The Happy Farmer Wanderer-Chapter 440 Lay Disciple_1
Li Qing was stunned for a long time by the old Taoist’s insult before he came to his senses.
"Taoist, I can’t control these thunder and lightning either, I don’t know why they are striking you!"
Li Qing tried to explain loudly, "Are you okay, Taoist?"
"Idiot!!" Xuan Chen Zhenren, still entwined by the thunder and lightning, roared furiously.
Li Qing sheepishly scratched his neck, "This is really a misunderstanding, Taoist."
He just hoped the Taoist could hold on.
After all, he truly had no way to change any of this.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The blood-colored figure, which would sometimes disperse into a sky full of blood dance, and sometimes condense into a human shape, was constantly dodging the purple lightning that chased it.
Ordinary fierce ghosts would be annihilated by just one strike of this purple lightning.
But Li Qing didn’t know how many times that thing had been struck by the purple lightning, yet it was still able to run.
This indicated just how powerful that thing was.
This must be the thing that Li Yuanxian was terribly afraid of.
"Nine!"
Li Qing gritted his teeth and shouted this obscure character again.
He found there was a limit to the purple lightning he could summon.
Although he was not clear on the specific number, he now distinctly felt a sense of exhaustion.
Now he needed to muster all his strength just to utter this "Nine"!
Another rolling wave of purple thunder descended, transforming into a huge purple ball of light that enveloped the blood-colored figure.
The figure, under the relentless refinement of the purple lightning, evidently grew dimmer.
The unpleasant screams became increasingly piercing.
Yet, it still managed to break free from the purification of the purple lightning and burst forth again.
And this time, it headed straight for Li Qing.
It seemed to have realized that the damaging purple lightning was conjured by Li Qing.
Li Qing’s expression turned to one of great alarm, What on earth is this thing? Why is it so hard to kill?
"Nine!"
He gritted his teeth and shouted another esoteric syllable, nearly collapsing in an instant.
Hopefully, this bolt of purple lightning would eliminate this ghostly thing.
Otherwise, he was afraid he might meet his end here.
Li Qing felt the white lightning was even more ferocious, but he was afraid another strike might kill the old Taoist.
"Evil beast, take this Thunder Talisman from me!"
Just then, a somewhat weak roar suddenly came from not far away.
Li Qing looked up abruptly to see the old Taoist covered in electric light, rushing towards the blood-colored figure.
"Old Taoist!"
Li Qing exclaimed in shock.
Xuan Chen Zhenren seemed intent on perishing together with that ghostly thing!
In his urgency, he quickly unleashed the Black Arrow, hoping to aid the old Taoist.
But just as the Black Arrow flew out, suddenly a dazzling and blinding white light burst forth from the old Taoist’s body.
The white light enveloped the blood-colored figure, and in an instant, it exploded.
Bang!
With a muffled sound, white light shone with flashes of purple electricity, and the aftershocks spread out like a tsunami.
Li Qing had no time to dodge and was sent flying, crashing against the wall.
The close contact between his body and the hard rock instantly brought out a mask of pain on Li Qing’s face.
Although he didn’t die, he felt as if his bones were broken.
"Hiss..."
Li Qing struggled to turn over.
It took him quite a while to adjust to the painful sensation before he struggled to stand up.
His ribs must have been broken; the pain was heart-wrenching and lung-splitting.
The inside of the Underground Palace was a complete mess, with countless palaces overturned, and rocks and rubble scattered as if at a demolition site.
These were all antiques!
Li Qing felt a brief moment of regret in his heart as he frantically searched for the old Daoist and the blood-red figure.
But neither the person nor the ghost were anywhere to be seen.
"Old Daoist!" Li Qing clutched his chest and staggered forward, calling out the old Daoist’s name loudly.
Without the illumination of lightning, the Underground Palace was gradually returning to darkness.
"Old Daoist!"
"Stop yelling, let this old man lie down for a while!"
From the pile of rubble ahead, suddenly came a weak voice.
Li Qing hurriedly took two quick steps, cleared the piles of rubble, and dug out the old Daoist, who was in a sorry state.
After withstanding the purification of the white lightning, the old Daoist had been struck to the point of barely looking human.
His hair was scorched black, and there were traces on his face left by the lightning, looking like the patterns of blood vessels.
The already ragged Daoist robe he was wearing was now completely in tatters, akin to a beggar’s attire.
"It seems the Daoist still has profound skills, even lightning couldn’t kill you!" Li Qing sat down with a flop, his heart slightly relieved.
In any case, it was good that he wasn’t dead!
Xuan Chen Zhenren’s bloodshot eyes suddenly bulged, "If I, this old Daoist, didn’t really have no strength left at this moment, I’d strangle you, you idiot. Why did you strike me with lightning?"
"Daoist, this... it’s not my fault, that lightning is supposed to target yin entities, how was I to know it would strike you?" Li Qing mumbled and nervously asked, "Daoist, is that ghostly thing dead?"
"After taking so many hits from the Zixiao Yunlei and the Heavenly Punishment, and finally being hit by this old Daoist with a Thunder Talisman tempered by the Heavenly Punishment, could it still survive?" Xuan Chen Zhenren sneered, slowly rolled up his sleeves, and with a malevolent look inquired, "Now, you tell me, which idiot told you the Heavenly Punishment targets yin entities?"
"Long Eyebrow!" Li Qing blurted out the name of Long Eyebrow without any hesitation.
Although he didn’t specifically mention the white Heavenly Thunder, that was indeed what he was told about the purple lightning.
The nature... should be similar.
Xuan Chen Zhenren’s mouth twitched fiercely, and his expression suddenly twisted, "That incompetent nitwit!"
"Heavenly Punishment, it punishes all the evils in the world. In short, it strikes whoever it encounters, and the Heavenly Thunder from the Ninth Heaven is relentless until death!"
"This is the last test for cultivators ascending to immortality in the legends. Those who can withstand it can transform and ascend on the spot."
"Daoist, are you... alright?" Li Qing was shocked.
He had not expected the white thunder to be so significant.
"If I were to die, it would have happened long ago, would I still be waiting for you to ask?" Xuan Chen Zhenren retorted irritably, "By sheer luck I didn’t die, and instead, I even gained a little from you, advancing a step further on the path of cultivation."
"But don’t you think for a second that I would thank you. I was nearly struck dead by you!"
Li Qing shrank his neck, "It’s good that Daoist is fine, I really didn’t know the white lightning was so terrifying."
"Even though you possess only the most common Heavenly Punishment, it’s still a method from the legends. How did you learn it?" the old Daoist asked, puzzled, as he really couldn’t make sense of it.
"Didn’t I tell you about what happened at Mengxian Terrace, Daoist? I heard it there," replied Li Qing.
Xuan Chen Zhenren stared blankly at Li Qing for a while before saying with gritted teeth, "Those close to the Dao indeed encounter freakish fortunes!"
"Even the Jade Emperor couldn’t have imagined such a good fortune falling into your lap."
"Kid, I’m giving you another chance. Will you consider becoming my apprentice?"
Li Qing shook his head, "Daoist, I like being a layperson."
He enjoyed the company of a loving wife and concubines on a warm bed. Who needs to be a Daoist?
The old Daoist stared at Li Qing intently for a while, then suddenly raised his hand and said, "Fine, I’ll take a step back. You can be a lay disciple. Plus, I obtained a few good things in the Underground Palace. If you become my apprentice, I’ll give them to you as a gift for accepting the apprenticeship!"
