Xiao Bai felt his ears go momentarily deaf as the lightning struck the net formed by Xiao Bing, producing an earth-shattering thunderclap.
Amidst the deafening roar, he seemed to hear a faint wail from Xiao Bing. It had successfully blocked the first and most devastating impact of the lightning, reducing its power by twenty percent at its peak.
After shattering Xiao Bing's lightning net, the bolt continued toward the soul barrier. As the lightning made contact, the originally invisible barrier became clearly visible, rippling through the air with waves of distortion, flickering with electric arcs.
After holding on for a few breaths, the ripples dissipated. Xiao Bai let out a muffled grunt as a sharp pain shot through his head—the result of the soul barrier being broken. But now was not the time to focus on his soul's condition. His full attention was on the lightning.
The bolt continued toward him, though its power had now dropped to less than fifty percent of its original force.
Still, his expression remained grave.
The real challenge was here.
Earlier, he had relied on Xiao Bing and his formidable soul strength, something he had always prided himself on.
But now, he had to rely on his Dou Qi cultivation alone—and he was only a Dou Master!
The lightning struck his nearly tangible Dou Qi battle robe, and in the blink of an eye, the robe shattered, breaking apart into shards of energy that scattered from his body.
However, the impact had further weakened the lightning. The reduction wasn't much, but Xiao Bai could clearly sense it.
Looking at the remaining power of the bolt, he knew—he wouldn't die.
He would be injured, but he had survived.
Just as he exhaled in relief, another muffled groan escaped his lips—the lightning had finally struck his physical body.
Instantly, his tattered clothes were reduced to ash.
His hair stood on end, every strand bristling with static. Silver arcs of lightning slithered across his skin like tiny serpents, each jump of electricity scorching patches of his flesh black.
A searing pain spread across his body—one he was all too familiar with. It was the same sensation he had felt when refining Xiao Bing back then.
Only this time, it was stronger, cruder, and far more excruciating.
Fortunately, the green thunder lingering in his organs blocked the Heavenly Lightning, preventing internal damage.
But his meridians were in serious trouble.
The rampant lightning rampaged inside him, wreaking havoc, pushing his body to its limits. Even his wings were barely holding together.
As his body throbbed with unbearable pain, his Sea of Consciousness was also hit with an unprecedented void-like stabbing sensation, making him want to lose consciousness entirely.
Forcing himself to stay awake, Xiao Bai flapped his nearly transparent wings, shakily descending toward the ground.
But when he was still about ten meters from the ground, his wings gave out.
He plummeted from the sky.
Just as he was about to crash, a soul body emerged from below, catching him with soul force and holding him midair.
Xiao Bai glanced at Yao Lao, his half-closed eyes hazy with exhaustion. With a weak voice, he said,
"Senior… just take me back to the cave…"
And with that, he lost consciousness.
Yao Lao stared at Xiao Bai, whose body was still crackling with residual electricity. The shock in his eyes had yet to fade.
He had estimated that the lightning had carried the force of a casual strike from a Dou Zong…
Yet this brat had managed to endure it with his own means.
With a sigh, Yao Lao shook his head.
"This kid really has a death wish… but damn it, he's got the talent to back it up."
A Nine-Star Dou Master, one who had just broken through… and he could pull off something like this?
Even in the Central Plains, even among ancient clans, such methods were exceedingly rare!
And his willpower—it was monstrous.
Yao Lao had sensed his soul force. Even after exhausting every bit of it, Xiao Bai had still held on until the lightning had been completely dealt with before finally passing out.
For an ordinary person, just enduring that initial impact would have been impossible. Who could remain as focused as Xiao Bai, still handling the aftermath with such precision?
But when Yao Lao thought about his cheap disciple using this brat as his goal for cultivation, he stroked his beard, a playful smile appearing in his eyes.
Carrying Xiao Bai, he returned to the cave and carefully placed him on a large boulder. He couldn't put him on the bed just yet—his body was still crackling with electricity, and no bed could withstand that.
Though Yao Lao didn't deliberately pry into Xiao Bai's condition, he could sense a life force flowing inside him, continuously repairing the injuries still being inflicted by the lightning.
This kid had always been decisive. He wouldn't joke about something that concerned his life and death. Besides, his body was recovering, and that lingering lightning had become like a rootless weed, gradually dissipating. Seeing that, Yao Lao refrained from intervening further, doing just as Xiao Bai had requested—bringing him back to the cave.
At the same time, Ling Ying let out a huge sigh of relief.
He could roughly guess Xiao Bai's condition—it wasn't life-threatening.
Seeing that the soul body took no other actions except carefully bringing Xiao Bai back, he felt reassured.
Now, his view of Xiao Bai had changed.
He no longer thought the boy unworthy of his lady.
But neither did he believe Xiao Bai had fully earned the right just yet.
He had merely gained a certain level of qualification.
"Tsk tsk… Miss truly has sharp eyes!" Ling Ying muttered to himself.
He understood better than anyone how difficult it was for someone without an imperial bloodline to achieve what Xiao Bai had—especially in this remote northwestern region.
Even the successors of the One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions in Central Plains wouldn't be able to do what he had done.
—
Meanwhile, in the vast, boundless desert, the setting sun cast a golden glow over the endless sea of sand, adding a sense of desolation to the landscape.
High in the sky, a graceful figure hovered, her scarlet energy wings spread wide as she stared blankly at the sunset.
She was a breathtakingly beautiful woman, wearing a golden crown and a red-and-gold robe. Her voluptuous, curvaceous figure was as tempting as a ripe peach, exuding both seduction and majesty.
Her long, silky black hair cascaded neatly down her back, reaching her slender waist.
Beneath her regal robe, a section of her tail was visible—a deep violet serpent's tail.
"Fifteen years…"
"Ever since I reached the peak of the Dou Huang realm, I've been searching for a Heavenly Flame, hoping to evolve my bloodline… to lead my Serpent-Man Tribe out of this desert."
"But in these fifteen years, I have searched every corner of the Tagor Desert, and I have found nothing."
"Has the heavens truly abandoned my Serpent-Man Tribe?"
Her seductive yet commanding voice flowed from her ruby lips, as if she were questioning the heavens—or perhaps, herself.
She reached into her storage ring, retrieving an aged, yellowed map.
This map contained all the Heavenly Flame information the Serpent-Man Tribe had gathered over the years.
Every rumored Heavenly Flame sighting within the desert was marked on it.
Looking at the paths she had already traversed, her phoenix-like eyes flickered with hidden worry.
There were fewer and fewer unexplored locations.
Now, only three places remained unchecked.
And one of them…
Lay within human territory. A border city.
That made her uneasy.
If she wanted to go there, she would have to do so in secret. Otherwise, the humans would see it as a provocation.
If a war were to break out between the two races…
The casualties among her people would be devastating.
The desert's limited food and water had always hindered the Serpent-Man Tribe's population growth.
If war broke out, her people might face extinction.
This was why she was so desperate to find a Heavenly Flame.
She needed to break through.
She needed to lead her people out of this desert.
This was the duty of every Medusa Queen.
This…
Was the responsibility of a ruler!