984 The Wonderful Crown Prince 3
Feng Wu was so happy.
Not because she had been accepted into Imperial College, but because she could talk to her beautiful master again.
Moreover, this time, she had regained her ability, as well as gotten first in Imperial College’s entrance exam.
Thus, Feng Wu had instructed that every beggar who came to their door be rewarded generously.
Grand Secretary Fang glanced at Feng Wu. The girl really was acting strangely today. Was she going to be alright?
However —
Grand Secretary Fang soon realized that he really didn’t need to worry.
Feng Wu started working on the formation —
The hardest part wasn’t positioning the spiritual stones, but drawing the inscriptions on them.
The more complicated a formation was, the more difficult it was to draw the inscriptions.
However, Grand Secretary Fang watched Feng Wu in amazement as she drew.
Before each stroke, she would look to the right, as if she was receiving instructions from someone.
She only paused for a few seconds each time before she nodded and started drawing.
The extremely intricate inscription was completed in one smooth stroke!
Such an inscription would take ordinary formation masters months to finish, given how many details it contained. One mistake, and one would have to start from scratch again.
But —
It only took Feng Wu less than a minute to finish the inscription.
Moreover —
“That’s a Level 5 inscription!”
Grand Secretary Fang’s eyes popped out!
Inscriptions came in different levels, which in turn determined the level of the formations. Most existing formations were Level 1 or Level 2. Level 3 formations were hard to come by, and Level 4 was almost unheard of!
Take the formations which Imperial College used as an example; the cultivation formation which they provided to first-year students was a Level 1 formation.
The more talented Year 1 students would live in the dormitory that had a Level 2 formation.
However, Feng Wu had gone straight for a Level 5 formation!
This was something that Imperial College provided to their top tutors.
What was more, Grand Secretary Fang also noticed that —
The Level 5 inscription was only a base, and Feng Wu was moving on to a Level 6 inscription already!
Level 6?!
Grand Secretary Fang opened his eyes wide and held his breath, fearing that he would accidentally disturb Feng Wu.
Ten minutes later, Feng Wu was finishing up a Level 6 inscription.
However, when she was on the last stroke —
Shit!
Her hand slipped and the spiritual stone shattered.
Feng Wu was utterly frustrated.
Frustrated?
Grand Secretary Fang stared at Feng Wu in disbelief.
What was the girl frustrated about? As far as he knew, less than a handful of people in the empire could actually create a Level 6 inscription.
And one could probably only find them in some reclusive ancient family.
No famous formation master that he knew of was able to create a Level 6 inscription yet!
She should have anticipated this failure.
Feng Wu looked to her right again with flickering eyes, as if she was listening to someone. She gave it some thought before she started drawing again.
But she failed once more.
And she started on another one.
But she failed once more.
Grand Secretary Fang sighed. The girl was too young to create a Level 6 inscription.
Shaking his head, Grand Secretary Fang went to take his afternoon nap.
He came back after he woke up, and was astonished by what he saw!
He was speechless!
For three stones with inscriptions on them lay on the table, every single one covered in a golden glow that was unique to a Level 6 inscription!
He couldn’t believe it!
The old man lunged toward the desk.
He moved so fast that one wouldn’t believe that he was an elderly man!
Grabbing one of the stones, he turned it over in his hands with wide open eyes!
He even forgot to blink!
985 The Wonderful Crown Prince 4
“I can’t believe this! I must be dreaming!” Grand Secretary Fang stared at the stones in astonishment.
Was he really looking at Level 6 inscriptions?
How was that even possible?!
However, Feng Wu only looked up at Grand Secretary Fang and gave him a nod. She then closed her eyes and began to draw. Soon, she handed him another stone, the ink on it still wet.
Grand Secretary Fang almost lost his balance when he saw what was on it.
He never anticipated that Feng Wu could learn to draw a Level 6 inscription in such a short period of time.
As a matter of fact —
Feng Wu wouldn’t have been able to do it before.
But now, she had her beautiful master with her.
Her master used to be the ruler of this continent, and was practically a walking library. The guy was omniscient.
Nothing could compare with a few instructions from her beautiful master himself.
Feng Wu’s swift progress was a hard blow to Grand Secretary Fang. He left the room with a hand on his chest.
