Chapter 73

Just as Xiaozhishuang buried her head in the quilt, too scared to face anyone, her mother’s scolding came as expected: "You child, not only did you make the room all wet, but you also made the bathroom dirty and didn’t even rinse off the layer of mud. How can I feel at ease with you... sigh!"

After the scolding, Xiaomu shook her head and walked into the bathroom. First, she took out a mop to dry the water in the room, then cleaned the bathroom for a while before leaving.

"..." Xiaozhishuang was a bit at a loss. What was going on? What made her even more incredulous was that not long after Xiaomu left, Li Mang, wrapped in a sheet, walked out, his face calm as if nothing had happened.

"..." Xiaozhishuang asked in disbelief, her mind still unable to process the situation. "My mother didn’t see you?"

"I hid behind the curtain, so your mother didn’t discover me." Li Mang gave a very勉强 (strained) explanation.

"That curtain is so small... Phew, as long as you weren’t found, I was scared to death!" Although she felt something was off, Xiaozhishuang didn’t pursue it further. At that moment, she was drenched in cold sweat from fear. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if her mother found out there was a man in the bathroom, and that he was taking a shower... The thought made her shudder.

...

Xiaozhishuang lay in bed, only her head outside the quilt, tilting her head to look at Li Mang, who was drying his clothes with a hairdryer, and asked, "Li Mang, how did you climb into my window?"

Li Mang’s name, she had seen on his ID, and because it was simple, she could remember it easily.

"Jumped up." Li Mang said without turning his head.

"Jumped up?" Xiaozhishuang looked at him in surprise, unable to resist crawling out of bed and staring with wide eyes. "Do you know martial arts?"

"Yes!" Li Mang’s answer was straightforward and simple. The acceptance of martial arts in the secular world was relatively high, so there was no prohibition on revealing it. However, abilities like异能 (psi powers) and修道 (cultivation) were different.

"Really?" Xiaozhishuang became even more curious.

"Really." Li Mang was patient.

"Can... can you show me?" Xiaozhishuang pleaded hopefully.

"..." Li Mang shook his head. "No."

"..." Xiaozhishuang pouted and lay back in bed, sulking. She felt that Li Mang had taken all the advantages, and now this cold and indifferent guy wouldn’t even fulfill her small request, which was truly infuriating.

Actually, Li Mang wasn’t being petty; he just didn’t see the point. Performing martial arts? Was he supposed to be a monkey show? Besides, he was only wearing a sheet, and if it fell off, he would be completely exposed. This thought made him feel a chill, and he became even more determined.

"Crack... Boom!"

The lightning and thunder outside continued, and the heavy rain showed no signs of stopping. This severe weather had been ongoing for several hours.

It was only spring, and such weather was highly unusual. However, just as the saying goes, "If it rains, let it rain; if the mother wants to marry, let her marry," no one could stop the wrath of nature.

In a small hotel room in Tianmen Village, the hunched old man looked out the window at the weather, frowning slightly, and muttered to the black-clad figure in front of him, "Captain, this weather is very abnormal. It has been like this for several hours, the rain is getting heavier, and the lightning is becoming more frequent. This is a once-in-a-century occurrence."

"Indeed, the severe weather is only affecting the Tianmen Mountain area, especially the lightning in the mountains, which is becoming more concentrated. It seems something is attracting the lightning..." The black-clad man’s voice was still sinister and commanding, and his words were thought-provoking.

"Captain, do you mean some treasure is emerging?" The hunched old man muttered, his previously lifeless eyes suddenly shining with light.

"Ha ha." The sinister man only chuckled and didn’t explain further. He then changed the topic and asked, "Have the Yanhuang people arrived?"

"They have. The leader is Cheng Wei from Group Nine, a martial arts expert with sixty years of cultivation, but he is limping, which slightly reduces his strength." The hunched old man answered without hesitation.

In another small hotel, Cheng Wei was also looking out the window at the lightning and rain, his cold eyes frequently showing signs of unease. Despite being just a martial artist, he had a wealth of knowledge due to the shared information from the Yanhuang Academy.

"An exotic beast is undergoing its evolution trial!" Cheng Wei said softly, his face not calm, but rather excited and more serious.

