The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Pan Yun exhaled a mouthful of black smoke, and smelled a faint aroma of meat. She looked down at the section of her arm that had been ripped apart, the exposed part of her arm smelling of charred meat. The small cracks were healing under her cultivation technique, and her fair skin was faintly visible beneath the charred black.

Pan Yun murmured, "No wonder everyone loves eating cultivators who have just transcended tribulation, it's so delicious~~"

Pan Xiaohei yelled, "Hurry up and bring out your lightning rod! How long are you going to wait? I'm attracting more and more lightning, I can't eat anymore!"

Pan Yun calmly said, "Be steady. It's only the third lightning strike, what's the rush?"

"I'm not in a hurry, you're about to be cleaved in two!"

Pan Yun: "I estimate there are still two hours before the next lightning strikes, so don't disturb me while I'm recovering."

Pan Xiaohei had a bad feeling: "Would the second Marquis's tribulation be spaced out over such a long period of time?"

Pan Jun ignored it and focused solely on circulating her internal energy and compressing the Yuan energy within her dantian.

Unseen by Pan Xiaohei, Pan Yun's meridians widened by nearly double, and her dantian expanded, as if it were a universe, absorbing all the compressed qi and transforming it into primordial energy.

The vital energy circulates within the body, opening the middle acupoint and then striking the upper acupoint, expanding the Niwan Palace.

When Pan Xiaohei carefully gathered the lightning he had obtained and opened his spiritual eyes in the spiritual realm, he saw the Niwan Palace, which had undergone a great change.

He finally realized what was happening: "You, you, you! Your Niwan Palace is already at the level of a second-rank Marquis, and you've only just received the third bolt of lightning. You should still be developing your lower dantian..."

Pan Yun made no attempt to conceal the condition of her lower dantian.

Pan Xiaohei was immediately choked and couldn't say a word.

Pan Jun said smugly, "How about that? I'm a genius, right? Who else in this world can skip two grades?"

Pan Xiaohei snapped out of his daze and sneered, "There are countless ancient sages who attained enlightenment and became immortals with a single enlightenment. It's just that you people of later generations are too inferior and make a fuss over nothing!"

Pan Yun: "I don't compare myself with our ancestors; I only compare myself with my contemporaries."

That's true.

Even Pan Xiaohei, who was stubborn, had to admit that Pan Yun was truly amazing.

He skipped two grades, but...

"Can you get through this? You still have the karmic debts of the Three Pure Ones Mountain God on your shoulders."

Pan Yun sensed that the fourth bolt of lightning was about to strike. She opened her eyes and stared at her palm in the darkness: "So Xue Shao's suggestion was so timely. Fortunately, I was undergoing tribulation on Coal Hill."

Through Pan Yun's eyes, Pan Xiaohei looked down at the Forbidden City below the mountain with her, feeling equally fortunate.

Fortunately, he survived his ordeal at Coal Hill, which allowed him to borrow a bit of the nation's fortune.

Pan Yun was struck by lightning again, this was the fourth one. Ling Jing was afraid that she would be struck by lightning and couldn't help but take half or a third of the lightning tribulation for her, leaving the rest for her to consume on her own.

When Pan Yun landed again, the aroma of meat emanating from her body was even stronger.

By this time, it was already completely dark. There was a curfew in the capital, and although the imperial guards did not explicitly order the people to go home, they were even stricter, forbidding them from making any noise.

Those with elderly people and children automatically went home, and those who couldn't stay awake also quietly went home to sleep, but most people stayed on the street and prayed in their hearts that Pan Yun would get through the ordeal safely.

However, the officials in the capital and the ministers in the palace remained motionless, and not one of them left.

The emperor remained seated on the observatory, allowing the commander of the imperial guards and cabinet ministers to offer their opinions, but he refused to leave.

So everyone silently stayed up with him, and also stayed up with Pan Yun.

Looking at the churning dark clouds in the sky, the civil and military officials had mixed feelings. Most of them hoped that Pan Yun would get through this safely, but some secretly prayed that she would be struck by lightning, after all, she could be really annoying at times.

Pan Jun sat cross-legged on the ground, absorbing spiritual energy and merit while occasionally hearing the sound of merit being deducted.

She didn't think so.

She's not silver or gold, so naturally some people dislike her. Even money has people who see it as dirt and think it's all about money.

Pan Yun accepted the malice that came her way.

The fifth heavenly lightning bolt accumulated over an even longer period of time.

Pan Yun knew that even if her Yuan Power recovered and her physical strength gradually increased, she could not outpace the speed at which the Heavenly Thunder grew stronger.

So, as the fifth bolt of lightning was about to strike, she silently took out a lightning rod.

This was a powerful tool she began to craft for herself after becoming the first Marquis, and she prepared six of them just in case.

Thinking that she could get through the first three rounds on her own, even if it was just the first time, she should be able to.

I never imagined she was so divine.

Pan Yun slammed the lightning rod into the ground with one hand, making it take root five meters away from her.

The lightning rod was very tall, appearing out of nowhere, and was invisible to onlookers in the darkness.