Feng Wu watched as the old man left, then turned to her master, the ethereal beauty.
Feng Wu asked, “Was that too much for Grand Secretary Fang?”
Her master asked, “Are you worried about him?”
Feng Wu said, “It’s not like that, but Grand Secretary Fang has really helped me a lot. Without him, my life would have been so much harder. I still feel a little guilty for not being able to repay his kindness. He wanted to take me in as his pupil once…”
The last words seemed to stir her beautiful master a little. “His pupil?”
Feng Wu raised her head, showing her smooth forehead and bright eyes. “That’s right. I’m a genius, and many people want me as their pupil! But —”
Putting down her pen, Feng Wu ran over to her master and made a gesture of tugging at his wide sleeve.
Although she couldn’t actually touch him, she still liked the feeling of that interaction.
“But, I have a beautiful master already and you’re the only master I’ll have for as long as I live. No matter how impressive the others are, I won’t have any other masters! Am I right, master?”
Feng Wu looked up at her master, waiting for his compliment.
“You naughty thing.”
Her beautiful master was an incredible beauty to begin with. With that smile on his face, no one could resist his charm!
Feng Wu’s heart skipped a beat!
Her master then chanted, “Is the blueness of heaven its real color? Or does it look like that just because it is so far off…”
Feng Wu was confused. “What?”
Her master recited a long passage that contained thousands of words. Feng Wu realized that it was something profound, but couldn’t quite understand the meaning.
“It’s called ‘Free and Easy Wandering,’ a mental cultivation method to enhance one’s internal organs. It’s a gift to him.” Her beautiful master stood there, tucking his hands in his wide sleeves behind his back.
He was as elegant and composed as ever, but Feng Wu seemed to detect an envious look in his eyes.
Envious? Feng Wu rubbed her eyes. When she looked at her master again, he was still that serene man that she was used to. That abnormal emotion was nowhere to be found.
Her beautiful master was always as unperturbed as the calmest water. There was no way he would feel envious. Such an emotion was for someone like Jun Linyuan!
Feng Wu looked at her master with sparkling eyes. “Master, what about me? I want to learn a mental cultivation method, too.”
Her master glanced at her.
It was only a casual glance, but it was dazzling enough to take her breath away.
Feng Wu’s beautiful master rapped her forehead with his knuckles. “You’ll get one if you finish 100 character seals before tonight.”
Wow!
Her beautiful master was the best! He already had a gift ready!
Feng Wu was delighted and nodded her head repeatedly. She happily went back to drawing inscriptions.
986 With Her Beautiful Master Around
100 inscriptions before nightfall…
Feng Wu sighed inwardly.
At her current speed, she would only be able to achieve that if she stayed very focused the entire time without taking a break.
However, she was happy to do it when her beautiful master was by her side.
Taking a deep breath, she settled her mind and started working on the inscriptions.
Because of her earlier injuries, drawing was a little more difficult than usual, but she gritted her teeth and ignored the pain.
When she finally finished all 100 inscriptions, she was soaked in sweat and her clothes looked like they had just been pulled out of water.
However, Grand Secretary Fang nearly fainted again when he saw what Feng Wu had accomplished.
She hadn’t just created 100 inscriptions, but 100 Level 6 inscriptions. That was almost terrifying!
Feng Wu grinned when she saw Grand Secretary Fang. She then handed him a notebook, in which she had transcribed the text that her master had recited to her.
“What’s this?” Grand Secretary Fang asked.
Feng Wu said, “It’s a gift from my master.”
Grand Secretary Fang was surprised. “Your Master?”
This wasn’t the first time that Feng Wu had talked about her master, but —
“Who’s your master?”
Feng Wu tilted her head. “I don’t want to scare you with his name…”
Grand Secretary Fang rolled his eyes at Feng Wu. “It has been a while since someone scared me, and I don’t think your master can do that, unless he’s someone as incredible as Mu Jiuzhou.”
“Mu Jiuzhou” used to be an awe-inspiring name on this continent, but so many years had passed since then that only the most capable cultivators remembered him now. Barely any commoners still knew who he was.
Feng Wu sighed inwardly. As a matter of fact, her beautiful master was Mu Jiuzhou himself.
