Rumble! Rumble! Another scarlet bolt roared downward.
The middle-aged man’s brush flared with dazzling gold. He swept it through the air, forming a golden barrier of vital energy, yet the moment the shield met the lightning, it shattered into sparks, and the bolt crashed straight through.
Terror and despair filled the eyes of the cultivators behind him. They understood all too well that a single failure would doom every one of them.
While the thunder rolled closer, the middle-aged man drew a deep breath. In the blink of an eye, his entire form transformed into a streak of blinding light.
He was going to meet the lightning head-on, using nothing but his own flesh and blood. For his family, for his clan, had to succeed, failure was not an option.
Boom!
The radiant streak tore the descending bolt apart, and hope briefly rekindled in the onlookers’ eyes. Yet that hope lasted only a heartbeat before countless more scarlet bolts gathered.
Roaring in defiance, the middle-aged man brandished his brush again and again, each swing unleashing golden light that formed temporary barriers to shield his clan members below.
Personal defeat did not frighten him; what terrified was dragging his entire clan into destruction.
The lightning bolts multiplied, and the middle-aged man’s aura began to weaken visibly. Below, his clan members poured every last drop of their aura into him, refusing to let his strength fade.
Some coughed blood, collapsed, and died from sheer exhaustion.
After more than a dozen additional bolts, the middle-aged man’s aura continued to plummet.
“This… Perhaps this is simply the fate of our Worryfree Clan!” someone cried, voice hoarse and hopeless.
“Clan leader, enough… Let it end…” another member muttered, having burned through a lifetime of cultivation. The moment spoke, fell lifeless to the ground.
As the middle-aged man watched clan member after clan member perish, let out a muted sigh, and the light in his eyes dimmed with sorrow and helpless resignation.
If they failed now, their entire clan would be wiped from existence. To wager the lives of every last member of the Worryfree Clan on a single bid to birth an Earthly Immortal, was it truly worth so steep a price?
At this moment, the middle-aged clan leader felt utterly lost, his heart drowning in a fog of doubt and regret. Yet as his gaze roved across the battlefield of scarlet lightning, it happened to alight on Jared.
The young stranger stood beneath the crimson bolts with unruffled composure, his expression serene, not the faintest trace of fear upon his face.
“Sir, would you be willing to help me break through this scarlet lightning tribulation?” the clan leader asked.
Jared merely shook his head.
I don’t even know whether! Can survive this tribulation myself, how could I possibly help him?
The middle-aged man’s brows knitted.
Jared’s cultivation was only at the Wandering immortal Realm Level Five, yet somehow, the clan leader sensed that the youth possessed extraordinary power, otherwise, even a Top Level Wandering Immortal would have blanched the instant those crimson bolts appeared.
“All clan members, hear my order, hand over your item pouches!” the leader shouted.
More than ten thousand clansmen, ignorant of their clan leader’s intent yet trusting implicitly, obediently removed the pouches tied at their waists.
With a single sweep of his palm, those myriad pouches streaked through the air and piled up before Jared.
“Take every resource inside and help me overcome the scarlet lightning tribulation!” the clan leader pleaded, anxiety thick in his tone.
Without outside assistance, had no chance. If perished, the entire Worryfree Clan would be dragged into extinction with him.
Jared glanced once at the mountain of pouches, then gave another quiet shake of his head.
Risk my life for a pile of trinkets? Not worth it…
The clan leader’s frown deepened, yet spoke again. “Sir, if you cannot help me overcome the lightning, then at least rescue a handful of my clansmen so the Worryfree Clan does not disappear completely.”
As soon as finished, flicked his sleeve and several dozen young men and women rose into the air, landing before Jared.
Jared eyed the terrified youths with interest. “And how do you know I can shield them from the scarlet bolts?”
“A feeling,” the clan leader answered simply. “Even if you fail and my clan is extinguished, I will not blame you. Those item pouches will still be yours!”
