Although Lin Qing had reservations, he didn't dare to show them with Tian Gang Zhenren by his side. He could only silently clench his small fists, protesting without a sound.
Su Xi heard that the heavenly punishment would be offset with Lin Qing's help, meaning she wouldn't have to bear the consequences herself.
A long sigh of relief escaped her. Since Lin Qing would bear it, she wouldn't have to hold back so much in her cultivation from now on.
She hoped Lin Qing wouldn't blame her; she just wanted to improve her strength.
Lin Qing looked at the eager expression on Su Xi's face and his heart suddenly skipped a beat, a bad premonition dawning on him.
He swallowed, widened his eyes, and asked Su Xi with a slight tremor, "What do you want to do?"
Su Xi smiled and pointed to the sky. "When your disciple was drawing talismans earlier, I had a moment of inspiration and wanted to try again. I hope Master can cooperate with me."
"You." The rest of Lin Qing's words were swallowed by Tian Gang Zhenren's warning gaze, and he nodded in humiliation.
Being struck by lightning was akin to being beaten by Tian Gang Zhenren.
When Tian Gang Zhenren attacked, he was merciless. The areas he had been beaten before still ached, and he didn't know how long it would take to recover.
While he was inwardly complaining, Su Xi had already mobilized her spiritual power again and began practicing the talismans she had learned.
With the experience of the first time, although Su Xi's drawing of other talismans was still a bit clumsy, she inexplicably felt more of a connection and her brushstrokes in the air became much smoother.
This time, it only took an hour to complete another talisman.
Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, the sky suddenly rumbled again.
A heavenly lightning bolt, identical to the previous one, descended once more from the sky.
Since the heavenly lightning was a punishment from the Heavenly Dao, Lin Qing had no way to evade it and could only resist it with his cultivation. After spitting out a puff of smoke, his once fair complexion darkened even further.
Judging by his appearance, it was uncertain if he would ever regain his fairness.
Su Xi, unaware of Lin Qing's predicament, seized the feeling in her body and, with a burst of determination, began drawing level two talismans.
After all, the first layer of the Heavenly Talisman required her to draw level three talismans. If she couldn't meet the requirements now, she wouldn't be able to survive.
What's more, to deal with Huan Jie, who had already formed a Golden Core, she needed more potent talismans. Ordinary talismans would be of little use.
Therefore, the revolution was not yet complete, and she still needed to strive.
Although level two talismans were only one level higher than level one, the difficulty had increased by more than a little due to the unique drawing method of the Heavenly Talisman.
The spiritual power originally stored in her body was rapidly drained.
Fortunately, at this moment, the inner cores of the five divine beasts within Su Xi's body emitted energy, filling the void. A strong yet gentle aura quickly enveloped her, continuously supplying her body with spiritual power and supporting her in successfully completing the remaining talismans.
Lin Qing watched as an even thicker heavenly lightning bolt descended from above. He only had time to let out a scream before being blasted into the ground, black smoke emitting from his entire body.
Faintly, a familiar scent of cooked meat could be detected.
Lying in the pit, Lin Qing looked up at the sky with tears in his eyes, strongly suspecting that Su Xi wanted to use this opportunity to kill him and inherit the impoverished Penglai Mountain.
Looking at the talisman still crackling with lightning in her hand, Su Xi let out a long sigh, exhausted, and slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
The spiritual power of the five divine beasts within her had successfully ensured her ability to draw the talismans.
However, she was also self-aware and knew she absolutely could not continue.
Prolonged depletion of her fundamental energy would cause irreversible damage to her body, making it extremely troublesome to recover later.
Therefore, she temporarily gave up on further attempts.
Otherwise, losing the big picture for a small gain would be a terrible bargain.
Tian Gang Zhenren observed Su Xi's actions and nodded inwardly. People who know when to advance and when to retreat are not common in this world.
Many people are not lacking in talent; they simply don't know how to make choices, ultimately losing their original intentions. Solely pursuing power will only harm them.
The two of them, ignoring the dishevelled Lin Qing on the ground, went to the kitchen to busy themselves.
Su Xi didn't actually intend to kill Lin Qing. Therefore, she had specifically used the laboratory to create a lightning-resistant suit for him to ward off the heavenly lightning.
Su Xi did this not only to prevent Lin Qing from being so battered but also to avoid wasting the heavenly lightning.
After all, such powerful heavenly disasters and calamities, if even a small amount could be collected, would be infinitely beneficial to her.
Every time heavenly lightning struck Lin Qing, it would be stored by the energy chip on his body and transmitted to the supercomputer, making it convenient for her to use at any time.
Initially, Lin Qing didn't believe Su Xi had the ability to resist heavenly lightning. It was only when she successfully collected it that he was completely convinced.
Although wearing the peculiar outfit each time was detrimental to his reputation, it was always better than being struck by lightning.
Time quickly passed until the day of the competition. Su Xi woke up early that morning.
After preparing breakfast for Tian Gang Zhenren, she headed towards the agreed-upon location.
Lin Qing watched Su Xi's receding figure, wanting to follow her. After all, she was his disciple, and if something happened to her, he would regret it too late.
Tian Gang Zhenren glanced at Lin Qing and said, "Impatience will get you nowhere. They have signed a life-and-death contract; your going there would be of no use."
The Heavenly Dao is irreversible.
Furthermore, his heart was full of confidence in Su Xi.
Hearing Tian Gang Zhenren's words, Lin Qing abandoned the thought of following.
If Su Xi were to use her techniques during the competition, she would steal all the spotlight, and he, as the sect leader, would lose face. It was better to stay at Penglai Mountain, where his embarrassment wouldn't be seen by others.
After practicing for so many days, Su Xi had mastered the drawing methods for several level three talismans.
The types of talismans were not many, but they were sufficient for her use.
"She's here!"
Someone in the crowd spotted Su Xi's figure and shouted urgently.
To them, this martial arts competition was nothing short of Su Xi courting death. A disciple at the Foundation Establishment stage actually dared to challenge Huan Jie, especially since Huan Jie had recently advanced to the Golden Core stage.
Su Xi's challenge to Huan Jie was merely a bloody annihilation.
"Why do you think some people are not afraid of death?"
"It's not that they're not afraid of death; perhaps it's just youthful recklessness."
"The quality of recruits for Penglai Mountain has truly declined year by year, accepting any Tom, Dick, or Harry who's a fool."
...
The others made no attempt to conceal their mockery of Su Xi.
Since Su Xi would be dead after today's match, they weren't worried about retaliation.
Hearing the sarcastic remarks from the surroundings, Su Xi paid them no mind.
Facts speak louder than words; she didn't need to argue with these people.
Huan Jie watched Su Xi approach, stood up from his seat, and walked towards her, a mocking expression on his face. "A month has passed. Have you prepared your final arrangements?"
Hearing Huan Jie's cold joke, the others burst into laughter.
Su Xi ignored the laughter and calmly replied, "Don't worry, I've already prepared several burial plots for you. You can choose where you want to be buried then."
"Hmph." Huan Jie shot Su Xi a cold glance, suppressing the anger within him. "I don't want to waste words with you. Since you're here now, let's begin."
Once Su Xi was dealt with, his next opportunity would begin.