Chapter 26

Thunder Summoning Spell, area attack.

Advantages: numerous strikes, wide coverage, can hit multiple targets at once.

Disadvantages: each strike has relatively weak power, and with Gu Zhao’s current cultivation and control, precise targeting is difficult, leading to considerable waste.

However, with the empowerment of the Shangqing Transformation Talisman, these drawbacks have been largely offset.

Gu Zhao had only tested it once before, in the small grove behind the mountain, just to see the effect; now facing real combat, how could he resist using it?

Tell me, any martial artist—who doesn’t want to step in when injustice occurs, wielding righteousness?

Tell me, any soldier—who doesn’t want to fight for the nation, turning the earth to ash with artillery?

The people needing protection in the courtyard were safely inside the house below; Gu Zhao had no fear of collateral damage, and the other villagers were sound asleep far away—only the three ghostly targets lay within the attack range.

If that’s the case…

If not now, when?

As Gu Zhao formed the hand seals and chanted the incantation, the surrounding spiritual energy gathered moisture, condensing into a small cloud above the courtyard.

The cloud’s spiritual energy connected with Gu Zhao’s aura, rhythmically channeling his magic power into the cloud according to the incantation, until violet light flickered within it, generating bolts of lightning.

These lightning bolts spread through the air, causing the three ghosts in the courtyard to shudder, their bodies numbing with electric tingling.

Sensing the sudden, overwhelming sense of doom descending from above, the three ghosts dared not stay; they shrieked in unison, shielding themselves with magical artifacts, then transformed into black smoke and fled.

But as Gu Zhao finished the final incantation, he raised his right palm toward the cloud and roared, “Chì!”

The next instant, thunder rumbled, violet light flooded the air.

Dozens of lightning bolts shot down from the cloud, striking the ghosts’ positions instantly, each bolt following their ghostly aura to strike them directly.

“Boom!”

“Aaaah!”

After a chorus of screams, golden and silver light scattered and shattered; the giant black snake turned to ash in the lightning, while a strip of red silk rose outside the courtyard—but it barely blocked the strike before being obliterated by heavenly thunder.

Yet it bought them a moment; by the time the lightning struck, the thundercloud dispersed, the light dimmed, and though the three ghosts had sacrificed their magical artifacts, they were only wounded—not killed outright.

But their courage was shattered; their gazes toward Gu Zhao brimmed with boundless terror. Though they suspected he might have only one such strike left, they dared not gamble.

“Run!”

“Report to the Divine King!”

“Let Old Man Ren deal with him!”

Three shadowy figures tried to flee.

But as they turned, a voice behind them, like a death knell, rang out: “Heavenly Thunder, Earthly Thunder, resound through the eight directions—”

The thundercloud reformed, lightning flickered once more.

“No!”

“Boom!”

After another chorus of screams, all fell silent.

The second cloud, after the lightning strike, began dissolving from its edges; within a few breaths, it turned to wisps of mist and vanished into the heavens.

The lingering lightning no longer flashed; only occasional faint crackles echoed in the air.

As for the black smoke and ghostly aura that had once shrouded the courtyard, they had been utterly obliterated by the lightning—gone without a trace, not a hint of coldness remained.

Everything seemed as if it had never happened… well, there was a difference: the courtyard now bore numerous shallow craters, and several stray lightning bolts had struck aside, snapping a small tree and smashing a low table.

Thunder Summoning Spell consumed considerable magic power, let alone him casting it twice in succession.

Gu Zhao exhaled, slowly restoring his depleted magic power; he made no third hand seal. The massive demonic energy absorbed by the Five Thunder Talisman in his mind told him he didn’t need to check whether the three ghosts were truly dead.

“Is that it?” Gu Zhao rubbed his hands, clicking his tongue, then shook his head solemnly, “Felt a bit too hasty—I still had several talismans and spells unused. Should’ve saved Thunder Summoning for last.”

