He had only seen a ball of lightning once before, during Jun Linyuan’s breakthrough.

More streaks of lightning were absorbed, and the ball grew bigger and more threatening.

Emperor Wu’s face was so dark that it was like a stormy night!

The ninth cycle was already as powerful as the first eight cycles put together. Now that it had gathered into a ball —

Grand Secretary Fang didn’t stand a chance.

No one would be able to help him.

A lightning tribulation was a rule set by Nature itself, and one had to go through it all by themselves. Anyone who tried to intervene would find their efforts turning on them with power that was a hundred times stronger than the lightning tribulation itself.

“Grand Secretary Fang is going to die…”

Everyone in the imperial capital who saw the ball of lightning shook their heads and sighed.

Regardless of how sincere their sorrowful tones were, they agreed on one thing: Grand Secretary Fang wouldn’t be able to make it.

“Wow —”

In Fallen Star Yard.

Chaoge and the others were worried sick.

Qiuling kept darting looks at Lady Xuanji.

It was only the other day that Lady Xuanji had turned into this human punching machine and beaten the crap out of Feng Yanfeng. The memory was still fresh in Qiuling’s mind. All she wished now was for Lady Xuanji to switch into that mode again.

However, when Qiuling told Lady Xuanji what happened…

To Qiuling’s surprise, Lady Xuanji’s eyes rolled back and she passed out.

“Ah —” That didn’t help with Qiuling’s panicked state at all!

All hell broke loose in Fallen Star Yard.

At the same time.

More streaks of lightning kept gathering in the sky above Fang Manor.

In the end, the ball was larger than the houses of the manor!

Then, it began to fall!

Feng Wu looked up at the descending ball of lightning, and her heart pounded!

Shit!

She only had one minute left!

QUICKLY!

Feng Wu could no longer feel her hands after all the electric shocks.

And it wasn’t just her hands. The numbing pain ran through her entire body.

However, fueled by sheer willpower in a critical moment like this, Feng Wu was still running around and working on the formation.

Most of the people in Fang Manor had been struck unconscious at the first lightning strike.

Steward Fang was drifting in and out of consciousness. He wasn’t able to move a muscle, but could still see what was going on.

Seeing that Feng Wu was still trying her best when the air was filled with arcs of electric energy, the old man was moved to tears.

What a wonderful girl…

She could have left, for the underground tunnel was finished; she could have run back to the Feng clan next door.

However…

She didn’t do that. Instead, she was still trying to set up the formation.

The old steward made a mental note: He would repay Miss Feng Wu’s kindness with all his might, and give her all the help she would ever need!

It was seconds before the lightning ball hit the house!

The entire empire believed that Grand Secretary Fang was going to be killed!

Even Grand Secretary Fang himself didn’t think he could pull through.

Feng Wu leapt into the air and tossed the Heart of Frost Essence into the dry well!

The core was set and the Taiyi formation was finished!

Instantly, the inscriptions that seemed to be scattered all over the place were connected by what seemed like an electric current, and they shone with a dazzling light!

Inscriptions floated in the air above Fang Manor.

They seemed to sense the pressure from above. As a result, a giant shield made of inscriptions materialized in the air!

Right at that moment!