Grand Secretary Fang left with the notebook, looking a little disgruntled since Feng Wu wouldn’t tell him who her master was.
“Master, what shall we do next?” Feng Wu looked up at her beautiful master with reverence.
With her beautiful master around, the air felt fresher, the flowers sweeter, and the evening glow more colorful. The world had turned into a fairyland.
Studying the dark circles under Feng Wu’s eyes, her beautiful master shook his head. “Go wash your face and have something to eat.”
“Yes, of course.” Feng Wu went back to Fallen Star Yard in a cheerful mood.
Qiuling was surprised to see Feng Wu back.
“Miss, I didn’t know you were coming back.”
Feng Wu nodded happily. “I’m back. Please set the table. I’ll eat with my mum after I take a shower.”
She went to the bathroom right after that.
Qiuling and Chaoge exchanged looks in amazement.
They had expected that Feng Wu would stay in the house next door for the next seven days without eating or resting, and that thought had worried them!
To their surprise, not only did Feng Wu come back before dark, she even asked for food.
After the shower and dinner, Feng Wu talked to her master again.
“Master, master, what shall I do now?”
Her beautiful master said in a calm voice, “Now, you sleep.”
Feng Wu didn’t want to.
She only had seven days with her master, and she didn’t want to waste the time on sleeping.
Feng Wu pleaded with her eyes.
“Come on. Go to bed.” Her beautiful master sat down on the edge of the bed. His wide sleeves fell to the floor, and the look in his eyes was as gentle as the moonlight outside.
Feng Wu’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yes.”
987 Attracted to Each Other?
Feng Wu had never been this obedient, nor had she ever gone to bed before midnight.
Seeing the light turn off in Feng Wu’s bedroom, Chaoge and Qiuling looked at each other in disbelief!
Chaoge said, “Am I seeing things?”
Qiuling said, “I can’t remember the last time Miss Wu went to bed before midnight. She stays up late all the time.”
Chaoge said, “Was it something she ate? Why is she looking after herself all of a sudden?”
Qiuling said, “Miss Wu used to go to bed early five years ago.”
Qiuling and Chaoge were at a loss. They couldn’t guess what was going on with Feng Wu.
Feng Wu woke up early the following morning to the sound of birds singing outside her room.
Sitting up in bed, Feng Wu looked out her window.
As expected, there stood a man dressed all in white.
He was tall, well-proportioned, and graceful. The sight of him reminded her of a blue sky, white clouds, and flowing streams in the mountain. He was the epitome of relaxation.
She had never noticed the chirping birds, but with her master under the tree, the yard had turned into a painting.
Although the birds couldn’t see her beautiful master, they could sense him. Animals were sensitive that way.
Her master looked over his shoulder. His fair skin looked almost transparent in the sunlight.
“You’re awake.”
Starting her day with the singing birds and the company of her master, Feng Wu was over the moon. She almost felt like singing herself.
Just then, she heard footsteps outside. Then, someone sat down on the wall and called loudly, cupping their hands around their mouth. “Little Feng Wu! Little Feng Wu! Little Feng Wu —”
They called in an unhurried tone, completely oblivious to the noise that they were making.
Duan Chaoge rushed out of her room and scolded Feng Xun. “Xiao Wu is cultivating in seclusion and she’s not to be disturbed! Young Lord Feng, please leave!”
Feng Xun kept howling. “Little Feng Wu, little Feng Wu, little Feng Wu —”
And Xuan Yi was with him.
It was just that Xuan Yi was sitting under the grape trellis instead of on the wall, and he was drinking.
Feng Wu rubbed her forehead. Everyone coming and going would see Feng Xun on her wall, which could start another round of rumors. She already had more than enough to deal with.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Wu reined in her temper. She needed to maintain a good image when her master was around.
She only walked out of her room after she calmed down.
Feng Xun’s eyes lit up when he spotted Feng Wu.
However, he didn’t jump off the wall, but only sat there with his legs dangling in the air. He studied Feng Wu with great interest.
Feng Wu found him ridiculous.
“Feng Xun, what are you doing up there?”
Feng Xun swiftly jumped off the wall and landed right in front of Feng Wu, keeping his eyes on her the entire time.
