NOVEL WEB Chapter 350: Lai Hu’s Sacrifice
Tan Wei nodded with a warm smile. "Master, don't worry about me. I've had a great teacher and learned a lot over the past few years. I can take care of myself."
A proud smile spread across Lai Hu's spectral face. Of all the disciples he had trained over the millions of years since beginning his cultivation journey, Tan Wei was by far the most remarkable. Not even the children of Immortals in the Immortal Realm—nurtured by countless heavenly treasures and the dense spiritual qi of the Immortal Realm, capable of reaching immortality in less than a thousand years—could compare.
"Good!" Lai Hu said. No longer hesitating, he turned to the immortal-grade dagger. His hands blurred as he formed a series of hand seals in quick succession. Immediately, Tan Wei felt the spiritual qi in his room begin to stir, drawn toward Lai Hu's movements.
'No... that's not just the spiritual qi in the room...' Tan Wei realized. 'It's the entire White Crow Sect's spiritual qi. It's all being pulled toward Master!'
A fierce vortex of energy began to form. Lai Hu's hands glowed a deep, fiery red as a massive metal cauldron materialized behind him, flames dancing in a harmonious rhythm around it. For the first time since their meeting, Tan Wei witnessed his master's full Dao form.
He could only stare in awe at Lai Hu's majestic presence, unable to look away from the overwhelming power and divine aura it radiated.
But time was running out. Above the ground that separated the White Crow Sect from the atmosphere, dark clouds began to gather. Arcs of purple lightning danced wildly within them, ready to strike down any lifeform that dared defy the heavens.
Lai Hu's expression darkened. "This is too soon!"
Without wasting another moment, he fused his Dao form into his hand seals and poured every ounce of gathered energy into the black dagger. The dagger glowed a deep crimson as ancient seals surfaced across its surface. But just as quickly as they appeared, they faded away—along with the dagger's aura, which vanished completely, as if it no longer existed.
"You can use the dagger for at most seven days. After that, it will break and be beyond repair," Lai Hu said urgently. He had more to explain, but he could feel the heavens would not give him the chance.
Bolts of purple lightning erupted from the clouds, tearing through the skies and crashing down with unstoppable force. They blasted open the earth and shattered the protective array Feng Fan had left behind.
Big trees were uprooted; animals were burned to cinders. Against the fury of the heavens, no mortal could stand unscathed.
Knowing that remaining in Tan Wei's room would only bring destruction upon his disciple and the White Crow Sect, Lai Hu shot upward. The cauldron behind him expanded rapidly, growing larger and more formidable as he rose to clash head-on with the wrathful heavenly lightning.
Lai Hu soared above the sect, his translucent form flickering. The spiritual qi of the surrounding region twisted and screamed. His eyes burned with defiance.
"Heavenly Laws… I have defied you before. I'll do it again."
A bolt struck. It came down like a spear hurled by a god—blindingly fast, impossibly strong. His cauldron shifted forward, intercepting the blast with a thunderous crash that shook the mountains beneath the sect. Flames from Lai Hu's Dao surged around it, devouring the impact. But even so, his spectral form dimmed slightly, his face contorting in pain.
Another bolt followed. Then a third. Then a dozen.
Each strike tore more of his soul apart. His form began to flicker, threatening to disappear. But Lai Hu didn't retreat. With every strike, he raised his hand and reinforced the seal on the cauldron, drawing its flames higher, brighter, hotter.
Below, the White Crow Sect trembled under the divine wrath. Disciples poured from their residences in a hurry, eyes wide in terror and awe as they beheld the war in the skies.
"Who is that?!"
"Is someone… undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation?!"
At last, Lai Hu raised his head to the clouds. With a final burst of power, he released all that remained of his soul in one final, brilliant explosion of light. The cauldron spun wildly, flames rising to the heavens, swallowing the final lightning bolt whole.
Then… silence. The clouds receded. The sky cleared. And Lai Hu's form… was gone.
Tan Wei watched with eyes wide open as his master vanished before his eyes. 'Master, where are you?' he called out through their soul connection, but no response came. Clutching the pendant around his neck, he closed his eyes and focused, pouring his consciousness inward.
A faint flicker answered him. Lai Hu's presence, though faint and fragile, was still there. His master had survived.
Tan Wei let out a long breath, his body sagging with relief. Then his eyes turned to the black dagger lying on the table, the very artifact his master had risked his soul to empower.
Just then, Feng Fan entered the room, his expression tense. "Tan Wei, what happened? Are you alright?" It didn't take a genius to connect the heavenly tribulation outside with whatever ritual had taken place here.
Holding the dagger carefully, Tan Wei offered him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Brother Feng. Here, this is the dagger. We must use it within seven days. After that, it will shatter, and we'll lose our only chance to fight back."
Feng Fan accepted the dagger with a solemn nod. Its weight in his hand felt heavier now. Seven days. It wasn't much time, but it might be just enough to foil the Demon Venerables' schemes.
"I have to return immediately," Feng Fan said, his tone urgent. "Will you come with me?"
Tan Wei nodded without hesitation. "Since I'm already involved, there's no turning back. Let's go together, Brother Feng. I want to see this through to the end."
Feng Fan and his companions returned to the stolen flying vessel and set course for the Seven Planets region, prepared to confront the cultists head-on. As for the shattered array formation and the massive crater left by the heavenly lightning, Feng Fan chose to ignore them for the time being.