Yun Xi's eyes flashed. She immediately sent a voice transmission.
"Dian Dian, are you ready?"
Dian Dian was furiously absorbing spiritual energy, its body swollen a full size larger. It shifted slightly, then replied, "Master, I think I'm ready."
"Be prepared. Once the time comes, I'll release you."
"Yes, Master."
Yun Xi believed there was a chance the Ninefold Sacrificial Array could be destroyed by drawing down a lightning tribulation.
Before, she hadn't dared try. This was an isolated pocket space, and she feared the lightning tribulation wouldn't respond. But after City Lord Li's attack, she was now certain: this space had a weakness. If Dian Dian appeared, it would definitely trigger the tribulation.
Still, she feared Dian Dian might get killed by it. She already had a third-tier array disk ready in her hand.
Another mid-grade spirit stone crumbled into powder in her palm. She quickly pulled out two more. The surviving cultivators nearby were all burning through their spirit stones just to stay alive.
Zhou Langchen tried to strike with his sword, but the sword light scattered before it could even reach the array. Even its power was absorbed. His face paled further, and he coughed up blood—likely aggravating an old injury.
Mu Ningzhu gripped her spirit stone tightly, her heroic features marked by frustration and unwillingness.
At that moment, another golden sword attack surged toward Li Cangyuan. But this time, Li Cangyuan had already used the array to boost his cultivation to the peak of the Golden Core stage. With a wave of his hand, he blocked the attack using a long flute.
In that same instant, Yun Xi yanked Dian Dian out of her spatial storage.
"Dian Dian, it's all on you!"
Her voice transmission reached Dian Dian's mind the moment it appeared.
Dian Dian immediately sensed it. Something had locked onto it. The feeling was faint, but unmistakable—this tribulation was meant for it.
"Master, I've been targeted by the lightning tribulation. Get ready."
"Got it."
What happened next was swift and brutal. The moment Li Cangyuan blocked the golden sword, a bolt of violet lightning ripped through the space and struck him in front of the crystal coffin. The lightning passed through his body, into the coffin, and then surged across the entire array.
Only a flicker of residual lightning touched Dian Dian. Yun Xi didn't even have time to activate the third-tier defensive array disk.
"Master, why was the lightning so small?" Dian Dian asked in disbelief.
"It wasn't small. Most of its force was absorbed by Li Cangyuan and the Ninefold Sacrificial Array. The next one won't be so easy. Don't let your guard down."
Beside her, Zhou Langchen had already realized what Yun Xi was attempting. He shouted loudly,"Don't give up! The lightning tribulation has entered the array. That means we can destroy this evil formation!"
As if in response to his words, another bolt of violet lightning descended—thicker, faster, and more terrifying. It didn't resemble a typical second-tier tribulation at all. It looked more like a Nascent Soul tribulation.
Yun Xi immediately activated her white jade magnolia hairpin. If not now, then when?
Li Cangyuan was slammed to the ground by the lightning, completely caught off guard. He hadn't imagined such a place could actually summon a lightning tribulation.
City Lord Li seemed to realize something. He condensed another golden sword and stabbed it into the concealed layer of space. The tribulation lightning followed, precise and ruthless, striking directly at the crystal coffin—the core of the formation.
"No!"
Li Cangyuan let out a devastated cry, his face ashen.
But the crystal coffin shattered, and the corpse inside fell to the ground.
Despite his cultivation dropping back down to the Golden Core stage, Li Cangyuan launched himself forward and cradled Qiu Shui's body in his arms.
Purple lightning fell through Ninefold Sacrificial Array then struck all cultivators evenly. Fortunately, most had prepared and managed to withstand it.
Dian Dian wasn't so lucky this time. The lightning singed a large patch of its white fur black. "Ow! That really hurt!"
"Hang in there, Dian Dian! You're a Xunzong Mouse destined to awaken a treasure-seeking bloodline. A mere second-tier tribulation is nothing—you'll get through this!"
Yun Xi cheered it on. This was only the second bolt, and even she wasn't sure if Dian Dian could survive. She didn't dare take chances and immediately activated the third-tier array disk, pulling Dian Dian into it for protection.
Dian Dian knew this tribulation was risky. It grabbed a mid-grade spirit stone and started absorbing energy, trying to ease its pain.
Meanwhile, Li Cangyuan, still holding Qiu Shui's corpse, was struck again by tribulation lightning. But before he could recover, the other cultivators—having identified the true villain—launched their attacks.
These cultivators weren't fools. After the second bolt, they realized that the lightning was drawn by a Xunzong Mouse ascending to the second tier. So they all moved to distance themselves from the area as much as possible. The place was big enough, after all.
Unfortunately, the Ninefold Sacrificial Array was still in operation, slowing everyone down. Still, that didn't stop them from attacking Li Cangyuan.
Mu Ningzhu, along with Qin Tongshuang, had already moved far away from Yun Xi. Since they couldn't help, the best they could do was protect themselves.
Yun Xi also struggled to move her feet, retreating from the heart of the tribulation. She wasn't eager to get struck herself.
The scene was chaotic, but that didn't stop City Lord Li from continuing to attack the spatial boundary. With every strike, the lightning fell faster and fiercer. The third round hit in a flash—three bolts of violet lightning, each as thick as a baby's arm. Yun Xi's scalp tingled. She picked up her pace.
All three bolts smashed into the Ninefold Sacrificial Array, destabilizing it. The once-bright red lines faded noticeably.
City Lord Li pressed the attack. His sword shattered one of the array disks outright.
As the disk broke, the space quaked violently. The remaining lightning tribulation seemed impatient, unleashing four bolts at once, then pausing to gather strength for the next wave.
These four bolts smashed directly into the array, instantly destroying four of the smaller formations and weakening the array's suction force.
Yun Xi felt the difference immediately. Activating her Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind technique, she turned into a blur and darted away.
The other cultivators quickly fled the City Lord's estate as well. No one wanted to get hit by lightning again.
As the space distorted and trembled, Yun Xi felt herself pass through a thin membrane. A moment later, she saw the tribulation cloud looming over the City Lord's estate.
"We're out!"
"We really made it out!"
"Don't celebrate yet—the evil array is still active."
"Wait... four of the smaller formations are gone!"
"Zhu Daoyou, what's going on?"
"The lightning tribulation destroyed four sub-arrays. That's how we broke out of the space. Whether we can finish the rest depends on whether that little mouse survives."
Yun Xi now stood outside the tribulation's range, watching Dian Dian anxiously.
Dian Dian was curled into a ball, trying to absorb the lightning, smoke still rising from its now-black fur.
On the other side, Li Cangyuan was still under siege, but City Lord Li managed to save him in the end.
The surrounding cultivators were furious but dared not speak up. City Lord Li was a Nascent Soul-level Zhēnjūn, and none of them could take him on.
The tribulation cloud in the sky rumbled ominously, then let loose another massive bolt. Yun Xi clenched her fists.
The cascade of lightning finally destroyed the Ninefold Sacrificial Array before striking the third-tier array disk. It held for five breaths before shattering. Only then did the lightning fall directly onto Dian Dian.
"Dian Dian, hang in there!"
As the sacrificial array collapsed, the surrounding cultivators immediately began sending messages, summoning reinforcements. They weren't about to suffer this loss alone.