16
The thunderbolt punishment that struck down
“I am here, I will not let grandfather die.”
In the sorrowful and tense situation, Bai Xue spoke seriously, her swan-like eyes gazing at Bai Ling before he looked back at his granddaughter with a foreboding feeling.
“Xue Er…”
“Brother, while I am away, please take care of grandfather for me.” Having said that, Bai Xue stood up, then turned to plead with Bai San with a voice filled with determination and awe, unlike anyone had ever seen.
And it should not have happened to a child like Bai Xue.
Everyone usually saw Bai Xue as just a little girl, but now she had a fierce and firm demeanor, emitting a pressure that even a high sacred level like Meng Xian felt dangerous.
“Xue Er, where are you going?” Bai San, now ignoring everything else, hurriedly asked Bai Xue with concern.
“I am going to concoct a life-extending elixir.” Bai Xue replied calmly, but that made Bai Ling, who was familiar with such elixirs, stand up in shock.
“Absolutely not! You cannot concoct a life-extending elixir!” Bai Ling shouted loudly.
Many people had died attempting to concoct such elixirs, and he would never allow his granddaughter to take such a risk.
“Grandfather, I have made up my mind.”
“Xue Er, I beg you…”
“I beg you too, grandfather. I cannot bear to let you die before my eyes, and I will not easily die either, even if it means facing the thunderbolt punishment. No matter what, I will not die!”
Bai Xue declared firmly before she swiftly moved away, amidst Bai Ling’s attempts to stop her, jumping into the darkness and immediately entering the dimension of the mind.
Let’s see who the true victor between her and the thunderbolt punishment would be!
“Did you find her?”
“I think Xue Er has entered the Hundred Demons Forest, sir.
Bai Tu is not here either.”
“Go!
Hurry, you must stop her!”
Chaos ensued after Bai Ling found out Bai Xue was going to concoct a life-extending elixir, and now she was not in the alchemy room.
The elder looked around anxiously and quickly ordered Bai San to search for Bai Xue immediately.
“Grandfather, you know how stubborn Xue Er can be,” Bai San said.
“You don’t understand how dangerous concocting a life-extending elixir is!” Bai Ling replied with utmost concern.
If something happened to Bai Xue, what would he do?
Bai Ling had promised Bai Long, his son, that he would look after the two grandchildren as if they were his own life.
But now…
Bai Xue was risking her life for an old man like him.
“Brother, I think you should trust Xue Er. Although I have not known her for long, I am sure she can do it. She said she would not let you die, so she will not allow herself to die either… She will surely survive to help you,” Bai Lian said, remembering the decisive and confident tone of his niece.
Bai Lian himself had mistaken Bai Xue for just a child because of her appearance, forgetting that she was actually grown up.
“Yes, grandfather, you always said Xue Er is a genius. You must have faith in her,” Bai San added.
“…” Bai Ling fell silent, well aware of how much of a genius Bai Xue was.
In less than two months since she recovered, she had managed to advance her power to become a high spirit-level medicine user, something ordinary people could not achieve.
However, the elixir she intended to concoct this time was a life-extending elixir, not an ordinary one.
Because of concocting such an elixir, Bai Xue would have to endure the severe thunderbolt punishment.
Knowing this, how could Bai Ling not worry?
“A’Ling, if you want to stop her, do you know where she is?” Meng Xian asked.
If Bai Xue had really gone into the Hundred Demons Forest, it would not have been easy to find her in a short time before she began her alchemy.
“I… don’t know,” Bai Ling replied with a voice lacking confidence and somewhat evasive.
He only knew that his granddaughter liked to train in the Hundred Demons Forest, but he had no idea exactly where.
Bai Ling had grown accustomed to her ways and ceased to inquire about her training locations.
“If you don’t know, then blindly searching for her wouldn’t be wise.
I think you should wait for her here.
It’s probably for the best.”
“Yes, grandfather.
Xue Er is trying her best to save you.
Please don’t let her efforts be in vain,”
Bai San, despite his comforting words, shared the concern.
As Bai Xue’s brother and Bai Ling’s grandson, he felt helpless in the situation.
Knowing Bai Ling was near death, he couldn’t help.
And now that Bai Xue was risking her life to save Bai Ling, Bai San found himself unable to assist her either.
His only option was to care for his grandfather as Bai Xue had entrusted him and to strive to become stronger.
“Indeed, I am here for the first time. Brother, could you show me around your mansion?” Bai Lian tried to change the subject, noticing her brother’s calmer demeanor.
