But Nanli was quick to react, grabbing her immediately, "Come back here!"
"Master, I’m just a mere Hairpin Elf, I can’t bear such fierce heavenly lightning!" Hairpin Elf trembled as she heard the thunder rumbling, quickly retreating back into the Golden Hairpin.
Nanli, clutching the Golden Hairpin, endured the strike of the thunder.
She felt her meridians flow smoothly, her Dantian expanding and able to store more spiritual energy. The three little souls inside her abdomen seemed to have become much stronger. The Golden Hairpin also benefited from the lightning.
She froze for a moment before quickly emerging again. "Master, I knew my past choices were correct, you are truly the daughter of Heaven’s Dao!"
This heavenly lightning felt like nothing more than a light scratch!
Although Nanli was a latecomer to cultivation, she was well-versed in the ancient texts she had collected. Using her memory, she began performing a technique to absorb the heavenly lightning and convert it into her own power. This was the first time she used this technique, and she wasn’t sure how difficult it would be.
She summoned both the Dark Moon Sword and the Heaven Star Brush, along with the Golden Hairpin, and surrounded herself with them.
With a hand gesture, she launched herself into the thick thunderclouds, her small figure disappearing into the storm. The three magical treasures closely followed their master.
Nanli activated her cultivation, and soon, golden light began flowing from her Dantian, forming swirling vortices that absorbed the heavenly lightning.
As the lightning struck, the vortices would suck it up and convert it into her own power.
This method was much more powerful than enduring the lightning directly, and her Dantian swirled with an immense, unfathomable power.
However, while the three little souls were being refined, they too absorbed some of her spiritual energy.
At first, she didn’t understand why, but now that she knew who the father of her children was, it all made sense.
They were not the little demons that Xuanyuan Leiting had spoken of, but rather, they were the immortal fetus within her—likely the result of Siheng’s reincarnation, carrying his Nascent Soul.
The Immortal fetus was different from ordinary children. They required a powerful mother to nurture them, needing spiritual energy to grow.
Nanli didn’t know why she had offended Siheng so much to be subjected to such suffering, but thinking of how he had helped her repair her Spirit Pearl and guided her to accept the Nascent Soul, she decided to let it slide—for now.
A total of thirty-six heavenly thunderbolts struck her, all of which she withstood. Her aura had drastically changed, her hearing became sharper, her vision clearer, and her three thousand strands of hair were now smooth and glossy.
Most importantly, after stepping onto the path of cultivation, she was now free from the interruptions of the period!
After being refined by the Dark Moon Sword, the Heaven Star Brush, and the Golden Hairpin, they too were surrounded by faint spiritual energy.
The dark clouds began to disperse.
But Nanli felt a sudden surge of danger.
It seemed something had gone wrong with Siheng, as a figure appeared through the clouds.
He was stepping on a sword and holding a fan.
"The heavenly tribulation is fierce, and yet, you’ve withstood it!" It was none other than Yan Buxiu.
He immediately sensed that Nanli’s Golden Core was extremely solid, far beyond that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. Indeed, she had once been a divine being, and that was the source of her extraordinary fortune.
Siheng’s Nascent Soul could no longer hold on, and it was unknown where he had fled. With his protection gone, it was the perfect time for them to strike!
"If she continues her cultivation, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
"Nanli, die!" Yan Buxiu roared, already wielding the Nine Heavens Fan.
The thunderclouds, which had been dispersing, began to stir again under the influence of his divine artifact, and violent winds rushed towards Nanli.
Nanli frowned slightly, sensing that this person’s cultivation level far surpassed hers.
She grabbed the Heaven Star Brush and drew a talisman to shield herself, barely able to block the fierce wind. But it could only hold for a short time...
From behind, Qingwu also arrived.
His eyes darkened as he didn’t utter a word, instead charging toward Nanli with his sword raised.
This was a strike from the peak of the Deity Forming realm!
Nanli’s face changed drastically. She wanted to flee, but she had just broken through to the Golden Core stage, and no matter where she ran, she wouldn’t be able to escape this sword strike!
Siheng, you bastard! Even if I have to walk this road alone from now on, at least send me to a safe place!
What’s the difference between this and leaving me behind the moment you get what you want?
Just as the sword was about to cleave her in two, several talismans suddenly flew in front of her.
Golden light flashed, and a defensive formation expanded with a "clang."
The formation managed to block the overwhelming sword energy.
But the person using the talismans was obviously weaker, and the light of the formation began to fade.
Seeing that the sword energy couldn’t break the formation, Qingwu had already reached Nanli’s side.
He angrily swung his sword, slashing open the formation.
The force of the strike was immense, and Nanli quickly mobilized her spiritual energy to protect herself, preventing herself from being blown away.
But the formation had been shattered, and the sword, sharp and fierce, was about to strike her down!
Nanli could only make a desperate last-ditch effort and raised the Dark Moon Sword to block the blow.
"A wooden sword?" Qingwu sneered. "Who do you think you’re underestimating?!"
He held an ordinary long sword.
He stood before Nanli, his grey-white robes fluttering.
A gust of wind blew up, nearly blinding them.
Although Yun Yubai had used a spell to shield his face, Nanli still instantly recognized him.
Yun Yubai used all his strength to force back Qingwu.
Behind him, Yan Buxiu arrived. "Qingwu, that’s the thief who stole the Glassy Bottle! He was also with Xuan Yinyue when they caused trouble at Penglai Island!"
Old grudges and new ones, all to be settled today!
Though Qingwu and Yan Buxiu had reduced their cultivation levels, their combined strength was enough to overwhelm Yun Yubai.
"We’ll kill them both!" Qingwu roared.
One wielded a sword, the other a fan, enough to shatter both Yun Yubai and Nanli.
Yun Yubai hadn’t expected this encounter, and he quickly threw out two talismans to temporarily hold them off.
Then, grabbing Nanli’s hand, he stepped on his sword and said, "Hold on tight!"
Nanli didn’t understand what he meant at first.
But she quickly realized.
This wasn’t sword flight—it was a flight for their lives!
Luckily, her stomach was only slightly unsettled. Because the sword flew so fast, the two pursuers were quickly left behind.
Yun Yubai finally took a breath and said, "I am Yun Yubai, the Peak Master of Yunxiao Peak in Seven Peaks Sect!"
"The two just now were Qingwu, the Elder of Jialan Celestial Mountain, and Yan Buxiu from Penglai Island!"
"They, along with the Frosty Valley and the Divine Buddha Sect, want to kill you again!"
Nanli was tossed about by the wind, her mind dizzy, but she barely caught these key pieces of information.
Hearing Yan Buxiu’s words, she completely trusted Yun Yubai and asked, "Senior, where’s Siheng? His Nascent Soul... It couldn’t have been shattered by them, right?"
Yun Yubai replied, "Jifeng Celestial Sovereign has just awakened, but his Nascent Soul won’t last much longer. I’ve used a talisman to protect his Nascent Soul so that he can leave first. Once we’re safe, we can trace the talisman to find both his Nascent Soul and his true body."
But things were never so ideal.
Ahead of them stood a monk in a golden-red robe, his voice booming, "Benefactor, if you stop now, you may still turn back."
Yun Yubai was about to retort.
But Nanli stretched her head out from behind and shouted loudly:
"I’ve never taken a wrong path, why turn back now?!"
"What kind of nonsense is this? You’ve killed so many people, and now you have the face to tell me to turn back?!"