But when the fifth bolt of lightning struck, the sky instantly brightened as if it were daytime, and the white pagoda that appeared out of nowhere was seen by everyone.

Even the emperor couldn't help but point at the lightning rod and exclaim, "Could it be a divine artifact?"

The artifact caught part of the lightning, which split into two parts in mid-air, like half a mountain peak, and the other part struck Pan Jun.

Unseen by all, the lightning, caught by the lightning rod, connected to Coal Hill, dispelling bad luck, and even rushed straight towards the Forbidden City along the central axis.

Zhang Zijin lowered his eyes and stared at the palace below, remaining silent.

Wang Feiyin also sensed something and lowered his head as well.

The two exchanged a glance and remained silent.

A lightning rod was only able to catch half a lightning strike, and half of its base was damaged.

Pan Yun caught her breath, opened her eyes, and silently took out another lightning rod, placing it beside her...

By daybreak, Pan Yun had received seven bolts of lightning, and five lightning rods surrounded him.

As dawn breaks, those with a regulated biological clock realize that the sun has risen.

The dark clouds in the sky had halved, and were now mostly gathered above the palace and Pan Jun's head, while the sky was already visible in other areas.

After a night, the people of the capital had gotten used to the sound of thunder.

They were no longer afraid like yesterday, since the lightning only struck Coal Hill and the Imperial Advisor, not them.

There was only thunder, but no rain, so they didn't even need to prepare straw hats.

When Pan Jun survived the eighth bolt of heavenly lightning, he was completely blackened, and the lightning rods around him were all destroyed. Pan Xiaohei became even more silent. The two of them, one human and one spirit, did not utter a word, but instead focused on gathering their strength, waiting for the final blow.

Meanwhile, the dark clouds in the sky were gathering strength for their final strike.

She thought the ninth bolt of lightning would take at least four hours to strike, but just as the eighth bolt struck, a gust of wind arose, and the thunderclouds condensed, collided, and accumulated at an incredible speed... Pan Yun knew that the moment that would determine her life or death had arrived.

Pan Yun used all her strength to communicate with heaven and earth, with the Forbidden City she faced, with the spirits of the Ming Dynasty heroes, and with the countless lives standing behind them...

Soon, she borrowed a bit of luck from all the spirits.

A purple aura appeared out of thin air, faintly enveloping her. A red-gold light flew out from the palace, and then the spiritual energy was absorbed into her body. Just as the thunderbolt struck, a spiritual mirror flew out from her forehead and blocked her head. Above the spiritual mirror, a barrier appeared out of thin air...

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the barrier, causing it to shatter instantly. The barrier absorbed nearly half of the power, while the remaining lightning pierced through the spiritual realm and struck Pan Jun directly on the head...

Countless tiny bolts of lightning split off from the lightning layer, hissing and striking down along the first barrier towards the palaces of the Forbidden City...

Everyone held their breath, and the officials rose in fear, about to shout for help to put out the fire, when they saw lightning strike the lightning rod on the eaves, making a hissing sound, but it did not strike out fire, nor did it knock down the palace.

Two thin bolts of lightning shot straight toward Zhu Qiyu. Zhu Qiyu's eyes widened, and before he could react, Zhang Zijin and Wang Feiyin, who were standing on the roof, each caught one of them.

Xi Lei was pulled over by the two men. The lightning crackled through their bodies for seven or eight seconds before penetrating the roof beneath their feet and being absorbed by the earth through the palace.

The event unfolded right before their eyes, and the emperor and his ministers' eyes widened instantly.

Miaohe was the most excited. She grabbed Tao Yanbai tightly and asked repeatedly, "Senior brother, did you see that? The lightning passed through the body, and we could see the human skeleton. It was almost like internal vision."

"I saw it, but I don't know if it's only we who can see it, or if ordinary people can also see it."

"Me too!" The imperial physician, who had been waiting quietly to the side, excitedly raised his hand and shouted, "It's not a characteristic of cultivators, it's something everyone can see!"

Miaohe was overjoyed: "So, if we can use lightning, then ordinary people can also see inside the body?"

The imperial physician instantly abandoned the emperor who was guarding him, slid over and nodded repeatedly, excitedly joining her: "Excellent, excellent! If we can see inside the body, it will be of great benefit to diagnosing lesions, and medicine will take a big step forward."

Miaohe then pondered, "How can we draw upon and utilize lightning?"

Tao Yanbai: "It can't kill people yet."

The imperial physician said, "We must also minimize the damage, ideally avoiding any harm to the human body. Otherwise, if the purpose of drawing lightning is to examine the ailment, it might end up killing the person..."

Emperor and his officials: ...Do you want to hear what you're saying?
Zhang Zijin shook his hand to get rid of the numbness in his palm, glanced at Wang Feiyin and said, "Sanqing Mountain truly lives up to its reputation as the ancestral home of Taoist medicine. It really is always thinking about advancing medicine."

"No, no, it's all for the sake of immortality."