“Ah… very well, let’s do as you say.”
Finally, Bai Ling consented.
Despite his worries, he knew there was nothing he could do but pray for Bai Xue’s safe return.
Bai Ling did not desire healing potions.
He did not wish to live if it meant sacrificing his granddaughter’s life.
All he wanted was for Bai Xue to return safely.
Upon entering the mental dimension, Bai Xue began her alchemy training immediately.
She memorized the life-extending elixir manual, selected the best herbs, used purified spirit water for cleansing, and added divine elixir water to the mix.
Bai Xue spent days and nights in a cave, tirelessly working on the elixir for three days without eating or drinking, determined to succeed despite numerous failures and the loss of many herbs.
’Lady, if you continue like this, you won’t withstand the thunderbolt punishment,’ Bai Die expressed concern as she circled Bai Xue, who refused to rest or eat.
This wasn’t good at all.
“I know…”
’Please rest for a while.
Your mind is too disturbed right now.
If this continues, you won’t be able to successfully concoct the life-extending elixir.’
“Is that so… because of my state of mind?” Bai Xue murmured, reminded by Bai Die’s words of the crucial aspect of alchemy she had overlooked.
Over the past three days, her sole focus had been on concocting the life-extending elixir to save Bai Ling.
Her troubled and unsettled mind, fueled by worry and fear of failure, prevented her from successfully completing the elixir.
Bai Xue rose, left the cave, and started consuming spirit fruits collected by Bai Die.
She then cleansed herself in a separate lake, swimming tirelessly in the purified spirit water, her strength growing and her mind becoming peaceful with the cooling water flowing over her body.
Realizing her mind was now free of worries and confident in her success, Bai Xue returned from the lake and immediately resumed her alchemy.
Wait for me, grandfather…
Back in the cave, Bai Xue sat down and continued her alchemy with a tranquil mind, following each step in the manual precisely without missing anything, until she began to sense the intense energy swirling within the elixir cauldron.
Growling,
And at that moment, the sky roared loudly as if to order her to stop concocting the life-changing elixir.
The sky was illuminated with a sparkling glow, and even within the mental dimension, she could not escape the thunderbolt punishment.
’Lady, you are close to success!’
Bai Die exclaimed to Bai Xue with excitement, hardly believing that her master could concoct a life-extending elixir in such a short time.
’Lady, you must withstand it.
I cannot take the thunderbolt punishment for you!’
“You don’t need to take it for me. I am ready to face it myself!”
Bai Xue replied, her body drenched in sweat.
The air inside the cave became oppressively heavy, making it hard to breathe.
The cauldron trembled as if it could burst at any moment, and a fragrant aroma spread throughout the area.
Growl!
Growl!
The threatening roar sounded again from the sky.
Although Bai Xue was inside the cave and couldn’t see the sky outside, she felt the imminent thunderbolt punishment about to strike.
“I will not die!”
Bai Xue declared loudly, before the sky responded to her defiant words and unleashed a fierce thunderbolt punishment, as if to teach her a lesson.
Crack!
And at that moment, the thunderbolt struck Bai Xue without mercy.
She clenched her teeth in pain, her veins bulging.
The pain shot through her body as if she was being whipped by a giant lash, leaving her body numb and immobile.
Bai Xue wanted to scream from the pain, it was the first time since her rebirth as Bai Xue, having been an experimental human, that she experienced such intense pain.
Bai Xue’s body trembled, feeling something bursting within her.
Her hearing faded, no longer perceived any sound.
Everything suddenly became quiet, before the power within her surged, hitting the edge!
Bang!
When the barrier was broken, Bai Xue’s power level quickly ascended from low to a sacred level in an unprecedented leap, a phenomenon never before seen in this land.
Even Bai Die, who had been observing her lady at all times, was astonished!
Whoosh!
Before anyone could speak, the cauldron opened, and five bright red life-extending pills floated in front of Bai Xue!
’Lady, you have succeeded!’ Bai Die shouted joyously, turning to Bai Xue, who was now pale but smiling faintly.
“Let me rest for a moment…”
As Bai Xue spoke, she quickly collapsed.
Bai Die hurried to manage everything, collecting all five pills into a jade bottle and using her power to take her lady to a cave filled with spirit crystals for rest and recovery, waiting for Bai Xue to awaken.
———————————————————————————————————————————–Read ‘Transmigration: When Miss Assassin Becomes a Farmgirl’ before anyone else with more chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en/publisher/novel/34187f79-aaf0-4e77-9daf-f2d2901cae6c