“No, I should’ve left one alive.” At this thought, Gu Zhao realized he still had unanswered questions.

For instance: how did they find this area? Why did they assume the white fox killed that ghost? Would their superiors trace the ghosts’ deaths back to this village?

If more came after them, this village wouldn’t be safe. But hearing their final words, Gu Zhao had been eager to silence them and acted too hastily.

“Regardless, we won.” Gu Zhao thought as he leapt down from the house and walked to where the three ghosts had been struck, beginning to collect their drops.

The child had been the bravest, retreating closest; on the ground, besides scattered white fabric scraps, lay only a pair of gold bracelets and a pair of silver bracelets, half-buried in the soil, intact.

Gu Zhao pulled out all four bracelets, then walked to the courtyard wall, where he found the old man’s cane had been split in two, charred and dried—useless now.

Beyond the wall, the red-clad woman had vanished entirely; a few tattered fragments of red silk still emitted faint ghostly energy, but they too were rapidly fading.

“Quality’s terrible!” Gu Zhao sighed, shaking his head.

But he wasn’t too disappointed—he could sense the deep ghostly energy within them; clearly, they were class-bound gear. If he used them to assist his spells, they’d only weaken his thunder techniques.

“That Qi Old Ghost really sucks—everyone else has magical artifacts, and you’ve got nothing. A broke bastard.” Gu Zhao muttered, then returned to the courtyard.

…

In the main house of the courtyard, Bai Ke shrank her tail during the merging with Xiuniang, murmuring, “Seems I really can’t keep up.”

Bai Ke puzzled over it: “He’s just a human mage—young, shallow in magic power, no divine power borrowed, no pact with a spirit lord… how is he so powerful?”

“Ugh—head hurts. Can’t think anymore. Merging’s almost complete.” Bai Ke shook her head, focusing on the deep soul communion with Xiuniang.

…

Gu Zhao tidied up the battlefield, concealing the battle traces so the villagers wouldn’t notice anything when they woke tomorrow.

Moments later, Old He was still asleep when Xiuniang ran out, cradling the white fox—no, Bai Ke.

“Young Master!”

Xiuniang’s gaze glowed as she looked at Gu Zhao; her entire being radiated an aura unlike magic power or demonic energy.

Gu Zhao looked at Xiuniang and realized he’d misjudged her.

“You have magic power now? You can cultivate?” Gu Zhao was stunned. Had this white fox been a cheat system all along, enabling Xiuniang, a mere mortal, to enter cultivation overnight?

“That’s what merging is!” The voice was crisp and clear, like a young girl of sixteen. It was Bai Ke.

“You can talk now?” Gu Zhao turned to Bai Ke, astonished.

“Since I merged with Xiuniang, of course I can speak. How can you not know this basic fact?” Bai Ke chirped. “Where did you crawl out from? A primitive cave-dweller? You’ve lived over ten years and know nothing?”

Gu Zhao formed the Heavenly Thunder Seal with his left hand; an aura of righteous power instantly spread.

“Still, your strength at this age means you’ve devoted all your time to cultivation. Not knowing basic facts is understandable,” Bai Ke’s fox face turned serious. “My soul and Xiuniang’s are exceptionally compatible, so our joint cultivation speed will be rapid.”

“I’ll transform soon!” Bai Ke exclaimed happily.

Gu Zhao nodded, half-understanding. Soul compatibility enables joint cultivation? People here are lazy—they can’t even bother to invent new terms.

Bai Ke fumed, “Once I transform into a human and master my divine arts, I’ll burn down the Golden Wind Sect!”

“What grudge do you have with the Golden Wind Sect?” Gu Zhao asked.

“Their guardian spirit is a lunatic!”

Bai Ke complained, “I was just passing through Xiuyue County and stopped by their altar to absorb some stray incense energy to replenish my soul—then they accused me of killing their Golden Wind Goddess, stealing their incense idol, and chased me down to kill me!”

Gu Zhao, “…“