Mysterious mirror hanging high

"Heavenly lightning has not forsaken me, granting me a path?"

Upon hearing this, the woman in the red robe looked at Guo Tingshu with a complicated expression, carefully considering his words.

She was deeply shaken and thought to herself, "This person looks dull and simple-minded, but I never expected him to have such insights into the Dao of Thunder. He is truly a promising talent for cultivating Thunder Magic... If the Golden Immortal lineages of the Third Heaven who cultivate Thunder were to see this person, wouldn't they fight tooth and nail to snatch him away?"

Jing Yu, who was standing to the side, was stunned upon hearing this.

He looked at the man in front of him, who was called "Big Fool Tree." His honest face showed neither pride nor resentment, only a calm and serene silence, like the mountains and rivers after the rain.

Those bullying, loneliness, and long-lasting dull pains were ground into such a simple yet solid foundation for enlightenment in his mouth.

"I see……"

Jing Yu murmured, "Ting Shu, you're wrong."

He raised his head, his eyes reflecting the lingering clouds and sunlight, and spoke each word as if to himself, yet also as if questioning the heavens:

"It's not that the heavens didn't abandon you."

"It is you—who have never abandoned the most primal and manifest principles of heaven deep within people's hearts and between heaven and earth."

"You were the first to believe that 'evil spirits should fear thunder, and wicked people should fear justice.' You were the first to stand atop the mountain with your mortal body and look up at the sky with a pure heart... Heaven and earth were moved, and justice was inspired, which is why the most powerful and righteous thunder was transformed into a 'law' that you could hold in your hand."

"This is not a gift, it is an echo."

The words had barely left his mouth—

"Boom!!!"

There were no dark clouds gathering in the sky, and under the clear blue sun, thunder suddenly roared!

Jing Yu stood frozen in place, and deep within her pupils, a slender yet dazzlingly brilliant line of silver-white lightning suddenly flashed across the sky—

The previously obscure and difficult-to-understand laws of lightning now unfolded in his heart with countless insights.

The surrounding immortal energy surged wildly towards Jing Yu, forming a visible silver vortex three feet around him. Tiny electric snakes writhed and leaped within the vortex, crackling and popping.

It wasn't that he deliberately stirred it up, but rather that Jing Yu was resonating with certain rules of heaven and earth at this moment, spontaneously drawing upon all things.

Meanwhile, within Jing Yu's inner sanctum—

Rumbling--

The sky was covered with dark clouds, and a flash of silver light appeared, marking the first ray of thunder in this grotto-heaven.

The woman in red robes seemed to finally recognize Jing Yu, and couldn't help but look at him with surprise: "Arousing the resonance of heaven and earth... he actually had an epiphany because of a single sentence from this kid?"

The other cultivators nearby were filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred; several cultivators who practiced lightning magic even had their eyes burning with rage.

"What kind of enlightenment is this? I don't get any insights at all."

Indeed, Jing Yu felt something just now and instantly grasped the [Law of Thunder], and even manifested his understanding in the outside world.

At this moment, the woman in red couldn't help but gasp: "Going out to hunt mind readers at will has led me to encounter two unparalleled geniuses in a row? Could it be that my master sent me out to travel and relax, just as he intended?"

Immediately, the woman in red robes, no longer as arrogant as before, said with a solemn expression:

“My name is Zhu Hongluan, and you two…”

Before he could finish speaking, the great array on the horizon flickered, and then a huge shadow emerged from the void, emanating a power far exceeding that of Zhu Hongluan.

"Who is making trouble here?"

This is a celestial being.

Zhu Hongluan, however, seemed to have no regard for this celestial being at all. She casually glanced at the enormous dharma image manifested by the celestial being, flicked her finger, and sent out a stream of fire.

The fiery object, trailing a long tail of flame, landed precisely in the palm of the enormous Dharma image. The flames subsided, transforming into a token.

The fairy held the token and examined it carefully for a long time, a look of shock flashing across her face.

Then the enormous Dharma image in the sky vanished, and an unremarkable middle-aged man landed on the ground, raising the token in his hand high above his head, his expression filled with fear and trepidation, and said:

"So you are a true disciple of the [Fire Virtue Sect]. This humble immortal was unaware of your arrival, sir, and has been remiss in my respects. Please forgive me..."

Zhu Hongluan simply said with a calm expression:

"There's nothing for you to do here."

"Yes, yes... Please make yourself at home, sir..."

The celestial being didn't dare utter a single word, and hurriedly left the place after parting the void.

At this moment, Jing Yu vaguely guessed Zhu Hongluan's identity, but before he could speak, he saw Zhu Hongluan wave her red sleeve, and Jing Yu felt dizzy and the world spun around him. The next moment, he was in a different position.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When Jing Yu came to her senses again, they had already landed on a desolate star.

A temporary palace stood on a distant mound. He and Guo Tingshu seemed to be controlled by Zhu Hongluan, slowly walking towards the palace like puppets.

"Senior Zhu, what are you planning to do?" Jing Yu shouted.

"I pity you two for your talent, and I want to give you a great opportunity. Do you want it?" Zhu Hongluan asked in return.

"How can such a good thing as a free lunch happen? Senior Zhu, can we refuse?" Jing Yu sensed something was wrong and quickly said.

"No."

Zhu Hongluan said calmly, "You have no room to refuse."

Jing Yu secretly rolled her eyes: "Then what the hell are you talking about..."

Zhu Hongluan stepped into the main hall of the palace. With a casual flick of her long sleeves, several crimson-gold fire talismans shot out from her fingertips, landing precisely in various courtyards of the palace like birds returning to their nests.

Before long, light and orderly footsteps echoed through the surrounding corridors.

More than ten young men and women filed in and stood in two rows in the hall, bowing in unison.

They were all dressed in fiery red Taoist robes, the men wore jade crowns, and the women had their hair tied in buns. Each of them had red lips and white teeth, and their features were exquisite. Their spiritual energy was clear and pure. Even without knowing their specific circumstances, one could tell at a glance that each of them was exceptionally talented.

"Welcome, Your Excellency."

Jing Yu's pupils contracted slightly, her eyes quickly scanning the row of handsome faces, alarm bells ringing in her mind.

A very subtle telepathic message entered Guo Tingshu's ears:

"Big Fool Tree, something terrible has happened!"

"Look at this spectacle... keeping so many beautiful young men and women at home, and acting so domineeringly... This Zhu Hongluan is probably a lecherous demon who specializes in draining people's vital energy and seizing their essence! If you and I fall into her hands today, I'm afraid... I'm afraid our chastity will be in jeopardy!"

Guo Tingshu stared blankly at this scene, then asked in a puzzled voice, "Brother Jing, why are there female cultivators here?"

"Silly girl, maybe she's bisexual?"

His Adam's apple bobbed as he continued to transmit his voice, "We're brothers, how could I watch you suffer such a fate? If she tries to force herself on me later... you stay behind me. Today, I'll risk everything, even if it damages my vital essence and tarnishes my foundation, to protect you!"

Guo Tingshu was blankly looking at the magnificent furnishings in the hall when he heard these words. His honest face first froze for a moment, and then the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

“Brother Jing,” Guo Tingshu paused, “I’m just a little slow on the uptake…”

"Not an idiot."