Chapter 102: Let Me Show You What Playing with Lightning Is Like

A loud crack echoed through the air.

The shield shattered instantly into countless tiny fragments, scattering in all directions.

Ashiya Yoake, terrified, quickly covered his head.

There was no way out.

No place to hide!

He had no choice but to steel himself and face it head-on.

He swiftly adjusted his mindset, took a deep breath, and began to focus, chanting an incantation.

Another thunderbolt roared through the sky. Ashiya Yoake extended his finger, pointing directly at the heavens.

“Rumble!”

In the sky, a streak of yellow lightning struck down, colliding head-on with the purple lightning summoned by Zhang Baoling.

The two electric currents clashed fiercely in midair, sparks flying, tearing the sky as if it were rent apart.

Astonishingly, the two forces canceled each other out!

Many onlookers had regained their senses and, witnessing this spectacle, scattered in fear to avoid the thunder.

“I didn’t expect you to use the Thunder Summoning Spell as well!” Zhang Baoling said coldly.

This caught her off guard.

Ashiya Yoake smiled with pride.

He spoke arrogantly:

“My family, the Ashiyas, have been Onmyoji for generations. For hundreds of years, my ancestors were renowned masters serving the royal Tianwang family. And I am the youngest and most gifted Onmyoji of this generation, destined to become the next head of the family.”

The crowd was astonished. This young man came from a prestigious lineage.

No wonder he carried such a noble air of superiority.

“Oh? What a coincidence. So am I!” Zhang Baoling chuckled lightly, her tone dripping with disdain.

Ashiya Yoake felt slighted.

He growled fiercely:

“In that case, let’s settle this today with a life-or-death duel—one-on-one. Do you dare to accept my challenge?”

This was a calculated move.

All the shikigami had been eliminated.

If Zhang Baoling and Gu Xiangnan teamed up, he stood no chance.

Better to provoke Zhang Baoling with words and trick her into a solo duel.

She was a young girl, after all, a Taoist clad in yellow robes with a low rank.

Facing her alone would be a breeze.

The real challenge lay in defeating Gu Xiangnan.

If he couldn’t manage that, he could at least trap Gu Xiangnan with a spell and slip away.

Being an ordinary man, Gu Xiangnan wouldn’t be able to break his magic.

“Enough talk. Let’s begin!” Zhang Baoling interrupted, shouting.

She then took a step forward with the Seven-Star Tengu Step and recited the Five Thunder Curse:

“Jade Pure Origin, True Talisman Covenant, Shifting Dual Energies, Blending into One Truth.

Five Thunders, Five Thunders, summoning Huang Ning, swirling transformations, roaring lightning swift and fierce.

At the call, arrive swiftly, sounding the voice of yang, Wolf Luo, Ju Bin, Du Shu, Shen Miao, Lu Chun restraining evil, binding with urgency as the law commands.”

As her voice fell, Zhang Baoling extended her right hand.

In her palm, a dark purple sphere gradually formed.

That sphere was lightning!

Electric currents twisted and turned within her palm, crackling with faint buzzing sounds.

Ashiya Yoake’s eyes widened in shock.

“This is the Five Thunders?! How… how did you achieve this?”

Born into an Onmyoji family, he naturally understood the power of the Five Thunder Curse.

But in the ancient texts he had read, the Five Thunder Curse always summoned lightning from the heavens.

He had never imagined someone could wield lightning at will!

Zhang Baoling smiled nonchalantly.

“Opening your eyes today, huh? This is what being a genius looks like.”

With that, she swept her palm through the air, unleashing the gathered Five Thunders directly at Ashiya Yoake.

“Crack!”

The lightning transformed into an electric blade, slashing straight at his forehead.

This so-called genius Onmyoji from Fusang.

He didn’t even get a chance to plead for mercy before Zhang Baoling struck him down, reducing him to a charred blackened husk.

The entire scene fell into a stunned silence.

The air was thick with the scent of burning flesh.

“Seventh Senior Sister, how could you…?” Gu Xiangnan was dumbfounded.

Zhang Baoling flashed him a mischievous grin before putting on her round, retro sunglasses.

She boasted a little, saying, “I usually just practice for fun. Didn’t expect to actually use it today!”

Ashiya Yoake was dead.

Turned directly into a lump of charcoal.

Immediately, the binding talisman restraining Taoyao vanished as well.

The onlookers were shaken.

Before everyone’s eyes, one person had been struck down by another with lightning?

If they reported this to the authorities, would Uncle Hat believe it?

Seeing the burnt corpse, the crowd panicked and bolted out of the square.

But the internet celebrity who was streaming live didn’t run.

This was a huge event!

In the live chat, some viewers even urged him to get closer for a better look.

Wang Mei noticed someone filming the entire scene with their phone.

This would surely cause trouble for Gu Xiangnan.

Feigning calm, she blended into the crowd and took the lead in speaking:

“Oh~~ I get it now. This is just a big magic show, right?”

Zhang Baoling and Gu Xiangnan immediately caught on.

“Ah, yes! It’s a magic show combining lighting, stage effects, and special effects,” Zhang Baoling responded.

“Exactly, it’s all fake,” Gu Xiangnan agreed.

A little boy approached them, looking up and asked:

“Uncle, your sword is so cool! Where did you buy it?”

Gu Xiangnan crouched down and smiled gently.

“Little one, this sword was bought on Pinxixi. It’s very cheap, only 9.9 yuan with free shipping!”

Every moment was broadcast live.

The chat exploded instantly:

“Wow, the magic effects are so good, I almost believed it.”

“The old David Copperfield even walked through the Great Wall! That was an even better magic show.”

“So it was all an act! They played their roles so realistically; Hollywood owes them an Oscar.”

As the performance ended, the crowd dispersed.

Soon, the square emptied.

Gu Xiangnan reached out to help Taoyao up, asking with concern:

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Taoyao shook her head and continued, “My lord, I didn’t expect you to come to my rescue.”

Tears streamed down her face in gratitude.

Gu Xiangnan patted her head.

“Silly girl, you’re mine, of course I’ll protect you.”

“My lord, I’ve caused you trouble. I must repay you properly.”

Seeing her determination, Gu Xiangnan didn’t refuse.

“Alright, alright. Let’s go then.”

“Wait.”

Taoyao stared coldly at the charred corpse.

“Even though he’s dead, I still bear a grudge. My lord, please wait for me.”

Not only Gu Xiangnan but also Zhang Baoling and Wang Mei looked at her in surprise.

Taoyao approached the slain shikigami.

Wang Mei mistakenly thought she intended to deal with the remains.

She stepped forward and said, “Miss Taoyao, don’t worry. I’ll arrange for someone to clean this up.”

Taoyao turned and smiled faintly at her.

However, what happened next shocked everyone.

Facing the corpses of the shikigami, she took a deep breath and began to absorb them.

When Taoyao consumed humans, their useless shells would turn to ash.

But this time, as she absorbed the shikigami, nothing remained.

The corpses seemed to dissolve into white mist, completely drawn into her.

Taoyao’s body began to undergo a wondrous transformation.

Her form gradually shrank, eventually reverting to that of a white fox.

In the center of the square, there was a lotus pond with a lotus sculpture.

The white fox Taoyao leapt gracefully onto the sculpture and sat down.

Suddenly, she raised both front paws, shaking them endlessly toward the sky.

It looked as if she were praying for something.

“Is she worshipping the moon?” Zhang Baoling asked in disbelief.