replied, unperturbed by her admonishment. He understood she was only concerned for his wellbeing, and her anger was born from that worry.

Lu Yao chimed in, “Li Hao, you mustn’t act like that again. Just now, we all thought something had happened to you and were terribly anxious.”

Li Hao nodded, “Alright, I’ll listen to you, Yao’er.”

Zhenba and the others added, “Yes, young master! You must think carefully before making decisions in the future. We were all very worried you might be in danger. The ones most anxious were Sister Lu Yao and Sister Xueyu.”

With the danger passed, everyone slipped back into their usual carefree attitudes. Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen were surprised at how eloquent Zhenba was.

Before Li Hao could reply, Lin Xueyu interrupted him, feigning indifference, “Me? Worried about that troublemaker? The one I’m most worried about is Yao’er.”

Lu Yao, hearing her friends tease her, lazily retorted, “Alright, alright! None of you are worried about Li Hao except me. Is that good enough?”

Everyone was taken aback by her words, left speechless for a moment.

Zhenba moved closer to Li Hao, studying him, and said, “Young master, you truly are an odd one.”

Li Hao asked, “What makes you say that, Brother Zhenba?”

Zhenba replied, “First, you can manifest your true form—that’s unusual. Second, you can help others compress and purify the laws in their bodies and rebuild their cultivation—another rarity. Third, your own law attributes can change at will, making you immune to all other laws. That’s the third peculiarity. See, after just one day with you, I’ve already noticed three extraordinary abilities. Who knows how many more strange phenomena will arise from you in the future?”

Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen agreed, “Exactly! Young master is just as Sister Xueyu and Brother Zhenba say—a mysterious anomaly.”

Li Hao addressed them seriously, “I’m not sure why any of this happens. Sometimes, I simply want to try things boldly, and they somehow succeed. Other times, it all feels inexplicable. So I don’t know the true source of these oddities.”

In truth, all of this stemmed from Li Hao’s Formless Divine Body and the primal force of chaos. The Formless Divine Body had never appeared in the world before, so no one knew such a defiant constitution existed. Throughout the endless ages since the universe’s birth, some powerful beings speculated about the existence of chaotic force but never understood its form. Though chaos pervades all, the primal force of chaos is contained only within the Primal Chaos Pearl. All laws in the world evolve from the primal yin-yang array within the pearl.

Lin Xueyu cut into their discussion, “We must be cautious. This is a trial, after all. Don’t let your guard down.”

Her words redirected everyone’s curiosity about Li Hao. The six exchanged glances, unable to reach any conclusion.

Qin Zhen remarked, “Fortunately, thanks to the young master, we narrowly escaped disaster.”

Zhenba echoed, “Yes, it was the young master who kept us all safe.”

Li Hao interrupted their gratitude, “Don’t dwell on this. Since we’re brothers in adversity, we share both hardship and joy. That’s what brothers do. Just as Brother Zhenba gave his all to break the array barrier for everyone, I simply got lucky. Strange, isn’t it? Tonight brought a storm—do you think tomorrow night will bring heavy rain?”

Li Hao’s casual speculation was unexpectedly taken to heart by the others.

Li Zhan replied, “Young master’s words make sense—it’s very possible you’re right.”

Lin Xueyu continued, “Let’s not worry about tomorrow night yet. Let’s get through tonight first.”

Li Hao agreed, “Right, Sister Xueyu makes sense. Let's handle tonight first. I wonder how Lu Zhengtian and Lin Huashu are faring, and Sister Xuemei—are they together?”

Lin Xueyu, hearing Li Hao’s concern, felt anxious herself, and reassured him, “Don’t worry too much, Li Hao. Their cultivation is above the Soul-Refining stage; they should be able to protect themselves.”

Li Hao nodded, “Let’s hope our worries are unnecessary.”

Lin Xueyu said, “Once daylight comes, we’ll search for them again. We’re bound to find them eventually.”

Li Hao agreed, “That’s all we can do for now, Sister Xueyu. You should rest—I’ll keep watch tonight.”

Lin Xueyu replied, “Alright, but you be careful as well.”

Li Hao answered, “I’ll remember your advice, Sister Xueyu. Don’t worry—go rest.”

She murmured her assent, then turned away, sitting cross-legged to cultivate.

Lu Yao intended to keep watch with Li Hao but was eventually persuaded to rest as well.

Li Hao told Kuihu, Zhenba, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen, “You all go rest—I'll watch over everyone tonight.”

Zhenba protested, “Young master, let me keep watch instead.”

Li Hao insisted, “No more arguments. Tonight, I’ll keep watch; tomorrow night, Brother Zhenba will; the night after that, Kuihu; then Li Zhan, then Qin Zhen, and after him, it’ll be my turn again. Sister Xueyu and Lu Yao, as girls, don’t need to keep watch.”

