Childbirth in the Rain, Tribulation of Lightning Descends

Raindrops pounded on the tiles, shattering into countless splashes.

Qingyun City looked as if it were submerged in water, a vast expanse of white.

Amidst the continuous rumble of thunder, the ground trembled slightly.

"Let's do it!"

At Li Tu's command, dozens of different colored lights lit up outside the Jiang family's gate.

The Blood Fiend Sect disciples held up their ghost-head sabers, the blades gleaming eerily in the rain.

Two Foundation Establishment cultivators led the group towards the thin, cicada-wing-like purple light barrier.

The muffled thud of the spells colliding mingled with the sounds of rain and thunder.

Under the continuous attack, the purple color on the light screen of the Jiang family's protective formation faded, and cracks spread out like a spider web.

"Break it!"

Li Tu roared and raised a huge, ornate axe, as big as a door panel.

His body was radiating blood energy, the centipede tattoo on his back was writhing, and a wisp of blood light wrapped around the axe blade along his arm.

"Thirty-six axe blows to split the mountain! Chop!"

The giant axe tore through the rain curtain, carrying heavy wind pressure, and struck precisely at the weakest point of the light barrier.

With a soft "crack," the light barrier seemed to give way, shattering into countless points of light that were washed away by the rain.

"The formation has been broken! Charge in!"

"Bring out all the women! Search the entire mansion!"

The shouts of battle drowned out the sound of rain.

All the women and children of the Jiang family were gathered in Jiang Yining's courtyard, holding all sorts of weapons.

"The formation has been broken! What should we do?"

"Don't panic, Ningning said she has a solution."

Aunt Jiang hugged her crying daughter, her gaze sweeping over the familiar pretty faces.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. The worst outcome is just fighting these beasts and going down to join the men."

Aunt Jiang nodded, pouring all her spiritual power into the temporary barrier set up outside the courtyard.

"The day the men left, we knew this would happen sooner or later. Sisters, children, let's fight them!"

Jiang Wensi, the daughter of Aunt Jiang, wiped away her tears haphazardly with her sleeve and forcefully pushed her uneducated mother into the bedroom.

"Mother, you go inside and keep Ning company. I'm only at the third level of Qi Refining; I can fight too!"

She turned around and used all her spiritual power to add another bit of strength to the crumbling barrier.

Inside the bedroom, Jiang Yining listened to the commotion outside, her eyes resolute and bright.

"Sisters, I won't let anything happen to you!"

She lay on the bed, gripping the sheets tightly with both hands.

The pain of being torn apart is nothing compared to the weakness of having one's dantian (lower abdomen) emptied.

The Divine Tree of Myriad Spirits emitted an unprecedentedly bright green light, and countless roots, finer than a hair, enveloped the life within its belly, transferring the last bit of spiritual power from her body to it.

"Ah..." Jiang Yining's neck tensed, and she squeezed out a muffled groan from her throat.

Sweat mixed with blood soaked through the bedding beneath him.

I'm sorry, Ningning, you haven't provided enough nutrients, so my little fruit can't fall off naturally.

It's alright, Little Wooden Head, I wouldn't be alive today without you and Little Treasure.

When you're rich in the future, you won't have to suffer like this anymore.

"Baby, try harder...come out soon..."

Jiang Yining gritted her teeth, using this method to prevent herself from fainting.

The sound of hurried footsteps had already rushed into the courtyard.

"These women are really persistent; who can this little barrier stop?!"

The barrier surrounding the courtyard shattered instantly.

As the woman of the Jiang family with the highest cultivation level of Qi Refining Stage 10, Third Aunt Jiang was the first to rush forward, but she was sent flying by a blow from the back of an axe after only two moves against Li Tu.

Several younger relatives rushed over to support her as she vomited blood.

Just as Li Tu was about to deliver the final blow, Zhao Wuji spoke up, waving his fan.

"Sect Leader Li, please show mercy."

"These women may not be highly skilled, but they are all quite attractive. If trained well, they can be used to entertain guests."

"Lord Zhao! Our Jiang family ancestors died countless times trying to defend Qingyun City against the beast tide! Is this how you treat the descendants of your meritorious service?!"

Jiang Wensi rushed to the front and began to argue.

"Hahaha!"

Li Tu mocked, patting his shoulder with the back of his axe.

"Little girl, you're really naive. Everyone looks out for themselves! Your Jiang family fell because you were incompetent, you deserved it!"

He grinned maliciously, his gaze fixed on Jiang Wensi's pretty face, flushed with anger: "Little beauty, not bad looking. I'll take you first later!"

Without further ado, he prepared to strike Jiang Wensi with his giant axe.

Just as the axe blade was about to fall.

"Wow--"

A baby's cry rang out from inside the room.

The crying was so loud that it pierced through the rain.

With that cry, the purplish-black vortex that had been swirling in the sky for so long suddenly accelerated its rotation.

"Boom!"

The thunder rumbled in rapid succession.

The sky seemed to have been torn open, with countless bolts of lightning flashing wildly through the clouds, illuminating the entire Qingyun City as bright as day.

One of the particularly thick bolts of purple lightning ignored the obstruction of the roof and struck vertically down towards Li Tu's location.

"What?!"

Li Tu only had time to utter a short shout before the purple lightning engulfed him.

The blinding light forced everyone to close their eyes, and the only sound in the courtyard was the crackling of electric arcs.

When the light faded, the spot where Li Tu had stood was empty, along with his enormous axe, which had vanished without a trace.

Zhao Wuji, who was standing behind him, reacted faster and promptly summoned a tortoise-shell shield to block in front of him.

Even so, the aftershocks of the lightning still sent him flying, crashing into the wall.

"Pfft." Zhao Wuji spat out a mouthful of blood, and the feather fan in his hand was charred black.

He stared in disbelief at the spot where the lightning had struck, his mind blank.

What just happened?

What about Li Tu?

A Foundation Establishment cultivator... just like that, gone?

"What...what the hell is this?!"

He leaned against the wall, barely managing to stay upright, his voice trembling so loudly he could hear it himself.

The lightning gradually dissipated.

Inside the room, where the wooden bed used to be, only a pile of charred charcoal remained.

Jiang Yining was holding a baby, her body suspended in mid-air.

The baby in her arms didn't cry; its skin was so fair that it didn't look like a newborn.

A few thin purple arcs of electricity danced across his body, making a soft sound.

The baby opened its eyes.

Those were a pair of purple-gold eyes, devoid of the innocence of a baby, filled only with indifference and murderous intent.