In the real world, a series of calls grew gradually closer from afar, finally awakening Qiao San, who had lain unconscious the entire night.
“Master San, you’re awake!” cried the young fox spirit, her voice trembling. She had only been grazed by the residual lightning and regained consciousness shortly after, but Qiao San had suffered far worse. If not for his Ten-Sun Body, any ordinary immortal or demon would have been utterly destroyed!
Gazing at the clear tears streaming from Shier’s eyes, Qiao San felt a sudden tremor in his heart as sunlight refracted through the droplets, making them shine like pearls. As he sat up, he reached out to gently wipe the tears from her eyes. “Don’t worry, Shier. I’m practically immortal, so there’s no need to be afraid! Heh, heh…” He suddenly winced in pain.
Poki San spoke truthfully—indeed, he was a scoundrel who couldn’t be killed—but as his charred body stirred, a piercing pain sent him collapsing back onto the bed.
“Damn it! The power of the gods is truly formidable!”
Despite his pale face, the rogue showed no sign of restraint, cursing the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess mercilessly.
“Master San, are you still in pain?”
Shier began to massage him, though she knew it wouldn’t help much. Yet, unable to think of a better way to help, she followed her heart’s impulse.
“Phew…” The Ten-Sun Body exhaled in relief as he stretched his limbs, still shaken. “That lightning was too intense, but at least we’re both safe! Heh, heh…”
Yet Qiao San’s laughter failed to reach the young fox spirit. Shier’s expression darkened instantly. “Master San, last night is over, but I won’t survive tonight!”
A vague sense of fear quickly filled the space between them. Anyone with a normal heart would cling to life.
Shier paused slightly before explaining carefully, “It’s the Heavenly punishment of Nine Thunderstrikes. As long as I don’t perish completely, the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess will return each night for nine consecutive nights, each time more powerful than the last. On the final night will come the most terrifying strike of all—the Ninefold Thunder Chain!”
The rogue, in the middle of stretching, froze in shock. “You mean tonight will bring two strikes, tomorrow night three… They won’t stop until they kill you?!”
“Yes,” Shier nodded helplessly.
“Damn it! Again?!”
His scoundrel nature momentarily wavered, but the young fox girl hadn’t tried to charm him with her allure. The soft-hearted rogue finally puffed out his chest. “Don’t worry, Shier. With Master San around, there’s no problem we can’t solve! Tonight, I’ll take the lightning for you again. After all, they can’t kill me!”
“No! Your body will be shattered!” Previously, Shier’s urgency might have been half pretense, but now, her voice trembled with genuine concern. Her eyes reddened as she warned, “Though the Ten-Sun Body cannot die, if your physical form is destroyed, reforming a new body will be an agonizing process, both painful and difficult!”
“This…” Poki San was never cut out to be a hero. At her words, his resolve wavered immediately. Hope flickering in his eyes, he asked, “Shier, is there any way to avoid this calamity?”
“No!” The young fox spirit honestly shook her head. Perhaps due to fear, or perhaps due to the inevitability of fate, she suddenly found an unexpected calm settling over her.
A few strands of her flowing hair gently slid down her graceful neck. Though unintentional, Shier’s delicate vulnerability instantly filled the air.
After enduring several mental shocks, the secret technique within her mind quietly advanced, gradually merging with her essence. In every movement, every glance, a new “Shier Niang” was slowly being reborn!
“That…” At the mere thought of the terrifying lightning, Qiao San involuntarily shuddered. The room fell into heavy silence.
The ancient night sky remained unchanged. Once again, the terrifying thunder from the Nine Heavens descended. Right on schedule, the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess opened their celestial eyes, unleashing their divine powers. Fire and lightning merged into one, striking down mercilessly onto Qiao San’s back, shielding the young fox spirit.
“Boom—” Two thunderbolts struck in succession. This time, Qiao San remained unconscious twice as long as the previous night. Fortunately, his precious Ten-Sun Body had not yet been shattered into pieces!
When the bold rogue finally awoke, it was already night again—meaning he had barely woken before facing another round of divine punishment!
“No—!” Tears streamed endlessly down her face. As the dreaded lightning approached for the third time, the young fox spirit’s heart wrenched with an impulse she had never felt before. She suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself in front of Qiao San.
The heavenly calamity showed no mercy. The third bolt still struck the man, for in the final instant, Qiao San had shaken his arms, flinging the “out-of-control” fox girl aside just in time!
“Master San!” she cried out in alarm, unstruck by lightning but still falling unconscious.
“Waaah… It hurts so much!” In the void of her soul realm, Shier Niang’s spirit clutched her chest, sobbing bitterly.
This pain—this was the pain of a breaking heart!
Amid a whirlwind of thoughts, the sobbing fox girl suddenly paused. She had just remembered an extremely “serious” matter.
Heartbreak?! Wasn’t it said that monsters have no “human hearts”? Why does it hurt so much?! Could it be that Mother lied to me?!
The fourth night had arrived—the fourth strike was imminent!
Above the sky, two gods invisible to mortal eyes burned with rage. To deal with a mere demon had taken them four nights already—how deeply their dignity as celestial beings had been insulted!
“Boom!” The thunder roared even louder tonight, the lightning more blinding than ever. Though still following celestial law by striking four times, each bolt had secretly exceeded its limit!
The human and the demon fell unconscious even more deeply. Qiao San’s chest and back were now pierced with gaping holes!
※※※※※※※※
“Master, Master, wake up…” The book spirit’s call finally stirred Qiao San’s consciousness. Even his soul ached, and his hatred for the gods deepened.
“Damn it! They’re even crueler than me! What a shame these old gods never descended to become rogues!”
“Master, do you want to survive the Nine Thunder Punishments?”
“Do you have a way?” Qiao San’s eyes lit up, but instead of cheering, he was momentarily stunned before exploding in anger. “If you had a solution, why didn’t you speak earlier? Are you deliberately making a fool of me?”
“You misunderstand, Master!”
Though the book spirit had yet to develop a face, its tone alone was enough to calm Qiao San. “Master, the Nine Thunder Punishments are actually beneficial to you. Haven’t you noticed your bones have become much stronger? I originally planned to appear only on the ninth strike, but the gods have broken the celestial laws, so I had to appear early to respond accordingly!”
The melodious celestial voice was pleasant to the ears, but Qiao San noticed something strange—each time the book spirit’s consciousness evolved, its voice subtly changed. In just a few days, the once clear, youthful tone had developed a faintly mature, magnetic allure. Moreover… it felt oddly familiar to Qiao San!
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