Chapter 37 - After Failing to Find Immortality

The sky suddenly darkened as if black clouds were pressing down upon it. The wind gradually ceased, and the atmosphere grew oppressively heavy, like a weight upon the city. Thunderclouds gathered above Changling County, their roaring immensely shocking! Within the County Magistrate's residence. A middle-aged man put down his writing brush and hurriedly walked out of the study. Gazing at the turbulent thunderclouds rolling in the distance, his face could not conceal his astonishment. "What is happening?!" Such a sudden and eerie celestial phenomenon was unheard of. "Magistrate Tang! It seems we are in for a rare torrential downpour!" An elderly man in official attire hurried over. "Quickly, have the people prepare flood prevention measures to prevent the rainwater from flooding and destroying surrounding homes." Magistrate Tang's expression darkened. He immediately waved his sleeve and commanded, "Have everyone in the county return to their houses at once. No one should stay outside." Subordinate officials approached with inquiries. As people rushed about, the entire County Magistrate’s residence was a scene of frantic bustle. Yet his gaze kept drifting toward the sky, looking at the terrifying thunderclouds that flashed with lightning. His expression was full of doubt and uncertainty. Was it an illusion? These thunderclouds... Why did they stay gathered without releasing their rain, as if deliberately building up their power? The lightning within those black clouds even seemed to shift from green to purple, with faint dragon-like shadows swirling among the flashing lights. Suddenly, Magistrate Tang felt a surge of fear. His expression turned to one of panic as he shouted loudly: "Send constables out! Quickly evacuate the residents beneath that thundercloud area!" A colossal disaster is about to befall Changling! ... In a bustling tavern, people were packed closely, having come to seek shelter from the rain. Conversations buzzed all around, filled with complaints about the sudden thunderstorm, intermixed with the occasional shout and cheer from those drinking. In a corner by the window, a straight-backed figure sat silently. Wrapped in a raincoat, his features were sharp and distinguished, giving off the air of a reclusive sage. However, this person was currently staring intently at the flashing thunderclouds above, continuously making divination signs with his hands. "A celestial phenomenon oppresses all. Green thunder and purple lightning, a majestic display—these thunderclouds are definitely not naturally formed. It's as if the heavens are delivering a calamity... Could it be that an unprecedented evil spirit lurks within Changling County, so powerful that it requires divine law to subdue it?!" "Since I arrived in this county, I've heard numerous rumors of evil spirits causing chaos and many deaths. Could these thunderclouds be related to that?" "Wait!" He hastily took out a palm-sized compass, only to find it trembling uncontrollably. "Why is the Divination Compass shaking so violently, and why is the Soul-Seeking Needle spinning rapidly?!" This item of extraordinary origin, capable of detecting the true forms of evil spirits and sensing changes in the wind, was something he relied on to track down numerous ghosts. But now... The compass was spinning wildly as if crazed! His face gradually turned pale, cold sweat forming on his forehead. "How can this be? How can this be?! The Eight Trigrams Compass has never erred, even the most powerful evil spirits are accurately located, but now... Could this really mean Changling County is a den of evil, with all the terrifying demons in the world hiding here?!" His heart trembled. He looked up again, staring at the tavern patrons passed by the compass needle—the wine servers, farmers, and servants… One of the tavern’s servants, holding a wine jug, glanced back at him with confusion. The man in the raincoat instantly broke into a cold sweat, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles! "This is bad! Could I have wandered into a den of demons... Is this my destined catastrophe?!" Swallowing nervously, he gripped the wooden table and managed to stand, his legs feeling weak. A cracking sound reached his ears. He looked down in shock at the Eight Trigrams Compass in his arms, horrified to find it covered in cracks! An indescribable sense of dread surged through him. Without any hesitation, he decided, "This place... Changling County is truly terrifying! I must not stay here!!" ... Across the street