The spirit beasts were clearly classified, from highest to lowest: Heaven, Earth, Mystery, and Yellow. For ordinary animals to evolve into spirit beasts, they needed to pass the Yellow level trial. Similarly, evolving from Yellow to Mystery required another trial. Each evolution would bring various trials, and passing them would allow them to reach a higher level. If they failed, they would either be severely injured or most likely die.

Cheng Wei was certain it was an exotic beast undergoing its trial because he remembered Li Mang’s mission. The livestock in Tianmen Village had mysteriously disappeared, and it was likely related to this exotic beast.

Since the end of the law era, the earth’s spiritual energy had been continuously depleting, and the current environment was worse than ever. The exotic beasts undergoing trials were not common; it was rare to see one every few decades. For cultivators, the entire body of an exotic beast was valuable, and capturing one would be a significant achievement, highlighting its value.

"This is really a big deal!" Cheng Wei’s face was serious. He understood that Tianmen Mountain would soon be engulfed in a storm of blood and rain. He immediately reported the situation to the academy, but he didn’t expect any help. The distance was too great, and it was like trying to quench a fire with a distant water source. Moreover, the exotic beast in the mountains was about to undergo its trial, and the outcome now depended entirely on them.

"Crack... Boom!"

Another intense lightning strike, and many power lines began to emit thick smoke. At the same time, the houses in Tianmen Village were plunged into darkness. The power facilities were damaged by the lightning, causing a power outage in the surrounding areas.

"Ah..." Xiaozhishuang was scared. The entire room was in darkness, and although the lightning occasionally provided some light, the overwhelming power of nature also brought psychological pressure. The sound of thunder seemed to come from above, pressing down on the mind, and there was a fear that the lightning might strike through the window.

Even though she had buried her entire body under the quilt, Xiaozhishuang was still trembling.

Not to mention that she was just an ordinary girl, even Li Mang gradually felt the pressure of the natural force, as if it was irresistible, striking directly at the heart, making him feel his own insignificance.

"Is there a candle?" Li Mang broke the silence.

"Yes... yes, it’s in the first drawer of the desk." Xiaozhishuang tried to remain calm, but her broken voice betrayed her inner fear.

Using the lightning, Li Mang found a candle, lit it, and placed it on the bedside table. The weak, yellow light gave Xiaozhishuang a great sense of security.

"Knock knock."

"Zhishuang, the power is out. Do you have a candle in your room?" The door was knocked, and a rough, middle-aged man’s voice came into the room.

"Dad, no need, I’m already asleep." Xiaozhishuang quickly responded.

"Oh, that’s good." Xiaofu was only worried about his daughter, and after getting a response, he walked downstairs.

Seeing Li Mang walk to the window and look outside, Xiaozhishuang’s heart tightened, and she asked worriedly, "With such heavy rain and thunder, you’re not going out, are you?"

"Yes, I need to go out for a bit." Li Mang nodded, picked up his dried clothes, and went to the bathroom to change before leaving.

"..." Xiaozhishuang couldn’t understand Li Mang’s madness. How could he go out in such heavy rain and perform a task, which could be fatal! But she had no reason to stop him. As Li Mang opened the window and was about to jump down, she couldn’t help but shout, "I’ll leave the window open for you!"

"Okay!" Li Mang didn’t refuse, responded, and jumped out the window. With such heavy rain, he didn’t want to get wet, and he wasn’t sure if his mission would yield results. It would be nice to have a place to shelter from the wind and rain when he returned.

He could also enter the Shanhaijing space to avoid the rain, but he wouldn’t be able to get any information from the outside world, which was why he chose to stay in Xiaozhishuang’s room.

Xiaozhishuang suppressed her fear of the lightning and thunder, barefoot, and ran to the window. Seeing Li Mang land and walk forward despite the heavy rain, she was speechless. She was amazed, not only by Li Mang’s abilities but also by his determination and madness, which made her mutter to herself, "Crazy..."

...

PS: Thank you to Kada, Du Ni Wan Bian, Xiaobufen Fei, Allen223, 1204020892, fyxxl, Troybons, sss Xiaoxuehua, xzv1970, Daxiam, Da Huangshan Yeling, Gao Duan Da Qi Shang Dang Di Diao She Hua Neihan.

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