He jabbed Feng Wu’s forehead with a finger. “You’ve been keeping a lot of secrets from me.”
Feng Wu looked puzzled. “What secrets?”
Had he found out about her beautiful master?
“About Boss Jun! Little Feng Wu, I didn’t know you were that kind of a person!” Feng Xun grunted.
Feng Wu buried her face in her hands.
Not again. Feng Xun must have seen the first part of that video and thought that she had kissed Jun Linyuan when he was unconscious.
She was about to explain, when Feng Xun added, “You and Boss Jun have been attracted to each other all this time, but you kept all of us in the dark! That’s so unfair!”
988 Heard by the Beautiful Master?
Attracted to each other?!
That had to be the most shocking statement Feng Wu had ever heard in years. Involuntarily, she looked back at her beautiful master. The parent was watching!
As expected, she detected a slightly displeased look in her master’s eyes.
Feng Wu grabbed Feng Xun by his collar. “What attraction? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Feng Xun found her reaction strange. “Well, you like Boss Jun and Boss Jun likes you. That’s mutual attraction, isn’t it?”
Feng Wu was infuriated!
Looking around, she saw that her master, who had been standing by the window, was gone.
Feng Wu panicked. Did he hear that?
“Little Feng Wu, was I wrong?” Feng Xun snorted. “You guys kept it from me all this time!”
Feng Wu flared up. “There is no mutual attraction between me and Jun Linyuan! He doesn’t even like me!”
But Feng Xun was certain of his conclusion. “He likes you.”
Feng Wu said, “I don’t like him.”
Feng Xun mumbled, “How can you not be in love with him? You went to his room in the middle of the night on our way back…”
“Feng Xun!” Feng Wu glared at him.
Feng Xun said, “Alright, alright. I take that back. Although, don’t you owe me another explanation?”
Feng Wu asked, “And what might that be for?”
Feng Xun said, “Little Feng Wu, I see that you kept mum about recovering your ability.”
Feng Wu cleared her throat and avoided Feng Xun’s eyes.
If he knew that she was the one who had stolen their Immortal Spiritual Fruit, which in turn enabled her to get her ability back… Feng Xun would probably kill her right here and right now.
Feng Xun pressed harder. “When did you recover? I bet you already had your ability back when we met you in Northern Border City.”
Feng Wu nodded repeatedly. “Yes, that’s right.”
Feng Xun patted Feng Wu on the head. “You silly girl. It’s great news. Why did you keep it from us?”
Feng Wu grinned. “Well, I thought I would tell you guys after I caught up to your cultivation levels.”
“Catch up to us? Heh, that’ll never happen!” Feng Xun said arrogantly.
Feng Wu raised her chin. “I got into Imperial College with the highest marks in both the written exam and the physical tryout. Could you have done that?”
As a matter of fact, Feng Xun couldn’t.
He had taken the entrance exam in the same year as Jun Linyuan; there was no way that he could have gotten first.
Feng Xun was rendered speechless.
He threw a dirty look at Feng Wu. “You’re such a… You know what? Forget it. I’ll see you in two days for the induction.”
Feng Wu wanted to tell him that she wouldn’t be there for the induction, but Feng Xun was gone before she could say anything.
He and Xuan Yi left as quickly as they had come.
Especially Xuan Yi, who didn’t even say a word during the brief visit. However, he had kept his gaze on Feng Wu the entire time, a knowing look in his eyes.
Feng Wu rubbed her head. What was that about?
She then recalled what Feng Xun said and found it amusing. Jun Linyuan was in love with her? Feng Xun had to be dreaming.
Shaking her head, Feng Wu wanted to get all the strange thoughts out of her mind.
She then turned around to find her beautiful master behind her.
“Master!” Feng Wu beamed at him with a wide smile that was more wonderful than spring sunshine or morning dew.
Her beautiful master stood there with his hands behind his back. His wide sleeves draped down to the ground, which only added to his exceptional appearance.
The look he gave Feng Wu was colder than usual. “Shouldn’t you be working on your inscriptions now?”
Feng Wu rubbed her nose.
Her master hadn’t changed at all. She had only enjoyed one day of his affection before he was back to his old aloof self. Her good day was over.
