Tzlala!
The thunderous rumbling was so loud that even the earth was trembling due to it. The dark clouds looming above looked oppressively heavy, but the most frightening thing of all was still the lightning gate standing in the middle of the field.
It looked like the eyes of a demon gazing upon mere mortals.
The lightning gate had just turned more dangerous because the lightning crackling within it had just been enhanced from six-colored lightning to seven-colored lightning. It came a little closer to Chu Feng but still shied away from touching him.
But even so, this terrifying lightning still dared not to approach Chu Feng at all.
Chu Feng was confused by this occurrence, but he was emboldened by the knowledge that the lightning wasnât going to hurt him. So, he picked up speed and headed deeper into the lightning gate.
It was impossible to make out his figure from outside anymore, but the monstrous old man and Lord Long Xie were still able to see him clearly.
âNot even the seven Heavenly Lightning Bug is enough?â the monstrous old man exclaimed in astonishment.
Tzlala!
There was a piercing crackle, and another bolt of lightning appeared in the lightning gate. The seven-colored lightning turned into eight-colored lightning.
It came a little closer, such that it was only a few centimeters away from Chu Feng now, but even so, it still wasnât touching him either.
âI donât believe it!â Lord Long Xie exclaimed angrily.
âLord Long Xie, you must think twice! If you add another Heavenly Lightning Bug in, thereâll be nine of them. The nine Heavenly Lightning Bug will fuse together and form a complete entity. Its prowess will be terrifying! Thereâs no way Chu Feng will be able to withstand that!
âI know that this is a test to assess his talent, but someone of his level of cultivation canât possibly survive that!â the monstrous old man tried to dissuade Lord Long Xie from what he was about to do.
He knew that Lord Long Xie wasnât intending to make things hard for Chu Feng.
In truth, Chu Feng had already successfully broken the calamity. His conjecture that he would be able to break the calamity by controlling the power hidden inside it was spot-on.
It was just that Lord Long Xie had the power to control the calamity too.
Upon seeing that Chu Feng was on the verge of success, he decided to dissipate the calamity and bring the other party over here. His goal was to test Chu Fengâs talent.
The lightning gate made out of Heavenly Lightning Bugs was his way to do it.
As scary as the lightning gate looked, it wouldnât pose much of a threat against the highly talented Chu Feng. It was just a means to assess oneâs talent after all.
What Lord Long Xie said to Chu Feng earlier was no more than a scare tactic.
Usually, the lightning gate should have been able to assess Chu Fengâs talent once he walked in, but it didnât seem to be working normally, which was why Lord Long Xie had no choice but to throw more Heavenly Lightning Bugs in.
However, it would be a different matter if the ninth Heavenly Lightning Bug were to be thrown in. Once all nine of the Heavenly Lightning Bug fused as one, the prowess they exerted would be no joking matter.
Chu Feng would really die at this rate!
It was because he knew of this that the monstrous old man tried to dissuade Lord Long Xie out of this.
It was just that Lord Long Xie had already made up his mind.
âDo you think that I wouldnât be able to protect him? Letâs see just how formidable his talent is that even the Heavenly Lightning Bug is unable to enter his body and assess his Heavenly Lightning Bloodline!â
With a harrumph, Lord Long Xie tossed the ninth Heavenly Lightning Bug into the lightning gate, causing the ninth color to appear within it. The nine-colored lightning swiftly interweaved with one another, releasing a deafening roar reminiscent of the cries of nine different ferocious beasts.
Yet, when the nine lightning fused into one, the monstrous old man widened his eyes incredulously. Even the humanoid monster he was standing on opened its mouth in shock.
They were astonished by what they were seeing.
Despite the nine Heavenly Lightning Bugs fusing into one, generating an incredibly frightening destructive prowess, they still dared not to come close to Chu Feng at all.
Even Lord Long Xie fell silent at this sight. It was only a long time later before he finally spoke up awkwardly.
âAhem. It looks like weâve bumped into a wall here,â Lord Long Xie said helplessly.
âLord Long Xie, should we try another method? There should be plenty of other methods to assess an individualâs talent, right?â the monstrous old man asked.
âIt wonât work. The only reliable way to assess oneâs Heavenly Lightning Bloodline is through the Heavenly Lightning Bugs. Those are creatures left behind by Milord,â Lord Long Xie said.
âCould it be that the Heavenly Lightning Bugs have lost their potency because they havenât been used for too long?â the monstrous old man asked.
âPardon me, but may I interrupt for a moment?â a deep but resounding voice suddenly sounded.
It was from the humanoid monster beneath the monstrous old man.
âGo ahead,â the monstrous old man said.
âBased on what I know, Kui An from the Beast Spirit World has the ability to communicate with Heavenly Lightning Bugs. Why donât we ask him here to communicate with the Heavenly Lightning Bugs for us?â the humanoid monster suggested.
âOh?â
The monstrous old man turned his gaze toward the sky to seek Lord Long Xieâs opinion.
âAlright,â Lord Long Xie gave his approval.
âPlease give me a moment. Iâll get Kui An over.â
The monstrous old man disappeared from the spot right after saying those words.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng had already walked out of the lightning gate. He heaved a sigh of relief before turning his gaze back toward the lightning gate.
Honestly, he was still confused as to what was going on.
The lightning inside the gate initially consisted of only six colors, but it slowly increased to nine colors over time. The nine-colored lightning looked identical to that of his bloodline, but it seemed to possess its own life.
Chu Feng couldnât help but wonder what it was.
At the same time, he was also curious why such a terrifying power was so afraid of him, resulting in him being able to pass through the lightning gate with ease.
In any case, he was glad that he managed to clear the trial.
âElder, Iâve succeeded. I hope that you can fulfill the end of your promise.â
Chu Feng couldnât see Lord Long Xie, so he directed a bow toward the direction where he previously heard the latterâs voice. He waited for a while, but there was no response.
âElder? Elder??â
Chu Feng called for Lord Long Xie a couple more times, but there was still no response.
In truth, Lord Long Xie had heard Chu Fengâs words loud and clear. His eye was constantly on Chu Feng. It was just that he was feeling a little annoyed at the moment, so he didnât feel like replying.
Soon, the monstrous old man came back with a mountain goat dressed in simple clothes. It was standing on its two hind feet, but its stature remained rather short, being only a meter tall.
However, its eyes contained deep wisdom that set it apart from others.
âSubordinate Kui An pays respects to Lord Long Xie!â
The mountain goat clasped its fist and bowed to the massive silhouette in the sky.
âI heard that youâre able to communicate with Heavenly Lightning Bugs?â Lord Long Xie asked with a doubtful tone.
âYes. While Milord was still around, Iâd communicate with the Heavenly Lightning Bugs from time to time. Itâs just that a long time has passed since then, so Iâm not sure if itâd still work as before,â Kui An replied.
âGive it a try. I wonât blame you if it doesnât work out,â Lord Long Xie said.
âUnderstood.â
Kui An bowed one more time to Lord Long Xie.
Its body vanished from the spot, only to appear in front of the lightning gate the next moment. It was standing very close to Chu Feng, but Chu Feng couldnât see it at all.
Kui An walked up to the lightning gate and began moving its mouth. It seemed to be speaking, but no sound was coming out of it.
Soon, it seemed to receive shocking news that resulted in Kui Anâs eyes widening in astonishment. It quickly shot a glance toward Chu Feng.
It didnât bother to look at Chu Feng earlier, as if the latter wasnât worthy of his attention, but at this moment, it was assessing Chu Feng intently with a hint of fear in its eyes.