*Boom! Boom!* A dazzling bolt of thunder roared and danced in the sky like a giant dragon, then descended with resplendent lightning in an earth-shaking surge, nearly striking the body of the Earthly Puppet hovering mid-air. As the bolts slammed into the puppet’s body, brilliant silver lightning spread out, turning into countless tiny electric serpents that endlessly seeped through its skin and into its body. The vibrant thunder surged into the puppet, quickly reinforcing its dried muscles and bones. From afar, it seemed as though the figure was a God of Thunder, suspended in the air, with the surrounding ten yards lit by flickering lightning. The intimidating sight gave onlookers chills. On the platform, Xiao Yan stood calmly, his hands behind his back. The Five-Colored Heavenly Lightning aimed at him were all blocked by the Earthly Puppet, making it incredibly easy for Xiao Yan, who didn’t have to exert any effort against the troublesome Pill Lightning.
Above the clouds, thunder rumbled endlessly, as the surging five-colored clouds spewed increasingly more violent and beautiful bolts of lightning without pause, each bolt striking the Puppet.
The violent uproar from the five-color cloud lasted for about ten minutes before gradually subsiding. In these ten minutes, almost a hundred extremely powerful bolts emerged, but fortunately none caused damage to the puppet, instead faint golden gleams began appearing on its shimmering, silver body.
“True to the name, Five-Colored Divine Pill Lightning!” Xiao Yan’s keen eyes instantly caught the flashes of gold on the puppet. Glee flooded his eyes; although the gold was minimal, he felt quite satisfied. He knew well the vast amount of power required to evolve the Earthly Puppet into a Sky-level Puppet. “However, a Sky-level Puppet has a fully golden physique—this is still not enough.”
As he mused, a peculiar force erupted from the Five-Colored Cloud, enraged by being repeatedly absorbed by the puppet. Suddenly, all other clouds in the sky were drawn towards the Five-Colored Cloud, gathering together in amazement…
Everyone, including Xuan Kongzi, gazed in wonder, shocked by this strange development that none could foresee.
Zao Ying and her companions, startled too, stared dumbfounded as their own floating lightning converged under Xiao Yan’s chunk of cloud, soon forming a massive, blinding electrical mass over the square, spreading awe and terror in those below.
“This little scoundrel, truly unlucky. It seems the Heavens favor me!”
Mo Gu, once utterly despondent, now saw renewed hope. This was an unexpected chance sent by the heavens!
The sudden coalescing of the mighty clouds stirred unrest amongst those on the ground. They trembled, dreading the destruction that would surely come if the might of the sky were unleashed upon them unchallenged.
Xuan Kongzi’s furrowed brows relaxed slightly when he observed the spectacle, “The clouds attract one another and boost the potency. Should we intervene? Given such circumstances, it’s hardly unwarranted.”
“We should first see. I don’t see much unease in the lad,” responded a fair lady softly in disagreement.
Hearing her, all eyes returned to Xiao Yan. Indeed, they found his gaze fixed upward with no trace of worry, rather even delight painted across his countenance. Witnessing this, even Xuan Kongzi had to shake his head helplessly, admitting an error in underestimating the young man’s composure.
With the accumulation of thunder, nature became volatile, and a frightening aura enveloped the space. When the cloud finally released its fury, torrents of lightning rained upon the puppet, each bolt clashing against it, creating a clear resonance of metal on metal.
Amidst the tempest, the puppet steadily sank as the area around it cracked open, showing pitch-black tears… “What tremendous power in this pill lightning!” Many marveled, watching the undeterred puppet, growing only stronger and bolder against the torrent. Even those blind to its aura could see that it steadily grew in strength.
For Xiao Yan, his heart swelled seeing the increasing brilliance in its body—more and more gold shimmered beneath every successive wave. “Almost there…”
The thick blanket of thunder slowly dissipated after an intense half-hour deluge. The radiant light of the setting sun bathed everything again, giving new life where previously lay ruin.
Upon closer inspection, Xiao Yan discovered a wondrous softness in what was rigid before: the Earthly Puppet’s final metamorphosis was complete. A mere stroke from a jade dagger left only faint white traces vanishing shortly after on its newly-golden sheath.
“What phenomenal defense!”
Finally, the transformation finished. Years of work led to the creation of this advanced Sky Puppet. This additional shield provided him unparalleled protection.
As Xiao Yan patted the puppet’s shoulder, a warm, radiant smile crossed his face—a testament to the immense benefits derived far beyond anything expected.
With thunder gone and the audience basking in the sunshine, all eyes turned towards Xuan Kongzi. Now, the closing of the grand ceremony was near, awaiting the declaration of the long-anticipated result…
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