989 Is Her Beautiful Master Leaving?
As expected, her beautiful master didn’t say anything else to her other than to give her the necessary instructions in teaching her how to draw inscriptions.
Feng Wu worked assiduously, putting more effort into her task than she usually did.
For the next few days, Feng Wu didn’t return to her Fallen Star Yard. She was focused solely on the formation.
Her beautiful master taught her a swordplay set while she worked on the formation.
It was the second part of Star and Moon swordplay.
Together, the stances were known as Fallen Stars.
However, Feng Wu had only been able to master the first three stances so far!
But as soon as Feng Wu struck out with those three stances, she felt so much more empowered. They were a huge improvement from the first part of the swordplay she had learned before.
“What a pity.” Her beautiful master heaved a sigh.
Feng Wu paused in her practice and looked at her master in bewilderment.
Her master looked at her affectionately. “You still need one more sword.”
“Isn’t my Flaming Sword enough?” Feng Wu looked at the one she was holding. She thought it was good enough. Plus, her beautiful master had had this one specially forged for her back then.
Her beautiful master’s eyes flickered.
“Flaming Sword used to be enough, but now that you specialize in both fire and ice, it’s not as efficient.” His tone remained mild, but his suggestion wasn’t open to any doubt.
Feng Wu agreed with him after some thought.
The Heart of Frost Essence in fact wasn’t the most valuable thing she had obtained in Proud Snowfield — it was her new specialty in the ice attribute.
Working on two attributes at the same time would slow down her cultivation speed, but the results would be much more impressive than if she worked on the fire attribute alone.
“But what sword should I get?” Feng Wu was puzzled.
She stopped making decisions when her master was around, for her beautiful master always made the best calls.
He used to be the ruler of the continent, and had witnessed more in this world than anyone could imagine. Therefore, Feng Wu trusted him wholeheartedly.
Her beautiful master kept his gaze on her and said in a gentle but decisive voice, “You can keep Flaming Sword before you reach the Spiritual Elder stage. After that, you must switch to a new one.”
He added, “I’ve told Little Phoenix the specifics. When the time comes, it will give you instructions on how to find your new sword.”
Feng Wu said, “Alright.”
Her master went on. “I’ve also told Little Phoenix about the remaining stances. It will teach you everything.”
Feng Wu said, “Alright.”
“And in Imperial College…”
He then drew Feng Wu an inscription in the shape of a heptagram.
“Remember this pattern,” said her beautiful master. “If anyone gives you a hard time in Imperial College, take this inscription to the forbidden area behind the mountain, and someone will give you a hand.”
It saddened Feng Wu to hear him talk like this. “Master, aren’t you supposed to be here for seven days? I thought we still had a day left.”
Her beautiful master’s face glowed in the light. He stood there with his hands behind his back as his robe flapped in the wind.
He looked so tranquil.
And his eyes were as brooding as they were clear.
“Silly girl, we only had six days.” He tried to pat Feng Wu’s head.
However, he was only a shadow and couldn’t touch her.
Something flickered in his eyes, which seldom gave away any emotions. He sighed. “Kiddo, take good care of yourself.”
He then slowly faded away.
“No!”
Feng Wu shrieked. She tried to hold her master’s sleeve, and she trembled with sorrow. “No! No! Master, don’t leave me —”
990 Breaking News!
However, her beautiful master faded away, just like five years ago.
“No —”
Feng Wu dropped to her knees and burst into tears when the shadow of her master disappeared from between her fingers.
Right at that moment!
All of a sudden!
Rumble —
An incredible fluctuation of spiritual essence spread out from Fang Manor!
An intense burst of spiritual essence shot up into the sky!
Feng Wu raised her head involuntarily and looked in the direction of the house in bewilderment, her eyes still watery.
What was going on?
Was someone making a breakthrough?
Just then!
All of a sudden!
Boom!
Lightning flashes tore the sky open, and there was an ear-splitting rumbling!
A streak of lightning struck with incredible force, aiming right for Fang Manor!
What on earth was going on?!
Feng Wu wasn’t the only one shocked — so was the entire imperial capital!