The thunder in the sky finally stopped, but the dark clouds had not yet dispersed. Wang Feiyin did not move, but Miaozhen stood up and looked up at her senior uncle.

Wang Feiyin had already seen Yin Song and his apprentice rushing up the mountain at top speed. He stroked his beard and said, "No rush."

Miaozhen could only suppress her worries and anxiety.

Zhang Zijin was also waiting.

The dark clouds in the sky rolled and lingered for a long time. It was as if the people on the mountaintop were breathing out the breath of living beings that they reluctantly rolled away.

The dark clouds dispersed instantly, leaving the onlookers in disbelief: "Is it over?"

"Where is the Imperial Master?"

“Is this a success or a failure?”

Zhu Qiyu's heart jumped, and he quickly looked at the two people on the roof. He saw Wang Feiyin with a bright smile on his face, constantly tugging at his beard.

The dark clouds dispersed instantly, turning into white clouds in a flash, and then sunlight suddenly appeared. First, golden sunlight shone on the white clouds, casting a golden glow, then other colors appeared. In the blink of an eye, the sky was instantly dyed in a riot of colors...

In the blink of an eye, the colorful swirling motion transformed into a phoenix in mid-air.

Its wings were so abundant that they covered the entire sky above the Forbidden City. The colorful phoenix, formed by swirling clouds, had each feather clearly defined. Its slightly drooping, colorful wings hung above the Observatory, and it seemed as if Zhu Qiyu could reach out and touch them.

He did indeed reach out his hand.

The wings in mid-air drooped even lower, making them visible to all the officials. A colorful cloud from the wings floated down in the gentle breeze, drifting gracefully and landing right on his fingertips.

Zhu Qiyu's lips moved slightly, but he was so excited that he could hardly speak.

Xue Shao was also shocked.

These colorful clouds are so sensible.

He almost immediately knelt down and shouted, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! The fate of the nation has changed, and Your Majesty is blessed by Heaven!"

The ministers knelt down to offer their congratulations, saying in unison, "Your Majesty is overjoyed! You are blessed by Heaven!"

The voices echoed out of the palace, and all the officials in the imperial city knelt down: "Your Majesty is overjoyed! You are blessed by Heaven and have received the mandate of Heaven. May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!"

When the people of the capital saw this strange phenomenon, they all knelt down. They could not hear the cries from inside the imperial city; they simply made wishes to the colorful phoenix in the sky.

Some made wishes for themselves, some for their families, and some for their country, but no matter what kind, they all ended up saying in their hearts: "May the Imperial Preceptor be safe and sound, and may the Ming Dynasty prosper!"

They didn't know what had happened to the Imperial Preceptor who had disappeared on the mountaintop, but a colorful phoenix appeared in the sky, an auspicious sign. Their intuition told them that the Imperial Preceptor was safe and sound.

The phoenix in the sky lingered for a long time, a colorful cloud parted from it and drifted higher into the sky, and a light drizzle began to fall...

The rain was very fine, a rare sight in Beijing's summer.

The sun was high in the sky, colorful clouds drifted by, yet a light rain was falling. The people didn't mind getting wet; myths and legends, along with their ingrained genes, told them that this rain was auspicious, and getting wet would only bring benefits, not harm.

So everyone rushed into the streets, using their hands, mouths, and bodies to receive the gift of this auspicious rain.

Inside the palace, Zhu Qiyu pushed open the umbrella that had been held up, reached out to catch the rain, and after a moment burst into laughter: "I feel completely refreshed. This rain is wonderful, this rain is wonderful!"

The emperor shouted, "Guards, prepare the horses! I'm going to fetch the Imperial Preceptor!"

The commander of the Imperial Guards immediately went to make preparations.

Yu Qian looked up at the rooftop, where Zhang Zijin and Wang Feiyin, who had been standing there, had vanished without a trace.

At this moment, Yin Song and his apprentice, who had rushed to the top of the mountain, managed to dig Pan Yun out of the pit.

Her eyes were closed, and she was just a black mass in the shape of a human, but fortunately her clothes were not completely torn.

Of course, he was confident that if he dared to reach out and touch it, it would shatter into pieces.

Yin Song took out a cloak and wrapped it around her, then picked her up and jumped into the pit.

Yin Qingjun stood by the pit, holding his sword, and said anxiously, "Master, I feel like the atmosphere around us is not right."

As soon as he finished speaking, the uncomfortable aura that had been emanating from him vanished instantly, and the next moment, Wang Feiyin appeared out of thin air on the mountaintop.

Yin Qingjun's eyes lit up. He sheathed his sword and said happily, "Senior Uncle, we've dug up Junior Uncle!"

Wang Feiyin nodded slightly, glanced around the mountains, grabbed a handful of pebbles from the ground and threw them out. The pebbles flew out quickly, and Yin Qingjun seemed to hear the sound of them hitting their targets.

Meeting the curious gazes of his disciples, Wang Feiyin smiled slightly and said, "Give them a lesson. Next time they encounter a member of my Sanqing Mountain sect undergoing tribulation, they'd better keep their distance." (End of Chapter)