in an inn. A black-haired girl of about twelve or thirteen stood by the window. Her delicate, charming face was framed by braids hanging down her chest, and she wore a robe-like dress with an ethereal, fairy-like air. But her expression at the moment was unusually solemn for her age. Her gaze swept across the street and landed on the sight of the raincoat-clad man fleeing desperately through the rain, his figure full of panic. "That Daoist Hu Sang is quite renowned, skilled in martial arts and proficient in geomancy and spirit communication. Yet even he is fleeing in terror, not daring to linger despite the pouring rain." "Great-grandfather sent me a special letter asking me to come here. Could it be he wants me to gain experience through this journey?" She looked up again at the thunderclouds swirling with lightning... Her face had turned pale. Even though she was considered a prodigy with exceptional talent among several generations of her clan, achieving extraordinary cultivation at a young age, she still felt insignificantly small when faced with this celestial majesty. It was like a tiny ant confronting the enormity of the universe. She felt as if she could be reduced to ashes and vanish into thin air at any moment. "Isn't this place... a bit too dangerous for training?" The girl hugged her shoulders, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. She... She wanted to flee like Daoist Hu Sang. But her limbs were already paralyzed with fear, unable to take a step. She could only watch helplessly as the thunder roared, each strike shaking her to her core, almost making her spirit collapse, causing her once lively eyes to gradually lose focus. In her brief life, she had never encountered anything like this and could not comprehend what it signified or what was happening. ... Meanwhile—— Lin Tianlu hurried to the backyard, taking down the clothes from the drying rack one by one. "How could the rain start so suddenly, without any warning!" He couldn't help but complain, gathering all the clothes in his arms and rushing back into the house through the drizzle. But a glance from the corner of his eye caused him to pause in astonishment. Mao Ruoyu's face had turned pale, and she was struggling to hold onto a chair. "Madam Mao?!" He quickly tossed aside the clothes and went to help her up. "Is your body unwell again?" "I’m not sure... I just feel an uneasy panic and a shortness of breath, as if danger is approaching." Mao Ruoyu weakly shook her head. Lin Tianlu frowned slightly, decisively scooping her up. He didn’t have time to be aware of the soft sensation in his arms and hurriedly made his way to the door. "Sir?" "It's better to see a doctor sooner. Small illnesses can become serious if left untreated." However, just as they reached the door, they saw that the downpour had already started outside. "How troublesome!" Lin Tianlu's gaze turned cold as he looked at the dark sky outside. The rumbling thunder seemed particularly annoying at this moment. He took off his outer robe to shield Mao Ruoyu and prepared to head towards the county's medical clinic using the newly learned Dragon Phantom Step. At that moment, the thunder above had condensed into a purple-black color, with the silhouette of a thunder dragon forming, as if the apocalypse were upon them. Just a wisp of its aura was enough to plunge the entire Changling County into dead silence, the thunderous roars growing— "Shut the hell up!" Lin Tianlu suddenly cursed loudly. Seeing the woman in his arms frowning repeatedly and nearly fainting from the thunder, he felt a surge of anger and couldn’t help but curse, "What’s with all the thunder?! Early or late, but it chooses to thunder now, tormenting patients and disturbing peace. Go strike a tree and be done with it!" The earth-shaking thunder seemed to pause for a moment. Lin Tianlu exhaled heavily, focusing on his steps, dashing through the deserted streets, leaving afterimages in his wake. The black clouds swirled like giant waves, a streak of purple-black light finding its target. It pierced through the clouds, with apocalyptic might threatening to tear the sky— Coming straight for Lin Tianlu’s head! But just as the thunder dragon was about to strike, its world-shaking power suddenly halted. The thunderbolt that was supposed to strike down changed direction, crashing into Lin Tianlu's courtyard instead, causing the ground to tremble violently. Simultaneously, a soaring sword aura surged, whistling and clearing away the black clouds that covered the sky. The thunderstorm gradually ceased.