Also on this side of the wall, Feng Yanfeng was sick in bed from all his previous frustrations, and the thunderclap made him jump.
He bolted up in astonishment.
Seeing streaks of lightning strike Fang Manor repeatedly, Feng Yanfeng rejoiced at first. Grand Secretary Fang had always been a lowkey figure, and had declined when Feng Yanfeng tried to extend his friendship to the old man.
With the lightning storm taking place exclusively over Fang Manor, Feng Yanfeng believed that this was a punishment from God.
However, Feng Yanfeng soon realized that wasn’t the case!
That wasn’t right!
If it was only a lightning storm, what was that buzzing sound?
Wait!
It was someone trying to make a breakthrough!
Judging by all the noise… What cultivation level had Grand Secretary Fang been at before?
The Zuo family.
Zuo Ming was throwing a tantrum at home!
He had hired Guillotine Seven to kill Feng Wu, but Feng Wu was still walking around, and that Guillotine Seven had disappeared!
Guillotine Seven was supposed to be a Spiritual Elder!
What on earth was Feng Wu’s cultivation level?!
Just then, he heard the rumbling!
“What was that?!” Zuo Ming rose to his feet in astonishment!
As a capable cultivator himself, of course he recognized that sound.
It wasn’t common lightning, but the sign of a capable cultivator making a breakthrough!
Zuo Ming and his wife stood by the window and looked in the direction of the lightning. They frowned. “Is that the direction of the Feng clan?”
Could it be Feng Wu? Zuo Ming blanched.
No… It couldn’t be!
Feng Wu wasn’t even a Spiritual Elder yet. She wouldn’t be able to generate such noise.
Soon, secret guards showed up to report to Zuo Ming. “It came from Grand Secretary Fang’s residence.”
Zuo Ming calmed down. So, the Feng clan had nothing to do with it.
The imperial palace.
Emperor Wu and the empress dowager were discussing Jun Linyuan’s injuries when they heard the rumbling. Emperor Wu bolted up!
He knew what that was!
“Who’s the lucky person?” Without another word, Emperor Wu climbed up the watchtower.
There, he saw all the lightning strike Grand Secretary Fang’s house.
That excited Emperor Wu.
It was Grand Secretary Fang!
Everyone had thought that he was too old to make any more progress, and that his days were numbered. This breakthrough was a surprise to them all!
Emperor Wu knew what level Grand Secretary Fang had been at before, and he realized what this breakthrough meant.
Grand Secretary Fang would be second only to Emperor Wu in cultivation level.
“This is great news! The empire is going to have another capable cultivator!” Emperor Wu made a fist.
But it wasn’t time to celebrate just yet.
For the lightning tribulation hadn’t ended.
All would be lost if Grand Secretary Fang couldn’t pull through.
Emperor Wu wasn’t the only one waiting. The entire imperial capital held their breaths.
No one dared to go anywhere near Fang Manor.
991 Thrilled!
Fallen Star Yard.
Anxiety overwhelmed the yard one wall away from Fang Manor.
Despite the lightning storm next door, however, Fallen Star Yard didn’t suffer any damage at all.
“What’s going on over there?” Qiuling was almost in tears. “Miss Wu is still in Fang Manor and hasn’t come back for days… What are we going to do now?”
Chaoge blurted out. “I’m going to get Xiao Wu back!”
However, as soon as she jumped onto the wall…
Countless electric currents ran through her body.
Poor girl. She cried out and fell off the wall right away.
Frightened, Qiuling ran to help Chaoge.
However —
Crack —
Even Qiuling almost got an electric shock, and her clothes were nearly burnt.
She smelled something burning. Taking Chaoge’s hands, Qiuling saw that the latter’s palms had turned black.
That shocked Qiuling, and she was on the verge of tears. “Wait here, Miss Chaoge. I’ll go fetch some medicine.”
However, Chaoge paid no attention to her injured hands. She only glared at the wall, the top of which crackled with streaks of lightning.
“I can’t go in there!”
Chaoge pounded her fists on the ground, which made her draw in her breath with pain.
What should she do now? Xiao Wu was still in there.
Would Xiao Wu be alright?
At the same moment, Feng Wu —
She was equally flustered.
Staying in a house that was within range of the lightning storm, she knew better than anyone how intense it was!
