Chapter Forty-Eight: The Five Thunders and the Five Righteous Ways

The Magpie extended his divine sense inward and said, "Something's not right. If they were just harvesting Rouge Grass, they should have left already. Setting up a formation now—if you hadn't been here before, it would have been impossible to notice. I think there must be some other treasure here, that's why they've set up a formation."

The pale-faced cultivator nodded, “I think Magpie has a point. Otherwise, why go to such trouble? If it was just spirit herbs, they'd have picked them and left by now.”

"In that case," the brawny cultivator gestured emphatically, "the two of you stay here and keep watch. I'll go find more friends, and together we'll break this formation and split the treasures. That way, this trip won't have been in vain. What do you think?"

Magpie immediately nodded. "Let’s do it. Brother, go quickly and come back soon. Don’t worry, we’ll watch over things here."

Yingxue, hidden within the formation, heard every word clearly. Just what she feared had come to pass—trouble seemed to stalk her like a shadow. At the worst possible moment, three damnable rogue cultivators had arrived.

She couldn't let them bring reinforcements. That would spell real disaster. She had to deal with them now.

A flash of spiritual light, and Yingxue descended like a celestial maiden, suddenly appearing before the three men.

Three leering faces, six pairs of lustful eyes, stared at her hungrily, as if their gaze could strip her bare. If only they could touch her, their delight would be complete.

The brawny cultivator, barely able to contain his excitement, said, "Such a beautiful fairy—why have you appeared here? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"If you hadn't mentioned it, I might have forgotten," Yingxue replied with a charming smile. "As it happens, I do need some help. None of you will be leaving this place."

Magpie narrowed his small eyes and said slyly, "We’ll do anything, as long as the fairy is willing to dual cultivate with us."

The other two burst into crude laughter.

Yingxue’s eyes flashed with fury. In the Celestial Star Sect, she was a treasured noble, never subject to such humiliation.

She spat, “Wretched scum, courting death. I’ll send you on your way!”

With that, she tossed out the Greenfire Sword, forming a seal with her hands. The sword erupted in a wave of emerald fire, surging toward Magpie at blinding speed.

Magpie’s words were vile, but as a rogue cultivator who had reached the peak of the Qi-Gathering stage, he was not to be underestimated. Without the backing of a great sect, advancing so far took more than luck.

He waved his hand, casting out five jade talismans, rapidly forming seals with his fingers. The talismans spun and shifted, finally circling above Yingxue’s head, crackling with lightning.

Used to working together, the three rogue cultivators reacted quickly. Each tossed out a mid-grade flying sword, intercepting the Greenfire Sword in a fierce melee.

Yingxue, both furious and alarmed, flung out a defensive shield artifact. It expanded in the wind, forming a glowing barrier that shielded her.

A cold smile curled at Magpie’s lips. Inwardly, he thought, You look down on me? Good—let’s see how you handle my Fivefold Thunder Law.

This Fivefold Thunder Law was a powerful technique only Foundation Establishment cultivators could wield. He had obtained it by slaying an unlucky cultivator, and after much study, had finally mastered this thunder-element spell.

Magpie’s expression grew solemn. He chanted an eerie incantation, then shouted, “Fivefold Thunder Law, go!”

Above Yingxue’s head, the five jade talismans whirled, lightning swelling. Over a dozen bolts of pale, finger-thick heavenly thunder crashed down.

Three or four struck the shield, instantly scorching it and cracking its surface. The fifth bolt split the shield with a sharp crack.

Caught off guard, Yingxue was thrown into chaos, unable to respond in time.

She never expected that a rogue cultivator, scorned by all the great sects, could unleash a spell rivaling that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even at a tenth of its true power, it was more than she could withstand.

Facing the rest of the thunderbolts, Yingxue was filled with regret. If only she’d stayed hidden in the formation—she might have beaten them one by one. Now, it was too late.

She formed a seal, sending the Greenfire Sword spinning above her head, then squeezed her eyes shut, helpless and resigned to fate.

The sword was struck by thunder and sent flying. As her spirit was linked to the artifact, Yingxue spat a mouthful of blood, her face growing even paler.

The remaining thunderbolts showed no mercy, pouring down in a torrent.

Though Yingxue had slain a few foolish foes before, she had never truly faced a mortal crisis. Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

Just then, Ge Qian appeared outside the formation, forming seals with his fingers. He cast “Stealing the Pillar,” switching the delighted, greedy brawny cultivator—who was just bending over to snatch the Greenfire Sword—into Yingxue’s place.

Still ecstatic at the prospect of acquiring a superior artifact, the brawny cultivator was instantly struck by several thunderbolts, reduced to a heap of charred flesh without so much as a scream.

Ge Qian flashed to Yingxue’s side in an instant, frowning with a wry smile. The usually aloof senior sister had made quite a fool of herself today, fainting from fright.

He immediately shielded her behind him. In truth, he had just finished refining Beauty Pills using top-quality spirit herbs, unexpectedly producing seven, each as delicate and fresh as a lotus in water.

He had heard the commotion outside, his heart tightening. Without hesitation, he divided the pills into two batches, placing them into prepared jade bottles, then flashed out of the formation using Cloudstep.

He arrived just in time to see Yingxue about to be struck down. If anything happened to her, he’d never be able to return to the Celestial Star Sect. At his current level, exile was not an option.

Without further ado, he used his powers to save Yingxue.

Magpie and the pale-faced cultivator exchanged glances, each seeing disbelief in the other's eyes.

But Magpie, bold and skilled, narrowed his small eyes and said, “You have remarkable skills, friend. What kind of sorcery did you use? Tell us, so we might broaden our horizons.”

The pale-faced cultivator, seeing that Ge Qian was only at the fifth level of Qi-Gathering, grew bolder and said, “So, you’re a demonic cultivator? In that case, I’ll execute justice in Heaven’s name and slay you here!”

Ge Qian smiled slightly, “Enough talk—face my attack!”

With a wave of his hand, he flung ten fireball talismans at the pale-faced cultivator. Fiery orbs filled the sky, radiating intense heat with the power to incinerate all before them.

The pale-faced cultivator was taken aback—such an attack cost hundreds of spirit stones, a fortune for most cultivators.

Magpie knew he could not stand by. Though his opponent was only at the fifth level of Qi-Gathering, an uneasy feeling nagged at him. If the pale-faced one died, he’d be left alone.

He quickly formed seals, driving the five jade talismans to interlock in front of the pale-faced cultivator. The talismans weaved a mesh of lightning, blocking every fireball with flashes of thunder and roaring fire.

This was exactly what Ge Qian intended. He had attacked the pale-faced man precisely to provoke Magpie into defending him.

From his understanding of formations, the power of those jade talismans depended on a specific arrangement. In most intricate arrays, if the pattern was disrupted, their strength would be greatly diminished.