The Black Lotus Dharma Aspect had no choice but to give up. After enduring several bolts of lightning, it was immediately battered and shriveled, its manifestation completely extinguished. The metallic lotus petals that had scattered were startled back like frightened turtles, swiftly retracting. The entire magical treasure shrank down again into its palm-sized Black Lotus form.

Almost blown away by the raging gusts, Shi Chun reluctantly stretched out and grabbed it in a moment of desperation, retrieving it safely.

He was genuinely dumbfounded, frantically scanning around. "What the hell? Why am I being targeted by lightning over and over? Have I done too many shady things?"

He had no clue what was happening. The truth was, Li Hongjiu's attack method was so stealthy that those struck by his lightning didn't even realize they were under attack.

Shi Chun's condition wasn't the worst, though. Youu Mu, clutching the combined Six Paths Golden Wheel now shaped like a crescent moon, and Xu Anzhang, gripping the Boundless Banner, had their faces scorched black as if they'd been burnt, nearly smoking. They were almost swept away by the fierce winds, drifting precariously toward the ground—unclear if they were falling or floating.

Whether they were floating or crashing wasn't the point anymore. The terrifying thing was that this lightning was far too uncanny, enough to scare a person to death. Even given a hundred times the courage, no one would dare fly toward the skies again.

Shi Chun glanced back and immediately followed them downward—not out of urgency to rescue them, but mainly out of concern for the two magical treasures they held, especially the Boundless Banner. That artifact was extraordinary, and moreover, it contained two other magical treasures inside.

Under the glimmering charge of lightning flashes, the conditions of all three were plainly revealed—two struck and blackened by lightning, while Shi Chun seemed relatively unscathed.

Li Hongjiu's eyes flickered briefly with a hint of surprise. "Hit by so many bolts of lightning and still unharmed?"

However, to the disciples of Yanbao Sect behind him, Shi Chun and the other two appeared in plain truth to have been struck down by lightning. This left the group of disciples marveled and exhilarated—faces full of awe and excitement. Their Martial Uncle could control storms with a mere flip of the hand, effortlessly unleashing lightning bolts with a flick of his fingers. It was simply overwhelming for them.

Guang Haoyou wore a look of pride on his face. Previously, when the Martial Uncle claimed none of the enemies would escape, he'd believed it. But he never imagined such an astonishing scene—lightning at his fingertips.

They wished fervently that other sects could witness this moment, to see the prowess of Yanbao Sect's elite. Alas, the other sects had fled far away from them.

They even had an urge to call other sects back to witness it, but they knew Li Hongjiu disliked such high-profile behavior and probably wouldn't want them boasting.

Moreover, the sects were now dealing with their own crises, likely having no time or concern to bother about them.

The sounds of ferocious combat had erupted everywhere. Li Hongjiu's interference resulted in various sects failing to escape on their Wind Scales in time. They were forced to face off against the bizarre monsters that had surrounded them.

The number of monsters was staggering, and their origins unknown. Clearly, they weren't Fire Spirits. When killed, they disintegrated into ashes or erupted in streams of molten fire.

Monsters spewing distorted flames amidst the violent winds were scattered across the battlefield—a challenge that didn't pose much of a hindrance to disciples who cultivated Fire Attribute Skills, beyond merely adding some vibrancy to the scene.

The real issue was the overwhelming sense of dread these monsters brought. The prior calamity with the strange bats was still fresh in everyone's memory. How could they not be terrified?

The sects instantly put up full-scale resistance, expending all efforts without hesitation. Magical treasures were summoned en masse to attack, ensuring the monsters wouldn't come close.

Indeed, it turned out to be the most comprehensive display of magical treasures by the sects—there was no other option; everyone was fighting for their lives. For a moment, the sky was filled with magical treasures whipping through the air.

Swarms of monsters charged forward, and Shi Chun's group wasn't spared either.

Youu Mu, his body charred and clothes torn, grit his teeth against the searing pain of his skin as though scorched by fire. He unleashed the Six Paths Golden Wheel once again, which encircled him, smashing through enemies with bursts of sparks, flames, and molten fire.

Similarly, the disheveled Xu Anzhang acted without hesitation. Wielding the Boundless Banner, he swept away incoming beasts in droves. There was no killing involved—no matter how many monsters came, they were all absorbed.

Only Shi Chun stood still, gazing upward toward the heavens. He activated his right-eye superpower again, which had just been paused. He fixed his gaze on the column of wind and the origin point of the lightning, trying to identify its mysteries. The previous lightning bolts were too bizarre. Could it be divine punishment for some misdeeds? Why, of all people, was the lightning aiming solely to strike him?

Unraveling the mystery was vital to pinpointing a flaw and planning an escape.

Xu and Youu, urgently fending off beasts around them, nonetheless took the initiative to shield Shi Chun. Occasionally, they stole glances at him—curiously noticing how he remained clean and unscathed. This puzzled them. "We're all part of the Demon Path. Why does the lightning target us and not him?"

Faced with the relentless wave-like onslaught of colorful, surreal monsters, Yanbao Sect wasn't spared either. Below them, the deep chasm carved out from previous battles was now flooding with a tide of monsters, crawling over the cliffs toward their position, the tremors beneath becoming palpable.

"Prepare yourselves!" Guang Haoyou shouted, brandishing his magical treasure—an ominously dark-red thorned whip.

Li Hongjiu glanced back at the disciples gripping their weapons and teased, "I advise you all to put those toys away."

Guang Haoyou, watching in alarm the thunderous ascent of spiders and beasts below the cliff, jerked his head up and asked, "Why?"

With a wry smirk, Li Hongjiu quipped, "I'm afraid you won't be able to report back to the sect with those tools in hand."

As he spoke, his casual glance shifted to the imminent threat below. With his two fingers slicing the air, they flipped skyward, his palm now aimed upward. He began raising his hand slowly but deliberately.

The disciples couldn't yet grasp his meaning, but they clearly saw that their Martial Uncle intended to make a move again. Soon, they were captivated by the ominous signs overhead—the turbulent clouds swirling with greater urgency, as arcs of electricity began swirling more erratically. The entire sky was gradually blanketed by a field of crackling lightning.

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