The window to Grand Secretary Fang’s room was open, and she could see that the old man was on the verge of collapse.
Lightning tribulations usually occurred in nine cycles.
Six had taken place so far, but Grand Secretary Fang —
Feng Wu saw that the old man’s face was drained of all color, and he could barely sit up.
But each cycle was supposed to be more powerful than the previous one.
Therefore —
Feng Wu gritted her teeth. Grand Secretary Fang wouldn’t be able to make it.
If he could pull through, he would be like a phoenix reborn in fire. He would be one of the most powerful cultivators in the empire, instead of what he was now: a man with enough connections, but without a cultivation level high enough to convince the others.
But if he couldn’t… Feng Wu closed her eyes.
Grand Secretary Fang’s breakthrough had to have something to do with that “Free and Easy Wandering” manual that her beautiful master had given him. Therefore, if anything happened to Grand Secretary Fang, Feng Wu knew that she would blame herself for it for the rest of her life.
She couldn’t let anything happen to Grand Secretary Fang!
But what could she do to help?
Just then, she heard the rumbling!
The seventh cycle had arrived!
Shit!
Feng Wu saw the lightning strike the very room which Grand Secretary Fang was in!
Crack —
The house was in a ramshackle state, as if it could collapse at any moment.
However, something seemed to block the lightning before it reached Grand Secretary Fang, reducing its power.
It was the Taiyi formation!
Feng Wu’s eyes lit up!
The formation was working!
Feng Wu had finished part of the Taiyi formation, which covered the area Grand Secretary Fang was in at the moment. That was what was hindering the lightning!
Yes!
Feng Wu saw the light!
Would she be able to help Grand Secretary Fang make it through the tribulation if she finished setting up the entire formation?
That thought excited Feng Wu!
She had finished drawing most of the Level 6 inscriptions, and there were only more than twenty to go.
Without hesitation, Feng Wu ran to her desk and started drawing.
Maybe it was because of how pressing the situation was, but Feng Wu worked faster than before as she drew smooth strokes on the stones with her pen.
992 Alive Or Dead?!
She didn’t make a single mistake!
Feng Wu finished all twenty Level 6 inscriptions in one go without any interruptions!
And she did all that in less than 15 minutes, which was an unprecedented record in the entire Junwu Empire.
Record-breaking or not, Feng Wu wasn’t in the mood to care about that. Her top priority now was to set up the Taiyi formation as quickly as possible.
Feng Wu wished her master was still here as she busied herself with putting the inscribed stones in the right positions. She was sure that her master would know how to help Grand Secretary Fang.
And he would be able to think of more than one way.
That only made Feng Wu even more determined – she had to collect all five broken star pieces!
Jun Linyuan knew the whereabouts of the second piece, which meant that she would have to go to him later.
But Feng Wu had no time to think about that right now. She was fully occupied with the Taiyi formation!
Boom!
The eighth cycle arrived right on time!
The sheer power shook the ground, and Fang Manor threatened to collapse!
Feng Wu was thrown into the air by the impact!
She turned around to find Grand Secretary Fang covered in blood!
Blood was running out of his ears, nostrils, eyes… He seemed to have been rendered unconscious.
And the ninth cycle, which was supposed to be the most powerful one, had yet to come!
The energy it contained was the sum of the first eight cycles put together!
Feng Wu was covered in electric burns, and she swore she could smell roasting meat…
If Grand Secretary Fang couldn’t withstand the ninth cycle… Feng Wu smiled bitterly. She would be killed, too!
So would everyone in Fang Manor!
Feng Wu only grew calmer in critical moments like these. Taking a deep breath, she chose to busy herself with the things she could control.
She would do what she could, and leave the rest to fate.
70%, 80%, 90%…
Despite her injuries, Feng Wu ran back and forth in the manor, placing the spiritual stones with Level 6 inscriptions in the right spots.
Three more minutes to go.
Dark clouds covered the sky, giving it a gloomy appearance.
Many people in the imperial capital had climbed onto their roofs and were looking in the direction of Fang Manor.
“Nah, Fang Manor won’t make it. I saw the house shaking during the eighth cycle.”
“I saw that, too. The house almost collapsed.”