Hearing this, no one opposed Li Hao’s arrangement and returned to their own cultivation.

Outside, the storm raged with thunder and lightning, a terrifying sound. Li Hao’s eight other avatars found places to hide, successfully avoiding the danger.

In a mountain cave, Lu Xuemei anxiously asked her brother, Lu Zhengtian, “Brother, the wind is so fierce tonight. Do you think Li Hao and Yao’er have found somewhere to shelter?”

Lu Zhengtian, uncertain, comforted her, “Don’t worry, Xue. Li Hao and Yao’er are clever—they’ll surely find somewhere to hide.”

Lu Xuemei agreed, “You’re right. We haven’t found them yet, and there’s nothing we can do. Let’s hope that fortune protects them.”

Lu Zhengtian said, “Yes, let’s get through tonight and see if we can find them tomorrow.”

Lu Xuemei replied, “Alright, brother, you rest early too.”

After a brief exchange, the siblings began their cultivation. Elsewhere in the inner realm, Lin Huashu stood in another cave, hands clasped behind his back, muttering, “The nights in this inner realm are strange—beneath the dark clouds, it’s either storms or thunder. I wonder how Xueyu is, and if she’s with Li Hao. There’s nothing I can do for them now; all I can hope is that everyone stays safe.”

He spoke with a bitter smile.

Boom!

At the stroke of midnight, a thunderclap far more powerful than any before erupted, echoing across the entire inner realm. Space trembled, the earth shook, and all cultivators in meditation were startled awake.

“What’s going on?”

Everyone who awoke asked the same question, but none had an answer.

After the thunder passed, every inch of the inner realm suddenly shone as bright as day. The transition from night to day was abrupt; the dazzling light forced everyone to shut their eyes.

After a few breaths, people gradually adapted and opened their eyes as the sudden brilliance faded. Many places flickered with auspicious light, and countless treasures appeared throughout the inner realm. Yet tonight’s storm was so fierce that those sheltering in caves dared not venture out.

Lu Xuemei and Lu Zhengtian stood at the mouth of their cave, gazing at the distant glow. Lu Xuemei asked, “Brother, what’s happening?”

Lu Zhengtian thought for a moment and said, “It seems that rare treasures are emerging in the inner realm!”

Lu Xuemei wondered, “Brother, do you think the stormy nights, both last night and tonight, are connected to these auspicious lights?”

Lu Zhengtian answered, “Very likely! Xue, go back and rest. Let’s wait until tomorrow. We still need to find Yao’er and Li Hao. Rare treasures aren’t so easily claimed.”

Lu Xuemei replied, “You’re right, brother.”

Lin Huashu, seeing the auspicious light outside his cave, sighed inwardly, “Ah! With rare treasures appearing, who knows how many lives will be lost.”

He watched for a while, then returned inside, sitting cross-legged to continue his cultivation.

Lin Xueyu, Lu Yao, Zhenba, Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen were all awakened by the thunder. They gathered around Li Hao. Lu Yao exclaimed excitedly, “So many auspicious lights—how many rare treasures will emerge?”

The others nodded, agreeing with Lu Yao.

Lin Xueyu cautioned, “With rare treasures appearing, the killing will begin. They’re not so easily obtained. Don’t let your guard down. Who knows how many will lose their lives to greed.”

Though reluctant, no one dared act rashly. Li Hao spoke, “Sister Xueyu is right. Danger and opportunity go hand in hand—blessing and calamity are intertwined.”

Qin Zhen asked, “Young master, what do you mean?”

Kuihu, Li Zhan, Zhenba, and Lu Yao were equally puzzled.

Lin Xueyu explained on Li Hao’s behalf, “Li Hao means that blessing and calamity are mutually dependent and constantly transform into each other. Within blessing lies calamity, and within calamity, blessing. Gain is loss, and loss is gain—that’s the profound principle of the Dao. Simply put, fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Just like Li Hao earlier: to break the barrier at the cave entrance, he absorbed its law power, suffering grave injury. If he endured, he gained a breakthrough; had he failed, the consequences would have been dire.”

Everyone gazed at Li Hao with admiration for his wisdom, feeling ashamed of their own ignorance.

Li Hao had spoken simply, but Kuihu, hearing Lin Xueyu’s lengthy explanation, felt overwhelmed. “You’re making things too complicated,” he said.

Li Hao smiled and continued, “Alright, everyone go back and rest. When the storm stops, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

Just as the group turned to leave, Lu Yao voiced her confusion, “Hey! Look over there—what is that?”

Everyone, hearing Lu Yao, turned to look in the direction she indicated.