“Fang Manor represents Grand Secretary Fang. He’ll fail when the house collapses.”
“Are you saying that Grand Secretary Fang won’t be able to withstand the lightning tribulation?”
“He’s an old man, after all. The rumor is that his days are numbered. A breakthrough at this point would be too much for him.”
“If Grand Secretary Fang succeeds, he’ll become as famous as Mr Lu, but if he fails… it’ll be his end… sigh.”
Some rejoiced while others worried.
In the imperial palace.
Emperor Wu had always been close to Grand Secretary Fang, and it was agonizing for him to see Grand Secretary Fang in this state.
Standing in the watchtower with his hands behind his back, Emperor Wu looked keenly in the direction of Fang Manor.
Dark clouds had gathered above the house, and lightning flashed.
“Your Majesty, look!”
Empress Dugu, who was keeping Emperor Wu company, pointed at the sky. “I think the lightning is gathering into a ball.”
993 The Last Moment!
The look on Emperor Wu’s face turned even grimmer!
He had only seen a ball of lightning once before, during Jun Linyuan’s breakthrough.
More streaks of lightning were absorbed, and the ball grew bigger and more threatening.
Emperor Wu’s face was so dark that it was like a stormy night!
The ninth cycle was already as powerful as the first eight cycles put together. Now that it had gathered into a ball —
Grand Secretary Fang didn’t stand a chance.
No one would be able to help him.
A lightning tribulation was a rule set by Nature itself, and one had to go through it all by themselves. Anyone who tried to intervene would find their efforts turning on them with power that was a hundred times stronger than the lightning tribulation itself.
“Grand Secretary Fang is going to die…”
Everyone in the imperial capital who saw the ball of lightning shook their heads and sighed.
Regardless of how sincere their sorrowful tones were, they agreed on one thing: Grand Secretary Fang wouldn’t be able to make it.
“Wow —”
In Fallen Star Yard.
Chaoge and the others were worried sick.
Qiuling kept darting looks at Lady Xuanji.
It was only the other day that Lady Xuanji had turned into this human punching machine and beaten the crap out of Feng Yanfeng. The memory was still fresh in Qiuling’s mind. All she wished now was for Lady Xuanji to switch into that mode again.
However, when Qiuling told Lady Xuanji what happened…
To Qiuling’s surprise, Lady Xuanji’s eyes rolled back and she passed out.
“Ah —” That didn’t help with Qiuling’s panicked state at all!
All hell broke loose in Fallen Star Yard.
At the same time.
More streaks of lightning kept gathering in the sky above Fang Manor.
In the end, the ball was larger than the houses of the manor!
Then, it began to fall!
Feng Wu looked up at the descending ball of lightning, and her heart pounded!
Shit!
She only had one minute left!
QUICKLY!
Feng Wu could no longer feel her hands after all the electric shocks.
And it wasn’t just her hands. The numbing pain ran through her entire body.
However, fueled by sheer willpower in a critical moment like this, Feng Wu was still running around and working on the formation.
Most of the people in Fang Manor had been struck unconscious at the first lightning strike.
Steward Fang was drifting in and out of consciousness. He wasn’t able to move a muscle, but could still see what was going on.
Seeing that Feng Wu was still trying her best when the air was filled with arcs of electric energy, the old man was moved to tears.
What a wonderful girl…
She could have left, for the underground tunnel was finished; she could have run back to the Feng clan next door.
However…
She didn’t do that. Instead, she was still trying to set up the formation.
The old steward made a mental note: He would repay Miss Feng Wu’s kindness with all his might, and give her all the help she would ever need!
It was seconds before the lightning ball hit the house!
The entire empire believed that Grand Secretary Fang was going to be killed!
Even Grand Secretary Fang himself didn’t think he could pull through.
Feng Wu leapt into the air and tossed the Heart of Frost Essence into the dry well!
The core was set and the Taiyi formation was finished!
Instantly, the inscriptions that seemed to be scattered all over the place were connected by what seemed like an electric current, and they shone with a dazzling light!
Inscriptions floated in the air above Fang Manor.
They seemed to sense the pressure from above. As a result, a giant shield made of inscriptions materialized in the air!
Right at that moment!